In many industries, legacy control systems remain a core part of existing operations. While these systems have served reliably over the years, they were often not designed for integration with modern control frameworks—or for easy updates. Ironically, the more critical a system is and the more sensitive it is to downtime, the less likely it is to have been upgraded. Organizations simply cannot afford the extended outages traditionally required for major control system upgrades.
ESCO recently completed a project that perfectly illustrates this challenge. A local company, which had done an admirable job keeping most of its control infrastructure current, encountered a problem: a critical pump system relied on an OEM control board that had become obsolete—discontinued, unsupported, and with no available replacement.
When facing challenges like this, three key questions must be answered:
- How do we install a system with minimal downtime?
- How do we deliver a fully functional solution with limited commissioning and verification effort?
- How do we future-proof the system to avoid repeating this cycle?
ESCO’s Approach
1. Design Phase: Minimize Installation Time
To answer the first question—how to minimize installation time—ESCO worked closely with both the customer and their electrical contractor. Collaborating with the individuals who would physically install the new control panel helped ensure a practical, efficient design. On-site acceptance testing, along with iterative redesigns based on stakeholder feedback, enabled a smooth transition and alignment across all teams before installation began.
2. Software Development: Reduce Downtime Through Simulation and Testing
To minimize downtime, we emphasized virtualization and robust testing. Equal engineering effort was devoted to:
- Developing the PLC control logic.
- Creating a simulation model to test all operational scenarios, exceptions, and faults.
By dividing these tasks and focusing the customer’s attention on both, we built a highly reliable test environment. This approach gave all stakeholders confidence that the system would meet the tight downtime window.
3. Key On-Site Testing Highlights:
- A successful and professional FAT (Factory Acceptance Test), where the physical panel operated in a meeting room while our Ignition simulation ran on a projector.
- Stakeholders were able to interact with the new panel and get hands-on experience.
- The customer viewed a live HMI demonstration of valve operation using our custom visualization tools.
- For validation, we immediately compared the new system to the existing OEM panel in the plant.
4. Future-Proofing the System
To ensure this issue wouldn’t recur, we worked with the customer to answer forward-looking questions:
- What PLC/SCADA platforms are you committed to supporting across the facility?
- What is your future vision for industrial networking architecture?
- Are there plans for MES, OEE, or ERP integration—at this site or others?
- What future I/O or data collection needs may arise for this pump system?
- How is the system operated today, and are there plans to change that?
Having these answers early enabled us to choose a solution that meets both current and long-term needs.
The Results
The final system is not only more reliable but also scalable for use at other sites. ESCO’s custom code and thoughtful design reduce risk, prevent failures, and make troubleshooting simpler. Using off-the-shelf PLCs and components ensures that future maintenance is straightforward and cost-effective.
The system is also ready for future integration projects. The next step will be connecting the PLCs to the plant network and fully integrating them into the SCADA system.
This project marked the beginning of a new partnership. The customer demanded minimal downtime and zero margin for error—an ideal opportunity for ESCO to showcase our simulation-first approach, modern control solutions, and commitment to delivering future-ready systems.
Written by:
Eric Edwards Client Success Manager, ESCO Automation
Brad Koenig Account Manager, ESCO Automation