Wonderware Adds Improved Consistency, Increased Productivity and Higher Quality to the Mix for PVC Compound Fabricator
Company Size
200-1,000
Region
- America
Country
- United States
Product
- Wonderware System Platform
- Wonderware Performance Software
- Wonderware InTouch HMI
- Wonderware ActiveFactory Software
- Wonderware Historian Software
Tech Stack
- Automation Software
- Inventory Control System
- Scheduling System
Implementation Scale
- Enterprise-wide Deployment
Impact Metrics
- Cost Savings
- Productivity Improvements
- Waste Reduction
Technology Category
- Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Application Development Platforms
- Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Data Management Platforms
- Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Device Management Platforms
Applicable Industries
- Chemicals
Applicable Functions
- Discrete Manufacturing
- Quality Assurance
Use Cases
- Inventory Management
- Predictive Quality Analytics
- Process Control & Optimization
Services
- Software Design & Engineering Services
- System Integration
About The Customer
PVC Compounders LLC is a manufacturer of PVC compounds in pellet form. The company is headquartered in Kendallville, Indiana and operates a satellite plant in El Paso, Texas. PVC Compounders produces the pellets used by manufacturers of wire and cable, injection molding and extrusion applications, resulting in the end products that we buy. Nearly every car sold in the United States contains flexible PVC made from the pellets produced by PVC Compounders. The company operates on a built-to-order model, keeping minimal inventory at their plant. Large bags containing fillers and other raw materials are delivered daily. Once these materials are in the plant, operators must orchestrate the mixing process to ensure that the right ingredients are brought from the silos and into the mixing line. After mixing, operators manage the cooling process and monitor the finished powder as it moves to the extruder. Each batch is finally formed into pellets, which are shipped out of the plant.
The Challenge
PVC Compounders LLC, a manufacturer of PVC compounds in pellet form, faced several challenges in their operations. The company operates on a built-to-order model, keeping minimal inventory at their plant. This necessitated daily deliveries of raw materials and careful orchestration of the mixing process to ensure the right ingredients were incorporated at the right time. The company also had to manage extreme temperature fluctuations at their plant site in El Paso, Texas, which could affect the final product. Communication was another challenge, as many of their operators were non-native English speakers. The company's highest priority was ensuring that the recipe for each compound was accurate and consistent, and that plant operators had immediate access to these formulations.
The Solution
To address these challenges, PVC Compounders turned to Wonderware, a provider of industrial software solutions. Wonderware Central, a Wonderware authorized distributor, recommended a custom software solution based on the Wonderware System Platform. This platform could be rapidly deployed and integrated with existing systems, providing the capabilities needed by PVC Compounders with scalability for the future. The Wonderware software gave operators end-to-end control of the mixing line, facilitated more efficient batch processing, and provided easy access to accurate formulations in the database. The solution also linked the El Paso plant with the main plant in Indiana, providing a unified environment for visualization of the plant floor, plant history, device communications and automation application integration. The Wonderware Historian module collected and stored complete real-time and historical plant data, giving operators the accurate real-time data they needed to make adjustments to temperatures in the mixing process, the amperage of the mixing equipment and other parameters.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
Case Study missing?
Start adding your own!
Register with your work email and create a new case study profile for your business.
Related Case Studies.
Case Study
Honeywell - Tata Chemicals Improves Data Accessibility with OneWireless
Tata was facing data accessibility challenges in the cement plant control room tapping signals from remote process control areas and other distant locations, including the gas scrubber. Tata needed a wireless solution to extend its control network securely to remote locations that would also provide seamless communication with existing control applications.
Case Study
Advanced Elastomer Systems Upgrades Production
In order to maintain its share of the international market for thermoplastic elastomers AES recently expanded its Florida plant by adding a new production line. While the existing lines were operating satisfactorily using a PROVOX distributed control system with traditional analog I/O, AES wanted advanced technology on the new line for greater economy, efficiency, and reliability. AES officials were anxious to get this line into production to meet incoming orders, but two hurricanes slowed construction.
Case Study
Wireless GPS Tracking & Security Monitoring
Enhancing the security of hazardous freight and ensuring compliance with Homeland Security’s Transportation Security Administration mandate that all trains carrying chemicals capable of creating a toxic inhalation condition are equipped with on-board safety monitoring systems.
Case Study
Field Device Asset Management For Chemical Company in China
Chinese chemical subsidiary of multinational corporation serves customers throughout the world. Sales offices and research and technology centers are strategically located to provide rapid response to customer requests. Just two workers were assigned to maintain thousands of intelligent instruments in three production units, so they could do little more than react to device issues as they appeared. This costly maintenance method inevitably led to unexpected downtime when a critical instrument failed. Plant management recognized the need to change from reactive to predictive maintenance for all assets, including instruments and control valves, but help was needed in implementing such a technology-based initiative.
Case Study
Industrial Workforce Mobility for Improved Safety & Operations
Huntsman Corporation, a global manufacturer and marketer of differentiated chemicals, undertook an aggressive program to eliminate injuries, product defects, and environmental releases at their Port Neches facility. Termed “Project Zero”, this program required a completely mobile solution to empower operations and maintenance personnel to capture defects, track work progress and make process and safety related decisions in real-time.
