Case Standardized Control for Surface Treatment
Challenge
Indufinish B.V. in Emmen, a global leader in surface treatment, faced a costly and inefficient approach to automation. Each new project required custom-written software. This meant high engineering costs, long delivery times, and complex maintenance.
The company needed a solution that would:
- Reduce engineering costs by avoiding full rewrites of control software for every line.
- Enable configuration through the HMI so operators and engineers could adapt settings directly without redevelopment.
- Provide flexibility and scalability so installations could be tailored to different customer requirements while relying on a standardized backbone.
- Ensure brand independence in drive technology, allowing them to work with Danfoss, Siemens, or SEW without software redesigns.
- Improve speed of delivery so customer-specific projects could be rolled out faster without sacrificing quality.
The challenge for TIAP was to design and implement a modular control platform that could be reused across multiple surface treatment lines, while staying flexible enough to adapt to different configurations and future expansions.
TIAP developed a standardized control concept built on ISA-88 process cell methodology, ensuring modularity, reuse, and adaptability.
Key elements of the solution included:
- Modern control hardware
- Siemens S7-1516 PLC for reliable high-performance control.
- Siemens TP1500 Comfort HMI (15”) as the operator interface.
- Flexible drive integration
- Drives from Danfoss FC302, Siemens G120C, or SEW Movitrac can all be configured directly from the HMI.
- This allows brand-independent operation, lowering costs and simplifying global sourcing.
- Safety integration
- Installations designed with either a safety PLC or a dedicated safety controller, depending on the project setup.
- Layered software design
- Control Module: standardized process steps and logic.
- Equipment Module: manages and monitors field devices such as drives, actuators, and sensors.
- This modular ISA-88 design made the system clear, adaptable, and easy to expand.
- Agile engineering
- Weekly stand-up meetings with the CEO ensured continuous feedback.
- Customer-specific requirements were integrated early.
- Development remained on schedule without delays.
- Training and knowledge transfer
- TIAP delivered a training program for Indufinish’s engineers.
- Their in-house team can now configure, expand, and maintain the software platform independently.
The collaboration with Indufinish transformed their automation approach. The outcomes included:
- Standardized, configurable control platform – Projects no longer require software to be rewritten from scratch. Configuration is handled directly from the HMI.
- Reduced engineering costs – Standardization significantly lowered the cost per project.
- Faster project delivery – Customer-specific installations are now delivered much more quickly thanks to reusable software modules.
- Flexibility without delays – Agile collaboration ensured smooth development, rapid feedback loops, and early integration of unique customer requirements.
- Empowered in-house engineers – Indufinish’s engineers are now trained to configure and expand the system independently, reducing external dependency.
- Future-proof platform – With modular ISA-88 architecture and brand-independent drive control, the system is scalable, maintainable, and ready for growth.
This project demonstrates how standardization in control systems leads to lower costs, faster delivery, and greater flexibility, without sacrificing quality or reliability.
Case Standardized Control for Surface Treatment
Challenge
Indufinish B.V. in Emmen, a global leader in surface treatment, faced a costly and inefficient approach to automation. Each new project required custom-written software. This meant high engineering costs, long delivery times, and complex maintenance.
The company needed a solution that would:
- Reduce engineering costs by avoiding full rewrites of control software for every line.
- Enable configuration through the HMI so operators and engineers could adapt settings directly without redevelopment.
- Provide flexibility and scalability so installations could be tailored to different customer requirements while relying on a standardized backbone.
- Ensure brand independence in drive technology, allowing them to work with Danfoss, Siemens, or SEW without software redesigns.
- Improve speed of delivery so customer-specific projects could be rolled out faster without sacrificing quality.
The challenge for TIAP was to design and implement a modular control platform that could be reused across multiple surface treatment lines, while staying flexible enough to adapt to different configurations and future expansions.
TIAP developed a standardized control concept built on ISA-88 process cell methodology, ensuring modularity, reuse, and adaptability.
Key elements of the solution included:
- Modern control hardware
- Siemens S7-1516 PLC for reliable high-performance control.
- Siemens TP1500 Comfort HMI (15”) as the operator interface.
- Flexible drive integration
- Drives from Danfoss FC302, Siemens G120C, or SEW Movitrac can all be configured directly from the HMI.
- This allows brand-independent operation, lowering costs and simplifying global sourcing.
- Safety integration
- Installations designed with either a safety PLC or a dedicated safety controller, depending on the project setup.
- Layered software design
- Control Module: standardized process steps and logic.
- Equipment Module: manages and monitors field devices such as drives, actuators, and sensors.
- This modular ISA-88 design made the system clear, adaptable, and easy to expand.
- Agile engineering
- Weekly stand-up meetings with the CEO ensured continuous feedback.
- Customer-specific requirements were integrated early.
- Development remained on schedule without delays.
- Training and knowledge transfer
- TIAP delivered a training program for Indufinish’s engineers.
- Their in-house team can now configure, expand, and maintain the software platform independently.
The collaboration with Indufinish transformed their automation approach. The outcomes included:
- Standardized, configurable control platform – Projects no longer require software to be rewritten from scratch. Configuration is handled directly from the HMI.
- Reduced engineering costs – Standardization significantly lowered the cost per project.
- Faster project delivery – Customer-specific installations are now delivered much more quickly thanks to reusable software modules.
- Flexibility without delays – Agile collaboration ensured smooth development, rapid feedback loops, and early integration of unique customer requirements.
- Empowered in-house engineers – Indufinish’s engineers are now trained to configure and expand the system independently, reducing external dependency.
- Future-proof platform – With modular ISA-88 architecture and brand-independent drive control, the system is scalable, maintainable, and ready for growth.
This project demonstrates how standardization in control systems leads to lower costs, faster delivery, and greater flexibility, without sacrificing quality or reliability.
