KNOCKS Fluid-Technik

Knocks Fluid-Technik GmbH


Products: pressure regulator, filter and lubricator
Industry: machinery and plant engineering


D-59379 Selm

As an innovation leader in compressed air treatment and control, KNOCKS has been securing the competitive advantage of its customers for more than 50 years with the promise ‘WE CONTROL IT’.

The expert supplier of pressure regulators, filters and lubricators offers first-class products from a single source that are unrivalled worldwide in terms of quality and durability.

Knocks offers everything from a single source: from the development and design of individual pneumatic systems to pressure regulators, filters and oilers, KNOCKS Fluid-Technik GmbH supplies customised solutions across all industries. In addition to standard products in the field of compressed air treatment, Knocks is constantly developing new innovative products such as the QSV.33 flow stop valve and the KDDM 2.2 flow meter.

From Selm to the world - around 250 employees work in Selm in production, assembly, despatch, purchasing, technology, sales and marketing.

Top quality is Knocks' top priority - the ISO 9001:2015 certification underpins this, but the company does not rest on its laurels. Instead, all products undergo a series of different tests and quality checks that guarantee 100% product quality. A special high-pressure test bench for pressures up to 60 bar and a large number of electronically supported series test benches are located directly in production. Various sampling and approval procedures, special tests and laboratory tests round off the comprehensive tests.

OPC UA secures the future of intelligently networked production

OPC UA is the key to the standardised linking of machines from the shop floor to the cloud in mechanical and plant engineering. OPC UA with client/server communication is widely used in automation.

What means OPC UA?

In this qualified ‘one-to-one’ communication mechanism, the deployed OPC UA client QS1 receives access to the data of the test systems via point-to-point communication: QS1 accepts real-time values from the systems or sends orders to the machines via the OPC UA server. This form of communication enables reliable data exchange without data loss. The client/server communication is based on TCP/IP.

The technology available in QS1 for communication using a specially integrated OPC UA client takes over communication with the test benches at Knocks and thus fulfils the task of a networked machine landscape. With the standard adapter for ERP system access, QS1 creates a solution that accompanies the process chains from planning to order delivery. QS1 supplies the test benches fully automatically with the order data specified by the ERP (part number, target quantities, etc.) and article-specific test programmes, controls the 100% tests and ensures the entire documentation of the test results, including the corresponding feedback (PDA bookings) in the ERP system.

For real-time communication at field level, the test benches were revised accordingly by the control systems. In practice, the deep integration between ERP, CAQ and machines means significant savings, process reliability and process optimization. The many individual inspection programs have been replaced by dynamic master data concepts. In addition to carrying out the inspection, QS1 also offers a live insight into production via the production visualization. The data from the test benches is available at the touch of a button. You can see which test benches are working on which orders and how far production has progressed at that moment. This is not only interesting for QA, but also for other areas.

The release and documentation for each component is carried out via the OPC UA standard and the test planning and control of QS1. This ensures 100% traceability of the process data. Only a successful inspection subsequently leads to ERP-specific availability of the stock.

The strategic orientation towards Industry 4.0 using the OPC UA industry standard provides investment protection for future test benches and processes.

Quote

“With QS1, we have found the optimum solution for perfectly mapping our in-process inspections and end-of-line testing: QS1 automatically supplies the test benches with the article-specific test programs, controls the tests and takes care of the entire documentation of the test results through to the corresponding feedback in our ERP system.

QSC's overall solution of directly controlling the systems in addition to the conventional QM processes appealed to us right from our first contact with QSC. In terms of a long-term strategic orientation in conjunction with our ERP system, the move towards standard software based on QS1 was the best decision.”

Frank Calderaro, head of quality management at Knocks Fluid-Technik

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