Burkert Introduces Pneumatic-Control Systems

Buck Systems, part of GEA Pharma has reported that Burkert has successfully built pneumatic-control systems. The system will be used to vibrate pharmaceutical-powder mixing and delivery systems for tablet manufacturing plants.

It allows a wide range of digital and analogue I/O signals to be combined with Profibus DPV1 connection and PLCs. The panel systems are supplied with built in stainless-steel cabinets.

Burkert has also supplied side-control electro-pneumatic positioners for control of Buck butterfly valves used to manage the flow of powder. The control units are mounted from the process-valve bodies and provide the rotary actuators with precise positional-control signals, using an integral process controller (PID) and an external position sensor. It also includes digital status display and manual programming override controls from an integral keypad.

The electro-pneumatic control panels includes; filter regulators, pressure switches and various DIN-rail mounted terminals and Wago I/O blocks. Mettler Toledo (Weighing equipment and HMIs) and Siemens PLCs are integrated into the control cabinet.

The control cabinet layout is extremely neat and rationalised, due mainly to the flexibility of the AirLINE valve island system. AirLINE plugs directly into I/O modules and DIN rail mounted PLCs from the main vendors. This reduces wiring significantly and ensures that the clients can talk to a wide variety of sensors, positional control feedback, HMIs and other equipment producing a variety of digital and analogue signals that can be brought into one place and integrated with the latest pneumatic valves.

The islands also allowed for the control of air for actuation and piloting for the lower pressure, higher flow rate valves used to control the air that carries the powders around the system.

The AirLINE 8644 system overcomes plant standardisation and communication protocol issues by integrating Burkert high performance solenoid valves with analogue and digital I/O modules and fieldbus communications from all market-leading PLC vendors.

The remote process actuation and control system combines digital I/O, including a full complement of solenoid pilot valve outputs, digital and analogue I/O, including direct RTDs and T/Cs, and speciality signals into a single node.

The system enables pneumatic solenoid valves to be electrically connected directly to a remote I/O module, without any individual coil wiring, numbering or termination required. Depending upon the application, the system can incorporate up to 13 modules (2x and 8x module types), with a maximum of 64 valves accepted.