Baxenden Breakers
The transformation speaks for itself.
At the top of this article, you’ll see the “before and after” images of the car baler control panel at Baxenden Breakers. On one side, an ageing and unsupported Telemecanique TSX 17 PLC system — wiring congested, documentation missing, and reliability questionable. On the other, a clean, modern, fully redesigned PLC panel built and installed by our engineers.
The difference is more than cosmetic. It represents reliability restored to the heart of a busy industrial operation.
The Call-Out
Although industrial car balers aren’t a typical project for us, we were contacted by an employee of Baxenden Breakers March 2025 who trusted us to investigate a serious issue.
Their baler — central to daily operations — had stopped working completely.
When Justin first attended site, he quickly identified the root cause: the machine was running on an obsolete Telemecanique TSX 17 PLC.
The PLC had entered STOP mode due to a fault. Restarting it was far from straightforward:
- The system was long unsupported.
- No software backups were available.
- No original program files or documentation existed.
- Even contacting the original supplier proved unsuccessful.
For a business where the baler is core to operations, this presented a significant operational risk.
A Temporary Lifeline
Through careful diagnosis, persistence and experience (and a bit of luck!), Justin managed to bring the PLC back online — buying the client critical time.
However, it was clear this was not a sustainable solution.
We advised that the only responsible long-term fix would be a full PLC replacement.
When Temporary Became Urgent
After further unexpected stoppages later in 2025, Baxenden Breakers made the decision to proceed with a full upgrade.
This wasn’t a simple swap.
Justin and Jean-Marc designed a completely new control solution tailored specifically to the baler’s operation.
Nothing off-the-shelf.
The new PLC system was:
- Fully designed in-house
- Built and assembled in our workshop
- Rewired and rationalised for clarity
- Engineered for long-term maintainability
The panel build took a couple of weeks at our site before installation.
Installation in Real-World Conditions
Installation took place on site during winter 2025/26 — carried out in freezing temperatures, wind, rain and snow.
There were long days and dark evenings. The environment was dirty, cold and at times frustrating — but the team remained focused on delivering a reliable result.
As expected with a retrofit on older equipment, there were some commissioning teething problems. Each issue was methodically resolved until the system performed exactly as intended.
By February 2026, the upgrade was complete
The Result
The baler is now operating reliably.
- Doors open smoothly.
- Doors close when they should.
- The baler cycles correctly.
- Downtime risk has been significantly reduced.
The before-and-after images show a dramatic transformation — but more importantly, Baxenden Breakers now have a supported, maintainable control system that protects their core operation.
Watch the Process in Action
Baxenden Breakers have kindly shared several videos documenting the journey — from the initial breakdown in March 2025 through to the final upgrade in February 2026.
These clips capture the real progression of the project, showing the challenges faced, the interim fixes, and the eventual full PLC upgrade.
We Spent Thousands on a NEW Baler… And It’s Already BROKEN! 16th March 2025
Did We Finally Fix Our New Baler?! (New Start Energy appear at 26:00) 19th March 2025
The Bigger The Machines, The Bigger The Problems! (New Start Energy Appear at 41:00) 5th October 2025
Our Baler FINALLY Gets A BIG UPGRADE!!! 28th December 2025
We FINALLY Finished Our Taurus Scrap Car Baler! 15th Feb 2026
A Wider Lesson
Many industrial sites continue to operate on obsolete PLC platforms.
It often works — until it doesn’t.
Unsupported systems, missing backups and ageing hardware can create serious operational risk.
Planned upgrades are always more controlled — and ultimately less disruptive — than emergency replacements.
Don’t wait for failure to force your hand
Contact us to discuss upgrading your obsolete PLC systems and secure long-term reliability for your site