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E Tech Group upgraded a decades’ old, primitive control system in an irrigation water district treatment plant to allow for remote monitoring and control of some of their systems, more reliability, and less maintenance.
Outdated systems have the potential to transform assets into liabilities. It is important to know the signs and risks of using outdated systems, and when it is the right time to invest in a modern solution. This was a challenge faced by a company specializing in environmental management services who was operating eleven water well sites across a five-mile area. These sites were being controlled by legacy PLCs and HMIs and relied on slow serial radios for communication, posing several risks such as high maintenance costs, poor HMI responsiveness, and limited scalability due to the outdated equipment. The customer recognized how their outdated system negatively affected their productivity and efficiency which prompted them to seek engineering support. The company engaged E Tech Group to design and deploy a modern solution, which included upgrading their PLC, HMI, and radio controls as well as install an additional water well to expand their operations.
SCADA systems play an important role in production processes. Over time, these systems can become unsupported or lack the same level of functionality of new SCADA systems. This was the challenge for a company specialized in environmental management services including water pollution.
E Tech Group Lead Automation Engineer, Kevin Tom, shared his knowledge and expertise on Best Practices for Effective Automation Applications for Control Engineering Magazine‘s webcast on August 16th, 2022, where he discussed the nuances of control system applications. Highlights from the Control Engineering Magazine Webcast During the webcast, Kevin discussed several key topics: When Should a Process be Automated? Kevin explains the criteria that a company should consider when weighing whether or not to apply automation to a process: In considering automation, goals and constraints must also be hashed out: These questions are all addressed early on in a project’s inception, as stakeholders hold the keys to the budget needed for an automation project. However, control system engineers should also be consulted early on to give insight into the specifics of these questions, like cost, ROI, and improvement caps. The Importance of Knowledge Sharing in Automation Automation is a fast-evolving field, and staying current with best practices, emerging technologies, and industry standards is essential. By participating in webcasts, podcasts, and public forums, engineers can: Applying Automation is as Much Planning as Execution Kevin Tom’s cohost noted that, for many manufacturers, delaying automation is no longer viable given labor constraints and growth targets. It may sound histrionic, but the labor shortage is a real and pervasive issue, especially when manufacturers are trying to scale. Increased production goals mean hiring more people. But there aren’t enough people to be found, and/or high turnover, and/or lack of qualified professionals, which all present labor bottlenecks. Automation is the best (and only) solution to avoiding the obstacles associated with labor shortages. However, it isn’t as simple as design-build-implement. For the transition to automation to run smoothly, the system first needs to be analyzed and verified virtually. This is another reason control system integrators should be involved in … Continued
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