Controls & Automation · Service
Industrial automation — end-to-end project delivery.
From concept and functional specification through design, panel build, controls development, integration and commissioning — one accountable team for the whole automation project.
What we do
The service in plain English.
Industrial automation projects fail — or over-run — for one reason more often than any other: too many suppliers, each responsible for their own slice, none responsible for the whole. Lutrom takes on automation projects as a single accountable team, from functional specification through concept design, mechanical fit, panel design, PLC and HMI development, safety validation, integration with existing plant systems and full site commissioning. That single-supplier model means the electrical panel is built to match the drives that are already sized against the motors that are already specified against the machine that is already drawn — no drift, no gaps, no finger-pointing on start-up day. Automation projects we deliver run the range from small single-machine cells to multi-machine production lines with SCADA supervision, MES integration and shop-floor data collection. Every project is scoped against a written functional specification, quoted with milestones, and delivered with source code, drawings and documentation. You own everything we produce — the code, the tag database, the schematics, the CAD files, the safety validation — with no vendor lock-in and no licence traps.
What's included
Every job covers the following.
- Functional specification — written scope agreed before any hardware is bought
- Control system architecture — PLC platform selection, network topology, safety strategy
- Panel design and build — schematics, BOM, wet-tested to BS EN 61439 before dispatch
- PLC and HMI development — code written, simulated and bench-tested before site
- Safety-system design and validation to EN ISO 13849-1 / EN 62061 categories
- Motor, drive and actuator selection and integration
- Sensor, vision and instrumentation integration — including selection where a spec doesn't exist
- SCADA and data-collection layers where the project needs them
- Site commissioning, FAT / SAT, operator training and documented hand-over
Who it's for
Common on these sites.
Industry
Manufacturing & Production
Uptime, compliance and continuous improvement for production lines.
Industry
Food & Beverage
IP-rated washdown, BRC-audit-ready installs and 24/7 line support.
Industry
Logistics & Warehousing
Conveyor systems, sortation, PPM and rapid response for distribution centres.
Industry
Pharmaceutical & Life Sciences
GMP-aware engineering for regulated environments and clean utilities.
Our approach
Survey. Quote. Deliver. Sign off.
01
Functional spec
We write the functional specification with your team — what the system does, what states it moves between, what the operator sees, what data it produces, how it fails safely. Nothing gets built until this is signed.
02
Design
PLC platform, panel design, network architecture, safety strategy — all drawn, calculated and quoted before hardware is bought. Client-side review at design freeze.
03
Build & bench-test
Panels built, code developed, HMI screens drawn, safety loop bench-tested in our workshop against a simulator or bench replica. First energisation on-site should be boring.
04
Commission & hand over
Site commissioning to your SAT protocol. Operators trained, documentation handed over, code and drawings in your hands — you own it, no lock-in.
How we price this work
No surprise invoices.
Automation projects are phased. Phase 1 is the functional specification and concept design — priced fixed and delivered before any commitment to the build. Phase 2 is the build and commission — priced fixed against the approved specification and design. Splitting the project this way protects both sides against under-scoped, over-committed projects. Where the client already has a well-written spec, phase 1 shortens accordingly.
Coverage
Where we deliver this service.
We deliver industrial automation — end-to-end project delivery across the North West of England — from our Northwich base. Same-day dispatch for callouts and scheduled visits for planned work.
Service FAQ
What clients ask before they call.
Which PLC platforms do you work on?
We support the mainstream industrial PLC platforms — please tell us the platform your existing plant uses and we'll confirm whether it's a good fit for our team. Where you don't have an existing preference we'll recommend a platform based on your site, your existing installed base and your future spares strategy — not on our preferred vendor.
Do you handle the mechanical scope as well as controls?
Yes — that's the point of the single-supplier approach. On a typical automation project we'll do the panel, the electrical install, the PLC code, the safety validation and the mechanical integration with the machine. Where a specialist mechanical scope is required (e.g. a robot from a specific vendor), we work with the vendor's engineer while retaining single-supplier accountability for the client.
Can you integrate with our existing SCADA / MES / ERP?
Yes, subject to a technical review of the target system's interfaces. Standard interfaces (OPC UA, MQTT, SQL, REST) are straightforward. Legacy interfaces require a bit more work and — critically — a working test environment we can validate against before go-live.
Do you provide source code and drawings?
Yes. Every automation project we deliver ships with source PLC code, HMI project files, tag databases, native AutoCAD Electrical or EPLAN drawings, safety validation records and a full commissioning report. You own everything.
How do you handle safety compliance?
Safety is designed in from day one, not bolted on before hand-over. Each safety function is assessed for its required Performance Level (PL) under EN ISO 13849-1, the safety loop is designed to achieve that PL, the loop is validated in the workshop and again on site, and the safety validation record forms part of the technical file.
Who owns the IP on the code?
You do. Everything we write for your project is your property under the contract, delivered as source. No black boxes, no proprietary layers we retain rights to, no requirement to come back to us for future modifications.
Got a project, a survey or a compliance deadline?
Talk to a working engineer — not a call centre. Every enquiry gets a same-day human reply.
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