Ford plant in Saarlouis

What was it about?

In general terms, the aim was to save energy and to record and identify possible leaks or unnecessary energy consumption. This also involved measuring temperatures, detecting compressed air leaks and recording ink levels in the machines, for example. In other words, comprehensive energy monitoring. Although data had been recorded, it was poorly visualized and had no context.

Process control was not to be mapped, even if Ford later implemented it independently to some extent.

Which systems were used?

The infrastructure via tens of WAGO PLCs was in place. The network via LAN and data center was also established. This meant that the raw data was already available.

What were the challenges

The sheer size of the plant and its distribution across several halls posed a particular challenge. Initially, only the press shop was recorded in terms of energy technology as a pilot project. Later, the paint shop, final assembly and administration buildings were added.

In addition, the existing raw data was not monitored live and had no warning capability for unusual behavior (e.g. leakage detection) or a door was left open unnoticed for a longer period of time, causing heated air to escape or too warm air to flow in during the summer.

How was Symcon used?

In the beginning, the first goal was to record the energy consumption of the pressing plant. Above all, the temperature and the associated heating was a major factor, as was the production of compressed air. All WAGO PLCs in the press shop were integrated for this purpose. These were connected to the ventilation system and heating system. Hall door statuses were also recorded and logged.

Symcon was used in conjunction with IPSView. This enabled the status of the doors and temperature curves to be visualized. Leaks in the compressed air circuit were detected by evaluating the pressure and operating states of machines.