Industrial Automation for UK Manufacturers
Most industrial manufacturers reach a point where the automation system they have is no longer the automation system they need. Either the equipment is ageing, the process has outgrown the current control architecture, or the engineers who understood the old system have moved on. Feed4ward has the engineering depth to understand what is there, the technical capability to replace or extend it correctly, and the documentation to prove it works.
Feed4ward has been delivering industrial automation since 2002. We programme Siemens PLCs in TIA Portal, configure WinCC SCADA systems, and build control panels from our Portsmouth workshop. As a certified Siemens Solution Partner, our engineers have been assessed by Siemens directly.
We work with manufacturers across food and beverage, energy, water and utilities and general industrial sectors. The common thread is Siemens automation, (S7-1500, S7-1200) WinCC SCADA, and the older S7-300 and S5 systems that still run a significant proportion of UK manufacturing.
For manufacturers who need automation work completed, whether that is new systems, legacy upgrades, or specific scopes within larger projects. Feed4ward provides the engineering resource without the overhead of a large systems integrator.
What We Deliver
From individual engineering scopes to complete turnkey automation. Siemens PLC, SCADA and control panel systems designed, built and commissioned by the same team.
Siemens PLC Programming
TIA Portal programming across S7-1500, S7-1200, and ET200SP. Structured function block architecture, PROFINET communications, safety-rated programming where required. We write code that other engineers can read, maintain, and extend.
WinCC SCADA Systems
WinCC Advanced and Unified SCADA design and configuration for industrial applications. Process visualisation, centralised alarm management, data logging, trending, and reporting. Remote monitoring via WinCC web client. Multi-PLC supervision from a single operator station.
WinCC SCADA Systems
WinCC Advanced and Unified SCADA design and configuration. Multi-PLC supervisory control, centralised alarm management, data logging, process trending, and audit trail configuration for programmes requiring electronic records.
HMI Design & Configuration
Siemens Comfort Panel and Unified Panel HMI design. Operator interface screens built around workflow, not around what is easy to programme. Clear process graphics, structured alarm displays, and recipe management for process lines with multiple product specifications.
Engineering Documentation
Full documentation packages to the standard MOD programmes require — Functional Design Specifications, Configuration Specifications, FAT and SAT protocols and reports, as-built records, and formal change control throughout delivery.
Control Panel Design & Build
Electrical design, component selection, workshop assembly, internal testing, and Factory Acceptance Testing in our Portsmouth facility. Panels built to BS 61439 with full electrical documentation. IP-rated and stainless steel enclosures for demanding process environments.
Why Siemens: Why Siemens Solutions Partner Matters
Siemens is the most widely installed PLC platform in UK industrial automation. We believe that if you are specifying, upgrading or troubleshooting a Siemens automation system its important to verify that the engineers intrusted with your technology are verifiably competent experts.
Working with a certified Siemens Solution Partner is a practical engineering decision with advantages that show up during commissioning, during fault finding, and during every programme change made after handover. A Solution Partner certification requires verified project experience assessed by Siemens directly, annual renewal, and access to direct Siemens technical support on live projects.
The difference between a company that has programmed Siemens PLCs and one that holds active Solution Partner certification is the difference between familiarity and verified competence. Feed4ward has held that certification continuously since 2020 delivering industrial automation across pharmaceutical, energy, defence, food and beverage, and general manufacturing sectors from our Portsmouth workshop.
Frequently asked questions
Do you only work with Siemens PLC systems?
Siemens is our primary platform and the one we are certified on as a Siemens Solution Partner. The majority of our work involves TIA Portal, S7-1500, S7-1200, WinCC SCADA, and legacy S7-300 systems. For sites with existing non-Siemens hardware, we can integrate with other platforms via OPC-UA or Modbus.
Do you build control panels as well as programme PLCs?
Yes. We design and build control panels in-house from our Portsmouth workshop. The same team that programmes the PLC builds the panel it sits in. This is unusual in the UK automation sector as most companies specialise in one or the other. For projects that need both, it removes the coordination risk between separate software and hardware suppliers.
Can you work on our existing Siemens S7-300 system?
Yes. We work on existing S7-300 systems for extensions, modifications, and fault finding and we migrate them to S7-1500 where the system is approaching end-of-life or where the client wants to move to TIA Portal. S7-300 migration is a significant part of our current workload given the October 2023 end of mainstream support.
What does a Factory Acceptance Test involve?
Before any system leaves our workshop, we conduct a Factory Acceptance Test in our Portsmouth facility. This involves powering up the fully assembled panel, verifying all communications are working correctly, testing operator functions against the system specification, and demonstrating the system behaves as designed. The client is welcome to witness the FAT.
Do you provide ongoing support after commissioning?
Yes. Post-commissioning support is provided by the same engineers who delivered the project. When you call with a query about something that was commissioned six months ago, the engineer who picks up knows the system. We offer remote diagnostic support where site connectivity allows, and site visits for issues that require hands-on attention.
What areas of the UK do you cover?
We are based in Portsmouth and primarily serve manufacturers across Hampshire, Dorset, Surrey, Wiltshire, Somerset, and the wider South Coast. We have the ability to cover most of the UK depending on the project and we have delivered projects across the South of England, the Midlands, and into Scotland. Contact us with your site location and we can confirm coverage and travel arrangements.
Specifying a SCADA system for a regulated environment? That conversation is most valuable at requirements stage.
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If you are specifying an automation system for a regulated or industrial environment, an early conversation about scope and platform costs nothing and usually saves rework later.
Feed4ward Control Ltd
Feed4ward Control Ltd
Unit 3, Hilsea Industrial Estate
Limberline Spur
Portsmouth
PO3 5JW
Sales@Feed4ward.com
+44 2392 697 599
Enquiry Form
Feed4ward Control Ltd
Unit 3, Hilsea Industrial Estate
Limberline Spur
Portsmouth
PO3 5JW