Automation for Building Products Manufacturing
Insulating glass lines, window and door fabrication, and other building products run on long, multi-machine lines with a different size on almost every unit. We keep that equipment programmed, documented, and connected.
What makes these lines hard
- Every unit is different: custom sizes and options mean recipes and parameters change constantly.
- Many machines per line: washers, spacer applicators, presses, gas fillers, sealers, shuttles, and conveyors all have to stay in step.
- Little documentation: machines from OEMs in the US and Europe, often with settings buried in PLC arrays and no manual that matches the program.
- Quality checks done by hand that could be measured and recorded automatically.
Line controls and machine programming
We program and modify Allen-Bradley controls on individual machines and on the line as a whole: size-driven parameters, shuttles and transfers, presses, and conveyor coordination. Changes are tested and documented so the next person to open the program understands what was done and why.
Documentation for machines nobody documented
We build parameter manuals and settings workbooks directly from the PLC program and HMI screens, reading every value from the code rather than guessing. Your maintenance team gets an accurate reference for every recipe value and setting, and your next troubleshooting call starts from facts.
Order-driven production and line data
Sizes and options can be sent from your order system straight to the line instead of being keyed in at each machine. On the way back, counts, downtime, and scrap by machine are recorded so you can see where the line actually loses time.
Inline quality measurement
We integrate inline measurement devices, such as gas fill and dimensional checks, into the PLC so every unit is measured, bad units are flagged or rejected automatically, and results are stored with the order.
Related services
- PLC programming and controls engineering
- MES integration, OEE and data collection
- HMI and SCADA systems
- Robotic and cobot cell integration
Frequently asked questions
Do you work on insulating glass lines?
Yes. We program and support the controls on insulating glass line equipment, including washers, presses, sealers, and shuttles, and integrate inline measurement devices.
Can you create a parameter manual from our machine program?
Yes. We read the recipe and parameter values directly from the PLC program, match them to the HMI screens, and deliver an accurate settings workbook for your team.
Can our order system send sizes directly to the line?
In most cases, yes. We connect order or ERP data to the line PLCs so each unit's size and options download automatically.
Can you support older European machines?
Yes, for machines on Allen-Bradley and Beckhoff platforms, and we can migrate other obsolete controls to a supported platform.
Talk to an engineer
Plantwide Integration is an independent systems integrator based in Big Lake, Minnesota, serving building products manufacturers across the Twin Cities, St. Cloud, Central Minnesota, and the Upper Midwest. Tell us about the machine or line and we will tell you honestly whether it is a good fit.