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ARM Based Embedded Computer for Industrial Filling Line Control Solution

Case Details

In modern food and beverage production, the efficiency and precision of filling lines are directly related to product quality and production costs. Traditional manual operations and outdated control systems can no longer meet the growing demands for automation. BL340 series ARM Based Embedded Computer, with its excellent performance and reliability, provides an ideal control solution for industrial filling lines, ensuring accurate metering and optimizing production processes.

Challenges in Filling Line Control and BL340's Solutions

Industrial filling lines face multiple challenges during operation:

High-precision metering:

Whether liquid, paste, or granular materials, precise control down to the milliliter level is required to avoid waste and ensure product consistency. The BL340 is equipped with a high-performance Allwinner Technology T507-H processor, featuring a quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 CPU with a clock speed of up to 1.4GHz. This ensures the system can process large amounts of data from high-precision sensors (such as flow meters and liquid level sensors) in real-time, performing calculations and control within milliseconds to precisely drive filling valves and ensure highly consistent filling volumes for each bottle.

Adaptability to harsh working conditions:

Filling lines are often located in humid, dusty, or even chemically corrosive environments. The BL340 series ARM Based Embedded Computer has undergone rigorous electrical performance design and high-low temperature testing to ensure stability and reliability. It supports a wide operating temperature range of -40°C to 85°C (depending on the SOM module selected, such as SOM340 and SOM341 which support this range). It also supports a wide voltage range of 9-36VDC with reverse polarity protection and overcurrent protection. Its DIN35 rail mounting design and aluminum alloy casing + stainless steel material allow it to seamlessly integrate into various industrial application environments, ensuring long-term stable operation.

High-speed production and real-time response:

To meet market demands, filling lines need to operate at high speeds for extended periods, requiring high real-time performance and response speed from the control system. The BL340 supports various operating systems including Linux, Linux-RT, Ubuntu. The real-time operating system ensures priority and determinism for control tasks, guaranteeing quick response of filling actions and smooth operation of the production line.

Data integration and intelligent management:

Modern factories require the integration of filling data with other production segments for intelligent management and remote monitoring. The BL340 is compatible with BLIoTLink industrial protocol conversion software for data collection and transformation. It can seamlessly integrate with various mainstream IoT cloud platforms and industrial SCADA software such as AWS IoT Core, Thingsboard, IgnitionSCADA, Alibaba IoT, and HUAWEI IoT. Additionally, with support for Node-Red, users can rapidly develop IoT applications on the BL340, enabling data collection, transformation, and upload for remote monitoring, data analysis, and fault pre-warning.

Flexible configuration and easy maintenance:

Filling lines may have different scales and levels of automation, leading to varying I/O interface requirements. The BL340 series ARM Based Embedded Computers adopt a flexible design concept, allowing users to customize ROM (8GB/16GB eMMC) and RAM (1GB/2GB DDR4) combinations by choosing different System-on-Module (SOM) boards as needed. It offers a rich array of interfaces including up to three 10/100M Ethernet ports , two USB 2.0 ports , an optional HDMI 2.0a port , and optional X series and Y series IO boards , supporting various functions such as communication, PWM output, pulse counting, data acquisition and control, DI, DO, Relay output, AI, AO, PT100, PT1000, and TC. This modular design not only facilitates customized control systems for filling lines but also significantly simplifies future maintenance and function upgrades.

Typical Application Scenarios of BL340 in Industrial Filling Lines

In a typical industrial filling line, the BL340 can act as the core controller, performing the following functions:

Precise material metering control:

By connecting to high-precision flow sensors and servo motor-driven filling pumps or solenoid valves, the BL340 real-time collects data and uses PID algorithms to precisely control the filling volume. For example, through the Y series IO board (e.g., Y31/Y33 models supporting 4-channel analog input), sensor signals can be accurately read, and Y41/Y43 analog output boards can control actuators, achieving precise analog control of 0/4~20mA or 0~5/10V.

Multi-point liquid level detection and overflow prevention:

Integrating multiple liquid level sensors (such as ultrasonic or float type), the BL340 monitors the liquid level inside the filling bottles in real-time. Once a set threshold is reached, it immediately triggers the valve closure, effectively preventing overflow or underfilling, and can dynamically adjust the filling speed based on liquid level feedback. DI/DO modules (e.g., Y01/Y02/Y11/Y12/Y13 for DI and Y21/Y22/Y24 for DO) can be used to receive digital input signals and control relay outputs for liquid level alarms and valve switching.

Production line coordination and linkage:

Through its multiple Ethernet ports (up to three 10/100M Ethernet ports ) and rich serial ports (RS232/RS485 ), the BL340 can communicate at high speeds with PLCs or motion controllers of other equipment on the production line (such as bottle unscramblers, capping machines, labeling machines, and packaging machines), coordinating the actions of each segment to ensure a smooth, efficient, and seamless filling process.

Real-time data acquisition and visualization:

The BL340 can collect critical data such as filling volume, production speed, equipment operating status, and fault codes in real-time. This data can be uploaded to SCADA systems or IoT cloud platforms via Ethernet for visual display, helping operators and managers monitor production status in real-time for efficient production scheduling and problem diagnosis.

Remote operation and maintenance, and fault diagnosis:

With the BLRAT remote access tool, technicians can remotely access the BL340 for system diagnosis, program updates, and parameter adjustments, significantly reducing on-site maintenance time and increasing equipment uptime

Conclusion

The BLIIoT BL340 series ARM Based Embedded Computer provides a robust and efficient automation control foundation for industrial filling lines. Its excellent performance, rugged industrial-grade design, and flexible scalability, coupled with compatibility with various industrial protocols and IoT platforms, enable enterprises to achieve precise metering in the filling process, effectively control production costs, and move towards intelligent and networked industrial 4.0, ultimately enhancing overall production efficiency and market competitiveness.