Technological progress has driven the development of automation solutions, which in turn impact a plant’s capability to increase throughput, reduce bottlenecks, and reduce overall manufacturing costs. Out-of-date controls can substantially impact the bottom line with a high frequency of repairs and maintenance that lead to downtime. Control systems with an enhanced automation platform offer a host of benefits that include increased efficiency and quality, lower frequency of failures and downtime, reliability, and most importantly, safety.
To achieve long-term sustainability, reduce risk, and improve profitability, many industrial plants realize the need to upgrade their automation systems. Control system migration is the solution that can protect your investment in existing systems while enhancing its automation capabilities resulting in a transformed system that helps reach higher quality benchmarks and operational efficiency.
PLC-5® Migration
A major Midwestern cement manufacturer needed an upgrade to their facility control systems. Although they had modified their terminal over the years, their control system had not been updated in line with the changes. As a result, the manufacturer relied on the institutional knowledge of a limited staff and work arounds to keep the terminal in operation. With our client’s PLC-5® control system, GE iFix® HMI, and spare parts quickly becoming obsolete, the situation had reached the point where a single additional system failure would force the terminal to cease all production.
Facing these risks to their business and high production demands, the cement manufacturer sought out the controls expertise at EAD to engineer a long-lasting systems migration solution. As a certified and experienced Allen-Bradley Rockwell provider, EAD was able to successfully implement the PLC-5® migration. We quickly upgraded the client’s existing controls system to ControlLogix® and their HMI application to FactoryTalk View SE® within the time constraints of their limited production downtime window.
EAD devised a method to save time by utilizing Allen-Bradley’s PLC-5® migration to ControlLogix® chassis, enabling the installation electrician to demo the old PLC-5® hardware and install the new ControlLogix® hardware for three racks of I/O in less than two hours. The method kept all the field wiring intact during the conversion installation, saving the client time and lowering costs during the time critical check-out and start-up processes. The PLC-5® to ControlLogix® conversion was therefore seamless, quick, and cost-efficient.
Robust System Network
In line with our commitment to creating a solution that supports our client’s long-term growth, we also designed a robust system network that replaced their out-of-date remote I/O and Ethernet network. The new system is flexible enough to support any future business changes such as a system expansion.
EAD was able to successfully migrate and modernize our client’s entire system, including all the changes they had made over the years to their terminal. As a final added benefit to our client, EAD implemented Allen-Bradley’s PlantPAx® system. PlantPAx® standardized the structure of our client’s control systems, provided plant operators with the ability to monitor and track operational data in real-time, and added an extra layer of security to the terminal.
EAD not only completed the PLC-5® migration and other improvements successfully but also met the client’s strict down-time limitations, cutting the system over and completing the check-out and commissioning in less than two days.
All in all, control system migration offers unquantifiable benefits that collectively translate into a higher ROI for the manufacturer. However EAD goes beyond that, providing other improvements that are tailored to meet your organization’s unique demands and opportunities for development.
No matter how unique your challenges or how complex your requirements, we’ve got you covered. Backed by our team of experts – EAD’s biggest asset – we implement automation controls that help you improve your business results, delivering great value to your plant. We’re proud to employ the brightest minds in the industry, which together with the right tools and technology, can implement a solution that’s designed for success.
Highlights
- Reduced installation downtime from 2 days to 2 hours
- Reduced check-out downtime from 1 day to 4 hours
Technology Solutions
- Allen-Bradley PLC-5® to ControlLogix® Systems Migration
- GE iFix® to Allen-Bradley FatoryTalk View SE® HMI Systems Migration
- Allen-Bradley PlantPAx® Implementation
Looking for control system expertise and support for migration of control systems or other services? Learn more about what we do on our services page or get a hold of us by visiting our contact page or give us a call at 402.884.8650.