Matrix Technologies, Inc. has experienced specialists in factory automation and control systems providing a wide range of services.
Just 9 months into the new Denver office location where Matrix Technologies doubled its space, the office has expanded to add another 1,000 square feet. Matrix’s strong reputation and skilled staff are allowing the office to successfully attract more business from new and existing customers, driving the need to add staff to support the increased demand. Nine of Denver’s thirteen staff has been with Matrix for less than a year and we still have several open positions to fill. Click here for more information.
The timely expansion will allow the Denver office to continue to grow and support the local customer base. The Denver office can now accommodate about 20 employees, making it one of the largest independent Industrial Systems companies in the Denver area.
The Denver office completed the build-out of an unoccupied space in the adjacent suite on December 1st and setup offices and furniture in early December.
Maumee, Ohio, Dec. 20, 2011 – Matrix Technologies Inc., has been named 2012 System Integrator of the Year by Control Engineering magazine. Matrix is the first two-time winner of this honor, having won the award in 2008. Click here to view article.
Numerous engineering firms entered this year’s competition, but only three stood out as the best in their respective annual revenue categories. Matrix was the winner in the mid-size, $10 to $30 million category.
Control Engineering selected Matrix for this award based on its stellar business skills, technical competence and customer satisfaction. Matrix serves a diverse range of markets, including food and beverage, oil and gas, pharmaceutical, specialty chemicals, metals, glass and automotive.
“Our judges were truly impressed by Matrix’s credentials, especially their certification by both the Control System Integrators Association and the International Organization for Standardization. Customer and employee loyalty was another factor that distinguished Matrix Technologies from the rest of the entrants. In fact, 87% of their revenue comes from repeat business and more than half of their employees have been with the company for more than five years,” said Vance VanDoren, Ph.D., P.E., System Integration Editor, Control Engineering magazine.
A “system integrator” is a contract engineering firm or an engineering division of a larger company that can design and implement computerized control systems for industrial machinery, manufacturing lines or other automated facilities that produce commodities and finished products.
“This award underscores our commitment to our customers’ success,” said Matrix Technologies President David L. Bishop. “We are successful only when our customers are successful first. Our top priority is to deliver comprehensive customer solutions on time and on budget.”
One Matrix client noted, “When we did our first big project with Matrix, we were looking for an engineering partner that could help us grow our business in coming years. Matrix has helped us achieve our business goals and increase production by almost 70%.”
Matrix Technologies has more than 180 employees at its four offices across the United States. The company was founded in 1980 and has enjoyed steady growth throughout its history.
Along with automation systems integration, Matrix Technologies provides process design, electrical design, civil/structural design and facility engineering services. This wide array of capabilities also allows Matrix to provide full turnkey Engineer-Procure-Construct (EPC) contract services. Click here for more information.
Matrix Technologies, Inc., a Manufacturing Process Design and Automation Engineering firm with its corporate office in Maumee, Ohio, is pleased to announce the following management position promotion:
David J. Blaida, P.E. has been promoted to Vice President and has also been named to the Board of Directors for the corporation. Mr. Blaida has been with Matrix Technologies for over 21 years in various positions including Engineer, Group Leader, Department Manager and Director of Sales and Marketing.
“Since becoming a shareholder in Matrix Technologies in 2000, Dave has been instrumental in expanding the influence of Matrix Technologies with new and existing manufacturing customers in a variety of industries”, said David Bishop, President of Matrix. In his new role, Mr. Blaida will become further involved in corporate management, while continuing to direct the activities of the Sales and Marketing department. Mr. Blaida has a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Michigan Technological University and is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Ohio.
Since it was founded in 1980, Matrix Technologies, Inc. has provided process design and automation services to the top manufacturers in the world. With over 180 employees and over $25 million in sales, Matrix has a tremendous breadth of process and automation expertise focused in the food and beverage, pharmaceutical, biotech, glass, metals, and automotive industries – both nationally and internationally.
The Project Management Professional (PMP) credential demonstrates to employers, clients and colleagues that a project manager possesses project management knowledge, experience and skills to bring projects to successful completion. As the demand for skilled project managers is at a critically urgent level, practitioners who hold the PMP credential are well positioned to provide the professional skills necessary to lead project teams and achieve successful project results. The PMP recognizes the competence of an individual to perform in the role of project manager, specifically experience in leading and direction projects. Year after year, the PMP credentials has garnered global recognition. Other PMP's at Matrix Technologies also include Raymond Sudheimer, PE, PMP, Project Manager, and David Travis, PMP, Project Engineer, ISD.
Matrix Technologies Inc., a process design and automation firm with corporate headquarters in Maumee (Toledo), Ohio, has made an investment in solar energy at their Maumee, OH headquarters.
The new solar array will be installed on the rooftop of the Matrix-owned office building. Matrix Technologies, Inc. engineers will coordinate the installation and integration of the generation equipment. “Our investment in this solar technology reflects on our overall corporate philosophy to help our customers become more efficient in their operations”, said David Bishop, President of Matrix Technologies, Inc. “This is just one more indication of our full support of technologies and designs that improve our impact on the environment, and our customer’s bottom line”.
Capitalizing on the solar panel expertise in the Toledo, OH area, the solar array will be comprised of solar panels built by First Solar, headquartered in Tempe, AZ. From raw material sourcing through end-of-life product collection and recycling, First Solar is focused on creating cost-effective renewable energy solutions that protect and enhance the environment. In keeping with the philosophy of using local resources, Matrix will also utilize local construction manager Romanoff Electric to perform the installation of the equipment.
The investment in solar technology follows the company’s core competency in the engineering and technology marketplace. “Many companies will tout their expertise in green technology and sustainability, but Matrix is showing our solid commitment to these goals through this investment in our own facility, said Mr. Bishop. “This investment gives us the opportunity to showcase our expertise in designing and applying these systems while embracing the core philosophy of sustainability.”
Founded in 1980, Matrix Technologies, Inc. provides process design engineering and factory automation to the top manufacturers in the world. With over 135 employees, including LEED certified engineers, and more than $20 million in sales, Matrix has a tremendous breadth of process and automation expertise focused in the food, pharmaceutical, biotech, glass, metals, and automotive industries – both nationally and internationally. Matrix has extensive international experience and has over 500 systems installed in 45 countries. Matrix Technologies has regional offices in Indianapolis, Indiana; and Denver/Boulder, Colorado. Click here to see the web cam. This picture is updated ever 15 min.
The potential liability involved in mislabeling a product which might be inadvertently ingested by someone who is allergic to the ingredients is a major concern for food and beverage producers.. When you are labeling hundreds of thousands of cans at a rate of 1000 per minute, it’s a major challenge to spot a few incorrect cans or labels that were mixed in with the batch. With machines operating at this speed, 100% manual inspection is not a viable option. The only way to be sure about the ingredients is to read the character-based product code printed on the can and match it up to the Universal Product Code (UPC) barcode on the label. This operation is called bright field inspection because the metal can creates a bright background that makes it hard to read characters.
Bright field inspection is so difficult that it has only been attempted a few times by complex custom vision systems that are assembled from a camera, frame grabber board and computer. More recently, the power of much more robust and easier to apply and operate self-contained vision systems has increased to the point that they are now capable of inspecting bright field product codes at the required line speeds. Matrix Technologies has developed what is believed to be the first vision system-based bright field inspection solution, which also reads the UPC barcode and makes sure the label is fully attached to the can. This approach provides improved regulatory compliance and traceability while being much easier to configure and use and is more reliable than systems based on vision building blocks.
The bright field inspection challenge
Producers of canned foods typically make a large volume of a particular product, such as a soup, then store the cans in a warehouse without labels while waiting for orders from customers. The cans are labeled just before shipment, often with the customer’s private brand label. This process is called bright stacking because it begins with bright unlabelled cans. The challenge for the food producer is to make sure that each can is labeled correctly. This is important not only because customers will be unhappy if they buy a can of bean soup and discover that it is actually crème of mushroom, but an even greater concern is that they might be harmed by unknowingly ingesting an ingredient that they are allergic to.. Inspection is difficult due to the large volumes and high speeds involved as well as by the challenge of inspecting the hard-to-read product code. Additionally, private brand labels usually have the same motif regardless of product which makes it problematic to tell one product’s label from another’s.
A new approach
Matrix Technologies utilized recent advances in vision system technology to develop a better approach to bright field automated inspection. “The key to the new approach is the use of the Cognex In-Sight 5600 vision sensor to inspect the product codes against the bright can background at a speed of 1000 products per hour,” said Les Haman, Department Manager for Matrix Technologies. “In-Sight 5600 vision systems offer the same rugged design and outstanding performance as the In-Sight 5400 series, but with twice the processing speed and memory to perform inspections at line rates no other vision systems can match. In-Sight vision systems are an excellent fit for the factory environment because they are completely self-contained in an IP67 (NEMA 4) rating to withstand dust and wash down without an accessory enclosure. Cognex In-Sight vision sensors also provide a software interface that simplifies setup and operation to the point that many users allow machine operators to configure the system to inspect new parts.”
Matrix Technologies’ bright stacking solution inspects products immediately after a label is applied to a bright product. The Cognex PatMax pattern matching tool inspects the product code. This application takes advantage of the ability of the PatMax tool to recognize a pattern regardless of its location. Rather than reading individual characters the application is configured to simply look for an image that matches the three-digit product code. A new product code can be configured simply by putting a can with the new code in position to be viewed by the vision system and positioning a rectangular box around the product code. From that point, the vision system will detect that product code even if it is in a different position or at a different angle as long as it is in the field of view. This approach is much simpler, more robust and more economical than the machine vision technology used on this application in the past.
Matrix Technologies’ bright stacking solution also includes a laser scanner that reads the bar code on the label of each product. A fiber optic sensor identifies labels that have not been properly glued to the can by detecting a protruding flap. A proximity sensor triggers both the vision system and the bar code reader. The vision system, barcode scanner and fiber optic sensor independently inspect each product and send pass and fail signals to the programmable logic controller (PLC) that overseas the inspection station. The pass or fail signals are buffered until the product travels to the reject mechanism. The buffer is then processed at the reject mechanisms to either allow the product to proceed or eject the product from the conveyor.
Network connectivity simplifies setup
Corporate ERP connectivity relates product codes to UPC codes. The system also utilizes Microsoft SQL Server to centralize configuration parameters and to retain failed inspection results. Setup mode leverages the ERP and SQL Server connections to ensure that the latest updates are deployed. The vision system communicates with the PLC using static outputs and communications with the PC running the over an Ethernet connection. The operator enters the new product code in the running HMI. The HMI sends the setup code to the vision system to identify the product code image it will identify. The HMI also sends the correct barcode to the barcode scanner. The HMI also provides real time image updates, inspection statistics, diagnostics and setup functions.
If you have an application for bright product inspection, please contact us today to discuss your application.
Matrix Technologies has hired a new Regional Manager for the Colorado office. Ed Morrison joined Matrix Technologies, Inc. on May 24th in his new role.
“Ed Morrison brings a wealth of engineering and automation experience to our Colorado operation”, said David Bishop, president of Matrix Technologies, Inc. “We are excited to have him on board in our Denver office so that we can continue to build on our success in the region and expand our operations there."
Mr. Morrison brings over 20 years experience in the process automation and system integration industry to the Colorado office. He worked for two premier national system integration companies in the recent past, and operated as a branch manager for one of them, making him an optimal choice for the Regional Manager position. Mr. Morrison has a BSEE degree from the University of Wyoming, an MBA from the University of Phoenix and also carries a certification as a Six Sigma Black Belt. “His background in the Oil and Gas, Energy, Food and Beverage and Pharmaceutical industries as well as his system integration experience make him a perfect fit for the Matrix Technologies, Inc. organization.”, said Bishop.
LDM Foods recently built a Canola Crushing and Oil Refining Plant in the heart of the Canola growing
region in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, Canada. This plant is capable of processing 2,500 metric tons of canola seed per day, which is processed into food-grade oil along with producing pelletized meal for use as livestock feed.
As part of this green-field project, LDM Foods selected Matrix Technologies as their primary integrator and central authority for all networking, controls, and instrumentation within the new facility, continuing the strong relationship that was developed with Louis Dreyfus during the construction, start-up, and continuing support of their Soy Bean Processing and Biodiesel Plant in Claypool, Indiana, the world’s largest such facility.
For the LDM Foods Canola Plant, Matrix Technologies helped LDM Foods select a Rockwell ControlLogix and Wonderware Intouch 10.1 control platform solution. This solution integrated the very latest in control technology incorporating 7 plant area ControlLogix 5000 controllers, ControlNet and Ethernet communications, 18 Allen Bradley IntelliCenter MCCs and 22 Wonderware Intouch 10.1 thin client HMIs with instant failover redundant I/O servers. The HMI dual-session and dual-monitor thin client platform utilized the latest in ACP thin client hardware and thin manager software.
Above and beyond the regular functions of a system integrator, as part of Matrixs Technologies’ scope of work for the Yorkton Canola Plant, LDM Foods’ personnel specifically selected Matrix to function as the central authority for all networking, controls, instrumentation and integration within the new facility. With this, Matrix successfully performed the following services for LDM Foods:
Matrix developed a complete set of Design Standards/Specifications for the plant including PLC Programming standards and specifications, HMI Development standards and specifications, Network Hardware and Design specifications, Electrical Controls Hardware specifications, and Electrical Drawing specifications.
percent complete of checkout and testing. Matrix Technologies was truly a partner with LDM Foods in this endeavor. In this relationship, LDM Foods personnel could feel comfortable to focus on their most crucial tasks of constructing, training, and running their plant, knowing that they could count on Matrix to look out for their best interest and foresee the potential pitfalls. Matrix looks forward to continuing to work with Louis Dreyfus to help build, improve, and maintain the most efficient, productive, and profitable plants possible.
New Capital investment is not always immediately possible. At Matrix Technologies, Inc., we help our clients realize optimum performance of their existing manufacturing processes. We work with you to identify key areas for improvement and help you make the business and technology changes required to meet the challenge.
Our consultants work with clients to document the current state of the manufacturing operations/systems, its features/shortcomings and the desired future state that will meet the client's business needs. Using industry standards and best practices our consultants then develop a strategic vision document for the client that is divided into three sections. Click here for more information.
Matrix Technologies Inc. is proud to be a member of the Control System Integrators Association (CSIA), the world’s largest system integrator association. Founder Charlie Bergman’s intent was to grow an association to help independent system integrators to run their business to a professional standard. Matrix Technologies participated from the beginning conferences to joining CSIA as one of the founding members in 1994. Steve Goldberg, Director of Industrial Systems at Matrix Technologies, has served as Director of the Membership Committee and currently serves as the Director of the Partner Committee. Over the years CSIA has grown and now has members of all different levels all over the world. Matrix is honored to aid in translating the promise of technology into performance.
Matrix was instrumental in providing a solution that will save GE over 10% of their water usage. Matrix is involved in many projects that help our customers save money on utilities and help the environment at the same time. Click here for more information on this article or contact us for more information on how we can help you improve your plant operations.
Matrix designed new production areas, including frozen and open ingredient storage, ingredient prep areas, blending, package assembly, cooking, packaging, and finished goods storage. Office areas were completely remodeled, and new areas were created for mechanical equipment, boilers, HVAC, waste water, and maintenance. Click here for more information.
