Eaton helps bring water from the mountains to the valleys

The automation architecture of the water supply in the Baden-Wrttemberg community of Remchingen, Germany, urgently needed modernising. The contract for this was awarded to Proserv GmbH Automatisierungstechnik. It opted for a complete system from Eaton with an easy806 control relay linking two decentralised elevated tanks via easyNET to an XC-152 control system with a separate HMI touch panel in the pumping station. In both cases SmartWire-DT was used as a connection system inside the switch cabinet.

The modernisation of the water supply system in Remchingen involved replacing the automation technology of two decentralised elevated tanks, situated on a hill, and connecting them to the technology of the pumping station in the valley, which was also to be replaced. The contract for this work was awarded to Remchingen-based Proserv GmbH Automatisierungstechnik ("Proserv"). In addition to classic switchgear construction, the company also operates in the fields of electrical engineering, E-CAD, automation with PLC and visualisation and handles complete projects.

Proserv had previous experience with switching equipment and push-buttons from Eaton, but this project was the first time that the company decided to use Eaton's range of controls and its SmartWire-DT communication system. The system was also the only one to offer the possibility of linking the three separate locations with control technology at a reasonable cost.

The central challenge in the project was to connect the two decentralised elevated tanks to the pump station in the valley while maintaining the communication lines, which are over a kilometre long. Due to the inaccessibility of the terrain and the length of the line, upgrading it would have been far too expensive. Conventional bus systems, such as Profibus, were not even considered, as they would have required a new line to be installed.

Above all, the connection had to operate absolutely reliably. In water supply, uninterrupted operation is of the utmost importance. In addition, the modernisation was to facilitate the operation of the system and provide additional control and programming functions.

Clever combination of two worlds

Eaton's easyNET network solved several challenges at once. Firstly, the technology met the most important condition, namely that the existing telecontrol line could also be used for the new automation system - an important cost factor. Due to the mountainous area around the water tanks and the length of the line, Proserv and Eaton conducted their own functionality tests before commissioning to ensure that the communications security of easyNET would always be ensured, even when using cables from another supplier and over a long distance.

In addition, easyNET was to serve as an intermediary between two worlds. The system, based on the CAN network, enables an exchange of process and system data, and is capable of connecting eight network devices (e.g. controllers). It combines two types of network participants with different programming - namely ones from the easy-world (programming in the form of a circuit diagram) and controls from the IEC standard (programming according to IEC 1131). In Remchingen, the system consisted of the decentralised easy806 control relay for the elevated tanks and the XC-152 controller based on CoDeSys 3 with a separate 10.4" XV-152 HMI touch panel in the pumping station located in the valley. The visualisation of the HMI panel was achieved using Eaton's Galileo software.

Oliver Giesinger, one of Proserv's two managing directors explains: "It was our first project with a control system based on CoDeSys. As an experienced automation technician, a 4-hour foundation course was enough for me to write the control program for the application. The pre-programmed functional blocks, which were delivered with the control system, were very helpful here. It makes life a lot easier to not have to program everything manually and saves a considerable amount of time in comparison to similar systems. Galileo was also new to me, but I found the programming simple."

Further automation components such as switching devices and push-buttons from the RMQ Titan series were connected to the XC-152 controller via SmartWire-DT. Various diagnostic and status messages with readout capability are made available to the user through the starter combination (DS7 soft starter and PKZ manual motor starter). Individual device parameters can thus be read and (over)written. Various I/O modules are also connected with SmartWire-DT to the easy806 control relay. Where required, this modular structure can be extended flexibly and with minimum effort.

Giesinger concludes: "At first I was skeptical about SmartWire-DT, but the system has won me over. The amount of time it saves is unbelievable: it only took about an hour to install all of the SmartWire components. An added bonus was that SmartWire-DT kept wiring errors to a minimum and enabled further useful functions that conventionally would only be implemented in much more complex and expensive systems."

Simple to install and service

The automation system from Eaton, with the mix of easy control relays and individually programmable CoDeSys control systems with a clear display, is both cost efficient and user friendly. Costs were saved as a new line between the elevated tanks and the pumping station did not have to be laid. Compared with conventional approaches, SmartWire-DT significantly reduces the installation costs for all automation technology. Furthermore, the starter combinations increase system availability by transmitting process-related data - for example motor current or switch setting - and Eaton's communication system saves the user from time-consuming troubleshooting during commissioning and maintenance.

Giesinger says: "Time is the most crucial factor in our work. Thanks to SmartWire-DT, the simple installation of automation technology has managed to provide an estimated time-saving of 30 per cent in this project. Of course, the end user also profited from this, as he had to pay us for less man hours. I'm so impressed by SmartWire-DT that we would also like to offer this system to other customers."

To learn more about Eaton and SmartWire-DT, visit www.eaton.eu.