Industrial Automation Control PLC Wireless Transmission in Aluminum Smelting Workshop

Project Background

In the aluminum smelting workshop, the harsh environment of high temperature and strong corrosion is the norm, posing a serious challenge to stable communication. Traditional Wi-Fi signals are weak and frequently interrupted in this environment, directly jeopardizing the continuity and stability of production. A highly reliable communication system has become an urgent necessity.

Project Challenges

The anode baking workshop faces harsh environments such as high temperature and high dust. To ensure stable, real-time, and effective communication between the combustion, smoke exhaust, and other production units and the control system within the baking workshop, the high-temperature environment, interference factors across multiple spans, and shielding conditions and operating patterns were considered.

Solution

Based on the scale, equipment layout, and shielding conditions of the anode baking workshop, Maxon provided a point-to-multipoint networking solution, building a stable and efficient industrial data communication link.  It transmits IO and relay data in real time, monitoring key parameters of the combustion system, such as temperature, pressure, and flow rate. According to preset process requirements, the system can automatically adjust the operating status of each unit, ensuring the efficiency and stability of the production process. In addition, the control system has fault diagnosis and alarm functions. When a system failure occurs, it can promptly issue an alarm and take corresponding measures to ensure the safe and stable operation of the combustion system.

Through this application, intelligent management of the production process has been achieved, effectively improving production efficiency and laying a solid foundation for further improving the level of production automation. We will continue to be committed to promoting the development of wireless technology to support more industrial application scenarios. 

Equipment Options

Maxon industrial-grade series wireless APs support advanced WiFi5/WiFi6 technology, providing high-performance wireless access capabilities. They support dual-band concurrent operation at 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz, allowing flexible selection of different operating modes as needed. Their wide operating temperature range from -40℃ to 70℃ ensures stable and effective operation in complex environments. This project utilizes the MX6022A-ME8 industrial wireless AP as the access point, paired with the MD5012A-ME5 industrial DIN rail-mounted AP as the client.  This solution successfully addressed the customer's problem of unstable wireless communication and frequent data transmission interruptions in a strong electromagnetic interference environment. It achieved high-speed, reliable, and low-latency wireless connectivity between critical equipment, ensuring the continuity and safety of production operations.