Bottling of household chemicals
The line for bottling household chemicals
At the end of January 2024, we were invited to a facility where the detergent bottling line (household chemicals production) broke down.

Thanks to the staff for providing acceptable working conditions by allocating a table.
The line was assembled using Italian technology and the line worked for about 12 years until the breakdown. For an unknown reason, the Siemens S7-1214 controller switched to the "Stop" mode. The customer had the source code, so it was decided to make an attempt to switch this mode by connecting to the controller. It did not work out. After downloading the source code converted to TIA PORTAL V17, the controller did not work with the line. The conveyor belt did not start even when trying to control from the buttons in manual mode. We turned to the authors of the program from Europe, who joined the work and began to assist in investigating the causes of the problem. They honestly tried to fix the situation for three days, but then they offered to rewrite this program again, it took them at least 2 weeks. This proposal turned out to be unacceptable from the Customer's point of view. Since the customer knew the technology well and could explain it in detail, it was decided to rewrite the program code of the control controller on their own. A day later, this line was already in operation.
The task of the bottling line is to deliver a portion of the product into bottles at the right time
The operator sets the necessary recipes, since the shapes and volume of bottles are different
The system has an intricate pneumoelectric circuit. It is important to ensure conflict-free movement of devices relative to each other
This is what the entrance gateway looks like. The system lets in eight bottles each time
This is what the Siemens control system looks like after 12 years of continuous operation
This is what the control panel looks like, which controls the installation
Automatic control system, side view
The line speed is regulated and the speed is limited mainly due to manual operations that are present in the process. The production of detergent bottles is a continuous process. Part of the work (winding the trigger) is done manually.
A little bit about technology:
1. "Automatic" mode Setting "1 dose"
The beginning of the filling cycle (1 dose)
The conveyor is running (the belt movement is on), the inlet valve is closed, the nozzles are in the upper position, the drip tray is extended under the nozzles.
Suction of the product into the cylinders is performed by lowering the pistons down from the "Pistons at the top" sensor to the "Pistons at the bottom" sensor.
When the "Start" button is pressed, the inlet valve opens, the outlet valve closes, and the bottles enter the bottling space through the input sensor, which counts them.
After counting the set number of bottles, the inlet valve closes, the drip tray is removed from under the nozzles, the nozzles go down into the bottles until the "Nozzle below" sensor is triggered.
The nozzles open, the pistons of the cylinders with the product go up at a predetermined speed until the "End of suction" sensor is triggered, the speed of the pistons up slows down and the pistons slowly go up until the "Pistons up" sensor is triggered.
At the same time, the nozzles rise up at a predetermined speed until the sensor "Middle position of the nozzles" is triggered (set depending on the height of the bottles), and the collected dose of the product is topped up, after which the nozzles close and quickly go up until the sensor "Nozzles at the top" is triggered. The drip collector drives under the nozzles.
After the "Nozzles at the top" sensor is triggered, the product is sucked into the cylinders (the pistons go down at a predetermined speed until the "Pistons at the bottom" sensor is triggered), the outlet valve opens at the same time and the bottles exit through the output sensor, which counts them.
After the first two bottles are counted by the sensor, the inlet valve opens behind the outlet valve, and the next batch of bottles begins to enter the filling space. (You can set the number of pulses from the panel that determine the entry/exit of one bottle).
After counting the set number of bottles, the outlet valve closes.
The end of the filling cycle (1 dose).
The bottle counter works behind the exit valve, the "Productivity" is displayed on the control panel (the count of filled bottles/hour).
If the overflow sensor of the conveyor detects bottles on the conveyor beyond the filling space, the outlet valve does not open - the filled bottles do not leave the filling space, the nozzles remain in the upper position, the filling cycle is interrupted until the bottles leave the overflow sensor of the conveyor further along the conveyor.
2. "Automatic" mode 2 doses
The beginning of the bottling cycle (2 doses)
The conveyor is running (the belt movement is on), the inlet valve is closed, the nozzles are in the upper position, the drip tray is extended under the nozzles.
Suction of the first dose of the product into the cylinders is performed by lowering the pistons down from the "Pistons at the top" sensor to the "Pistons at the bottom" sensor.
When the "Start" button is pressed, the inlet valve opens, the outlet valve closes, and the bottles enter the filling space through the input sensor that counts them.
After counting the set number of bottles, the inlet valve closes, the drip tray is removed from under the nozzles, the nozzles go down into the bottles until the "Nozzle below" sensor is triggered.
The nozzles open and remain in the "Nozzles at the bottom" position for a predetermined delay time, the pistons of the cylinders with the product go up at a predetermined speed until the "End of suction" sensor is triggered, the speed of the pistons up slows down and the pistons slowly go up until the "Pistons at the top" sensor is triggered.
At the end of the delay time, the nozzles rise up at a predetermined speed until the sensor "Middle position of the nozzles" is triggered (set depending on the height of the bottles), stop, and top up the first dose of the product collected in the cylinders, after which the nozzles are closed, remaining in the middle position.
The second dose of the product is absorbed into the cylinders by lowering the pistons down from the "Pistons at the top" sensor to the "Pistons at the bottom" sensor.
Nozzles (being in the middle position)They open, the cylinder pistons with the second dose of the product go up at a predetermined speed until the "End of suction" sensor is triggered, the speed of the pistons moving up slows down and the pistons slowly go up until the "Pistons at the top" sensor is triggered, and the second dose of the product is topped up, after which the nozzles close and quickly go up until the "Nozzles at the top" sensor is triggered.". The drip collector drives under the nozzles.
After the "Nozzles at the top" sensor is triggered, the next first dose of the product is sucked into the cylinders (the pistons go down at a predetermined speed until the "Pistons at the bottom" sensor is triggered), the outlet valve opens at the same time and the bottles exit through the output sensor, which counts them.
After the first two bottles are counted by the sensor, the inlet valve opens behind the outlet valve, and the next batch of bottles begins to enter the filling space. (You can set the number of pulses from the panel that determine the entry/exit of one bottle).
After counting the set number of bottles, the outlet valve closes.
The end of the bottling cycle (2 doses).
3. "Manual" mode
When the pistons reach the "Pistons at the top" position, the nozzles are immediately automatically closed.
4. "Washing" mode
When setting the washing time, the numbers change, but the "Washing Time" button is not active, when pressed, the washing does not start.
When the "Continuous washing" button is pressed, the on/off indicator turns green for the entire duration of continuous washing.
#household chemicals, #Siemens, #S7-1214
Be the first to comment