A Safety Controls Case Study Global Manufacturer Focuses On Worker Safety A large, global aluminum extrusion client of ours issued a corporate mandate to evaluate and improve general machine safety issues across 20+ facilities. Our client recognized the importance of high machine safety standards not only for the well-being of…

An Automated Robotic Drilling Workcell Case Study Robotic Drilling Work Cell Meggitt Polymers & Composites recently updated their manufacturing operations by installating a Cutting and Drilling workcell, designed and integrated by Concept Systems. The fully automated drilling workcell uses a Fanuc M-710 series robotic arm and state of the art…

An Automation Consulting and Process Controls Case Study Building an Award Winning Plant with Process Controls As consumer demand for frozen sweet-potato fries took off, a food manufacturer wanted to build a new plant in the southern United States to expand production capacity. Completed in 2010, with Concept Systems as…

An OnGuard Collision Avoidance System Case Study Utilizing Concept Systems innovative collision avoidance system Painting planes is done by skilled artisans who need to work quickly and accurately. As they work, they travel along the plane on movable platforms. They get very close to the plane, but the platforms must…

A Machine Vision Case Study Box sorting innovative machine vision solution Inline sorting of variable-sized boxes for mixed products is a common challenge on automated packaging lines in many production facilities. The Problem: Multi-sized Boxes Boxes traveling down the line needed to be sorted into one of three stackers, depending…

An HMI Upgrade Case Study Achieve high production rates and efficiency with a HMI upgrade National Frozen Foods wanted an HMI upgrade for a vegetable blending system that used a dial system to manage the ratio of vegetables. It consistently receives top-level food safety scores and meets strict US Department of…

A CNC Controls Retrofit Case Study Automating a process using a custom Computer Numerical Control system Due to their critical nature, key parts of rocket engines must be X-rayed to ensure their integrity and thus their safety. The process traditionally has been time-consuming and inefficient. Even with the most skilled…

A Vision-Guided Workcell Case Study Making a system more efficient, safe and profitable with a vision guided workcell For this coffee roaster, the robot moving bags from pallets to the conveyor was a weak link. It often ripped bags, spewing beans on the floor. Plus, it relied on older technologies, using…

A Controls Retrofit Case Study Controls retrofit brings entire system up to speed with zero downtime Replacing obsolete hardware at Tillamook Creamery with a controls retrofit leads to the execution of a new plan to mitigate risk and eliminate production downtime. The Problem Tillamook, a longtime partner of Concept Systems,…

A Control Systems Upgrade Case Study Replace Outdated Controls For More Efficient, Safe Fuel Handling A control upgrade leads to a safer and more efficient system. A Fuel Farm contained five storage tank, as well as equipment to transfer fuel to aircraft and load and offload supply trucks. Its outdated…

A Safety Remediation Case Study Extrusion Press Line Safety Remediation Designing, engineering, and implementing a new safety control system in a safety remediation project for a Hydro aluminum plant. The Problem: Safety hazards need remediation A plant in Yankton, SD, makes aluminum products owned by Hydro. At this plant, a…

A PlantPAx and Automation Consulting Case Study Developing the New Standard for Systems with PlantPAx As part of building a new greenfield plant, a global frozen potato supplier wanted to standardize its French fry process and packaging control through all of its facilities. It required a platform built on a…

A Robot Integration Case Study Six-Axis Robot Integration Increases Accuracy and Safety Nucor Steel is a successful company with a rich history as one of the nation’s largest producers of steel products. And yet demand for its products outpaced its ability to accurately inventory the billets used in its manufacturing process.…

A Robotic Retrofit Case Study Upgrading existing machinery in a robotic retrofit to increase accuracy and quality Rise Baking Company outside Atlanta makes and decorates cakes that it sells to large supermarket chains. Responding to these retailers’ requests for more intricate decoration on the cakes usually required handwork. The company…

A Robotic Workcell Case Study Moving a New Product to Market with a Robotic Workcell Vestcom helps retailers maximize the shelf edge as it serves more than 70 percent of retail food, drug and mass merchants in the U.S. It identified an opportunity to reduce labor costs for hanging shelf…

A Random Bin Picking Case Study Automated Random Bin Picking Solution Provides Safety & Process Optimization Automating labor-intensive factory tasks with the use of bin picking robots prioritizes worker safety and increases profit. The problem At a truck and axle manufacturing plant in North Carolina, an operator was tasked with…

A Complex Controls Upgrade Case Study Redesigning An Aircraft Paint Hangar System The manufacturer wanted to improve accuracy and efficiency, and eliminate costly delays caused by the need to repark aircraft during the painting process. The Problem The customer wanted to improve the air-handling system to make aerospace painting and curing more…

An HMI and PLC Control Upgrade Case Study Increase reliability and safety for the US Coast Guard polar icebreakers. When the US Coast Guard was ready to install new crane hardware and hydraulic units on its two polar icebreakers, it turned to Concept Systems to install and program the new…

Concept Systems had a dynamic week in sunny Anaheim, California, at the 2024 Rockwell Automation Fair this November. The event sparked valuable conversations with new connections across the Southwest and strengthened relationships with our long-standing partners.  Chad McDowell, Technical Resource Director, participated in a panel at the inaugural New Capacity…

Written by Isaac Grossberg, Software Engineer  To get the most out of Rockwell’s FactoryTalk Optix, you need to get familiar with dynamic links. These links are the backbone of automation and data flow in Optix, transforming your UI from static to dynamic. Let’s break down how dynamic links work and…

Written by Isaac Grossberg, Software Engineer Read Part 2 of our FactoryTalk Optix series about OOP.  One of the best things about using Rockwell Automation’s FactoryTalk Optix platform for developing HMIs is how you can tweak and enhance functionality through NetLogic. This feature lets you tap directly into the .NET…

Written by Isaac Grossberg, Software Engineer Introduction to FactoryTalk Optix Part 1 Welcome back to the second blog in our series on FactoryTalk Optix! If you missed the first post, where we covered the basics of FactoryTalk Optix and its core elements, you can read it here.   Today, I’m excited…

Written by Isaac Grossberg, Software Engineer FactoryTalk Optix is a powerful platform from Rockwell Automation designed to enhance your HMI and data visualization capabilities. If you're looking to elevate your Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), edge computing, and data management, this platform has a lot to offer. FactoryTalk Optix extends…

During Automate 2024 our CEO, Steve Strong, and portfolio manager Evan Gonnerman, gave a successful talk about building robotic systems with modular designs. They explained that these systems produce higher ROI, provide a lower time to production, and offer a more reliable technical backbone for your automation system.   Following the…

In today's fast-paced manufacturing world, efficiency and responsiveness are key to staying competitive. A streamlined automation system is one of the best ways to keep up with the competition and ensure maximum effectiveness and less downtime. But upgrading an old system or installing a new one can be an overwhelming…

What is Retrofitting? Retrofitting is the process of updating or upgrading existing machinery or systems to improve functionality, efficiency, and performance. Instead of investing in entirely new equipment, retrofitting allows you to leverage your existing infrastructure while incorporating modern technologies and methods. It's a cost-effective way to enhance productivity and…

Concept Systems has provided manufacturers with innovative automation solutions and system integrations for more than 20 years. Concept’s updated brand reflects its growth over the past two decades. It expresses a bold new look and feel of a business with the expertise and leadership capable of creating groundbreaking change as…

Our Project Methodology is a proven process to ensure they are completed on time, on budget and to customer expectations Our project management method is based on real-world experience and ensures open communication, so all those involved have an up-to-date understanding of each other’s expectations and responsibilities. Our methodology helps…

Selecting components for UL508A industrial control panels can seem difficult, but knowing these methods makes it easy. There are several ways to go about selecting hardware that is listed for use in a UL508A enclosure.  Every device that is UL listed has 2 pieces of information attached to it.  The…

How Manual Painting Impacts a Company and How an Automated Painting System Improve Processes The way that parts and products are painted today in general industry typically involves a process that is a very manual in nature. It includes operators prepping parts, loading parts, painting parts, and management of part…

The Fundamental Questions to Ask at the Start of an Industrial Control Enclosure Design It’s one of the first questions asked when beginning an industrial control enclosure design. Are we using circuit breakers or fuses to protect our equipment? How does one choose what to specify? What are the pros…