Welcon Technologies has successfully upgraded and re-commissioned the Ship Unloader at the Boyne Smelters Ltd wharf. The Ship Unloader provides crucial raw material for the plant and was at “End of Life”, making the sourcing of spare parts increasingly difficult.

The decision was made to upgrade the electrical system from a 35 year old hard-wired analogue system to a modern digital system. As part of the upgrade the Main Switchboard was replaced and existing controls were upgraded to Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC) and a Human Machine Interface (HMI) in the Control Cabin. With the upgraded automation, the system now provides the operator improved functionality with computer control facilities and real time monitoring of status and alarming. To allow efficient troubleshooting, a full set of up-to-date drawings was provided to replace the original and inadequate documentation.

The success of the project was due, not only to the new technology seamlessly interfacing with the older equipment, but also by limiting interference with the critical material deliveries for ongoing plant production. The project was commissioned in stages, with constrained timeframes between ships, so as not to affect production. Congratulations to all those involved in maintaining our client’s business objectives.