Materials Handling

Case History
Automotive Discrete Parts Handling

Project
Provide control, HMI, tracking, and reporting for three material handling lines. Key objectives are to increase throughput, while minimizing both the implementation timeframe and plant downtime.

Architecture

  • Three material handling lines and one part transfer conveyor line upstream
    of curing oven.
  • Seven Allen-Bradley PLC-5/40E processors networked via Data Highway Plus to three Wonderware InTouch HMI operator interface industrialized computers.
  • Data communications via Ethernet TCP/IP to plant Oracle database for part tracking.
  • Remote I/O communications to 3rd party 6-axis robot controllers with vision system, Allen-Bradley 1394 Multi-Axis Servo Controllers, Rice Lakes checkweigh scales and Allen-Bradley Flex I/O modules.

Materials Handling Graphic

Implementation
The customer’s user requirements called for a very tightly integrated solution using Rockwell Automation/Allen-Bradley products and their connectivity partners.
Each of three material handling lines consists of fully integrated communications between the line master PLC and belt-driven roller conveyors, two robot controllers, two checkweigh scales, two process machine PLC processors and one 1394 Servo Controller with two servo-motor axes. Each line has a stand-alone operator interface terminal, which communicates via Data Highway to the PLCs and exchanges manufacturing information with an Oracle Database via Ethernet. Operators have the ability to monitor the line, select a production lot to run, control the line speed, and adjust robot tooling parameters.

Status
ACE implemented a single line system of identical equipment in late 1999. Following that success, we were selected as the systems integrator for the three additional lines.