Why did Euromaint Rail AB decide to upgrade its hardening furnaces?

Euromaint Rail AB, a company specializing in the maintenance of trains and equipment for the railroad industry, has numerous locations throughout Sweden. At their Åmål facility, they maintain the power converters used on the rail network. During this process, a key step is curing the resin in the transformer windings and the paint on the entire unit. To perform these tasks, Euromaint Rail AB was using an old quenching furnace that had become obsolete and needed to be upgraded. The old furnace system was characterized by poor temperature control accuracy, lack of automation, increased energy consumption and limited capabilities for monitoring and recording process data. Faced with these challenges, the company decided to upgrade its quenching furnaceto improve precision, increase automation, reduce energy consumption, and ensure more reliable and efficient production processes.

Control and monitoring of a quenching furnace divided into two temperature zones using a PLC and thyristor power controllers

In cooperation with Euromaint Rail AB, we upgraded the control system of the quenching furnace with a state-of-the-art JUMO mTRON T PLC and powerful thyristor power controllers. All components were configured at JUMO's headquarters in Sweden for fast and trouble-free commissioning at the customer's site.

Now operators have an easier task - they select the appropriate program via an intuitive HMI, enter batch data into dedicated text fields and start the process with a single click. The JUMO mTRON T system automatically transmits set limits via ModBus to two dTron 316 PID controllers, which control the temperature in each furnace zone.

We have equipped the system with protection in the form of a fixed TB/TW limit value (temperature limiter). If the temperature exceeds a certain level, the furnace automatically shuts down, preventing overheating and potential damage.

When the program starts, the controller turns on the circulation and exhaust fans to ensure optimal quenching conditions. Once the process is complete or stopped, the circulation fans continue to run for 5 minutes and the exhaust fan for 30 minutes to effectively cool the furnace and remove excess heat.

Currently, batch data is saved to a computer using a USB flash drive for further analysis. In the future, we plan with Euromaint Rail AB to implement automatic data reading via PCC software, which will further improve process monitoring and management. With these modern solutions, the company enjoys increased efficiency, precision and reliability in its production operations.

What have been the benefits of implementing a control system for industrial furnaces?

The implementation of the JUMO mTRON T control system for industrial furnaces at Euromaint Rail AB has brought a lot of benefits. It allows them to control the entire furnace through a single HMI. This makes it easier to manage furnace functions, regulate temperatures and set temperature limits, and record process data.

Furnace operation is now much simpler for operators. With integrated control via HMI, they have reduced errors and increased work efficiency. They can focus on other tasks, and the system itself automatically records process data, making analysis and troubleshooting easier.

The JUMO mTRON T programmable logic controller provides greater precision and stability in curing processes. It is now possible to accurately set the temperature in two zones of the oven, resulting in better resin and paint curing quality and longer life for repaired power converters.

In addition, the system monitors temperature limits and shuts down the oven if they are exceeded, preventing overheating and damage. By replacing contactors with TYA thyristor power controllers, we achieved significant savings, reducing energy consumption and operating costs.

In summary, the implementation of a metering and automation system at Euromaint Rail AB - a company specializing in train maintenance and equipment for the rail industry - has improved operational efficiency, product quality, energy savings, reduced costs and increased safety.

About the author

My name is Ewelina Szmit and I have been involved in content marketing for several years, combining my professional skills with my passion for writing. I am convinced that even the most technical topics can be presented in an interesting and accessible way for everyone. Outside of work, I express my creativity by creating collages from newspaper scratches. I like to spend my free time actively, walking my dog or running.

Comments

We encourage you to leave your comments via the form below. They will be posted online once they have been approved through our review process.