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Benefits of Tuning PID Loops

Control loops are a critical part of manufacturing and other process control systems. Whether controlling critical temperatures, flows, pressures, or nearly countless other potential elements, a system which keeps the behavior and relationship between setpoints and variables predictable and optimized will add value in many ways. Process control loops and systems may produce minimally acceptable results whether they’re properly tuned or not, but the long-term impact of optimization will pay dividends which far exceed the costs of the tuning effort.

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Large Scale SCADA Migration using Ignition coupled with the Perspective Module

ECS Solutions, Inc., recently completed a large-scale SCADA migration for a fortune 500 food manufacturing client. This upgrade was noteworthy based on the size of the facility-wide project and the fact that it was executed using Inductive Automation’s Ignition platform coupled with the Perspective visualization module as the basis of design. This client has embarked on an enterprise-wide modernization effort which will enable them to maintain and monitor their dozens of facilities. In many ways, this made possible by rapid advancements in plant floor hardware and computing software, commonly referred to as Industry 4.0.

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Exploring the Benefits of Enterprise Architecture with Inductive Automation’s Ignition

In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, companies face numerous challenges such as data fragmentation, operational inefficiencies, and the need for real-time decision-making. To overcome these obstacles, many organizations are turning to enterprise architecture solutions that offer a holistic approach to optimizing operations. One such solution is Inductive Automation’s Ignition, a powerful software platform that offers a wide array of benefits for enterprise architecture implementation. In this blog post, we will explore the advantages of employing Ignition as part of a comprehensive enterprise architecture strategy.

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Manual Ingredient Additions – Confirmation and Tracking

ECS Solutions, Inc. (ECS), worked with a world leader in nutritional products to tie together the most critical software tools used in their dry ingredient manufacturing. This project merged the capabilities of the existing inventory tracking system with the robust batch processing capabilities in the company’s final assembly area.

The client’s existing inventory management system is a reliable platform which facilitates comprehensive materials tracking, complete with connectivity to their SAP ERP. The final assembly area FactoryTalk View batching system is a prompt-driven batching application designed to steer operators towards the successful assembly of mixes. The overarching goal of this project was to further enhance the consistency in product mixing actions by every operator. ECS tied, the tried and tested inventory tracking functions of the inventory management application, to the programmatic and physical control points provided by the batching control system. The results are streamlined operations for mixing personnel, non-invasive enforcement of the mixing steps and procedures, and more complete data records regarding specific ingredient usage and batch performance.

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ECS Solutions has acquired the assets of HTI Inc. of Horse Branch, KY

ECS Solutions, Inc. founded in 1977, and dedicated to performance improvement and innovation in batch manufacturing, has acquired the assets of HTI Inc. of Horse Branch, Kentucky. HTI Inc was founded in 1996 with a primary focus on serving Water and Wastewater municipal customers. The company specialized in water and wastewater plant process control design, implementation, and related services. The company was known for its expertise in remote “telemetry” solutions, utilizing multiple communications platforms such as Narrowband radio communications, spread spectrum radio communications, ISP, and Cellular networks. HTI offered PLC-based process controls, SCADA/HMI development, and provided and maintained process measurement and online water quality analytical instrumentation.

“ECS is very excited about this partnership with HTI. We have looked at the Kentucky market as a vibrant, growing industrial area. With HTI’s established local presence, ECS can augment their existing skills with increased capacity and a specialized skillset in batch process automation. Together we can better serve this geography and the Water/Wastewater market.” said Randy Otto, ECS Solutions CEO.

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Embedded Engineers as Trusted Advisors

The legacy walls between areas and disciplines inside of a manufacturing plant have melted away, leaving behind a complex, inter-woven tapestry of interconnected workers and departments. The speed at which technology advances inside of plants would make it nearly impossible for most organizations to support all systems via internal personnel. The internal support teams of today are smaller than they once were while the reliance on the plant tech has grown. The tasks of hiring, training, and then retaining highly technical talent in IT, engineering, general maintenance have become more difficult.

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Benefits of a Campaign Manager

Batch processing facilitates the repetitive, tightly controlled manufacture of many things. This type of operation is ideal for large scale manufacturing where products are assembled and modified in a series of stages or steps. When connected to a batch management software system, the number of ingredients, execution stages, and degree of processing complexity which can be handled by relatively unsophisticated operators can be extraordinary. The typical end results for manufacturers are lower cost per unit products with tight quality control and meticulous records of production.

Enterprise resource and scheduling systems are ubiquitous to modern manufacturing organizations. These are frequently mated to plant floor automation systems. For simple batch operations with savvy operators this task can be straightforward, particularly when aided by a batch management solution. However, in operations that require rapid processing or changeover between many in-progress batch orders, this can be challenging. The same is true if batch processing requirements for a single order are large in either complexity or an amount of time that spans beyond the purview of a single operator or team. Integration between the master resource and scheduling system and the batch operating environment can be enhanced using a campaign manager.

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12 Batch Implementation Design Considerations

Batch systems are used for maximizing quality control, minimizing cost, and reducing loss by manufacturing smaller batches compared to a mass production model, which is why companies in the food and beverage, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries rely on them. The audience of a batch system is varied, and therefore the proper implementation of a batch system needs to consider many factors. From the Plant Manager, Operations, Engineering, and Maintenance to the Operators, all these personas have unique needs that must be considered.

The best practices dictated by standards such as ISA 88 and ISA 95 provide a great guideline or starting point, but these standards do not prescribe how to implement the details of a solution. Therefore, the following is intended to highlight some of the considerations for a system design.

Divider graphic for Creating a Robust Equipment Model for Optimal Plant Performance.

Creating a Robust Equipment Model for Optimal Plant Performance

A plant’s capabilities of what and how products can be manufactured there reside in the capabilities of its equipment, materials, and personnel. These capabilities are captured by the Equipment Model as defined in ISA 88 & 95. Once you capture these capabilities, they are exposed to the recipe author to define how to execute the product manufacturing workflow, which is detailed in the ISA 88 Procedural Model.

Having a well-defined Equipment Model is paramount to enabling the plant’s maximum capabilities while providing the recipe author and operators with an intuitive experience. The Equipment capabilities definition should include the activities that the automation controls system can perform (i.e., Add Water) as well as the activities performed by the operators and other personnel (i.e., Manual Additions, Lab Sample Data, etc.).

Divider graphic for Steps for Designing Batch Systems.

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A Trusted Advisor Cements Their Value During Project Startups

Engineering projects may take extended periods of time to develop and physically install, often with macro progress being tough to gauge on a day-to-day basis. These efforts come to a head with a flurry of activity in the final hours before “go live”. Tradesmen flutter about making final adjustments to installed bulk hardware and intricate instruments, electricians frantically make and test terminations, and supervising engineers and integrators follow about ensuring that checklist items are noted and addressed. These activities can resemble an orchestral presentation that might span multiple shifts for days and weeks on end. It is at this time that the systems integrator proves their value and clients learn that having a true trusted advisor is critically important to success.

There was a time where simple catch all language could be inserted into automation project contracts and a client could fairly expect an integrator to ensure that a system was complete. Language like “systems integrator must include all miscellaneous items required to make a complete system” would be included in specifications. This verbiage would cover small things like signal conditioning hardware and loop tuning labor and/or tools and it was reasonable to expect that the integrator could include “everything”. The definition of complete has changed considerably over the last decade. Factories today are far more complex, and the plant automation systems are interwoven into every part of many organizations. Protection language like those mentioned before would be wholly inadequate in covering the breadth of items that intermingle with the controls today. Furthermore, attempts to bind project contracts with far-reaching, boilerplate language would leave enormous gaps in functionality that would render most systems a shell of what is truly possible with modern technology.

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ECS Delivers True Long Term Success as Trusted Advisors

People and organizations leverage trusted advisors in all facets of life. Whether it is something as commercial as an auto mechanic or as intimate as a primary care physician, attorney, or wealth advisor, trusted advisors play a role just about everywhere. They maintain deep, current knowledge in specialized fields, and they stand ready to support those in need. They are driven by excellence, thinking beyond themselves or their own organization and focus on the broader environment. Where their focus intersects with the needs of a client, a true trusted advisor relationship can take hold.

Control systems integration is young but maturing when compared to many other functions in legacy buildings and operations. The discipline, which barely existed a generation and a half ago, has become the technological focal point of modern manufacturing. There are no lulls or definable steps as technology continually advances at a dizzying pace. What started as ways to simplify wiring and logic applied to flexibility in controls has evolved into a holistic environment which links manufacturing, operations, and supply chains via a web of connected people and equipment. Manufacturers leverage related professionals each day to stay at the edge of technology and to apply it effectively.

ECS Solutions (ECS) has been around since the dawn of the systems integrator-for-hire concept. Our success has been driven by working collaboratively with our clients as true strategic partners. We know that enduring bonds do not develop by accident nor out of contractual obligation. Our clients expect that we know not only where technology is today, but also where it is going. They leverage our extensive knowledge and experience in ways that address both their immediate needs and their continuing objectives.

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