Our client operates a ship unloading facility on the River Thames, designed to discharge granite into covered storage bays.  Product is fed into the system via a VSD-controlled belt feeder, allowing the operator to regulate the required TPH (tons per hour) into the plant.  Material is then directed to the correct storage bay via s series of conveyors and a tripper system.

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The existing Modicon PLC system was outdated and unreliable, prompting the client to seek a modern solution. We designed and installed a new control system utilising a Siemens S7-1200 PLC paired with ET200S remote I/O. To enhance operator control and usability, we installed three Siemens touchscreen HMIs, ensuring efficient and intuitive operation of the system.

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One of the HMIs was mounted in the cab of the tracked material handler which transfers product from the ship to the discharge hopper.  This allows a single operator to control the entire process from discharge to storage bays.​​

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Remote access to the site is enabled through a secure VPN connection, offering convenient and safe system monitoring and troubleshooting.