Irrigation Craft Measures Success in Decades, Standardizes on Siemens Control Components

"When Richard and Linda Neff founded Irrigation Craft nearly 20 years ago, they were not happy with the state of the skid mounted pump station market.

“The units were immature and unrefined,” Richard Neff said. “Manufacturers used very expensive components and still the equipment had a lot of trouble. We knew we could do better.”

Irrigation Craft

Located in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Irrigation Craft manufactures skid mounted pump stations and controls sold throughout North and South America.

The pump stations and controls are used in irrigation systems found in large and small commercial installations, parks, roadways, plant nurseries, agriculture, hotels and resorts. The company also manufactures pressure boosters for portable water in tall buildings and irrigation systems, and water transfer controls for fountains and waterfalls.

Designing equipment to last, with minimal repairs, is the operating philosophy of Irrigation Craft. Since starting the company, Neff has been focused on improving what worked, and changing what did not. Perfecting the pumping of clear water – in tall buildings to water falls to irrigation systems – is a way of life for Neff.

“Every time there has been a problem we examined it and found a method to make sure it never happened again,” Neff said. “We maintained a close watch on all of our equipment. We still do. So if we have a component that will last three years, we automatically look for a component that will last longer. Basically, that is the foundation of the company. Our skid mounted pump system is designed to last 20-30 years.”

The majority of Irrigation Craft’s business is custom fabrication, although the company offers standard units as well. However, he said the control system voltages, phases, and types of pumps, constantly change, depending on the job.

Engineering Makes the Difference

Recently, Neff made another improvement to his skid mounted pump stations and controls. After 15 years of working with an electrical controls and automation vendor, he made a switch to Siemens Energy & Automation.

“I’m active in a lot of engineering groups and almost as a whole they preferred Siemens over my existing electrical component supplier,” Neff said. “Siemens is known for quality engineering. The other vendors who competed for my business were marketing driven.”

Past president of the Florida Irrigation Society, Neff took the advice of his engineering colleagues and contacted Siemens in 2004. By the end of the year, Irrigation Craft standardized on Siemens automation and control components, including SIMATIC S7200 PLCs and expansion modules, MICROMASTER 440 drives, SIRIUS contactors, OL relays, branch circuit protecting molded case circuit breakers, and handle mechanisms built into NEMA 4X electrical enclosures.

Neff said he met with Siemens engineers over several months to learn about the company and its products.

“I was quite amazed at Siemens’ stick-to-it-ness,” Neff said. “When something became an obstruction, they went back and found a solution. But what really got my attention was that Siemens offered “cage clamp” technology and its willingness to make changes to achieve technical superiority.”

Siemens cage clamp technology replaces traditional contactor and relay screw clamps. Neff said screw clamps compress the copper wire, causing it to condense. Over time the wire loosens and the connection is lost. A cage clamp is a spring loaded mechanism that captures the copper wire in a spring load. Even if the copper wire is compressed, the spring load continues to apply uniform pressure and maintain a constant tension on it

“In any wire connection there are two major factors -- surface area and compression. The compression factor is about 90 percent of the connection. Screw terminals rely on surface area.

“Siemens’ cage clamp technology compliments our philosophy of anticipating customer needs and eliminating potential problems,” Neff continued. “Siemens wasn’t waiting for the market to force them to use cage clamps and I respect that foresight in a company.”

Fast Connect PLCs Enhance Uptime

Central and south Florida is an excellent proving ground for the solid state drives and PLCs found in his the pump station control systems, Neff said, describing the area as the lightening strike capital of the world.

“We are the lightening test bed,” he said. “Florida has extensive damage every year from electrical transients. While we anticipate the S7200 PLCs that we will install in Florida will hold up well under normal conditions, no PLC can survive a close lighting strike.”Neff said standardizing on Siemens SIMATIC S7200 PLC with quick connect technology is part of Irrigation Craft’s lightening protection scheme.

 “First, you provide the most protection and durability you can,” Neff said. “But nothing can protect the controller if lightening hits close enough. That is why our quick connect PLC is one that anybody can replace. We’ve had guys who mow lawns remove them and plug them back in. So now our customers don’t have to hire a brain surgeon and pay them $1,000 to install a new PLC.”

PVC Control Technology Beats Mainline Pressure

Irrigation Craft offers a unique method of supplying water to PVC pipe systems without damaging the pipe and fittings. Called PVC Control, the method is an effective alternative to traditional mainline pressure control.

 Mainline pressure control systems require a substantial pressure drop to alert the PLC to initiate the pumps. Neff said that pressure drop could be between 10-20 psi when a large valve is opened. He said a system operating at 70 psi may require the pressure to drop to 60 or 50 psi before a PLC activates pumps. That is when the damage occurs.

“Take a piece of plastic and bend it back and forth over and over again,” Neff explained. “Eventually, the plastic will fail at the hinge point. The same is true for mainline pressure control. Whenever pressure changes in a pipe, the plastic folds in a fitting. A fitting can only stand a finite number of cycles before it breaks.”

However, Neff said because the SIMATIC S7200 PLC offers more I/O points than comparable PLCs, the controller can constantly monitor the water pressure in the pipeline and instantaneously correct minor pressure variations as valves are opened and shut. The result is almost no pressure stress on pipe fittings, extending the life of the system.

 “I am stunned that most pump station manufacturers won’t learn about PVC Control,” Neff said. “PVC’s qualities for handling pressure and flow are quite amazing. You can put a static pressure on it and will sit there for 1,000 years without failing. But PVC does not enjoy being moved up and down by pressure. Our competition has a standard answer for their customers when their pipe systems come apart – they say their customers should have put in a better pipe system.”

Partnership not Commodity

To promote partnership and growth with Irrigation Craft, Siemens assisted Irrigation Craft in training their dealers and converting their drawings and PLC programs. “Siemens is willing to come in and perform educational services, and that is more than the other manufacturers would do,” Neff said. “So Siemens has taken an interest in our business and in our industry.

“It is a team effort,” Neff continued. “Someone once said competition is not company against company. It is supply line against supply line. It is Irrigation Craft, Siemens, and all of our vendors against other manufacturers.”