Summary

Vibra Energia SA, an energy company, faced increasing risks of failures and operational limitations at its BADUC and BAGAM units due to obsolete controllers. To solve the problem, AutoMind supplied and installed new PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) racks, performed logic reconfiguration services, interface adaptation, testing, and safety validation, restoring reliability and creating a foundation for future integrations and expansions. 

The need for operational transformation 

In the units BADUC e BAGAM, However, the obsolescence of the controllers made corrective and preventive maintenance difficult and compromised the reliability of automated processes. Limited technical support, a shortage of parts, and restrictions on technological upgrades impacted operational continuity and increased costs associated with unscheduled downtime. 

The challenge: reduce the risk of failures and maintain reliable operation. 

The main challenge was to reduce operational risks and restore the reliability of control systems by replacing obsolete equipment without compromising operations. Furthermore, technological limitations hindered integration with more modern systems and impeded advancements in automation and digitalization, making it necessary to create a more modern architecture capable of supporting future integrations and expansions. 

Solutions implemented by AutoMind 

To eliminate the limitations of outdated controllers, AutoMind supplied and installed new, state-of-the-art PLC racks at the BADUC and BAGAM plants, focusing on a safe and controlled transition. The scope included reconfiguring the control logic, adapting the interfaces, functional testing, and safety validation, ensuring operational stability and preparing the environment for future technological integrations. 

Benefits for Vibra Energia 

• Greater operational reliability: Reducing failures and unscheduled downtime. 
• Greater availability and efficiency: Improved equipment availability and process efficiency. 
• Cost reduction: Reduced costs associated with corrective maintenance and improved technical support, with faster response times. 
• Basis for technological evolution: A more flexible architecture for future expansions and integrations, supporting industrial digitalization and enhancing operational safety. 

A milestone in modernization. 

The upgrade eliminated a critical pain point caused by obsolescence and added value to the business through greater stability, productivity, and potential for technological growth. 

“Automind made a decisive contribution to the modernization of our operation. The implemented automation solution brought concrete gains in productivity and reliability, in addition to significant energy savings through pump activation control. The team demonstrated a high level of technical expertise and understanding of our business, delivering an efficient integration aligned with our objectives.” 

— Marvin Jatobá Gomes, Industrial Automation Engineer, Vibra Energia 

Energy expansion requires a solid digital foundation.

Biogas is no longer a peripheral alternative in the Brazilian energy matrix. Today, it is consolidating itself as a strategic asset, with real potential for expansion, distributed generation, and replacement of fossil fuels in various sectors of the economy.

But there is one point that few discuss with the necessary depth: there is no sustainable expansion of biogas without robust digital infrastructure.

Without integration, there is no predictability.
Without predictability, there is no scale.

The invisible challenge behind growth

The expansion of biogas and biomethane requires much more than the physical deployment of plants. It demands integration with distribution networks, rigorous regulatory compliance, data traceability, high operational availability, and an architecture prepared for planned modular growth.

When these elements are not structured from the outset, what should be a strategic asset becomes an operational liability.

In this scenario, automation is not a technical accessory.
It is strategic infrastructure.

Automation as the structural basis of biomethane.

Biomethane plants need to operate with reliability, traceability, and an integrated vision. This is only possible with a well-defined automation and operational integration architecture. An adequate digital infrastructure includes:

• Architecture with redundant computing
• Cloud-based supervision
• Automatic data synchronization
• Integration of critical systems
• Structure prepared for expansion.

It's not just about controlling equipment. It's about connecting processes, assets, and data in a single architecture capable of transforming biogas into reliable energy with operational efficiency.

Data governance and operational continuity

A plant's digital maturity directly impacts its ability to grow. This means less risk, less rework, less regulatory vulnerability, and a greater capacity to attract investment. When there is proper integration:

• Operational continuity is preserved.
• Data integrity and traceability are guaranteed.
• Digital security is enhanced through network segregation.
• Scalability happens in a structured way.

Operational intelligence in biomethane projects.

Projects being implemented in states like São Paulo and Minas Gerais are already structured to guarantee availability, data governance, and an integrated vision from the initial phase. This approach reduces future risks, facilitates audits, simplifies integrations with distributors, and prepares the plant for planned modular expansion. If biogas is strategic for the energy matrix, the intelligence that supports its operation also needs to be.

What differentiates a plant prepared to grow?

The difference between a plant that merely operates and a plant that scales lies in the digital architecture. Fragmented operations depend on constant interventions, have low data visibility, and face difficulties in meeting increasing regulatory requirements.

Integrated operations work with predictability, governance, and a technological base prepared for expansion. Brazil has the potential to become a global leader in biogas. But this leadership will not be built solely on physical infrastructure. It will be built on digital infrastructure.

Simple interface.
Intelligent in architecture.
Reliable in operation.

AutoLoad Day 2025 was more than just an event. It was a celebration of a journey built over more than twenty years of practical experience in process, automation, technology, and consistent results across dozens of implementations. In a gathering that brought together clients, experts, and strategic partners, the day marked a synthesis of the most advanced aspects of automated logistics in the sector.

AutoLoad is a comprehensive and integrated solution dedicated to the automation and logistics management of fuel distribution terminals and depots. Its purpose is to expand handling capacity, maximize operational efficiency, prevent fraud and diversion through complete traceability, and improve operational safety. 

The platform offers real-time control of inventory and movement, reduces costs, connects systems, and centralizes critical information in a single flow. By serving some of the country's main terminals, AutoLoad has established itself as a tool that increases return on capital by reducing risks, eliminating bottlenecks, and raising the standard of logistical efficiency.

From the very first moments of the event, the atmosphere was one of integration and knowledge sharing. The program presented a complete overview of the evolution of AutoLoad and the current demands of terminals and bases. Following this, participants received a clear overview of automation applied to the field, including instrumentation and equipment that communicate directly with the system. 

Next, a comprehensive overview of the AutoLoad modules was presented, covering scheduling, queue control, access, loading and unloading operations, tank management, inventory, and the customer portal. The highlight of the experience was the practical sessions where professionals operated real-world simulations of terminal processes. This direct contact with the system reinforced how the platform integrates critical steps, eliminates rework, and enhances operational control.

The afternoon was marked by discussions about intelligent document management with AutoChecker, a solution that unifies the validation and authentication of logistics documents and reduces regulatory and operational risks. 

The event progressed to the presentation of the 2026 Roadmap, revealing the next evolution of the platform with AutoLoad Cloud, a cloud solution prepared for more connected and intelligent operations. The vision for the future includes artificial intelligence and autonomous agents capable of learning from plant behavior, anticipating demands, and supporting critical decisions in real time. 

As highlighted by the Business Director, Adriano Macário, "the future of AutoLoad is to be the digital brain of the logistics operation, integrating people, processes and data to transform information into intelligence and automation into a competitive advantage.".

The AutoLoad Day event was made possible thanks to the essential support of PHD Master and TS Pro. These two partners were crucial in enriching the content, strengthening connections with the market, and ensuring a practical experience aligned with the real needs of fuel terminals and depots.

AutoLoad Day 2025 concluded by making it clear that the terminal and base station sector is experiencing a new cycle. More integrated, smarter, and safer. And AutoLoad, now evolving into AutoLoad Cloud, remains firmly established as the platform connected to this transformation.