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Sample Projects

Project	Problem	Solution
Paint Line Controls Upgrade Click Here for Pics!	This local customer had a paint line with legacy controls and no data collection. They wanted to track parts entering the overhead conveyor as they traveled 550 feet through a series of washer tanks, ovens and a paint booth.	SAC replaced the PLC with an Allen-Bradley ControlLogix PAC and used an encoder and a photoelectric sensor to track hundreds of parts. An industrial touch-screen PC replaced the pushbutton station and provided the operator with detailed system information, including alarms. The PC also collects data and sends it to a database located on a plant server. The HMI was written using Visual Basic 6.0. Now this customer has the ability to control quality in real time - before parts reach the consumer.
Die Loading Crane System Click Here for Pics!	An Overhead Crane company was installing a two-crane system for a customer who wanted to automate the process of loading and unloading dies into two presses. They also wanted to track die inventory and automatically trigger die PMs based on the number of press cycles.	SAC installed a CompactLogix PAC in each crane to control crane movements and handle collision avoidance. The PACs communicate via wireless Ethernet to each other and to two PCs in the operator area. The PCs utilize SAC software (written with Visual Basic.NET 2003) to issue move commands and track the dies as they are moved throughout the system. The software allows configuration of storage locations, die inventory and detailed move logs. All data is stored in an SQL Server 2000 database located on a plant server.
Plant-wide Data Collection Click Here for Pics!	A repeat customer wanted to control operating costs and reduce downtime by collecting data from a variety of equipment such as boilers, air compressors and air dryers. The data collection system would have to be versatile and able to communicate with equipment of different brands and types. While each equipment manufacturer had their own software, those applications weren't compatible with each other and would only collect data from their brand.	SAC took advantage of the versatility of Visual Basic.NET 2003 and wrote an application that collects data from all the necessary equipment, monitors the data for problems and triggers alerts before potential problems become real problems, and logs detailed records into a database on a plant server. This project required SAC programmers to write custom drivers to communicate with such equipment as Carrier chillers, Fire-eye Flame Controllers, Gardner-Denver air compressors and dryers, and Cleaver Brooks steam boilers.
Heating & Ventilation Control Click Here for Pics!	When rising energy costs put the squeeze on an area manufacturer of industrial wallpaper they contracted SAC to develop a system to automatically control their Heating and Ventilation during production and non-production times.	SAC used Visual Basic.NET 2003 in conjunction with Opto 22 SNAP I/O to monitor plant temperature and differential pressure and control all H&V units throughout the plant according to an intuitive scheduling utility. In two short months the savings in natural gas costs alone more than paid for the cost of the entire project.
Furniture Sort Conveyor Click Here for Pics!	An area furniture manufacturer needed a conveyor system capable of sorting furniture from multiple plants in their new distribution center.	SAC designed and installed a system which included three Allen-Bradley SLC PLCs, five DeviceNet networks, twelve barcode scanners, a PanelView OIT and a PC to track inventory and compile production reports. Using Visual Basic 6.0, SAC programmers developed an application to track product, create production reports, display alarms and allow supervisor control of lane assignments.
Pellet Distribution System	A North Carolina company needed to replace an outdated control system which included a hybrid GE Series Five / GE Series Three PLC. Complicating the situation was the absence of any documentation of the original system.	SAC stripped out the existing controls and installed an Allen-Bradley ControlLogix PAC using DeviceNet, Compact I/O and PowerFlex drives to distribute plastic pellets from four silos to thirty-four injection molding machines. A single RSView32 HMI replaced twenty feet of connected panels that had housed the original operator controls. What's more, we accomplished the enormous task during a scheduled plant shutdown and had them back in production on time.
Extruder Controls	A local company needed to replace an obsolete PLC which controlled over ninety heat zones on their plant's primary extruder. But they couldn't afford to be down more than two consecutive days.	SAC took advantage of free panel space and installed an Allen-Bradley SLC and two PanelView Plus HMIs while the machine was in production. With the new equipment in place our technicians transferred control of the heat zones one at a time to our new system without any production downtime. The PID loops used in the SLC controlled the heat zones to a closer tolerance than the original controls.
Roll Drill Lathe Click Here for Pics!	An area company needed to upgrade the controls on a 3-axis servo lathe which drills highly complicated hole patterns in rolls used by paper mills. The project was complicated by the fact that control wiring was routed under the floor in tracks just large enough for the existing wiring, requiring the existing controls to be completely removed before the new controls could be installed and tested. They needed a systems integrator they could trust to do the job right the first time.	SAC not only replaced the controls and got the new system up and running on schedule, we significantly improved the performance of the equipment. Using servo controllers from G&L Motion and Visual Basic 2005, SAC proved once again that experience and know-how make even the most daunting tasks appear easy. SAC replaced a legacy controller with state of the art digital servo controllers (MMC Smartdrives) by G&L Motion. Since there were no available VB.NET drivers to communicate with the G&L Smartdrives SAC programmers wrote one. In addition to supplying our customer with a detailed history of each roll processed (which can include thousands of drill cycles), our programmers exceeded the accuracy of the original controls and improved cycle time.
Assembly Line *Click Here for Pics!*	When a US conveyor company needed someone to handle the controls programming (including onsite startup) for a new assembly line they were installing in Canada, they called on SAC. The assembly line required an array of interlocks, a servo positioner, and a robot.	SAC used a ControlLogix PAC and a PanelView Plus HMI to automate the assembly line based on production rates and the speed of its operators. The HMI gave the managers the ability to change the speed of the assembly line according to their current production rates. Operators had at their fingertips detailed alarm information, troubleshooting data, and manual operation capability in addition to the automatic operation controls. Critical operational data was made available at remote locations throughout the system using Ethernet-capable devices.
PLC meets DCS	A paper mill in Alabama had what at first appeared to be an impossible task: A critical part of their operation centered around a control system comprised of a legacy Honeywell DCS and an Allen-Bradley PLC2. When the PLC2 started giving them trouble they realized it was time to replace it with a more modern PLC but they could only afford to have the system down a few hours a year.. A major complication was the lack of support for the obsolete DCS.	SAC replaced the PLC 2 processor with a ControlLogix and reused the existing PLC2 I/O modules scattered over a large area in almost a dozen remote racks. Communications with both the remote I/O and the DCS was achieved using an Allen-Bradley DHRIO module. SAC programmers worked closely with the plant's engineering staff and maintenance planners to complete the controls upgrade during scheduled holiday shutdowns without causing any extra downtime.