Optima Control Solutions

Process Line Ltd. – A specialist engineering design company, provides lithographic plate manufacturers and the wider metal finishing industry with facilities including the bespoke design, project management and construction of litho plate production lines, metal web finishing lines and specialist consultancy services in these fields.

At its UK head office, at Yeadon nr. Leeds, The Process Line team engineer projects ranging from upgrades of individual line sections through to the construction of complete plate production lines, Process Line provides these services to clients around the globe.

As drives and controls technology has advanced markedly over the recent past, Process Line called in Optima Control Solutions Ltd., a web transport system specialist to look at a project to supply a full plate production line destined for installation in South Africa.

The job comprised dual aluminium uncoilers, an accumulator, a grainer, an anodisor, and a coater section. These were followed by a drying oven and a cut-to-length and stack exit section. Between them, Process Line, Optima and the end client determined who the most appropriate control equipment suppliers would be. The drive manufacturer selected was Yaskawa with Allen Bradley PLC and SCADA equipment for the controls. The systems equipment was distributed on a DeviceNet fieldbus platform. The criteria applied to the selection process included not only technical considerations but long term support and the commercial advantage of the Rand – Sterling Exchange rate.

Optima selected AC, closed loop vector drives as the prime web transport drives, these provided high performance in a compact frame with a reputation for high reliability. Also the Yaskawa range adapted easily to a common DC link configuration, often necessary on AC line drive systems.

The Allen Bradley ControLogix PLC offered the ability to utilise two processors on a single backplane, providing a natural split for main process control software and the web transport elements and ensuring sufficient processing power was available to both tasks. Loadcell equipment for tension control was also sourced locally in South Africa.

Logistically and commercially, considering the support and exchange rate, there were considerable advantages in sourcing the drive equipment locally in S.A. and in having the control panel manufacturing carried out in S.A. too.

Where significant development work was done and thorough proving was required, the control panel manufacturing was resourced in the UK.

The outline philosophy for the control method was a networked web transport and process control system with supervisory SCADA. Also as part of the system Optima supplied a maintenance PC, it too sat on the network, and was loaded with a full suite of engineering tools and a second, parallel SCADA system for engineering interrogation. This PC was the route via which Optima could provide remote technical support for all the lines systems via internet.

Closely liaising with both Process Line and the end clients, Optima provided professional control system specification and design services, developed the operational software, and tested and commissioned the control system both in the UK and in South Africa. Hardware support for the control equipment continues to be sourced locally when required and the internet based software systems support route provides fast response times to any malfunction that might have high level engineering attention requested.

If you think you might benefit from Optima’s innovative and open approach to engineering solutions coupled with their renowned expertise in the application of variable speed drives, PLC’s and SCADA, please call us on +44 (0)1254 27 28 29 or email us at info@optimacs.com, we will be pleased to help with your enquiry.