Process control in plastic extrusion

Hello everybody.

The plastic extrusion plant that I am working for has accumulated for 20 years wide variety of different brand and type of specific electronic process control equipment like: NDC systems (radioactive gauge for tape line), Eurotherm (radioactive gauge for coating line), Gravitrol (extruder speed control), Survivor (batching). That equipment has no excess to their program and I wouldn’t say that it is reliable. I have checked those companies’ web sites. Found that they are still selling their closed black boxes and looks like successfully. For me it would be much better to use a standard PLC. I am going to do research about process control in plastic extrusion industry and as usually first of all I am asking your help to direct me.

Thank you.

Hello Alex;

http://www2.automation.siemens.com/mc/plastics/en/8a7d5330-71a9-457b-852b-c615acef4ac6/index.aspx?c=r-plastics

Siemens has an entire division dedicated to the plastics industry, based on their S7 platform. Maybe this could give you a start.
Hope this helps,
Daniel Chartier

Thank you Daniel.

Now I know at list one plastic extrusion solution based on standard PLC and HMI.

Does anyone else know any other solutions on North America’s plants?

Thank you.

Allen-Bradley make several specialised I/O modules for controlling extruders and injection moulders - also some packaged systems including HMI.

The Delta RMC100 motion controller is used for this as well. I have not used it for plastics but I have seen it in some of their docs. It will work with different types of plc's however I know that Siemens has done a lot of work with them. I also know they make some of the motion controllers for AB. Check out their web site for more information.

www.deltamotion.com