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Networking provides crystal-clear benefits - Siemens solutions successfully automate batch and cullet plants

Wertheim, Germany, 2019-Mar-15

Zippe Industrieanlagen GmbH is one of the world's leading experts when it comes to handling raw materials and cullet for the glass industry. The company builds automated batch and cullet plants across the globe to specific customer requirements. For many years now, Zippe has been using Siemens control, drive and measuring technology and is therefore able to set new standards for efficiency, performance and operator comfort with its ingenious concepts.

Simatic S7-1500 advanced controllers from Siemens have established themselves as the basis of highly complex automation solutions for Zippe batch plants. (Image: Zippe)

The glass industry is not immune to the rapid developments coming out of Industrie 4.0. The international plant builder Zippe Industrieanlagen GmbH knows this and therefore includes integration and networking in its automation solutions. Two of the company's successfully completed projects in Italy and Mexico show how the associated potential can be best exploited with the integration of Siemens components.

Ingenious concepts for high efficiency and optimum operator comfort: Zippe makes full use of networking potential in the automation of its batch and cullet plants. (Image: Zippe)

Integration leads to success

In Italy, Zippe built a batch plant with raw material feed and a premix unit for Vetri Speciali, an international manufacturer of hollow glass containers for special applications. Siemens components used here include Simatic S7 controls, WinCC control systems, and portable Simatic Mobile Panels. The overall integrated solution provides not only a seamless connection to the automation and Scada (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) levels but also supports modern operating concepts as well as offering high system performance.

Zippe Industrieanlagen GmbH has recently built a new batch plant for Industria Vidriera de Coahuila’s (IVC) glassworks in Nava, north Mexico. (Image: IVC)

Batch plant operation, silo filling and cullet recycling is centrally coordinated by the furnace control and is highly accessible with redundant WinCC servers. In addition to the PC-based control computers, the cullet plant can be monitored locally via Simatic Touchpanels. The fill levels in the silos are continuously measured using Sitrans sensors and transmitted to the Scada system via a programmable logic controller. Frequency converters and barcode readers for selecting the silos can also be integrated without any problems.

IVC produces bottles exclusively for the company’s own directly adjacent large-scale brewery in north Mexico. (Image: IVC)

Reliable operation with high availability

At Nava in northern Mexico, Zippe has also built a new batch plant using the same concept as in Italy with end-to-end automation and networking. The operator, Industria Vidriera de Coahuila (IVC), has committed this site to producing bottles for its own directly adjacent large-scale brewery. Dedicated Simatic S7 controls coordinate the batch plant operation, silo feed and cullet recycling. Two redundant WinCC servers and several distributed Simatic Comfort Panels ensure high availability in these areas. Scalance Access Points also provide optimum wireless network coverage and support secure data transmission.

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