“Service is our salesman”
Advanced Industrial Controls offers a variety of support services to our customers, including installation, service, support, applications support, repair services, replacement parts, training, system documentation, electrical drawings, and project management.
Your world-class support starts with our well trained customer support/sales/application specialists who can help you with everything from ordering standard control automation products (many of which are stocked locally), to arranging 24/7/365 field service support, to coordinating complex control and automation projects.
AIC’s customer support specialists are your front line advocates. They understand that if your line is down you are losing money and breaking commitments to your customers and other stakeholders. Our team’s goal is to get you back into operation fast and work tirelessly on your behalf.
Visit our blog for examples of our commitment to solving your emergency support issues in a timely and efficient manner.
On-Site Installation, Service and Support
Service is what we are about at Advanced Industrial Controls. AIC supports all control and automation system start-ups and commissioning without relying on outside vendors. Our field service engineers are well trained and certified to safely provide service on a wide range of electrical equipment and automation controls including:
- PLCs
- Industrial PCs
- HMIs
- AC/DC/servo drives
- Electrical controls
- Instrumentation
- Power distribution
- Robotics
- Industrial networks
Application Support
AIC staffs experienced applications engineers with decades of hands-on industry experience. Our engineers have a broad application knowledge ranging from simple pump/fan applications to complex multi-sectional distributed controls commonly found in the following industries:
- Paper
- Paper converting
- Metals
- Packaging
- Food & beverage
- Printing
- Automotive
- Non-woven
- Material handling
- Building materials
- Plastics & rubber
- Pharmaceutical
- Machine tool
- Automated assembly
Meeting today’s production demands takes more than high quality products, it takes the right mechanical and electrical expertise. Each industry has specific process requirements, electrical systems and sub-systems and machinery. We have experience in most critical areas and applications including:
- Coating/Painting
- Laminating
- Embossing
- Printing
- Registration
- Slitting
- Corrugation
- Extrusion
- Cut-to-length
- Unwind/Rewind
- Pump/Fan/Compressor
- Bottling
- Filling/Bagging
- Mixing/Blending
- Forming
- Dryers/Ovens
- Packers
- Injection Molding
- Feed-to-Length
- Palletizing
- Uncoiler/Recoiler
- Levelers
- Crane & Hoist
- Conveyors
- Rolling Mills
- Pipe/Tube Mills
- Indexing
- Flying Shear
- Metering/Dispensing
- Machine Tool
- Wire Draw
- Capstans
- Stranding/Jacketing
- Shredders/Pulverizers
Repair Services
AIC offers emergency repair services for all types of control systems, including motors, drives, PLCs, HMIs, and more. Our highly-trained technicians answer calls and provide on-site support 24/7, 365 days a year. If your line is down, we understand the urgency, and we have the ability to get you back in operation quickly. Often, we can repair and maintain control systems that others say can’t be fixed.
When dispatched, our service group will arrive at your facility ready to perform and possessing the proper equipment. Our service engineers carry PCs preloaded with the leading automation and control product configuration software, and stock a wide variety of common parts in their trucks.
What separates the AIC service group from most others is our experience with both electrical and mechanical systems. Quite often what appears to be a control problem is not. It might be a mechanical issue, or something else such as a disconnect between the electrical controls and machine itself.
Spare/Replacement Parts
AIC keeps a large inventory of critical replacement parts in stock at all times. This allows us to save valuable time when responding to an emergency call, and to get our customers back in production as quickly as possible. Our service vehicles are stocked with a variety of commonly used parts, and the equipment necessary to perform emergency repairs, upgrades and installations.
Training
Training is an essential element at most successful companies. With today’s rapidly changing and increasingly technical automation control systems, effective hands-on and skill-based training is more important than ever. Investing in worker training can:
- Produce highly qualified, more productive workers
- Reduce machine/production downtime
- Reduce workplace accidents, violations, and fines
- Improve worker morale and retention
AIC offers on-site and off-site hands-on training in a number of areas including:
- Electrical system basics
- AC/DC/servo drives
- PLC/IPC/HMI
- Electrical control and instrumentation
Training is often provided as an integral part of electrical control and automation projects that we design, fabricate and install. Training is essential to ensure continued smooth operation of the system after start-up. We recommend that our customers invest in training for their maintenance and operations personnel in order to maximize productivity and avoid costly control system breakdowns.
System Documentation
Complete documentation of the electrical and automation control system is an essential part of every project. Documentation is critical in order to understand the system design and functionality. It is the first place engineering, maintenance and operations staff look when troubleshooting system problems. Good documentation is also very important if changes and/or system upgrades are required. Poor or inadequate documentation can result in long production outages and plant safety issues.
AIC recognizes the need for complete and detailed documentation, and we provide this on every project we design and build. Our documentation includes all relevant drawings: schematic and component layouts, ladder/function blocks, PID loops, one-line power distribution, terminal and I/O, wiring and interconnect, and dimensions. The documentation also includes backup program files for PLCs, drives, HMIs, IPCs and all other programmable components. We also offer complete manuals for all vendor components used in the system. AIC uses the current version of AutoCad Electrical Design to produce documentation.
Project Management
At AIC, our focus is on the customer, and we actively encourage customer involvement during the entire system development process. On larger integrated automation control systems, we follow a more structured approach during the project as it progresses from initial concept development through final start-up and commissioning. We assign a dedicated project manager (PM) that takes the lead in organizing all the required assets at our facility including engineering, drafting, purchasing, manufacturing and field service.
The PM works closely with the customer’s team to define the scope of work and establish the necessary timelines. The PM will continually monitor and control the design, manufacturing and installation processes.
AIC’s knowledge and skills are put to best use when we are brought in at the initial concept development stage of the project. Many facilities no longer have the in-house engineering expertise to design and manage complicated controls and automation projects, and we become the external resource. We leverage our extensive product, industry and application knowledge along with our close relationships with leading control and automation vendors to insure that we exceed our customers’ expectations. In addition, we design flexibility into the system to meet the needs of tomorrow without major changes.