PECM Issue 44 2020 | Page 40

CONTROL & AUTOMATION UPGRADE & SUPPORT OPTIONS OPTIMAL INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION Increasing productivity in a time of crisis… Optimal Industrial Automation is offering a range of upgrade and support options to businesses facing unprecedented demand such as the food processing and pharma manufacturing sectors. Customers can benefit from services that range from the recommissioning of mothballed equipment with cutting edge control automation, right up to the application of game-changing process automation solutions, such as Process Analytical Technology (PAT) software, to massively increase production from existing equipment. Innovative automation projects and revamps of existing systems are being used to drive plant productivity and deliver the conversion of production lines in record time. “The big challenge is how to fast-forward technological development for machines, processes and production lines that may have been sitting, ticking along, for up to ten years, or longer. Control automation has transformed radically in that time, making systems far more efficient, flexible, and responsive to changes in demand,” says Martin Gadsby, Director at Optimal Industrial Automation. manufacturers leverage factory automation to increase productivity or repurpose production and processing assets. In this way, it aims to contribute towards avoiding shortages. “Our own advanced PAT knowledge management platform synTQ developed by our sister company Optimal Industrial Technologies, for example, is being used right now by major global companies and SMEs to increase output – nearly three- fold in some cases. This is being achieved while maintaining the same physical manufacturing footprint. “Optimal Industrial Automation, together with Optimal Industrial Technologies, is in the unique position of having managed the system integration for more synTQ projects than any other supplier globally. We’ve already offered support to government-led initiatives to help fast-track projects such as testing kit production, inoculation drug development and scale-up.” EXPERIENCE COUNTS WHEN THE PRESSURE IS ON For over 30 years Optimal has supported businesses in a wide range of industries to optimise production costs, product quality and business sustainability by building, integrating and enhancing their factory automation systems. Customers in the most demanding and highly regulated of sectors such as pharmaceutical, life science, chemical, aerospace, green energy and food & beverage have enjoyed substantial benefits, even before the added pressure of a global pandemic. To address the continuing uncertainty about how global and local supply chains will operate in the following months, the company is providing extra support to help Customer projects vary in scale and level of complexity from applying individual PLC control to individual processes, through to robotising production machines, applying machine vision systems and commissioning productivity improvement tools such as PAT-based software. Martin Gadsby concludes: “Many manufacturers need to quickly ramp up production to cope with the current situation – while also reducing manual input from operators to support social distancing measures. Automation is the answer to a lot of our immediate production needs. We want to do what we can to help businesses in these challenging times, and would like to invite anyone interested in an automation upgrade to contact us to discuss how we can support them.” For further information, please visit www.optimal-ltd.co.uk 40 PECM Issue 44