What is the PLC control?
- Jun 03, 2017
- 198
- beer
What is the PLC control?
Now we can feel that more and more people tend to have a PLC control.
After discussing with the clients, we found that everybody has different understanding on the PLC control. Someone though PLC means fully automation. Someone thought that only PLC is suitable for their plant. Someone though that PLC can do everything.
Here is also more talks about the PLC controlled brewhouse：
Most people have those wishes via using PLC:
1) To have a higher automation/smarter control thus to reduce the labor or manual operation
Comment: Here are usually different understanding on the automation level for different people.
A fully automated brewhouse design requires various electronic sensors (such as clearance inspection sensor, level sensor, gravity measurement sensor,
foam sensor, bitterness sensor, pressure sensor etc.), and various automated valves, doors etc. So the investment will be really expensive and definitely no necessary for a microbrewery.
As we learn, here might be only one fully automated brewery system in the world made by Germany.
The next automation that most microbrewries prefer now is via using the pneumatic valves only (No other sensors)
Since the pneumatic valves replace the manual butterfly valves, the brewmaster can control the on/off of the valves on the control panel, no need to go around the brewhouse. So it reduces the labor.
Please check the picture No.1&2: It shows a 20bbl brewhouse in both 3D and after finishing. It uses the pneumatic valves, PLC control and touch screen.
So here is our advice:
-If you are expecting a fully automated control via PLC, it is not realistic as it is too much expensive, and it seems only one company can design it in the world.
-If you only use the PLC program and touch screen, but the valve is still manual, then the PLC will not show any advantage on reducing labor compared with the PID. Then PID is till recommended.
So if you really prefer the PLC, we recommend to use the pneumatic valves for the brewhouse.
2)Set maulti mashing temperatures and resting steps at one time (we also call this ‘temperature recipe storage’)
Comment: This is suitable for this kind of mashing: mash in the kettle via direct heating rather than mashing via mixing with water.
3) To display a more visual mashing process, and to look modern etc.
Comment: Some clients just expect to have a visual or modern immage from the touch screen, then PLC with manual valve can be good enough :)
4)Is PLC good for cellar?
In the quote, the FV control panel is PID not PLC&touch screen.
If you would like the FV control panel to be touch screen too, then we need to combine the FV control panel with the brewhouse control panel.
But usually we do not recommend the PLC&touch screen for the FV control panel for 2 reasons:
1) The fermentation control is so easy and simple that do not need the PLC control as the PLC will
not add much convenience in this process, in turn it may make the process a little more complex. For example,
The touch screen has limited space that can not show both the brewhouse and cellar on the same page,
so we can not monitor the temperature of each fermenter on site unless we turn the showing-page on screen from brewhous to cellar.
2) The temperature control in cellar is so important, the PID is safer as it is not like the PLC, if one PID control has problem, the other PID controls are not effected.
If use PLC, if one programm has problem, the whole programm have to stop to be fixed. So PID is more suitable for cellar.
But if you prefer that the FV control panel have touch screen, we can combine them.
Do you have any different ideas?
We are manufacture of microbewery. Please feel free to leave messages below or email me.
Edited by Jana Wang
Sales manager
Email: [email protected]
Now we can feel that more and more people tend to have a PLC control.
After discussing with the clients, we found that everybody has different understanding on the PLC control. Someone though PLC means fully automation. Someone thought that only PLC is suitable for their plant. Someone though that PLC can do everything.
Here is also more talks about the PLC controlled brewhouse：
Most people have those wishes via using PLC:
1) To have a higher automation/smarter control thus to reduce the labor or manual operation
Comment: Here are usually different understanding on the automation level for different people.
A fully automated brewhouse design requires various electronic sensors (such as clearance inspection sensor, level sensor, gravity measurement sensor,
foam sensor, bitterness sensor, pressure sensor etc.), and various automated valves, doors etc. So the investment will be really expensive and definitely no necessary for a microbrewery.
As we learn, here might be only one fully automated brewery system in the world made by Germany.
The next automation that most microbrewries prefer now is via using the pneumatic valves only (No other sensors)
Since the pneumatic valves replace the manual butterfly valves, the brewmaster can control the on/off of the valves on the control panel, no need to go around the brewhouse. So it reduces the labor.
Please check the picture No.1&2: It shows a 20bbl brewhouse in both 3D and after finishing. It uses the pneumatic valves, PLC control and touch screen.
So here is our advice:
-If you are expecting a fully automated control via PLC, it is not realistic as it is too much expensive, and it seems only one company can design it in the world.
-If you only use the PLC program and touch screen, but the valve is still manual, then the PLC will not show any advantage on reducing labor compared with the PID. Then PID is till recommended.
So if you really prefer the PLC, we recommend to use the pneumatic valves for the brewhouse.
2)Set maulti mashing temperatures and resting steps at one time (we also call this ‘temperature recipe storage’)
Comment: This is suitable for this kind of mashing: mash in the kettle via direct heating rather than mashing via mixing with water.
3) To display a more visual mashing process, and to look modern etc.
Comment: Some clients just expect to have a visual or modern immage from the touch screen, then PLC with manual valve can be good enough :)
4)Is PLC good for cellar?
In the quote, the FV control panel is PID not PLC&touch screen.
If you would like the FV control panel to be touch screen too, then we need to combine the FV control panel with the brewhouse control panel.
But usually we do not recommend the PLC&touch screen for the FV control panel for 2 reasons:
1) The fermentation control is so easy and simple that do not need the PLC control as the PLC will
not add much convenience in this process, in turn it may make the process a little more complex. For example,
The touch screen has limited space that can not show both the brewhouse and cellar on the same page,
so we can not monitor the temperature of each fermenter on site unless we turn the showing-page on screen from brewhous to cellar.
2) The temperature control in cellar is so important, the PID is safer as it is not like the PLC, if one PID control has problem, the other PID controls are not effected.
If use PLC, if one programm has problem, the whole programm have to stop to be fixed. So PID is more suitable for cellar.
But if you prefer that the FV control panel have touch screen, we can combine them.
Do you have any different ideas?
We are manufacture of microbewery. Please feel free to leave messages below or email me.
Edited by Jana Wang
Sales manager
Email: [email protected]
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