he Institute of Precision Mechanics in Warsaw offers a computer system of visualization and management for the operational control of industrial heat- and thermo-chemical treatment equipment, with the following features:
- Monitoring of basic processing parameters in different equipment units;
- Control of technological heat- and thermo-chemical processess of metals, such as: normalizing, austenitization, isothermal quenching, tempering, nitriding, carburizing, nitrocarburizing, oxy-nitriding and steam blueing;
- Active monitoring of concentration of CO (carbon monoxide) in the shop ambient atmosphere; # Informing about anomalies in the processing;
- Recording and archiving of all parameters pertaining to the course of heat- and thermo-chemical processing.
The developed system is based on two levels of visualization: central management level, encompassing the entire heat treatment shop and individual control level for the various heat treating equipment systems. The central management level utilizes an operator stand, equipped with a PC, with the InTouch 7.1 visualization software from Wonderware. The individual level utilizes: the GE Fanuc type 90-30 controller, equipped with a operator panel, type TIU, type SGC/SC gas and liquid flow control cabinets as well as bastch furnaces, pit-type plasma and atmosphere furnaces, fluidized bed furnaces and quench tanks as well as an endothermic atmosphere generator.
The system enables management and control of::
- Temperatures of heating elements and temperatures inside working chambers;
- Flow rates of liquids and gases used in the generation of operating atmospheres;
- times of technological processes the heat treatment shop.
In the visualization system, the main screen displays all the equipment installed on the heat treatment floor. Individual control screens display the individual heat treating equipment with the possibility of their control and management. The historic trend screen logs the variations of all controlled parameters for all pieces of equipment.
