Central automation

Central automation combines control and information at one location. Concentrating all control functions in a single room or control cabinet ensures their secure placement away from disturbing influences. This is especially advisable where the processes involved create very inhospitable conditions and a high degree of operational reliability is required.

Tried-and-tested technology and components that are mutually compatible, from the control cabinet, valve island and communication module to process valves, ensure the fastest possible start-up.

Control your plant centrally – for greater reliability

If malfunctions occur in your production process, you need to react quickly – irrespective of whether you manufacture food and beverages or pharmaceutical products. Since the quality of your products must be perfect at all times: Contaminated batches have to be disposed of to guarantee consumer safety. On the other hand, you want to keep plant downtime to a minimum. Planned maintenance is just as important as targeted process monitoring.

Benefit from Bürkert’s years of experience in central automation! By working together, we ensure your production process is more effective and reliable.

Three typical challenges in the field

1. Getting back into operation faster: The faster a plant can be serviced, the shorter the downtime. For example, the electronic teaching of new devices saves valuable time in this respect.
2. Increasing productivity: A plant must be able to run 24/7. To avoid downtime and failures, you need to monitor processes correctly and offer quick diagnostic assistance, if necessary.
3. Ensuring product quality: Your product quality must be perfect all the time. You must be able to control and continuously monitor processes accurately and in a reproducible manner.

When is central automation an option for you?

• You want to control your pneumatic control processes from a central point.
• You manufacture beverages, food or pharmaceutical products.
• Your production environment is harsh and requires regular washdowns.
• You want to restrict access to your plant.

Playing it safe with valve islands from Bürkert

Automate the pneumatic functions of your plant – with valve islands from Bürkert in a central control cabinet. The valve island allows you to control processes via a network of single valves. 

So profitieren Sie von der zentralen Steuerung:

• The diagnostics function on the device and at operating control level enables you to detect faults at an early stage.
• This makes your production processes more reliable and more efficient.

Diagnostics function on the device

• Valve open
• Valve closed
• Upper output position reached
• Lower output position reached
• Replacement required
• Wire break / Short circuit

Diagnostics function on the control (at control level)
Visualisation of the “message” on the user interface

Central automation could look like this

Everything at one location: Valve islands in larger control cabinets
Proven technology and components that are designed to work with each other, from the control cabinet, valve island and communication module to CLASSIC valves

The five advantages you should know about

Media Redundancy Protocol (MRP):
If the communication connection is interrupted, all devices of the ring are supplied via an alternative communication path. Max. switching time 200 ms.

System redundancy S2 and redundancy R1:
The Bürkert valve islands with Siemens electronics can be connected to two computers via two interface modules. If a cable breaks or a module fails, the second PROFINET network is used.

Advantage of central control with Bürkert: Your production continues without downtime even after a cable break.

Central control, efficient manufacturing

To ensure your system runs 24/7, you can identify possible faults quickly and precisely via the central control system. Instead of switching off the entire plant, you only need to switch off individual modules, thus saving costs and time. At the same time, a Bürkert system solution ensures reliable product quality at all times.

1. Improved plant availability

Less downtime means greater productivity: With central automation, you can skilfully control the availability of your plant. Intelligent diagnostics functions allow you to schedule maintenance work in advance, since wear is predictable and faults can be detected more quickly.

Plant availability without safety functions: Unforeseen maintenance work and downtime occur.

Thanks to additional safety functions, you can rely on interference-free communication.

2. Saving costs due to check valves

A safe and undamaged end product is important in every industry. Even the smallest amount of mixing leads to the loss of a whole batch. The check valves installed in the valve islands ensure reliable production without rejects. If the air is not vented quickly enough in the event of malfunctioning, valves may open unintentionally as a result of the back pressure and the product mixes with unwanted substances.

Example calculation:

In pharmaceutical production, media are not only filtered but, for example, also separated in a complex chromatography process.

 
If malfunctioning occurs and there are no check valves installed in the valve islands to protect the chromatography end product, it can cause enormous financial problems. In contrast, the Robolux valves Type 2036 from Bürkert have check valves integrated as standard.

You have already made up your mind, but still want to discuss your special production requirements with us? Contact us – we are more than happy to help!

Central automation in the field

Many of our customers already successfully control their plants from a central control cabinet. In these user reports, you will discover how Bürkert central automation can help you manufacture products more efficiently and reliably.   

WEIHENSTEPHAN - Brewing process automated successfully

The pilot brewery at the Weihenstephan Research Centre for Brewing and Food Quality was automated in a way that allows the master brewer to control everything via a PC: The entire brewing process is thus more comprehensible and efficient.

Discover more about our automation solution for the brewing process.

DANONE - Greater reliability for the production of yoghurt and desserts

New safety precautions are regularly implemented in the food production sector. Danone was able to simply retrofit the automated plant at its facility in Ochsenfurt with the latest Bürkert valve types for safety-related shutdown.

Discover more about our dairy automation solution

FRIESLANDCAMPINA - Automating production in a hygienic environment

The ultramodern dairy company FrieslandCampina impressively demonstrates how production can be automated at the heart of a hygiene-sensitive area. With Bürkert’s “AirLINE Quick” valve islands in the HD cabinet, the systems are not only easier to clean but also cost-efficient.

Discover more about our automation solution for production in a hygienic environment.

WASSERWERKE EVERSWINKEL - Drinking water treatment

Everswinkel waterworks now doses oxidation air automatically during drinking water treatment. The treatment of drinking water is thus reproducible and more efficient.

Discover more about our automation solution for drinking water treatment.

Complete system from a single source

Pneumatic control cabinet solutions for hygienic process environments

Type 8614

• Optimised cleaning can be achieved due to HD stainless steel housings (Hygienic Design) according to protection class IP65. Available in three widths, each with the same height and depth dimensions
• Four different Bürkert valve island types, available with up to 40 valve positions and 64 valve functions
• Lower material requirements and installation costs due to close-to-process placement in hygiene-critical areas
• Optional assemblies, such as pressure monitoring, power supply unit, wall spacer, available
• High process reliability through P shutoff, check valves (R+S) and safety-related shutdown

Further automation concepts