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Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP)

Integrating Automation to Enhance Quality, Traceability, and Efficiency in a Competitive Industry

With the help of: Arkansas Manufacturing Solutions

About

Enviro Tech Chemical Services, Inc., is located in Helena, Arkansas, and specializes in manufacturing food-grade sanitizers and Bromine-based biocides. Operating in a highly competitive industry, Enviro Tech upholds rigorous standards for quality and traceability. Their commitment to excellence drives continuous improvement across all facets of their operations.

The Challenge

Enviro Tech relied heavily on manual processes in their manufacturing operations. These manual systems led to increased risk of human error, impacting product quality, traceability, and efficiency. The lack of integration between critical systems—such as the PLC (programmable logic controller), ERP (enterprise resource planning), and QMS (quality management system)—posed challenges in achieving real-time data transfer, resulting in inefficiencies and potential risks to meeting customer expectations.Enviro Tech turned to Arkansas Manufacturing Solution, part of the MEP National Network™, for help.
Partnering with Arkansas Manufacturing Solutions has been a transformative experience for Enviro Tech Chemical Services. The integration of real-time data between our PLC system, ERP, and QMS has significantly reduced human error in our manufacturing processes. This automation has enhanced the quality and traceability of our products, allowing us to meet the high standards of our industry. The cost savings and efficiency improvements have exceeded our expectations, enabling us to focus on delivering even greater value to our customers. We couldn’t be more pleased with the results and look forward to continued collaboration with Arkansas Manufacturing Solutions.
— Brey Funkhouser, Continuous Improvement Manager

MEP's Role

Arkansas Manufacturing Solutions’ automation partner provided the solution by integrating data output from Enviro Tech’s PLC system directly into their ERP and QMS systems through API connections. The automation partner installed IOT Sense software onto Enviro Tech’s PLC SQL server to capture real-time data and ensure seamless transfer to existing systems. This real-time integration eliminated the need for most manual data entry, reducing errors and enhancing product quality and traceability.

The process included identifying critical data for integration, mapping manufacturing workflows, and establishing API connections to systems such as Chempax, Intelex, and the PLC. With this automation, tasks such as weighing product totes and documenting weights in real-time became automated, improving operational efficiency and accuracy. The integration of automated systems led to significant improvements in product quality, traceability, and operational efficiency. By reducing human error and streamlining data management processes, Enviro Tech has positioned itself as a more competitive player in the industry.

Created February 20, 2025