Our client, an industry leader in conventional and intermodal transportation equipment manufacturing, needed to replace the current control system components and enclosures, due to obsolescence, for their existing grease metering systems at three plants. The customer specified Mitsubishi PLCs to replace their PC-based systems and wanted the operation of the new control system to have functionality identical to the current systems. The instrumentation and equipment outside of the control panel (flowmeters, solenoid valves, drum level switches, stack lights, etc.) were not changed.
ACS provided three new process control systems for production machines, each with a NEMA 12 industrial control panel housing the PLC, HMI, and related control components necessary for controlling the grease metering and dispensing lines. The upgraded process control system was runoff at ACS’ manufacturing facility for factory acceptance; equipment external to the control panel was simulated for this runoff.
ACS completed installation and commissioning for each process control system and provided an engineer on site for the first production day following each system installation. The production schedule was accommodated to ensure the control upgrade did not interfere with planned production.
ACS worked collaboratively with the client on the process control system design through design reviews using our Custom Equipment Process as required and started by collecting the following information from the client:
Controls Engineering and Design, Control Panel Build, Integration with Client’s Existing Equipment, FAT (Factory Acceptance Testing), Commissioning