Ignition — First Enterprise SCADA
From isolated machine HMIs to one enterprise control and reporting layer
01 — Results
19+
Assets integrated in phase 1
Enterprise
Scaled beyond the pilot site
| Metric | Before | After | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Control architecture | Isolated OEM HMIs | Single licensed SCADA platform | Unified |
| Assets visible | 0 networked | 19+ in phase 1 | +19 |
| Stop-cause data | Verbal / anecdotal | Attributed and reported | Auditable |
| Deployment | One pilot line | Scaled across the enterprise | Standardized |
02 — Challenge
Each OEM asset ran its own HMI island. Nobody could see line state, stop counts or stop causes without walking the floor and asking.
Without shared signals there was no interlocking either: downstream stops kept flooding upstream WIP, and improvement arguments came down to opinion.
03 — My role
Program owner — architecture, standards, deployment
Timeline: Foundational platform
04 — Scope
- Central PLC + UL Type 4X 15.6" industrial touchscreen HMIs at the main control enclosure and a second operator console
- Consolidated signals and equipment feedback across tote dumpers, Baader 581, Marel 2612 pin bone, Trio skinner, Marelec portioners, Multivac R240s, Ryco lines, mince pumps and VFD-driven conveyance
- Downstream-pauses-upstream interlocking and startup sequencing designed into the PLC logic
- Secure network access with IT so HMIs are monitorable from plant PC or mobile, 24/7
- Uptime, line-stop count and stop-cause attribution reporting built with plant leadership
- Platform standard scaled from the first site out across the enterprise
05 — Execution
- Central PLC plus industrial washdown-rated touchscreen HMIs at the main enclosure and a second operator console
- Consolidated signals across tote dumpers, filleting machines, pin-bone removal, skinners, portioners, vacuum packaging, bagging lines, mince pumps and VFD conveyance
- Downstream-pauses-upstream interlocking and startup sequencing written into PLC logic
- Secure network access designed with IT so HMIs are monitorable from plant PC or mobile
- Uptime, line-stop count and stop-cause attribution reporting built with plant leadership, then rolled out as the enterprise standard
06 — Systems & technology
- Ignition SCADA
- PLC / VFD
- Industrial Ethernet
- OEE reporting
07 — Artifacts & evidence
- Ignition licensing and server architecture approved and standing as the company's first SCADA platform
- Interlock logic proven in production before rollout to additional sites
08 — Key takeaways
The reporting layer sold the platform: leadership funded expansion once stop causes became numbers instead of arguments.