Monitoring and Digital Control System for Carbon Nanofibres

THE CHALLENGE

A leading company in the development of advanced materials for batteries and supercapacitors operated a carbon nanofibre production plant with a technological infrastructure inherited from the 1990s. The plant had ten reactor furnaces operating at extreme temperatures (up to 1,000°C), managed individually and manually.

The challenge was to modernise this traditional industrial environment. The company needed to overcome the lack of centralised control and the dependence on constant physical intervention by technicians. The objective was to integrate IoT and Cloud technologies to achieve remote, simultaneous, and efficient production management without stopping the critical plant operation.

THE SOLUTION

GALEO developed the CNF Digital Monitor System, an industrial modernisation solution that hybridises the robustness of physical control (OT) with the flexibility of the cloud (IT).

The solution spans from machine-floor automation to data analytics:

1. Centralised Control and Automation (Edge): A single mono-core PLC was implemented, capable of managing the independent operation of all ten reactors. The system allows editing, storing, and executing automated production ‘recipes’ that control times, phases, and operational limits, minimising human error.
2. Advanced HMI Interface: Development of specialised software in TwinCAT3 running on industrial hardware (PLC CP6606) with touchscreens, offering a fluid user experience for unified plant control and monitoring.
3. Industrial Interoperability: Integration of heterogeneous equipment via standard industrial protocols such as Modbus RTU, TCP, and EtherCAT, ensuring smooth communication between new digital systems and existing machinery.
4. Telemetry and Cloud: Design of an architecture on AWS that receives, stores, and analyses critical process variables (pressures, temperatures, flow rates). This data is integrated directly into the company’s corporate Datalake for analytical exploitation.

BUSINESS IMPACT

The project has transformed a conventional plant into a cutting-edge Industry 4.0 operation.

• Total Remote Operation: The ability to control and reconfigure reactors from any location, providing the plant with unprecedented operational flexibility and ensuring process continuity without a constant physical presence.
• Operational Efficiency: The automation of recipes and centralized management have drastically reduced manual intervention and technical travel, optimizing response times to alarms.
• Data-Driven Decisions: The integration of cloud telemetry allows the company to analyze performance in real time, optimizing manufacturing processes and improving the sustainability and efficiency of the reactors.

ARCHITECTURE & TECHNOLOGY

The solution stands out for its deep integration between industrial automation systems and public cloud services.

• Industrial Edge: Beckhoff PLC CP6606, TwinCAT3.
• OT Protocols: Modbus RTU, Modbus TCP, EtherCAT.
• Cloud & Data: AWS (Ingestion and Storage), integration with the corporate Data Lake.
• Interface: Touchscreen HMI for on-site plant operation and Web interface for remote management.

CUSTOMER REVIEW

“GALEO has been a key partner in our shift to a fully digital model. We moved from isolated environments to centralising and exploiting all our data efficiently. Today we can generate, analyse, and share information in real time, speeding up our research processes. We especially highlight their commitment and ability to integrate as part of the team. More than a supplier, a true partner in our company’s evolution.”