DeStacker ReStacker Control System – Dual-Certification Control Panels for an Automated Handling Line
Sector:
Materials Handling & Conveying
Type:
New Build - Control System
Platform:
Allen Bradley
Certification:
UL, CE / UKCA
Summary
DelaControl designed, built, and supplied six industrial control panels for a DeStacker ReStacker automated handling system — three panels certified to European CE requirements and three to American UL508A, allowing the same machine architecture to be deployed in both markets. The panels were built around an Allen Bradley CompactLogix 5380 PLC with distributed 1734 POINT I/O, PowerFlex 525 variable frequency drives, and a Kinetix servo drive, all housed in Rittal enclosures.
Challenge
An OEM specialising in hydraulic and automation systems required a complete set of control panels for a DeStacker ReStacker machine line. The panels needed to serve both European and North American markets, meaning two certification variants — CE and UL508A — were required from a single design exercise.
The system comprised three distinct panel functions: an infeed/destacker panel, a main control panel housing the primary PLC, and an outfeed/restacker panel. Each panel needed to accommodate networked variable frequency drives, remote I/O, safety circuits, motor protection, and field device power supplies, with all unused I/O wired to terminals for future flexibility.
Solution
DelaControl designed and built six Allen Bradley-based control panels in total — three to CE/UKCA and three to UL508A/NFPA 70 Article 409 — covering the infeed, main, and outfeed functions of the DeStacker ReStacker line. The main panel houses a CompactLogix 5380 controller (5069-L320ERMS, 2 MB, 8-axis motion capable) with a dedicated 1734 POINT I/O rack. The infeed and outfeed panels each use 1734 POINT I/O remote adapter heads with associated digital and analogue I/O modules. All panels include PowerFlex 525 variable frequency drives for conveyor and transfer duties, and the infeed panel additionally incorporates a Kinetix 5300 servo drive with an associated EMC line filter. Safety is implemented via Pilz PNOZ safety relays for emergency stop monitoring on each panel.
All enclosures are Rittal VX25 bayed sheet steel units finished in RAL 7035, with Siemens SITOP 24 V DC power supplies, Weidmuller terminals throughout, and Siemens unmanaged Ethernet switches providing network connectivity in every panel. Thermal management is provided by Rittal Blue e+ fan-and-filter units with thermostat control. A step-down isolation transformer is included in the UL variant panels to provide the 240 V supply required for the single-phase Kinetix 5300 servo drive on a 480 V supply system.
Documentation delivered with the panels includes a full electrical drawing pack (general arrangements and schematics), Declaration of Conformity, SISTEMA report (ISO 13849-1 PLr assessment), thermal calculations, a UL-compliant bill of materials, and a signed Factory Acceptance Test certificate following pre-delivery testing with I/O simulation and test motors.
Key Facts
• Six control panels built in total: three CE-certified and three UL508A-certified variants
• Allen Bradley CompactLogix 5380 (5069-L320ERMS) PLC with 8-axis motion capability
• 1734 POINT I/O used across all three panel functions (infeed, main, outfeed)
• PowerFlex 525 VFDs fitted across the panels: ratings of 1.1 kW, 2.2 kW, and 4.0 kW
• Kinetix 5300 servo drive (0.75 kW) with EMC line filter in the infeed panel
• Pilz PNOZ safety relays for emergency stop monitoring on each panel
• Rittal VX25 bayed enclosures, RAL 7035, with Blue e+ thermal management
• Siemens unmanaged 8-port Ethernet switches fitted in all panels
• Siemens SITOP 24 V DC power supplies (10 A and 20 A) for control circuits
• Step-down isolation transformer (3 kVA, 480 V to 240 V) included in UL variant panels for servo drive supply
• Full documentation pack: drawings, DoC, SISTEMA report, thermal calculations, FAT certificate