Matthew W. Kendall
Founder | Automation Architect
Meet Matthew, the founder and owner of XAutomation. With over 20 years of industrial automation experience, Matthew is combining his knowledge of Industrial Control Systems (ICS) with the power of IIoT.
Matthew is bringing the best and brightest minds together to execute premier automation solutions that will transform projects and plant operations around the world.
With his hands-on experience, he brings his team of qualified automation specialists to build automation systems that deliver efficiency, safety, reliability, and tangible ROI. They “just work.”
Project History
Energy
- (12) Natural Gas Cryo Plants
- (2) DHT Hydrogen Systems
- (200+) Compressor Systems
- (30+) Amine & Dehy Systems
- (4) Nitrogen Rejection (NRU)
- Fire & Gas Detection Systems
- Acid Gas Injection System
- Naptha Reformer
- (2) Off-gas boilers (75,000 Sq ft)
- (2) Power Generation FGS
- (14) Compressor Stations
- (2) Gas Storage (~2 Bcf)
- (4) Gathering Systems
- (2) Pipeline Systems
- (2) Rail Car loading facilities
Manufacturing
- Stainless Steel Fuel Cell Production Line
- Foundry – Scrap metal to cast water pipe
- Tier 1 Automobile QC Station
- Carbon black palletizing system
- Fiber optic bow sight production system
- Aluminum billet Extrusion
- Marine Engine testing bay
- CNC Stamper System
Food Processing
- Buttermilk Biscuits – Full Process
- 8′ Turkey Logs – Freeze Crusting
- Cold water system
- CIP system
- Full size Apple Pies – Bulk baking
- Miniature Apple Pies – Full Process
- Burger patties – Bulk baking
- Automated packaging and palletizing
Technical Skillsets
PLC/DCS Platforms
- AB ControlLogix
- AB PLC-5
- GE Versamax
- GE Rx3i
- Siemens S7
- Opto22 – Groov
- DeltaV
- AB CompactLogix
- AB SLC-500
- GE 90/30
- GE Rx7i
- Modicon
- PLCNext
- Yokogawa
- AB MicroLogix
- AB FlexLogix
- GE 90/70
- FisherROC
- FWMurphy
- Triconex
- AB PlantPAx
HMI/SCADA
- Rockwell Automation – FT View
- Inductive Automation – Ignition
- AVEVA Wonderware
- AVEVA Citect
- Vijeo
- Red Lion
Server/Cloud Architecture
- Windows Server
- Active Directory
- Exchange
- IIS
- SQL
- PowerApps/BI
- Linux
- VMWARE
- Azure/AWS
Communications – Hardware
- Cisco
- Stratix
- Hirschmann
- ProSoft
- N-Tron
- Red Lion
- FisherROC
- MOXA
- Tosibox
Communications – Protocols
- TCP/IP
- OPC
- MQTT
- Ethernet/IP
- DeviceNet
- ControlNet
- Modbus
- BACnet
- Profinet
Transmitters/Sensors
- Rosemount
- Fisher
- Honeywell
- Endress+Houser
- ABB
- Yokogawa
- Teledyne
- Micromotion
- ifm
- COGNEX
- SICK
- Schneider Electric
VFD | Soft-start (up to 4160)
- Allen-Bradley
- GE
- ABB
- Danfoss
- Mitsubishi
- Siemens
- Toshiba
- Yokogawa
- Benshaw
Hazardous | Critical | Regulated Environments
- ANSI/NFPA 70 up to Class 1 Div 1 Group B (IEC ATEX Zone 0 Group 2) (Explosion proof – Hydrogren)
- SIL 2
- EPA – AERR & GHGRP
- DOT
Read Matthew’s Story in his own words:
For 20 years, I have witnessed companies choose the unqualified low bid for their projects and the pain/waste that comes with that. This caused 1990s era ICS technology to be painfully implemented, poorly executed, and missing out on the true ROI for the company.
In the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic, I began to envision a new way of providing advanced automation to the market. There are major advances in industrial automation that are happening now and even more coming soon. I want to provide industrial automation that incorporates technology and features of today, the reliability of lessons learned in the past, and the goals of tomorrow.
Before XAutomation
Prior to Xautomation I was the Founder and CEO of Imperium Solutions. This was a dedicated ICS systems integrator.
While overseeing the day to day operations, I also was the lead software developer on most projects. I developed our core software that was custom tailored for each application. I also was responsible for the specification of hardware components such as the PLC, HMI, DCS, SCADA, networking, and server architecture. We focused primarily on Rockwell Automation/Allen-Bradley, Wonderware, Emerson, Siemens, and Honeywell but we regularly ventured into many other OEMs like CITECT, Triconex, ABB, GE, Mitsubishi, and COGNEX. We found that all of these have their strengths and weaknesses and some are better for certain applications over others.
I started Imperium Solutions with a former co-worker. We wanted to offer more design-based services instead of the field focus. One of the main values we offered was being highly familiar with many ICS OEM’s whereas most integrators focus on one or possibly two.
Imperium Solutions allowed us to offer more turnkey services to the industry that was struggling to find good system integrators.
Intro into Industrial Automation
At 16, while going to school for computer science, I started building computers and small networks for, primarily, local engineering and law firms. I also served as a systems administrator for an engineering firm of about 50 engineers and drafters.
A few years later in 1999, a company that provided ICS support to the natural gas transportation industry hired me to build out their computers, servers, and networks. They needed more horsepower than what was available off the shelf.
While working on their systems, I was exposed to the world of industrial control systems. The owner and I hit it off. He envisioned our two worlds combining and he wanted to be ahead of the curve. This was around the same time as the internet bubble/crash. The world of IT was sent spiraling and every IT consultant struggled to stay standing. I accepted an offer to come work with them fulltime and learn ICS while bridging the gap into IT. Ever since, I’ve solely done ICS projects and continue to leverage my computer science skillsets in such things as networking, cybersecurity, software development, and interfacing with internal IT departments.
Personal
I was born, raised, and currently reside in Tulsa, OK. I have two kids who let me know how I’ll be spending my spare time. I constantly struggle with keeping a decent work/life balance and love it.