CHALLENGE
Alfran required the automation of the process they perform in their client’s premises for the drying process of refractory linings over concrete instalations (smokestacks…)

Alfran installs a number of burners in the installation at strategic distances and also a number of thermocouple probes that measure the distributed temperature over the drying area.
These thermocouple probes are currently located within the installation but the temperature controllers are located in a control box that is located far from the installation and connected to a PC registering temperature measurements.
This approach implied long cables between the thermocouple probes and the control system. This design of the process incurred in very high cabling costs as well as a high level of complexity.
OBJECTIVES
SOLUTION
In order to reduce cabling and to achieve burner autonomy and configurability, the controllers are installed colocated to each burner. Information from these burners can be retrieved with a terminal installed on an industrial PC.
- Each burner will be installed in a box with the following elements
- The temperature controller
- A set of remote I/Os with an Ethernet connexion (Modbus/TCP protocols)
- A 5 port switch
- One of the burner boxes will be connecte to the control box using the communication terminal. This connexion can be done over cable or Wifi using Ethernet Wireless communication systems.
- The control box can be located anywhere within eye sight of the Wifi burners network (if wireless connectivity was selected). A dialogue terminal will be available