Business challenges• TherisinginternationaldemandforAkulonandother

plasticgranulateswasputtingtheexistingmachinesandemployeesunderpressureasregardsplanningandcapacity.

• Strictersafetystandardsareconstantlyplacinghigherdemandsonmachinesinthefactories.

• Theoldapproach,inwhichoperatorsfoldtheoctabinsonthefloorandthenmovethemtothemachineplatform,wasergonomicallyproblematic.

• Thefilledoctabinsareprepackedgoods.Thenewfillingstationhastobeadjustedandcalibrated,sothatthefilledoctabinsaresuitableforuseintrade.ChangesinlegislationmeanthisactivityisnolongercarriedoutbytheLegalMetrologyServiceoftheBelgiangovernment’sFPSEconomydepartment.

TheflagshipofDSMSpecialtyCompounds,astheestablishmentinGenkiscalled,isAkulon:ahigh-qualityplasticmadefrompolyamides.TheplasticgranulesareproducedonsiteinGenkandarepackedinoctabins(octagonalboxesforbulktransport).However,themachinesforfillingandweighingtheoctabinsweredueforrenewal.WeighingtechnologyexpertsBasculesRobbeusedSiemenscomponentstobuildabrand-newmachine,perfectlytailoredtotheLimburg-basedcompany.

DSM is an international industrial company active in health, nutrition and materials, and produces

high-quality plastic granulates in Genk for the electronics, automotive and construction industries,

among others. To transport and export the products expeditiously, efficient packaging is essen tial.

Which is why a filling line was modified to include a new octabin filling machine with high-tech

components. This ensures the packages are filled automatically and accurately, thereby guaran-

teeing optimum efficiency.

OctabinsweighedouttothegranuleatDSMSpecialtyCompounds

Technical challenges • Thenewfillingstationhastobeadjustedandcalibrated

sothatthefilledoctabinsaresuitableforuseintrade.• FillingoctabinswithAkulonmeansthemachinesare

quicklysubjecttowear.Sothenewsolutionmustbeconstructedusinghigh-qualitymaterials.Hencesomecomponentsunderwentspecialheattreatmenttocountertheabrasiveeffectoftheplasticgranulate.

• Modifyingthefillinglinealsomeantthatoutmodedsteelstructureshadtobeadapted–whichwasnoeasytask.

• Duringthefillingtheoctabinshavetobeweighedveryaccurately.Foroptimumefficiencytheboxesmustneverbefilledtoofull,butequallynevertoolittleeither.

• Whenpiecesofmetalgetintotheoctabins,thisisoftennotspotteduntilit’stoolate.Operatorsthenhavetodelvearoundbyhandintheboxesordestroyhalf-filledoctabins.

• Thenewfillinglinehadtobedesignedfromstarttofinishtobeassafeandergonomicaspossible.

The octabin filling machine was designed and drafted in 3D

down to the smallest detail by the Bascules Robbe engineering

department.

Solution• BecausebothDSMandBasculesRobbehadhadpositive

experienceswithSiemensinpreviousprojects,theyoptedforSiemenstechnologythistimetoo.Theresultwassomewell-oiledcooperation:BasculesRobbelookedafterthemechanicalandelectricaldesign,fullytailoredtoDSM’sneeds,andtogetherwithSiemensselectedsuitableweighingtechnologycomponentsfortheapplication.What’smore,thedesignwasminutelydetailedbyBasculesRobbein3Ddrawings.

• Anewstate-of-the-artoctabinfillingmachinewasbuilt,usingthelatestSiemenstechnologyandthemostaccurateweighingonthemarket.Thismachinecommu-nicateswiththein-feedandout-feedrollerconveyors,sothateverythingiseasytooperate.

• Ametaldetectorisintegratedintothemachine.Inthiswaytherawmaterialischeckedforsmallpiecesofmetalbeforeiteverenterstheoctabins,andtheseareremovedautomatically.

• Theoctabinfillingstationisequippedwithanascen-dinganddescendingrollerconveyor.Hydrauliccylindersbringtherollerconveyortotherightheight,soitispos-sibletoworkwithdifferentsizesofoctabins.

• TheSIWAREXFTAweighingmoduleweighstheloadandensuresthatthemachinestopsfillingatthesetweight.Theplatformunderneaththeoctabinvibratesinordertodistributethegranules.Themoduleweighsextreme-lyaccuratelyandcanbesettocoarseorfinematerial.

• Thehigh-endSiemenstoolscommunicatedirectlywithoneanother.InDSM’soctabinfillingmachinetheSIWAREXFTAdigitallytransmitstheweighttotheSIMATICS7-1500PLC,whichrespondsimmediately.Thefillingstops,andthenextstep–sealingtheoctabinbag–begins.

• TheclearPROFINETinterfaceletstheoperatorseetheprocessesinoperation.HeorshecanoperatetheSIMATICS7-1500PLC,thebrainofthemachine,witheaseviaauser-friendlytouchscreen.

• Operatorswerefullyinvolvedintheprocess:theyprovidedinputforthedesignofthemachineandalsogottoknowitduringtheconstruction.Evenafterthemachinehadbeenprogrammed,theywerestillabletomakesuggestions,whichtheengineersfromBasculesRobbethencustomizedintheuser-friendlyTIAportal.

• CheckingandcalibrationoftheweighingmodulewascarriedoutbyengineersfromBasculesRobbe.Thecalibrationismandatoryinordertobeabletousethemachinefortrade.

Result• Thepackingprocessissafer:themovingpartsofthe

machineareshieldedandsatisfythestricteststandardsofthemachinerydirective(2006/42/EC).Ariskanalysisatthestartoftheprojectensuredstringentproceduresandacustomizeddesign.

• Fastleadtimeforthewholeproject:theentirefillinglinewasdesignedandbuiltinlessthanayear.

• Twopeopleusedtobeneededtofoldtheoctabins(ontheground)andfillthem(onaplatform).Noweverythingtakesplaceononeangledplatformonwhichtheoperatorcaneasilyswitchtasks.Thislayoutalsooffersergonomicbenefitsfortheoperators.

• TheoctabinsareweighedmoreaccuratelythaneverwiththeSIWAREXFTA,whichcanbesettoweighupto6000verifiedpoints.Thisequatestoascaledivisionof0.016%.Meaningthereisnevertoomuchortoolittleintheboxes.

• Besidesthisoctabinfillingstation,BasculesRobbealsotookchargeofcalibratingathird-partyfillingmachineforfillingbagsofupto25kgatDSMSpecialtyCompounds.BasculesRobbeisalsoaccreditedtocarryoutR61calibrationonmachinesthatarebuiltbyotherpeoplebutthatusetheSIWAREXFTAorSIWAREXWP251weighingmodules.TheexpertsfromBasculesRobbeandSiemenscanalsoprovideconsultancyservicessothatthecombinationofloadcells,weighingmoduleandvisualizationoftheweightiscarriedoutonaverifiedbasis.

• Thereturnoninvestmentonthenewfillinglineis3years.FromthenonDSMwillbereapingthefullrewardsoftheimprovementsinproductivity.

Project overview• Industry:Chemicals• Customer:DSMSpecialtyCompounds• Sector:Plastics• Region:Belgium–Genk• Technology:Fillingindustrialpackages

Technology used• SIMATICS7-1500• SIWAREXFTA• PROFINET

The advantages of Siemens

• Customizedtotalsolutions:Siemenscloselyfollowsdevelopmentsinthe(international)worldofpro-ductionmachinesandassistscustomerstopositionandtesttheirmachinestrategy.Indoingso,wetakeaccountoftheskillsofthemachinemanufacturerandthespecificrequirementsofthesector.

• TotallyIntegratedAutomation(TIA):Siemensdevelopssolutionstoautomatemachinefunctionsandtointe-gratethemintothetotalproductionflow,oneresultbeingthatoperatingcostsarescaledbackconsider-ably.

• ViaIntegratedDriveSystems,ourintegratedsolutionfortheentiredrivetrain,youalsoreapthebenefitsofgreaterefficiency,reliabilityandproductivity.

• Extensivesectorknowledge,experienceinproductiontechnologyandexpertiseinautomation:3essentialingredientsformachinemanufacturingsuccessthatSiemensintegrateswitheachotherfromendtoend.

• Engineeringsupport:wecarryoutfullmechatronicstudiesandcheckthedimensioningofdrivesdowntothelastdetail.

• Sharingexperience:theexpertsfromSiemenshelpmachinemanufacturerstomasterspecialistpro-ductionandautomationtechniques.Inaddition,theirproductionisfullyalignedtothequalityandsafetystandardsofeachsector.Resultingingainsinefficiency.

• Outstandingservice:implementation,productandsystemsupport,whereverandwheneverneeded.

• Wideexperienceinthefieldofretrofitandredesign.

www.siemens.be/industrie

Siemensn.v.

DigitalFactory–ProcessIndustriesandDrives

GuidoGezellestraat123

B-1654Beersel(Huizingen)

BELGIUM

ContactGertDavidson:+32476346520

gert.davidson@siemens.com

Sales Order ReportPrintedinBelgium–©Siemensn.v.2017

Publicationdate:11/2017

Division:DigitalFactory–ProcessIndustriesandDrives

R.E.:StephanieLegay

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teristicsofperformancewhich incaseofactualusedonotalwaysapplyasdescribedor

whichmaychangeasa resultof furtherdevelopmentof theproducts.Anobligation to

provide the respective characteristics shall only exist if expressly agreed in the terms of

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