News

Get in control with Trident Automation

Meet Ryan Kuper, our newest employee who knows automation from the customer side and the consultant side. Ryan is Trident’s Process Control and Automation Strategist based in the heart of corn country, Ackley Iowa. He made the jump from customer to consultant after 25 years in process automation for the ethanol, food, and agricultural chemical industries. He provides an “inside the plant” perspective for customers and has some best practices based on real-life experience. Having worked on both sides of […] Read More

Relationships matter: Siemens Solution Partner

All the bright ideas in the world don’t matter if you can’t get your hands on the technology. That’s why Trident Automation has developed and maintained deep relationships with the world’s top DCS manufacturers. We do this so our customers depend on fast turn around and access to the latest technology. Trident Automation is one a few companies in the United States recognized as a Siemens Solution Partner. Systems integrators that demonstrate specialized market expertise in a specific industry sector […] Read More

Customer’s emergency Google search leads to Trident

What happens when an internet search actually brings a new customer to your door? What happens if that new customer is in an emergency? If you’re Trident Automation, you act fast and get results. Imperia Foods is a cheese manufacturer in Montfort, Wisconsin and a critical piece of equipment broke. The plant was running on a Siemens system, but when they were cleaning equipment one of their main mixers HMI broke that was used to make non-dairy cheese.  They needed […] Read More

Case Study: Total DCS Migration in under 60 hours

In just 60 hours, Trident Automation delivered a new operating system for the largest dry-mill ethanol facility in the country. Marquis Energy was constructing a second 100+ million gallon unit and owners wanted to have both units on the same, most advanced system. The plant was operating on a Siemens APACS DCS legacy system with Wonderware HMI, but needed to modernize the plant and leverage the advanced control strategies Siemens PCS 7 offered. Over twelve weeks, Trident teams rewrote code, […] Read More

If You Build it, they will come

While Trident engineers are customizing control systems for clients, the Trident panel shop wires and builds the components needed for speed, accuracy, and reliability. Although all of Trident’s DCS products rely on computerization, all field devices are still connected through wired panels. Trident is one of the few DCS providers with a UL accredited panel shop on site. The panels meet UL508A standards or UL698 depending on the project. At the center of it all is Kevin Heindel, a guy […] Read More

Parts are parts? Except in an emergency!

It’s Murphy’s Law: when you least expect it, something will break. In a highly customized production environment, broken or missing parts cost time and money—and could jeopardize a customer relationship. Increasingly, we are working with customers to identify critical path components and build a spares list on the most needed items. “Looking at the issue in greater detail, reveals just how costly unplanned downtime can become,” said Jason Hurst, CEO of Trident Automation. “Besides the direct expense of having a […] Read More

Minimizing variability and maximizing production

What if you could fine-tune your control system to minimize variability and maximize production? There are hundreds of process loops in an ethanol plant that can be a significant source of variability. Taking the time to identify variability and determining if control loops are a contributor is often complex and time consuming. Until now. Trident Automation is offering a software module that works in conjunction with our Trident Workbench called LoopPAC©, Control Loop Performance Monitoring. LoopPAC© is a software program […] Read More

Trident’s innovative e-store for previously used DCS hardware

In order to better support customers, Trident Automation is providing a service—an online e-store featuring previously used hardware. The Trident e-store has been open as of Oct. 3, 2017 and provides hundreds of replacement parts for businesses currently running APACS, Foxboro and other control systems. Siemens announced it will discontinue support for the APACS system in 2020; as an independent integrator and Siemens solution partner, Trident will continue to offer replacement parts and system service. Foxboro announced the FCP270 Field […] Read More

Why upgrade?

The distributed control system (DCS) is the brain of any manufacturing plant, providing the intricate knowledge and responsiveness needed to keep production running smoothly. For many plants, the decision to upgrade a DCS is often made well beyond the life of the system, when operations are starting to fail or falling behind current technology. So how do plant managers know when it’s time to upgrade? Here are some key points to consider. Success with Partners: The best DCS upgrades are done […] Read More

Advanced and Enhanced

Trident Automation has been featured in an article by Ethanol Producer Magazine. Check out the article, Advanced and Enhanced written by Susanne Retka Schill. Read More