With a focus on plant automation systems, Clark Nexsen’s automation and controls experts work with clients to provide system integration services including process controls, PLC/HMI programming, network infrastructure development, and data acquisition and management. Supporting our industrial and manufacturing clients, we have established long term integrator agreements with Allen Bradley, Siemens, Omron, and Modicon, and support various other automation platforms for industry and government facilities. Specializing in system integration services, our capabilities enable us to offer turnkey project delivery, fully integrating the automation and controls system with the manufacturing facility and process requirements.
Our automation and controls team also offers a panel shop, where we build control panels for DCS, PLC’s, and other controls equipment.
Select Expertise:
Autoclave Control Systems Upgrade, Robins Air Force Base
The autoclaves are vital and historical elements at the 574th Composite Repair Flight. The group provides repair and manufacturing support to the C-5, C-17, and C-130 aircraft squadrons at Robins Air Force Base, as well as support to aircraft worldwide through the Defense Logistics Agency.
Once various aircraft parts are bonded inside the shop, they are loaded into the autoclaves for further processing. The autoclave cylinder acts as a pressure vessel to expose parts to elevated pressures and temperatures.
The new design provides Robins Air Force Base with a customized operator interface and machine programming, allowing the operator to configure an autoclave to operate under various atmospheric pressures and temperatures based on a user defined curing profile. Clark Nexsen provided a turnkey project to replace existing, obsolete controls systems and remove all existing piping and instrumentation for two of the autoclaves. The scope included replacing all PLC hardware, HMI software, servers, pressure transducers, and control valves. Additionally, we provided Robins Air Force Base with the ability to store and retrieve the cure data in a custom database.
Key Deliverables:
- Controls System with customized operator interface
- Machine programming
- PLC hardware
- HMI software
- Custom database for storage and data retrieval
Heated Tank Farm with Electrical Power & Control System Design, Zschimmer &Schwarz
Zschimmer & Schwarz in Milledgeville, Georgia produces a variety of fiber lubricants and fiber auxiliaries for use in fiber manufacturing and finishing agents used in the nonwovens industry. Due to recent expansions at the plant, a new heated tank farm incorporating electrical power and control system design was required, including PLC/HMI programming and start-up services for the addition of eight 10,000 gallon, steam-heated storage tanks.
Electrical construction services were supplied to install a new 600A 480V panel, provide power and control circuits to the process equipment and instrumentation for the project, as well as two new control enclosures; one with a PLC, I/O and touch screen and the second with a touch screen.
The PLC control system was designed, provided, installed, and programmed by Clark Nexsen. The control system provided loop control of tank heating and directional control of process flow into and out of the tanks, integrating with existing plant systems. The PLC also provided automatic recirculation of the tanks contents via a three-way valve arrangement. All process piping was electrically heat-traced with a Chromalox IntelliTRACE control panel, providing loop control to maintain pipe temperatures at a set point. The PLC communicated with the tank pump VFDs and heat trace control panel via a MODBUS communications network. Tank level sensing was provided by radar level transmitters via a 4-20mADC signal with diagnostic data being communicated over the same loop on HART protocol. Tank temperature was measured using redundant 100-ohm platinum RTDs.
Key Deliverables:
- PLC control system design, development, installation, and programming
- Electrical design and construction services
- PLC/HMI programming
- Integration with existing manufacturing plant systems