Loading and Unloading a Drying Oven via a Wireless Control Network
The customer wanted to further automate the loading and unloading process of its drying oven. Wired control of the transport carts was not physically feasible: The extreme temperature fluctuations and the harsh environment of the kiln had repeatedly caused failures in earlier, cable-based solutions.
- Client
- Austrian brick manufacturer
- Cooperation partners
- B&R
- Project area
- Slovenia, European Union
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Task
In brick production, bricks pass through a drying kiln at extremely high temperatures. Transport carts move the bricks through this high-temperature environment. This is a process that must be precisely controlled while also functioning reliably under extreme environmental conditions.
Implementation
R3 Solutions installed the Bridge-E devices directly on the transport carts, right next to the existing PLC. In addition, the necessary wireless infrastructure was set up. This enabled a wireless connection to the central infrastructure PLC with a latency of 20 milliseconds and no downtime. Control traffic runs over the B&R Powerlink protocol, enabling a reliable and efficient production process.
Result
With the wireless solution, the customer was able to improve its control system and further automate the production process. The result: greater efficiency and increased throughput in the kiln—with a connection that can withstand the harsh, high-temperature environment over the long term.
Project Data
| Network size: | 6 devices |
|---|---|
| Real-time protocol: | B&R Powerlink |
| Other data transmission: | none |
| PLC cycle time: | 20 ms |
| Coverage: | 10 x 20 m corridor |
| Roaming: | No |
| Monitoring: | No |
Daniel Thiel
Wireless Solutions Expert
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