The situation
Australian Power Equipment had a 66kV switchroom ready to ship to an underground coal mine site in Central Queensland. The existing control system ran on a GE controller, a platform reaching end of support, with no long-term parts availability and limited local engineering knowledge.
The switchroom needed to leave the workshop within days. Replacing the controller platform after installation on a live site would have been significantly more disruptive and expensive. The decision was made to do the work before shipment.
What we did
Beetle Engineering was brought in to execute the platform migration from GE to Rockwell ControlLogix within the pre-shipment window.
- Retrieved and reviewed the existing GE program logic and I/O configuration
- Converted the control logic to Studio 5000, preserving all protection and interlocking functions
- Configured the new ControlLogix hardware, I/O modules, and communications
- Conducted functional testing against the original system behaviour
- Verified all outputs, alarms, and communications before sign-off
Outcome
The switchroom shipped on schedule. The site received a ControlLogix-based control system with full program documentation, I/O schedules, and backup files, on a platform their maintenance team can support long-term with readily available hardware and software.
Tight timelines on equipment upgrades are common in this industry. The key is knowing what needs to happen in what order before you start the clock.