Diagnosing a Lift Table Motor Burnout for a Distribution Center
A material handling customer had been experiencing motor failures on hydraulic lift tables in their distribution centers. E Tech Group helped their team identify the problem and correct the malfunction with a signal delay timer.
The Project: Stop a Distribution Center Dilemma that was Hemorrhaging Money
Our partner, Wynright, asked that we get involved to help to pinpoint the exact issue causing $160K a month loss in failed motors and hours of downtime at one of their distribution centers. During the process review with the customer and distribution center associates, it was determined that the failures were likely due to excessive cycling of the on/off state of the motor.
The cycling was a direct result of the hard contact of a foot switch provided to the line associates to raise the lift table. In a normal working position, the associate would stand with one foot on the switch and the normal shift of weight as packages are moved across the worker’s position would cause incidental switching of the motor.
Some instances indicated that in an effort to perfectly position the lift table, the worker would feather start/stop operation, exacerbating the situation. E Tech Group’s extensive experience in material handling automation gave us the perspective necessary to accommodate the human part of the process by altering the machine response.
The Solution: A Signal-Delay Timer Takes Stress Off the Motor
To remedy this, initially a VFD-based solution was recommended. But we felt a solution with a delay timer that negates the signal from the foot pedal for a short time, stopping the on/off signals would provide a better, more long-term resolution to their issue. Stewart Brinkoeter, our fabrication manager, partnered with our Ohio team to finalize and implement this solution in one facility for a test run.
The Result: Less Cost, Less Downtime, No Loss of Functionality
Just an hour and a half of downtime and less than a third the cost of a new motor, the table was functioning flawlessly and the associate working with the test unit did not discern any loss of functionality. Because of its success, this solution will now be implemented across multiple distribution centers. E Tech Group continues to work with our partners at Wynright to ensure these system updates are performed seamlessly across facilities.
Challenge
The surge in e-commerce operations and expedited shipping demands have caused unprecedented challenges for distribution centers. To keep the pace, many distribution centers are implementing automation solutions to maximize system throughput and reduce fault recovery time. For a global leader in parcel services, it was mission-critical to develop an extensive fault monitoring and package flow control scheme. The parcel services leader commissioned another company to develop PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) programs for their multiple sortation systems; however, the engineering team was challenged with a tight timeline and limited availability. E Tech Group was engaged to quickly develop and troubleshoot the PLC programs as well as lead the system startup and testing.
Solution
To foster seamless parcel routing and pinpoint system abnormalities, their parcel operations required extensive fault monitoring and suppression for Human Machine Interface (HMI) animation and fault logging, conveyor operation, as well as package flow rate tracking. One aspect of maximizing throughput required the monitoring of package flow to adjust the feed rates for optimal input supply without exceeding the max system capacity. Maintaining throughput also relates to fault recovery times. “Proper fault suppression is a result of monitoring the status of every circuit breaker, Ethernet adapter, VFD status, power supply status, and all IO cards in the local and field racks.” explains Vimal Sandhu, E Tech Group Senior Controls Engineer about the importance of a fault isolation system. “For example, if a particular circuit breaker tripped, the loss of power may cause the PLC(s) to lose communications with numerous field devices. This can result in anywhere from 1 to 100+ unique faults displayed on the HMI. With proper fault suppression logic in the PLC, only the circuit breaker fault will be displayed. With fault suppression, troubleshooting time is greatly reduced which not only helps maintenance, but also aids in reducing system downtime.”
Experienced in PLC program development with sortation and conveyor machinery, E Tech Group prioritized the commission of the primary sorter systems which included diagnosing and correcting errors in the newly developed logic followed by extensive testing. Once completed, the team promptly set up the communication between the PLC and the customer’s warehouse management system. E Tech Group then proceeded with the setup of the numerous conveyor belts that were required to run with the package tracking logic.
Result
With changes satisfactorily completed to the primary sorter systems, E Tech Group was able to direct the former lead engineering team to update the subsequent systems. E Tech Group stayed onboard to support further testing as well as commission the remaining parts of the primary sorter line. Within a few months, the system became fully operational with E Tech Group’s programming support. The parcel services leader was able to fully maximize its large scale distribution center operations, and E Tech Group was later invited to lead the development, startup, and testing of the second phase which included an additional five sortation systems.
Challenge
Co-packing allows consumer packaged goods manufacturers faster turnaround times, greater flexibility, and often significant cost savings over doing it themselves. Successful co-packing relationships are based on good communication and the ability to measure, benchmark, and validate performance. When the largest independent beverage co-packer was facing data acquisition challenges from their manual performance monitoring system, the company needed to find an automated solution that could monitor real-time operations across its manufacturing sites.
Solution
The customer had been shopping around for this project. Others had quoted new “out of the box” options that included additional sensors & equipment, extended implementation times, and very lofty price tags. After building confidence and rapport through our Emergency Service Support visits, E Tech Group was asked to submit a proposal to deploy a robust data acquisition strategy that delivered an automated real-time performance monitoring system.
The customer was already using the Ignition industrial application platform from Inductive Automation. Ignition is developer-friendly and designed to be maintained at the customer level. The customer owns the data, and it is exportable in multiple formats. There are no subscription fees, so the ongoing maintenance costs are very low. Instead of adding another system like others had proposed, the E Tech Group team innovated the solution to expand on Ignition’s unlimited and fully customizable system that could efficiently provide real-time data to monitor performance.
Results
E Tech Group’s Senior Controls Engineer certified in Ignition designed an automated downtime performance monitoring and reporting system that would give the beverage co-packer visibility to metrics across multiple locations. Aiming to utilize existing sensors to save on hardware costs, several programmable logic controllers would need reprogramming. Remote development enabled E Tech Group to accomplish this without site visits, increasing their efficiency and the implementation time. Effectively employing this agile system resulted in significant cost savings for the beverage co-packer and provided the necessary tools to take their business to the next level.
Increasing Throughput Capacity at a Global Parcel Hub
A global parcel service reached out to E Tech Group when they were asked to increase their throughput. Our engineers helped them meet peak-season demand through our turnkey material handing controls systems to improve the capacity of one of their more dated hubs.
The Project: End-to-End Automation System Upgrades
A global parcel service reached out to E Tech Group after being tasked with increasing throughput capacity in one of their older hubs prior to the peak season for shipping. The turnkey project involved upgrades to 70% of the site’s control systems, along with expansion of the control room and package handling systems.
E Tech Group was responsible for every aspect of this building-wide automation upgrade, including:
- Engineering design
- Software design
- Procurement and installation of all electrical hardware
- Start-up and validation of the updated control systems
Once the new systems were implemented, integrated facility-wide and validated, our automation team provided ongoing support through the course of their peak period.
Challenges
- The project start date was delayed condensing the original schedule down from 9 months to 5 months
- The scope of work had to be planned sequentially because each upgrade was dependent on the previous one
- The mechanical upgrades had to be completed prior to control system completion, further limiting installation and start-up windows
- All installation and start-up work had to be completed during weekly downtime windows that started Saturday mornings and ended at 11:00 AM on Monday
- Both mechanical and electrical equipment deliveries were “just in time” and sometimes late, requiring a very agile installation and start-up team
- While the customer had very detailed specifications, many exceptions were allowed so that the new installations would match the existing operation. This required more rigor during definition to review prior precedents set at the hub.
Solution
A dedicated E Tech Group project team was deployed to the site to complete definition through both audits and reviews. The project team produced a highly-detailed report with a list of exceptions to the customer’s specifications. These exceptions were submitted to the customer for approval prior to the start of the design.
Our automation engineers worked with the customer’s mechanical consultants to develop and then continuously refine plans to sequentially install the control system upgrades in scope blocks that could fit into short downtime windows. In several instances, multiple E Tech Group teams were deployed to the site simultaneously to work in different areas.
Our engineering design team also worked to standardize new electrical panel designs so they could easily be adjusted from one area to another with minimal notice, if required. The automation software was also standardized across the facility to make it more easily supportable during deployment and ongoing.
Once installation began, our engineers deployed full site management to the hub to oversee all deliveries and installation activities. E Tech Group’s site manager was also the single point of contact for the hub manager and the mechanical consultant, creating a seamless communication channel from the customer to the E Tech Group project team.
There were several challenges associated with the successful completion of this project, ranging from tightly-scheduled downtime to dealing with delayed equipment deliveries. Our engineers closely managed the project and evolved the highly-detailed schedule to accommodate the customer’s needs.
The Results: Exceeding the Client’s Automation Expectations
This turnkey systems upgrade required rigorous planning and constant communication, making thorough and collaborative project management essential. After completing this project on time and on budget despite all the obstacles, E Tech Group has been awarded several other projects with this customer at the same facility.
For manufacturers with multiple locations, finding an automation company you can rely on for projects across facilities is key to operational integrity and consistency in each plant. E Tech Group cultivates these symbiotic long-term relationships through a unique brand of project management, focused on close collaboration with the client and strategic control system design that allows the facility to improve, adapt and scale.