AFI is the system integrator for a large Wellington bakery. AFI was approached to provide hardware, programming, integration, and commissioning for a new crate stacker machine to replace existing plant, improve reliability and boost stacking speed. The original machine was controlled by an Allen-Bradley SLC PLC and had ageing mechanical hardware. A full system was designed utilising Allen-Bradley Point I/O for machine and safety control, which was integrated into the existing ControlLogix plant PLC.

Additional devices were added to the network loop to provide ethernet access to the new stacker hardware. Safety design and programming was completed by AFI. The new machine utilises two Nidec linear servo motors that are mechanically coupled – this required complex synchronised motion control to ensure no out-of-sync movements could occur and damage hardware. A new HMI was designed and commissioned to provide operator interface for machine control.