With BCtouch UX a step closer to Industry 4.0

October, 17, 2016 - The extruder specialist battenfeld-cincinnati is impressively demonstrating its motto “driven by innovation” with its new control system generation BCtouch UX at this year’s K in hall 16, booth B 19. One main feature of the new system is its operating concept. Modeled on modern communication media, a new platform with intuitive menu navigation has been created. With its advanced functions, the new control system supports efficient production planning and preven-tive maintenance intervals, and fulfills future requirements for connectivity with servers and mobile appliances. In this way, it also provides the prerequisites for comprehensive process data acquisition and evaluation, and for vertical integration according to the Industry 4.0 concept.

In the development of the BCtouch UX control system, one main focus was placed on easy operation. The modern user interface created by experts recalls familiar operating concepts of tablets or cell phones and offers multi-touch zoom as well as move and slide functions. In addition to the central operating terminal, additional terminals can be integrated without any problems along the line. Thanks to a new type of cockpit view, the process status of the entire line can be viewed at a glance. The design of the overview page and the navigation through the menu are derived directly from the line configuration. Additional features of the new operat-ing terminal are the RFID access control system, which enables easy identification by chip card, and a context-sensitive help sys-tem. The well-known, ergonomic battenfeld-cincinnati terminal system with its swivel-and-tilt functionality was adapted to a 21.5” landscape format multi-touch display, but otherwise left un-changed.

Industry 4.0 offers every plastics processor the opportunity to run its extrusion equipment with maximum efficiency. With the new BCtouch UX control, all process parameters are monitored cen-trally. This enables line operators not only to carry out energy monitoring, but to calculate energy diagrams over time and on the basis of freely selectable production parameters as well. This, in turn, makes it possible to find an operating point where the line can be run with optimal resource efficiency in terms of both mate-rial and energy consumption. Since maintenance intervals for all line components are recorded in the control system, it supports the necessary preventive maintenance actions, thus increasing line uptime and consequently overall efficiency.

Fully in keeping with the industry 4.0 concept and the control sys-tem’s facilities for communicating with other units, generally de-scribed as “connectivity”, all line and process parameters included and evaluated in the system can be centrally tapped by an ERP system.

For this purpose, the battenfeld-cincinnati OPC-UA server provides a future-proof interface for vertical integration of the line at the customer’s plant. In addition to on-site operation, BCtouch UX also supports an alarm system via Internet or Intranet, with data of definable line statuses being transmitted to mobile units either by LAN/WIFI or by UMTS/LTE, according to the customer’s choice.

The battenfeld-cincinnati group is a leading producer of energy-efficient, high-performance extruders and complete extrusion lines according to customer-specific requirements. It offers a variety of equipment in the areas of pipe, profile, sheet, thermoforming sheet and pelletizing. Customers are supported by production fa-cilities in Germany, Austria, China and the USA, as well as an ex-tensive worldwide sales and service network.

Source: Battenfeld Cincinnati