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Software & Controls

Virtual commissioning

The test bench for robust software in gluing applications

 

The modular system for dosing technology in adhesive processing offers an impressive 140 different configuration variations. This allows customers to configure Dürr’s gluing products, such as dosing systems and applicators, precisely to their requirements. The individual components are compatible with the HVMP4 (High Viscosity Modular Panel) standard, thanks to standardized interfaces, and support plug and play integration. With this level of component variation, how can Dürr ensure that its standardized operating software runs robustly from day one? The answer is virtual commissioning.

We developed a virtual commissioning solution for the full portfolio of gluing products. Figuratively speaking, it is a test bench for the operating software. We use it to test and optimize the EcoHVMP4 system controller before a gluing application system that has been individually configured physically goes into operation.

 

Marius Christian Traub
Development Engineer, Dürr
Marius Christian Traub, development engineer at Dürr, developed the test bench for the operating software.

 

Customers rightly expect gluing technology systems to work reliably from the start. The software is a critical factor in achieving this. Since the modular systems vary significantly in the number and size of their components – such as the EcoRam barrel pump for material supply, the EcoShot Meter dosing units, and the EcoGun applicators – the software must be adapted to each specific configuration to ensure optimum performance.

Virtual commissioning lets us identify errors at an early stage and eliminate them before a system is commissioned on site. This speeds up commissioning and has advantages when it comes to integration. If there is a problem on site, we can simulate it virtually on the digital test bench and provide the integrator with a solution.

 

Sven Bonaus
Software Engineering and Commissioning Manager, Dürr
Sven Bonaus, manager for software engineering and commissioning, emphasizes that virtual commissioning has advantages for on-site integration.

 

A significant challenge during the virtual commissioning process was the fieldbus system. This industrial protocol, which transfers data between the controller and equipment such as dosing systems or applicators, has rarely been implemented in virtual environments. Dürr broke new ground in this area.

In close collaboration with WINMOD GmbH, a leading developer of system platforms for virtual systems and machines in automation technology, Dürr developed a reliable solution that accurately and efficiently models the complex processes involved in gluing technology within a virtual environment.

The virtual test bench not only accelerates commissioning but also streamlines software releases. Tasks that  previously required testing on physical machines can now be fully simulated virtually. This enables faster introduction of new functionalities and quicker resolutions of issues such as bugs. The result is a robust, error-free application that operates reliably from day one in every new version.

The virtual test bench not only accelerates commissioning but also streamlines software releases.

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