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Automatic control with production phase sequencer for dispersing and mixing equipment

In a constantly evolving industrial environment, the automation of production systems has become a priority for manufacturers of paints, coatings, adhesives, sealants, etc. This trend responds to the need to optimize processes, ensure the correct repetition of formulas and improve traceability at each stage of manufacturing.

 

Given the continuous requests we receive from our customers to automate the dispersion and/or mixing phase, at OLIVER + BATLLE we have implemented a phase sequencer within an integrated control application in automated dispersers.

From the customer’s recipes, this software module allows to manage and control the manufacturing of recipes, divided into clearly defined phases or stages, offering an efficient and adaptable solution to the production demands.

For the development of this functionality, two modes are generally proposed that are integrated into the existing HMI system of the machine, facilitating operator interaction and ensuring compliance with the recipe specifications:

This solution not only improves manufacturing precision, but also enhances flexibility and adaptability to the specific requirements of each formula, marking a step forward in automation in the industrial sector.

Results

The possibility that, during production, the operator can adapt or modify the instructions of the recipe in progress according to the results obtained in the quality controls and save them, improves the precision of the product for subsequent productions.

Also, thanks to the fact that the sequencer generates data files (logs) in Microsoft Excel format on the machine’s HMI when the batch is being executed, the quality manager can analyze these data and check the actions that the operator has performed during the process, thus obtaining total traceability of the production.

The phase sequencer can be applied in other machines and other systems where repetitive programmable consecutive actions or phases with different parameters are required, such as DISPERMIX or POLIMIX mixer-dispersers, HIDROBAT planetary mixers, etc.

Customers are very satisfied with the versatility and functionality of the module.

 

accessories for the automation

 

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JOTUN: High-speed packaging lines for water-based decorative paints

JOTUN is a global manufacturer of decorative, industrial, marine and protective paints and coatings.

Founded in 1926 in Norway, Jotun operates in more than 100 countries and is recognized for innovation and sustainability. Its products include:

  1. Pinturas decorativas
  2. Industrial coatings
  3. Marine coatings
  4. Protective coatings

Jotun stands out for its focus on research and development, prioritizing sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions.

 

 

PRODUCT AND OBJECTIVE

The customer requested three complete lines for high-speed packaging, with the following requirements:

  • The product is water-based decorative paint, with density of 1.51 kg/dm³ and standard viscosity, designed for uniform application and optimum adhesion. Ideal for durable and resistant interior and exterior finishes. Batches from large capacity finishing tanks and packaged in 1L, 2.5L, 3.5L, 18L and 20L cans.
  • Two lines to process all formats, especially the larger ones.
  • One line only for 2.5L and 3.5L formats.
  • Cadences (containers per minute):
    • 1L (21-23 )
    • 2,5L (20-22)
    • 3,5L (19-21)
    • 18L (16-18)
    • 20L (15-17)
  • Control system integrated in the customer’s MONTH.

 

SOLUTION O+B

To achieve the objectives and requirements set by the client, O+B implemented the following solution:

  • Two packaging lines focused on large formats, consisting of the following equipment:
    •  PAILMANAGER container dispenser for conical (stackable) containers.
    •  DB-350-SQ feeding table for cylindrical containers (non-stackable).
    • KETAN EUROPE labeling machine for jars and cans.
    • FLASH-25 T volumetric filler for cans and jars from 1 to 20L.
  • A third packaging line focused on 2.5 and 3.5 liter formats, consisting of the following equipment:
    •  PAILMANAGER container dispenser for conical (stackable) containers.
    • FLASH-55 T volumetric filler for jars and cans from 1 to 5 L.
    • KETAN EUROPE labeling machine for jars and cans.

In the first two lines, the small formats of 1L, 2.5L and 3.5L are cylindrical and not stackable, so a DB-350-SQ feeding table is included, which allows feeding at the required rates with a single operator.

The 18- and 20-liter formats are conical, allowing them to be stacked and, therefore, managed automatically by PAILMANAGER, which unstacks them and delivers them to the labeling machine and then to the packaging machine.

On line three, the 2.5L and 3.5L cans are conical and stackable, and are therefore unstacked automatically by PAILMANAGER. In this case, the labeling machine is located downstream of the filler to ensure a better labeling process.

Both FLASH-25 T and FLASH-55 T packers work with a single hopper that feeds two heads, which dose 50% of the product into each pack in order to increase throughput.

All the packaging machines were equipped with a cleaning water heating system to reduce the cleaning cycle of the hopper and dosers, minimizing downtime between different production batches.

All elements of the packaging system communicate in real time with the customer’s MES.

The packaging machines are connected to the Emerson DCS system. The different systems are connected via Profinet protocol.

The packers send the following information to the system:

  • Recipe number of the product / Name of the selected product.
  • Machine speed.
  • Count of good products.
  • Count of rejected products.
  • Warning and alarm messages.
  • Status of the machine when running / stopped.
  • Machine status ready / not ready.

Jotun MES sends to the packers:

  • Order number.
  • Data for label printing.

 

 

 

RESULTS

The project was able to fully meet the customer’s needs, achieving the required packaging rate with precision and efficiency. The implemented solution stands out for its reliability and robustness, guaranteeing consistent performance.

The systems supplied by O+B provide a sustainable operation aligned with Jotun’s quality standards.

 

ROI

The system was installed on new lines in a newly constructed plant, so there is no direct comparison with a previous system. However, these packaging lines are managed by a single qualified operator and perform the equivalent work of five operators in a manual process. Taking into account labor costs and considering three shifts per day, the investment is recovered in less than two years.

In addition to a rapid return on investment, automatic packaging offers a much higher level of precision and accuracy than manual packaging, optimizing operational efficiency and minimizing waste.

 

CUSTOMER TESTIMONIAL

“We are very satisfied with the project delivered by Oliver + Batlle. The three packaging lines installed have exceeded our expectations, achieving the desired packaging rate and significantly improving operational efficiency. The solution is highly reliable and robust, with consistent and faultless performance.”

Guruh Susanto (Project Manager – Jotun)

 

accessories for the automation

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Additive manufacturing of metering units enables 20% speed increase in paint production

Sergio Dunjo, Technical Director at Oliver + Batlle, advocates the strategic use of advanced tools such as additive manufacturing of dispensers to optimize cycle time in paint filling.

Challenges in filling optimization and their relation to additive manufacturing of dispensers

The transport time in the paint manufacturing process has almost reached its physical limit. Any reduction of this time compromises safety or quality. Therefore, when seeking to optimize manufacturing processes, the right choice is to focus on the dosing time, because this phase still allows significant margins for improvement.

 

 

Dosing is highly complex due to the wide variety of containers and products: plastic or metal cans, rectangular and oval formats… Each of these particularities requires adaptations in the process that add to the product’s own complexities, such as viscosity and density.

After trying to stress traditional solutions to improve the filling cycle time by incorporating up to four filling heads in our machines, Oliver + Batlle concluded that even then we would not achieve a proportional reduction in cycle time. To optimize filling processes with nozzles, we had to break the paradigm of traditional manufacturing, which is limiting technology. We had to completely rethink the process.

Additive manufacturing of dispensers: An efficient solution customized for each manufacturer

Additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, provided us with the solution we were looking for. With it, we were able to develop an optimized nozzle for the dispensing process that not only improved speed, but also filling accuracy by improving dispensing speed by 20% without compromising quality. And, in some cases, reducing the cycle time by 30%.

By creating nozzles layer by layer, 3D manufacturing facilitates customization for each customer and need – tailoring the design to product and packaging specifications – reduces production times and offers flexibility that is key to the demanding paint market. This allows our customers to be more responsive to market demands and significantly reduces lead times.

In short, additive manufacturing allows us to improve and optimize our filling equipment, maximize our technological capacity by adapting designs to every need, improve the quality of the final product, increase the application limits of our equipment and, with regard to the market, increase our differential value.

This solution also offers a kinder response to the environment by minimizing the waste of materials in the manufacture of the nozzles, since it only uses the amount necessary to manufacture the desired object.

If you would like us to evaluate your production process and study together how to implement improvements to increase the efficiency of your plant, please consult our engineers without obligation.

The future of additive manufacturing of dispensers and its influence on productivity

The future of additive manufacturing is promising, with constant advances in materials and techniques that will further increase the speed and quality of manufactured products. This technology is expected to continue to revolutionize various industries.

With the increasing adoption of artificial intelligence and machine learning, additive manufacturing has the potential to improve the efficiency of production processes, raising productivity to levels that previously seemed unattainable.

 

accessories for the automation

 

PAINT & COATINGS 2024

Oliver+Batlle at PAINT & COATINGS 2024, Barcelona

Oliver + Batlle will showcase some of its technological innovations at PAINT & COATINGS 2024, the most important event for the paint and coatings sector in Spain, which will be held in Barcelona. This fair, which started in 2021, has seen the participation of Oliver + Batlle in all its editions except for 2023, and this year the company returns with new developments in paint packaging and dosing processes.

Oliver + Batlle Innovations: volumetric fillers with electric dosing system

This year, Oliver + Batlle will introduce the electric dosing system for volumetric fillers, which improves efficiency and precision in paint packaging. Unlike traditional systems such as pneumatic ones, this electric dosing system offers greater control in the dosing of liquid products, and its main advantages include up to 46% energy savings, increased productivity, and better repeatability. This system is specifically designed to meet the needs of a sector that demands increasingly efficient and flexible packaging solutions.

With this technology, companies in the paint and coatings sector will be able to optimize their production processes, allowing them to maintain a competitive edge in an ever-evolving market.

TechFocus: optimizing paint dosing

In addition to its presence in the exhibition area, Oliver + Batlle will participate in the fair’s TechFocus program, where Sergi Dunjó, Product Manager of the Packaging business unit at OLIVER + BATLLE, will give a technical presentation on optimizing paint dosing. This talk, which will take place on November 20, 2024, at 2:30 PM, will address the impact of 3D additive manufacturing technology on the evolution of paint dosing nozzles.

The presentation will focus on how the new nozzles developed using this technology enable greater precision and flexibility in dosing processes, significantly reducing downtime and allowing for greater customization. Concrete examples and comparative data will be presented to show how these innovations are transforming the paint industry, improving efficiency and the quality of final results.

A commitment to technological innovation

Oliver + Batlle’s participation in PAINT & COATINGS 2024 reinforces its commitment to continuous innovation in the paint and coatings sector. The technological solutions the company offers, such as volumetric fillers with electric dosing systems, and its leadership in adopting technologies like 3D additive manufacturing, are proof of its focus on providing products that meet the demands of a constantly changing market.

Visit us at PAINT & COATINGS 2024

We invite all attendees of PAINT & COATINGS 2024 to visit Oliver + Batlle at stand 124 and discover firsthand our technological innovations in the sector. Our team will be available to offer demonstrations, answer questions, and explore how our solutions can help improve the efficiency of your production.

For more information or to schedule a meeting with our team during the fair, do not hesitate to contact us. See you in Barcelona!



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Bituminous Mixture: Manufacturing Considerations

A bituminous mixture is made up of a binding material that encases each mineral particle of an aggregate, regardless of its grading. They traditionally come in two types: cold bituminous mixtures and hot bituminous mixtures.

Cold mixtures are those that can be manufactured with a cold or hot bituminous binder and a composition of aggregates, generally cold. These mixtures can be handled and spread at room temperature. Many of these products are storable.

Hot bituminous mixtures, on the other hand, are made with a binder that needs to be heated. The mixture temperature in this case must be above ambient temperature when applied or laid on site.

One type of binder commonly used in bituminous mixtures are hydrocarbon binders. It is a high viscosity type of binding agent, produced from natural hydrocarbons, which varies in consistency depending on the temperature (thermoplastic character) and offers good adherence to aggregates.

As for aggregates, which come from fragmented rock, their chemical and surface activity against water and bituminous binders depends on their composition and grading.

mezcla bituminosa, bituminous mixture

Bituminous mixture properties

In general, bituminous mixtures must be manufactured according to the properties required for the application they are to be used for, which can be extremely diverse. There are a series of properties that can be strengthened to a greater or lesser extent, taking into account the mixture’s composition, the materials, the dosing and the product’s manufacturing conditions.

These properties include:

  • Stability: the ability to support loads and resist the stresses to which it will be subjected, while retaining a certain series of deformation values.
  • Resistance to plastic deformation: bituminous mixtures feature a viscoelastic behaviour, leading to a series of deformations when low speed and high temperature loads are applied to it. The material’s required rheology for the specific project in which it is to be applied, a concept that was introduced in our article on thixotropy, must be taken into account at the manufacturing stage.
  • Fatigue resistance: bituminous mixtures are elastic at low temperature and at high speeds, but load repetition produces progressive wear due to material fatigue which results in an increase in deformation and cracking.
  • Slip resistance: when this type of product is manufactured to be applied on pavement or road wearing courses, for example, it must provide adequate slip resistance for a given number of years.
  • Impermeability: as in the case of slippage, bituminous mixtures used on top layers must protect the infrastructure against water infiltration action. Sometimes, impermeability can also be ensured with the lower layers, for example when using a porous mixture that removes surface water by infiltration.
  • Durability: sun, air, water or ice as well as vehicle oils or fuels affect the durability of the mixture used, for example on the wearing courses.

These properties will be strengthened or modified, depending on whether the product is to be applied on wearing courses, intermediate layers or base courses, since the function and exposure of their mixtures to environmental conditions is different.

manufacturing plant

Bituminous mixture manufacturing process

Hot bituminous mixtures are manufactured with asphalt bitumens at a higher or lower temperature, depending on the viscosity of the binder used. The aggregates that go into the mix are also heated so that they do not lower the binder’s temperature when they are added to the mix.

Bituminous binders provide efficient and flexible bonds, for example in road construction, thanks to their viscoelastic properties, as mentioned above. Since binder behaviour varies depending on ambient temperature, the mix should be manufactured using the binder that best adapts to the temperature range to which the mix is to be subjected once it has been applied to the pavement.

There is also a number of products that modify asphaltic bitumens and are obtained by dispersing polymers or rubber, among other materials, in the mix. These modified products can improve the binder’s properties when exposed to high or low temperatures.

Manufacturing equipment

Just as the bituminous mixture formula is adapted to the application’s requirements and the place where it will be used, Oliver + Batlle’s bituminous mixtures’ manufacturing machinery is adapted to each product’s characteristics.

The industrial agitators for bituminous products by O+B offer technified vessels combining fast axes and slow anchors as well as monitored heat supply. Our technification, together with our engineering team, develops turnkey projects that are adapted to a specific product’s manufacturing process.

We offer solutions for asphaltic bitumen manufacturing for large industrial batches as well as for small and medium-sized production. For mixtures with any type of fluidity, our solutions such as the Hidrobat Planetary Mixer, or DISPERMIX mixers, offer a robust solution that requires only a simple maintenance for a greater optimisation of the production process.

We manufacture storage tanks for this type of product with heated systems (that can reach up to 180º), full insulation capacity and an internal stirrer that keeps the binder continuously moving. In addition, we design the necessary process engineering to integrate any of our equipment into your manufacturing plant.

Request further information about our manufacturing equipment for bituminous products and follow us on LinkedIn to keep up to date with our news.