As part of our system integration, we can provide a wide variety of automation systems. We primarily use PLCs in our control systems 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 offers automation solutions for many processes and machinery, including:
- Log decks
- Primary and secondary solid wood 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 supply 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 is the wood processing and manufacturing industry. This industry has exposed our team to a wide variety of machinery and control systems. We have been integrating control systems using programmable logic for over 40 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 active rotational position correction
- Straight and curve-saw primary breakdown lines with simple, splined, and geared motion control
- Green board edgers and trimmers
- Planer mill board trimmers
- Lumber sorting and stacking in both green and dry mills
- Waste systems
- Boilers and kilns
Over the last couple of decades, we have gained 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 wood processing. We have supplied control systems that manage the conveyance of 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 and mechanical system health.