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ANSWERS

EMBEDDED CONTROLLERS Josh Eastburn, Opto 22

AMP upgrades to edge controllers Largest U.S. rotary heat-treating facility modernizes controls and automation with tight database integration.

A

utomation upgrades were needed to ensure reliable operations at American Metal Processing (AMP), which specializes in rotary heat treatment for deep case carburizing, carbonitriding, and neutral hardening processes. However, with control system components dating back to the late 1990s, some experiencing regular failures, others approaching end-of-life, and no automation staff on-site to support them, “We knew we were on borrowed time,” said Grant Pinkos, president of AMP. Realizing the need to modernize, Pinkos also saw an opportunity to make the system better than before. “We wanted it to be more than a control system,” he said. “We wanted it to be intelligent.” For AMP, this meant addressing the need for automated interlocking and alarm notification as well as integrating their backend structured

query language (SQL) database, which served as the repository for material tracking and process recipes.

Controls upgrade: Sensors, controls, drives

Given the scope of its controls upgrade — including computerized weighing, burner control, and drive control — along with these other opportunistic improvements, AMP knew it would require a custom solution. After researching the state of the art, they decided an edge programmable industrial controller would offer the most value and versatility. Even without controls expertise in-house, Pinkos was confident taking on the task. “I could see the pieces coming together... When I realized I could do data logging with [an edge controller], that checked another box for me. Once we found a

Figure 1: One of AMP’s seven upgraded furnace lines takes advantage of modern, flexible controller architecture with Opto 22’s groov EPIC (edge programmable industrial controller). Images courtesy: Opto 22

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December 2020

control engineering

www.controleng.com


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