At MPM, the full design of a custom designed solution is not a new concept. Although our roots are in the wood manufacturing industry, we have been involved in projects reaching across many industries and supplied components that just aren’t available off-the-shelf. Some components that we have broad knowledge and experience on include: sensor technology, electronic circuitry, and the use of specialized software.
MPM’s scanning solutions are integrated into every one of our optimization systems, and many of our automation systems use a variety of sensors to “see” the process. Utilizing the latest in precision scanning and sensing technology, our scanning units provide critical information to the operator, enabling them to make informed decisions about further product segmentation or processing.
Our custom scanning solutions are extremely versatile, and can be programmed to look for almost any feature in wood processing, including:
- Wane
- Pith location
- Knots
- Surface cracks
- Length
- Width
- Bow
- Crook
- Twist
MPM can provide single-point sensors, diameter (shadow) scanning, true-Shape (profile) scanning, or a combination of these in a multi-zone configuration, depending on your needs. Furthermore, we have extensive experience with many sensors that interface directly to an automation system and can recommend the best solution for your process. MPM does not develop sensors in-house, but rather discusses our needs with a variety of third-party hardware companies in order to provide each customer with the solution that best fits their operation.
We are able to design complete systems using a variety of industrial electronics, including off-the-shelf and specialized controllers, displays, communication interfaces, industrial Ethernet devices, vision sensors, input controls (buttons, joysticks, etc), and power distribution systems. If a component of a system is unavailable in the marketplace, we are able to design and build in-house a solution with the necessary features and connections.
Some of the industrial electronics we work with include:
- Motion controllers, such as Delta’s RMC and Allen-Bradley’s HYD02 module
- Message boards, such as Newnes and Vorne displays
- HMI hardware, such as Allen-Bradley’s Panelview and Hope Industrial’s touchscreens
- Comms interfaces, such as BEI’s isolator modules and Red Lion’s serial converters
- Industrial Ethernet devices, such as N-Tron’s and Advantech’s intelligent Layer 3 switches
- Sensors, such as SICK’s high density laser profiler and Banner’s Mini-beam array
- Input controls, such as Allen-Bradley’s 800-F buttons and Cyber-Tech’s Dyna Handle joysticks
- Power systems, such as Eaton’s and APC’s fully-online UPS systems
Often we are asked to design a solution that does not fit one of our current products. Although most of our software products are easily customizable for each site, there can be a need to manage a process in a way that is either unique or obsolete. For instance, it is common for a factory to possess very old scanning technology that fulfills the need but offers little in terms of modern connectivity and troubleshooting tools. We have written many interfaces and drivers for connecting with older scanners, and provide a user-friendly Windows interface for daily operations, maintenance, troubleshooting and remote connections. In addition, the updated system communicates using standard Ethernet networking and connects to modern printers, USB drives, and other devices.