Automated Galvanization Pipeline

TL;DR

NERDS Computing designed, developed, and deployed a fully automated galvanization pipeline for Flaro Flagav — integrating PLC-driven control, real-time monitoring, and collision-avoidance algorithms to synchronize dual-crane operations with millisecond precision, eliminate manual intervention, and ensure consistent, high-quality surface treatment across all production lines.

About the Client

Flaro is a long-established company with over 80 years of experience, recognized for diversified operations and continuous growth across multiple sectors, including automotive, electrical, stationery, haberdashery, household goods, and green energy.

Flagav, a subsidiary directly controlled by the Flaro holding, operates as a specialized branch focused on innovation and production efficiency within the group’s industrial ecosystem.

Challenge & Objectives

The client operates a galvanization treatment line with 20 posts and two cranes running simultaneously on the same rail. The objective was to automate the galvanization pipeline and improve product quality by applying pre-defined process profiles per product type.

Time tolerance was critical: the system had to coordinate crane movements and process steps with an accepted delay of under 1 second, ensuring precise dwell times and consistent surface treatment across all batches.

Technical Solution

The solution was built around the existing equipment, which was digitally controlled through a PLC-driven application. The system collects input data from newly installed sensors and coordinates both cranes using a collision-avoidance algorithm, ensuring safe and synchronized movement along the shared railway.

The autonomous PLC application communicates in real time with a PC-based configuration and monitoring panel, displaying the current system state, remaining process time, and allowing administrators to add, update, or load new product profiles directly into the PLC sequence.

The operation can run in two modes — automated, based on predefined process plans, or manual, controlled through the PC interface. The control logic manages a prioritized command queue, allowing the system to efficiently execute and coordinate multiple mechanical actions in sequence.

• Automated Galvanization Process — orchestrates crane movements and dwell times based on predefined profiles.
• Minimal Human Intervention — PLC-driven control reduces manual handling and operator error.
• Configurable Product Profiles — add, update, and load per-product parameters directly into the PLC sequence.
• Realtime Visual Representation — PC panel shows live system state, timers, and progress across all posts.

Results & Impact

The project transformed the existing galvanization pipeline into an automated process, coordinating cranes, dwell times, and profiles with high precision and minimal manual intervention.

Post-automation, timing precision and product quality improved substantially, enabling consistent surface treatment, faster cycle alignment, and more reliable end-of-line outcomes.