Control and Monitoring Systems

In-House Skills

Our in-house team has a broad range skills to ensure the successful and efficient completion of a project from design and planning stages through to commissioning and online support.

Controls System Design

AutoCAD® Electrical is our primary controls and fluid power computer aided design package.

Our Control System design team is responsible for:

• The generation of the electrical and pneumatic circuits design packs and selection of suitable component parts
• Conducting design review meetings and achieving ‘design approval’
• Ensuring the design negates any risks defined from the risk assessment and is suitable for CE approval
• Generating the supporting documentation pack which typically comprises of: electrical circuit diagrams, pneumatic/hydraulic circuit diagrams, back plate layout diagrams, operator interface layout diagrams, parts listings, operating instructions and recommended spares list

A copy of the finished design pack will be provided to the customer in electronic and paper format, plus further PDF copies can be accessed via a secure customer log in area within Workflow.

Software

The PLC and graphical interface software is all generated in-house by our team of skilled engineers, hence we are able to develop specific graphics and tailor our sequential software to suit your specific vessel.

Our software team is responsible for:

• The generation of the PLC/HMI/graphical interface software to the agreed specification and ensuring it is suitably commented and documented
• The commissioning of any sophisticated hardware (specialist drives, interface to the engines/generators etc)
• Commissioning the software
• Generate the equipment ‘operating instructions’

Project Management

We use a combination of our in-house "Workflow" process software and Microsoft Project Management as our prime time and resource control tools.

At the point of order we establish our key milestones dates within Workflow which are typically:

• Design
• Parts manufacture/sourcing
• Assembly/commissioning
• Condition & sign off

These key milestones can then be monitored online through a customer log in area and you can also access a more detailed Microsoft Project time plan document.

Panel Build

The panel build team is responsible for:

• The mechanical layout of the control panels
• The wiring of the panels in accordance with the design pack
• Powering up the panel and undertaking a bench test
• Generating the sign off electrical check sheets

During the assembly stage of the project the build documentation acts as the ‘master set’ and the panel build team is encouraged to mark onto the drawings any agreed changes or revisions. On completion of the build the documentation set is then passed back to the design office for the updates to be formally recorded prior to release of the final documentation.

Training

Training is generally undertaken during the equipment sign off trials with some further follow up training at the customer’s site once the installation is complete. Should a customer wish to have a more detailed training programme, this can be organised on request.

Integration

On request we can also act to install the control panels to your equipment and to undertake the integration wiring.

The panel build team is then responsible for:

• The installation of the control panel onto the machine/equipment
• The integration wiring
• Powering up the machine, undertaking an IO check and checking the emergency stop network is valid
• Generating the sign off electrical checks and making the machine/equipment ready for the software install

On-Line Support

PLC based systems can be provided with a device which will enable remote connectivity via an internet connection. Once connectivity is established we can then interrogate the PLC and graphic interfaces software and offer guidance with regard to fault finding and undertake upgrades.