Industrial

A  Variable Speed Drive AC conversion project replaces an existing troublesome DC control system and both reduces machine downtime and increases production on a Tubular strander.

Drives and Automation were asked to look at replacing the existing obsolete DC drive system with a full AC conversion, as reliability was becoming an issue. The DC drives were at the end of their useful life after many years of service, spare parts were unobtainable and the drive second processor cards were obsolete.

Read more..

End of life products are a problem for many industries, giving you increased down time and maintenance headaches. DnA replaced an existing Mannesman system that had reached end of life and could no longer be supported.

The new control system was based on a Control Techniques Mentor cutter drive with Control Techniques servo motors and amplifiers.  A Siemens S7 PLC system with touch screen provided operator control and menu selection.

Read more..

A 3.3kV to 690V LV drives conversion replaces an obsolete slip ring motor control system with a modern ABB ACS800 regenerative inverter, supply transformer and motor improving production and reliability at one of the UK’s largest salt mines.

The Salt Union mine located in Winsford, Cheshire produces rock salt used for de-icing roads. As part of Compass Minerals Inc, a truly global salt company they produce and sell over 9 million tonnes of salt each year including table salt. The engineers at Salt Union approached Qualter Hall in Barnsley to upgrade their existing winch control and safety system on their No.5 Shaft Winch shaft.

Drive and Automation, as an Added Value Provider (AVP) for ABB, were asked to provide a design solution and hardware on the project. Qualter Hall were to upgrade the safety system and winch refurbishment
in-house and undertake the installation works.

Read more..

When Prysmian recently merged with the Draka Cables they re-located a number of machines from their Derby plant to Wrexham. The existing Pourtier D.C drive control system was increasingly unreliable and the drives and PLC equipment obsolete so the decision was taken to upgrade the control system at the same time as the relocation.

Drives and Automation were awarded the £100k contract to replace the obsolete Drive and PLC/SCADA system with a new system comprising an Allen Bradley CompactLogix PLC / PanelView HMI/SCADA and Control Techniques D.C and A.C drive controllers.

Read more..

Drives and Automation were asked to help with completing a DC to AC conversion at a Chesterfield Stone Mill.

The Carl Meyer saw was originally powered with DC Drives and Motors, however aging equipment in an aggressive environment was leading to increased breakdowns and so the decision was made to swap from DC to AC. Mechanically the saw was in good working order.

An AC motor had already been installed on site, however the customer was having difficulties in installing a suitable inverter drive and integrating the new motor into the existing control panel.

Read more..

Drives and Automation were asked to replace the existing control system due to their expertise in process line control and retrofit experience.

The existing obsolete AC drive system was becoming problematic due to documentation, and reliability problems.

These issues were causing significant loss of production due to downtime.

Read more..