In industrial environments where uptime is critical, outdated control systems can quickly become barriers to safety, efficiency, and productivity. Sunshine Sugar’s Harwood Mill faced exactly this challenge when its Sugar Bagger control system began showing the limitations of ageing technology.
The mill had been operating with a Siemens S5 PLC, encoder evaluation unit, operator panel, and encoder—all of which had reached end-of-life. This created increasing operational risks, including:
● Difficulty sourcing spare parts
● Limited flexibility for modifying or optimising program logic
● Unreliable machine restarts after shutdowns, impacting production continuity
To restore reliability and future-proof the Sugar Bagger, I S Systems delivered a complete, modernised control system upgrade. The project included:
The result is a fully modernised automation platform that significantly enhances maintainability, operational flexibility, and long-term plant reliability.
With this upgrade, Sunshine Sugar now benefits from:
The new system ensures the Sugar Bagger can continue operating at peak performance with confidence for years to come.
The Sugar Bagger PLC upgrade at Harwood Mill demonstrates the impact of strategic modernisation in industrial environments. By replacing obsolete hardware with a robust, contemporary automation platform, Sunshine Sugar has enhanced reliability, reduced operational risk, and positioned its facility for long-term efficiency. The project showcases I S Systems’ commitment to delivering engineered innovation that strengthens performance today while preparing plants for tomorrow.
