Frontmatec – Virtual Commissioning of a Conveyor Solution for the Meat Processing Industry
Frontmatec is known for its high-quality systems covering the entire value chain of the meat industry – from carcass grading, slaughter lines, and cutting and deboning lines to hygiene solutions, control systems, logistics, and packaging.
With offices in Europe, the Americas, and Asia, Frontmatec serves a wide range of highly respected clients – from local industrial companies to major global food processors.
Assignment
Frontmatec was looking for a solution for the virtual commissioning of container conveyor systems.
Since these systems are built worldwide, the goal was to reduce on-site commissioning times and enable earlier testing of PLC code.
With Emulate3D, Frontmatec found the right solution, as all requirements regarding function blocks and PLC connectivity were met out of the box.
SimPlan supported Frontmatec in the implementation of Emulate3D through training and initial pilot projects.
Implementation
Within a very short time, an initial system layout was implemented.
Special attention was paid to creating reusable components for future projects.
As a result, the creation of the mapping table between the control system and the Emulate3D model was also automated from the outset.
In a training-on-the-job approach, Frontmatec was actively involved in the model development process and is now able to create future digital twins independently.
Outcome
The expected savings in commissioning time were significantly exceeded in the very first project — much to the satisfaction of both Frontmatec management and the customer.
As a result, virtual commissioning has become a standard part of all future projects.
The next step will focus on further automating the model creation process and improving the usability of the developed modules.