This development ensures that customers are provided with complete solutions tailored to their needs, including recycling, control and automation technology from a single source. BHS also provides assistance in transferring the control system to modern systems.

 “A lot of companies currently use control systems and software that providers no longer support,” explains Steffen Kämmerer, chief technology officer (CTO) at BHS-Sonthofen and managing director of BHS Control Systems. “That is why we are seeing an increasing demand for control solutions when it comes to expanding or modernising existing recycling plants.” BHS now provides high levels of safety and flexibility both in the modernisation of systems and in new plants thanks to its efficient and open solutions.

BHS-Sonthofen has also significantly expanded its service portfolio in the area of control and automation technology with the acquisition of Thoma Elektrosteuerungsanlagen GmbH from Babenhausen on 1 January 2020. Using its more than 30 years of experience and expertise as a basis, the group now also offers customers engineering, supply, and design services for turnkey plant control systems for major projects in the recycling industry. BHS takes care of installation and commissioning and also provides user support and training. Customers thus benefit from the open interface architecture. “‘Win CC Open Architecture’ is an open and scalable system that enables a wide range of components to be integrated smoothly and it is suitable for both small and large plants,” explains Kämmerer. BHS uses this as the foundation for custom solutions, with the customer being able to expand the plant as required without the need for major investment in interface management. From a simple small system to a complex high end system, the architecture is highly adaptable.

Win CC Open Architecture is also platform neutral and runs on Windows, Linux, Android and iOS. The system has proven itself to be extremely efficient when being used in everything from user guidance to system connection. BHS develops the individual components of its automation and control technology at its site in Babenhausen near Memmingen, Germany, in line with the customer’s individual requirements. BHS Control Systems is already implementing a project for the processing of lithium ion batteries for the Recycling & Environment division of BHS.