Press Releases

SMARTWIRE STICKS IT TO ICE-CREAM

Knauf, a world-renowned German manufacturer of beechwood ice cream sticks, has upgraded factory production by introducing Moeller's SmartWire to its punching machine and drying systems.

Punching and drying are critical processes at Knauf, involving the pressing of ice cream sticks from beech veneer while the wood is continuously checked for cracks, branches, breaks and thickness. A drying and curing oven is used to dry the sticks.

Beech wood remains the material of choice for ice cream sticks because of its neutral taste, adhesion to ice cream, absence of splinters, and good tactile characteristics.

Knauf has been making the sticks since 1951, making wide use of Moeller components for most of that time. Several PS4 compact PLCs can still be found in the factory, and a Moeller ID2000 power distribution system has been in operation there for decades.

The newly upgraded systems at Knauf are controlled by a Moeller XC100 modular PLC, with all motor starters in the new configuration being snapped onto a busbar trunking system using busbar adapters, and connected by Moeller's SmartWire.

This arrangement does away with time consuming wiring of the control circuit, instead using SmartWire's plugging mechanism to replace traditional wiring methods.

The Moeller motor starters are first assembled without cables using an electrical contact module. An additional SmartWire module is then fitted onto the contactor, making available a six-pole plug-in connector that replaces the control circuit connections. The SmartWire cable provides the contactor actuation and indicates the switch position of the contactor as well as the motor-protective circuit-breaker.

Up to sixteen SmartWire enabled motor starters can be connected by a gateway without any complex control circuit wiring being necessary. Since both the main and the control circuits are implemented as plug connections with SmartWire, the entire motor starter can be exchanged in a few minutes in the event of a fault, thereby minimising expensive downtime.

At Knauf, a CANopen gateway is used to connect the motor starters to the XC100 modular PLC.

The gateway receives signals via SmartWire about the status of the contactors and motor-protective circuit-breakers. In this way, for example, the gateway can indicate the overheating of the motor and pass on the appropriate switching commands. The gateway also provides the required control voltage for all motor starters and the supply voltage in the system.

Since completion of the SmartWire installation, all that is needed to address the motor starters is to press a button on the gateway so that addresses may be automatically assigned.

Additional I/O elements can be added to the system for more complex tasks.

ENDS

PHOTOGRAPH SHOWS: Moeller SmartWire and switch cabinet at Knauf

Issued on behalf of CBI-electric Industrial Controls (Moeller Division)
Further information: José Ruivo (manager sales & marketing)
Telephone: +27 11 977-0700
Fax: +27 11 977-0758
e-mail: ruivo@moeller.co.za
P O Box 100, KEMPTON PARK, 1620, SOUTH AFRICA


Issued by Thrush Industrial Marketing
Contact: Alan Thrush
Telephone: +27 11 483-1511
Fax: +27 11 881-5611
e-mail: info@thrushindustrial.co.za
P O Box 1933, HIGHLANDS NORTH, 2037, SOUTH AFRICA

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