Application of PAC and HMI for the automation of a metal electroplating process

Abstract

This paper introduces a proposal for the application of automation technology to control and monitor an electroplating process, which is manually carried out in a micro-industry located in the municipality of Tizayuca, by means of a GE PACSystems RX3i and the development of a control algorithm in the Ladder Diagram language in the programming environment Proficy Machine Edition, as well as an HMI designed in the software Cimplicity Workbench. Electroplating or electrodeposition is a finishing process that consists of coating objects with metals by applying electric current; in this case, copper, nickel and brass on a zamak alloy. In such a process, to control the exact duration of time that the material must be immersed in the acid solutions of each stage is required in order to guarantee a high quality in the product final finishing and optimize overall production times. Automation at industries guarantees safer, faster, and product uniform quality production processes, among many more attributes; this work constitutes a terminal academic project of practical application, with a focus on the automation of industrial-type processes, with implementation and integration of technology through the development of a technological model whose purpose is to simulate and validate the operability and functionality of the proposed system.