Modern control of mineral wool production process
Authors: Stankov Stanko 
Published: July 2012

In this paper, the control of the plant for mineral wool production
consisting of a number of the technological units of different sizes and
complexity is considered. The application of modern equipment based on PLC
(Programmable Logic Controller) and SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data
Acquisition) configuration provides optimal control of technological process.
Described supervisory and control system is consisting of a number of units
doing decentralized distributed control of technological entities where all
possible situation are considered during work of machines and devices, which
are installed in electric drive and are protected from technological and
electrical accident. Transformer station and diesel engine, raw materials
transport and dosage, processes in dome oven, centrifuges, polycondensation
(PC) chamber, burners, compressor station, binder preparation and dosage,
wool cutting, completed panel packing and their transport to storehouse are
controlled. Process variables and parameters like as level, flow, velocity,
temperature, pressure, etc. are controlled. Control system is doing
identification of process states changes, diagnostic and prediction of errors
and provides prediction of behavior of control objects when input flows of
materials and generates optimal values of control variables due to decreasing
downtime and technic - economical requires connected to wool quality to be
achieved. Supervisory and control system either eliminates unwanted changes
in the production line or restricts them within the allowable limits
according to the technology. In this way, the optimization of energy and raw
materials consumption and appropriate products quality is achieved, where
requirements are satisfied in accordance with process safety and
environmental standards. SCADA provides a visual representation of controlled
and uncontrolled parts of the technological process, processing alarms and
events, monitoring of the changes of relevant variables, data archiving,
choice of either automatic or manual control. Supervison of the production
process by intuitive screens on monitors, and display terminal is allowed to
the operator. Certain objects of plant are represented by the appropriate
symbols whose color is changed depending on status (working, inactive status,
stand by, failure, etc.). Symbols are associated with characteristic
parameters and the variables whose current values are monitored by graphics
and/or tables. Special attention is paid to alarm conditions occurring in the
case of failure or exceeding the set limits of certain values. Alarm signal
is manifested by sound and signal light, with a corresponding text message on
the screen, with the date and time of occurrence and the request to the
operator to confirm the alarm in some way. Alarms and other important data
are stored in the database, including information about the time of removing
the causes of the alarm emergence. Beside data acqusition and processing data
of process variables and installed equipment state, the system also provides
data archiving and generating and printing of daily, weekly and monthly
reports. Based on these reports, analysis and appropriate corrections are
being done to increase productivity. Specific data of drive functionality,
raw materials and amounts of final products are available to management at
any moment via Internet. Information about status of embedded equipment,
devices and protective elements provide planning periodical reviews and
remont some lines or whole plant. Then replacement of certain parts
significantly contributes to efficienty of current, preventive and investment
maintenance. In this way, reliability and safety of production plant are
increased. With complete automatization of production process that is complex
and multidisciplinary, demages and energy consumption are considerably
decreasing, workforce is optimized, good quality of final product is achieved
and plant work with full capacity is provided. Some technical solutions
(diesel engine and transformer station supervisory, compressor station
supervisory, electric drive regulation, dedusting system control, HVAC
(heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system control, transport and
dosage system control) applied at realization of supervisory and control
system for mineral wool production process, can be also applied to regulation
large number of industrial processes.