Real-time and deterministic control for SMI conveyor lines

SMITEC inaugurates the era of real-time and deterministic control for logistics automation and the management of conveyor lines dedicated to bottling and packaging in the systems proposed by SMI.

The automation and supervision for SMI conveyor belts through the VLS (VaryLine System) PRO maintain the strengths that have characterized this solution until today.

The flexibility and openness ensured by a PC-based and distributed architecture, the use of a softPLC solution, the HMI capable of offering extensive parametrization and all elements that have characterized the generation based on the PROFIBUS-DP serial fieldbus now give way to the more modern, high-performance, fast, and deterministic VLSPRO ETHERCAT solution (Ethernet for Control Automation Technology).

The era of real-time and deterministic control has begun

Real-time and deterministic control is crucial in applications where timing and precision are fundamental, such as in advanced and high-performance industrial automation systems.

Control systems are designed to respond to events or stimuli within specific and predictable times, ensuring that the system's actions occur according to a predefined and deterministic plan, where deterministic behavior means that, given the same initial conditions and inputs, the system will always produce the same output and the same behavior within the required timings.

In other words, there are no random or unforeseen elements that influence the outcome.

Main advantages

VLSPRO ETHERCAT offers the ability to control with millisecond precision in a real-time and deterministic manner:

• up to 98 conveyor belts (driven by ETHERCAT slave inverters NORD)
• up to 3 unloading pallets and signal exchange (via MODBUS/TCP or through wired signals) for up to 10 machines in line
• up to 10 ethercat slave I/O modules.

Additionally, the new version of the system allows direct Industry 4.0 connection to supervisory systems (MES/ERP) with MODBUS/TCP protocol (client or server) and OPC UA (server).

VLS PRO Profibus versus VLS PRO Ethercat

VLSPRO ETHERCAT architecture

VLSPRO ETHERCAT features a simple and classic configuration composed of a panel-PC (POSYC®), where the HMI for line control is executed, which connects via ethernet to a PC-PLC (CPC), that runs the line control program via the softPLC DIAGOS.

The PC-PLC, through its second internet port, connects to the ETHERCAT network and thus to the line systems to be controlled (inverters and I/O modules), typically through at least one switch in order to divide them into at least two sections (depending on the line layout).

For further information, please contact our sales department or visit our website.

Marketing Department
SMI S.p.A.
E-mail: info@smigroup.it