PLC Programming
- All Allen-Bradley platforms: ControlLogix, CompactLogix, MicroLogix, Micro800, SLC 50X
- Siemens TIA Portal — S7-300, S7-1200, S7-1500
- Honeywell’s family of PLC products
- Conversion and upgrading between platforms
Schwenksville, PA · Est. 2020
Your machine isn’t obsolete.Your controls probably are.
Is your manufacturing process stuck in the 90’s? We are senior automation professionals with over 50 years combined experience managing the delicate intersection between machine control and business development — new control system design, legacy upgrades, and relentless focus on process efficiency.
50+Years combined
30Years in industry
$70BAged-out equipment
20–40%Systems at end of life
// 01 Services provided
Everything from the terminal block to the dashboard
Offered on an hourly rate or as lump sum for defined projects. One team carries the work from concept drawings through commissioning, so nothing is lost between disciplines.
HMI Programming
- All versions of Wonderware (now Aveva) — InTouch and Archestra
- Rockwell FactoryTalk View ME and SE
- Maple Systems EZWarePlus
- Upgrade and conversion between platforms and versions
- Custom HMI built on JS and web technology for small, inexpensive deployments
Control System Design / CAD
- Custom control system design against your automation requirements
- Your platform of choice, or one specified by us
- Complete 2D CAD drawing packages
Networking & Communications
- EtherNet/IP, Profibus, Modbus, RS-232/485 fieldbus experience
- Protocol and platform conversion for integrated solutions
- Plant-floor Ethernet architecture that keeps equipment segregated from the office network
Data Historian
- SQL-based historian server, ready for web dashboards
- Scheduled reporting and email services
- Custom web and emailed reports — view online or delivered automatically
Custom Software Development
- Application development in Node.js and Express.js
- SQL data layers and reporting services
- C#, C++ and Python tooling
// 02 Panel & cabinet fabrication
Built, wired and proven before it ships
Full panel fabrication with point-to-point and complete system testing. The panel that arrives on your floor has already run your program on the bench — so start-up is commissioning, not troubleshooting.
[01]
Full panel fabrication and assembly
[02]
Point-to-point and system testing
[03]
UL certification available
[04]
Bench simulation of the finished control program
// 03 Platforms & capabilities
No matter the platform, we have probably seen it
PLC
ControlLogixCompactLogix
MicroLogixMicro800
SLC 50XTIA Portal
S7-300S7-1200
S7-1500Honeywell
HMI & SCADA
Wonderware / AvevaInTouch
ArchestraFactoryTalk View ME
FactoryTalk View SEEZWarePlus
Web HMI (JS)
Networks
EtherNet/IPProfibus
Modbus TCP / RTURS-232 / 485
Managed switchingVLAN segregation
Software & data
Node.jsExpress.js
SQL ServerC#
C++Python
Web dashboards
Process experience
[01]
Temperature control and PID tuning
[02]
Web handling and tension control
[03]
Pressure control
[04]
VFD programming and tuning
Industries served
[01]
Plastics & packaging
[02]
Paper, oil, gas & pipeline
[03]
Food, beverage & pharmaceutical
[04]
General manufacturing
Open source
We publish the tools we use in the field — command-line utilities for Logix, SLC and Modbus TCP, C# ports of pylogix and pycomm3, a DHCP/BOOTP server for commissioning, and SQL-driven mail alert services.
// 04 How we work
Five steps, no surprises
Every engagement follows the same path, whether it is a two-day PID tuning visit or a full line retrofit. You always know what happens next and what it costs.
[01]
Assess. Walk the line, read the existing code, document what is actually installed.
[02]
Scope. A written functional description and a fixed price or hourly estimate.
[03]
Build. Code, drawings and panels developed and simulated off-site.
[04]
Commission. On-site installation, loop checks and start-up with your operators.
[05]
Support. Documentation handed over, source code yours, phone answered afterward.
// 05 Why outsource
Hire the expertise, not the headcount
Specialization on demand
Rather than recruiting automation engineers for a single project — then trying to keep the good ones — tap a team that already lives in these platforms daily, with the tools and best practices current.
Lower total cost
Hiring, training and retaining skilled automation engineers carries substantial overhead, plus the ongoing investment to keep them current. Pay for the services rendered instead.
Life extension, not replacement
A brand new machine is often not what you need. We specialize in bringing old equipment up to date — extending its life and buying more time out of the investment you already made.
Accessible technology, scarce expertise
The accessibility of technology has increased and the cost has come way down, but you still need experts to retrofit equipment with the latest factory-floor enhancements. We have been working in the automation industry for 30 years and have seen a lot — including the control system you are living with right now.
Talk it through// 06 Who you work with
The partners are the engineers
No account managers between you and the people writing the code.
DR
David Rossi
Managing Partner
Control system design, PLC and HMI development, and plant-floor integration across packaging, paper and process lines.
drossi@appendautomation.comDH
Dave Hunt
Managing Partner
Data historians, custom software, networking and reporting — connecting the machine layer to the systems the business actually reads.
dhunt@appendautomation.comAA
Sales & Information
General enquiries
Quotes, scheduling, and questions about whether your project is a fit. We answer our own email.
sales@appendautomation.com// 07 Contact
Tell us what the line is doing
Describe the machine, the platform and the problem. We will tell you honestly whether it is a retrofit, a rewrite, or something you can fix yourself.
Still running a 1990s control system?
Let us maximize the investment you already made. One conversation is free and usually tells you everything you need to decide.
Email the partners