Industrial Automation

This division is headquartered in Fort Mill, South Carolina (Charlotte, North Carolina area) and supported by technical and administrative personnel located throughout the Company. It is responsible for the provision of a broad range of professional and technical services relating to the design, development, installation and services of computer integrated Instrumentation and Control (I&C) and SCADA Systems for industrial facilities.

The functional areas, capabilities and target systems of this division are:

Design of Automation Systems includes site visits and conferences to obtain the data upon which to develop a design; the preparation of preliminary analyses and studies, sketches, layout plans and preliminary cost estimates; the preparation of final designs, including AutoCAD-generated drawings; hardware and software specifications; system diagrams; detailed cost estimates and construction schedules for industrial facilities and manufacturing processes. Electronic submittals and O&M Manuals are provided with each project.

Radio Path Study software propogation models as well as field path studies with recommended radio hardware.

Fabrication and Interconnection of I&C Systems and Components include fabrication of control panels and control consoles, electronic systems integration; Testing and Documentation.

Software Implementation includes coding of logic in a high level language such as C, C++ or Ladder Logic from flowcharts, specifications and process drawings; development of process screen layouts; integration of specific modules in real-time environment; testing of software on both development system and target hardware for conformance to specifications.

I&C and SCADA System Validation includes assembling all target electronic hardware in a factory environment and providing temporary cabling for system energization; downloading of all software into selected hardware; interconnection of target system to an analog/digital simulation of the facility processes; validation testing; and demonstrations of operational interfaces and general system operations.

I&C and SCADA System Installation and Checkout includes installation of new hardware and cabling with appropriate interconnections to field devices; point-to-point checkout; initial energization and confirmation of proper operation; system level checkout of all affected facility operations; complete documentation of the new system; system test results and operator training.

Commissioning includes final operational testing and tuning of process parameters, as built documentation and O&M manuals.

Operator Training includes development of course work for the operator and the service technicians.

Service and Maintenance supports schedule and emergency service support.