Mitsuboshi's US belting unit upgrading with Chronos control

By Liz White, ERJ staff

Nottingham, UK-Belting maker MBL [USA] Corp. is carrying out a major controls upgrade at its compounding facility in Ottawa, Illinois, and has chosen UK firm Chronos Richardson's advanced CR600XP Process Control as part of the new system.

MBL (USA), a subsidiary of Japanese group Mitsuboshi Belting Ltd, makes a range of transmission and drive belts for the worldwide automotive and recreational vehicle sectors.

Nottingham-based Chronos Richardson, part of the Premier Tech group, said its "innovative CR600XP control system will replace two of the factory's existing control systems."

In future, the CR600XP will control batch weighing of carbon black, polymers, oils and small chemicals, as well as controlling the mixer. An integral MTS software package will help MBL by tracking material throughout the mixing room, from intake through to compound batch-off, said Chronos.

"As well as improving operational safety and reducing plant downtime at the factory CR600XP is also replacing obsolete control systems, which will ensure MBL [USA] Corp achieve full material traceability for every batch of compound produced. This will enable them to fulfil the quality control expectations of all of their customers for many years to come," said Steve Saunders, technology director for Chronos Richardson Systems Europe, in a Chronos press statement.