New control system for automated measuring system improves ... · Case Study Water | Wastewater New...
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Case Study Water | Wastewater New control system for automated measuring system improves communication, saves space Summary • The Ford Meter Box Company needed to redesign its automated measuring system for testing water meters • The new system needed a universal communication solution that all customers could use, and the console needed to occupy less space than the original • Ford Meter Box worked with Neff Engineering and Phoenix Contact to design a system featuring Phoenix Contact’s Vehicle Mount Terminal (VMT) industrial PC, FL mGuard and several other products • The upgraded automated measuring system features the universal IEC 61131 programming language and eliminates the console completely Challenge One of the company’s premier products is an automated measuring system that tests water meters. The system ensures that end users of water systems receive accurate bills for their water usage, and that the water utility can accurately measure all water produced. Since a water meter is the water utility’s cash register, providing accurate results is crucial. The first generation of this system used a Linux-based controller and custom-manufactured console cabinet linked to the meter test bench through a series of control cables tethered to the console as it was moved from test station to test station. If technical support was necessary, the test bench operator had to describe the screen display to customer support personnel. The support person would instruct the operator how to proceed. The controllers in the first generation system were becoming outdated. If Ford Meter Box wanted to continue using the system, Customer Profile The Ford Meter Box Company, Inc., in Wabash, Ind., is a leading manufacturer of waterworks brass valves and fittings, water meter setting equipment and water meter testing equipment. The company has manufactured meter test benches for over 100 years with continuous improvements well into the computer age. Jane Pozek (Industrial Sales Engineer for Phoenix Contact) and Eric Cohee (Senior Product Designer for Ford Meter Box Company) review the machine design. © 2012 PHOENIX CONTACT PHOENIX CONTACT • P.O. BOX 4100 • HARRISBURG, PA 17111-0100 1 Phone: 800-888-1300 • 717-944-1300 • Technical Service: 800-322-3225 • Fax: 717-944-1625 E-mail: [email protected] • Website: www.phoenixcontact.com
Transcript of New control system for automated measuring system improves ... · Case Study Water | Wastewater New...
Case Study
Water | Wastewater
New control system for automated measuring system improves communication, saves space
Summary
• TheFordMeterBoxCompanyneededtoredesignits
automated measuring system for testing water meters
• Thenewsystemneededauniversalcommunication
solutionthatallcustomerscoulduse,andtheconsole
neededtooccupylessspacethantheoriginal
• FordMeterBoxworkedwithNeffEngineeringand
PhoenixContacttodesignasystemfeaturingPhoenix
Contact’sVehicleMountTerminal(VMT)industrialPC,FL
mGuardandseveralotherproducts
• Theupgradedautomatedmeasuringsystemfeaturesthe
universalIEC61131programminglanguageandeliminates
theconsolecompletely
Challenge
Oneofthecompany’spremierproductsisanautomated
measuringsystemthattestswatermeters.Thesystemensures
thatendusersofwatersystemsreceiveaccuratebillsfortheir
waterusage,andthatthewaterutilitycanaccuratelymeasureall
waterproduced.Sinceawatermeteristhewaterutility’scash
register,providingaccurateresultsiscrucial.
ThefirstgenerationofthissystemusedaLinux-basedcontroller
andcustom-manufacturedconsolecabinetlinkedtothemeter
testbenchthroughaseriesofcontrolcablestetheredtothe
consoleasitwasmovedfromteststationtoteststation.If
technicalsupportwasnecessary,thetestbenchoperatorhadto
describethescreendisplaytocustomersupportpersonnel.The
supportpersonwouldinstructtheoperatorhowtoproceed.
Thecontrollersinthefirstgenerationsystemwerebecoming
outdated.IfFordMeterBoxwantedtocontinueusingthesystem,
Customer Profile
TheFordMeterBoxCompany,Inc.,in
Wabash,Ind.,isaleadingmanufacturerof
waterworksbrassvalvesandfittings,
water meter setting equipment and water meter testing
equipment.Thecompanyhasmanufacturedmetertestbenches
forover100yearswithcontinuousimprovementswellintothe
computerage.
Jane Pozek (Industrial Sales Engineer for Phoenix Contact) and Eric Cohee (Senior Product Designer for Ford Meter Box Company) review the machine design.
©2012PHOENIXCONTACT PHOENIXCONTACT•P.O.BOX4100•HARRISBURG,PA17111-0100 1 Phone:800-888-1300•717-944-1300•TechnicalService:800-322-3225•Fax:717-944-1625 E-mail:[email protected]•Website:www.phoenixcontact.com
theentireprogram
wouldneedtobe
rewritten.EricCohee,
Senior Product
DesignerforFord
MeterBoxCompany,
feltthetimehadcome
to develop a second
generationofthe
system.
Thenewsystemneeded
to address several
issues.Theoriginal
system presented
communications
difficulty.Becausethe
end customers use a
broadrangeof
computer systems,
interfacingthetwo
systemscanbeachallenge.Auniversal,easilyadaptabledata
transferwouldfacilitatecustomers’variousneeds.
Additionally,spaceforthetestequipmentistypicallylimited.Test
benchoperatorsneededamorecompactconsoleoreventhe
completeeliminationoftheconsole.Thecontrolleralsoneeded
towithstandtherepetitiveteststhatthecompanyconducts.This
thoroughtestingensuresthatFordMeterBox’sproductswill
standuptothechallengesintherealworld.
Solution
FordMeterBoxCompanyworkedwithNeffEngineeringand
PhoenixContacttodevelopanewtestingsystem.Thenew
systemusedthePhoenixContactILC150ETHPLC,Vehicle
MountTerminal(VMT)industrialPC,FLmGuardsecuritydevice,
SFNEthernetSwitch,QUINTSFBpowersupply,PLCrelaysand
miscellaneouscables,connectorsandterminalblocks.
“Althoughaworkablesystemwasdevelopedearlyintheproject,
westillwantedtosimplifytheoperationforourcustomers,”
statedCohee.“NeffEngineeringandPhoenixContactsupported
ourrequestsandcontinuedtoworkalongsideustoimprovethe
operationofourtestequipmentbyprovidingadditionalhardware,
technicalsupportandsoftwaresolutions.”
TheVMTservesasthemainoperatorinterfaceforthemeter
testequipment.Itprovidesameanstocollectandstoredata
fromthemetertests,whileeliminatingtheneedfortheconsole.
“ByutilizingtheVMTandmountingitdirectlytothemetertest
bench,wewereabletoreducethefloorspacerequiredbyour
console100percent.Thecompactsizeofthecontrollerallowed
morefunctionalityinasmallerpackage,”Coheesaid.Sincethe
VMTis24VDC,italsoeliminatedapotentialshockhazard
associatedwitha120VACsystem.
Tosolvethecommunicationissue,theVMTandILC150usethe
PCWORXIEC61131programmingsystem.Coheesaid,“By
usingtheIEC61131universalprogramminglanguagesand
functions,wewillbeabletoupgradeourhardwaremoreeasilyas
controllersadvanceintechnology.Afterwecomparedallofour
optionstoseveralotherproducts,PhoenixContactwasatthe
topofthelistforpriceandfeatures.”
Coheesaidthatthecontrollersalsoproveddurable.“Becausethe
controllershavehelduptoourextremetestsinthelab,weare
confidentthattheywillalsolastformanyyearsastheprimary
controlleronthemetertestingequipmentwemanufacture.”
PhoenixContactalsointroducedFordMeterBoxCompanyto
theFLmGuardsecuritydevice,whichprovidessecureVirtual
PrivateNetworkcapabilities.Thisallowsthecustomerstoeasily
andsecurelyinterfacetheirmetertestequipmentwiththeir
network,whileallowingFordMeterBoxCompanytoassistthem
withtheoperationoftheequipmentthroughasecureInternet
connection.
©2012PHOENIXCONTACT PHOENIXCONTACT•P.O.BOX4100•HARRISBURG,PA17111-0100 2 Phone:800-888-1300•717-944-1300•TechnicalService:800-322-3225•Fax:717-944-1625 E-mail:[email protected]•Website:www.phoenixcontact.com
Control box, including ILC programmable controller, modular I/O, systems cabling and power distribution module.
The VMT industrial computer and the meters in place ready to be tested.
TheuseofpreassembledcablesandtheVariofaceadapterand
cablesystemsimplifiedtheassemblyprocess.Coheestated,“Our
processqualityhasimprovedbysignificantlyreducingthe
possibilityofwiringerrorsduringproductionofthemetertest
bench.Althoughsomeofthehardwareitemsactuallyincreasedin
cost,weachievedanoverallcostsavingswiththeplug-and-play
abilityofthecomponentsandpre-madecables.”
Results
Coheesaiditwasanadvantagetohavea“one-stopshopforthe
controllers,computers,powerequipment,relays,Ethernetswitch
andofcourseconnectorsandcables.Whilehavingeverything
under one roof was very convenient and time saving, it ensures us
thatallofthecomponentswerecompatibleforuseonourwater
metertestequipment.”
Becauseallofthecomponentsarewidelyavailablethroughout
theU.S.(andtheworld),itwillalsobesimpleforendusersto
findreplacementpartsifnecessary.
“Thissolutionhelpedustoofferourcustomersadditional
featuresatthesamerelativecost,whilesimplifyingtheset-upand
testingofwatermeters,”Coheesaid.
©2012PHOENIXCONTACT PHOENIXCONTACT•P.O.BOX4100•HARRISBURG,PA17111-0100 3 Phone:800-888-1300•717-944-1300•TechnicalService:800-322-3225•Fax:717-944-1625 E-mail:[email protected]•Website:www.phoenixcontact.com
Data entry on the touch-screen of the machine-mount VMT industrial computer. The graphical screens were created with the VISU+ HMI software.
