Vaibhav Mills Revamps Operations With A.T.E. Solutions

Established in 1990, Vaibhav Processing Mills Pvt. Ltd., located in Erode, Tamil Nadu, boasts a strong presence across the textile value chain, with a stellar reputation in dyeing and finishing. The company is also renowned as a reputable retailer of color pigments and various dyed fabrics, including sarees, towels, and lungis. Its board of directors comprises Sengodan Palaniappan, Sengoda Mudaliar Babu, and Sengodamudaliar Thangamani.

For over a year, Vaibhav’s continuous bleaching range (CBR) has been a significant source of concern for management:

• Inadequate production of the right quality
• High maintenance cost
• Frequent breakdowns

The mill’s maintenance team worked on the machine at various times to address:

• Machine synchronisation problems
• Fabric tension variations
• Malfunctioning of the main operating panel screen
• Electronic breakdown

However, the mill was unable to resolve the performance issues and return the machine to operation. Simultaneously, the expensive services provided by the OEM and the high inventory costs only exacerbated the situation.

Solution
It was at this juncture, the customer turned to the A.T.E., and both the mill’s and A.T.E.’s team identified the root cause of the numerous issues faced with the CBR”

• Lack of synchronization and tension variation due to poor organization and an outdated, non-performing control system of the machine.

After conducting a thorough inspection of the CBR, A.T.E.’s team of experts undertook a comprehensive refurbishment of the machine, which included:

• Installation of new electronic to pneumatic converters for accurate tension measurement on each wash box/nip etc.
• Development and implementation of new software logic for Siemens S7 300 series PLC and SCADA
• Accurate synchronisation of the machine at a speed of 50 mpm, which is quite remarkable. In addition, the fabric tension fault has been completely rectified
• Replacement of the outdated operator HMI with the latest 15” IPC display with newly designed, user-friendly graphics
• Provision of different modes of operation for selecting various operations, such as filling mode and empty mode, on the main screen to make it simple for the operator
• Integration of the machine’s automatic chemical dosing integrated with machine speed and recipe. The system also has an auto temperature and water level controller
• T.E.’s engineer provided extensive training to Vaibhav’s team, to ensure smooth machine operation

Benefits
The effective modification and upgrade of the CBR have substantially improved the machine’s overall performance, particularly in the following ways:

• Machine productivity and machine utilisation have been significantly increased.
• Machine operation has become simpler for the operators.
• Pressure settings are now controlled through PLC, saving time and eliminating possible human errors.
• Machine lifespan has been extended by over 10 years
• Accurate dosing controls results better quality
• A considerably more cost-effective solution than purchasing a new machine or upgrading the existing equipment through the OEM

Old OEM Siemens HMI screen replaced with IPC display along with Siemens SCADA system.