Retrofit of an Automated Storage System

Discover how Alps Group modernized Saint-Gobain ISOVER’s automated storage system, enhancing safety and efficiency while minimizing downtime.

Automated storage system PLC Rétrofit Safety Security
Saint Gobain Isover
Infrastructure and Construction

Context

Saint-Gobain ISOVER, Switzerland’s leading glass wool manufacturer based in Lucens, invested in an automated warehouse in the 1980s to store up to 4,000 pallets of finished products. However, cybersecurity concerns made it necessary to overhaul the warehouse management system, requiring modernization to meet current safety standards and integrate new PLCs.

Renovation of the Automated Storage System

Upgrading the warehouse management application, modernizing equipment, and ensuring seamless integration with new PLCs while adhering to strict timelines.

Achievements

Alps Group carried out a full retrofit of the proprietary warehouse management application, handling nearly 100 motors and 1,000 I/O points. The project included:

  • Electrical Panel Upgrade: Designed and built new electrical panels to meet updated safety standards, integrating six new Siemens PLCs
  • Communication Adaptation: Ensured compatibility between new PLCs and legacy motion control systems
  • New Supervisory System: Developed a new supervision interface on Archestra System Platform, integrating SAP via middleware
  • Rapid Deployment: Restarted operations in under five weeks, with PLC and supervision development completed in less than four months
We appreciated the expertise of everyone involved on-site. The Alps Group teams demonstrated many qualities: attentiveness, composure, reliability, responsiveness, and availability—all while working in the cold winter conditions of our unheated facilities.
Saint-Gobain Isover