Application: Solution for decontaminating medical and infectious waste
The project focused on the implementation of a powerful control system for the MACS - Machine Autoclave Cutting Sterilization technology, a certified high-performance solution for the decontamination of medical and infectious waste. The control solution not only had to meet strict safety standards, but also enable high scalability, simple operation and robust machine communication.
MACS: The High-End-Autoclave
that turns hazardous waste into significantly volume-reduced household waste. No chemicals, no complicated maintenance. For medical waste, food waste, and liquids, stationary or mobile. With 24/7 remote service. What remains: residual waste, minimized disposal costs, and a positive environmental balance.
The project presented several challenges that had to be overcome. One central task was to introduce CODESYS V3, an open and hardware-independent platform, in order to create a sound basis for software development.
Another challenge was to restructure the existing software into a modularized architecture in order to improve maintainability and scalability. At the same time, the CAN bus had to be integrated into the control of the Berghof MC-IO module, which required precise coordination of the communication processes.
The development of an interface for a thermal printer for automatic documentation entailed additional requirements, particularly with regard to data transfer and formatting. Furthermore, optimizing the bus communication for real-time control via EtherCAT and CANOpen placed high demands on the latency and synchronization mechanisms.
Finally, a powerful visualization had to be created that not only offers a high level of operating convenience, but also enables remote access - an essential function for the efficient control and monitoring of the system.
Solution: CODESYS-based automation with Berghof control technology
Used hardware:
The modular CODESYS quad-core controller B-Nimis MC-Pi Plus with native CAN interface, based on Raspberry Pi
CANOpen (bus cycle: 8ms, 8 slaves at 500 kbit/s): Control of up to 5 Fuji frequency inverters, 2 linear axes and a valve terminal
EtherCAT (bus cycle: 2ms, 3 slaves): Communication with a group of up to 3 MC-IO modules
Thermal printer connected directly to the control unit via USB-to-serial
From left to right: B-Nimis MC-Pi Plus - quad-core CODESYS controller based on Raspberry Pi; EtherCAT I/O expansion module; B-Nimis SC-1000 Safety PLC
Why did ERMAFA choose Berghof?
The global shortage of semiconductors made it necessary to look for an open and hardware-independent control solution. With a CODESYS control solution, Berghof offered low license costs, high flexibility and native support, making it the ideal solution.
A USB-to-serial-based printing process has been implemented for file management and thermal printer connection, in which CSV files with process data are printed via a separate driver. Alarm histories and machine data are also logged.
Separate tasks for EtherCAT and CAN were set up for fieldbus integration and task optimization, with EtherCAT being given a higher priority than CAN. The CANOpen Manager was integrated with its own cycle time.
CODESYS WebVisu was used for visualization and remote access to enable browser-based remote visualization. Direct variable access and a dynamic alarm table improve fault diagnosis, while frames and templates ensure flexible visualization.
General advantages of CODESYS for ERMAFA
The intuitive user interface makes it easy to familiarize yourself with the system, while clearly structured configurators facilitate the rapid integration of new modules. In addition, powerful debugging and online functions ensure efficient troubleshooting and optimization of the system.
Results
Increased system flexibility thanks to modular software architecture
Future-proof CAN integration for easy implementation of future hardware upgrades
Reduced maintenance costs thanks to optimized alarm and log functionalities
Improved process control thanks to the new thermal printer interface
Greater security and real-time capability thanks to optimized task and bus configuration
Prepared for future challenges thanks to high-performance control solution
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