PLC-based control system and HMI monitoring for the automation of a sponge block horizontal cutting machine in the industrial process of mattress manufacturing

Abstract

Nowadays, the industrial processes automation is an important part of development, productivity and optimization of processes or plants, providing quality, safety, speed, accuracy and economic benefit in manufacturing products or goods made through these processes. Automation can be found in a whole process, or in a stage of it, as the product requires.

Due to the inaccuracy and excessive waste of raw material which is presented as a problematic in the sponge mattresses manufacturing process in an industry in Tizayuca region, in this work a control system is proposed for the automation of a horizontal cutting machine for cutting sponge blocks of different sizes, and monitoring by a human-machine interface.

For the proposed system conformation, it is considered the inclusion of convenient mechanical, electric and control elements, that can be easily acquired, and fulfill the required function for displacement and positioning of both, cutting knife and sponge, by using encoders, spindles and motors controlled by means of a PLC.

The proposed system represents a significant impact on the sponge cutting stage, since this contribute to improve the accuracy, quality and considerable reduction of raw material waste; it could be operated by a single operator, and the execution time at this stage will also be considerably reduced, consequently allowing a higher production.