ASL specialise in the design and supply of advanced control and monitoring systems, especially for the Metal Finishing and Treatments Industry.  This includes flexible low cost solutions for single or multiple process treatments facilities and ovens.

In particular ASL have developed systems for the Automotive and Aerospace industry for improving process consistency and quality whilst also monitoring every step of the process to provide complete traceability.  This provides essential records to assist with NADCAP and other Quality Control Standards Accreditation.  Each step of the process is coded and all process data is collected automatically. Typically, rectifiers are interfaced directly and the process parameters are downloaded automatically.  Systems can include wireless terminals and bar coding, can be interfaced to manual or automatic plants and equipment, including ovens, have any number of process steps.  Systems can also collect data from various types of transducers and equipment, together with manually entered inspection data. 

We provide a design and build of control panels and systems, ranging from small simple systems through to large complex systems.  We also provide site surveys, installation, commissioning, maintenance, calibration and support services.

SCADA / Data Recording

ASL use an in-house designed SCADA system (the Data Management System or DMS), which has been developed primarily to produce informative reports for production and processing history.  The report systems have been designed to allow simple operation, whilst providing all of the required information, which is usually customised to suit the client and/or machine requirements.

Integrated control systems

The DMS provides,

• Plant overview and status information
• Detail information, sectioned by machine location / device types / process
• Active alarm display
• Security system
• Data entry systems, for load programming
  Includes use of bar code scanners, multiple part types per load.
• Setup information
  Such as alarm limits, alarm filters, control parameters, set points.
• Part library database
  Includes part photos.
• Diagnostic information
  Includes PLC I/O, device parameters (such as temperature controllers), equipment status.
• Historic data reports, selectable by shift period, day, week, month
• Historic alarm reports
• Production reports
• Work history reports
  Details history for each load, including how work was programmed, processing details (with times and process parameters) and alarms that affected that load during processing.
• Historic chart / trend data display
  Includes overlaying of different charts.
• Audit log reports
  Detailing all data chnages made by the system users, including log on name, date/time of change, PC identification, previous and new data value.
• Multiple PC display of real time and historic data reports
  To allow the information to be dispalyed and controlled at the location required.  Each PC runs independantly.
• Remote support facilities
• Chemical maintenance facilities
  Automatic and manual data logging, including note entry facilities and historic reports.
• Maintenance schedules
  Time and processes based scheduling (such as ampere-hours, plant auto time), with note entry facilities.

Control facilities include,

• Temperature control
  Includes variable set points based on process load requirements and energy saving facilities.
• Rectifier control
  Includes fixed and load based voltage/current set points, processing based on time or ampere-hours, ramping control, output waveforms.
• pH control
• Conductivity control
• Level control
• Dosing control
  Based on fixed or load based parameters (including ampere-hours).
• Consumption information
  Gas, water, electricity, ampere-hours, dosed chemicals.
• Automatic loading facilities

For the metal finishing industry, plant control system features include,

• Fixed sequence processing control
  Includes single and multi-process systems.
• Intelligent random loading processing control
  Allows multiple loads with different sequence and/or process requirements to be processed in the plant at the same time.  User defined sequences and parameters.
• Load scheduling
  Advising plant loading schedule for best plant utilisation.  Using magazine/storage positions for loads in plant to automatically schedule work.
• Energy saving systems
  Advanced software allows usage of facilities to be predicted, allowing items of equipment to be put on standby or shutdown when not required, while ensuring that items are back on line at required set point when work arrives at that location.

ASL also provide simulation facilities, especially for assisting with plant initial design and for major refurbishments, to help determine requirements for best plant utilisation and for prediction of plant productivity.