Online Control in the Chemical Industry
Online Control in the Chemical Industry
Rhein Chemie is a global chemicals enterprise employing around 850 people worldwide. The company manufactures and markets many products for a wide range of applications in the rubber, lubricant and plastic industries. Products are used for rubber profiles, car dashboards, engine mountings, tubes for cooler and seats for the automobile industry. More than 9000 customers in over 120 countries place their trust in RheiRheinn Chemie.
Rhein Chemie recently launched an innovative new concept which was described as ‘the all round carefree package'. The service incorporated taking responsibility to ‘manage chemicals' on behalf of customers. This means that rather than supplying individual chemicals they now offer accurately pre-weighed mixtures of chemicals according to individual customer recipes. Quality control plays a key role and NIR-Online process analyser system gives complete control in real-time by ensuring the homogeneity of the power mixtures and the correct ratio of ingredients meets the exacting standards required.
It is no easy decision for manufacturers of tyres, gaskets, tubes and other technical products to delegate the mixing of recipes outside of their own facility. When this new service proposal was launched, potential customers had to be assured that it was risk free and in return it would bring them significant benefit.
Since starting the new production line Rhein Chemie now handle more than 100 recipes on behalf of the rubber manufacturing industry and a strong upward trend continues. Customers benefit from grouping process orders into one specialist supplier. Rhein Chemie has a broad knowledge of methods and technologies for quality chemical management leaving the customer to concentrate on their core competences. The customer now receives quality mixes just-in-time for enhanced processing and reduced operating costs.
Crucial Questions answered
The company uses various steps in the production process. Firstly delivered raw material has to pass quality control. Following this all chemicals are weighed in a stainless steel container which holds up to 1200 litres. The container is then transferred to the mixing station which is at the heart of the production line. All stored raw materials are then selected and dispensed evenly into the mix according to the batch recipe.
The NIR-Online analyser automatically asks the crucial questions: Are the right ingredients in the mix? Are they available in the right proportion? Are the substances evenly dispersed?
NIR-Online devices can be integrated into practically every processing environment. They allow real-time analysis and can control even fast moving systems. Checked substances are irradiated by light waves and the reflected data is read out in parallel by a diode array spectrometer. Wave lengths of the reflected light varies according to the properties of the substance. The results of the measurements are then evaluated online by the ‘SX-Center' device software and shown on various monitors. The condition of the material is made understandable in real-time by the automatic comparison of the measured results with reference data of the recipe. Measuring data can be integrated into all popular ERP or process control systems such as SAP, Siemans etc.
Integrated control
NIR-Online devices allow Rhein Chemie a close-up look of the mix. During the mixing procedure which lasts about five minutes the moving mixture is checked approx 2000 times. The NIR-Online system will show when the ideal homogeneity of the mixture is reached and at that moment the mixing process is automatically stopped. Additionally extensive documentation is available for complete traceability.
NIR-Online technology reduces workload and the general disadvantages of traditional laboratory measuring methods. Previously in order to measure homogeneity of a recipe the mixing process had to be stopped. The company then took three or four samples to the laboratory for checking and if the mixture was not evenly integrated the mixing process had to start again.
Return on investment
After only six months the costs of introducing NIR-Online at Rhein Chemie were amortised. The device is saving expenditure in laboratory analysis and brings down manufacturing costs significantly. Quality is far more consistent than previously and everything is backed up with detailed documentation.
The company has found the technology to be so beneficial it is now planning to introduce further NIR-Online devices to other areas of production.
NIR-Online Summary
NIR-Online process analysers are the world's first pre-calibrated, optical system for online analysis and control of organic and non-organic substances in production and processing. Due to their special configuration, NIR-Online systems can be integrated within nearly every production environment. The costs of traditional laboratory analysis are no longer required and instead of this random examination a continuous real time insight into the process is provided. Quality variations in production can be adjusted in seconds making long delays for laboratory results a thing of the past. For non-organic products like metals or minerals the NIR-online system with an additional high resolution camera is recommended. The camera is able to measure the external features of the product even minimal differences in colour, structure and size allowing analysis of the chemical ingredients with results shown graphically.
NIR-Online is represented in the UK by Suffolk Automation Ltd Telephone 01473 829188 www.suffolk-automation.co.uk