Electrical Renovation and Automation Upgrade of Calemard Equipment by Spoolex: An Industrial Challenge Met in Record Time

Modernizing heavy industrial equipment while ensuring near-continuous production is a major challenge—one that Spoolex, a specialist in customized industrial solutions, has recently and successfully taken on at one of its Tire manufacturer customer’s overseas production sites.

In just three weeks, the teams completed a full upgrade of several Calemard machines and equipment, with total downtime limited to two weeks, followed by a ramp-up in production starting in the third week. A true achievement given the scale and complexity of the work carried out.

A Strategic Modernization Project

The objectives of this renovation were multiple:

• To ensure a technological upgrade of the equipment,
• To secure the supply of electrical components for at least the next 10 years,
• To adapt the machines to the evolving needs of the customer while ensuring full compliance with current operator safety standards.

This upgrade went far beyond a simple component replacement. It involved a comprehensive electrical and automation redesign, incorporating functional, ergonomic, and safety improvements.

Safety, Ergonomics, and Performance at the Core of the Upgrades

The work carried out included in particular:

• The addition of safety devices: light curtains, interlocked safety systems, laser scanners, three-color stack lights to improve machine status visibility, etc.
• The removal of equipment that had become unnecessary for the customer, such as certain edge-trim extractors, in order to simplify installations and optimize operation,
• The modernization of operator interfaces, with control panels replaced by touchscreen versions that are more ergonomic and compliant with the customer’s standards,
• The renewal of control components, including floor pedals, solenoid valves, and certain electrical and pneumatic cabinets,
• The standardization of push-button controls on auxiliary equipment, in line with the customer’s specific requirements.

Each intervention required complex unwiring and wiring operations, automation reprogramming, and the installation of industrial modems in each cabinet, enabling secure remote connections for diagnostics and maintenance.

Crucial Upstream Preparation

The success of this project relied heavily on extensive upfront engineering work:

Engineering and Design

• Complete electrical studies: including the creation of base drawings for each equipment.

• Automation studies: including functional and hardware analyses carried out in close collaboration with on-site production teams, as well as the development of custom PLC programs and HMIs.

Workshop Integration

• Pre-assembly and wiring: Completed in the workshop to minimize on-site intervention time.

On site, the teams handled the dismantling of existing wiring, new cabling, connections, and all testing, before commissioning, trials, and the ramp-up production.

Exceptionally Reduced Machine Downtime

Despite the scale of the operations, total machine downtime was limited to just two weeks—an exceptionally short timeframe for this type of project. The third week was dedicated to final testing and production ramp-up, allowing the customer to resume operations under optimal conditions with minimal interruption.

“Reducing machine downtime is an achievement in itself, given the complexity of the upgrade work carried out,” emphasizes Christian Montusclat, Sales Director of Calemard by Spoolex.

A Demonstration of Industrial Expertise

This project highlights Spoolex’s ability to manage complex industrial renovation projects in constrained environments, both in France and internationally. It also confirms the importance of rigorous preparation, high-level technical expertise, and close coordination with the customer to ensure performance, safety, and production continuity.