A Conex Container Solution for Automation Controls and Power Distribution
COMPANY PROFILE
A chemical and textile care equipment manufacturing company that produces hygiene solutions for commercial laundry, housekeeping and various other professional cleaning operations.
TECHNICAL SITUATION
To expand operations at one of its manufacturing facilities, this company would be installing an additional line. However, the plant did not have enough space to house the equipment needed to control and power this line. Additionally, the permitting and construction processes for an external brick-and-mortar building would require too much time and expose the company to a greater risk of a recordable accident due to extra contractors and personnel on-site.
BUSINESS SITUATION
The company was looking for a self-contained solution that could house all the power and automation control equipment without requiring the cost and physical space of an additional building. An ideal solution would be implemented quickly to ensure the new line was up and running and adding to production as soon as possible. Additionally, all safety and coding requirements must be followed during the installation to reinforce the safety of workers.
SOLUTION
McNaughton-McKay designed a solution that would house all the necessary power distribution and control equipment and could be built within the limited time and outdoor space. McNaughton-McKay’s engineers furred the interior walls out of a Conex container with metal studs, creating a smooth surface to install insulation.
Working with manufacturing partners, a custom layout was built inside the container that fit the company’s technical specifications and maintained compliance with required state certifications and national building requirements. For optimal equipment and worker conditions, a purpose-engineered HVAC system, including a Bard Wall-Mount unit, was installed. A PLC cabinet from Rockwell Automation® was built into the Conex container to house an Allen-Bradley ControlLogix® PLC, and a 10-section Allen-Bradley® CENTERLINE® 2100 MCC with IntelliCENTER® Technology was installed.
McNaughton-McKay performed preliminary inspections of installation methods, verifying that the eHouse’s construction and equipment matched designs, and conducted point-to-point tests on all interconnections. McNaughton-McKay delivered the electrical control room onsite, completely ready for use. The company only had to connect power to the MCC and terminate all motor loads while pulling in and terminating all field I/O to the PLC panel.
BENEFITS
The Conex eHouse solution saved the company $360,000 in project costs over a brick-and-mortar building and cut the estimated time to completion down to 16 weeks from 40+ weeks. All of the equipment arrived on-site pretested, saving additional time on permitting. This turnkey control and power solution was installed well within the allotted timeframe, enabling the company’s overall expansion project to stay on schedule. Additionally, if the company ever chooses to expand again and relocate the eHouse, it has the flexibility to do so.
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES USED
- Conex Container
- Allen-Bradley CENTERLINE 2100 MCC with IntelliCENTER Technology
- Bard Wall-Mount AC Unit
- Allen-Bradley ControlLogix PLC