The Problem
A natural gas processing company was hauling several large cases of equipment from place to place in order to run necessary testing for commissioning and maintenance. The company wanted a 
mobile testing platform that could be easily changed out for different configurations of PLC hardware. In addition to the wear and tear of constant travel, the testing sites could also be environmentally demanding.
The Solution
Premier Automation developed a mobile testing platform with a secure, but removable base plate for access to the PLC hardware, making it simple to switch out components. Designing the case for durability, Premier Automation also styled the mobile testing platform like a suitcase to make it easy to transport or ship.
The Results
Premier Automation’s design not only accomplished the Oil & Gas customer’s goal for a quickly customizable mobile testing platform, but also improved commissioning accuracy and decreased testing and commissioning time in the field. Premier Automation pre-wired all necessary I/O to save the customer time on startup and completed the project within the customer’s ideal schedule.
Pain Points
- Mobile suitcase-style shipping container must be durable
- Had to mount sub plate securely to withstand shipping to different sites
- Must be easy to swap out I/O cards
Technology used
- Allen-Bradley Control Logix CPU
- Allen-Bradley Guard Logix CPU
- Allen-Bradley Point I/O
- Ethernet IP communication modules
- Modbus TCP communication Modules
- Controlnet communication modules
Services provided
- Engineering and design of mobile system
- Designed removable base plate for easy change out
- Pre-wired all necessary I/O
Challenges
- Customer relied on our engineering expertise to develop an innovative solution for portability and easy change-out of PLC components
Results
- Decreased testing and commissioning time in field
- Improved commissioning accuracy
- Centralized testing platform
- Project Duration: 2 Months