This project addresses the power overload problem faced by a glass bottle manufacturing enterprise that expanded to five automated production lines and a glass-melting furnace. The existing power system, originally designed for smaller operations, could not withstand the transient current surges—five to eight times the normal level—generated when multiple high-power lines started simultaneously. Manual time-based scheduling was used to stagger production start-ups, but it lacked stability and real-time adaptability.

To solve this issue, a multidisciplinary team of instructors and students from Rui De International College collaborated with the company to design and implement a PLC-based intelligent control system for dynamic power load management. The system adopts a three-tier architecture comprising a data acquisition layer, a control layer, and a management layer integrating PLC logic control, sensor data acquisition, and HMI-based visualization. Four core modules were developed: intelligent staggered start, automated control logic, data analysis, and protection and alarm mechanisms.

Practical application demonstrated that the system effectively eliminated overload-induced shutdowns, stabilized current fluctuations, and improved reliability and production efficiency. With a total cost of approximately RMB 80,000–100,000—far below the RMB 500,000 required for transformer replacement—the solution proved both technically and economically advantageous. The project also exemplifies how vocational colleges can collaborate with industry to deliver innovative, low-cost smart manufacturing solutions while enhancing students’ applied automation skills and instructors’ practical teaching competence.