2025-07-10 [Case Study] GR3N Pilots the World’s First Modular Depolymerization Plants for Smart, Scalable Industry
A sustainability-driven innovator in plastic recycling, GR3N implemented a modular, scalable, and vendor-neutral control system to support its microwave assisted deploymerization process, enabling infinite PET recycling with high purity polymer recovery. The solution enables scalable production by integrating UAO IEC 61499 runtime with ASRock Industrial’s iEP-5000G and iEPF-9000S platforms, delivering flexible and open edge control. By aligning modular plant automation with process design, GR3N lowers engineering costs, improves total cost of ownership (TCO), strengthens IP protection, enables data-driven optimization, and seamlessly integrates OT and IT systems.
Challenges
GR3N’s microwave assisted deploymerization process involves handling diverse plastic materials with varying properties, requiring a flexible and modular control system capable of adapting to frequent process changes, something traditional fixed logic systems can’t accommodate. To support flexible and scalable production, GR3N required a modular control system capable of seamless integration with advanced automation standards and robust industrial-grade hardware. Moreover, the company needed to minimize engineering costs during market expansion while safeguarding its valuable intellectual property. Additionally, enabling advanced data-driven optimizations was critical to continuously improve process efficiency. All these goals had to be achieved alongside smooth integration of operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT) systems, ensuring a unified and agile manufacturing environment.
Solution
To implement a modular, scalable, and vendor independent control system for the microwave assisted deploymerization process, GR3N adopted an architecture based on the UniversalAutomation.org(UAO) IEC 61499 runtime. Each process cell in the plant is equipped with an ASRock Industrial’s iEP-5000G Industrial IoT Controller runs the UAO runtime locally. These edge devices handle real-time control tasks such as PID loops and local sequencing, while managing communication with field equipment via Modbus protocols and control through HMI panels.
At the supervisory level, GR3N deployed the iEPF-9000S, a high performance robust edge AIoT platform that coordinates logic execution across multiple process cells. It manages plant-wide synchronization, centralized sequencing, and logic distribution, while also integrating with enterprise IT platforms. Together, the iEP-5000G and iEPF-9000S deliver a secure, flexible, and scalable automation infrastructure that supports GR3N’s current operations and future expansion plans.
Benefits
• Cost Efficiency and Scalability
By implementing modular plant automation aligned with process modularity, GR3N successfully reduced engineering costs during market scale-up, improved the total cost of ownership (TCO) for automation, and established new IP protection routes for its Reactive Units, enhancing overall operational efficiency.
• Optimization and Value Creation
The solution enabled advanced data analytics for continuous process optimization, while OT-IT integration unlocked new value chain opportunities, paving the way for future growth and innovation.
• Strengthened Infrastructure for Sustainable Innovation
With modular plant automation in place, GR3N was able to focus on advancing its microwave assisted deploymerization process, achieving high purity polymer recovery and reducing CO₂ emissions by up to 80%, while supporting long-term circular manufacturing goals.
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