Case studies from the plant floor to the control room

The Requirement

Design and develop a centralized monitoring system for 18 newly installed tyre curing presses — monitor press parameters in real time, manage alarms, store and retrieve historical data, and generate reports for analysis.

Solution Provided

A SCADA system built on Wonderware InTouch with:

• Real-time data fetching from all presses via PLC controllers
• Live trend monitoring for curing cycles of each press
• Historical logging at 1-second intervals with trend visualization
• Fault logging to SQL Server for reporting
• Password-protected set point entry screens
• Bladder & mould life tracking with alarm limits

Benefits & Outcomes

• Centralized real-time monitoring of all presses from the control room
• Historical trend analysis reduced tyre rejection
• Consolidated fault, alarm, and production reports in one location
• Faster supervisor response, less downtime from defective curing cycles

The Requirement

Improve the accuracy, efficiency, and reliability of the weighment system for the rubber mixing process, with a centralized recipe management and reporting system across all stations — replacing a manual digital-balance process prone to human error.

Solution Provided

A SCADA-based weighment system deployed at three plant locations with:

• Automatic recipe selection with set values loaded instantly
• Real-time weight comparison with colour-coded, sequential prompts
• Cycle-wise data recording and analysis reports
• Centralized recipe management reflected across all stations instantly

Benefits & Outcomes

• Real-time comparison and logging eliminated manual weighing errors
• Operators no longer rely on memory for recipe values
• Centralized control without disrupting live operations
• Improved process consistency and reliability across all lines

The Requirement

Automate recipe selection, production monitoring, and wastage tracking for the band-building process, with barcode-based tracking of rubber sheets from calendaring through to tyre building, and centralized recipe management with detailed reporting.

Solution Provided

A custom software solution featuring:

• Centralized recipe management pushed to banner cutting machines
• Automatic barcode tag printing after each completed roll
• Machine-wise production, wastage, and recipe-count tracking
• A dedicated scanning station computing production, wastage, and operator performance

Benefits & Outcomes

• Centralized recipe management reduced conflicts and tracking errors
• Full traceability of stock from first process to last via barcode
• Precise per-machine, per-operator production measurement for exact payments
• Live monitoring enabled real-time supervisory decisions and planning

The Requirement

Design a centralized system to monitor bladder curing presses, ensuring proper curing to extend bladder life and reduce costs — tracking mould/core temperature, steam pressure, and production counts for accurate operator payments, replacing three presses with individual PLCs and no shared monitoring.

Solution Provided

An AVEVA InTouch-based SCADA system with:

• Real-time data fetching of temperature and steam pressure across all 3 presses
• Historical logging and graphical trend display
• Password-protected alarm limits with colour-coded live & historical alarms
• Consolidated alarm and production reporting

Benefits & Outcomes

• Real-time monitoring enabled immediate corrective action
• Historical data analysis supported process optimization
• Proactive alarms reduced breakdowns and defective production
• Accurate production tracking for precise operator payments

The Requirement

Upgrade the SCADA system for a chemical mixing line running on proprietary software with no source-code access, frequent communication and report data loss, dependency on continuous SCADA uptime, and an outdated Windows XP interface.

Solution Provided

A new system built on Factory Talk Optix SCADA, featuring:

• An advanced live monitoring dashboard
• Recipe, material, and production plan management
• Web-based analytical reporting
• Independent line operation with no SCADA-uptime dependency

Benefits & Outcomes

• Eliminated the SCADA-running dependency entirely
• Enhanced real-time monitoring and control
• Advanced web-based reporting replaced manual logs
• More user-friendly, reliable production management