STAIN+: Technology

A SIEMENS PLC is the heart of the STAIN+ machine data acquisition system. NO MORE dedicated proprietary terminals with a limited set of functions that tie the client to a particular supplier, BUT RATHER a SIEMENS PLC that:

The communication and data exchange technology is based on a wired or wireless Ethernet network.

The PC operator interface uses wireless scanners or handheld terminals.

STAIN+ is based on the Microsoft.Net™ platform. The product is natively multilanguage.

STAIN+ is multiplatform and supports Microsoft SQL SERVER™or ORACLE™.

All the hardware technology used comes from leading multinational manufacturers (SIEMENS™ for the PLCs). It is expandable and can support the extensions that a production information system normally requires.

We are convinced that the choice of a standard non-proprietary hardware platform is the best guarantee for preserving infrastructural investments through time and making the client independent of a specific custom hardware supplier.

What is more, standard architecture guarantees reliability through time, rapid installation, safe data transmission, and permanent availability of spare parts and system extendibility in the various production sites and expandability of linked signals (analogue, encoder, digital, etc.).

The wiring system uses the same cables as the machines, which means it is disturbance-free and there are no length or routing problems.

STAIN+ supports PROFIBUS technology for acquiring data straight from the machine PLC CPUs without the need for traditional wiring.

PLC machine data acquisition technology provides much more field information and entirely automatically. Here are some good examples.

• Automatic measuring of production times and downtimes, including micro-stoppages, as if each machine has a device recording all the status changes and their duration. Everyone knows when there is a prolonged stoppage and it is duly recorded, but numberless brief stoppages during a shift (micro-stoppages) are never recorded and over a week undoubtedly have a much higher incidence than a few major breakdowns.

• Buttons and lights can be used on the machine to interact with the system, without a particular knowledge of computers and electronic instruments, but replicating the “console” type interface that all operators know how to use.

• Not only the workpiece count can be acquired from the machines, but also a potentially unlimited number of signals allowing more efficient running of the department. For some presses, for example, it could be important to acquire the heating furnace temperature or a process control pressure, rather than the furnace filling level, as a prior warning of the need to top it up, without causing stoppages due to a lack of raw materials. With PLCs you can customize and automate field data collection, even from machines not of recent construction.  We have developed a huge number of personalisable parameters, all greatly to the benefit of the user. Examples are an interface with the palletizing robot to know how many items have been placed on a pallet prior to removal, or automatic recording of the number of rejects and the reason for each, or stoppage causes relayed straight from the machine.