Why ICAD Automation?
ICAD has been in the business of almond hulling automation for 20+ years. Our customers choose us because we combine our extensive experience with the latest proven technology and then tailor the whole package to each project’s custom requirements. Where many integrators and electrical contractors claim to work in the almond industry, few can say they have been doing it as long as we have.
Benefits of Almond Hulling Automation
AUTOMATIC “ONE TOUCH” START/STOP
Human Machine Interface (HMI) panels can control the entire facility from a single screen.
An operator can start or stop the plant by pressing one button on a touchscreen. The almond hulling automation system will then start or stop the machinery one-by-one in order. Additionally, each piece of equipment is interlocked in our logic, so that if a machine suddenly stops working, all equipment feeding it will shut down immediately to prevent clogs.
AUTOMATIC FEED RATE
One of the keys to a smooth and efficient process is a constant rate of product flowing through your machines. Unfortunately, depending on how the operator is feeding product into the line, it can vary greatly. Thankfully, we can utilize variable speed drives to smooth out the ups and downs and give you a constant feed rate into your plant.
WEIGHT TRACKING
By including in-line scales at various parts of the process, you can see in real-time the throughput of your facility. Additionally, production totals can be automatically recorded and emailed to management at periodic intervals.
INTEGRATION WITH COLOR SORTING
Color sorters and other grading equipment are the backbone of any processing operation. While many of these pieces of equipment are very “smart”, the information that they produce is kept locally at the machine. Getting the data out of the machine can be a cumbersome and time consuming process. With our systems, we can integrate with these machines, to gather the data automatically. This data can then be included in daily (or hourly) production reports. This communication also allows for remote alarming of this equipment, so an operator can be alerted immediately if something has gone out of spec.
SMART MOTOR CONTROLS
A control panel for various motors in almond hulling automation.
Gone are the days of guessing why a motor stopped or hoping that no motor problems crop up during a critical product run. By utilizing smart motor control centers, you can see the health of each motor (amps, overload status, total run hours, etc.). This allows you to see potential issues before they become problems. By automatically recording and having a history of this data, you can see clues as you why a specific piece of equipment failed, so that you can take steps to prevent the problem next time.
The above list is just a high level sampling of things that you can do with almond hulling automation. The possibilities are many and only depend on a customer’s budget and desires. We enjoy making systems with all of the latest bells and whistles, but we really enjoy making systems as simple and direct to the core mission as possible. Whatever end of the spectrum you fit on–we can help!
We do Almond Processing Automation Too!
Not only do we provide almond hulling automation… We also automate processing too! Many of the features in our almond hulling automation can be included in almond processing automation. Infact, many of our customers choose to have a single system that covers both hulling and automation.
OUR DESIGN PROCESS
Our role in these projects typically starts with the initial design of the electrical and almond hulling automation systems long before ground is broken. Unlike many of our competitors, we use in-house professional engineers to design our systems. This ensures compliance with the latest standards and easy construction permit approval. Additionally, during this time we coordinate heavily with OEM manufacturers of the mechanical equipment to ensure all of the inputs and outputs that they require are accounted for. We also handle all coordination with the electric utility company, which is typically a tedious and extended process that customers dread.
OUR IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS
Upon permit approval, our sister company, Lighthouse Electrical installs both the electrical and automation infrastructure. PLC’s, Motor Control Centers (MCC’s), SCADA systems and lot tracking–we integrate it all into one complete package. As typically happens with projects of such scale – we rely heavily upon our experienced engineers who knew exactly how each component worked due to specific customized client needs and unique business processes. Our seasoned engineers design intricate, yet easy-to-use systems including Rockwell Automation, Inductive Automation Ignition and other suppliers like Eaton ABB, Siemens and Schneider Electric.
Our customers appreciate that we handle both the design and build of the system. This eliminates the finger pointing and excessive change orders that can happen between engineers and contractors when they are from different companies. Our remarkable team is able to handle any electrical or automation project, no matter how intricate. From start-to-finish they ensure timely delivery and 100% accuracy at launch. These are the types of project our team enjoys that put our expertise to the test and create lasting client relationships.
HOW CAN WE HELP?
If you need help with your almond hulling automation (or processing!) give us a call or shoot us a message. We look forward to working with you on your project’s specific needs.