Areas of Expertise

With a strong base of engineering talent, EPIC Automation has the knowledge, tools and experience to excel in a wide variety of areas.

• Liquids Processing
  

  • Development of pump curves and system curves
  • Low and high viscosity fluids experience including non-Newtonian fluids
  • Handling of shear sensitive materials
  • Calculation of NPSHA and NPSHR
  • Calculation of required pipe size based upon allowable pressure drop and fluid velocities
    
    

• Flowsheet Development
  

  • Development from concept discussion to completed process flowsheet
    
    

• Equipment Specification
  

  • Pressure vessels and atmospheric tanks
  • Positive displacement and centrifugal pumps
  • Agitators
  • Heat exchangers
    
    

• Heat Transfer
  

  • Calculation of heat loads
  • Shell and tube heat exchangers
  • Plate and frame heat exchangers
  • Cooling towers
  • Air cooled chillers
  • Liquid coolers
  • Glycol systems
  • Therminol and Dowtherm high temperature systems
  • Heat trace system design
  • Insulation calculations
  • Resistance heating systems
  • Steam and condensate system design
    
    

• Modular Skid Design
  

  • Structure design
  • Equipment layout
  • Piping design
  • Power design
  • Controls and instrumentation design
    
    

• Purified Water Systems
  

  • Feedwater analysis
  • Sub-micron filtration
  • Softening systems
  • Multimedia filtration
  • Activated carbon beds
  • Reverse osmosis systems
  • Deionization systems (cation, anion and mixed bed)
  • Electro-deionization
  • Passivation
  • Purified water storage
    
    

• Solids Handling
  

  • Material properties characterization (abrasiveness, adhesion, bulk density, friability, compressibility, hygroscopicity)
  • Partical size separators
  • Vibratory feeders
  • Screw conveyors
  • Bucket elevators
  • Dust collection
  • Solids / liquids blending
  • Mass flow bin design
  • Dense phase conveying
  • Dilute phase conveying
  • Static charge grounding
  • Explosive dusts
    
    

• Process Simulation
  

  • Batch and continuous process simulation
  • Process debottlenecking
  • Optimum equipment sizing
  • Batch schedule optimization
    
    

• PLC Program Development
  

  • Allen-Bradley ControlLogix, CompactLogix, PLC-5, SLC 500 and MicroLogix
  • General Electric
  • Modicon
  • Mitsubishi
    
    

• HMI Program Development
  

  • Wonderware Intouch
  • Allen-Bradley RSView and PanelView
    
    

• Feasibility Studies
  

  • Extract specifications and requirements from client
  • Complete front end engineering design
  • Assemble detailed capital cost estimate to go forward for funding
  • Net present value analysis among alternatives addressing both initial capital and ongoing expenses
    
    

• Corrosion Engineering / Material Compatibility
  

  • Selection of proper materials of construction (metals, plastics, elastomers) for chemical compatibility
  • Testing of materials for chemical attack
    
    

• Applied Mathematics
  

  • Linear programming modeling
  • Multiple regression analysis
  • Converting raw data sets into equations (infinite series method)
  • Fourier analysis of system harmonics
  • Design of experiments
    
    

• Process Instrumentation
  

  • Coriolis mass flowmeters
  • Magnetic flowmeters
  • Vortex shedding flowmeters
  • Orifice plate and d/p flowmeters
  • Ultrasonic flowmeters
  • Load cell weigh systems
  • Scale weigh systems
  • RTD temperature measurement
  • Thermocouple temperature measurement
  • PH
  • Conductivity
  • ORP (oxidation-reduction potential)
  • Dissolved oxygen measurement
  • Online color measurement
  • Solution concentration (refractive index)
  • Gas chromatography
  • Differential pressure level measurement
  • Radar level measurement
  • Ultrasonic level measurement
  • Capacitive level measurement
  
  
  

• Machine Instrumentation
  

  • Laser displacement distance measurement
  • Inductive and capacitive proximinty switches
  • Vision systems for 100% inspection
    
    

• Drive Systems
  

  • AC variable frequency drives
  • AC servo drive systems
  • DC servo drive systems
  • DC drives
    
    

• Project Management
  

  • Project schedule development
  • Critical path analysis
  • Resource allocation and management
  • Budget tracing and reconcilliation
    
    

• Micro-susceptible Process Design
  

  • Bacteria destruction with ultraviolet light
  • Sub-micron (0.2 micron) filtration
    
    

• Training
  

  • Process engineering
  • Controls and Automation
    
    

• Sanitary System Design
  

  • Zero dead leg piping design
  • Internal finish polish specification
  • Slope-to-low point drain piping design
  • Specification of sanitary components (valves, regulators, sample valves, pumps, tanks, etc.)
  • Clean-in-place (CIP) system design
  • High temperature sanitization system design
    
    

• Power Distribution
  

  • Motor control center specification and layout
  • Protective device selection and coordination
    
    

• Turnkey System Management
  

  • Scope development
  • Front end engineering
  • Estimate development
  • Best option NPV analysis
  • Appropriation request development
  • Detailed process design
  • Detailed mechanical design
  • Detailed electrical and instrumentation design
  • Bid package development
  • Subcontractor qualification and selection
  • Construction management
  • Project budget tracking
  • Scope change management
  • System checkout
  • System startup