Transforming Operations: Con Metal Contractors Partners with Jonel for Efficiency

Port Lavaca is a central economic hub for large manufacturing companies including Dow Chemical, Dupont, Invista, Ineos Nitriles and Formosa Plastics. Some of Con Metal’s crowning achievements in civil contracts include providing Heavy Civil Structural Erection and Foundation construction labor and materials to these large-scale enterprises.

Their expanding business have been tasked with growing its ready-mix operation over the last three years. Con Metal has seen some considerable growth in demand for industrial, commercial and non-commercial project in their area. Although there are other suppliers in the greater Corpus Christi market, they felt it necessary to diversify the civil construction side of their business and incorporate ready mix materials as well.

When it came down to choosing a supplier of batching and dispatch products to help with the plant expansion, Con Metal chose Jonel to help with the plant upgrades for both its main batch plant and secondary mobile batch facility. Their expansion included a new Cemco mobile plant and they felt the Jonel system was a natural fit for this new plant expansion. Additionally, Jonel included upgrading Con Metal’s main stationary to help consolidate everything together seamlessly.

The Jonel Archer batching was chosen to improve their plant efficiency by allowing them to have more options in setting parameters to speed up their batch times. Their legacy system just didn’t have the speed, technical support and ease of use as the Jonel system. They also deployed Jonel’s AU 2 Cloud based dispatch solution to seamlessly tie in all operations under one platform.

The Installation went smoothly and they were able to get the plant back into full production within 3 days. This included integrating a new material handling system which Jonel was able to engineer onsite. Installation included completely rewiring their control panel. In so doing, Con Metal can trouble shoot their plant more efficiently when looking for signal wires. All batch functions are controlled by the batch operator including the bin fill system, all on one screen. It makes it a lot easier to visually see what materials are being called for and trouble shoot any material sourcing issues.

During the installation Jonel’s team were able to identify mechanical issues which were made aware to the operator, such as; aeration issues on the cements which can slow down the load times and discharged times. Conveyors not on the same frequency can slow down the transfer of materials from one conveyor to another, this can cause material build up and be disruptive during a job especially if they have to stop to clear the material of the conveyors Jonel used Hydronix moisture probes to improve their material moisture content which allowed them to determine their slump with more accuracy.

The implementation of a new state-of-the-art system at Conmetal has proven to be transformative, significantly enhancing the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of operations. Through meticulous monitoring and precise control afforded by the Archer control system, Conmetal has gained a comprehensive understanding of its production processes. This newfound insight has not only enabled them to optimize their workflow but has also enabled them to make informed decisions that directly impact their bottom line. Additionally, the increased production has not only minimized human error but has also allowed its skilled workforce to focus on higher-value tasks, fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.