PLC Controlled Automatic Bottle Filling System

Abstract

Programmable logic controllers (PLC) are used in places where automatic control of the machineries is required. They are especially useful in industries to run various tasks without human intervention, so, PLCs are now used in many industries where process automation is required. They are built to withstand the harsh environment of the factory floors and have greater immunity to noise and vibrations. However, to use a PLC to control a process, it needs to be programmed according to the requirement of the process to be controlled. In many industries (such as pharmaceuticals, beverage industries etc.), bottles are required to be filled-up with a per-determined amount of liquid. The filling process is usually kept automated to ensure a higher production rate and to lessen the burden on human resources, since the human operator is required to take only a supervisory role here. The whole process of bottle filling is therefore performed automatically through machines which are controlled by PLCs. In our project, we have built a PLC controlled automatic bottle filling system. We made a mechanical model of the industrial filling system, complete with sensors, motors, actuators etc. and controlled the whole process of bottle-filling using the PLC available in the EEE laboratory. The system consists of an assembly line, and when a bottle reaches the filling station, a fixed amount of liquid is filled into the bottle, and then it moves towards the end of the assembly line to make way for another bottle to be filled-up. Although this type of PLC controlled systems already exist in the industries, but through designing and implementing the system ourselves, we obtained experience on how to design practical industrial systems and control those using PLCs.