Grant: CCI Applied Research and Development Grants

Programmable logic controllers (PLC) being the core part of automated systems have been used in manufacturing for decades and are known for their reliability and ability to withstand harsh operating conditions. However, PLC control systems can be expensive and provide limited integration flexibility since they are designed and sold by third-party companies. Embedded control systems can be a cost-effective alternative to PLCs and provide more design freedoms and integration possibilities since they can be custom designed to meet system specific needs. However, replacing an existing PLC control system with an embedded control system involves several design challenges that need to be explored and assessed for performance validation. The Technology Access Centre for Aerospace and Manufacturing (TACAM) at Red River College Polytechnic (RRC Polytech) plans to collaborate with Tamarack Industries, which is a machinery manufacturer based out of Winnipeg, Manitoba, specializing in glycol-based and flameless heating systems. These heating systems employ a control system running on a PLC integrated with the various sensors, safety features, and other peripherals required to generate and direct a controlled amount of heat. These expensive PLC-based control systems rely on several third-party components, including many considered black-box which offer little or no customization, limiting company’s design options. This project aims to address some of these design challenges and regain some dominion over their processes. The goal is to design two new control systems and gauge their feasibility. These systems would include embedded firmware running on two custom printed circuit boards (PCB) – one for their flameless heating systems and another, universal design, for their remaining models. The project is expected to yield both economic and industrial benefits through applied research. The work involves understanding the functional requirements of the proposed PCB control systems, including sufficient inputs/outputs to allow integration with their existing heating systems, a human-machine interface and accompanying PCB connection, vibration and temperature resistance suited to the intended operational environment, and embedded firmware to replicate the existing PLC-based control systems.