LOW PRESSURE AIR COMPRESSOR PLANT AUTOMATION WITH MESSUNG'S NX-ERA SERIES

Posted by Messung Industrial Automation & controls on February 3rd, 2022

An air compressor is a pneumatic device that generates potentioal energy. stored in pressurized air (i.e., compressed air ). By one of several methods, an air compressor forces more and more air into a storage tank, increasing the pressure.

When the tank\'s pressure reaches its engineered upper limit, the air compressor shuts off. The compressed air, then, is held in the tank until called into use. The energy contained in the compressed air can be used for a variety of applications, utilizing the kinetic energy of the air as it is released and the tank depressurizes.

APPLICATION WHERE LP COMPRESSOR IS USED: Food and Beverage Industry

Low pressure, oil-free blowers play an integral role in the food and beverage industry. The main sub segments that use low-pressure air for numerous applications in this industry include meat processing, poultry, dairy product manufacturing, preserved fruits and vegetables, as well as brewing and beverage processes. The primary use of low-pressure air in this market is pneumatic conveying in both vacuum and pressure. Many food manufacturers also operate wastewater treatment facilities independent from their municipalities to decontaminate process or sewage water and to treat organic waste.

THE CUSTOMER

Our customer is a key player in the beverage industry and one of the largest franchisees of a reputable SOFTDRINK PRODUCER in the world (outside USA). The Company produces and distributes a wide range of carbonated soft drinks (CSDs), as well as a large selection of non-carbonated beverages (NCBs), including packaged drinking water.

KEY FEATURES OF THE COMPRESSERPLANT

• Filtering out contaminated air is essential to creating sanitary food products, helping to preserve customer health and avoid liability.
• Because of the wide range of pressures that air compressors can generate, they can be used in many different places on product line.
• Easy to maintain.
• It is perfect for high-pressure requirements.
• It has a low noise.
• The compressed air outlet temperature is not very high.

THE SOLUTION

Messung engineers studied the plant and its requirements, and came up with a solution consisting of

• NX-ERA XPRESS XP300 PLC controller
• 4.3 inches HMI

Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) have been used in various control systems in order to increase efficiency, to reduce the initial investment and to minimize the long-term maintenance costs. Every industrial plant requires compressed air to perform various operations. This can be obtained by the air compressor. Air compressors have high capacity and stable flow in varying conditions, but this requires a sophisticated control algorithm.

In this work, we have designed and implemented a PLC-based air compressor for industrial applications. HMI display is used to indicate different conditions of the air compressor, such as, over load, no load, full load, cooling fan\'s on/off, vent valve\'s open/close or oil level low/high conditions etc. Besides, to show different error messages, such as, oil level error signal, over temperature error, over air pressure error, over motor current error signals etc.

Manual and automatic modes of operations have been incorporated in the system. Besides, reset system has been included in case of emergency. In practice, it is found that the developed control system works very well for different types of input signals from the sensors and provides appropriate output. 

THE BRAIN OF THE SYSTEM: NX-ERA XPRESS

NX-ERA Xpress is a powerful mini PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) developed by Messung, leading micro PLC manufacturer. NX-ERA Xpress brings you world-class technology at a cost-effective price - for entry-level applications.

NX-ERA Xpress Highlights:

• High density I/O both Digital & Analog
• Programming by Codesys® - IEC 61131 based software
• Ethernet Port - TCP/IP, Modbus TCP/IP
• Inbuilt Webserver
• Industry 4.0 ready - OPC-UA, MQTT features
• RS-485 port with Modbus RTU Master protocol
• CANopen Master/Slave protocol
• SCADA and HMI interfaces available
• Built in HTML web server

Packed with advanced features, NX-ERA Xpress micro PLCdelivers high-speed processing power in a compact design with embedded I/O. The micro PLC system can be easily expanded through CANopen using theRemote I/O Modules - a great advantage for OEMs with needs of small, scalable applications.

BENEFITS FOR THE CUSTOMER

Latest Industry 4.0 enabled PLC System: provides access to sensor-level data in difficult-to-reach areas. This ensures smoother operation of system components while streamlining device replacement and machine maintenance – again saving costs and improving efficiency.

Cloud connectivity

Conformal Coating: ensures integrity even in harsh environments

Programming and configuration environment based on IEC 61131-3 standard: the global standard in programming languages for programmable controllers

THE OUTCOME:

• Due to Automation, all systems are designed for un-attended operation and automatic Pneumatic demand adjustment 

• The design and Instrumentation make the plant very compact; assembly on skids, prefabricated supplied from factory 

• Air purity is achieved in a very short time. Hence the compressor can be switched ON & OFF as per air demand changes 

• High reliability:  Very reliable for continuous and steady operation with constant air purity. Plant availability time is better than 90 - 95% always 

• The only utilities required is electrical power. Smart control of compressor ensures energy savings.

For automation system components such as PLCs, HMIs, Remote I/Os, etc. or for customised yet cost-effective industrial automation solutions tailored for your specific application – talk to Messung, leading Top PLC manufacturer in India. Messung Industrial Automation & Control division also offers the latest SCADA applications, Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) and servo drives.

Our Process Automation, Servo & Motion Control Automation, and General Purpose Automation solutions have proven themselves across the gamut of industries with their flexibility, efficiency and long service life. We can offer a long list of successful case studies and satisfied customers to justify their claims.