The ask!

The large food client required a case packer panel upgrade. IPS was tasked to build and to integrate the automation control, equipment monitoring, operational, and maintenance interface with the conveyance and critical control point equipment between the client’s cartoner and case packer.

What are we improving?

The design and integration of the case packer panel significantly improve the packaging lines life cycle, maintainability, reliability, production data, and dramatically reduces potential arc flash risk to our client’s employees. The case packer panel also incorporates advanced safety circuit monitoring and hazardous energy isolation for equipment and personnel safety.

What is in the new case packer panel upgrade?

The new control panel houses the motor control hardware such as VFD’s along with the PLC’s I/O modules and network hardware. The panel also houses the SIL 3 safety circuit monitoring equipment to ensure the safety of our client’s people.

What will the panel be doing?

The panel will provide motor control, I/O interface, safety circuit monitoring, and hazardous energy isolation for field devices, motors and critical control point equipment.

How will the panel help them?

The new control panel will increase safety, line reliability, and ease of maintainability. This design and integration also give our client much more vision on production metrics, predictive maintenance data, and data to make better business decisions to maximize their investment dollars.

Definitions: 

Motor Control – A motor control center (MCC) is an assembly to control some or all-electric motors in a central location. It consists of multiple enclosed sections having a common power bus and with each section containing a combination starter, which in turn consists of motor starter, fuses or circuit breaker, and power disconnect.

I/O – Digital I/O signals are used by industrial automation and control equipment, operating in harsh and noisy environments, to communicate on/off status between remote devices and controllers.

Hazardous Energy – Hazardous energy is defined: “any electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, chemical, nuclear, thermal, gravitational, or other energy that can harm personnel” (CSA Z460-13 “Control of Hazardous Energy – Lockout and Other Methods”). 

Sources: Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS). January 3, 2018. OSH Answer Fact Sheets. https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/hsprograms/hazardous_energy.html