Power & Control System Engineering
Grain Elevator Control System Upgrades
ICR finished an incomplete grain elevator integration: new PLC and touch-screen programs, cleaned-up wiring and 9 auto routes.
CLIENT
INDUSTRY
SOLUTION
DURATION
The Challenge
A grain elevator control system was left with an incomplete integration. The PLC program did not match how the facility actually ran, outputs were wired to relays that controlled nothing, current switches and gate limit switches were partly or never wired, and documentation was hand-written notes taped inside panel doors. Operators could not count on the system to route grain from the dryer leg and main elevator to the right bins, conveyors and feed mill.
Key Requirements
- Assess the existing program and wiring
- Document a theory of operation with the owner
- New PLC and touch-screen programs to match
- Rewire MCC and field cabinet controls
- Add remote I/O and missing gate and motor feedback
- Install, test and hand over documented system
The ICR Solution
ICR started by assessing the existing program and tracing every field wire, then wrote a theory of operation with the owner covering nine automatic loading routes: Bins 1, 2, 5, 6, 12, 13, 19 and 20 plus the feed mill. ICR developed a new Allen-Bradley CompactLogix PLC program and touch-screen interface to match, prompting operators to set each distributor, confirming bin gates open or closed, and starting the drag conveyors and legs in the right order. In the MCC and outdoor cabinet, ICR rebuilt the control wiring, added remote I/O, brought gate limit switches and conveyor current switches into the PLC, removed dead circuits and re-mapped and labeled every point.
Equipment & Technology
- Allen-Bradley CompactLogix 1769-L27ERM PLC
- Remote I/O in the outdoor field cabinet
- Touch-screen HMI with overview, bin selection, maintenance and alarm screens
- Conveyor current switches for run confirmation
- Bin gate open/close limit switches
- Distributor valve control (top and bottom valves)
- Remote start for outside truck dump drag
Scope of Work
- System Assessment
- Theory of Operation
- PLC Programming
- HMI Programming
- MCC & Field Rewiring
- Remote I/O Addition
- I/O Mapping & Documentation
- Installation & Testing
Results
The elevator now runs on a control system that matches how it actually works. Operators pick a route on the touch screen, set the distributor when prompted, and the system confirms gates and starts conveyors in sequence, with current switches proving each drag is running. Dead wiring is gone, every point is mapped and labeled, and the owner has a written theory of operation and current drawings for the first time.