Suffolk Automation helps Wrights Flour into the future!
Suffolk Automation helps Wrights Flour into the future!
Wrights Flour Mill in Ponders End, London has been producing quality flour since 1867 and now remains the only independent flour mill in Greater London.
Over recent years the current owner, fifth generation MD David Wright, has taken measures to ensure the company is prepared to face the challenges of the 21st Century. To meet the increased demand for Wrights quality flour and baking products the latest modifications to the mill facility includes sophisticated control technology, which will help further improve quality, flexibility and efficiency.
Production Director Alan Cave awarded the contract to design, supply and commission new control, PLC systems and electrical wiring to Suffolk Automation Ltd who had already proved through previous installations their attention to detail and understanding of the project. A new central control point was installed to control the milling areas, silos and various flour menus. Off site access to the control system can be conducted via modem by Suffolk Automation for analysis and software adjustment.
Rockwell Automation control equipment was specified for this project, using their SLC 5/03 range of PLC’s. The control system was split over three control panels, Panel 1 –Midds (wheatfeed) and Screenings, Panel 2 - Wheat Intake and Panel 3 - Screenroom and Conditioning. Each of these containing their own PLC all three PLC’s were then networked together.
Overall control was via an Intellution iFix SCADA node, this was used for plant graphics, recipes (blends of different wheats and water) and job schedule. The job schedule allows operators to add jobs (recipes, destination silos and conditioning time) to a list; the control system would then carry out the jobs on the list automatically without any further intervention from the operator.
The automation of the production areas will deliver many advantages including 24-hour working, automatic shut down and start up of plant (saving on power and extending life of machinery), reliability and improved use of space within the facility.
Finally, a new flour out-load bay was installed to ensure faster movement of bulk finished product away from the site. Tankers can now be loaded with bulk flour in a fraction of the time taken previously.
To ensure smooth on-site commissioning Suffolk Automation worked weekends allowing changeovers to take place without loss of production. The key to success has been the close liaison with the customer at all times.
Comment from Alan Cave- Production Director
“It is exciting to see how quickly our business is transforming. Suffolk Automation has helped greatly in our efforts to improve the plant efficiency and achieve our goals in developing our business. Suffolk Automations understanding of our requirement impressed us greatly and the strong partnership formed between the two companies through previous installations gave us total confidence in their capability. They provided us with the best solution in terms of design, pricing, features and ease of integration”.
