Flux Automation Projects

Ship Loadout Upgrade

Flux Automation Services provided engineering and programming services to integrate the client’s ship loadout equipment into their existing facility control system:

• Designed and Installed Six Remote I/O Panels. Three I/O Panels for MCC Interface and Three I/O Panels for Boom and Gate Control
• Thirty-Five Motors
• Twenty-Four Hydraulic Gates

This project allowed remote supervision of operations and equipment diagnostics. Reducing downtime due to insufficient equipment diagnostic information.

Industrial Grain Client – Toledo, Ohio

Reclaim and Container Loadout

Flux Automation Services provided engineering and programming services to integrate bin reclaim and container loadout equipment:

• Twenty-Two Variable Feed Reclaim Gates
• Two Reclaim Belt Conveyors
• Bucket Elevator with Dust Collection System
• Container Loadout Conveyor with Spout and Winch

A remote I/O panel was installed and incorporated into their control system to accommodate the newly integrated equipment.

This project allowed loadout operators greater control of the reclaim and loadout process while eliminating the need for personnel to be stationed to open and close gates manually.

Industrial Grain Client – Columbus, Ohio

Control System Network Overhaul

Flux Automation Services upgraded an aging facility control system network with the latest Cisco and Stratix Technology:

• Utilized the client’s existing fiber infrastructure
• Installed Cisco Catalyst core switches in a stacked high-availability configuration
• Installed Stratix 5400 Switches in zones
• Utilized Resilient Ethernet Protocol (REP) for trunk fault tolerance
• VLANs for network segmentation
• Integrated real-time network diagnostics viewed through the control system allow operators to identify network faults quickly.
• Fully configured and tested before installation to minimize downtime during the cutover

This project has improved system reliability, security, and visibility while simplifying and comprehensively documenting their once chaotic controls network.

Networks tend to lose structure as various vendors add on and “quick fixes” occur over the years. Let Flux Automation Services audit and overhaul your control system network for peace of mind, knowing your system is stable and secure.

Industrial Grain Client – North America

Hazard Monitoring System Integration

Flux Automation Services performed numerous projects integrating and expanding hazard monitoring systems:

• Integrations of:
  • Electro-Sensors HazardPRO™ Wireless Hazard Monitoring Systems
  • 4B Watchdog and Hotbus Hazard Monitoring Systems
  • CMC Hazard Monitoring Systems
  • Stand-alone RTD Sensors
• Integrate hazard monitoring systems into your control system to accomplish:
  • Controlled Equipment and System Shutdowns
  • Alarming, Alarm Tracking, Equipment Statuses, and Diagnostics
  • Easily View your Temperatures and Conditions through a Relational Graphical Representation of your Equipment
• Services include new installations, retrofits, expansions, and audits.

Installing a packaged Hazard Monitoring System is a cost-effective method for monitoring your equipment. The true potential of these systems lies when they are integrated into your equipment controls, allowing for intelligent real-time reactions to potentially hazardous events.

Various Industrial Grain Clients

Automated Truck Loadout

Flux Automation Services provided engineering and programming services to automatically integrate truck scales and modulate feed gates to load and top off cement trucks.

• Three truck loadout lanes
• Four cement storage day bins

A once manual operation that required the undivided attention of a load operator to juggle several levers, buttons, and switches to load trucks while also entering bill of lading records. A delayed reaction for even a second would result in an over-limit and illegal load.

Now, this is done by entering the desired target weight and clicking start. The control system automatically fills at a desired rate to not stress the hauling trailer and tops off the load. This allows the operator to focus on other tasks and has improved load reliability and traffic throughput.

Industrial Cement Client – Houston, Texas

Server Virtualization and Upgrade

Flux Automation Services provided programming and equipment to upgrade and virtualize redundant FactoryTalk View Site Edition servers.

By leveraging virtualization’s cost-saving technology while maintaining high availability with redundant hardware, Flux Automation Services performed this hardware and software version upgrade to ensure the reliability of this facility’s critical control system.

Industrial Grain Client – Ohio