AWC Incorporated - Manufacturing Outlook - issue 1

PASSIONATE PEOPLE WINNING TOGETHER

THE TRUSTED PA R T N E R 2 | Manufacturing Outlook Issue 1

W wh of A pos pro Writer:

AWC INCORPORATED NORTH AMERICA

with a simple mission: to help local refineries optimize and standardize their operations.

Nearly 60 years later, the business has grown exponentially, evolving to become an invaluable support partner to titans utilizing Factory Automation and Process Technology.

This is reflected by its near nationwide reach, as AWC’s customers now span 11 US states across 32 regional support offices.

“Our team embodies a ‘Winning Together’ culture in which our employee-owners, customers, and technology partners collectively succeed because we strive to ‘out know, out care, and out serve’ others in our space,” introduces Kirk Goins, CEO of AWC.

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We speak to CEO Kirk Goins, ho discusses the importance AWC Incorporated’s valuable sition as an all-round service ovider in the automation and control industry Lucy Pilgrim | Project Manager: Kieron Harvey

he automation and control industry incorporates a plethora of technical services, from information technology (IT) to mechanical systems. To cater to such a multitude of products and brands, AWC Incorporated (AWC) has built a solid reputation as the authorized local sales, support, and service partner for leading manufacturers of automation and control systems.

AWC was founded in 1965 by three engineers as a local manufacturing representative in the Baton Rouge Kirk Goins area of Louisiana,

AWC is uniquely positioned to deliver customers significantly more value with expert support and dedicated engineering services. As an authorized distributor and service partner of products and solutions to customers across a broad geographic area, AWC supplies innovations from the world’s leading technology factory automation and process technology companies like Siemens, Phoenix Contact, Honeywell, Farris, Valmet, and many more.

AWC’s driving mission remains “to provide customers the indispensable support necessary to help them achieve their business goals in a safe and efficient manner,” Goins explains.

This explains why the company’s customer base spans many verticals, including oil and gas, pulp and paper, automotive, water and wastewater, food and beverage, and many other industries.

Manufacturing Outlook Issue 1 | 3

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© PHOENIX CONTACT 2023

Build your control cabinet with confidence Industrial solutions from sensor to cloud Control cabinet designers must constantly rethink their processes to remain competitive. Since its founding in 1923, Phoenix Contact has collaborated with customers across nearly all industries to improve the reliability and efficiency of industrial applications.

Today, Phoenix Contact provides comprehensive solutions to optimize processes and save time. The COMPLETE line perfectly coordinates hardware and software to streamline processes, giving you the peace of mind and competitive edge needed to succeed in today’s highly complex manufacturing world.

Power reliability No other function in your control cabinet impacts overall system performance more than reliable power. Phoenix Contact has all the necessary components to reliably protect, convert, monitor, and distribute low-voltage power within your system.

High-performance surge protection and circuit breakers protect equipment from transient overvoltage and overcurrent disturbances. Transmission of those disruptive events to a “cloud” enables preventive maintenance.

Redundant solutions or batteries supplement the DC power supply when needed, safeguarding low-voltage power, even in critical situations. In addition, future-proof monitoring systems save energy in the overall system. Innovative solutions for AC or DC potential distribution reduce space requirements and installation times in the control cabinet.

Connectivity Connections in the cabinet, through the cabinet, and in the field are the bridge between the field-based sensors and logic controlling a system.

The automation and control level reads inputs and drives outputs. These devices must be connected by secure discrete wiring or through networks.

These same devices must be reliably powered, which requires efficient distribution and marshaling to energize and balance loads. Loads can range from small milliamp signals to high-horsepower motor connections.

Analog signals often require special functionality at the connection point, such as testing, measurement, or fusing.

Specialty terminal blocks support these functions. When >>>

Build your control cabinet with confidence Industrial solutions from sensor to cloud

system complexity and I/Os increase, networking field signals outside the enclosure is often a more efficient way to integrate larger systems than point-to-point wiring.

Signal switching and conditioning Every signal has a specific purpose, and not all signals are the same. Sometimes along the journey, signals may need to be isolated, amplified, or converted to serve their purpose.

Ensuring the signal’s mission is accomplished can be as simple as choosing a universal product, or it might require digging deeper and allowing the application to dictate product selection.

The COMPLETE line system has numerous options to transmit signals reliably. From controller and connectivity solutions to sensors and motors, this group of products ensures the right switching at the right time.

Safety Functional safety management starts at the top and should encompass an entire company strategy. In application, safety is applied in two major areas: machine and process..

Automation and control The heart of your control cabinet is the logic platform. For OEMs and control engineers alike, it has never been easier to build smaller, smarter machines fast. This lets builders free themselves from using controllers and equipment based solely on prior familiarity or specifications. Industrial PCs/HMIs and scalable controllers can streamline functionality, reduce equipment and costs, and usher in the next generation of intelligent machine automation.

Control systems can range from simple, single-function control to real-time SCADA applications.

Networking The modern factory, driven by the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and big data, must handle increased network traffic and the possibility of internal or external vulnerabilities. Phoenix Contact networking and security products support many technologies, so you can design and implement scalable, reliable, and high-functioning systems.

Machine safety can be as simple as a single safety sensor tied to a safety relay controlling a motor, or as complex as multiple fail-safe PLCs with distributed safety I/O networked throughout a factory. No matter how large your system, it will always have three pieces: inputs, outputs, and logic.

Ethernet infrastructure devices provide everything from basic connectivity to advanced managed switches, with options that include powering end devices, field-wiring connectivity, and converting between physical media. Network security can properly separate the IT and OT networks and protect critical assets.

Process safety is usually larger in scope, making it inherently more complex. In addition to controlling inputs and outputs, some signals from the field come from explosive areas and need to be properly conditioned. Over-voltage protection and power redundancy also become necessities in a continuous process.

Cellular remote connectivity powers communication with devices around the globe. The increasing capabilities of cloud services provide the support and data management needed for IIoT. Wireless technology enables convenient, reliable, and cost-effective communication, either on the factory floor or to remote sites miles away.

Shop floor productivity

Limited Lifetime Warranty

Time is money. The tools and resources used to build your control cabinet are key to controlling costs. Design software, marking systems, industrial tools, wire management, and cabinet accessories are often overlooked. Careful consideration of these products reduces errors and production time, translating directly to the bottom-line profitability of any shop floor.

Phoenix Contact stands behind its products with the industry’s most comprehensive Limited Lifetime Warranty. The LLW is our promise to you that the products you install in your control cabinets are built to last.

All aspects of your cabinet design and build will require tools and equipment on the shop floor. Wires and components in and around the cabinet will need to be processed, organized, and identified. This family of products ensures the production of a high-quality cabinet.

Trusted partners in industrial automation

Register today at: www.phoenixcontact.com/LLW

Phoenix Contact and AWC work together to bring innovative products and world-class service to customers in the automation and control industry. From connectivity to control, Phoenix Contact gives you the confidence you need in your production systems.

Your trusted partner for the control cabinet and beyond Intuitive circuit breaker system From connectivity on the machine to through-panel and in-cabinet wiring, Phoenix Contact gives you the confidence you need in your production systems.

CAPAROC is your customizable electronic circuit breaker system for overcurrent protection in 12 V to 24 V DC applications. The CAPAROC system uses data-driven power modules to customize overcurrent protection. With numerous feed-in power modules, circuit breakers, potential distribution modules, and current rails, CAPAROC makes it easy to design an intelligent communication system.

Learn more at www.phoenixcontact.com/us-caparoc

© PHOENIX CONTACT 2023

AWC INCORPORATED NORTH AMERICA

“WE LIVE BY OUR MISSION OF EMPOWERING PEOPLE T O M A K E T H E G R E AT E S T P O S S I B L E I M P A C T O N T H E C O M M U N I T I E S A N D FA M I L I E S W E S E R V E T O G E T H E R ” – K I R K G O I N S , C E O , AW C I N C O R P O R AT E D

For example, AWC is particularly proud to be a key partner in the success of the U.S. Navy Fleet Oiler (T-AO) Program. This fleet of oilers for the U.S. Navy is designed to transfer fuel and cargo to its carrier strike groups operating at sea. AWC was tasked with designing, building, and implementing critical power and control components of the lead ship in the class (T-AO-205), named in honor of Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.).

The oilers feature the capacity to carry 162,000 barrels of oil, a significant dry cargo capacity, aviation capability and a speed of 20 knots. The first ship was successfully delivered, with Ship 2 (USNS Harvey Milk) ready for final delivery to the US Navy, and Ship 3 (USNS Earl Warren) preparing for Sea Trials later this year.

As the company approaches Ship 9, the Navy has already committed to procuring 16 vessels in the T-AO(X) 8 | Manufacturing Outlook Issue 1

Class, and excitement is building for future projects.

“Supporting and servicing customers with diverse challenges across multiple industries provides rewarding experiences and outcomes for our automation and controls experts and customers. It also allows us to remain strong during economic downturns or if one segment grows/ falls disproportionately to others,” recalls Goins.

However, in the present economic environment, AWC is experiencing a strong demand across all sectors, and the company is anticipating positive impacts from emerging advances in the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI).

“We are beginning to turn a corner in the ongoing global supply chain disruptions and workforce challenges affecting lead times and availability in the manufacturing and industrial parts

industry,” says Goins.

AWC is looking forward to seeing how the significant trend in reshoring manufacturing plays out in the North American market. Such trends and changes in the industry make for a dynamic and forward-thinking environment for AWC.

WINNING TOGETHER A dependable and connected supply chain is fundamental to the successful operations of AWC’s customers, therefore, technical partner relationships are the most important component of the company’s “Winning Together” mantra.

Despite facing recent headwinds in supply chain operations, the close collaboration with technical partners has carried AWC through the storm, so it can diligently continue to help its customers achieve success.

It’s an exhilarating time for industrial enterprises. The US is seeing considerable growth from reshoring and infrastructure projects are thriving. Although inflation and labor shortages are introducing new stresses, that pressure is accelerating the uptake of new optimizations and automations.

The most momentous change, however, is artificial intelligence (AI). The pressure’s on for industrial businesses to digitally transform and harness AI to forge ahead in the modern industrial landscape. Seizing the moment will bring added precision, clarity, and foresight to business decision-making to maximize production and value. The baseline for those discoveries is, of course, data.

INDUSTRIAL DATA UNLOCKS THE PROMISE OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

INDUSTRIAL DATA FOR A NEW ERA OF PRODUCTIVITY For many industrial companies, this is where the dream of digital transformation dissolves into a series of question marks. The predominant question is: “How can we get data from our industrial systems?” Those who run small-to-medium-sized operations have far-reaching goals, but the stakes are high. No matter how much capital there is to play with, digital transformation is a substantial investment.

For industrial leaders, digital transformation is a messy business. It’s not ones and zeros, instant uploads, and seamless connectivity. There’s the physical world to contend with. Industrial equipment might be bolted to factory floors in isolated regions or scattered through remote areas plagued by extreme weather. A single operation might encompass hundreds of pieces of legacy equipment in manufacturing facilities dotted across the country.

Industrial companies are eager to embrace data and leverage digital tools to grow, learn, and scale. But, they need no-nonsense ways of extracting data from operational technology (OT) to succeed.

TACKLING THAT TREACHEROUS FIRST MILE As with most significant change opportunities, the first mile is the hardest mile. It’s a challenge to access industrial data platforms from remote and rugged field sites. Any system worth the investment needs to be robust and resilient to survive those conditions and derive and deliver data.

Furthermore, a lot of perfectly well-functioning industrial and manufacturing processes have evolved over decades. Old machines that have stood the test of time are fixed to plant floors alongside state of the art equipment. That wild mix of legacy and new technology is commonplace but complicates data extraction.

Industrial companies need simple data access solutions that can speak across their systems, however varied, unique, or outdated.

Without them, data stays locked away.

ACCESS, CONNECT, VISUALIZE Many enterprises consist of decentralized assets. To derive insights, they need to access equipment installed on site and securely bring data to a central location. That might involve access to older controllers and remote field sensors actuators and integration with multi-vendor environments.

Whether it’s robots in an automotive plant or wind turbines across a vast geographical area, those assets need to connect.

Installations need ruggedized networking solutions and industrial Ethernet switches to direct and secure outgoing data without interruption. Once that reliability is achieved, those can plug into analytics engines and optimization programs to drive industrial efficiency.

Finally, companies need to visualize data, to make it actionable on site and beyond. Operators need durable and flexible industrial panels to integrate data across multiple devices, protocols, and the cloud.

OUT-OF-THE-BOX SOLUTIONS TO BRIDGE OT AND IT Access, connectivity, and visualization devices might seem like separate elements, but together they form the critical bridge between operations and information. OT and IT departments have traditionally had different priorities and strengths, but the right hardware and software configurations put them on the same path.

Red Lion has worked with industrial systems and data for 50 years. We’ve seen IT emerge, and we understand the evolving needs of both IT and OT audiences. For OT and IT to serve each other, enterprise connectivity solutions need to be simple to use, resilient, intuitive, and secure. They need to be durable and deployable right out of the box.

Companies like AWC Inc., have helped businesses transform and thrive with Red Lion’s FlexEdge® Intelligent Edge Automation Platform. As a networking router, protocol converter, advanced

ABOUT RED LION: Red Lion is focused on being THE Industrial Data Company™. We empower industrial organizations around the world to unlock the value of data by developing and manufacturing innovative products and solutions to access, connect and visualize their information.

Red Lion’s global manufacturing and support facilities serve customers in factory automation, alternative energy, oil and gas, power and utilities, transportation, water and wastewater industry segments. We provide scalable solutions for cloud connectivity, edge intelligence and asset management, industrial Ethernet switches and industry leading panel meters and operator panels, to make it easy for companies to gain real-time data visibility that drives productivity. Red Lion is part of Spectris plc, the experts in providing insight through precision measurement.

Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) gateway, and scalable edge controller, it’s an all-in-one platform that bridges OT and IT – connecting assets, delivering data, and improving productivity at the edge.

DATA ISN’T MAGIC – IT’S AN INVESTMENT Companies across sectors are seizing the moment by investing in digital technology to make operational improvements. The way industrial companies can get results from those investments is through data.

People who’ve worked in the industrial space for as long as we have are hardwired for different kinds of challenges and solutions.

We’re entering an amazing new era of AI-powered productivity, but no matter how dazzling it might seem, data isn’t magic.

Industrial companies need someone who understands the particularities of industrial data and can traverse that treacherous

first mile. They need someone who can access data in hardto-reach spaces and from legacy technology that works well for a reason. They need someone who knows how to deliver that information efficiently, securely, and intact, to different communities of users.

They need a trusted partner to unlock the promise of digital transformation to maximize value from that investment. We are that partner. We are THE Industrial Data CompanyTM. To discover how Red Lion products can help you securely access, connect, and visualize your industrial data, visit www.redlion.net.

Worldwide Headquarters: 1750 5th Avenue, York PA 17403 USA T +1 (877) 432-9908 | info@redlion.net

AWC’S MAIN SERVICES “When we work together, we achieve amazing results,” Goins highlights. “Through hard work, our processes and relationships will be even stronger when the supply chain is restored to pre-COVID-19 levels of reliability and robustness.”

AWC’s comprehensive network of people and technology partners sets it apart from other manufacturing entities in the North American market.

The company is committed to its customers, partners, and employeeowners to create a collective focus on achieving its objectives and reaching success.

Moreover, as an employee-owned company, team members are the core of AWC, and as such have an unshakeable dedication to the business.

“We know this makes a difference as our teams are empowered to creatively problem solve for the benefit of our customers and technical partners,” Goins continues.

12 | Manufacturing Outlook Issue 1

Technology Partnerships: Building unmatched technology insights and expertise as the local business partner for global technology manufacturers.

Applied R&D: AWC’s “Thincubators” allow engineers to continuously evaluate new automation and controls technology to find cost-effective solutions to industry challenges. Digital Technology Labs (DTLs), meanwhile, provide a safe place to test new ideas, validate technologies and work through integrations.

Consulting: The AWC consultancy team can highlight new opportunities in programmable logic controller (PLC) automation, flow control, electrical power, and much more.

Workforce Optimization: AWC ensures clients have the team they need (internal and external) to effectively design, build, operate, and support their customers’ automation and control systems.

Distribution and Logistics: AWC’s supply chain team make sure clients have the right products at the right time and place.

Systems Integration: The engineering, design and project management teams can fill technical resource gaps in either an a la carte or turnkey approach with internal and certified partner resources.

Life Cycle Optimization: The technical support and services teams provide proactive and responsive support.

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“ W H E N W E WO R K TO G E T H E R , W E AC H I E V E A M A Z I N G R E S U LT S ” – K I R K G O I N S , C E O , AW C I N C O R P O R AT E D

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14 | Manufacturing Outlook Issue 1

AWC INCORPORATED NORTH AMERICA

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The team structure guarantees efficiency and streamlines operations for swifter responses and more nimble, customized solutions.

Another core belief of AWC is its wider responsibility to the communities in which it operates.

“At AWC, we feel it is critical that we are responsible members of the communities in which we live, work, and conduct business. As such, we live by our mission of empowering people to make the greatest possible impact on the communities and families we serve together,” Goins comments.

As AWC rapidly expands its workforce, it is positioned to continue enriching the lives of even more communities. “We have the best team in our sector, and we want to ensure continued investment in hiring, development, and training.”

To facilitate this, AWC continues to invest in tools and technology in support of safety, quality, and

efficiency. In recent months, several exciting initiatives have been launched, including specialized manufacturer-led training, investments in STEM programs and projects, plus a robust college-level engineering internship program.

GREEN INNOVATIONS Beyond community-centric activities, AWC is a vital part of industries shifting towards a greener future.

AWC’s technologies and services are becoming increasingly critical, particularly for aiding customers in the adaptation and conversion to electric capabilities via innovative energy technologies.

AWC is on the front lines of several innovative developments which will incorporate its vast portfolio of Factory Automation and Process Technology services and capabilities.

One such initiative utilizes hydrogen as the green energy of the future

©2023 Rittal North America LLC

to create portable power units for customer equipment, vessels, and remote facilities. AWC’s experts are harnessing the newest technologies to marry together the chemical and electrical segments to create a holistic solution within the context of green energy.

Other innovative green projects AWC is currently working on include an electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing and charging station design, space exploration initiatives, and 3D home building technology, all designed to amplify the work the customers are making in green energy.

AWC INCORPORATED 24/7 Hotline: (800) 411-8400 websupport@awc-inc.com www.awc-inc.com Manufacturing Outlook Issue 1 | 15

PASSIONATE PEOPLE WINNING TOGETHER

AWC INCORPORATED Headquarters NSSC (National Sales Support Center) 6655 Exchequer Dr. Baton Rouge, LA 70809-5148 Tel: 1.225.752.1100 Fax: 1.225.751.9029 www.awc-inc.com

PRODUCED BY MANUFACTURING OUTLOOK MAGAZINE