New control system secures the future of 20-year-old transfer line

(From left) Magnus Svenningsson, director of aftermarket services at AP&T, and Joakim Lennartsson, plant manager of Shiloh.

Situation

Operating on the global stage, Valley City, Ohio-based Shiloh Industries produces lightweight components for the automotive industry. Its 230-employee factory in Olofström, Sweden, makes various steel parts for passenger cars and trucks—everything from small consoles to heavy-duty bumpers. To form the largest parts, the facility uses a transfer line installed by AP&T at the end of the 1990s. It includes a hydraulic press with 1,000 tons of press force and two SpeedFeeders for blank feeding and unloading.

In 2019, after operating for 20 years, it was time to secure the line for the future by adding a new control system.

“To ensure continued high availability, operator safety, and performance, we decided to switch out the control system and sent out a request for proposal,” said Joakim Lennartsson, plant manager.

Resolution

“AP&T presented the best solution,” Lennartsson said. “Having the security of entrusting the same supplier that designed, manufactured, and integrated the equipment to make the update was yet another reason we chose AP&T.”.

The new control system is the same as the one installed on the equipment manufacturer’s new machines. It was introduced in 2019 when AP&T started using Siemens’ new software platform (TIA portal). All operator functions are controlled from one control panel and a user-friendly LOGOS interface.

The plan was to get the entire installation done during a very short manufacturing stoppage between Christmas 2019 and New Year’s Day.

“We maximize utilization of our machines, and to minimize standstill, it was important that we stick to the schedule,” said Lennartsson. This required careful planning and efficient on-site efforts.

“Rebuilding and upgrading an existing line in a short period of time is always a challenge. But we kept to the schedule. When we started manufacturing again after the new year, we had already exchanged all electrical and electronic components and installed the new control system with new light curtains, a new operator panel, and other auxiliary equipment. It was basically just a matter of flipping the switch to restart production,” said Anders Rundén, project manager responsible for the project at AP&T.

The agreement included service and maintenance for 24 months, and after two years of operation, Shiloh is very satisfied.

“Everything has met our exact expectations, so we couldn’t be happier,” said Lennartsson.