Customer Reference

PSA Peugeot Citroën / Schneider Electric, Caen mechanical plant, Caen, France

Context: The PSA mechanical factory of Caen makes connections on the ground and the transmissions for both Peugeot and Citroën vehicles. In 2008, the plant was employing more than 2000 people and its production equipped an average of 5000 vehicles per day. In July 2008, PSA Peugeot Citroën asked Schneider Electric to migrate an old Siemens S5 PLC to a new Schneider Electric Premium programmed with PL7-PRO. This PLC is controlling an axles spinning machine. Schneider Electric then asked Itris Automation Square to completely re-engineer and optimize the program that controls the PLC.

Challenge: Itris Automation Square teams had to take into account some tough technical specificities. Indeed, beyond the obvious difference in programming syntax between Siemens and Schneider-Electric PLCs, IAS engineers had to switch from a SET/RESET logic to a Grafcet one, thus requiring a complete re-engineering of the application. They have also fully re-documented the application and actually done a new functionnal design. Finally, Itris Automation Square has also coordinated the whole revamping and worked closely with an electric engineering company - a partner of Schneider Electric - and an engineer in charge of the re-programming of the human-machine interfaces (HMI) according to PSA Peugeot Citroën standards.

Success: Using the PLC Converter and PLC Checker products, Itris Automation Square has realized an optimized migration in terms of quality, costs and time. Also, thanks to the modernization, the program is now compliant with PSA Peugeot Citroën coding standards and thus more readable and easier to maintain. During the commisionning, which took place in November 2008, Itris Automation Square engineers have assisted Schneider Electric and PSA Peugeot Citroën teams to monitor the production restart. This restart has been flawless and its timing fully consistent with PSA Peugeot Citroën requirements - even being ahead of schedule. This collaborative success between Schneider Electric and Itris Automation Square has thus fully satisfied PSA Peugeot Citroën ... and both companies have sweared to work together again as soon as possible.