Bay Plastics Machinery has entered the smart factory arena with its S.M.A.R.T. Control Pelletizing System, which monitors and analyzes system performance, stores recipes and provides tools for training workers.
The system combines concepts from two types of control systems — supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) and a distributed control system (DCS) — into what Eric Misiak, electrical controls engineer at Bay Plastics Machinery, calls a “dynamic platform.”
A SCADA system gives a broad supervisory view over many separate machines, focusing on monitoring, alarming and data trending. A DCS provides real-time, tightly coordinated control of machinery across a unified process.
The S.M.A.R.T. Control is housed on the line’s pelletizer but also controls downstream auxiliary equipment. Depending on the configuration, that equipment can include water baths, air knives, dryers, water slides, blower skids, conveyors and pump skids.