Legacy SCADA replacement for refrigeration control in 300,000 sq ft meat processing warehouse.
Industry: Food & Beverage (Meat Processing)
Quick Facts
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Customer | Wolverine Packing Company |
| Facility | 300,000 sq ft refrigerated warehouse (Detroit) |
| Market Position | 38% share of US market |
| Scale | 6 Smart (Thin) Clients, 1,500 external I/O points |
| Legacy Systems Replaced | Opto 22 and Wonderware |
| Integrator | Tippmann Design Build |
| Infrastructure | Virtual machine with Windows 10 on data center server |
The Challenge
Challenge: Modernize SCADA system by replacing legacy Opto 22 and Wonderware systems to provide operator interface, data collection, and management of alarms for refrigeration control system.
Specific pain points:
- Legacy Opto 22 and Wonderware systems needed replacement
- Complex update procedures with old systems (reconfigured flat files, global search and replace)
- Needed modern solution prepared for future challenges
- Required refrigeration monitoring for meat processing operations
- 300,000 sq ft facility with significant I/O requirements
Impact: Legacy systems created maintenance burden and lacked modern capabilities needed for efficient refrigeration management.
The Solution
Architecture
| Tier | Component | Capabilities |
|---|---|---|
| Server | FrameworX on VM (Windows 10) | Data center hosted, embedded SQL database |
| Clients | 6 Smart (Thin) Clients | Operator interface throughout facility |
| I/O | 1,500 external points | Refrigeration system monitoring |
| Data | Embedded SQL database | Project storage, version management |
Products Processed
- Portion-controlled ground beef items
- High-end steak cutting
- Value-added products
- Fresh lamb and veal
Standard Modules Used
| Module | Application |
|---|---|
| Real-time Tags | Asset database |
| Alarms and Events | Refrigeration monitoring |
| Historian | Data collection |
| Reports | XML, CSV, XPS, PDF |
| Embedded SQL | Database engine |
| Web Server | Remote access |
| Scripting | C#, VB.NET, Java |
| Communication | OPC server/client, embedded protocols |
Key Enablers
FrameworX capabilities that made this solution possible:
| Capability | Application |
|---|---|
| Modern Architecture | No legacy code, built for current technology environment |
| Simple Version Updates | Embedded SQL database eliminates flat file reconfiguration |
| Virtual Machine Support | Runs on Windows 10 VM in data center |
| Unified Engineering UI | Complete module set in intuitive interface |
| Multi-Platform Runtime | .NET, Web, iOS, Android, Windows CE, Linux, Raspberry Pi |
| Long-Term Stability | Simple to run same solution for many years |
The Results
Reduced Energy Costs — Better process understanding led to energy optimization
Lower Material Usage — Improved process control reduced waste
Increased Uptime — Modern reliable system improved availability
Traceability & Quality Control — Complete data collection and historian capabilities
Simple Version Updates — No old-system update issues experienced with previous packages
Future-Ready Platform — Modern solution prepared for future challenges
Customer Testimonials:
"FactoryStudio is years ahead of the legacy systems still being sold today. Updating to newer versions is simple and reliable. We had none of the old-system update issues we've had with other packages in the past."
— Phil Black, Engineer, Tippmann Design Build
"FactoryStudio has helped us reduce energy costs, lower the use of materials, increase the uptime, as well as gain traceability and quality control. Expected benefits will be derived as the more you know about your process, the more you understand it, leading you to develop new fabrication processes, or new products and technologies that ultimately are responsible for the long-term growth of the company."
— Phil Black, Engineer, Tippmann Design Build
Resources
Download case study:CaseStudy_PackingMachine.pdf
This case demonstrates legacy SCADA replacement for refrigeration control with modern architecture and simplified version management.
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