Design Solution:

To take measurements of the length and weight of the individual billets, two laser distance sensors and two crane scales will be installed in the system.  There is a two-part modification to the crane to add the sensors.  First, the crane cables will have the crane scales added to them in order to measure the weight of each billet after it is picked up.  Then, the distance sensors will be attached to the outer frame of the crane so measurements can be taken as the billet passes by them.  These distance sensors will take measurements of the distance from the two ends of the billet in order to calculate its overall length.  The data cables for these sensors will be run in an overhead trough and be output to a digital interface for calculation and storage.

The PLC will calculate the volume of the billet and use that to find the most efficient cutting length of each billet.  It will then output this value to the operator via a display.  The display screen allows for operator verification and authorization of the cutting calculations as well as allowing for boundary and operational changes in the implementation.  The PLC also provides an interface with a PC to track individual billet measurements for historical purposes.  The historical data will be kept in a database, which can be used to find cost savings and statistical data.  The database will receive the data from the PLC through an Ethernet connection.  The only major requirement of the PC running the database is that it must run a version of Microsoft Windows 98SE or higher.

Design Flowchart