CASE STUDIES

Description of the state before implementation:

The customer had a conveyor system installed, where shoes were moved on small pallets between certain stations. At one of the stations it was necessary to remove the remnants of thread after sewing. This process was in charge of two operators, who manually removed the remnants with a heat gun.

Our solution:

We placed two robots with hot air guns at the station, which chose the right trajectory according to the type of shoe and removed the remains after sewing from the shoes.

The benefits that our customer has gained:

- reduction of production costs
- better removal of sewing remains
- increase of station accessibility
 

Description of the state before implementation:

The customer had a physically built solution of fermenters used to produce biogas from biological matter. This technology was operated by operators manually via drive switches, while the evaluation of biogas production data was not ensured.  

Our solution:

We designed an industrial control system and its software to control one of the phases of biogas production. As the customer's system was built in advance, we adapted our solution to the situation in which the control system was located. After consulting with the customer, we provided the solution with time cycles of individual steps such as mass dosing, mixing and draining, with control of drive overload. As part of the project, we created a user environment that allows operators and technologists to adjust the individual parameters of a complex system as needed, depending on the various impacts of biogas production. In addition, we have implemented a system of sending SMS messages to operators, who are thus notified of the need for immediate action.

The benefits that our customer has gained:

- less intervention by operators during production, who were thus able to operate several devices in parallel
- acquisition and evaluation of current data on biogas production
- prediction of dangerous phenomena that could represent a failure for the customer
- SMS messages that reduce intervention and downtime
- overall streamlining of the biogas production process
 

Description of the state before implementation:

The customer had two thermal tunnels installed on the conveyor, for the movement of pallets with shoes. The task of the tunnel was to activate the glue applied to the shoe. The device was controlled by relay logic without the possibility of adjustment. Due to the wrong location of the switchboard of one of the tunnels in it, all plastic components in the switchboard became brittle and their frequent failures.

Our solution:

We fitted the tunnels with new switchboards located outside the effects of heat from the tunnels. We replaced the relay logic with PLC control controlled from the main switchboard of the conveyor. We have placed HMI panels on both tunnels for setting heating parameters, monitoring the current status and displaying possible alarms.

The benefits that our customer has gained:

- longer service life of components in the switchboard thanks to a more suitable location
- device diagnostics thanks to PLC control and HMI panel
- possibility to set the required minimum heating time
 

Description of the state before implementation:

The customer had installed technology for hardening metal knives. The device consisted of an input conveyor, where the operator manually loaded the pieces, a hardening tunnel and an output conveyor with a cooling press, from where the pieces were taken out.

Our solution:

We installed two robots next to the hardening furnace, which took care of loading and unloading the knives. We equipped the loading robot with a 3D scanner, with the help of which it was able to precisely remove the knives from the pallet with suction cups and load them on the input conveyor of the hardening furnace. We additionally equipped the workplace of the loading robot with a knife-type marking press. The output robot unloaded the pieces from the cooling press into two pallets.

The benefits that our customer has gained:

- less intervention by operators during the production, who were thus able to operate several devices in parallel
- reduced risk of operator injury caused by the knife edge
- higher production of the hardening furnace achieved
- reducing the cost related to hardening of pieces
 

Description of the state before implementation:

The customer had a rotary carousel installed for spraying shoe soles. The device was older and much of the control was built on relay logic. There were frequent outages on the carousel, the repair of which was lengthy due to the lack of diagnostics.

Our solution:

We completely reworked the electrical installation on the device. We emptied the control cabinet and fitted it with new components. We replaced the relay logic with PLC control, we replaced the old inverters with new, more efficient inverters with a higher possibility of diagnostics and settings. Thanks to the use of EtherCat communication and distributed peripherals, the number of cables on the device has been reduced. There were 30 stations on the carousel, which had their own switchboards. We also refurbished them all and installed them with new modules. 

The benefits that our customer has gained:

- significantly lower equipment failure rate
- significantly faster service thanks to extensive diagnostics with alarms
- possibility to adjust the operation of the device thanks to PLC
- clearer electrical installation