Case Studies

CHALLENGE

 

After an increase in the sales of counterfeit products and in lieu of new regulations imposed by the pharmaceutical industry, our clients were required to serialize all items, cases and pallets in their packaging area.

 

SOLUTION

 

AG Group designed a custom solution that got a case labeler machine, label printers, vision inspection cameras and bar code readers to work together under an IT infrastructure for handling both serial numbers and reports between different remote sites and customers.

 

RESULTS

 

Success came from building something from scratch; the integrated solution was designed, developed and implemented efficiently. The multi-site integration enabled data and report sharing between the remote sites and customers. It’s important to mention that the solution complied with all user requirements and made our customer easily transition into go into compliance with serialization regulations.

CHALLENGE

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Head Start centers in Puerto Rico provide an important service to underserved communities throughout the island. After Hurricane Maria created massive disruptions in the electrical system, the centers/schools were kept in the dark for a very long time, and the essential services they provide were interrupted. Generators help alleviate the situation momentarily, they weren’t a long-term solution in the midst the slow recovery process.

 

SOLUTION

 

Providing energy resilience to as many Head Start schools as possible. The AG Group team designed and installed battery backed photovoltaic systems in various schools that were in strategic locations and could bring energy resilience to other centers as well, becoming shelters for the less fortunate.

 

RESULTS

 

The battery backed photovoltaic systems implemented gave the schools autonomy for all critical loads. These centers selected for this project still serve as shelters for other Head Start’s in the area.​

CHALLENGE

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One of our clients, a mechanical engineering company specializing in the bio-pharmaceutical industry, contacted us when they were approached by a prospective client, a company from Singapore that needed super skids, with multi-level platforms, for large-scale manufacturing. They were asked to design and build the system for them, and asked us to collaborate.

 

SOLUTION

 

On our part, the skid manufacturing process required instrumentation, marshalling panels and control networks. Our scope of work in this project included specification, procurement and installation of all instruments. In addition, it included installing stainless steel conduits, instrumentation and specialty cables, and the design, manufacturing and installation of marshalling panels. A team of technicians was sent to and-user site for reassembly and start-up support

 

RESULTS

 

Thanks to our collaboration the project was completed while complying with both the set schedule and budget. The client that subcontracted us got a lot of praised by the customers.​

CHALLENGE

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Our client was adopting new manufacturing technology and required instrumentation, electrical construction and control panels manufacturing on a very tight schedule and with major budget constraints. In order to execute this project we had to come up with innovative ways of managing, integrating and delivering the tasks.

 

SOLUTION

 

Our team worked hand to hand with a designer in order to align our client’s requests/needs with the best industry practices. As part of our scope of work in the area of instrumentation we designed and manufactured 34 electrical and instrumentation panels and installed over 300 instruments. On the electrical construction side, we were in charge of installing electrical distribution panels and circuits.

 

RESULTS

 

We were able to provide the client with a quick solution turnover with a unified effort and a well-deployed execution strategy. This made it possible to achieve a successful technology transfer without affecting the schedule or budget.​

CHALLENGE

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Our client needed to monitor and control EOM equipment remotely in an energy cogeneration power plant.

 

SOLUTION

 

We hand picked a team of our experts to design, develop and implement a Wonderware Archestra Scada solution, using Archestra objects, that included a mimic of EOM equipment, HMI screens and our customer’s own screens.

 

RESULTS

 

Our solution came together perfectly to provide our client with real time monitoring and control of the cogeneration power plant. From then on they were capable of making informed decisions for efficient operation and fast response during unexpected events.​

PROBLEM

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There was a shortage of IP addresses in the Ethernet segment available to the client to connect all the new equipment brought in to their utilities network.

 

SOLUTION

 

We completely re-designed the Ethernet network and implemented a virtual Lan (VLAN) to create a sub-network for control devices that did not require access our customer’s utilities network. In addition we created a ring using RSTP to provide redundancy in communication between the PLC and variable frequency drives.

 

RESULTS

 

Increased performance and optimum utilization of network resources, including reduced used of IP addresses, while reducing network traffic and communications redundancy.​

PROBLEM

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To create a SCADA application to control and monitor a micro-grid that had a DNP3 communication protocol.

 

SOLUTION

 

Our team installed and configured a Kepware® server with the DNP3 suite for communication with the micro-grid controller. We created the tags and data structure to enable communication using DNP3 protocol objects for breakers operation and synchronization.

 

RESULTS

 

Our solution leveraged the DNP3 protocol objects and operating modes to enable time-stamped data, time synchronization, secure authentication and diagnostic data from IO devices.​

PROBLEM

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The labeler machine was obsolete and didn’t meet our client’s current needs.

 

SOLUTION

 

We designed and developed a vision inspection system based on the use of Cognex cameras and software for label inspections. The machine motion control system was migrated to Allen Bradley Kinetix motors and drives. A new HMI with Insight Explorer software was configured and installed to provide operators with vision system recipe management.

 

RESULTS

 

Our solution increased the overall performance of the labeler machine, it was validated and returned to production, complying with both schedule and budget.​