Case study · Industrial Automation
A PLC and HMI upgrade for a bottling line
A legacy relay-controlled bottling line moved to a Siemens S7-1200 PLC and HMI, with VFD control, recipe changeovers and clear fault diagnostics.
The challenge
The line used relay logic and manual changeovers. Operators adjusted fill and timing by hand, and fault diagnosis depended on individual experience.
Production wanted repeatable fill levels, faster changeovers and a clearer view of what the machine was doing without rebuilding the entire mechanical line.
What we built
- Structured PLC program for fill, cap, inspect and pack sequences.
- Operator HMI with status, setpoints, alarms, counts and trends.
- VFD control for conveyor and transfer-pump speed.
- Sensor integration for bottle presence, level, pressure and temperature.
- Recipe parameters for different bottle formats and batch changeovers.
- Safety interlocks and fault diagnostics with clear operator messages.
How it works
Review the line
Existing relays, sensors, drives and operator controls are documented and mapped to the required sequence.
Define the sequence
Auto, manual and changeover states, interlocks, alarms and recipe parameters are agreed.
Build the control logic
The PLC program is developed and tested against the sequence and I/O list.
Build the HMI
Operator screens show status, setpoints, alarms, counts and trends with clear navigation.
Commission and hand over
The line is tested, operators are trained and the project files and documentation are handed over.
Results
~35%
reduction in changeover time
~20%
reduction in fill-level rejects
1 view
of machine status, alarms and counts
Technology
- Siemens S7-1200
- HMI development
- VFD control
- Sensors & I/O
- Modbus / PROFINET
- Safety interlocks
- Alarm & trend handling
Could your process work like this?
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