west fraser chooses MYMILL hmi sorter control
west fraser chooses MYMILL hmi sorter control
“ It ’ s reliable , and we don ’ t have to have someone up there on the sorter letting down the bays conventionally .”
West Fraser ’ s Joyce , LA mill is the first to implement a new concept for machine control using mobile devices running USNR ’ s new software application , MyMill HMI .
USNR deployed its revolutionary new MyMill HMI application on a small fleet of iPads and iPods as part of the installation of a new 70-bin sorter at West Fraser ’ s mill in Joyce , LA . Now mill personnel are routinely finding new ways to use MyMill HMI to perform their job functions more efficiently and safely . MyMill™ is a new software suite developed by USNR that enables mill personnel to interact with mill equipment using mobile devices . MyMill HMI is an application within the MyMill suite that replicates , in a mobile device , all of the functionality that is typically available through a stationary HMI touchscreen .
West Fraser application
Gary Milhollen , mill manager at the West Fraser , Joyce operation , is a believer in the benefits of the MyMill mobile interface to control the mill ’ s new 70- bin pusher lug sorter . He commented , “ It ’ s reliable , and we don ’ t have to have someone up there on the sorter letting down the bays conventionally .” He has an iPad in his office that he uses to monitor what is happening at the sorter , while the mill ’ s planer mill superintendent , James Austin , chose an iPod .
To meet the Joyce mill ’ s requirements USNR supplied 5 mobile devices , 2 iPads and 3 iPods , that are loaded with the MyMill interface software . These devices completely replace the 11 consoles that would have been needed in a conventional supply . Also included is a full-size HMI screen located at the stacker operator ’ s area , and another in the control room . The sorter operator carries an iPad and is able to control all of the sorter functionality remotely .
The sorter operator can choose which bins to dump in several modes :
►►Full auto – the system selects bins in ascending or descending order .
►►Selectable auto – operator selects bins to dump and sets dump order .
►►Manual – operator controls bin equipment and floor chains directly .
To perform a function such as jogging the discharge deck , the operator must hold his finger on a button on the screen until the desired jog is accomplished . If he removes his finger , the deck stops . The sorter operator often finds it is more convenient to dump a bin while he is at the floor chain level where he can also manage the discharge decks . He has the ability to discharge any number of bins while standing adjacent to the floor chains . This also improves package staging to the stacker . The system can be monitored by anyone who carries one of the MyMill interface devices .
Safety
For West Fraser , safety was a concern with the use of the devices . Using a mobile device is actually much safer for sorter operation than the use of a stationary console typically mounted at the top of the bins . Mobility allows the operator , maintenance or service personnel the capability to actuate any aspects of the sorter operation from the location that is most convenient for dumping a bin , clearing a jam , changing out a valve , etc . They do not need to rely on the exchange of messages with another worker to control the operation .
With MyMill you can be in the optimum location for what you need to do , and if lock-outs are required you can verify that they are in place before proceeding . Some personnel may be tempted to skip locking out a machine for a “ simple ” fix because of the extra trips back and forth to the console , but putting the console in his hands eliminates that danger .
Added benefits
John Jacques , USNR project manager , commented on the ease of troubleshooting with the mobile functionality . “ During sorter commissioning , all our field service personnel loved the mobile functionality because they could take an iPad or iPod and actuate the bins , diverters and the live bin walls without having to go to an electrician or get someone else to actuate them at the console . So it really made troubleshooting a lot easier .”
USNR ’ s Larry Chudyk , senior controls engineer , led the development team for the MyMill interface system . He sums up where USNR sees the future of this new tool , “ We ’ ve really just scratched the surface of what is possible with the installation of the MyMill HMI at the Joyce mill . This application will change the way we control processing operations in the future .”
20 Millwide INSIDER | ISSUE 3 - 2013