Wesco's Innovative Soil Reclamation Unit Revolutionizes Environmental Cleanup

In the face of emergency situations like hazardous fires, quick responses are crucial to saving lives and protecting infrastructure. However, the first measures taken to mitigate immediate threats, such as using firefighting foam, can have unintended consequences for the environment. Products like firefighting foam often contain harmful contaminants that can harm water and soil, posing a threat to animal and plant life.

Recognizing the potential danger posed by such harmful products, ACE Automation sought a solution to cleanse contaminated soil and approached Wesco for help. The goal was to develop a method that would neutralize contaminants found in soil to prevent further environmental damage.

Within a remarkable three-month timeframe, the Wesco technical team collaborated with ACE Automation, end user engineers, and relevant manufacturers to create an innovative soil reclamation unit. The design was a true collaborative effort, resulting in a modular and efficient solution that would facilitate the cleansing process.

The custom soil reclamation unit's core mechanism involved heating the corrupted soil to a point where all the contaminants are neutralized. This process, which can handle2-5 tons of soil per hour, employs a rotating cone to deliver the heating process and cleanse the soil effectively.

The challenge, however, was not only in the design of the unit but also in automating its operation for efficiency and safety. To address this, the team envisioned an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) solution, allowing for remote access, visualization, and machine automation. With the integration of the Exor Corvina platform, J-Smart touchscreen, and ExWare IoT gateway, operators gained the ability to monitor and control the soil heating and cooling process from afar. This remote management provided greater efficiency, safety, and standardized controls for the unit's operation.

The results were outstanding. The custom soil reclamation unit successfully superheated the contaminated soil, removing all harmful contaminants and leaving behind pure, natural soil. Furthermore, the advanced design and clean power utilization met utility requirements for total harmonic distortion, ensuring that the reclaimed soil returned to its healthy, natural state posed no threat to the delicate ecosystem. The success of this project exemplifies the power of collaboration and innovative engineering to tackle environmental challenges. Thanks to the joint efforts of ACE Automation and the Wesco industrial automation team, the customer now enjoys peace of mind, knowing that the contaminated area has been reclaimed and restored to its pristine state.[ME1] This groundbreaking solution holds immense promise for the future, as it can be duplicated to address soil reclamation in other areas, thus significantly reducing the long-term impact of emergency response measures on our environment.

[ME1]If this was a success story through the industrial automation team, I don’t think we should change that to OEM, unless that team did support the project. If it was an industrial automation team project that is relevant to OEM, you could genericize it so it’s just: Thanks to the joint efforts of ACE Automation and the Wesco team…

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