Welding Automation OEM Grows Business With More Flexible Machine Design. Mavrix Welding Automation. New Berlin, Wisconsin

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1 Schneider Electric Case Study Mavrix Welding Automation New Berlin, Wisconsin Welding Automation OEM Grows Business With More Flexible Machine Design By Glen Senger, President, Mavrix Welding Automation and Ashish Patwardhan, OEM Material Working Segment Manager, Schneider Electric schneider-electric.com/us

2 In Brief Goal Build a machine with high-end capabilities and modular design that allows for flexible machine configuration without changing the mechanical components of the machine. Solution Schneider Electric TM automation solutions helped Mavrix build a machine with greater intelligence and modular design to ensure repeatable operation, enabling Mavrix to design, develop, and commission machines faster while achieving higher volumes and maintaining quality and robustness of the machines. Results Greater machine adaptability and flexibility Simple operation Ability to expand the equipment design Greater productivity Products Featured Modicon TM M258 PAC Magelis TM GTO Advanced HMI SoMachine TM Programming Software Background The scarcity of skilled labor has created a growing trend in the use of automation for many manufacturing applications. When welding operators are scarce, manufacturers must turn to automation to keep up with customer demand. Mavrix Welding Automation in New Berlin, WI, designs custom welding machines for metal buildup, hardfacing, and metal spray applications used in heavy-duty applications, such as metal recycling, cement, rock crushing, dredging, oil and gas, and steel mills. As a small, family-owned original equipment manufacturer (OEM), Mavrix must be more flexible than the larger manufacturers to stay competitive. President Glen Senger doesn t have the luxury of turning down a customer order just because it is a complex request. We are always willing to take on new opportunities and stretch our abilities, and that sometimes means expanding our products, Senger said. Customers like our products and ask us back again to do a little bit more the next time. Challenge For 26 years, Mavrix built its welding lathes with a proprietary circuit board controller utilizing DC motors and drives with potentiometers. This solution has been reliable throughout the years, but to meet expanding customer demands, a more modular design with high-end capabilities required the power and flexibility of a PLC. The challenge was in the machine design itself. To maintain reliability of the machine and minimize redesign, Senger decided to change only the controls of the machine while leaving the mechanical components intact. This would save on design and manufacturing time and reduce costs for additional parts stocking. Our customers trust the reliability of the components we use to make our equipment work with great uptime, Senger said. So my commitment was to only change the front end of the machine and how the operator interacts with the machine. The back end, such as the motors, drives, and wire feeder, had to be the same. We didn t want to introduce a lot of new components. Mavrix Welding Automation 2

3 Having a machine with greater intelligence to ensure repeatable operation gives manufacturers the advantage to achieve higher volumes and get the same results time and time again. Glen Senger, President, Mavrix Welding Automation Having a machine with greater intelligence to ensure repeatable operation gives manufacturers the advantage to achieve higher volumes and get the same results time and time again, Senger said. It s critical to have a machine that can hardface (apply wear-resistant weld metals to a part s surface) precisely and reliability. Repeatability is only as good as the operator setting the dials on the potentiometers, which control axis speeds, wire feed, and voltage. A programmable system with setup management allows operators to easily save and recall empirical machine setups for different parts. This ensures consistency and quality, which is important in an ISO-certified facility. The Solution As a small shop, Mavrix doesn t have idle resources for programming and design. For assistance finding a solution and selecting a platform that would work seamlessly with the rest of the components, Mavrix turned to Schneider Electric. Schneider Electric also helped identify a local system integrator partner, Temple Control Systems of Milwaukee, to design and deliver the new control system. I wanted to cut down on how much research I needed to do and call a partner that already had the know-how. That s where the knowledge base of Schneider Electric was so important, Senger said. The success of our transition into the PLC world was based on the local support we got from Schneider Electric and the quality of the components we use, Senger said. If I didn t have that team of resources doing this project, I would have missed my deadline and jeopardized the quality of the end product. Control Panel Mavrix Welding Automation 3

4 To handle the digital and analog I/O requirements, including high-speed encoder inputs and pulse train outputs, the Modicon M258 controller was the right solution. The M258 is compact with embedded Ethernet and an advanced instruction set that makes it very adaptable. Paired with the M258 controller is the Magelis GTO advanced touch screen. The GTO features embedded Ethernet and includes all necessary built-in tools for machine interface plus recipe management, alarm management, user security, and screen snapshot. Together, the M258 controller and the GTO touch screen provided all necessary functionality to deliver the solution. Mavrix HMI Run Screen The Schneider Electric solution provides adaptability. To add an axis or new capability to the machine doesn t necessarily require rework of the control panel. Functionality modifications can be addressed in programming. SoMachine is the all-in-one OEM solution software used to bring the whole system together. A single software for developing, configuring, and commissioning the entire machine including logic and operator interface. SoMachine is one package with one project file, one cable, and one download. SoMachine supports the IEC programming languages and provides all standard data types, functions, and function blocks necessary for machine control and can be extended with user defined objects. Adaptability Is Key Mavrix needed a solution that was adaptable so it would be easy to add capabilities to the machine when customers required it. In the past, when a customer requested additional functionality on the machine, like an additional temperature or speed controller, it required mounting a new device in the panel, which was time consuming and costly. Today, the Schneider Electric solution provides adaptability. To add an axis or new capability to the machine doesn t necessarily require rework of the control panel. Functionality modifications can be addressed in programming. This improves Mavrix s time to market. The controller allows Mavrix to control multiple axes, which can be turned on and off depending on the machine configuration. Each option can then be turned on and off via the touch screen at runtime depending on the specific machine configuration. After configuration, the human-machine interface (HMI) only displays parameters that are relevant. Having a single template project with selectable options provides consistency and simplifies program version management. Mavrix Welding Automation 4

5 It provides all the same controls plus system status and fault messaging so operators can easily troubleshoot problems and take action to minimize downtime. We save time now because we ve already designed the panel layouts and PLC programs that are developed on a single platform, so they can be used for future machines, even beyond just welding lathes, Senger said. Simple Operation Compared to the toggle switches used in the old design, the Magelis touch screen provides a lot of information to the operator. It provides all the same controls plus system status and fault messaging so operators can easily troubleshoot problems and take action to minimize downtime. Previously, operators had to use speed pots to tweak set points. Now they just enter the values into the touch screen and the controller accepts it, Senger said. It has taken some of the black magic out of the commissioning of the machine because the capabilities are more inherent into the system already. Mavrix VRW Mavrix Welding Automation 5

6 When we serve customers out of this country, we won t have many challenges with service and parts because Schneider Electric has locations around the world. Glen Senger, President, Mavrix Welding Automation Operator ease-of-use was another key factor in Senger s design requirements. The new control system needed to have a similar look and feel to the older circuit-board-based machines so that operators didn t have to be retrained. The touch screen was laid out to match the toggle switches and lights on the older machines, thus reducing the transition for operators. The customers love the touch screen and can navigate easily because it s laid out the same way, Senger said. We wanted to make sure any operator could walk over and run our new machine because it has the similar look, feel, and terminology as our older equipment. Future Looks Bright Mavrix expects to be a bigger player in welding automation by developing more custom applications for hardfacing. Having the flexibility to expand its equipment design will keep the company in the running with larger competitors. The new PLC-based equipment is an important part of our company s flexibility, Senger said. Now I can build a machine that does exactly what the bigger OEMs can do. We will have more opportunities. Another reason Mavrix chose Schneider Electric is because it s a globally recognized brand. When I present this new solution to customers, their heads shake with familiarity because they use Schneider Electric products already, Senger said. When we serve customers out of this country, we won t have many challenges with service and parts because Schneider Electric has locations around the world. Partnering with a brand that is globally accepted and available is one of the big factors in helping me win business and take our business to the next level. Mavrix Welding Automation 6

7 Schneider Electric provides comprehensive energy solutions that transform the way businesses manage their environment, efficiency, and costs. As the global specialist in energy management with operations in more than 100 countries, Schneider Electric offers integrated solutions across multiple market segments, including leadership positions in energy and infrastructure, industrial processes, building automation, and data centers/networks, as well as a broad presence in residential applications. Schneider Electric is dedicated to making individuals and organizations energy safe, reliable, efficient, productive, and green from Power Plant to Plug TM. Schneider Electric USA 8001 Knightdale Boulevard Knightdale, NC Tel: Schneider Electric, All Rights Reserved. Schneider Electric, Modicon, Magelis, SoMachine, and Power Plant to Plug are trademarks owned by Schneider Electric Industries SAS or its affiliated companies. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners _US June 2015