When it comes to the manufacture of specialized adhesives used in several of its products, 3M needs to maintain strict regulations on environmental conditions at its plant in Knoxville, Iowa. In partnering with the Automation and HVAC experts at Baker Group, 3M has installed a system in the plant that is driving productivity and efficiency while maintaining a healthy and safe environment.
The Industrial Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) system provides peace of mind in the plant by maintaining specific environmental conditions. This is critical due to the volatile nature of the adhesives.
Industrial PLCs represent a significant upgrade over traditional office building operating systems. Their speed, robustness, and reliability enable 3M to maintain real-time monitoring of its critical systems around the clock. Specifically, the cycle time of the computer is significantly better, and the technology is able to make quicker decisions than were made by human monitoring in the past. The more robust PLC system ensures continuous operations, which is crucial in critical manufacturing environments.
The system also extends to offer SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) capabilities, enabling 24/7 monitoring that alerts operators to any deviations from set parameters. The SCADA system provides a single viewpoint into the entire control system, offering graphical interfaces, data trends, and alarms. It ensures prompt response to any issues, even during off-hours.
In addition to advanced Industrial PLC projects, Baker Group continues to provide specialized service to the Knoxville facility.