McLanahan Controls and Automation Group Provides Complete Motor Control Center
Hollidaysburg, Pa., May 16, 2019 - When McLanahan received an order for an all-inclusive sand plant, the Controls and Automation Group set to work designing a complete motor control center (MCC) to operate all the equipment in the plant, from the Sumps and Ultra Fines Recovery Systems to the customer’s existing conveyors.
Designing the system
The Controls and Automation Group begins creating a system by first defining the equipment as far as motors and instrumentation, then verifying the nameplate information with the customer’s electrical team. From this information, they will know how to protect the motors and how to control them.
They also look at housing for the system and obtain the appropriate structure for the customer’s needs.
Once the system is assembled, the Controls and Automation Group tests the controls, simulating the function of the plant to make sure everything works the way it is supposed to before shipping.
We offer programming, full automation packages – from small, individual pieces of equipment all the way through full plant integration, and SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) systems, as well as monitoring and preventative maintenance.” – Rob Cunningham, Global Director of Controls and Automation
Expertise for all your needs
McLanahan can provide simple solutions for stand-alone pieces of equipment for integration into existing plants, but they can also create complete motor control centers for entire processing plants.
The reality is we can do as big a system as anyone can dream up. The sky’s the limit.” – Rob Cunningham, Global Director of Controls and Automation
Creating a complete MCC allows McLanahan to make sure the controls are communicating the way they should so that all the equipment works together seamlessly. When McLanahan has designed the system, they know everything about it. They know exactly how they want the components to communicate with each other. They know what the power requirements are, what sensors are involved, and the best and quickest way to get the information from one component to the next. They also have complete control over the safety circuit.
I think it’s extremely beneficial for the customer to come to McLanahan for all their automation needs because we have a greater control over the system as a whole.” – Dan Thomas, Electro/Mechanical Engineering Design Specialist
Less downtime with remote connectivity
McLanahan offers remote connectivity so that if at any time you encounter an issue or have a question or concern, they can connect to you system right from their headquarters in Hollidaysburg, Pa., and troubleshoot the problem. If a piece of your equipment is down due to a programming issue, McLanahan can connect to your system to see exactly what is going on and correct the issue. Being able to connect to your system from McLanahan's office means a quicker solution to your problem and less downtime than waiting for someone to show up on-site.
McLanahan can also help with preventative maintenance by keeping a log of hours that your equipment runs so that you know when it’s time to perform maintenance or general upkeep. This also saves on downtime by allowing you to have replacement parts in stock and ready to go for when you need them, as opposed to placing an order once the system is down and having to wait for those parts to arrive.
One call
With McLanahan handling the entirety of the control system, you need only make one phone call to receive answers to any questions you may have or to find a solution should an issue arise. There’s no calling multiple companies, no getting the runaround, no passing the buck from one supplier to the next. When you call McLanahan, you’ll be able to talk to someone with an intimate knowledge of your system and get a solution. This makes it easier for the customer to solve their problems and gives them assurance that help is only one phone call away.
We’re a one-stop shop, and we have the expertise to run a plant efficiently without having to go outside of our own organization to get the knowledge we need to make it run the way it should.” – Rob Cunningham, Global Director of Controls and Automation