Mobile Manufacturing Unit

The plant was designed entirely in-house to mount on a standard cab-chassis. The system controls flow rates, temperatures, pressures, densities and fluid levels as well as various actuator positions.

I designed and specified the electro-hydraulic-pneumatic system that drives the whole unit, and oversaw the initial design in a team of draughtsmen and engineers.

Additionally I designed and modeled multiple subsystems, before switching to work on the electronic portion of the unit.

These plants are among the most advanced of their kind in the world, with unrivalled flexibility and state-of-the-art IoT integration.

The operation is accomplished by a suite of 30 sensors, 13 hydraulic functions and 10 actuator outputs all linked through a high speed CANbus communication network. Individual sensor configuration and diagnostics are possible, data collection and analysis are ubiquitous, and process control and fine tuning is rapid. Information and insights are subsequently available in a high-level dashboard for the customer.

I was deeply involved with almost every aspect of this project, from fabrication to firmware, and have a great appreciation for the complexity of this system.