SIMATIC PCS 7 in the Mining and Cement Industries: Architecture, Demo Projects, and CEMAT Application Guidelines

Engineers seeking to master the SIMATIC PCS 7 CEMAT library (Minerals Automation Standard - MinAS) can utilize official Siemens Industry Online Support demonstration packages and architectural guidelines, specifically the comprehensive demo project 'SIMATIC PCS 7 in the Mining Industry' (Entry ID: 81723640) and the accompanying multimedia technical overview (Entry ID: 63653693). This package demonstrates the automated operation of a mineral crushing and bulk conveyor transport facility, showcasing standardized CEMAT function blocks (such as single/dual-direction drives, dampers, analog transmitters, and route selection), integrated multi-tier interlocks, fault annunciation hierarchies, and standardized WinCC mining faceplates executable in S7-PLCSIM.

Overview of CEMAT and Minerals Automation Standard (MinAS)

The extraction, crushing, milling, and processing of cement and mineral ores represent harsh, asset-intensive operational environments. Control systems in these industries must handle massive electromechanical drives, kilometers of conveyor belts, bucket elevators, and heavy crushers.

To standardize engineering and operations, Siemens developed CEMAT (Cement Automation) and its modern extension MinAS (Minerals Automation Standard). Built on top of SIMATIC PCS 7, CEMAT provides an industry-specific operating philosophy that combines deterministic sequence control, intelligent route management, equipment protection interlocks, and detailed diagnostic visualization.

Architectural Concepts: Drives, Groups, Routes, and Interlocks

CEMAT structures plant automation into a rigorous functional hierarchy:

Drive Blocks (C_DRV_1D, C_DRV_2D): Control single-speed or reversible motors, managing start/stop delays, speed monitors, thermal overload protection, and local emergency pull-cords.
Damper / Actuator Blocks (C_DAMPER): Control diverter gates and modulating positioners, supervising travel times and limit switches.
Group Blocks (C_GROUP): Aggregate multiple associated drives into a unified operational cell. A single operator start command starts all subordinate drives in strict reverse-flow sequence to prevent material pile-up.
Route Blocks (C_ROUTE): Manage material flow pathways across complex conveyor networks, ensuring diverter gates and receiving bins are properly aligned before upstream feeds energize.
Interlock System: Differentiates between Process Interlocks, Equipment Protection Interlocks, and Electrical Safety Interlocks with dedicated first-out fault capture.

The Mining Demo Project: Crushing and Conveyor System Automation

The official Siemens demo project (SIOS Entry ID: 81723640) models a copper ore primary crushing plant:

Plant Section 'Crushing': Models the hydraulic gyratory crusher, rock breaker, lubrication pumping unit, and ore feed hopper.
Material Discharge Conveyors: Features a multi-stage conveyor belt system equipped with belt drift switches, pull-wire emergency switches, and speed slip sensors.
WinCC Operator Screens: Contains fully configured plant mimic displays illustrating CEMAT mining color codes, dynamic equipment status icons, group start/stop buttons, and diagnostic faceplates.

Deploying and Simulating the Demo Project in S7-PLCSIM

To explore and practice with the demo project:

Download Archive: Download the demo project zip file from SIOS Entry ID 81723640.
Retrieve Project: In SIMATIC Manager, select File > Retrieve... and unarchive into your engineering directory.
Start Simulation: Open S7-PLCSIM. Set transmission mode to Industrial Ethernet or MPI.
Download AS Program: Highlight the AS station in SIMATIC Manager and download the hardware configuration and CFC charts to PLCSIM.
Activate WinCC Runtime: Open the OS project in WinCC Explorer and activate Runtime. Use the navigation buttons to open the Crushing Plant overview, start the lubrication group, select the discharge route, and command group start.

Comparison of Standard PCS 7 APL vs CEMAT MinAS Architectures

The following table compares standard PCS 7 APL with the specialized CEMAT MinAS industry library:

| Feature Dimension | Standard PCS 7 APL | CEMAT MinAS Library |
|---|---|---|---|
| Target Industry | Chemical, Pharma, Food, Petrochemical | Cement, Mining, Aggregates, Bulk Handling |
| Primary Drive Philosophy | Independent motor control (MotL) | Hierarchical Drive + Group + Route control |
| Start/Stop Sequencing | Handled via SFC or custom logic | Built-in reverse-sequence group automation |
| Route Management | Requires SIMATIC Route Control (SRC) | Integrated native C_ROUTE software objects |
| Diagnostic Granularity | Good / Bad / Channel Fault | First-out fault capture, mechanical slip, belt drift |
| Operating Modes | Auto, Manual, Out of Service | Local, Single, Automatic, Maintenance |

Verification

Verify demo project execution and simulation behavior:
1. In WinCC Runtime, navigate to the Crushing area overview screen.
2. Click the 'Discharge Route 1' button; verify that diverter dampers position correctly and show green route alignment.
3. Click the 'Crusher Group' Start button; observe that the discharge conveyor starts first, followed by the lubrication pumps, and finally the main crusher drive.
4. Simulate a belt rip or pull-wire trip; verify that the entire upstream feed halts instantly while downstream conveyors clear material, and confirm that the first-out fault is highlighted in red on the CEMAT faceplate.

Limitations and Operational Precautions

The CEMAT demo project is an educational and testing tool; never download its pre-configured network parameters or controller logic to physical controllers connected to a live production network. Running the full CEMAT demo project with multiple AS stations and WinCC Runtime requires a minimum of 16 GB of RAM on the Engineering Station to prevent operating system paging bottlenecks.

Engineer FAQ

What is the difference between CEMAT and MinAS?

CEMAT was originally created for the cement manufacturing industry. MinAS (Minerals Automation Standard) is the modernized extension of CEMAT tailored specifically for mining, ore processing, and bulk material transport.

Does CEMAT require a special license?

Yes. Developing and running projects with CEMAT requires dedicated CEMAT Engineering and Runtime licenses managed via Automation License Manager (ALM).

Can CEMAT blocks coexist with standard APL blocks in the same project?

Yes. Modern CEMAT versions (V8 and V9) are built on APL standards, allowing standard APL analog monitors and control valves to operate alongside CEMAT drive and group blocks.