AUTOMATIC BOTTLE FILLING SYSTEM USING LABVIEW

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RM.NACHAMMAI, 2P.BHARGGHAVI
1,2
Third Year ,Instrumentation and Control Engineering , Saranathan College of Engineering,Trichy
Email: nachammairamasami@gmail.com, pbhargghavi@gmail.com

Abstract-The objective is to control a sequential process, a bottle filling system in a fully automated manner. With the help
of NI-LabVIEW we have controlled this continuous control and discrete-state process control. Conveyor movement is
monitored by the stepper motor, position of the bottle through proximity sensor, and level are controlled. Bottle is filled
through a solenoid control valve. The continuous process is monitored by using a timing in LabVIEW. This process in real
time could be conducted by using the NI-myRIO or NI-myDAQ.

Index Terms—NI-LabVIEW, proximity sensor, NI-myDAQ,NI-myRIO.

I. INTRODUCTION The graphical language is named as “G” known as

graphical programming. The execution is determined
Packaging industry plays a vital role in ensuring the by the use the structure of a graphical block diagram
product. In most industries PLC’s plays a vital role in on which the programmer connects different
controlling a process and the cost of it is also really function-nodes by drawing wires. G is inherently
high. Inorder for small scale industries who can’t capable of parallel execution.
afford for such expensive devices could use this idea
which could be easily implemented. Multi processing and multi-threading hardware is
automatically exploited by the built-in scheduler,
In real time application we could use a stepper motor which multiplexes multiple OS threads over the nodes
for the controlling movement, proximity sensor for ready for executions. LabVIEW ties the creation of
indicating the bottle’s presence and solenoid valve user interfaces (called front panels) into the
which must switch on as soon as possible as the bottle developmentcycle.
is sensed and must switch on and off for a particular
period of time. Here time takes care of the level of the LabVIEW programs/subroutines are called virtual
bottle to fill for an appropriate level. instruments(Vis). Each VI has three components: a
block diagram, a front panel and a connector panel.
The interfacing is done by using NI-myRIO a versatile The last is used to represent the VI in the block
device an invention of National Instruments. It diagram of other calling Vis. The front panel is built
acquires and generate signals. The advantage of this using controls and indicators. Controls are inputs- the
device is that it makes it possible for anyone to upload allow user to supply information to the VI. Indicators
the program on to the device and it could be carried are outputs- the indicate, or display the results based
without the need of any human interference. on the inputs given to the VI.

II. INTRODUCTION TO SOFTWARE It is used for data acquisition, instrument control and
industrial automation on a variety of platforms
Laboratory Virtual Instrumentation Engineering including Microsoft Windows, various versions of
Workbench, a very popular product of National UNIX, Linux, and Mac OS X. The latest version of
Instruments. Virtual Instrumentation deals with the LabVIEW is LabVIEW-myRIO2014.
way of programming by the use of graphical images
and icons instead of text based programming. It is easy
to interpret by the user and its flow is similar to data
flow programming.

It consist of three components –Front Panel, Block

Diagram and Connector Pane. Programming is done
through through controls and indicators. It has
versatile applications like audio processing, optical
synthesis etc;. Position, velocity and current control in
normal circuitry using LabVIEW.

Opening a New VI from a Template

Proceedings of 4th IRF International Conference on 19th April 2015, Cochin, India, ISBN: 978-93-82702-98-6
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 Automatic Bottle Filling System Using LABVIEW

The block diagram appears with a white background

and includes VIs and structures that control the front
panel objects. The title bar of the block diagram
indicates that this window is the block diagram for the
Generate and Display VI.

Adding a Control to the Front Panel

Front panel controls simulate the input mechanisms

on a physical instrument and supply data to the block
diagram of the VI.

1. If the Controls palette, shown in Figure below, is

not visible in the front panel window, select
View»Controls Palette.

2. If you are a new LabVIEW user, the Controls palette

opens with the Modern palette, shown in the following
figure, visible by default. If you do not see the Modern
palette, click Modern on the Controls palette to
display the Modern palette.
LabVIEW provides built-in template VIs that include
the subVIs, functions, structures, and front panel
objects you need to get started building common
measurement applications.
Complete the following steps to create a VI that
generates a signal and displays it in the front panel
window.

1. Launch LabVIEW.
2. Select File»New to display the New dialog box.
3. From the Create New list, select VI»From
Template»Tutorial (Getting Started)»
Generate and Display. This template VI generates and
displays a signal.

A preview and a brief description of the template VI

appear in the Description section. The following
figure shows the New dialog box and the preview of
the Generate and Display template VI.

4. Click the OK button to create a VI from the

template. You also can double-click the name of the
template VI in the Create New list to create a VI from
a template.

LabVIEW displays two windows: the front panel

window and the block diagram window.

5. Examine the front panel window.

The user interface, or front panel, appears with a gray
background and includes controls and indicators. The
title bar of the front panel indicates that this window is
the front panel for the Generate and Display VI.

6. Select Window»Show Block Diagram and examine

the block diagram of the VI.

Proceedings of 4th IRF International Conference on 19th April 2015, Cochin, India, ISBN: 978-93-82702-98-6
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 Automatic Bottle Filling System Using LABVIEW

3. Move the cursor over the icons on the Modern III. SEQUENTIAL PROCESS
palette to locate the Numeric Controls
palette. Sequential process is one of the common operations in
industries. Control of sequential operation is equally
When you move the cursor over icons on the Controls important for many processes. There are several
palette, the name of the subpalette, sequential process existing in industries, In this study
control, or indicator appears in a tip strip below the the simple bottle filling operation is considered for
icon. experiment. It is possible for a continuous control
system to be part of a discrete-state process-control
4. Click the Numeric Controls icon to display the system. As an example, we consider this experiment.
Numeric Controls palette. This system consists of a conveyor on which the
bottles are placed; the conveyor motor is controlled by
5. Click on the Numeric Controls palette to attach the VI. Periodically a bottle comes into position under the
control to the cursor,and then add the knob to the front outlet valve is opened and the bottle is filled. This
panel . requirement may be necessary to ensure a constant
pressure head during bottle filling. This process will
require that a continuous-level control system be used
to adjust the input flow rate during bottle-fill through
the output valve. The continuous control system will
be turned on or off just as other discrete device like
motor. Thus the continuous control process is a part of
the overall discrete-state process.

Schematic of bottle filling system:

Algorithm:
The basic algorithm for bottle filling system involves
the following sequence. The objective is to fill bottles
moving on a conveyor. Assume that when a command
is given to stop the continuous control system, the
input valve is driven to the closed position. Then the
sequence would be
A. Start the bottle Conveyor
B. When a bottle is in position:
1. Stop the conveyor
2. Open the output valve
3. Turn ON the Level-Control System to keep the level
constant during Bottle Fill
C. When the bottle is full:
1. Close the output valve
2. Stop the level control System
D. Go to Step A and Repeat
Proceedings of 4th IRF International Conference on 19th April 2015, Cochin, India, ISBN: 978-93-82702-98-6
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 Automatic Bottle Filling System Using LABVIEW

IV. PROCEDURE VII. REAL TIME APPLICATION

1. Open NI LabVIEW 8.5 and press <Ctrl_N> to open

a blank VI.
2. Press <Ctrl_T> to tile front panel and block
diagram windows.
3. Pull up the Functions Palette by right_clicking on
the white space on the LabVIEW block diagram
window.
4. Select Express » Input palette, and click the DAQ
Assist Express VI. ABBREVIATIONS and ACRONYMS
5. Drag DAQ Assistant VI to the block diagram, now
configure window appears. NI-Labview – Laboratory Virtual Instrumentation
6. Click on Analog Input »Voltage, select channel Engineering Workbench
ai0, and click Finish, to sense bottle. NI-myRIO- Re-configurable I/O
7. Click OK to close the Express block configuration NI-myDAQ- Data Acquisition
window to return to the LabVIEW block diagram.
8. Repeat steps 7 to 11, now select channel ai1, and ADVANTAGES
click Finish, to sense conveyor status.  Cost effective
9. Repeat steps 7 to 9, Click on Analog Output>>  Simple construction
Voltage, select channel ao0, to control the conveyor.  Easy interfacing
10. Connect the blocks in Block diagram panel with  Portable
appropriate input and output.  Compatible –accepts future inclusions
11. Make necessary connection from DAQ card to the  With the help of such a model we could reduce
bottle filling setup hardware and software requirements when
12. Click the Run button. The sequence operation is compared to the existing models.
executed.
13. Save the file with extension “.vi”, a virtual APPLICATIONS
instrument.
 Industries like cement manufacturing,
V. FRONT PANEL bevarages and packing industries can use this
LabVIEW based modules in their process.
 Self –help groups can use this for enhancing
their productivity efficiency.
 It could also be used in food processing,
pharmaceutics etc;.

CONCLUSION

Thus we have accomplished a sequential control

process using simple techniques in LabVIEW.

Also it is clear that further changes in the system

could be updated easily without any changes in the
VI. BLOCK DIAGRAM system. Cost involved is also less.

By using this system the company efficiency and

productivity could be increased.

REFERENCES
[1]Rick Bitter, Taqi Mohiuddin and Matt Nawrocki,”LabVIEW
Advanced Programming Technique”, Crc Press Second
edition.
[2]Rahman Jamal and Herbert Picklik, LabVIEW-Applications and
Solutions,National Instruments Release ISBN
0130964239.Rah
[3]Jovitha Jerome,”Virtual instrumentation on LabVIEW.”

Proceedings of 4th IRF International Conference on 19th April 2015, Cochin, India, ISBN: 978-93-82702-98-6
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