Actuator keeps the chocolate flowing
A
Rotork Controls product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Oct 24, 2005
A Rotork IQ intelligent electric valve actuator has replaced a hydraulic cylinder in a key area of a moulding plant at Cadbury's Bournville factory.
"People cannot believe how complicated chocolate bar production is", says Mark Smith, Process Engineer at Cadbury's Bournville factory, who has just completed a project to install a Rotork IQ intelligent electric valve actuator in a key area of a moulding plant.
The Rotork actuator has replaced a hydraulic cylinder to regulate the flow of remelted chocolate back into the production stream - an apparently simple duty which in fact demands a very accurate level of modulating valve control.
Smith explains: "This highly automated moulded plant operates 24 hours a day and makes more than 60 different chocolate bar variants".
"Precise modulating control of the remelt valve is essential for the maintenance of product consistency and weight variation performance".
The IQ actuator was introduced to provide a more reliable and accurate valve control performance than the hydraulic cylinder, whilst also reducing maintenance requirements and removing the risk of hydraulic fluid leakage.
In addition to providing cleaner electrical operation the IQ also provides simplified connectivity with the Allen Bradley PLC that supervises the operation of the plant - in this instance the device is hard wired to the output card.
Even so, the complicated nature of chocolate handling is illustrated by the PLC software used to control the operation of the actuator.
Specially developed for the application by Smith, the logic is based on intricate equations involving vessel weight, viscosity, flow rates, temperature and time.
Rotork's specialist Site Services Department was responsible for the sizing and mechanical installation of the IQ actuator, including the design and fabrication of the valve adaptation.
Chocolate production at Bournville originally started in 1879 and the site remains Cadbury's single largest production facility.
The site is equally famous for the adjacent Bournville Village, created by Richard and George Cadbury to provide a pleasant "green" environment for their employees, in stark contrast to the oppressive conditions of the Victorian industrial scene.
Not what you're looking for? Search the site.
Google Ads
Contact Rotork Controls
Related Stories
- MPB's biodiesel tractors use filtration technology
- Catalent saves energy costs with Easiheat systems
- IQ actuators control barrage butterfly valves
- Control-valve diagnostics cut Iggesund's costs
- Bespoke solution for Qatar offshore platform
Articles by product category
- Consultancy and Services (903)
- Machine Building (4,517)
-
Engineering Design Software (6,179)
- Engineering Design Software (12)
- 2D CAD software (200)
- 3D CAD software (1,157)
- FEA and structural analysis software (369)
- Fluid, thermal, noise, vibration software (334)
- Simulation, modelling, validation software (914)
- Rendering, visualisation, styling software (196)
- Materials design and moulding design software (151)
- Process, instrumentation, automation software (258)
- Electrical design software (164)
- Publishing and documentation software (229)
- Maths, charting, statistics, QA software (317)
- Data, document management software (310)
- CAM, CNC, production management software (568)
- File conversion software, data capture (351)
- PLM and collaboration software (649)
-
Drives, Motors and Controls (3,361)
- Drives, Motors and Controls (1)
- Precision Motors and Gears (411)
- Industrial Drives/Controls (1,276)
- Linear Drives and Motors (114)
- Industrial Motors (497)
- Stepper and Servo Drives, Motors, Controls (1,060)
- Small Mechanical Components, Joining, Tools (1,975)
-
Control and Instrumentation (5,028)
- Plantwide control (1,324)
- Plant- and Machine-Wide Communications (1,174)
- Smaller-Sized PLCs (387)
- CNC and Motion Controllers (184)
- Mid-range and Large PLCs (201)
- Power Supplies, Uninterruptible Power (562)
- HMIs/Operator Interfaces (294)
- Logic Controllers, Timers and Relays (96)
- Cabling, Conduit, Signal Conditioning (806)
-
Monitoring, Measurement and Quality (5,459)
- Monitoring, Measurement and Quality (1)
- Data acquisition Software and Communications (494)
- Data Acquisition Hardware and PC I/O Boards (472)
- Electrical and Electronic Testing, PAT Equipment (630)
- Form/co-ordinate, optical, vision instruments (703)
- Gauges, Indicators and Instruments (440)
- Data loggers (422)
- Materials testing equipment (421)
- Telecomms/network test equipment, software etc (154)
- Testing and Calibration Services and Information (500)
- Testing, analysing and monitoring equipment (1,222)
-
Electrical and Electronic Equipment Design (4,160)
- Batteries, chargers and circuit protection (555)
- Connectors, Terminals, Busbars, Slip Rings (679)
- Enclosures and Equipment Cooling Fans (709)
- Knobs, Handles and Enclosure Hardware (420)
- PCs and Embedded Systems (798)
- Electrical and Electronic Subassemblies (369)
- Electrical and Electronic Components (630)
-
Materials and Processing (2,963)
- Materials and Processing (5)
- Materials and components (2,215)
- Rapid Prototyping (458)
- Materials processing and testing (285)
-
Engineering Industry News, Resources (6,093)
- Engineering Industry News, Resources (4)
- Engineering Business News, Views (388)
- Engineering Exhibitions, Events (562)
- Engineering Conferences (425)
- Engineering Seminars (400)
- Engineering Industry Developments, Awards (633)
- Engineering Guides, Newsletters (349)
- Engineering Recruitment, Employment (219)
- Engineering Training Courses (433)
- Engineering Education, Resources, Standards (838)
- Engineering Industry Reports, Surveys (597)
- Electronic Resources for Engineers (278)
- Health and Safety Legislation (402)
- Health and Safety Strategy, Risk Assessment (113)
- Health and Safety Consultancy, Software (175)
- Health and Safety Events, Training, News (277)
-
Powertrain Design (3,598)
- Powertrain Design (2)
- Bearings (939)
- Chains and belts (326)
- Gears, brakes, couplings and engines (1,441)
- Hydraulic Components (471)
- Lubricants (418)
-
Capital Equipment (3,387)
- Capital Equipment (1)
- Manufacturing Machinery and Plant Equipment (468)
- Production line blowers and fans (62)
- Compressors and Air Treatment (510)
- Electronics Manufacturing, Tools, Instruments (192)
- Electrical hardware (131)
- Machinery and Production Equipment (1,093)
- Robotics, Handling and Storage (930)
-
Sensors (7,080)
- Sensors (8)
- Accelerometers and Vibration Sensors (427)
- Loadcells, Force Sensors, Torque Sensors (699)
- Pressure sensors (621)
- Flowmeters and Flow Sensors (618)
- Level Sensors and Leak Detectors (527)
- Linear Position Sensors (399)
- Rotary Position, Tilt and Angular Sensors (546)
- Proximity Sensors (700)
- Gas, Chemical, Radiation, Magnetic Sensors (284)
- Humidity and Environmental Sensors (152)
- Temperature sensors (612)
- Vision and Colour Sensors (1,384)
- Barcode Sensors (103)
- Valves, Pumps, Process Hardware (3,623)
