// projects / hmi
HMI System13 proximity sensor zones, one PLC — only the motors under active pallets run, saving significant energy on a long AAC blocks conveyor line.
HMI SCREEN — 13-ZONE CONVEYOR LAYOUT WITH LIVE PALLET AND MOTOR STATUS
// the_challenge
In a conventional conveyor installation, all motors on the line run continuously regardless of whether a pallet is present at that section. For a long conveyor serving an AAC (Autoclaved Aerated Concrete) blocks manufacturing plant, this means dozens of motors running at full load all day — even when the line is partially loaded or between production batches. The resulting energy waste is substantial, and the mechanical wear on empty-running rollers shortens equipment life.
We divided the conveyor into 13 discrete zones, each fitted with a proximity sensor to detect pallet presence. A central PLC monitors all 13 sensors and energises only the drive motors in zones where a pallet is detected. The remaining zones stay off until a pallet arrives. An HMI touchscreen gives the operator a live visual map of the entire conveyor — showing which zones are active, which are empty, pallet count in-transit, and any sensor or motor fault — making it easy to spot blockages or sensor failures without walking the line.
// capabilities
Each of the 13 conveyor zones is independently controlled. The PLC energises a zone's drive motor only when its proximity sensor confirms a pallet is present — all other zones remain off.
13 inductive proximity sensors, positioned at the entry of each zone, provide reliable pallet detection even in the dusty, vibration-heavy environment of an AAC blocks production floor.
A touchscreen HMI displays the full conveyor layout as a graphic, colour-coding each zone by status: active (pallet present, motor running), empty (no pallet, motor off), or fault (sensor or motor anomaly).
By eliminating unnecessary motor run-time across idle zones, the system delivers measurable energy savings — the more stages are empty at any given time, the greater the saving versus a conventional always-on setup.
Sensor faults, motor trip conditions and zone blockages are detected by the PLC and flagged on the HMI with the exact zone number. Operators can respond immediately without walking the entire conveyor length.
Any individual zone can be switched to manual mode from the HMI — useful during maintenance, pallet loading at a specific zone, or when temporarily bypassing a faulty sensor without stopping the whole line.
// technology
Have a conveyor or material handling line to automate?We design zone-control, sequencing and conveyor PLC/HMI systems for manufacturing plants.
