(925) 371-9871 Schedule Your Meeting Home About Services Success & Insights Industries Partners Contact Case Study: Flexible Automation Controls Streamline Plant Expansion Project With an increasing demand for alternative fuels, New Leaf Biofuel in San Diego, California outgrew their current production capabilities of turning used cooking oil and grease into ultra-low carbon fuel. The company planned a major expansion that would more than double its production from 5 million to 12 million gallons. The project called for an increase in the facilities automation controls plant-wide, with the requirement that it had to use the existing control system hardware and components. They contracted with Western States Controls for the job. Additionally, to more optimally support plant operators with the production expansion, we added the Siemens SIMATIC WinCC SCADA system that includes interlocks and bypasses for easier troubleshooting and maintenance with alarming and reporting capabilities at the operator station. New clients can also be easily added. All plant statuses and operating processes are easily displayed and accessible, for increased capacity and a higher rate of safety and control. Benefits: Siemens SIMATIC PCS 7’s flexible and customizable design allowed us to seamlessly integrate the existing process controls system into the new production facility and enabled New Leaf Biofuel to reach its new production and quality of product goals. Solutions: The scalable nature of Siemens SIMATIC PCS 7 automation controls made integrating their existing system plant-wide possible. Our engineers constructed a few additional control enclosures and added a PCS 7 program logic control block with SFC step controls with hundreds of hardwired and soft I/O points and dozens of VFD motor controls for the system’s various processes to streamline production. Learn more Need help with your next project? Contact us today! Recent Posts How Artificial Noses Can Benefit Food And Beverage Processing Plants The Importance of SCADA Systems In The Biodiesel Industry Case Study: Flexible Automation Controls Streamline Plant Expansion Project Case Study: Updating and Fine-tuning Apple’s Control System Case Study: Upgrading Control Systems To Improve Operational Efficiencies Western States Controls offers a broad portfolio of application solutions and process control engineering expertise to solve control systems, automation, and integration needs. WESTERN STATES CONTROLS 815 Arnold Drive #118 Martinez, CA 94553 (925) 371-9871 Serving clients in California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and Nebraska. SERVICES Controls & Automation Engineering & Technical Services Systems Controls INDUSTRIES Biodiesel/Ethanol Food/Beverage Geothermal Power Mining/Metallurgy Refining/PetroChem/Chemical Power Generation Pharmaceutical Semiconductor Partners Contact Schedule a Meeting Virtual Consult Success & Insights