Product category:
Boilers, Heat Exchangers, Dryers and Refrigeration
News Release from: GEA Niro | Subject: Seda coffee
Edited by the Processingtalk Editorial
Team on 07 December 2007
Centralised automation for Spanish
coffee maker
Niro of Copenhagen has recently installed a complete freeze drying system for a customer in Spain that uses advanced automation technology from Rockwell Automation
The automation has helped the company minimise the development time and keep the cost of licensing and upgrades firmly under control The system provides open access throughout the factory to minimise supervision and labour costs
This article was originally published on Processingtalk on 8 Oct 2008 at 8.00am (UK)
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The customer, Seda Solubles of Palencia, manufactures soluble coffee in a continuous process using a ConRad 500 (Continuous Radiation) freeze drying plant from Niro.
The system handles all freeze drying operations from initial foaming to the finished freeze-dried coffee.
It is fully automatic and controlled using a ControlLogix PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) running RSViewSE software, both from Rockwell Automation.
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Benn Nyborg is the manager of the Process Control Department at Niro.
He explained that Niro has used the Rockwell software as a basis then enhanced it specifically to suit the ConRad 500 and the customer's operational needs.
"Starting with this proprietary product helped us minimise the development time," he said.
"This meant that during commissioning we could concentrate on the configuration of the system rather than the programming".
The set-up software also allowed Niro engineers to go though a comprehensive test run on the system before delivering it to the site.
The Niro engineers were able to reduce the development time still further by using special development tools including 'global objects' - blocks of standard code - that enable both the PLC and SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) programming to be generated simultaneously.
Benn said that the combination of these techniques had allowed the development time for the automation system to be reduced significantly.
"In our opinion these techniques have knocked about 25% of the development time for the project," he explained.
The automation system has been centralised within the factory so that databases and automation software are located only on the main server.
This provides a completely transparent system that allows any number of operators around the factory to have access from remote interfaces for maximum efficiency.
It also helps to minimise the software licensing and upgrade costs.
Maintenance costs are also kept under control by locating all the configuration files for instrumentation and field equipment on the server too.
This means that these components will 'plug and play' if they need to be replaced.
Niro engineers can connect remotely to the factory directly through a VPN (Virtual Private Network) over the Internet to help with product support and system configuration changes.
Francisco Cantero is one of the project managers in Spain.
He has been delighted with the whole set up process and the way the Conrad 500 has performed in service.
"The freeze drying system was installed on time and without any difficulty," he said.
"Since we have been at full production we have been very pleased with the way the automation system has performed.
It's easy to operate and provides us with simple access throughout the factory".
Niro heads up the Process Engineering Division of the GEA Group based in Germany.
The company specialises in the provision of spray and freeze drying equipment for the food, pharmaceutical and chemical industries.
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