Furnace Controls Upgrade

Malisko Engineering, Inc. was asked to upgrade a legacy Thermal Processing Furnace control system for a hybrid power systems component manufacturer.

Goals

• Utilize all existing field devices and wiring,
• Design the system based on current revisions and releases of the OEM controls hardware and software (Opto22),
• Design a replacement control package and retrofit within a small footprint inside the existing control enclosure,
• Reverse-engineer and reprogram unsupported external commands,
• Simulate new furnace control system offsite before startup and commissioning.

Engineering Tasks & Services

• Developed hardware bill of material, panel design, and panel layout,
• Recovered legacy external command libraries,
• Reverse-engineered legacy OptoControl 2.2b code including external command usage,
• Reprogrammed entire strategy with equivalent OptoScript code,
• Reconfigured Temperature Zone PID control to utilize built-in PID functionality of the new SNAP I/O,
• Modified the HMI package to facilitate OptoOPCServer communications via Ethernet (replaced ARCnet communication),
• Pre-built and tested a modular back panel assembly equipped with a Opto22 SNAP-PAC controller and SNAP I/O,
• Demo’d existing controls hardware onsite,
• Cross-referenced, traced, and labeled existing I/O wiring,
• Wired existing I/O devices to pre-built modular back panel I/O assembly,
• Pre-Configured Windows XP PC with all Opto22 control and visualization software and WinKIC Thermal Profiling software,
• Tested existing recipe files and modified as necessary for operational checkout.

Project Successes

• Maintained the same look and feel of the original control system (Opto22),
• Utilized Opto22’s technical support through Malisko Engineering’s involvement in the OptoPartner program,
• New control system was made operational within only two (2) shifts,
• Successfully ran existing thermal profiles following functional checkout.