United Process Controls (UPC) completed major upgrades in furnace control and data acquisition for a southern U.S. energy-equipment supplier. The new multi-furnace control systems, featuring Protherm 400 programmable controllers, monitor and manage four batch carburizing furnaces, one vacuum furnace, three pit furnaces and four temper furnaces. To comply with industry-specific requirements for data retention and integrity, UPC’s upgrade offered redundant data acquisition. Temperature, carbon, oil temperature, quench transfer time and maintenance functions (such as agitator and fan motor currents) are key factors the customer wants to control, monitor and archive.

Data logging is performed both locally at the furnace panel by the Protherm 400s and at a central location by the Protherm 9800 production management software. This software application gives users online access to real-time data from the furnace control systems. It also enables users to manage all devices, view and analyze historical data from each furnace, and monitor and address alarms. UPC includes Furnace Control Corp., Marathon Monitors, Process-Electronic and Waukee Engineering.