Eaton's SmartWire-DT simplifies machine build and diagnostics

Based in Wisconsin, USA, Renegade Cleaning Systems' industrial parts washers use safe water-based cleaning detergents. The company has over 50 years of experience in the design, development and manufacture of these machines and has supplied thousands of them to customers throughout the world. Typical applications for the washers, many of which are custom-designed to meet specific end-user requirements, include the removal of cutting-oil residue and swarf from metal parts after machining operations, and degreasing components during repair or refurbishment. Machines produced by the company range from simple washers, which are loaded and operated manually, to sophisticated, fully automated systems capable of carrying out the complete cleaning and drying process with minimal manual intervention.

As Renegade has enhanced its machine designs over the years to meet ever more demanding end-user requirements, the machine control systems, especially for customised products, have become increasingly complex. Many of the latest machines, for example, require precise yet flexible control over wash temperature, wash cycle duration, detergent dosing and the drying process, as well as productivity-enhancing features such as wash chamber doors that open and close automatically to assist with machine loading and unloading.

Until recently, Renegade had been using control systems with conventional panel and field wiring for its machines. While these operated satisfactorily, the wiring time needed for each machine was increasing as the machines became more complex. The systems had also become harder to modify to accommodate machine upgrades and enhancements and providing any form of sophisticated diagnostics was almost impossible. These limitations lead the engineers at Renegade to look for a new approach that would cut wiring time, improve flexibility and support advanced diagnostic features which is when they discovered the Eaton SmartWire-DT lean panel wiring system.

SmartWire-DT eliminates the need for conventional wiring within control panels and, instead, uses pre-assembled plug-in cables to link the components together and to the main control device, which is typically a programmable controller (PLC). This approach revolutionises the design and manufacture of the control panel. The amount of wiring needed is reduced, along with the need for trunking and other cable management hardware, and the time required to complete the wiring is cut significantly. In addition, as SmartWire-DT uses plug-in connections, the risk of wiring errors is virtually eliminated, which simplifies and speeds testing and commissioning.

Interconnection of components with one system

For Renegade, the SmartWire-DT system also had another key advantage - it can be extended up to 600m outside the control panel to allow the connection of sensors and other machine-mounted devices. This means that all of the key automation components used on the parts washers can be interconnected with just one system without the added complexity and cost of using a separate fieldbus system.

Immediately after starting to use SmartWire-DT, Regenade saw a dramatic reduction in the time it took to wire control panels. A panel that had previously taken 4 hours to wire could now be completed in just 40 minutes. The design process for the control system was also simplified as the component interconnections were standardised, and because the components inside and outside the control panel were connected using the same system.

In addition, because a SmartWire-DT installation automatically reconfigures itself when components are added or removed, and because components can be added at any location on the installation, making modifications to upgrade or change the functionality of the parts washers became simpler. These same features also made replacing any component that might be damaged during the life of the machine more straightforward.

One of the most significant benefits, however, was that SmartWire-DT allows the machine's central controller to access detailed information from every major automation component including, for example, motor protection circuit breakers, contactors and sensors. This made it possible to implement comprehensive diagnostic facilities that, in the event of a machine stoppage, provide machine users with accurate information about the reason for the stoppage and comprehensive guidance on how to fix the problem.

Renegade made further use of the information available via the SmartWire-DT system to provide comprehensive machine monitoring and logging functions. This means that users can instantly check, for example, how many cleaning cycles have been carried out over a given period, how often the filters have needed cleaning and other important operational data.

Dave Barney, owner of Renegade Cleaning Systems, says: "It's no exaggeration to say that SmartWire-DT has transformed our control systems. It has allowed us to cut our wiring times while improving the flexibility of our systems and adding advanced diagnostic facilities that are a big selling point when we talk to our customers. We'll certainly be using SmartWire-DT on all of the automated machines we build in the future."

To learn more about Eaton's SmartWire-DT communication system, visit www.eaton.uk.com/electrical.