Restoring Production After Disaster: A Complete Controls Replacement

When a catastrophic fire disabled a critical winding machine used to manufacture high-voltage electrical bushings, the customer instantly lost one-third of its winding capacity, resulting in millions of dollars in lost revenue each month. LSI responded with a rapid recovery and modernization effort designed to restore production as quickly as possible.

In August 2025, a fire caused catastrophic damage to a critical winding machine used in the production of high-voltage electrical components. The incident destroyed much of the machine’s controls infrastructure, including multiple control cabinets, PLC hardware, drives, networking equipment, safety systems, and supporting electrical components.

The damaged machine was one of only three winding systems used to manufacture high-voltage electrical bushings and was responsible for producing the facility’s largest and most complex products. Following the fire, approximately one-third of the plant’s winding capacity was taken offline, significantly impacting production of critical components used in large power transmission and infrastructure projects – while costing the customer millions per month in lost revenue. Although alternative production sources were explored, replacement capacity was limited, making restoration of the machine a top operational priority.

The challenge extended far beyond replacing damaged equipment. The project required a complete controls redesign, migration from legacy systems, procurement of hundreds of components, installation of new infrastructure, and commissioning of an integrated automation platform – all while maintaining aggressive production recovery goals.

LSI executed a controls modernization including networking, HMIs, redesign of their process systems, power and motion control, panel design and fabrication, configuration, field installation, complete systems integration, commissioning, and startup support.

Beyond replacing damaged components, the project required recreating and modernizing an automation platform for a mission-critical production asset with limited existing infrastructure remaining after the fire. LSI served as the primary controls integration partner, helping the customer recover production capability while simultaneously upgrading the machine’s automation architecture for long-term reliability and supportability.

The project scope included:

• Replacing and upgrading 16 control panels and electrical enclosures
• Designing and implementing a new Rockwell ControlLogix-based architecture
• Installing new Rockwell 755TS variable frequency drives to replace legacy drive technology
• Developing a new network infrastructure and safety system architecture
• Integrating HMI, vision, heating, tension control, motion control, and process systems
• Rewiring field devices and installing more than 135 multiconductor cables
• Commissioning hundreds of I/O points, safety devices, encoders, motors, sensors, and heating controls

The project team managed the procurement from dozens of suppliers, and coordinated fabrication, delivery, installation, and startup activities across multiple teams.

Over the course of approximately 9 months, LSI completed the controls replacement and modernization, while simultaneously validating machine performance, tuning drive systems, and restoring process functionality required for production-quality operation.

The replaced machine successfully returned to production in May 2026, marking a major milestone in the customer’s recovery effort.

Project outcomes included:

• Restoration of a critical production asset responsible for approximately one-third of the facility’s winding capacity
• Return of manufacturing capability for the customer’s largest high-voltage bushing product lines after approximately nine months of downtime
• More than 5,400 engineering hours delivered across controls design, procurement, panel fabrication, installation, commissioning, and startup support
• Complete reconstruction and modernization of the machine’s controls platform using a new Rockwell Automation-based architecture
• Successful commissioning of 16 PowerFlex 755TS drives, integrated safety systems, vision systems, heating controls, motion systems, and hundreds of I/O points
• Achievement of ±2 mm performance tolerance on critical product dimensions and validation of winding accuracy required for production-quality operation
• Successful production of the first condenser core following startup and completion of all required electrical and quality verification testing

More importantly, the project restored the customer’s ability to manufacture high-voltage bushings used in critical power infrastructure applications during a period of significant demand across the electrical transmission market. By returning the line to service, the customer regained production capacity, reduced reliance on alternate manufacturing sources, and reestablished a reliable supply path for key products supporting grid expansion and large-scale power projects.

With the machine successfully returned to service, the customer is positioned to continue producing high-voltage electrical components with a modernized controls platform designed for improved reliability, maintainability, and long-term supportability.

The project demonstrates LSI’s ability to respond to catastrophic equipment failures, rapidly mobilize multidisciplinary engineering resources, and execute large-scale automation recovery projects under demanding conditions. What began as a fire-damaged production asset became an opportunity to modernize the platform, restore critical manufacturing capacity, and position the customer for long-term operational success.