Belden Replaces its EKP’s Outdated Controls

Belden's relationship with Maillefer is decades old, much like their first EKP dual take-ups that are still in service. Belden- Duna gives answers about modernizing their take-ups.

Belden - Duna-Kábel, in Budapest, Hungary, is an established cable maker and part of the Belden group based in the USA. The site specializes in producing communication and energy wire destined for the European market and beyond.

The relationship with Maillefer is decades old, much like the first EKP dual take-ups that still populate Belden’s factories. Recently Belden- Duna has taken several steps to modernize their EKP 50s. The original take-ups were designed with a control system divided into two levels - an Eberle PLC on the upper level and a proprietary analog card rack on the real-time processing level.

The customer approached the upgrade by having the PLC and mechanical parts replaced first. Only once the machines were back in operation and gave satisfaction did the customer consider the next delicate step of upgrading the card rack.

We talked with Varga László, Maintenance Manager for the plant, about his thoughts concerning the card rack upgrade on his EKP 50 take-ups.

Mr. László, why did you co-operate with Maillefer on this upgrade project?

We have been using their equipment for a long time. We have been satisfied with the quality and with the reliability. By replacing the analog controls with a new PLC upgrade, the lifetime is now longer for the EKP.

Settings made easier with an HMI interface

How happy are you with the service provided by Maillefer?

Fully satisfied. There were not any problems during the commissioning time. Other than one issue soon taken care of, the machine was running production all the time.

Did Maillefer fulfil all the required points on the upgrade?

All the points have been filled. The commissioning when very smoothly in spite of a production schedule that was very tight. Maillefer’s technicians showed flexibility to work around our planning constraints.

How does Belden Duna see Maillefer as a machine supplier?

Delivery times for new equipment are lengthy at the moment. But still, we want to co-operate with Maillefer.

Were you surprised how fast the upgrade was done?

I was expecting more issues when we started-up the line but was surprised to see how fast the EKP was back in production condition.

What did you think about the quality?

The hardware setup looks good. We can now continue to follow up with quality production.

Belden - Duna’s robust take-ups are now fitted with updated control technology. Alongside the upgrade, there are improved features and ease of use. The upgrade includes an HMI to visualize, adjust, and recall saved parameters in a straightforward way. Switches, dials and potentiometers like those found on the original analog cards are gone.

EKP models 50, 63, 100 and 130 candidates for upgrade

Fortunately for Mr. László, our card rack package (see page 14) offered an easy and sure way to rid the EKP 50s of their outdated controls. The equipment's lifetime is extended, while ensuring access to future maintenance support.