Cam Cliffton

Diligent Controls Engineer with over 25 years of experience in controls engineering. Adept at the design and testing of existing systems and new control systems. Talents in project management, programming languages, and consultancy support.

Experienced with advanced control systems design and implementation. Utilizes PLC programming and system integration to optimize automation processes. Track record of managing complex projects and ensuring operational excellence.

Controls engineering professional prepared for advanced roles in industrial automation and system optimization. Proven track record of developing robust control systems and improving operational efficiency. Reliable team collaborator with focus on achieving results and adapting to evolving project requirements. Proficient in PLC programming and system integration, with strong problem-solving skills.

• International Society of Automation [ISA]
• Automatic Controls and Robotics Division (ACARD)
• Process Measurement & Control Division Member (PMCD)
• American Copy Editors Society (ACES)
• Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA)

Agilyx, Tigard, Oregon (HQ) and Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Regenyx recycling plant (Tigard) and Toyo/Denka recycling plant (Goi, Japan)

Rockwell/Allen Bradley PLC5000 Control Logix with Plant PAX PLC and SCADA Programming. Controls design and development of revolutionary “first of its kind” polystyrene recycling plant. Designed, wrote, and edited complete suite of technical documentation required to develop turnkey process control. Developed electrical schematics required to build the system's controls hardware. Designed user and operations manuals for translation into customers' end user language (Japanese). Complete VM delivery of all control software. Led controls engineering team through PLC programming (Rockwell Software Logix 5000 Plant PAX, and SCADA programming (Rockwell Software Factory Talk Studio 5000) from concept to deliverable product. Performed the onsite start up and commissioning in Japan.

Port of Portland, PDX International Airport, Deicing System

Programming, commissioning, continuous improvement, and system support from initial inception and construction of a 40 node, redundant Rockwell based PLC5 (now upgraded) and PLC5000 storm water/wastewater collection and treatment system. The system comprises an on-airport treatment facility that uses anaerobic treatment technology that treats concentrated effluent prior to discharge to the Columbia River, 25M gallons storage capacity for both concentrated and dilute runoff. The system provides for an 89% reduction in biochemical oxygen demand discharged to the Columbia Slough. Specifics include: design, development, creation and maintenance of a 5,000+ tag “PI” database for historical data collection. Technical report design, generation and automation required for reporting to various regulatory agencies (EPA, DEQ). PLC and SCADA program development, commissioning and continued support of the newly built treatment plant and all its associated collection and discharge systems. Total Project capital value: Approximately 40M$.

City of Edmonds Storm Water System

Multiple PLC and SCADA programming projects, including flow control design modifications for 5 corners pump station, new VFD programming for better storage tank flow control, addition of pump mode controls and tank filling strategies. Compete SCADA server replacement and upgrade, including replacement and reprogramming of the entire alarm system (TopView), adding cellular modems with text-based alarming. Continued software, networking, and troubleshooting support via remote access. Development and deployments of iPad remote SCADA connection, access and control via cellular VPN connection. SCADA system is Wonderware InTouch (AVEVA) server software with remote telemetry PLCs (Automation Direct).

City of Carnation Waste Water Plant, Carnation, Washington

System-wide update of all foundation field bus equipment. Reprogramming of five treatment plant membrane PLC systems and associated equipment FFLD equipment. Performed PLC programming of both treatment plant main PLC’s logic, including analog and digital control loops and associated alarming and SCADA graphics. Equipment included AB PLC5000 redundant controllers using Control Logix PLC programming with Rockwell RSView SE graphics software and Foundation Field Bus third party software.

King County Water and Waste Water Division, Seattle, Washington

Multiple control projects, including influent pump station system programming updating pump control strategies to incorporate new variable frequency drive installations. Engineering design reviews and specifications updating control strategies to better match system operators’ requirements, allowing consistent inflow performance. PLC and SCADA modifications that were required to accommodate new control and VDF panel installations. Equipment comprises Allen Bradley PLC5000 with Control Logix, ControlNet and DeviceNet software, AB 700 series VFDs, and Emerson Ovation DCS operator interface equipment.

Multnomah County Drainage District, Portland, Oregon

Programming, commissioning, continuous improvement, and system support of a 15 node, remote telemetry storm water system. System protects lives and properties from both external flooding and internal flooding, by maintaining levees along the Columbia River and managing drainage districts and pump stations covering over 12,500 Acres, with over 2,500 landowners, 13 Pump Stations, 27 Miles of Levee, and approximately 45 Miles of Ditches, Slough, and Streams. Specifics include design, development, creation and maintenance of a PLC and SCADA program based on GE platforms. Includes Cimplicity software, and GE PLC platforms (versamax and support and integration with the older 9030 series). GE Proficy accessories include: GlobalView, AlarmCast, Statistical Process Control (SPC), and WebView. Designed, programmed, installed, and commissioned cellular modem remote telemetry to replace radio modems for improved speed, performance, and reliability.

Ederer Crane, Seattle, Washington and Tainan Taiwan

Refuse Crane

PLC and drive programming for a 20-ton refuse crane system in Tainan Taiwan. I worked in Tainan Taiwan for 8 weeks while designing controls, programming system, and commissioning equipment. System utilized Allen Bradley PLC 5000, ABB DC drives and motors, ABB Weighing Scale system, and Magnetrol position resolvers.

Ershigs Inc., Bellingham, Washington

Filament Winder Control

Design of a multi-axis motion control system for winding fiberglass tanks and culverts. Wrote and integrated motion control code with PLC logic. Designed and programmed recipe system with multiple variables such that end user could create their own custom products and save them for future recall. System uses Allen Bradley SLC 500, PanelView 900C, S-Class Motion Controller, 1336 Impact drive (slave) and a Magnetek drive (master).

Columbia Forest Products, Craigsville, West Virginia

Four-Axis Veneer Stacker Line

Custom motion control system programmed to stack veneer according to pre-programmed recipes. System utilized Parker Gemini Servo Drives, Compumotor 6k4 motion controller, Siemens AC Drives, and CTC P2 operator interface running Machine Logic all operating across a Profibus communications network and distributed I/O.

Huber Saw Line, White’s Creek, Virginia

Saw Line Design

Design, development, and programming of a wood product saw line. System utilizes Allen Bradley PLC 5000, 1336 drives and operator control stations. Development included electrical drawings, control strategy and panel design for an entire line, including in-feed, saw, paint booth, stacker, strapper, palletizer and out-feed.

Hewlett Packard, Corvallis, Oregon

High Speed Tube Fatigue Test Fixture

Designed a test fixture from scratch to allow the rapid testing of various tube material strengths used for HP inkjet printers. This was an R&D test bed for HP. Equipment used: Allen-Bradley Ultra 3000 Servo Drive, Bayside “Luge” linear actuator, and a Koll Morgan linear motor.

Glass Alchemy, Portland Oregon

Industrial controls design and build of revolutionary glass rod pulling machines. This was a first in the world of its kind.

Utilized Allen Bradley’s micrologix 1500 system with RSView Machine Edition MMI, and extremely complicated and sensitive, innovative sensor packages and PID loops. Required multinational delivery, install, and commissioning in Asia, and Central America.