Control network has a lot of bottle

Talk of networks, and most people immediately think of the sending and receiving of data-anywhere from the individual factory or office, right through to national and worldwide communications. But the benefits of networks are not solely about data. Control of equipment can be transformed by moving to a network based system. The advantages of using network based systems are vividly illustrated by a new bottling line now operating at Marston´s brewery, home of the world famous Pedigree bitter, in Burton on Trent. Marston´s line confirms the great potential of economical, distributed networking for industrial control applications. For instance, at Marston´s, parameter settings on the variable frequency inverter drives that operate the lines can be changed dynamically via the network. Ramp up and ramp down rates, and maximum/minimum speeds, can be altered as the line is running. There are 30-40 parameters that can be changed on a drive, from such basics as the voltage it runs at to sophisticated aspects such as the percentage of torque that the drive will generate. By simply sending a data message on the network it is possible to modify any drive, either permanently or temporarily. Networking is giving the brewery a series of other benefits: more delicate handling of bottles, improved plant integrity, and easy, flexible future expansion capabilities, all in the context of a cost effective solution.<>