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CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of study

The field of automation has had a notable impact in a wide range of industries
beyond manufacturing. Automation is used in control system and information
technologies to reduce the need for human work in production of goods and
services. In the scope of industrialization, automation is a step beyond
mechanization. Whereas mechanization provides human operates with
machinery to assist them with the muscular requirements of work, automation
will greatly decrease the need for human sensory and mental requirements as
well. [1]

Automation plays an increasingly important role in world economy. One of

the applications of automation is in the beverage industries, where particular
liquid has to be filled continuously. Totally Integrated Automation(TIA) that
invented by Siemens Company puts this continuity into consistent practice.
Totally Integrated Automation covers the complete production line from the
production process, filling and packaging to shipments of goods. [2]

This project is also an application of automation wherein I have to develop a

liquid filling to bottles of different height. The operations are controlled using
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Programmable Logic Controller (PLC). One of the advantage using PLC are
easily programmed and have an easily understood programming language. This
project is aiming to control the liquid flow to fill a container. The liquid flow is
monitored where it can fill an empty container with liquid automatically without
human intervention. The fills of liquid is depends on the volume given by the
user. Accurate flow control pump is used to accurately fill the liquid volume into
the container for a specified time and filling time. In addition, this project also
included a conveyor system which carries the container to the filling station and
out of the filling station. The conveyor system is also controlled by the PLC.

The working principle of the project is described as below:

Sensor
Conveyor
Container detect and Liquid filling
move and
place on the measure the into the
repeat the
conveyor size of container
process
container

Figure 1.1: Working principle of the system

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1.2 Problem Statement

The problem that existing in the present machines are that it can only a particular
type of containers of certain height and the filling amount is set by the operator.
If the machines have to fill different type (size) of container, then again, the
operator has to set the filling amount for each container. Time taken for willing
become more in such conditions. Sometimes in special environments especially
that involves dangerous chemical, this could be dangerous and not conductive
for human operation. This will affect the rate of production due to use of manual
inspection system.

1.3 Project Objective

The works undertaken in this project are aiming on the following objectives:

a) To design a low cost automatic liquid filling system to be applied in small

industries.
b) To optimize the system that will provide the accurate volume of liquid in the
container requested by the user.
c) To develop a conveyor system carrying the container to the filling station and
out of filling station.

1.4 Project Scope

The framework of this project are divided into 3 parts:

a) Design and developments of automatic liquid filling machine that can fill the
liquid desired by the user accurately with minimum error possible
b) Design and development of conveyor system to be integrated with liquid filling
machine
c) Develop an algorithm program using CX programmer as the controller to control
the operation of liquid filling machine and conveyor system.
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1.5 Expected Outcomes of the Project

This project expects to have following outcomes by the end of the project.

a) This project could help people especially people in small industries especially in
soft drinks, beverages and etc.
b) Build a prototype conveyor and could be used for education purpose.