April 2020

34 n FOOD AND BEVERAGE April 2020 www.drivesncontrols.com Logic modules add flexibility and comms to hygiene sluices B akeries, butchers, and chocolate factories all have one thing in common: every employee must pass through a hygiene sluice before entering the manufacturing area. They may only leave the sluice once all of the prescribed steps have been completed to avoid bringing germs or contaminants into the production area. Up to 5,000 cleaning cycles may need to be completed in a day, depending on the size of the business. The German manufacturer Mohn, which specialises in washing systems and stainless-steel operating equipment for the food processing industry, has developed a hygiene sluice to perform these cycles. The company’s Highline sluice provides precise control of time checks, access rights, rinsing times, and the addition of cleaning agents. By controlling the sluices, and the programs they run, precisely, the machines can reduce the consumption of both cleaning agents and energy. Unlike previous systems that used custom- built circuit boards for their controls, Mohn has turned to general-purpose logic control modules for the new machines. As well as costing less, the Siemens Logo! controllers are extremely flexible, allowing individual customers’ requirements to be accommodated and settings to be entered. “We are the only company on the market that can do without detection sensors in optical form for shoe sole cleaning,”points out Mohn’s technical project manager, Carsten Homuth.“This is one of the major benefits compared to circuit board control where the sensor only detects when someone enters the sluice. The brushes then run for a preset time interval – even if the employee leaves the sluice before the cycle is complete.” By contrast, the logic module in the new machine recognises when the sluice is empty and stops the brushes from running, as well as adding extra cleaning agent, offering the possibility of making significant savings. A further benefit of using the logic module is that it has many network interfaces, allowing users to retrieve consumption data from their sluice machines from any location via the Ethernet. The communications facilities also allow Mohn to provide remote maintenance support in the event of a problem. Mohn has now standardised on the Logo! modules forn all its systems. The latest generation of the modules (version 8) incorporate programmableWeb servers which will allow Mohn’s customers to set up their ownWeb-based control sites, which they can access using a smartphone, tablet or PC. n By replacing dedicated controls with a low-cost logic module, a German equipment sluice manufacturer has made its equipment more adaptable and communicative. Mohn has now standardised on the Logo! modules for all of its systems.The latest generation of themodules (version 8) incorporate programmableWeb servers which will allow Mohn’s customers to set up their ownWeb-based control sites, which they can access using a smartphone, tablet or PC.