No matter if burrs on motor and housing parts or residues of lubricants and coolants – in motor manufacturing precision and cleanliness are the most important things. The company Maschinenbau Silberhorn GmbH located in Lupburg is an international specialist for plants designed for cleaning and deburring machine parts. In the middle of this year Maschinenbau Silberhorn GmbH delivered two complete cleaning lines for an automotive plant in Shenyang, China. SPANGLER Automation was responsible for the electrical planning and control cabinet construction and provided support during the installation and start-up of the control technology both in Germany and on site in China.

In total, three robot cells deburr motor parts with a water pressure of up to 600 bar. About 500 parts run through both lines per day. They are cleaned of residues from the mechanical processing with various cleaning agents as well as preserved at the same time. Afterwards the treated parts are returned to manufacturing or transported to an interim storage.

According to OEM’s preference

A special challenge was the variety and complexity of the plant processes which had to be considered when programming the control. Furthermore, due to the specification sheets of the car manufacturer detailed requirements for control technology and programming had to be taken into account. Again, SPANGLER could actively support Maschinenbau Silberhorn GmbH here and hence contribute to a smooth implementation of the project.

An extraction plant for recovery of essential oils, aromas or other natural extracts is based on longterm well-proven processes. Manufacturers of mechanical engineering and control technology have to cope with special challenges in case such a plant has to be designed in accordance with American specifications.

In the currenct case SPANGLER Automation was commissioned by Devex Verfahrenstechnik GmbH in Warendorf to plan a control system for a pilot plant for the extraction of medicinal plants according to the American norms UL508A and UL698A and set up the required control technology within four months.

UL508A regulates the entire manufacturing process for the production of industrial control panels in North America, up to start-up. UL698A is the base for control cabinets which are applied in especially hazardous locations.  SPANGLER is one of the few German manufacturers certified to produce control cabinets according to UL norm 698A in order to supply the American market accordingly. As in this case the essences are extracted with highly flammable ethanol, the plant had to meet the prerequisites for the potentially explosive section (Class. I, Div. 2), in compliance with the National Electrical Code.

From Töging to Colorado

The specification comprises the control system, including data storage with remote access, an operation cabinet with touch panel as well as programming and visualisation of the plant, completely manufactured on a Skid frame. SPANGLER has a longtime experience with American norms; thus, although designing a plant under these extraordinary circumstances is quite demanding, it could be solved at a good pace. In order to ensure correct functioning of the plant, it had been completely assembled, wired and tested at SPANGLER before it was delivered to Colorado.

The application of SPANGLER quality at the international pharmaceutical market is a promising field because the extraction of medicinal plants is interesting for numerous industry branches, especially for the pharmaceutical, cosmetics and chemical industry.

What is more obvious than to apply a kind of energy storage for electric power generated by renewable energy, which brings the power at any time to other sectors like traffic and industry in order to decarbonise them. Electrolysers, which convert green electricity into green hydrogen, are the technical key components for this. H-TEC SYSTEMS GmbH has developed such electrolysers (PEM process) that achieve the conversion with a degree of efficiency of up to 95%. With green hydrogen low CO2 and pollutant emissions with cars, lorries, trains, ships etc. can be achieved. For this project SPANGLER Automation has designed the switch system and the control system with process surface.

The PEM elektrolysers from model series ME100/350 are applied in Germany’s biggest green hydrogen mobility project eFarm. Many participants are involved in North Friesland with the generation of green hydrogen from wind energy which is put on the market as fuel. As the complete technology of the electrolyser is installed in a 20 feet container, a decentral application of this gas generator is no problem.

Riskless operation

This flexibility, however, becomes obvious with the requirements to the operation. As the electrolyser can virtually be applied anywhere, the operating interface has to be designed in a way that also operators with a short training time can cope with it. Additionally, a number of assumptions and redundancies have to be considered in order to exclude the risk of possible malfunctions as the gaseous hydrogen is highly explosive. Therefore, as safety performance category Safety Integrity Level (SIL) 2 was realised. This aims at finding and minimising possible risks for customers, plants and operators in advance.

The generation of green hydrogen which is acceptable from the economic and ecological point of view, in order to apply it as fuel or storage of huge amounts of energy is one of the central challenges connected to the conversion to renewable energy generation. SPANGLER Automation helps to manage this.

They are the electronic supervisors of machine controls, data flows and data security: the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition Systems (SCADA). Therefore, the task of the SPANGLER programmers for process control systems is clearly defined: The control technical basis for the intelligent use of large data volumes and the linking of manufacturing and process machines.

A sophisticated process control system is the basis, especially for large industrial plants or multi-step processes. Such a system does not only control the data flow but also registers, records and evaluates the data. In this way, plant operators and operating engineers receive information about setting and performance values of the individual machine and manufacturing data, their maintenance status and the components which get close to their wear limit. “In this way the plants increase their productivity as less maintenance time is needed. In addition, the plants’ life expectancy rises,” Christian Brandmüller, Managing Director at SPANGLER, states. “SPANGLER has established a comprehensive pool of experience due to a large number of projects. Our programmers for process control systems work competently and professionally and are constantly in contact with various manufacturers.”

Message in case of risk 

Nevertheless, if there is an incident or even a hazardous situation, the system automatically triggers an alarm. Thereby, the alarm level depends on the gravity of the incident and ranges from a short text message to one or more recipients to the release of a red alert.

The scope of a process control system depends on the dimension of the elements and processes which must be controlled: As far as the hardware is concerned, everything is possible from a simple PC to the server operating system. Regarding software SPANGLER opts for products constructed modularly from FlowChief or SIEMENS – so that customers always receive the appropriate system.

Each potato differs in size, quality and dirt. For an automated processing the focus lies on intelligent manufacturing steps and the adherence to hygiene regulations. This also applies to the new manufacturing line of the Bavarian dumplings expert Burgis GmbH from Neumarkt in the Upper Palatinate.

Bavarian tubers

SPANGLER has supported the successful family-run company Burgis with the new building of the manufacturing and has realised the electrotechnical plants. The field warehouse, first step of the potatoes after harvest, was planned in a visionary way. In future, a QR code is generated here with which the pre-cleaned tubers can be sorted again to batches. After their arrival at the main plant the potatoes lose their peel in washing and peeling machines before they are processed to dumpling products in up to four manufacturing lines. During these processes everything is controlled by a central control system which combines the single machines to one intelligent manufacturing chain. The operation can be handled both via mobile devices or via touch panels which are distributed in the manufacturing.

Fast maintenance, hygenic cleaning

The engineering for this project which means working out control guidelines up to the infrastructure was completely carried out by SPANGLER. The sensor technology distributed in the plant is pluggable via a special bus system, the so-called I/O link. This connection technology is insensitive to electrical interference as no shielded cables are necessary. Furthermore, the maintenance effort is reduced to plug and play as new sensors are automatically parameterised via the IO master. The programming of the logic was made with failsafe Siemens PLCs S7-1515F – 2PN. The service switch, the emergency stop pushbutton and the touch displays were carried out according to IP69K certified models. This is designed for permanent operation in a humid environment and the high-pressure cleaning.

Modern energy management

A modern production has to bear in mind an acceptable energy consumption. The energy management system set up by SPANGLER records values of current, water, pressure, temperature and water steam. In this way the customer can collect trends, limit values or reports according to his own demand and thus operate the manufacturing more efficiently.

Hannelore Spangler-Schäfer, Managing Director of SPANGLER: “We are pleased about the successfully completed project and the trust the company Burgis has placed in us. We are particularly grateful for the open communication and the partnership-based cooperation.”

Programming a “digital twin” for a plant in order to simulate the processes of a plant under real conditions will be standard in automation technology in the next few years. There are several advantages. Complex correlations regarding control and material flow can be tested in real time and under realistic conditions. In this way the planning and engineering reliability is increased. Furthermore, the costs and the time for start-ups are significantly reduced.

Virtual start-up at SPANGLER

SPANGLER Automation concluded the conversion of an existing manufacturing plant of an automotive supplier. The plant which exists of three lines was converted to a new control technology and linked with the ERP system. This was carried out without shutting down the whole plant and with a minimum time of standstill. A retrofit with possible interruptions of production would not have been acceptable for the well-known supplier. Taking this into consideration SPANGLER offered a line-by-line conversion, planned and simulated in advance by a “virtual start-up”.

For the implementation the process automation team of SPANGLER designed a detailed “digital twin”. The simulations were connected to a failsafe Siemens PLC in order to thoroughly test the process procedures in real time and to adapt to the manufacturing conditions. The training of the operators could be done already in advance. The new control system which is 33 meters long and has 29 fields was assembled on-site and took over the control without any interruptions thanks to the prior virtual start-up.

Advantages for supplier and customer

SPANGLER Automation assesses the digital twin to be of high potential, not only due to reduced start-up times. Thomas Zenk, Manager Process Automation, explains: “The reduction of effort, either with new plants or with retrofit projects, is a significant advantage in competition for us and our customers.” Due to the positive experience SPANGLER will also focus on the digital twin in future.

The Emirate Dubai doubles the capacities of its main waste water treatment plant in Jabel Ali. Based on a first stage of construction, the plant is expanded to a daily capacity of approximately 700,000 m³. The new volume is based on the demand of about 3.35 million inhabitants. From the former waste water valuable industrial water should be produced which can be used for example for the irrigation of agricultural crops.

Maximum productivity

HUBER SE carried out a partial order for the new waste water treatment plant outside the gates of Dubai. The scope of order was to install new screens, wash presses and grit washing plants. In order to avoid machine failure, SPANGLER has designed the Siemens PLCs S7-400 H redundantly. “The redundant hardware enables faster repair processes, services as well as software updates due to the exchangeability during operation,“ SPANGLER Key Account International Daniel Götz reported.

Safety for the user

As it is not possible to completely switch off the entire plant in case of a failure, the control systems were delivered with an internal separation in the form 4b. Therefore, the operator has to switch off only the respective functional unit in order to be able to work on the plant without any risk. By means of an intelligent motor management data such as current consumption, efficiency and many others can be collected directly from the drive train. Each drive is entirely monitored.

Hannelore Spangler-Schäfer, Christian Brandmüller and Daniel Götz took the opportunity and visited the impressive plant in the Emirates. SPANGLER has already delivered the whole control technology. The service team is currently supporting the start-up from Germany.

In automation technology besides serial fieldbuses Ethernet systems for the data communication are used to an increasing degree. Classical fieldbuses opened a huge potential for the industry but withethernet bus in addition there is a base for integration of automatisation in IT, entirely in line with Industry 4.0. Managing Director Christian Brandmüller explains in which direction the standard in this industry sector will develop.

Challenge in process automation

Ethernet bus is applied for solutions for manufacturing and process automation, for applications in the monitoring area and for the whole range of engine control systems. The planning of such plants is regulated by a special guideline, the same as start-up and approval. The implementation of this guideline should be the focus of all efforts.

Metrological examination – Alpha and Omega

During the planning phase besides the network structure also the network load has to be considered. For this it is important to know the correlations between refresh rate, line depth and network structure. At the end of the planning process all the relevant information about plant structure, topology, choice of components and a selection of the transfer medium should be available. For all further considerations it is also of enormous importance to have an extensive knowledge about the plug connection and communication correlations. This knowledge is the base in order to assess the amount of data which has to be transferred.

Especially after the installation of a plant qualification is important as the cabling in the industrial environment is subject to huge loads. Damages or faults are not visible with the naked eye. More and more complex manufacturing sequences linked with electromagnetic and harsh industrial surroundings caused by the weather require a robust communication infrastructure and the transfer of high data rates under difficult conditions.

The acceptance test is divided into four steps:

1. Visual inspection during approval of installation
2. Acceptance measurement test of the cabling with measurement report
3. Start-up of the PROFINET network
4. Acceptance of the network

Half of the failures are directly connected to the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC).

In this process problems are more difficult to find as the transfer of data takes place in a substantially higher frequency range. The frequency range of fault and the frequency range of data signals are in similar dimensions. The faults cannot be clearly defined to EMC anymore as they come up in a changed period of time and thus can be easily mixed up with software faults.

Christian Brandmüller further explains: “Correct EMC does not cost more but leads to an increase of value and safety, as well as the partly refinancing of the investment by reduced effort for repair.“

The solution consists of measurement of leakage, shield and error currents as well as the parallel tests of several potential fault.

Scalable use

SPANGLER has realised an increase of flexibility, efficiency, availability and quality, as well as the decrease of production times and costs with a reference project by a proper control of the real time bus. Brandmüller considers the efficient transfer of big amounts of data to be the biggest advantage, simultaneously keeping the real time ability. Furthermore, a corresponding Scope software had a lot of advantageous applications, among them the visualisation of the plant topology in connection with a meaningful plant diagnosis.

SPANGLER GMBH appointed a new Managing Director on 01.01.2019. Christian Brandmüller changed from Sales Manager to the company’s management.

Continuity and long-term thinking are two values from the SPANGLER mission statement to which the Töging-based company committed itself. An early adjustment for the future was consequently carried out with the appointment of the new managing director. Therefore, this is in accordance with SPANGLER values and objectives.

Extensive experience with contacts to customers

After his apprenticeship in electrical engineering Christian Brandmüller started his career at SPANGLER 25 years ago. In the last 16 years he was responsible for the sales department and since 2009 he was also authorised representative. He can now include his long-term experience with customers, suppliers and partners of the company in his new assignment.

High demand of integrity

“Christian Brandmüller represents exactly the values we as a family-run company stand for: integrity with a high demand to oneself. We are a reliable partner for our customers, suppliers and employees”, explains Hannelore Spangler-Schäfer, Managing Director and company founder. “We are pleased that Christian Brandmüller will support the future management.”

As basic safety components brake systems require regular testing. The company Knorr Bremse AG is one of the leading international manufacturers of brake systems for rail and utility vehicles. The US subsidiary of the group, the Knorr Brake Company, has now installed a hydro device test stand which systematically checks the brake systems of rail vehicles.

SPANGLER planned the electrical part of the test stand according to the American Standard UL508A and manufactured the necessary control technology. This standard regulates the entire production process for the control cabinet construction for the sector of the North American market. All brake systems manufactured by Knorr can be checked on the test stand.

Individually adjusted

The planning and adjustment of the test stand to the American framework conditions was a special challenge for all people involved. This means that among other things special adapters had to be installed upstream in order to be able to connect the American systems. Knorr Bremse had to adjust certain mechanical and hydraulic components to country-specific requirements.

As a special feature SPANGLER has isolated the plant control’s power supply of the remaining supply network of the site via a separating system so that the hydro device test stand is controlled via its own IT network. By using high-performance laboratory power supply units and the direct access to the test stand, particular attention had to be paid to protection of the staff. Therefore, an important measure was the use of an insulation monitor and consequently the potential separation of the circuits.

Wedding in Töging

SPANGLER has assumed the integration of the mechanical and hydraulic components with the control technology. “We have carried out the so-called wedding at our production site in Töging and thoroughly examined the test stand so that the start-up in the USA proceeds as smoothly as possible,” Project Manager Anton Höcker reports.

Concrete buckets bring large amounts of concrete from the truck mixers to the installation site. The Florian Eichinger GmbH located in Mühlhausen manufactures installation site equipment under the keywords “Robust.Orange.Eichinger” which enjoys an excellent reputation not only in Germany but also around the world.

Surface treatment at your option

SPANGLER received the order to modernise an existing circulation plant for surface treatment. A new control system with Siemens CPU S7-1515-2PN and a touch panel TP1500 as control box were delivered.

At the Florian Eichinger GmbH the welded silos are hung on a rail system circulating on the ceiling and thus automatically transported to the different processing steps. The plant operator decides on the surface treatment and selects the desired operation via a local control box. The selection is saved in the control system and the further transportation route is automatically specified.

Over the turn of the year

Upon customer request, SPANGLER carried out the exchange of the control during the company holidays at the turn of the year. As a first step the new parts of the mechanical engineering and sensor technology were cabled in parallel to ongoing operation. After the production stop, all control systems were professionally disassembled by our employees, the new control technology was installed and the systems engineering connected. Finally, for the start-up and production support a team of electricians, programmers and project managers were on site for several days.

Implementation according to plan

Thanks to the good preparation and cooperation of all people involved, the control processes could be optimised and thus an increase in productivity reached. The management of Florian Eichinger GmbH was pleased about improving the efficiency and thanked us for the very good planning and communication.

The know-how of SPANGLER Automation has already been used in more than 30 production plants for biogas. The latest project was realised in Croatia.

Cycle of biogas production

Biogas plants are fed with different organic substances such as energy crops, organic waste or liquid manure. In the plants the raw materials are bacterially processed into biogas which is mostly used for electricity and heat generation on site. Alternatively, the gas can be prepared to biomethane and fed into the natural gas grid. The remaining solid or rather liquid substances are used as agricultural fertiliser.

Safety first

Behind this accelerated fermentation process, with large containers and heavy mechanics, a comprehensive and sophisticated electrical engineering can be found. For the operation of modern biogas plants more and more control systems are used in order to be able to visually present and operate the entire process of the gas production. The access to the plant control is primarily made via a PC at the plant. Instead of permanently installed local control boxes this function is taken over by a tablet PC which enables a wireless intervention and parameterising in the plant. In addition to guaranteeing an error-free production process, the safety for the operator must always be at first priority. Hazard-critical components, which could cause a risk of injury, are therefore controlled by a safety PLC such as the Siemens 1516F-3 PN/DP.

All over the world

SPANGLER realises biogas plants for various customers. Besides Germany, these were delivered among others to Singapore, Croatia, Chile or Russia. Thereby smaller plants with 500 KW and a silo filling by food waste as well as industrial plants with more than 3 MW and a feeding by energy crops were implemented. With every realised and programmed plant the know-how gained at SPANGLER is enriched and leads to a smooth process for the following plants.

Innsbruck is a trendy winter sports centre, student city and Austria’s fifth largest populated area. There, SPANGLER has accompanied the extension of the municipal wastewater treatment plant, which energy-efficiently cleans the wastewater of the region and thus provides capacities for further population growth.

Service-optimised interpretation

Six HUBER sludge dewatering machines which had been put into operation by SPANGLER a few years earlier were the basis for the interpretation. In addition, the sludge dewatered by these machines is further reduced of humidity in a dryer. For this SPANGLER automated a belt dryer HUBER BT16. For the control it was almost exclusively relied on Siemens components with bus interface. The operator benefits from the fact that the data consistency is secured and that the plant can be accessed via remote maintenance at any time. Therefore, in addition to programme updates, our employees are also able to process service cases from a distant location.

Central collection point

The machine and process sequence was programmed with the software Siemens TIA Portal. The visualisation and operation is done via two IPCs installed in the control systems. A camera with its own monitor and remote access supports the operator with the monitoring of the sludge supply to the dryer. In addition, the data connection of the belt dryer to the already existing control system of the wastewater treatment plant is made via the protocol OPC-DA. The SPANGLER solution also functions as collection point for data of other trades such as the dry sludge silo, the hot water plant or the sludge dewatering plant.

Extended specification sheet

Before starting the project, an extended specification sheet was formulated which describes not only the required electrotechnical functions but also the procedural way of proceeding. This is why our programmers could solve open questions nearly without consulting the process engineer. Therefore, HUBER and SPANGLER could fulfil the demand of a fast implementation.

Although wind power plants have gigantic dimensions, they are generally mass-produced products. The logistics of plant parts which are several meters large regularly becomes more difficult and time-consuming, e.g. to the Far East. So why not outsource the entire manufacturing over there and connect local added value with German know-how? With the creation of a manufacturing control system SPANGLER, in cooperation with its customer Max Bögl Wind AG, guarantees the contact for the mobile plant of the customer to the main plant in Germany.

Communication via OPC UA

Until the concrete half shells for the towers of wind power plants have been produced from the delivered steel and sand, a lot of work has to be done. Thereby, every process is documented with all data important for the process in order to achieve consistent quality. The control system communicates with all machines via seven different protocols, OPC UA among other things. After the engineering of Max Bögl Wind AG the control system was installed on the customer server and commissioned by SPANGLER. All data collected worldwide can be seen and evaluated via remote access from the head office.

Dispatch in 257 sea containers

So that the manufacturing could be dispatched, halls and machines were disassembled and distributed to 257 containers. Thereby, more than 250 cables had to be recorded and administered by SPANGLER in order to minimise unnecessary delays during the reconstruction of the mobile prefabricated component plant.

Cable laying with tablet computer

In order to be able to provide language-independent and appropriate assistance to the technicians when laying the cables, a customer-specific scanning system was developed by SPANGLER according to wishes and specifications of Max Bögl. Therefore, the technician can scan each cable via a cable barcode and then receives graphically represented on the corresponding tablet computer where, on the one hand, the cable must be connected to the source and destination and, on the other hand, over which cable paths the cable has to be laid. Furthermore, the exact connection to the respective component with additional information, e.g. the torque, is visually shown on the tablet computer. A rights and revision management was also integrated in this scanning system. Therefore, any information about the status of the cable regarding laying and connection are always retrievable.

Moreover, the scanning system was developed further especially for the logistical processing. This means that the technicians can retrieve information about the location of the container as well as the container content. You can exactly retrace which cables are located where, from which technician they have already been laid and where they were connected.

Smart living – the trend of the reactive and networked building equipment for private households gets more and more interesting also for industrial solutions. Intelligent thermostats which regulate the temperature further down during holiday have long been reality as well as self-closing window blinds. For these purposes different software solutions and techniques are offered for home users. SPANGLER has installed a system for the Koller Group, a supplier from the automotive industry, which brings together the advantages of the mechanical engineering and the building control system.

Technical building installation

The technical building installation deals with switches, sensors, actuators, light, blinds, heating or cooling. SPANGLER had the additional task to record parts of the mechanical engineering in order to monitor and manage the flows of energy. The basis of the solution is an adapted control system of the manufacturer FlowChief. SPANGLER has taken on coordination meetings with all companies in order to successfully integrate all trades into the software.

Control system and energy management

By means of the rights system the administrator can determine which employees are allowed to change which parameters. All messages are archived via the alarm and warning reporting system. As additional instance an energy management system of the type eGem was also implemented.

The main focus of the control system is placed on controlling and monitoring all process-relevant data as well as on measuring, evaluating and archiving these data in a database. The energy management system is used for the further analysis of the technical data recorded and their representation. This means that for example the entire energy requirement (electricity, water, heating, pressure, etc.) can be visualised by one machine or one process. Thereby, the operator is already able to adhere to the strict documentation instructions for the energy consumption in the automotive industry.

Investment in the future

For the Koller Group the acquisition of the SPANGLER solution pays off as it meets the specification of the energy management prescribed by law in addition to cost-effective industry hardware. Therefore, costs for energy-intensive machines can already be reduced while the foundations for future certifications have also been laid.

For the HUBER Technology España S.L.U. the control for thirteen multi-rake screens and two conveyor belts for a wastewater treatment plant near the Spanish city Sevilla were modernised. SPANGLER is always open to the customers’ wishes and can rely on comprehensive experiences of realised projects. Without great challenges an Allen Bradley control from Rockwell was therefore implemented in order to design the control technology in a sustainable and modern way. SPANGLER has already realised the entire range of Allen Bradley, from the MicroLogix to the redundant ControlLogix. In this case, the company chose the middle one, the CompactLogix.

Customer-specific solutions

Every plant is specially designed, programmed and manufactured for the intended field of application. Nevertheless, for plants which are only changed in details it can be fallen back on a standard range of programme and function blocks. Furthermore, SPANGLER can integrate every component that is technically possible. The reasons for these customer wishes are of any kind such as certification and approval reasons, personal preferences and the supply of replacement parts in a country or the integration in existing systems.

Free design in every component

Regarding the plant in Spain, its PLC was carried out with a CompactLogix and the PanelView Plus 7 HMI made by Allen Bradley. The SPANGLER solution was integrated in an already existing control system. Although this system allows the manual control of the drives for test purposes, it is, however, not authorised to control the automatic process from the control system. Thereby, SPANGLER can use the strengths of a control system such as the data archiving, the fault processing and the remote maintenance, without simultaneously neglecting the capabilities of a new plant or implementing a complete reconstruction of the control system architecture.

PM drives are motors whose rotor is equipped with permanent magnets. Due to their type of construction they promise users a higher degree of efficiency than the conventional asynchronous motors. However, the small engines do also have a negative side. Permanent magnet motors cannot even be operated directly on the power supply on a trial basis but only with frequency converters. SPANGLER Automation has developed a portable test stand for the company HUBER SE in order to be able to test machines in the production hall as well as on construction sites at different speeds. In these machines there are installed both asynchronous and permanent magnet motors.

Personal security is above all

So that the test stand can be connected to different motors and machines, the supply line and the motors were designed pluggable. Although this increases the flexibility of the plant, it required special demands on the personal security. This means it is not allowed to connect electrical equipment with a frequency converter with no further ado to a power socket which is monitored with a fault-current circuit breaker (RCD) of the type A. These RCDs of the type A are only designed for detecting errors with alternating voltage. In case of a direct-current error, this RCD could both not detect the error and thus injure people or rather the RCD could be damaged forever what could lead to personal injuries later.

Limitation DC residual current 6mA

The RCDs of the type A are still used in many production sites. SPANGLER has found a solution to guarantee personal security for pluggable equipment of 30mA and, in addition, to limit the DC residual current proportion to less than 6mA. With a special fault-current circuit breaker type B MI for mobile units it is allowed to connect the plant downstream of a type A. The tripping level of 6mADC prevents a dangerous pre-magnetising of the upstream fault-current circuit breaker of the type A as a result of a smooth DC residual current.

Proof of efficacy in the test laboratory

By installing a low-leakage filter in front of the frequency converter the limit values for emitted interferences for variable-speed drives (150kHz – 30MHz) class C1 could be adhered to and proven. Moreover, by installing the filter another demand (leakage current <3,5mA) for mobile plants has been fulfilled. The efficacy of all these measures was proven by means of an EMC testing in the test laboratory at the company EPA GmbH.

Glass is one of the most adaptable materials of today. There are innumerable fields of application from sheet glass to glasses and hotplate. To produce sheet glass quartz sand is mixed with used glass. Thereby extreme attention must be paid to the purity of the grit to guarantee the quality and colouring of the end product.

Automated grit conditioning

For this SPANGLER automated a grit conditioning plant in Iran for mineral processing specialist AKW Apparate + Verfahren GmbH. The mined sand is freed from impurities in various working steps. SPANGLER planned and manufactured eight control cabinets for the load current distribution and nine control cabinets for the control of the motor outputs. For the control the plant is equipped with a PLC with decentralised periphery and can be operated via a touch panel by the operating personnel.

Challenge load current distribution

The distribution of the energy to the aggregates turned out to be especially difficult. To manage the power of 1.700kW a specialized energy distribution system is used. This busbar system provides the necessary capacities to be able to professionally distribute energy parameters of that class. For this project SPANGLER installed approximately seven tonnes of control technology in total, of which 820kg alone for copper of the busbar.

The community Beilngries has always given attention to energy and cost efficiency since the construction of the municipal waste water treatment plant. There is also value attached to machines so that they do not make any negative impression due to unnecessarily high energy consumptions.

Power supply and consumption

By reconstruction measures on particularly energy-intensive plants such as the installation of a Fuzzy aeration plant of Envicon in 2006, the efficiency could be significantly improved. Together with SPANGLER a process management system of the type FlowChief was installed which included the energy management module e-Gem to make the energy consumers transparent. Thereby not only the consumers were taken into account but also the power supply in form of a combined heat and power (CHP) plant by which the first own capacity of the plant is covered. To be able to represent the complex relationships of power supply and consumption, SPANGLER installed a comprehensive measurement technology for the energy consumption. Those feed data into the energy management system and can therefore be requested and visualised by the operator.

Using not only clean but also reasonable energy

The expenses do pay off for Beilngries as, on the one hand, the plants refinance themselves by the refund of the waste water levy and, on the other hand, the energy generation and consumption can be coupled together. Therefore, power generation phases can be combined with peak loads. As a result, less expensive power must be externally purchased and relied on. Moreover, the system contains key figures which enable an evaluation of the current energy efficiency and thus is the basis for a better utilization of the plants.

A modern vehicle consists of several thousand parts; many of them, in particular in the interior, are made of plastic. So far, every single part was manufactured on an individual machine and subsequently laminated, thus stuck together with other components. SPANGLER has now automated a plant of the technology company Koller-Group being able to do more than just laminating one specific part.

Pluggable sersor technology

The new plant is the first of its kind which can be modularly adapted to new components. Due to long retrofitting times of previous plants, SPANGLER has reconsidered the automation technology to achieve this aim. This included among other things that all connections for sensors and load technology are pluggable on the control cabinet without tools.

The first of a new type

Especially in the automotive industry it is fundamentally important to guarantee the supply chain and the delivery capability. Therefore, the plant is equipped with a failsafe PLC control. A mobile touch panel enables the operation with the intuitive user interface in the national language from every point of the plant. For this SPANGLER planned, manufactured and commissioned the first plant in the main factory of our customer in Germany. Based on the German model, the technology can be taken for the worldwide use of the plants.