Prince Hydraulics Finally Gets The SCADA System They Wanted

For Prince Hydraulics, the road to a functioning SCADA system was more than a decade in the making. As far back as 2011, a group of plant employees presented to corporate leadership with a clear ask: find a way to bring all the information operators need into one place and make it easy to apply to the job at hand. It took years of searching before that vision finally became a reality.

The core problem was fragmentation. Operators on the shop floor were expected to pull data from multiple locations, navigating different icons, file folders, and systems just to gather the information required to complete work at a single station. The time cost was significant, and the friction created real inefficiencies in setup and production.

Tying information to the model number

The solution centered on connecting the right information to the right product at the right moment. By working with their integration partner, Kasa Controls and Automation, Prince Hydraulics was able to mine data from existing sources, including the engineering server and their ERP system, and tie it directly to model numbers. As a product moves down the line, the system now recognizes what is in front of the machine and automatically surfaces everything the operator needs.

That single-screen experience is not a minor convenience. Consolidating op sheets, blueprints, and inspection requirements into one view directly reduces setup times and removes a layer of cognitive load from operators. The impact is practical and measurable at the station level.

The brains behind the conveyor

A recurring theme in Prince Hydraulics' description of this implementation is the distinction between a conveyor line that moves parts from point A to point B and the intelligence layer that makes that movement useful. The hardware of a production line is visible and easy to evaluate. The information architecture that supports it often goes unappreciated until it is missing. What separated the SCADA Kasa provided is that e

For the team at Prince Hydraulics, the project's value ultimately came down to the people on the shop floor. Getting employees the information they need to do their jobs well was the stated priority from the beginning, and by that measure the system is now operating at full capacity. After more than ten years of looking for the right solution, the plant has what it finally set out to build.