Precision in Olive Weighing: A Fully Automated Solution using Horner X2 PLC

In the heart of Greece’s olive industry, Tommasis Engineering, has revolutionized the weighing process with a Fully Automatic Continuous Flow Olive Weighing System.

In the heart of Greece’s olive industry, Tommasis Engineering, has revolutionised the weighing process with a Fully Automatic Continuous Flow Olive Weighing System. Designed to eliminate human error, increase efficiency, and reduce labor costs, this system integrates Horner X2 PLC controllers to automate bin detection, material monitoring, and precision weighing.

Project Overview

Project Name: Fully Automatic Continuous Flow Olive Weighing System

Location: Greece

Implementation Partner: Tommasis Engineering

Implementation Timeframe: 1 month

Expected Lifespan: 10-20 years

Project Objectives The main aim of this project was to develop a system capable of automating the weighing process for olives. The system includes features to:

Manage the weighing process automatically.

Detect the presence of bins for loading olives.

Monitor the material height within the bins.

This automation eliminates human error and ensures precision in the filling and tracking of bins.

Challenges and Requirements

Primary Challenges:

Maintain full functionality at a low cost using a compact controller.

Reduce labour costs by automating the process.

Opportunities and Benefits After the project’s successful implementation, the client can now:

Precisely fill bins without the risk of unloading olives when no bin is present.

Eliminate human errors during the filling process.

Obtain feedback on the number of bins filled, the weight of the bins, and other key metrics.

Implemented Solution The solution featured the following components:

Weighing Scales to manage accurate measurements.

Horner Products: X2-XA controllers, selected for their compact size, embedded I/O capabilities, serial communications, and numeric keyboard. The controllers eliminated the need for larger, costlier touch screens.

Key Benefits of the Horner Products:

Number of I/O

Serial Communications

MicroSD Card Slot for data logging

Numeric Keyboard and integrated screen

Cost-effective all-in-one solution

Programming and Software Used:

Cscape Programming: Advanced Ladder, chosen for its flexibility and ease of implementation.

Features Enabling Success:

Datalogging to ensure accurate tracking of operations.

Integration between screens and logic, providing seamless operations.

Product configuration and communication protocols, simplifying the setup and use of the system.

Testimonial from the Client “Our production lines work faster because weighing is a key procedure in our factory. We lose no time weighing olive batches. We no longer have olives on the floor due to operator mistakes, such as overfilled bins or no bin under the silo.”

About Tommasis Engineering Tommasis Engineering, based in the Patras industrial area of Greece, brings extensive experience in designing and manufacturing industrial weighing systems and automations. With hundreds of installations nationwide, the company specialises in:

Industrial weighing automations

Weighbridges

Silo and tank weighing

Bagging systems

Production process monitoring software