Application of Industrial IoT in Developing a Sustainable and Automatic Liquid Filling Plant

Abstract

Automation control is of utmost importance in today's rapidly changing world. It has become a key driver of innovation, growth, and sustainability. In this hour of need, controllers, i.e., PLCs, are necessary due to the increasing demand for automation in industries. PLCs offer a reliable and efficient way to control and monitor complex systems and automate repetitive and time-consuming tasks. This reduces labour costs and increases the production efficiency. This paper proposes an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) based automatic bottle filling and sorting plant using a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC). The paper aims to address this issue by implementing Industry 4.0 principles into an existing real-time model of a water treatment plant that utilizes PLC technology. Using sensors and PLC, the system is designed to automatically fill and sort bottles based on their height. Currently, PLCs are used in water treatment plants to fill bottles of the same height on one conveyor belt rather than simultaneously detecting and filling bottles of different heights. Our proposed solution involves filling three differently sized bottles simultaneously through a detection mechanism, using industrial sensors to increase productivity and reduce time and cost. The proposed system can be easily integrated with existing manufacturing systems. The study results demonstrate that the IIoT-based plant can improve productivity by reducing downtime, minimizing product waste, and increasing throughput. This paper provides a detailed description of the system design, implementation, and testing, as well as an evaluation of the system’s performance. The study contributes to IIoT and automation by presenting a practical solution for improving the bottling process in manufacturing industries.