Control valves
Control valves with IO-link increase
Investment in future-proof technologies is an absolute necessity for sustainable action and for ensuring top product quality . RHODIUS Mineralquellen therefore consistently invests in IO-link-capable devices . A stateof-the-art tunnel pasteuriser has now been retrofitted with control valves from Schubert
& Salzer Control Systems with IO-link-capable positioners .
Text by Schubert & Salzer Control Systems
RHODIUS Mineralquellen modernises tunnel pasteuriser
RHODIUS Mineralquellen from Burgbrohl , Germany , is well known for pure , premium quality mineral water as well as soft and energy drinks from many internationally familiar licensed brands . With seven production plants and more than 600 million containers filled per year , the company is one of the leading contract bottlers in Germany . In order to produce branded products of the highest standard , Rhodius employs the latest technology from KHS – a state-of-theart tunnel pasteuriser . Due to its flexible speed adaptation and patented zone cutoff , among other things , the pasteuriser is capable of adapting itself to the line behaviour so that gaps and standstills are largely avoided . With high-precision sliding gate valves from Schubert & Salzer Control Systems , the zone temperature is controlled according to the speed of transport , thus ensuring that important process parameters such as pasteurisation units and maximum temperature remain virtually constant . The avoidance of stops and gaps lowers the consumption of media and energy and significantly increases the sustainability of the process . plant availability
In order to produce branded products of the highest standard , Rhodius employs the latest technology from KHS – a state-of-the-art tunnel pasteuriser . Image courtesy of Rhodius Mineralquellen .
Digitisation of the plant with IO-link
In order to increase the plant availability even further and at the same time to simplify maintenance , the sliding gate valves in use have now been upgraded to the latest generation of digital positioners : type 8049 with IO-link . “ Most important for Rhodius was the possibility to be able to plan maintenance measures ,” explains Waldemar Oplatschkin , who is responsible for electrical engineering at RHODIUS . “ Thanks to the IO-link technology , the diagnostic data of the valve and positioner can now be monitored constantly . As a result , even the tiniest irregularities are noticed at an early stage . This gives us the time to react promptly and take the appropriate action . Physical access to the valve for the evaluation of diagnostic data such as maintenance data , pulse counter , directional classes and changes of direction is not necessary at all . With IO-link , a single cable with an M12 plug bundles the positioning signal , position feedback , data transmission and even the power supply .” Rhodius also benefits from the use of the IOlink technology with regard to the maintenance measures themselves . Incorrect connection is technically impossible due to the coded connecting plug . Even if a replacement should
34 Valve World February 2024 www . valve-world . net