Kasa Controls & Automation • 785-825-7181 • https://kasacontrols.com/grain.html
Reprinted from Grain Journal November/December 2015 Issue
As grain elevators struggle to hire and keep employees who are capable of meeting the strenuous and risky demands of their jobs, automation and integration have become more important. With most of an elevator’s operations controlled through a central control room or even off-site, a grain storage facility can run efficiently while increasing throughput.
This is the expertise of Salina, KS-based Kasa Controls & Automation (800-755-5272), one of the divisions of Kasa Companies, Inc. who has developed products like Konnection and KTrack: Bin Inventory and Traceability software. Other operations include Kasa Fab, which provides contract metal fabrication to regional manufacturers and builds printer enclosures and custom enclosures for Kasa Controls. IntelliFinishing provides complete paint and powder coating systems to manufacturers.
The company’s first project was a facility automation project at a grain elevator for the Algerian government, and the systems remain in place and running.
Company Culture
According to President and CEO Dan Stutterheim, Kasa was founded by his father, Karl, and today Stutterheim has the majority ownership of the company.
“It is important to me that this is a business that is family-owned, and the atmosphere and culture is family driven. I have an open-door policy, know everyone by name, and solicit input from everyone,” Stutterheim told Grain Journal.
When Dan was growing up and his father ran Kasa, employees were given a choice on their birthday to either receive $5 or to have Karl’s wife, Connie, bake a cake. “As a young boy, I remember being angry when I couldn’t touch the cake, since it was for an employee’s birthday. Now, with about 200 employees, we have too many employees to provide birthday cakes, but we still give personalized birthday cards and money,” said Stutterheim. Kasa’s employees also organize golf outings, softball games, paintball tournaments, picnics, and other celebrations to promote a fun atmosphere for coworkers.
The Internet of Things
Today, many new grain elevators are taking advantage of the latest technology, referred to as the Internet of Things, which is a network of physical objects embedded with electronics, software, sensors, and connectivity to enable objects to exchange data with the manufacturer, operator, and other connected devices.
For example, at a grain elevator, Kasa can use data from a bearing sensor to alert operators of potentially unsafe conditions, as well as shut down equipment, before the bearing reaches too hot of a temperature. This level of control, referred to as Level 4 automation, ultimately results in a reduction of unsafe incidents, an increase in throughput, and simplified operations.
According to Heath Roker, a project manager and engineer, Kasa’s engineers work together with general contractors, millwrights, construction companies, equipment manufacturers, and management and operations personnel. They outline a plan and make sure all of the equipment can communicate with Kasa’s centralized system and database. Kasa offers Level 4 automation using a new software product called Konnection for grain, developed by Kasa’s programmers.
Kasa’s involvement on grain elevator projects begins well before the design of the elevator is drawn up. “In the past, we were typically invited to bid on a project, and the scope was determined by design consultants. As a result of this, many grain elevators did not have the proper wiring infrastructure or the equipment to perform Level 4 automation. Now, we are involved with the construction design to ensure we can communicate with the equipment on a technical level,” said Roker.
Product Packages
In the past, each Kasa project typically was custom-developed, with the customer driving the scope of work, Roker explained. “Within the last five years, Kasa has taken the lead investing in developing applications independent of specific customer specifications. Konnection and KTrack are examples of this commitment.”
Konnection brings data and controls from disparate equipment to a centralized database. From a centralized database, interactive screens, reports, alarms, and messaging are tied together to allow operators and managers to run their systems efficiently and make business decisions knowledgeably.
“The data possibilities are endless, and more importantly, with the help of Kasa’s engineers, the data is morphed into valuable information resulting in increased profitability and reduced risk of injuries,” stated Syd Panzer, product manager for Konnection. “In fact, one of our customers said this tool is more valuable than a manlift.”
Konnection capabilities include:
• Source to destination routing. An operator simply can choose the source and the destination. The system ensures the path is clear, the destination contains the same commodity as the source, and then turns on the appropriate equipment.
• Historical reports. A Konnection installation may be structured to record the activities of the equipment and the operators. These reports are valuable for troubleshooting, identifying training opportunities, and throughput analysis.
• Alarm reporting and hazard monitoring. Users may structure Konnection to monitor equipment and system conditions to ensure that a potentially dangerous situation does not exist. From grain temperature and power usage, to leg loading and conveyor speed, system metrics are tracked closely, so that equipment failures can be identified before they occur, and the generation of hazardous conditions can be minimized.
• Remote access. All of this functionality can be viewed from a computer or tablet anywhere. Konnection is a complete, standalone application that does not require a dedicated computer at the grain facility using remote control software.
Panzer added that this solution not only results in better capabilities for grain elevators, but also allows for better support and help from Kasa’s engineers.
Kasa offers 24/7 support, with personnel dedicated to receiving calls. Panzer explained, “In one incident, using our historical reporting capabilities, Kasa was able to determine the root cause of an issue with an equipment provider. Another customer had a server that went down, and Kasa replaced the server, all the software, and had the customer running again by the end of the day.
KTrack was developed in response to the Food Safety Modernization Act and BioTerrorism Act. Even though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may have reduced some traceability requirements, many grain elevators are very interested in software that allows merchandisers to gain real-time access to bin inventories; provide traceability for GMO, non-GMO, or other standards; and benchmarking of load-in and load-out processing.
The continual development of KTrack is one of Kasa’s future growth strategies. Other applications like power monitoring and preventive maintenance have been identified, as well. Trends in the grain industry, like consolidation of grain elevators, construction of larger and faster shuttle facilities, and regulation and safety mandates, also continue to influence Kasa’s growth and future plans.
According to Roker, more intrinsically-safe tools like tablets and wearable technology will also make their way into the grain industry.
Sharing with Industry
Along with completing successful projects, Kasa is also known for sharing its expertise at Grain Elevator and Processing Society (GEAPS) conferences and OSHA training events. Steve Reed, vice president of safety and engineering, provides presentations such as “How Electrical Code Applies to Grain Elevators” and “How Automation Can Improve Safety.”
“Working with control panels and a significant amount of electricity, along with an explosive environment, means that we are very, very diligent and take safety to the nth degree,” said Reed, who noted that people cause most accidents.
With automation, Kasa tries to remove as much of the potential for human error as possible. Training and re-training are critical not only for Kasa’s employees, but also for its customers. Kasa’s engineers go through rigorous training and testing, before they are allowed to go to a job site.
Stutterheim added that Kasa continues to grow in number of employees and new capabilities. “We believe in continuous improvement for ourselves and our offerings.”
