World Grain - December 2011 - 76

TECHNICAL PROFILE

Unmanned

feed production

T

he UFA AG feed plant in Sursee, Switzerland produces feed every night from 9 p.m. through 5 a.m. in the “unmanned” operating mode. During this time, the facility is fully automatically controlled and monitored by a new Bühler automation system. This cuts the manpower requirement and thus the production costs. The feed mill, which was constructed in 1965, was equipped with a new control system in 1993. In 2008, the customer defined a three-stage improvement package: renewal of the “aging” control system; measures for fine-tuning the performance of the process lines; and upgrading of the control system to allow unattended night-time operation. The complete payback on this capital investment was to take no longer than two years. The automation specialists of Bühler developed a smart control system design to satisfy the high customer requirements. The Bühler standard control system served as the basis for the new automation system. But one of the challenges was to program the system to enable unmanned night-time operation. UFA therefore specified the following: The mixing line, as well as the pelleting and expander line, were to produce feeds fully automatically during the night shift. This meant that the control system would have to operate the plant in a secure mode in the event of faults. It would have to autonomously acknowledge and correct any trouble that was detected. Moreover, it had to ensure process reliability and personal safety at all times. Finally, the new automation system was to alert the stand-by personnel via SMS, and remote maintenance would have to be possible. In order to allow the automation system to make autonomous decisions in the unmanned operating mode, which are normally made by the operator, numerous sensors must supply the pertinent information. This enables the system to control the production process as specified. For example, sensors monitor the temperatures and vibrations in the hammer
(Above) Urs Steiner, production manager of the UFA factories in Sursee, Switzerland, inside the control room of the feed mill. Photo courtesy of Bühler AG.
76

by Stefan Hoh

Bühler automation system allows Swiss mill to cut manpower requirements, production costs
mill, the mixer, and the expander as well as in the machine bearings. An important focus in programming the unmanned function was set on safety. Motion detectors are installed on all building floors. The stand-by personnel summoned to the plant in the event of an alarm is monitored within the plant by a deadman’s system. A special information system supplies fire fighters, the first-aid doctor, and the operating personnel with the necessary information in case of an emergency. SHORT RETROFIT TIME Painstaking planning of the upgrade phase allowed the retrofit work on the control system as well as measures for enhancing the performance of the pelleting line to be completed within two weeks. In order to fine-tune the production process and to allow operation to be switched to the multi-stage grinding process, which significantly reduces energy consumption, a new crumbler was installed. To allow subsequent change-over to unattended night-time operation, the existing sensors were thoroughly reconditioned and numerous new control and monitoring devices were installed. Thus, a new so-called “Camsizer” now monitors the quality of grinding and of the finished products. But the crucial work was to retrofit the feed mill control system. The old Siemens S5 control system was replaced by an S7. This system switches the individual processes and pieces of equipment on and off. The product formulas and the production jobs for the individual batches are generated in the PCbased master process control system supplied by Bühler and
December 2011 / World Grain / www.World-Grain.com


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World Grain - December 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of World Grain - December 2011

World Grain - December, 2011
Contents
From the Editor-in-Chief
Calendar of Events
News review - The Andersons reports record earnings
News review - G20 leaders take action on agriculture
News review - ConAgra increases ownership in Agro Tech Foods
News review - Gavilon opens grain office in Ukraine
News review - Sodrugestvo partners to increase storage in Brazil
News review - Russia starts privatization of grain company
News review - Noble reports third-quarter loss, CEO resigns
News review - Deadly Kansas grain explosion started in main bin
News review - Seaboard Corp.’s third-quarter earnings slip
News review - FAO: Iran’s wheat production flat in 2010
News review - Corn Products reports strong third-quarter earnings
News review - Cargill completes acquisition of Provimi
News review - Great-grandson of Cargill founder dies
News review - GrainCorp 2011 net profit up 114%
News review - Viterra changes leadership in Southeast Asia
News review - CHS opens office in Korea
News review - ADM to build biodiesel plant in Canada
News review - Richardson purchases canola company
News review - NIBULON opens grain elevator in Ukraine
Grain Market Review - Coarse grains
Country Focus - Focus on Brazil
Feature - Turkish Grain Board restructuring
Feature - Dynamic flour exporter
Feature - Tackling a global challenge
Feature - IPE/IFE 2012
Feed Operations - Choosing the right motor
Feed News Roundup - Cargill acquires shrimp feed mill in Vietnam
Feed News Roundup - USGC says DDGS market ready to expand in Asia
Feed News Roundup - Cargill launches new feed, animal nutrition website
Feed News Roundup - DDGS valued greater than corn, soy
Feed News Roundup - Dave Downey receives AFIA Distinguished Service Award
Feature - Difficult times for Grain Traders
Feature - Port access a divisive issue in Australia
Feature - IAOM hosts event in Southeast Asia
Feature - Taking a technical focus
Technical Profile - Unmanned feed production
Supplier News - Production starts at Honduran wheat mill built by Ocrim
Supplier News - Essmueller forms sister company in Australia
Supplier News - Engrain adds logistics specialist, launches new website
Supplier News - Maxi-Lift debuts its TITAN Ultimate Belt Splice
Supplier News - CPM hires Brazil sales manager
Supplier News - Brock names Thompson sales manager
Product Showcase
Advertiser Index
World Grain - December 2011 - World Grain - December, 2011
World Grain - December 2011 - 2
World Grain - December 2011 - 3
World Grain - December 2011 - 4
World Grain - December 2011 - Contents
World Grain - December 2011 - From the Editor-in-Chief
World Grain - December 2011 - 7
World Grain - December 2011 - Calendar of Events
World Grain - December 2011 - 9
World Grain - December 2011 - News review - G20 leaders take action on agriculture
World Grain - December 2011 - 11
World Grain - December 2011 - News review - Gavilon opens grain office in Ukraine
World Grain - December 2011 - News review - Russia starts privatization of grain company
World Grain - December 2011 - News review - Seaboard Corp.’s third-quarter earnings slip
World Grain - December 2011 - News review - Corn Products reports strong third-quarter earnings
World Grain - December 2011 - News review - Great-grandson of Cargill founder dies
World Grain - December 2011 - News review - Viterra changes leadership in Southeast Asia
World Grain - December 2011 - News review - ADM to build biodiesel plant in Canada
World Grain - December 2011 - News review - NIBULON opens grain elevator in Ukraine
World Grain - December 2011 - Grain Market Review - Coarse grains
World Grain - December 2011 - 21
World Grain - December 2011 - Country Focus - Focus on Brazil
World Grain - December 2011 - 23
World Grain - December 2011 - 24
World Grain - December 2011 - 25
World Grain - December 2011 - 26
World Grain - December 2011 - 27
World Grain - December 2011 - Feature - Turkish Grain Board restructuring
World Grain - December 2011 - 29
World Grain - December 2011 - 30
World Grain - December 2011 - 31
World Grain - December 2011 - 32
World Grain - December 2011 - 33
World Grain - December 2011 - Feature - Dynamic flour exporter
World Grain - December 2011 - 35
World Grain - December 2011 - 36
World Grain - December 2011 - 37
World Grain - December 2011 - 38
World Grain - December 2011 - 39
World Grain - December 2011 - Feature - Tackling a global challenge
World Grain - December 2011 - 41
World Grain - December 2011 - 42
World Grain - December 2011 - 43
World Grain - December 2011 - 44
World Grain - December 2011 - 45
World Grain - December 2011 - 46
World Grain - December 2011 - 47
World Grain - December 2011 - Feature - IPE/IFE 2012
World Grain - December 2011 - 49
World Grain - December 2011 - Feed Operations - Choosing the right motor
World Grain - December 2011 - 51
World Grain - December 2011 - 52
World Grain - December 2011 - 53
World Grain - December 2011 - Feed News Roundup - Cargill launches new feed, animal nutrition website
World Grain - December 2011 - 55
World Grain - December 2011 - Feed News Roundup - Dave Downey receives AFIA Distinguished Service Award
World Grain - December 2011 - 57
World Grain - December 2011 - Feature - Difficult times for Grain Traders
World Grain - December 2011 - 59
World Grain - December 2011 - 60
World Grain - December 2011 - 61
World Grain - December 2011 - Feature - Port access a divisive issue in Australia
World Grain - December 2011 - 63
World Grain - December 2011 - 64
World Grain - December 2011 - 65
World Grain - December 2011 - 66
World Grain - December 2011 - 67
World Grain - December 2011 - Feature - IAOM hosts event in Southeast Asia
World Grain - December 2011 - 69
World Grain - December 2011 - 70
World Grain - December 2011 - 71
World Grain - December 2011 - 72
World Grain - December 2011 - 73
World Grain - December 2011 - Feature - Taking a technical focus
World Grain - December 2011 - 75
World Grain - December 2011 - Technical Profile - Unmanned feed production
World Grain - December 2011 - 77
World Grain - December 2011 - 78
World Grain - December 2011 - 79
World Grain - December 2011 - Supplier News - Production starts at Honduran wheat mill built by Ocrim
World Grain - December 2011 - 81
World Grain - December 2011 - Supplier News - Engrain adds logistics specialist, launches new website
World Grain - December 2011 - Supplier News - Brock names Thompson sales manager
World Grain - December 2011 - Product Showcase
World Grain - December 2011 - 85
World Grain - December 2011 - Advertiser Index
World Grain - December 2011 - 87
World Grain - December 2011 - 88
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http://digital.world-grain.com/sosland/wg/2005_07_01
http://digital.world-grain.com/sosland/wg/2005_06_01
http://digital.world-grain.com/sosland/wg/2005_05_01
http://digital.world-grain.com/sosland/wg/2005_04_01
http://digital.world-grain.com/sosland/wg/2005_03_01
http://digital.world-grain.com/sosland/wg/2005_02_01
http://digital.world-grain.com/sosland/wg/2005_01_01
http://digital.world-grain.com/sosland/wg/2004_12_01
http://digital.world-grain.com/sosland/wg/2004_11_01
http://digital.world-grain.com/sosland/wg/2004_10_02
http://digital.world-grain.com/sosland/wg/2004_10_02
http://digital.world-grain.com/sosland/wg/2004_10_01
http://digital.world-grain.com/sosland/wg/2004_09_01
http://digital.world-grain.com/sosland/wg/2004_08_01
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com