Energy monitoring and Production monitoring system

[nuwan]

Hi! My client has requested an energy monitoring system with a capability of entering production of each machine by the operator. The system must be able to log the energy data. He runs a shoe factory and to feed the daily production he is requesting a web interface. (This is because, according to him, there is no room for sensors inside machines. )

I selected Schneider Com'X 510 but manually entering the daily production is what I am skeptical about.

Could someone please help ?

 

[thingstodo]

Hi! My client has requested an energy monitoring system with a capability of entering production of each machine by the operator. The system must be able to log the energy data. He runs a shoe factory and to feed the daily production he is requesting a web interface. (This is because, according to him, there is no room for sensors inside machines. )

I selected Schneider Com'X 510 but manually entering the daily production is what I am skeptical about.

Could someone please help ?

I'm assuming 'Cheap'?

If you are planning to log the production data to the Schneider, any HMI should allow production entry. Some of those HMIs can communicate OPC to Excel.

There are also a few solutions for bringing registers from the Schneider to an Excel sheet for reporting

The interface for entering and correcting production data should not be under-estimated. It will take a few tries to get it so they like it!

 

[nuwan]

I'm assuming 'Cheap'?

Yes it must be cheap. :nodi:

If you are planning to log the production data to the Schneider, any HMI should allow production entry. Some of those HMIs can communicate OPC to Excel.

But I believe Com'X won't support HMIs. But I think you are suggesting me to use a PLC instead of Schneider Com'X. Right?

There are also a few solutions for bringing registers from the Schneider to an Excel sheet for reporting

The interface for entering and correcting production data should not be under-estimated. It will take a few tries to get it so they like it!

 

[thingstodo]

Yes it must be cheap. :nodi:

But I believe Com'X won't support HMIs. But I think you are suggesting me to use a PLC instead of Schneider Com'X. Right?

I referred to the Com`X as a PLC. Sorry, wrong name. More like an electric meter, or a data server ... but still not quite.

I went through the settings, and like most things, it`s not quite what I remember.

I should preface this with the fact that I have never used a Com`X. I just investigated using one a while ago. So I have no idea if these ideas will work. With that said, here`s what I`d try.

You`d have to test this - the idea is to define an `extra` external meter (your normal meters of course, but this one is just to store your production data) at a spare address on modbus, then use the registers that the Com`X allocates to that meter to store your production data. You would need to be able to write to those registers from the Com`X web interface ... again, something to test. I don`t know how flexible the Com`X interface is.

If it works, there area a couple of positives:
- an export of data from the Com`X will put ALL of your data into one CSV file, from the web browser
- no external database to maintain, back up, etc

The only negative on the data is that it will require some custom reporting in Excel. You can make that as complex or as simple as you like.

Since this sounds very useful ... it`s likely not possible in the Com`X web interface. But it doesn`t hurt to try.

 

[tragically1969]

Yes it must be cheap. :nodi:



But I believe Com'X won't support HMIs. But I think you are suggesting me to use a PLC instead of Schneider Com'X. Right?

Comx has in built webserver, not sure why you would want it to support an HMI ?

Also in my experience its an awful bit of hardware and software design, unreliable, buggy, slow, hard to configure, we swore never again...

 

[AustralIan]

Just use the beckhoff energy monitoring terminals.
Letting things be handled out of the PLC when they have no good reason to is.. suboptimal.
Check the sections "Power Monitoring" and "Net monitoring"
https://www.beckhoff.com/english/ethercat/analog.htm?id=1985119904

Other brands have similar cards.