Feedlot

Tom@Pton

Member
T
Join Date
Dec 2009
Location
Central Nebraska
Posts
159
The first PLC project,18 yrs ago??, I did was for a cattle feedlot that required a total electrical update for service entrance and control. I am an electrical contractor. I had to move my desktop from shop to feed processing room to program the equipment. Laptop came after. Basic manual operation with the primary objective of interlocking equipment for proper shutdown if something quit, approached overload, went under speed or a tank filled. A few years later we added an HMI where we calculated and dispensed an additive in grams per head. As long as they entered the head count for each lot, the PLC would calculate, dispense, print the results for each load and give a day end total. The system has worked well.

I am now interested in making this more automated in that the office will have more control of each batch mixed. I foresee a driver entering the Pen# of "54" and the PLC taking over with the correct ration for that pen. The actual amount of each ingredient for each pen then needs to be recorded because each pen of cattle may be under different ownership.

Obviously a bit more than start and stop. Can this be done via a spreadsheet(s)? Point me in the right direction. I can read and don't expect to die for a few years so I might as well try to learn something.

Existing Equipment:
AB 1500 and a small PanelView with numeric keypad. Wireless network is available and I am not against replacing the PanelView with something better. I have Cmore software & experience.

Thank you.
 
The two I mentioned are Rockwell SCADA systems that the Feedlot could operate from the office and you can do reporting and enter in your information and send it to the ML.
 
Tom do you rotate you cattle with age or do they stay in the same lot? If you rotate them how do you plan on changing the food mixture ratio for age? Will you have multiple formulas or will you keep them all the same?
I would look at changing the PLC and HMI. I like the redlion HMI and use them as a web bases HMI.
You didn't say how many I/O points you have for the system.
 
Only after 12 plus beers at night.

Rotating is what they do during the growth stages to make sure they the correct nutrients they need at the certain age.

At 21 we let them go tipping.
 
JeffKiper said:
Tom do you rotate you cattle with age or do they stay in the same lot? If you rotate them how do you plan on changing the food mixture ratio for age? Will you have multiple formulas or will you keep them all the same?
I would look at changing the PLC and HMI. I like the redlion HMI and use them as a web bases HMI.
You didn't say how many I/O points you have for the system.
Click to expand...

I believe they rotate with age/size to larger pens.
Feedlot manager is responsible for ration ratios.
Multiple formulas depending on health, age, feedlot conditions, and ingredient prices.
The HMI would be the first to go.
I will have to increase I/O but not by much. Most of the change would be in that the PLC is used mostly for interlocking of motors and procedures. Not starting. Rewiring of interposing relays and some logic change would need to be done first, then whatever else.
 
What do you mean by the HMI will be the first to go.
Like I said I like the Red lion HMI the can do a lot of stuff for you.
 
We do work for a large cattle feedlot(30,000+ animals) and they just purchased a micro-machine(what they call it?) that adds dry powder ingredients/liquid supplements to each batched ration. The feedlot also uses a batchbox which allows them to be loading rations while the feedtrucks aren't back yet from unloading. They monitor the batchbox/ration weights with this new system as well. So far the feedlot seems to be happy with everything.

They old system was ran with a plc before, although much simpler, but with this new system, rather than buying common mixes of ingredients from their feed company they can now mix their own at the ratios they like.

This is the company:
http://www.comco-controls.com/

The batchbox:
http://feedingsystems.biz/index.html

Oddly enough, I spoke to the guy who builds these batchboxes, and he's from Nebraska also. I think he said he's the only one building them since he holds the patent.

Probably more info than you really needed....:sleep:
 
Mine is a bit small for the batch mixer yet. Less than 10,000 head. They also have a micro, plus the antibiotic system we designed. Those two items are good. The rest of it needs some help. They would like to get away from hand entry of data.
 
Back
Top Bottom