Affiliated Companies:
Clear Horizons, LLC
MetroPower, Inc.
MP Systems, Inc
Parent Company:
PPC Partners

Automation Services

Overview

Without Experience, Technology means Nothing!

Pieper Electric’s Automation and Controls group provides our customers with innovations, technical expertise, outstanding service, and a quality product. The Automation and Controls group incorporates application development, design, programming, control panels, quality assurance, and customer training into a complete solution.

Born from over 20 years of controls experience in the mining / aggregate industry and water / waste water systems, our expertise has naturally spilled into other industries such as food processing, pulp and paper, anaerobic digesters, prison systems, OEM suppliers, and various manufacturing facilities. We have a growing list of system integration partnerships including Rockwell / Allen Bradley, Wonderware, and Phoenix Wireless. Our HVAC department is a certified Honeywell integrator. Our panel manufacturing division is a certified UL508A self-inspection shop. Pieper Electric's service department has journeyman electricians trained in the latest technologies to provide support after installation.

Our credentials are proven, our experience vast. Call us today and let us provide you with the same service and quality our current customers have experienced.

Mining and Aggregate

Maximizing uptime in crushing operations means more finished product, and more profit, but also requires precise control over operations. Pieper can provide control systems for hydraulic, conveying and crusher systems, as well as complete system diagnostics to monitor and trend operational data. Our latest technologies allow for predictive maintenance based on past trends and operator input.

The aggregate and mining industry is no stranger to Pieper Electric. We have commissioned and serviced numerous crusher control systems on six continents. We troubleshoot and service many of our customers remotely, troubleshooting systems from our office in Milwaukee, WI. Our employees have accumulated over 5 million flyer miles traveling to customer mine sites. Pieper Electric holds safety in high regard, and all automation technicians at Pieper are MSHA certified. Let us put our experience to work for you.

Services

Pieper Electric’s Automation and Controls group provides the following services:

Application Development / Automation Audit
Control System Engineering & Design
Panel and Enclosure Fabrication
PLC Programming
HMI Development
Global Travel
Operator and Maintenance Training
System Maintenance and Service

Control Panels

Automation Controls Division’s award winning panel fabrication shop is capable of building projects of nearly every size. From small push button panels to mobile MCC’s and everything in between, we can build a solution. Quality and reliability are ensured in all of our custom fabrication products. Every panel is inspected and tested to ensure operability upon installation. Our panel fabrication shop is a UL508A certified self-inspection operation and safety is designed into every panel.

For questions and quotes, please contact us.

Hydraulic Press Control

Rugged, heavy duty machines such as hydraulic presses require rugged, reliable automation. We’ve confidently stood behind our work on every press we’ve serviced over the last decade. Let Pieper’s hydraulic press experience work for you.

Complete Control System Retrofits

Safe modern PLC solutions
System design
Logic conversions
Hardware upgrades
Safety Relays and Light Curtains
Non proprietary system – allows for easy troubleshooting and repair

Features

Recipe capability reduces setup time
Trending – tracks product quality
Increased flexibility
Increased process accuracy
Inspection capability using vision systems
Data collection aids in material tracking

IDAC Custom Programming & Engineering

Automation Audits

Unsure of how automation can best serve you? Let Pieper perform an automation audit. Our experts will visit your site, examine a process, communicate with your operators and supervisors, and develop a report detailing improvements that can be made. If you are looking to cut costs, improve output, reduce downtime, or gain access to valuable process details, an automation solution can be specifically tailored to your needs. An example of automation audit that we performed is shown at left. Contact us, we are happy to serve you.

Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC)

The PLC is the center of an automation system, providing I/O control, communication, and other specialty capabilities. Pieper has programmed, installed, and serviced numerous makes and models of PLC’s. Price, complexity, reliability, and maintenance are concerns many customers have when considering PLC equipment. Our education in the latest technology, along with our vast experience, can reduce or eliminate these concerns. We can build a system that balances performance and affordability based on your specifications, or specifications that we create with you.

Machine Vision Systems

The last decade has brought machine vision technology to a point once thought unattainable. What was once expensive and cumbersome, is now a viable solution for many part detection, orientation, inspection, and measurement applications. Inspections can now be performed at over 40 frames per second , and high resolutions allow accurate measurement within .002”. As new technologies constantly arise, the possibilities of machine vision systems become endless.

Pieper has created vision solutions for several customers, which resulted in increased production, and a decrease in scrap and downtime. Third-party engineering support can save you money on smaller projects by using our expertise, rather than spending time and money on training that may have limited use. Let us provide programming, installation, commissioning and support for your vision and automation needs. For a question, quote, or information, contact us today.

Maintenance

We understand that in the industrial world, there is never a convenient time for a breakdown or failure. Our industrial service and maintenance department is available 24/7. Our licensed electricians are trained in automation, giving you just one number to call for all electrical and automation equipment. We specialize in electrical troubleshooting, AC & DC drives, PLC and HMI modifications, safety equipment, and many other industrial controls. Whether you need periodic scheduled maintenance or immediate servicing, our fully stocked service vans will travel to the Fox Valley, Madison, northern Illinois, and of course, the Milwaukee metro area. Contact us today for your full service solution.

Human Machine Interface (HMI)

The human machine interface (HMI) is a critical component of a quality automation system. All of the data collected by the system’s PLC is only valuable if it is easily accessible. The HMI provides the operator with a graphical user interface (GUI) for operating the system. HMI’s can be keypads, touch-screens or industrial computers local to the equipment, or a PC system in an operator room. Our HMI’s can even be multilingual, for international or domestic use.

Just as pilots use flight simulators, training HMI’s can be created to replicate a plant’s operator interface to train new operators. A program can be created to simulate actual scenarios. Training HMI’s can be created while the plant is still under construction, so operators are trained before equipment is in place. They are also useful for training new operators for existing equipment. These training HMI’s give an operator a feel for how the system functions before being connecting to the actual equipment.

HMI capabilities have leapt into the 21st century with datacom capabilities. Recent technologies allow alarm messages to be sent right to a phone or other mobile device, and system data can be viewed on a webpage from any location. Managers can now view real-time data and information from anywhere at the push of a button. Pieper can create an HMI that puts critical information at the forefront of the interface, while keeping other information organized and available when needed.

Anaerobic Digesters

Clear Horizons, a division of PPC Partners, specializes in anaerobic digesters. Anaerobic digesters are revolutionary systems that turn farm waste into farm profits. Manure and other secondary wastes are transformed into methane and dry solids. The methane is burned to produce electricity, while the solids can be sold as a 100% “green” component of fertilizer. This system provides farms with an outlet for excess liquid wastes, eliminating storage costs and preventing costly groundwater contamination. For more information on Clear Horizons, click here.

The successful operation of Clear Horizon’s digesters rests in the hands of its automation system, which was developed through several stages of operational testing. The current 3rd generation system is a flexible “canned” system capable of being tooled for the needs of its next destination. It provides for remote monitoring and alarming, allowing the system to run without an operator on site. Every day, the manager of Clear Horizons automatically gets an emailed report showing operational statistics. Pieper Electric’s Automation and Controls division can provide you with the same technical expertise in your unique application.

Water & Wastewater Controls

A city’s water treatment and water distribution may be the most critical service a city operates. Automating and monitoring the process and equipment requires precision engineering, planning, documentation, and technical support. Coordination is required between owners, designers, and other contractors. Our paramount knowledge of the industry process makes Pieper Electric a sure bet for your next project. We specialize in water treatment and distribution, and have the resume to prove it.

Building Automation Systems

Today buildings are complicated. They have multiple levels of technology to make them more secure, efficient, and productive. So how do you tie it all together? And once it’s tied together, how do you maintain it?

Let Pieper Electric’s Building Automation & Integration Services Group help you.

From the initial design calculations and layouts, to the installation and commissioning as well as the maintenance of these complex systems, Pieper Electric’s Building Automation & Integration Services Group has the expertise to handle any aspect of a project. Our experienced staff of technicians has the latest tools and resources to solve your problems quickly. Additionally, with strong relationships with companies such as Honeywell and Johnson Controls, we have access to the best materials and equipment available.