Aside from the PC control, one of the other unique control aspects of Beverage Capital's filling equipment is that all the sensors, drives and other components on the machine communicate with the PC via a device-level network on the machine. The network, in this case Profibus, simply connects one device to another, daisy-chain style. The benefit for Beverage Capital: If a component on the machine fails, it can be replaced more quickly, as was the case recently with a sensor. "You simply unplug it and plug in a new one," says Frank Hyatt, maintenance supervisor. The Profibus cables and bus expansion modules, supplied by Turck (Minneapolis, MN), are easier to work with than installing expansion cards and wiring new I/O points on a PLC, according to Hyatt.
