Projects

To ensure maximum performance and reliability for their Battery Energy Storage Systems, Gelion partnered with ControlX to develop a custom monitoring and data acquisition platform. We engineered a unified solution that provides Gelion with complete remote oversight.

Unified Data Integration: Engineered a single, unified data stream that integrated a diverse range of third-party inverters, battery management systems, and a Siemens PLC.

Custom Cloud Data Pipeline: Developed custom software on a dedicated Mini-PC, using MQTT to transmit real-time operational data to a cloud-based InfluxDB database on AWS.

Enabled Proactive Maintenance: Provided Gelion's team with complete remote oversight and the critical insights needed for proactive maintenance and performance validation.

Building a craft distillery from the ground up requires a perfect blend of process control and uncompromising safety. Noble Craft Distillers engaged ControlX as their core automation partner to design the "brain" for their new Brookvale facility. We engineered the complete electrical and automation solution, centred on a Siemens PLC and a modern SCADA system. Our design delivers the precision needed for craft brewing while enforcing critical safety interlocks for managing a hazardous, flammable environment.

Critical Safety Interlock Design: Engineered a multi-layered safety system built into the PLC, with interlocks for ventilation, steam supply, and cooling water flow to safely manage a hazardous, flammable environment.

Automated Process Control: Developed PLC logic for precise, automated temperature and flow control of the Hot Liquor Tun, Mash Tun, and fermenters, ensuring product consistency and repeatable batch quality.

Modern, Scalable Architecture: Designed the system around a central SCADA platform and modern IO-Link masters, significantly reducing wiring complexity and creating a data-rich, expandable platform for future analysis.

To guarantee product consistency and improve operator flexibility, Munzing partnered with ControlX to engineer a complete control system upgrade for their critical 'I-Release' and 'Sylvic' production tanks, ensuring repeatable quality in every batch.

Precise Automated Control: Delivered a robust PLC-based solution to manage the entire process, from multi-stage temperature control to variable-speed mixing.

Modern Operator Flexibility: Empowered the production team by extending the system with a dedicated wireless network, allowing full process control from a ruggedised mobile tablet.

Improved Efficiency & Safety: Enabled operators to manage the line from anywhere on the plant floor, moving beyond a fixed HMI to improve workflow and situational awareness.

To help a leading rotational moulding facility move from manual tracking to data-driven operations, ControlX was tasked with capturing real-time production and downtime data from their two most critical machines. We engineered a complete IIoT infrastructure from the ground up, connecting the plant floor to the cloud and transforming raw machine signals into a powerful web-based dashboard for continuous improvement.

End-to-End IIoT Data Pipeline: Engineered a complete data pipeline using machine-level gateways to securely publish PLC data to a cloud-hosted MQTT broker and IIoT platform.

Actionable Downtime Insights: Delivered an automated Downtime Pareto chart, empowering management to make data-driven decisions to reduce the most costly production stops.

Live OEE Foundation: Provided a web-based dashboard with live shift/day production counters, building the essential data foundation for calculating OEE (Availability, Quality, Performance).

This project is about automation the concrete batching and discharge processes of a concrete panel manufacturing facility.

This system has several independent subsystems controlled by the main PLC. The PLC receives batching recipes from a computerised monitoring system.

Our task here is to:

• Design system architecture as per the client's requirement

• Develop PC software for recipe management and system monitoring

• Develop the main PLC program to control and execute the batching recipes

• Design and develop a cloud infrastructure for remote process monitoring and data collection

In this project, the client required to have a cost-effective and efficient control system for a steel rollforming punching machine developed from the ground up.  These requirements were catered to in the design and implementation of the complete electrical circuits and PLC & HMI software programs. The system consisted of control of a combination of VSD and servo motor drives, hydraulic and pneumatic solenoid valves, various interfacing sensors providing feedback and the actuation of hydraulic punches with adjustable tooling.

PLC and HMI programs were developed to increase the output, accuracy, and safety of the existing manufacturing operation at the premises, while also simplifying operation for machine operators. In using a high-resolution touch display in conjunction with a Node-RED program for the HMI, features of programming and saving new production routines via this HMI were provided.

Challenges involved programming the optimal operation of the numerous hydraulic punches, dependent on a wide range of variables such as their adjustable tooling sets, user-adjustable material feed speeds, while accommodating as wide a possible range of production patterns for the steel feed material. Tenth of a millimetre precision was a requirement adhered to, with automatic and manual operation modes, remote online control and monitoring integrated into the final system package.

Design and implementation of advanced robotic systems. The goal of recognising springs on a pallet, locating their positions, navigating the robot to pick them up and place them on a conveyor was satisfied

The system includes a control PC, a video recognition system and a Yaskawa Motoman robotic arm. We developed software to interact with the video camera and the robotic arm. An algorithm in the software takes a picture of the pallet and, using an image recognition software, analyses the photo. Calculation of the coordinates of a spring is performed, and the robot is sent a command to pick the spring. Before being placed onto the conveyor, the PC software defines a spot without a spring and sends a command to the robot for placing it.

The plant contains numerous storage and reaction tanks, which were found to be lacking in level switches and condition alarms, having room for improvement

Our solution package included design, supply and installation of the electrical system upgrade to comply with the latest EPA regulations. The design included electrical and control engineering. Electrical schematics and PLC with SCADA programs were delivered as part of the engineering stage.

Supply and installation were delivered on time and within the planned plant shutdown. Upon installation completion, we conducted commissioning and handed over the supplied equipment. Commissioning reports are documentation we typically produce and provide for our clients upon completion of jobs.

We designed a control system upgrade for deselection of drives in a 3 x 710kW ABB multidrive system.

The upgraded control system now dramatically reduces downtime risk in the event of drive malfunction. The control system allows the disabling of drives with a click of a button. The disabled drive can be removed from service while the application can continue operating with reduced capacity.

We managed the entire process from the discussion of the upgrade with the client to its commissioning. We developed PLC logic, tested it in the workshop and implemented it into the existing client's PLC.

Main challenges overcome were the dynamic assignment of master or follower roles to the drives on demand.

This job involved the design and development of a control system for a belt conveyor. The scope of work for this job included a full range of control system engineering: design of the control system, writing a functional specification, development of the PLC program, development of HMI screens, and testing of the entire system.

The conveyor is driven by a Voith fluid coupling TPXL, where we had to develop the control stages of filling the fluid coupling to achieve a smooth conveyor start. We worked with engineers from Voith, and they were a great help.

The winch control system requirements weren't typical for a belt conveyor. As per the requirements, the winch operation had to include multiple modes. The range of the modes had to be extended from just automatic and manual to additional LTU fill-in, LTU empty and conveyor retraction/extension modes. To achieve the desired operation of this winch, an ABB ACS880 regenerative drive was chosen. We are experts in setting up controls of ABB drives via Ethernet/IP from ControlLogix (or CompactLogix) PLCs, so this was easily achieved.

Overall, in this project, there were some unexpected delays, however, the development, testing and commissioning stages were completed on time.

Development of Control System (PLC and SCADA) for TLO - Train Loading System

Train Loaders are designed to load safely, efficiently and accurately while maximising the use of the capacity in each wagon. There are Volumetric and Gravimetric (Batch) Train Loaders, for any applications that require wagons to be loaded with bulk materials. Train Loaders are easy to use with flexible options for loadout operations. Manually controlled and automated systems are available with the ability to control at local control stations or remotely (on or off site).

* note: this is the company's lead engineer experience, and not the company's achievement.

Design and commissioning of control system for 32 electric motors. The project's result was a specific and complex pattern for a packaging transfer table with omnidirectional wheels. 

We also managed electrical manufacturing process, sourced components and subcontracted an electrical manufacturing company to build the control panels.

Design and implementation of new control system based on Siemens S7-1200 PLC for 10 years old HERBER Tube Bending Machine  EBM-125TB.

Objective of the project is to replace existing PC/PLC based control system (very outdated) with new series PLC and Linux based PC with User Interface developed in Node-RED. Most of the control interface will be transferred to the Node-RED dashboard and will be presented on a big touchscreen display. However, joystick and some existing pushbuttons on the existing control panel will be reused. Some specific operation actions require hardware buttons due to quicker response, so it will be wired to PLC's digital inputs.

The project is ongoing and more updates are coming.

To eliminate downtime and manual labor, we developed a new control system for a refurbished continuous shot peener in a spring manufacturing production line. In combination with a robotic arm this has led to a significant increase in production output.