As part of our system integration services, we design, manufacture, assemble, test and install a wide variety of automation systems. We primarily use PLCs when designing a control system and ensure each customer’s controls fit the exact requirements of their operation, whether it is wood processing, mining, oil and gas, or another industry. We are able to program on a variety of PLC brands, including Allen-Bradley, Telemechanique / Modicon (Schneider), Siemens, GE, Mitsubishi, and Omron.
MPM Engineering designs automation solutions for many components and machinery, such as:
- Log decks
- Primary and secondary breakdown
- Waste systems
- Lumber sorters
- Conveyors
- Fluid control
- Heavy mining processing machinery
- Motor control centers
- Operator cabs
- Industrial computer rooms
- Human Machine Interfaces (HMI)
We design and install operator consoles with graphical displays, and other message centers for operation status and keypads to record process information. MPM is able to integrate many different types of speed control systems, including variable frequency drives, into both our sawmill optimization solutions and other industrial solutions.
Traditionally our major source of projects, the wood processing and manufacturing industry has exposed our team to a wide variety of machinery and control systems. We have been developing control systems using programmable logic for over 30 years, starting with Reliance, Modicon, and Allen-Bradley PLC2 hardware. These days, we are primarily using the Allen-Bradley ControlLogix product line, but also keep current with competing controller brands.
We have applied our controls experience on a multitude of sawmill processes, including:
- Debarkers
- Fixed and moving saw bucking systems
- Log rotation (flying roll, knuckle, and rotary style) with integrated correction
- Straight and curve-saw primary breakdown lines with dynamic motion control
- Green board edgers and trimmers
- Planer mill board trimmers
- Lumber sorting and stacking
- Waste systems
- Boilers and kilns
Over the last decade, we have been fortunate to gain knowledge and experience in both the mining and energy sectors. We have worked on hydroelectric projects in Canada, supplying both programming logic as well as electrical control panels. In terms of mining, we have been installing new and integrated systems into coal processing facilities – our scope of supply includes both PLC programming as well as operator control panels / HMI systems. In addition, we have completed PLC programming projects for both the Tungsten and Diamond mining industries.
We have been involved in water management projects at sawmills, hydroelectric facilities, and medical laboratories, utilizing a variety of PLC and sensor technologies. For instance, we have been involved in the installation of a hydroelectric bypass valve for a dam, supplying both logic and panels. For medical laboratories, we have implemented a water purification control system that can be integrated on existing equipment, including a user-friendly HMI monitoring system.
The majority of our clients have one or more types of conveying systems in their factory, and we have provided control solutions that can either stand alone or integrate into existing control systems. Our experience crosses many industries, but primarily for mining and wood processing. We have designed and implemented control systems that convey materials such as wood fiber, bark, rock, and coal. In addition, we can interface with belt weighing conveyors as well as incorporate scanning sensors for the purpose of formulating material volume predictions.