An efficient PLC and SCADA upgrade successfully minimized downtime, reduced costs, and improved the operational control of a tomato peeler system, enhancing product quality and competitiveness for a food manufacturer.

Challenge:

A prominent food manufacturing company specializing in tomato processing faced a significant challenge with their existing peeler system. The controls hardware was outdated, causing a higher risk of downtime, limited maintenance support, and poor controls performance and control network communications. The company needed to resolve these challenges and sought the support of  E Tech Group. The food manufacturer chose E Tech Group for their proven track record and expertise in control systems, supporting a swift and successful automation project.

Solution:

The customer needed to upgrade their existing panel hardware for a modern EtherNet/IP control system. E Tech Group analyzed the customer’s existing system and provided the customer with a detailed plan to meet their specific needs of an upgraded system. This upgrade involved converting their existing Allen-Bradley PLC5 to the Rockwell Automation ControlLogix platform using the RSLogix 5000 programming environment. The customer also needed support connecting the ControlLogix platfrom to a new EtherNet/IP control network, converting several Powerflex VFDs with EtherNet/IP communications, and programming AVEVA HMIs and SCADA software for improved system visibility and real-time data monitoring. E Tech Group supported the system upgrade, retagging and remapping the existing logic to the new EtherNet/IP controlled hardware. The AVEVA HMIs and SCADA system were redesigned and programmed to provide the customer’s operators with better usability and improved access to critical data, ultimately enhancing their operational efficiency.

Results:

The project was completed on schedule, minimizing downtime. This led to significant cost savings as system failures were reduced. Improved control performance ensured smoother tomato peeler operations, enhancing the customer’s product quality. The enhanced system visibility enabled data-driven decisions and proactive issue resolution, reducing operational risks, and improving efficiency. Ultimately, this project supported the food manufacturer’s competitiveness in the market with a more modern control system.