Summary

When automation engineer Ober Yela was tasked with upgrading a thermoforming machine originally controlled by a legacy Siemens S5 PLC, he selected a Unitronics UniStream® PLC + HMI with a 10” color touchscreen.
By upgrading to UniStream, Arcopack modernized their thermoformer without redesigning hardware, while cutting both programming and commissioning time, and improving reliability.
The UniStream controller provided all the required functionality—PWM outputs, auto-tuned PID temperature control, and precise motion via PTO—within one compact, integrated platform.

The Company

Founded in Honduras in 2013, Arcopack manufactures and distributes thermoformed plastic trays with a clear focus on modernizing its production operations—leveraging automation, control, and real-time visibility to drive efficiency and profitability.

The Challenge

Arcopack’s existing thermoformer used an end-of-life Siemens S5 PLC, making maintenance difficult and limiting flexibility.
The retrofit required a PLC controller that could handle temperature regulation, PID control, motion coordination, and recipe management—functions essential to every stage of the thermoforming cycle:

• Feeding and advancing the plastic sheet
• Heating it until pliable
• Forming shapes via mold stamping
• Cooling the shaped plastic
• Ejecting the finished trays

Additionally, Arcopack wanted a user-friendly HMI to simplify setup, monitoring, and real-time control for operators.

The Solution

Automation engineer Ober Yela, head of projects at Central de Mangueras in Honduras and an experienced Unitronics integrator, implemented a UniStream PLC + HMI with a 10” inch color graphic touchscreen to replace the outdated Siemens system.

UniStream provided all the functionalities required:

• Thermocouple (TC) inputs and PWM outputs for precise temperature control
• Auto-tuned PID loops; Engineer Yela utilized 5 of UniStream’s 64 available PID loops to manage temperature-dependent processes
• Position control via PTO for accurate motion control
• Recipe management for fast setup and easy configuration

Benefits / Results

Because UniStream is a PLC + HMI all-in-one controller, the same database supplies both the control and user applications. Since both applications—as well as commissioning and communication—are programmed in the same software environment, UniLogic, Engineer Yela was able to create attractive HMI screens that enabled his client to:

• Easily configure the process by entering the PID parameter and loading them into the machine via UniStream’s touchscreen.

• Create, modify, and load recipes as needed.

• Monitor heater status and adjust setpoints.

• Monitor system operation in real-time, and enable the operator to control, stop, and reset the thermoformer if necessary.