Weight and force control, faster than ever
Siwarex solutions by Siemens ensure the control of the production process and the quality of the finished product in the food
& beverage industry, among others. Thanks to native integration in motion control, they offer many advantages
di Laura Di Jorio
Machine manufacturers are increasingly appreciative of technologies relative to weight control and force measurement, because these guarantee effectively and at a relatively low cost a control of the production process and of the quality of the finished product. Siemens developed Siwarex solutions specifically for these tasks. We are talking about technologies which are suitable for native integration within Simatic and Simotion control systems for machine automation and motion control.
The advantages of integration in the control system
A technology which has been designed for a perfect integration within the control system provides advantages to all phases of the life cycle of a product or plant, starting from simplified and uniform design, going on with ease of commissioning and optimization, right up to diagnostic instruments for easier maintenance (essential to minimize machine downtime). Besides, these solutions offer powerful communication tools so as to provide users with the highest connectivity, transparency and security of information, the bases of digitization from an Industry 4.0 standpoint.
A device used in weighing tasks
The most recent Siwarex innovations are based on Simatic ET200SP, a compact and modular device, compatible with all machine automation and motion control technologies.
Siwarex WP321 is used for very fast weighing tasks, and it is specific for machines with intensely cyclical functioning, thanks to the sampling of the measurement value at 600 Hz at high resolution, guaranteed by an A/D 24-bit converter. They are mainly used in weight control downstream of a dosing mechanism, to verify allowances and optimize the process, in selecting machines which classify the product based upon its weight (used for instance when packaging fruit), in scales or in order to check the completeness of an item or of a package of products.
A module developed for reading and force transducer analysis
Let us now consider the Simatic ET200SP AI 2xSG High Speed module, designed for the reading of force transducers based on strain gauge resistances, such as, for instance, traditional load cells. It is used for reading and force analysis even in processes with very fast dynamics, thanks to the internal sampling up to 10 Khz with IRT isochronous mode and oversampling functions.
This module is typically used in measuring force or tightening torque for the quality control of the closure of vials or bottles, or for the monitoring of the assembly of parts such as, for instance, dispensers or spray nozzles. Since often these applications require more complex analyses, with a connection between the position of an axis and the applied force, the IRT isochronous mode functioning and the native integration in Siemens motion control make it a powerful and versatile instrument.