Summary

Combining Unitronics PLC +HMI controllers with UniCloud connectivity enabled Innostall to transform manure management for dairy farms —including slurry pits, pumping stations, mixers, and solid-liquid separators—from a manual chore into a data-driven process. The result is a system that provides real-time visibility into system performance, enables remote troubleshooting, and supports preventive maintenance across single and multi-site farm operations.

The Company

Located near Budapest, Hungary, InnoStall designs and installs advanced manure handling systems for dairy and livestock farms. Its applications control and monitor slurry pits, pumping stations, mixers, and solid-liquid separators, all of which play a central role in farm hygiene and day-to-day continuity.

The Challenge: Bringing Visibility to Critical Farm Infrastructure

On modern dairy farms, efficiency and reliability are essential. Behind the daily routines of feeding and milking lies a complex infrastructure that keeps the farm operating smoothly. One of the most critical parts of that infrastructure is manure management—the continuous process of moving, mixing, and processing slurry across pits, pumps, mixers, and separators. These processes are essential to farm hygiene, day-to-day continuity, and overall operation.

Because these systems operate 24/7, reliability is essential. An unexpected pump failure or an overflowing slurry pit can lead to serious environmental risks, operational downtime and emergency service calls—situations every farm operator wants to avoid.

Monitoring these installations across multiple farms was difficult. Farmers lacked real-time visibility into the status of their equipment, unable to identify whether a pump had stopped, whether pressure was abnormal, or whether a separator was malfunctioning.

Diagnosing issues required technicians to travel to remote farm sites, even for simple status checks, resulting in high service costs.

To solve these issues, InnoStall began to consider a connected Cloud solution.

The Solution: Integrated IIoT with Unitronics PLCs and UniCloud IIoT

To improve visibility and simplify support, Innostall integrated Unitronics PLC controllers with the UniCloud platform, enabling remote monitoring and smarter management of their manure handling systems.

Each installation includes a PLC that collects operational data and connects it to UniCloud. Through cloud dashboards, both farmers and Innostall technicians can view real-time information about the system’s performance from anywhere.

Technical Implementation

• Connectivity: PLC-to-Cloud communication is handled via secure Unitronics UCR routers. While UniStream PLCs can connect directly to UniCloud, Vision controllers and other Modbus devices are integrated via Modbus protocols. Sensor data is collected via 4-20mA analog signals.
• Data Collection: The system continuously monitors key data including pit levels, pump speed and operating status, mixer activity, separator operation, pressure conditions, and environmental factors such as temperature and frost protection. This level of visibility allows operators to immediately see whether the system is functioning correctly.
• Automated Safeguards: The system is programmed to prevent disasters; for instance, if a slurry pit reaches its maximum level, the PLC automatically:
  • Sends a signal to stop the pump from the previous pit. to stop,
  •  Sends an immediate alarm to the farmer.

Remote Management Capabilities

• Custom Dashboards: Both farmers and technicians use cloud-based dashboards to track Sump Levels, Pump Speed (Hz), and Runtime.
• VPN Tunneling: UniCloud’s secure VPN allows technicians to directly access the PLCs to troubleshoot, update applications, and perform remote servicing without a site visit.
• Fleet Management: For large-scale operations with multiple sites, UniCloud’s Fleet Management mode provides a centralized overview, allowing operators to monitor all connected farms from a single interface.

Business Benefits: Visibility Reduces Operating Costs

With Unitronics PLCs and UniCloud, InnoStall has brought connected monitoring, secure remote access, and preventive maintenance to a critical agricultural process that operates out of sight—but that can never be allowed to fail.

Conclusion

By integrating Unitronics PLCs and UniCloud, Innostall improved visibility, accelerated service response, reduced unnecessary site visits, and increased reliability, to ensure that critical farm infrastructure continues to operate smoothly every day.

“With Unitronics PLCs and UniCloud, we can monitor and support our installations remotely while giving farmers full visibility into their systems. It’s a win-win—our customers gain greater reliability and faster service, while we can deliver better support with greater efficiency.”
— CEO, Innostall