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CONTINUOUS
PROCESS Playbook
The bottom line on core automation issues
for the continuous processing industries
CONTENTS
4 Contributors
Sponsored by:
7 Introduction
8 Tips for Successful Project Development
CONTENTS
52 Four IT Standards You Should Understand
66 Wireless Trends
INTRODUCTION
By David Greenfield Automation may not be such a big word when it comes to letter count, but when it comes
Director of Media & Events to meaning and concept it’s a doozy. The term automation encompasses everything from
for Automation World controls, sensors, networks and interfaces to motors, drives, actuators and software. When
you’re deeply involved with the production operations typically conducted by facilities
dealing with chemicals, metals, mining, or oil & gas, all the potential automation applications
that must also be considered can boggle the mind.
Knowing how confusing all these technological options can be, Automation World has
developed this continuous processing-focused “playbook” to provide a resource on some of
the most basic automation issues encountered in the industry.
Using this playbook as a helpful resource, you’ll have a handy, quick-read reference on topics
ranging from fieldbus and industrial Ethernet basics, operator interface trends, and control
system security to project start-up concerns, system migration issues, and variable speed
drive considerations.
We hope you’ll find this continuous process playbook to be a useful source of information
now and in the years ahead as you plan for new projects or upgrade existing production
functions.
2. Conduct a job risk assessment (JRA). Performing a JRA before the start of work
highlights any hazards that could produce undesirable results to personnel or property. A
safety assessment must be completed to ensure that the scheduled work can be performed in
a safe manner and to address any hazards that are uncovered as a part of the review process.
3. Operator training is key. The operators must learn how to navigate and operate
their process in the new control system. The training must be performed just in time (about
two weeks before start-up) so that the information is fresh in their minds. During the
instruction, it is critical that the operators be trained using the operator interface graphics
they will encounter.
continued operations departments is critical to the success of the project. Maintenance and Operations
Tips for Successful need to schedule their duties with enough lead-time to support the installation and start-up
activities. With enough time, maintenance can even contract back-fill support for the duration
Project Development
of the project start-up activities. For operations, the work and vacancy relief schedule will
have to be organized so that enough operators are available to cut-over and start-up the
plant. This is especially important if a hot cut-over is involved.
continued
PLCs grew up as replacements for multiple relays and are used primarily for controlling
discrete manufacturing processes and standalone equipment. If integration with other
equipment is required, the user or his system integrator typically has to do it, connecting
human-machine interfaces (HMIs) and other control devices as needed.
The DCS, on the other hand, was developed to replace PID controllers and is found most often
in batch and continuous production processes, especially those that require advanced control
measures. The vendor handles system integration, and HMIs are integral.
As users demanded more production information, PLCs gained processing power and
networking became common. PLC-based control systems began to function like a mini-
DCS. At the same time, the DCS hybridized to incorporate PLCs and PCs to control certain
continued functions and to provide reporting services. The DCS supervises the entire process, much like
PLC vs. DCS: Which the conductor in an orchestra. Protocols, like OPC, have eased interactions between the two
control systems.
is Right for Your
Operation? Since PLCs are less expensive and can now perform much like a DCS, wouldn’t it make sense
to convert everything to PLCs? The answer, like most things in the world of automation, is that
it depends on the needs of your application. Here are six key factors to consider:
1. Response time
PLCs are fast, no doubt about it. Response times of one-tenth of a second make the PLC an
ideal controller for near real-time actions such as a safety shutdown or firing control. A DCS
takes much longer to process data, so it’s not the right solution when response times are
critical. In fact, safety systems require a separate controller.
2. Scalability
A PLC can only handle a few thousand I/O points or less. It’s just not as scalable as a DCS,
which can handle many thousands of I/O points and more easily accommodate new
equipment, process enhancements and data integration. If you require advanced process
control, and have a large facility or a process that’s spread out over a wide geographic area
with thousands of I/O points, a DCS makes more sense.
3. Redundancy
Another problem with PLCs is redundancy. If you need power or fault tolerant I/O, don’t try to
force those requirements into a PLC-based control system. You’ll just end up raising the costs
to equal or exceed those of a DCS.
continued 4. Complexity
PLC vs. DCS: Which The complex nature of many continuous production processes, such as oil and gas, water
treatment and chemical processing, continue to require the advanced process control
is Right for Your
capabilities of the DCS. Others, such as pulp and paper, are trending toward PLC-based control.
Operation?
5. Frequent process changes
PLCs are best applied to a dedicated process that doesn’t change often. If your process is
complex and requires frequent adjustments or must aggregate and analyze a large amount
of data, a DCS is typically the better solution. Of course, the very flexibility of a DCS system
also makes it much more vulnerable to “meddling” by operators that can cause spurious
shutdowns.
6. Vendor support
DCS vendors typically require users to employ them to provide integration services and
implement process changes.
System integrators perform similar functions for PLC-based systems. It has also become
common for PLC vendors to offer support services through their network of system integrator
partners.
Process control has become increasing complex. It’s difficult for any individual to know
everything about these sophisticated systems, increasing the need for vendor support.
Manufacturers also continue to reduce factory staff and a generation of experienced process
control personnel has begun to retire. As a result, the quality of support has become a critical
factor in vendor selection.
Like many discrete manufacturing operations, most process operations use a variety of PLCs
from different vendors. As a result, your ability to effectively operate and manage these
disparate PLC versions has a direct impact on your plant reliability and safety.
Following is a list of the top three PLC lifecycle management concerns for the process
industries and how some of your peers are working with PLC suppliers to address those
issues, compiled from presentations delivered at The Automation Conference 2012.
continued
continued are asking of their PLC vendors to help them better manage their PLC assets over the long,
PLC Lifecycle continuous operation periods common to the process industries.
Management 1. Life extension. Because of the long periods of time that typically pass between
maintenance shutdowns in process facilities, users need to be able to source and use
components for longer-than-expected lives. Many facilities in the continuous process
industries are still looking at 20 to 30 years as a life cycle for their equipment. Talk to your
vendor about their ability to support backwards compatibility with new components as they
become available over these long lifecycles. These new components should be able to be
integrated into your system without requiring a shutdown for upgrading.
2. Online upgrades. More vendors are coming around to this request of process
industry end users, as it is often the easiest way to upgrade a PLC’s logic without shutting it
down or rewiring the I/O. One process industry end user told us: “If you look at the total cost
of an upgrade, the cost of the hardware is dwarfed by the cost of labor to re-do things like I/O
rewiring and the cost of the unit shutdown.” Therefore, online version upgrades that can be
installed while the PLC is running and that work with the existing I/O is ideal.
• Training
The higher level of functionality and interaction embedded in today’s HMI better reflects the
essential experience of a machine or process. This is ideal for training, and speeding time-to-
competency among operators. The value provided by HMI in the training arena is reflected
in ease-of-use, higher efficiency and productivity, reduced time to complete tasks, improved
user satisfaction, greater trust in systems, and fewer user errors.
• Workforce Demographics
Over the next decade, process industries face the challenge of replacing an aging workforce
with an Internet-driven, computer-savvy, video-gaming generation of employees. Industries
continued must preserve, maintain, extend, and institutionalize their workforce knowledge efficiently
Operator Interface and effectively to sustain operational excellence. Improved HMI technology, including HMI
with virtual reality techniques, is helping in this critical effort, providing an effective means
Trends to train the “new workforce” in ways that dovetail with their generational interests and native
skills.
• Virtual Reality
Though virtual reality techniques are primarily being used for new user training applications
related to basic equipment operations, they can also be used to expose personnel to
simulated hazardous situations in a safe, highly visual, and personally interactive way.
Customized simulations of plant layouts, dynamic process operations, and comprehensive
virtual environments can be set up to allow users to move within the virtual plants, make
operational decisions, and investigate processes at a glance. Trainees see the consequences of
correct and incorrect decisions immediately, providing the opportunity to directly learn from
their successes and mistakes.
continued
Although originally designed for batch manufacturing processes, the ISA-88 standard is also
helping users save time and money in automating continuous production processes.
The standard sets forth a set of building blocks for process control at all levels: enterprise,
site, area, process cell, unit, equipment module and control module. The three highest levels
explain how the standard’s language can interface with the business systems of the area,
plant site and business enterprise as a whole.
continued The next two levels, process cell and unit, are the building blocks of the production process.
How Reusable Code One or more units are contained in each process cell. Each unit is a collection of controlled
equipment.
Streamlines Recipe
Management Within the unit are the equipment and control modules. An equipment module defines a
small group of equipment with a process function and can contain control modules and
subsidiary equipment modules. The control module contains the equipment and systems that
perform the actual process control.
Universal Structure
The standard can be applied to either simple or complex processes, so that one programming
system can be used for all production processes in a plant. Using this methodology, users and
programmers can:
continued
• Recognize equipment capabilities used during recipe and procedure driven
How Reusable Code production; and
Streamlines Recipe
Management • Recognize the need for modular and re-usable control functionality.
Re-usable software code blocks are central to the ISA-88 standard and are programmed using
IEC 61131-3-compliant software, which is available from all major automation vendors. Code
can be programmed in ladder diagram as well as structured text, function block diagram,
instruction list or sequential function chart languages.
Each vendor includes libraries of reusable control modules and algorithms that define
common machine functions and recipe steps in their software. Once the initial process or
recipe has been programmed, modular code blocks can be reused for the same functions
with minimal modifications. This eliminates the need to reinvent the wheel for different
recipes, and allows future changes to be made almost dynamically.
Broad Applicability
Industry experts say an estimated 50 percent of all U.S. manufacturing is now accomplished
using techniques and technologies consistent with the ISA-88 standard, which has been
proven in thousands of applications and can be applied in either DCS or PLC control
environments.
continued
Industry efforts to improve quality and productivity, as well as regulatory requirements and
liability risks, are the key factors behind the increased use of intelligent instruments. Makers
of many consumer products, such as pharmaceuticals, food, and even tires need to capture
detailed process information that allows them to trace and track product defects to the
source.
continued Intelligent instrument capabilities and vendor offerings vary widely. As a result, one of the
Are Intelligent biggest challenges to gaining all the benefits offered by intelligent instruments has been the
lack of uniform methods for accessing information. To overcome this, the control industry has
Instruments The begun setting standards such as Field Device Tool, or FDT, making it easier to communicate
Right Choice? with and configure different devices from multiple vendors.
Core Benefits
• Intelligent instruments control processes at the device level, so information is usually
more accurate and reaction times faster, enabling tighter process control.
• Ethernet networks make it easy to calibrate, configure and adjust process parameters
remotely, similar to how a printer driver works on a computer.
• Smart devices can self-address and self-report their status, simplifying remote
troubleshooting and reducing maintenance costs and manpower.
• Smart instruments with multiple capabilities reduce the number of devices required,
as well as the cost of programming, wiring and installation, lowering the total cost of
ownership.
• Process data that lets you anticipate failures can improve predictive maintenance,
increasing uptime and reducing waste.
• Getting better information faster, can help you improve process efficiency, increase
productivity and actually reduce the cost of innovation.
continued Drawbacks
Are Intelligent Intelligent instruments are not plug-and-play. While more information can be gathered more
accurately, enabling you to adjust processes more quickly, an intelligent control system can
Instruments The
also be more complex to manage and maintain.
Right Choice?
There’s a steep learning curve for intelligent instruments. You have to be realistic. If your
control engineering staff isn’t willing to move away from centralized decision-making or
your maintenance staff has a break-fix mentality, it’s unlikely they’ll be willing to learn how to
manage and support the new systems.
Intelligent instruments also need to be properly installed. Follow vendor guidelines, install
devices correctly, validate your networks and update your cyber security methods. Otherwise,
you’ll be wasting your investment.
If this is your first attempt to use intelligent instruments, it’s best to select the vendor with
the broadest offering of applicable devices. Once your team has learned how to manage one
vendor’s instruments, it will be easier to learn another’s.
continued In one recent installation, a company invested $5 million in intelligent systems and was able
Are Intelligent to save $27 million in expensive raw materials used in its production process. Those are the
kind of numbers that can attract the attention of the people who control the budgets.
Instruments The
Right Choice? What It Takes To Be Successful
As a first step in evaluating whether intelligent instruments can add value to your business,
ask a few questions:
• What information is most important to gather for effective decision-making? Too much
information is just noise and can actually be a barrier to making process improvements.
• Do you have industrial networks capable of handling the information flow to and from
smart devices?
If your company’s production processes are spread out over large areas or involve multiple
facilities with similar processes, the benefits from intelligent instruments can be even more
significant. Being able to remotely diagnose and fix devices, or replicate process improvements
multiple times in multiple locations can deliver big benefits to the bottom line.
Managing Emissions
with Automation
By Jeanne Schweder Industries where emissions control is critical include electric utilities, oil and gas, chemical
contributing writer processing, iron and steel, paper, food, mining, metals and cement. But emission control
Automation World concerns are not limited to these industries. Systems to control and reduce emissions are
required for any industrial process that produces sulphur and nitrogen dioxides (popularly
referred to as SOx and NOx), the major causes of acid rain, as well as airborne particulates and
volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
On the horizon are new regulations designed to limit mercury emissions in flue gas. These
rules will also apply to industrial facilities, including trash burners and industrial boilers, even
if they only generate process steam. More stringent controls on particulates will also require
new investments in emissions technologies.
continued The list that follows touches upon the primary emission reduction methods used in industry:
Managing Emissions
with Automation • Optimized process control is central to reducing NOx emissions from coal-fired power
plants. Oxygen is injected into the boiler to improve combustion and prevent pockets
of NOx from being created. A secondary technology, selective non-catalytic reduction,
or SNCR, injects urea or ammonia into the boilers, further reducing NOx emissions by
up to 20 percent. New low-NOx burners have also been introduced that allow a cooler,
more complete burn.
• Scrubbers, using either dry or wet processes, use automated systems that regulate
water flows, monitor pH levels and spray lime or apply a slurry of limestone to remove
95 percent or more of sulphur dioxide. A by-product of the scrubber process is calcium
sulphate, which is then used to make wallboard.
continued
• At the stack, the air from the process is passed over a rack of sensors that measure
Managing Emissions oxygen, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide levels, as well as sulphur dioxide,
with Automation sulphur trioxide and nitrogen oxide content.
• Most air pollution control devices (APCDs) come as pre-built OEM packages that
include PLC-based automation systems that tend to operate independently of the
central DCS system. As new regulations drive greater investment in these APCDs, these
systems will need to work together in a more holistic fashion. Achieving this goal will
likely require additional automation integration.
Each of these alternative fuel strategies, however, can complicate process control and require
additional steps and systems to optimize combustion and reduce emissions. Blending high-
and low-sulphur coal, for example, can create a slag layer in boilers that requires installing a
soot-blowing system to break up and remove it.
It often helps to have an outsider’s eyes, such as a system integrator or a vendor, on this
walkthrough. They’ve typically been involved in many similar projects and will know what to
look for. They also bring a different perspective to the task than a maintenance person, who
has different priorities.
continued Look for steam or compressed air leaks. Are there improperly working natural gas regulators?
How to Conduct Does the plant have programmable thermostats? How energy-efficient are the lighting
fixtures? Do infrared scans detect any hot spots on the electrical equipment?
an Energy Audit
Also consider the energy efficiency value to be found in straightforward upgrades of existing
equipment. For example, have variable frequency drives been installed on motors serving
high-energy-consuming equipment, such as cooling towers? Older cooling towers, for
example, tend to have motors that run either slow or fast, with none of the gradients that
drives can provide to match energy consumption to different operating conditions.
Go beyond direct asset-related energy use and ask questions like: Is there lighting that’s on
when no one is working in a room? Where are the large motor loads, and how and when are
they being operated? Are start times being staggered to avoid electrical peak power demand
surcharges? Is the plant subjected to extreme seasonal temperature fluctuations between
summer and winter?
Determining which of the WAGES energy types are used most in your facility is important for
prioritizing corrective actions. Different industries use different types of energy more than
others.
continued Steel plants, for example, are the largest consumers of electrical energy and also incur the
How to Conduct most frequent energy spikes because of their use of arc furnaces. The chemical and refining
industries, on the other hand, make greater use of compressed air and steam.
an Energy Audit
Draft a Pre-Plan
Once you have the initial findings from the walkthrough, draw up a pre-plan to address the
obvious areas of waste and identify the processes that consume the most energy. Most older
plants are poorly metered. If the only meter in the facility is the one measuring the main utility
feed, then it will be impossible to determine which machines or processes are contributing
the most to your utility bill.
The pre-plan should identify where meters are to be located to divide and measure energy
use among different processes. The information gathered from these sub-meters can then be
used to justify capital expenditures and enable you to develop a longer-term plan based on
where the best savings are for the least amount of investment.
Most importantly, make sure this plan focuses on the processes used to create the products
that contribute the most to the company’s productivity and profitability. It should also define
a program of preventive maintenance to maintain energy-efficient production processes and
allow you to continue to innovate in the future.
• Install the most energy-efficient light bulbs and other lighting fixtures.
• Apply automatic lighting controls that turn off lights when rooms are unoccupied.
• Use programmable thermostats to match temperatures within the plant to operating
requirements.
continued
• Make preventive maintenance a priority for maintenance staff by incorporating it into
How to Conduct their job descriptions or creating reward programs for meeting PM objectives.
an Energy Audit
• Changing our attitudes about energy consumption can change our behaviors and lead
to energy savings.
There are also more significant capital investments that can be made depending on
conditions at your facility.
With electricity rates high and natural gas rates currently low, it may make sense to invest in
gas-powered turbines. Justifying that kind of investment, however, requires an analysis of the
predictability of rates going forward. Further efficiency can be captured with a co-generation
system to produce steam as well as electricity, or even tri-generation if your processes require
hot water.
Another possibility is heat recovery. Investment in piping and heat exchange equipment can
allow energy to be passed from one process stream to another, reducing the load on utility
sources such as steam and cooling water.
How much you can expect to reduce your energy costs will vary from industry to industry and
plant to plant. No matter the savings potential at your facility, an energy audit is the first step
toward achieving your energy efficiency goals.
A 2009 study by the Aberdeen Group, a research and consulting firm, found that industry
leaders seeking to reduce energy consumption at their facilities viewed energy management
as strategic to their business success. The primary tools they applied in their endeavors
included advanced visualization, information collection and consumption monitoring.
Among the best practices adopted by industry leaders in reducing energy consumption and
costs, according to the study, are:
• Making energy usage data available to decision-makers in real time. The faster changes
can be made to equipment operations, the greater the energy savings.
• Taking energy costs into account when scheduling production. Peak demand charges
can account for as much as 60 percent of a company’s energy bills.
continued
• Tying operational metrics to financial metrics. It’s essential to understand how the costs
Energy Management of energy for production and facilities affect the company’s bottom line.
Best Practices
• Investing in technology to automate how energy data is collected and monitored. If
you can’t see it, you can’t measure it or change it.
Since energy can constitute as much as 25 percent of a manufacturer’s operating costs, even
small improvements can have a dramatic impact on the bottom line.
Understand Consumption
From a practical perspective, any energy management initiative must start by gaining an
understanding of consumption patterns and cost sources from production processes and
facilities. Here’s a go-to short list to kick off your initiative:
Ultimately, prioritization means that you must first establish goals, and then phase in a
planned program of corrective actions. Here’s an outline to follow as you establish your
priorities and ensuing goals:
•M
otors. Whether they power production equipment, cooling towers or pumps and
fans in HVAC systems, motors are the biggest sources of industrial energy usage, as
well as waste. Adding variable speed drives will better match energy use to operational
requirements.
continued
• L oads. Staggered start-times and software to prevent unscheduled equipment
Energy Management starts will help avoid peak demand penalties. Utility incentives for demand response
Best Practices programs can be substantial. Automated controls ensure essential loads keep working
while minimizing costs.
• P ower quality. If your plant is experiencing unexplained power outages and motor
failures, or paying penalties for reactive power, low power factor and harmonics may
be the cause. Upgrade capacitor banks or electrical equipment where necessary and
install corrective filters to extend equipment life.
• E nergy management. Using software to track power quality, meter energy use,
and control remote monitoring systems will help you access energy information in
an organized fashion that speeds decision-making and lets you know where to take
corrective action.
The core takeaway of these tips is to realize that having a greater awareness of the cost
of energy is the first step in changing attitudes about energy consumption and related
behaviors in your facility. Following the best practices described above that have been
developed and implemented by other processing companies can favorably impact your
company’s bottom line.
The Impact of
Variable Speed Drives
By Marty Weil Continuous processing facilities are finding increasing utilization for variable speed drives/
contributing writer variable frequency drives (VSD/VFD) to control the motors on pumps, fans, conveyors,
Automation World etc. This is due to the reliability and low cost of an AC induction motor, as well as the high
—and—
performance of AC drives. Even though the up-front cost of an AC drive control unit is greater
David Greenfield
Media and Events Director than that of a DC drive, many factors quickly make up the difference. Conservative data
Automation World indicate a 17 percent savings as a percentage of total system and installation cost using AC
drives. Some end users have experienced up to 30 percent savings.
While energy usage savings are the primary factor for VSD utilization as utility costs continue
to increase, these savings are further supported by increased flexibility in selection of
product feed rates, improved accuracy for dispensing of materials, and an increase in access
to secondary process performance due to greater access to VSD parameters via control
networks.
Maintenance can become an issue if there is minimal to no in-house experience with VSDs,
however. But most of these concerns can be eliminated with comprehensive training of the
maintenance staff prior to project implementation, and reinforced by using the maintenance
staff during commissioning.
For variable torque loads, the VSD savings can be significantly greater since the horsepower
varies proportionally to the cube of the speed. For horsepower applications above 25 hp,
installation costs are usually comparable to the total capital cost for the drive. Below 25 hp,
installation costs may be more than the cost of the drive.
continued of the dynamic reset limit option for the loops in the control system can automatically
The Impact of prevent the process controller from outrunning the response of any type of final element.
For best performance, users should consider the following during the specification and
Variable Speed Drives implementation of variable speed drive systems:
The key point to understand about IEC 610508 is that it is designed to establish an
engineering discipline that will generate safer designs and build safer processes. The uniform
procedures built on these disciplines are contingent upon appropriate experts within a
company contributing to projects. In addition, the standard also makes it easy for outside
auditors and governmental agencies to follow the process.
continued IEC 61508 can seem confusing at first, because its underlying philosophy is new for
Safety: The Lifecycle safety standards. Older, more conventional safety standards, stipulated specific rules and
specifications for making processes safe. IEC 61508 and its derivative standards, such as IEC
Approach 61511, departed from this approach by being more functional, or performance-based.
A principal aspect of this new approach to safety standards is that it leverages two
fundamental principles: safety lifecycles and probabilistic failure analysis. Unlike previous
standards that claimed to cover the entire lifecycle of a project, IEC 61508 and its offshoots
actually do—from project conception to maintenance to decommissioning.
In essence, the standards specify safety lifecycle activities that need to be followed over
the entire life of a production system. Safety lifecycle management provides a method or
procedure that enables companies to specify, design, implement and maintain safety systems
to achieve overall safety in a documented and verified manner.
• Perform hazard and risk analysis: Determine hazards and hazardous events, the
sequence of events leading to hazardous condition, the associated process risks, the
requirements of risk reduction and the safety functions required.
• Specify requirements for safety system: If tolerable risk is still out of limit, then
specify the requirements for each safety system and their safety integrity levels.
• Design and engineer a safety system: Design system to meet the safety
requirements.
continued
• Design and develop other means of risk reduction: Means of protection other than
Safety: The Lifecycle programmable safety systems include mechanical systems, process control systems
Approach and manual systems.
• Install, commission and validate the safety protections: Install and validate that the
safety system meets the all safety requirements to the required safety integrity levels.
• Operate and maintain: Ensure that the safety system functions are maintained during
operation and maintenance.
• Modify and update: Make corrections, enhancements and adaptations to the safety
system to ensure that the safety requirements are maintained.
• Manage functional safety, safety assessment, and safety audit: Identify the
management activities that are required to ensure that the functional safety objectives
are met.
• Plan and structure safety lifecycle: Define safety lifecycle in terms of inputs, outputs
and verification activities.
• Verify safety system: Demonstrate by review, analysis and/or testing that the required
outputs satisfy the defined requirements for each phase of the safety lifecycle.
Activities for Phases I to III are typically carried out consecutively, while Phase IV runs
concurrently with the other phases. However, like all models, the safety lifecycle is an
approximation.
Procedural automation standards originally developed for batch processes and discrete
manufacturing hold promise for helping continuous process operators deal more effectively
with sudden emergencies, as well as the more routine changes in state that can occur.
The ISA-88 standard has established a common terminology and a framework for writing
software to control batch production processes and procedures. ISA-95 did the same for
enterprise to manufacturing data integration. ISA-95’s “common denominator” data structure
continued
The ISA-106 committee plans to issue series of documents to help users standardize designs
to handle operator errors in normal, critical, and abnormal situations.
As a first step, the ISA-106 committee, which includes representatives from the largest
companies in the petrochemical industry, is working on its first technical report targeted
at oil refineries, upstream offshore oil rigs and chemical plants. The report will give users
common definitions to describe the requirements in improvements, upgrades, and changes
in procedural automation to system integrators and automation suppliers.
The technical report will also include standards for modularizing procedural steps, exception
handling for abnormal situations, state mode procedural logic, process unit orientation and
current practices.
Four IT Standards
You Should Understand
By Dennis Brandl Imagine a world without electrical standards, such as 110V at 60hz, or 220 at 50Hz, or a
Chief Consultant world where every phone had a different type of connection and required a different type
BR&L Consulting Inc. of switchboard. Just as these standards are critical to the basic functioning of electrical
equipment, there are also IT standards used daily to ensure optimal functioning of production
systems in the process industries.
There are four production-related IT standards of special interest to the processing industries:
continued
Four IT Standards
You Should Understand
Stop Programming Process Tasks.
Start Configuring providing a consistent terminology that makes it easier to
compare plants within a company and across companies.
S88 Builder is the first process control
system that is configured rather than
The ANSI/ISA 88 standard defines the most common and
programmed. Configuration requires two
steps, define the devices that make up the effective method for defining control systems for batch
physical system and define specific tasks, operations or for continuous and discrete startups and
such as mixing, flow control, heating, etc.,
shutdowns.
that the devices team up to accomplish.
Configuration is easier, more accurate and
faster than programming. The ANSI/ISA 95 standard defines the most commonly
By configuring instead of programming used method for exchanging information between ERP
process control tasks, S88 Builder speeds systems, such as SAP or Oracle, and the multitude of shop
project development by up to 90%. floor systems. It has also become the de facto standard for
S88 Builder lowers the total cost of defining MES (manufacturing execution system) and MOM
ownership for a process control Learn More About
the Many Cost-Saving
(manufacturing operations management) specifications.
system by:
Benefits offered by
• Lowering initial development costs S88 Builder
The ANSI/ISA 99 reports define structures and policies
• Reducing time-to-market for new products www.S88Builder.com
CustomerSupport@ecssolutions.com
for designing effective and secure networked production
• Reducing waste and downtime
(800) 471-3273 facilities.
continued
Four IT Standards
You Should Understand
The new ISA 106 reports define the procedural control
strategy for continuous production during upsets,
switchovers, and other types of process changes.
The predominant fieldbus protocols in the process industries are: Foundation Fieldbus, HART,
and Profibus.
As Ethernet more clearly becomes the network of choice, not just for the front office, but in
production areas as well, the move toward Ethernet-based communications in the process
industries is gathering a great deal of attention. Evidence of this can be seen in the increase
of end devices for process industry applications that now come standard with an Ethernet
continued
continued Originally intended as a replacement for the 4-20 mA standard, Foundation Fieldbus can
Fieldbus and Ethernet be found in many heavy process applications such as refining, petrochemicals, and power
generation.
in Continuous
Process Applications Two forms of Foundation Fieldbus are available, each uses different physical media and
communication speeds:
Profinet is the open Industrial Ethernet standard from the Profibus/Profinet International
group. Profinet uses TCP/IP and IT standards and operates at Ethernet speeds.
continued
Think again. Think MAVERICK. In addition, nearly all continuous process applications
today rely to some degree on the precision and diagnostic
power of microprocessor-based field devices. Diagnostics
are most valued for abnormal situation avoidance. After
all, if instruments can an alert an engineer to a problem
before the safety valves lift and the flare starts roaring
due to a spurious upset, the savings are huge. Fieldbus
protocols provide a means of standardizing the integration
of microprocessor-based devices and modern distributed
control systems.
Call MAVERICK: 888.917.9109
or visit us online at mavtechglobal.com
To help you make sense of the main differences between six of the major industrial Ethernet
protocols, we turn a spotlight on CC-Link IE, EtherCAT, Ethernet/IP, Ethernet Powerlink,
Profinet, and Sercos III.
CC-Link IE
continued
• CC-Link IE protocol fits at the transport network layer. It is not a TCP/IP or UDP-based
Understanding the network. This is one of the reasons that it’s a separate protocol in order to guarantee
Differences Among deterministic operation out of the box.
Industrial Ethernet
Protocols • Frame format of the data is the Ethernet frame. Within the Ethernet frame is a CC-Link
IE frame with header and data information.
EtherCAT
• The master does not require a special card to run EtherCAT, and each slave device
or node on the network has an ASIC or FPGA chip inside that implements the entire
protocol. The slave doesn’t need a micro-controller or random access memory, which
means frames can be read and written as data goes through the network at a line
speed of 100 Mb/s with no switches built in.
• EtherCAT’s fieldbus memory management unit uses logical addressing so that each
slave device knows where to find its data in the frame, regardless of its physical
location. One read-write cycle is capable of talking to all the devices without a great
deal of CPU overhead on the controller side.
continued
• EtherCAT supports multiple scan rates and multiple acyclic data exchange rates on the
Understanding the same network for use in multiple industrial automation processes including motion,
Differences Among I/O, condition monitoring, and data acquisition.
Industrial Ethernet
Protocols • There is no separate backplane and, therefore, no conversion needed from EtherCAT
to another protocol to the I/O level. This is due to use of LVDS (low voltage differential
signal) — a third physical layer in addition to CAT 5 and fiber used to pass the EtherCAT
packets directly through all the I/O terminals so that each I/O terminal can be its own
independent node on the network.
EtherNet/IP
• Safety aspects are addressed through CIP (common industrial protocol) Safety, which
allows safety devices to coexist with standard control devices on the same CIP network,
with or without a safety PLC. In this environment, safety sensors can operate alongside
continued variable speed drives, safety controllers with standard PLCs and proximity switches.
Understanding the Regardless of the combination of devices used, the integrity of the safety control loop
cannot be affected by any of the standard control devices.
Differences Among
Industrial Ethernet • CIP Motion addresses synchronization in motion. CIP Motion, as part of EtherNet/IP,
Protocols combines the requirements of deterministic, real-time, closed loop motion control
with standard, unmodified Ethernet, and complies with Ethernet standards, including
IEEE 802.3 and TCP/IP. EtherNet/IP with CIP Motion technology enables multi-axis,
distributed motion control through application profiles designed to allow position,
speed and torque loops to be set within a drive.
Ethernet Powerlink
• By using a slot protocol, where each node has a certain slot time on the network and
passes data back to the master in a slot manner, this illuminates any collisions on the
system. This gives Ethernet Powerlink fast and predictable cycle times and also allows
for the removal and reconnection of nodes to the network without interrupting the
cycle.
continued
• Redundancy is built in for ease of network recovery whether using a ring, star or daisy
Understanding the chain topology. If any part of network is disconnected, the system will self recover and
Differences Among report back that the network has gone down.
Industrial Ethernet
Protocols • Ethernet Powerlink can be implemented via free download from Sourceforge.net. It’s
based on C, so it’s transportable to controllers or PCs using a standard Ethernet port.
With that in place, any system can be connected to a Powerlink network and control
Powerlink nodes.
• Profinet uses standard, unmodified Ethernet media, but does not use TCP/IP to
transmit real-time information. When real-time data is being sent, those two layers are
skipped. Diagnostic information, however, is accessed over TCP/IP.
• Bumpless redundancy — meaning that each node sends its message out in both
directions around the ring (when using a ring topology) to ensure at least one message
will always get through.
• In depth diagnostics are available from the I/O rack level down to a module in that rack.
• Profinet supports real time I/O for motion control as well as machine-to-machine,
controller-to-controller or peer-to-peer types of communication.
continued
• Profinet allows for integration of other buses (including Foundation Fieldbus, Interbus,
Understanding the ASI, HART, DeviceNet, and others) via proxies, allowing for maintenance of legacy
Differences Among nodes.
Industrial Ethernet
Protocols • ProfiEnergy is a vendor- and device-neutral data interface based on Profinet that
permits a coordinated, centralized shutdown of devices during idle times. This means
that individual components or entire subsections of a plant can be switched off
automatically when not in use without the aid of external hardware.
Sercos III
• Sercos III uses a tightly controlled time synchronization signal emitted from a master
control in the system once for every update cycle, providing nanosecond determinism
across the network. The time base is a phase-lock loop for deterministic control,
allowing for the synchronization of serially connected servo drives, CNCs, and motion
controls.
• Each message sent from the control contains a master sync telegram for hard real-time
function. This also places fewer burdens on the host processors, freeing them up for
tasks such as running control algorithms and machine programs.
continued
• The collective telegram approach underlying Sercos III means that each device places
Understanding the its input data on common answer telegrams. During the remaining time in the cycle,
Differences Among which for a typical application can be 80 percent or more of the available bandwidth,
Industrial Ethernet any standard Ethernet protocol can be transmitted over the network.
Protocols
• Bumpless, single fault redundancy means that Sercos III nodes are specified to detect
broken links in less than 25 microseconds and immediately re-route telegrams back in
a double line configuration.
• No telegram data is destroyed in a communication cycle over Sercos, thereby allowing
direct cross communication of data between slaves without the CPU burden or time
delay that a re-transmission of data by a master would impose.
• Sercos III can be integrated with EtherNet/IP, allowing integrators to mix Sercos III,
EtherNet/IP and TCP/IP components within a single machine on a single cable.
Wireless Trends
By David Greenfield The history of wireless networking in industry has largely been that of cable replacement. It
Media and Events Director was simply a tool to deliver communications in places where you simply couldn’t run cable
Automation World for a variety of reasons. Maybe it was too expensive. Or maybe the cable would be running
in a hazardous zone. Through these types of applications, wireless secured a foothold in the
process industries over the past two decades.
Now we are beginning to see a shift in the types of wireless technologies used, as well as
different types of applications. This shift is coming from a user-needs perspective, rather than
from pure technological capabilities.
continued you have not been able to collect that data before. Of course, this wouldn’t make sense if you
Wireless Trends had to dig a 1,000-yard trench and stop part of the plant for a couple of weeks while you did
that. But if you could easily put a wireless sensor in that part of the plant and do that very cost
effectively, that’s effective incremental process measurement. Such small
Top Industry Applications For Wireless steps can certainly help you improve your efficiency and, when examined
from the aspect of a large process, like a refinery, there are huge overall
Asset Management / Condition Monitoring 58% efficiency numbers involved in the end result.
Incremental Process Measurements 57%
Wireless sensors are, perhaps, the biggest area for substantial capital
Mobile Operator / HMI 44% expenditure savings in the process industries, especially when you think
Voice, Video, Data 30% about the potential benefit of establishing pervasive sensor networks.
When you literally start to put hundreds and thousands of devices out in the
Asset Tracking 26%
facility or a refinery, that's when you begin to see real cap-ex savings versus
Control 13% hard wiring. And this has already been documented. For example, using
Source: WINA Annual Survey of End Users - December 2011 temperature sensors positioned directly on the roller can produce a small
percentage of improvement in the surface finish of sheet steel by precisely
achieving the proper manifold temperature; this small improvement in quality translates into
millions of dollars in savings over the course of the process run.
The third most prevalent trend for wireless technology is supporting mobile operators.
Access Full Presentation
And it’s easy to see why: Removing the step of having to connect via an Ethernet jack as
Click here to access the full measurements are taken at each stop is a big improvement in process.
presentation made by WINA Chairman
Steven Toteda at The Automation
Conference.
continued Following mobile in the fourth and fifth spots are voice/video data communications and
Wireless Trends asset tracking. These types of wireless applications have been around for years and continue
to be deployed due to their successful track record, so it’s not surprising to see them among
the top trends.
What is surprising is the application that came in at number six in the 2012 WINA survey —
control. This is surprising because wireless control had never even ranked in the survey prior
to this year. Now, however, 13 percent of survey respondents considered control to be their
“top application” of wireless. In industries like mining, wireless pump control has been around
for years, because there is no other way to really do it. But this result indicates that people
across industry are beginning to experiment with closed-loop control using wireless.
•W
ireless limit switch networks are commonly used to prevent the
overflow of liquid storage tanks. Their operation is simple: As the tank fills
up, the fluid level forces a change in the position of the limit switch. The wireless limit
switch then sends a signal to the pump controller to start pumping out the tank to
lower the level. When the fluid level drops to a safe level, the switch then sends a signal
to the controller to turn off the pump.
Wireless Protocols
for the Process Industries
By Renee Robbins Bassett Two similar wireless protocols—WirelessHART, promulgated by the HART Communication
Managing Editor Foundation (www.hartcomm.org) and ISA 100.11a, promulgated by the International
Automation World Society of Automation (www.isa.org)—are competing for dominance as the enabler of smart
instrumentation in Europe and North America. Complicating the issue for end users is the fact
that these two standards don’t work together. In addition, a third standard, WIA-PA, exists in
China and further complicates the task for those with Asian operations.
Most process facilities use a mix of wired networks along with their diverse array of
instrumentation, but the inability to integrate the two main wireless standards makes that
difficult in the wireless realm. Unlike with wired instrumentation, if you want to mix brands of
wireless field devices to get an optimum mix of measurements, you can’t. You have to have
two separate host systems to talk to two different types of field devices. And they have to
come from different vendors.
In many ways, WirelessHART and ISA 100.11a are alike. They are designed to serve the same
market in the same way. At an application level, they perform the same function and have the
same benefits. Both ISA 100.11a and WirelessHART implement IEEE 802.15.4 radio hardware.
Both protocols use DDL and Device Description files. Both can eliminate a lot of PLC I/O
hardware, wiring and associated schematics.
continued The principal difference between the two protocols is in the specification of the protocols’
Wireless Protocols for application layer. WirelessHART, for example, specifies HART as the application layer while
ISA100.11a leaves that layer undefined. This means that data in the application layer of
the Process Industries ISA100.11a can be transferred using Foundation Fieldbus, Profibus, Modbus, HART or other
protocols. While this makes ISA100.11a highly flexible, the customer must decide which
protocol to use. WirelessHART’s decision to specify only HART in the application layer was
done to deliver simplicity via use of a single data communication specification through the
network, meaning that data communication on the network is well-defined and understood.
Considering the potential for integrated use of the two wireless protocols, the obstacles
preventing a convergence seem to be more commercial than technical. Though the two
protocols are similar, investments have been made, vendors and early adopters are lined up
on either side, and product certification processes have been established. The two protocols
have been developed into products for sale. Marketing programs designed to win over
additional customers and vendor partners are in high gear. Both sides believe their approach
is “right” and others should come over to their way of thinking.
continued 3. Understand users and roles. Understanding users and their roles can have
How to Avoid a significant impact on how the remote access strategy evolves. In most control systems
operations, the roles that may require remote access to control assets may include, but are
Mistakes with Control
not limited to:
System Remote
Access • System operators and engineers for local systems;
• System operators and engineers for remote systems;
• Vendors;
• System integrators;
• System support specialists and maintenance engineers;
• Field technicians;
• Business/supply chain partners;
• Reporting or regulatory entities; and
• Managed service providers.
The roles of users that would require remote access to mission-critical operations can
be extensive and the assignment of specific access depending on those roles can be
continued complicated. Map out and document all acceptable access policies and procedures related to
How to Avoid allowable network access and coordinate this with industrial control system security experts.
Any user access that goes beyond simple viewing of data and permits changes to system
Mistakes with Control parameters should be extremely limited.
System Remote
Access 4. Know your vulnerabilities. Beginning at the remote user and following the
connection to the data or service, remote access can be compromised at any of the following
points:
• T he user’s access device (laptop, PDA, etc.) can be attacked, compromised, and used to
access the control system network.
• T he target system can be impersonated by an attacker to fool the user and thus gain
credentials or other information from the user system.
continued
• T he communication can be interrupted or jammed.
How to Avoid
Mistakes with Control • C ommunications can have data injected into them by an attacker.
System Remote
Access • C ommunication can be hijacked after it has been initiated (does not rely on
impersonation) or intercepted during initiation (impersonating both user and target,
also known as a man-in-the-middle attack).
• A n attacker can impersonate a valid communications node and gain access to the
underlying communications medium.
1. Assess your systems. Compile an accurate list of all the assets in your plant: make,
model, and serial number. Where are your computers? Where are your PLCs? It’s difficult to
secure something when you don’t know it exists. This should be a high-level assessment in
which you go through your plant and figure out what is high risk and what is low risk, which is
determined by two key factors: how likely is a problem to occur? How serious is the problem?
For example, if something happened to your chlorine tank, it would be really ugly. That chip
pile, not so ugly. Get a feel for the significant risks. Where do you have to focus your effort?
The answer is going to drive your decisions and your capital allocation.
continued 3. Start training. No one is going to follow policies unless they know about them and
Control System understand why they are necessary. All levels of employees that interact with the control
system need to understand what an attack looks like and how to respond to one. You should
Security Tips
end up with a matrix of training for the various levels of users; it doesn't have to be onerous,
but it has to be done.
4. Understand your traffic flows. You need a diagram that shows all the things that
require intercommunication. Smart companies will have a comprehensive diagram showing
that the accounting department needs data out of this area, and maintenance needs data out
of this area, and so on.
6. Leverage safety reports. Those responsible for safety, when they do reports and
analyses, have done a good deal of the work needed to understand the security risks.
7. Use separate networks. Though this step is becoming less and less practical, some
still advocate that the process control network be kept separate from business networks,
and also isolated from the Internet. For this approach, which may not be viable in the longer
term, utilize operating system (OS) implemented security, with active directory “domain group
security” as the preferred approach.
9. Use unique user accounts and passwords. All users should have unique user
accounts and passwords to minimize the risk of unauthorized access.
10. Provide port security. With this approach, the Ethernet MAC address connected
to the switch port allows only that MAC address to communicate on that port. If any other
MAC address tries to communicate through the port, port security will disable it. Most of the
time, network administrators configure the switch to send an SNMP trap to their network
monitoring solution that the port’s disabled for security reasons. When using port security,
you can prevent unwanted devices from accessing the network.
During his presentation at The Automation Conference 2012, Staples said Bayer CropScience
is now looking to extend its use of mobile applications so that plant managers, engineers,
technicians, and maintenance can get the information they need at any time without have to
carry their laptops around or refer to a terminal or a PC.
Now the company is looking at extending its use of mobile applications so that plant
managers, engineers, technicians, and maintenance can get the information they need at any
time without have to carry their laptops around or refer to a terminal or a PC.
continued Core to this extension of the mobile workforce at Bayer CropScience is a push for greater
Leveraging Analytics employee and operations connectedness through the use of analytics and communities.
and Community for a Analytics for Operations, Training and Risk Evaluation
Mobile Workforce
As part of a long-range goal to use all the data they are collecting in their various systems to
enable better safety through a more rapid identification of risks, Bayer CropScience is first
targeting its process control systems.
Having a set workflow process accessible via a mobile device, the interaction of operators
with the control systems can be better managed, said Staples. Standard operating procedures
can be kept up to date and automatically pushed to operators. All changes to the system are
instantly recorded and shared.
For operators that may not be fully trained in all production aspects, the operator at the
machine now has full access to the information needed to do the job. The same goes for
maintenance inspections; when coordinated through workflow on a mobile device, all
maintenance activities are captured and accessible for future reference.
“What we ultimately want from this is to be able to have a better risk evaluation and faster
notification,” said Staples.
For example, if an operator who hasn’t been fully trained is interacting via a mobile unit with
a control system on which certain interlocks have been by-passed, managers could remotely
continued shut the system down or not let it go to the next step until a properly trained engineer or
Leveraging Analytics plant manager is there to review and give the go-ahead to move forward.
One of the questions they’re asking is: Why can’t the machine participate in a social network?
After all, since those devices are now connected, they can provide information via a Facebook
page about its health and what it’s doing. And someone in maintenance at the facility can
access that information just as an engineer in another part of the world can.
Benefits
These are the benefits Bayer CropScience is already seeing and expects to see more of from its
deployment of mobile devices to take advantage of analytics and community:
continued
• I mproved performance. In operations where mobile devices are in place, Bayer
Leveraging Analytics CropScience is achieving higher and higher levels of consistency across the board.
and Community for a
Mobile Workforce • H igh-velocity collaboration of experts. Communities enabled by mobile
devices are proving to be the best way to get people involved immediately in
understanding what’s going on and being able to contribute quickly.
• B etter, more rapid focus on issues. By giving operators the information they
need to have, Bayer CropScience is creating a collaborative work environment among
all workers no matter where they are located. “We can now collaborate on a global
basis to deal with issues that arise anywhere,” said Staples.
Automation as a Continuous
Improvement Tool for Everyone
By David Greenfield Whether the term used is “continuous improvement”, “Lean”, “Six Sigma” or “kaizen”, most
Media and Events Director discussions around these terms focus on how large, world-class companies have achieved
Automation World these cultural and procedural changes to improve their businesses. Often missing from the
discussion is how smaller operations, with far fewer resources, can adopt these practices for
significant benefit.
Chris Bacon, production manager at Pepsi Bottling Ventures (PBV) in Nampa, ID, described
Access Full Presentation how this small facility (which processes just one-tenth the amount of cases produced at PBV’s
largest facility), leveraged automation technologies with real-time monitoring controls to
Click here to access the full bolster a culture of continuous improvement.
presentation made by PBV’s Chris
Bacon at The Automation Conference. Though this example originates in the batch process sector, PBV’s approach to overall
equipment effectiveness (OEE) has lessons for continuous process as well.
continued With these data now available, it was decided to disseminate select operational opportunities
Automation as to all employees and use improvement tools to support the overall goal of maintaining
high quality at the lowest cost. Armed with the new data and point-of-contact analysis, line
a Continuous availability and final quality became areas for continuous improvement focus.
Improvement Tool
for Everyone Line Availability
The original human machine interface (HMI) screens designed for the mix run filler were
cluttered and difficult to decipher. Without in-depth working knowledge of the system, it was
easy to lose track of the process flow. By remapping both machine centers in the HMI, the new
visuals more accurately captured the physical layout of the systems and improved real-time
process flow evaluation. To accomplish this, a simple color code scheme was mapped to relay
real-time processes. Green was used for gases, brown for syrup, and blue for water. This simple
redesign not only helped during the initial project, but has also allowed for expansion of the
HMI Designs
The new HMI visuals, using color-coded
schemes, more accurately capture
the physical layout of the systems
and improved real-time process flow
evaluation. Green is used for gases,
brown for syrup, and blue for water.
continued facility’s trained knowledge base for support — growing from one person to eight members
Automation as of the operation staff across all departments.
a Continuous Furthermore, using Active Factory trending, analysis and reporting software from
Improvement Tool Wonderware to determine the root cause of a recurring stoppage at both the mixer and the
for Everyone filler, all rinse sequences for the mixer were changed to act only as event triggers (rather
than being time- or event-based, as they were in the previous system). This change not only
streamlined the programming process, but it eliminated any chance for one trigger sequence
starting ahead or at the same time as another, causing the reset status.
Another issue was the distribution of water between the filler and mixer during a flavor
changeover. In the original programming for the system, the mixer had to complete its rinse
before water could be sent to the filler, making it a highly inefficient symbiotic system. With
revised programming, both systems perform their end of run functions and rinse sequences
simultaneously.
Quality
Leveraging OEE calculations for final quality proved to be a major issue, particularly with
regard to delivering first-time-through start-ups within specification for the product.
continued To achieve this goal, it was necessary to establish a repeatable Brix:TA blend for products at
Automation as start-up. With scale timers being the most constant factor in the transfer of syrup from the
batch room to the mixer, using this measure proved the most logical approach. Once these
a Continuous timers were established to ensure a match with proper product specification, the focus
Improvement Tool moved to the actual blending of water and syrup within the mixer itself.
for Everyone
Because of multiple points in the piping that trapped water, offline testing determined that
it was necessary to enrich the syrup higher at start-up to compensate for the water that was
impossible to remove. Not wanting to waste more syrup than necessary, testing at multiple
points in the piping was performed to test Brix:TA to determine optimum enrichment ratios.
From this analysis, it was determined that exceeding OEM Brix set points by 9 percent for the
PBV Mixers first 70 gallons of syrup, before allowing the recipe to default back to the original set point,
Mixers in use at Pepsi Bottling Venture was the right approach.
in Nampa, ID.
continued This calculation was based on analysis and measurement derived from piping length and
Automation as water left in the system. With these testing methods and trend analysis, first-time-through
start-up quality improved nearly 99 percent for all SKUs.
a Continuous
Improvement Tool Bottom line: This PBV facility went from throwing away as much as 1,800 pieces of production
for Everyone per run to, in most cases, throwing away zero pieces.
With an original project start date in late 2008 to design an integrated system for collecting
production data, PBV paid for the original project with the yield gains over time reduction
based on improved performance by mid 2009; they were also able to produce additional
products based on increased line availability.
Chris Bacon, production manager at Pepsi Bottling Ventures (PBV) in Nampa, ID, described
Access Full Presentation how this small facility (which processes just one-tenth the amount of cases produced at PBV’s
largest facility), combined the use of automation and OEE tracking as part of its improvement
Click here to access the full efforts. The key for the Nampa facility was leveraging automation with real-time monitoring
presentation made by PBV’s Chris controls.
Bacon at The Automation Conference.
Though this PBV example originates in the batch process sector, the approach to OEE and
continuous improvement has lessons for continuous process as well.
This project began as a way to improve the OEE (overall equipment effectiveness) on the
facility’s bottling line, but also became an important bridge towards improving problem
solving and developing a continuous improvement culture.
To remedy this problem, a 7:00 a.m. start-up time became the new standard.
The tracking system was designed to start OEE calculation at 7:00 a.m. each
morning and capture every minute of non-production time based on release
of the bottle stop or filler. A specific reason code was automatically attached
to accurately reflect the root cause impeding production. These reason
codes were directly pulled from that machine center’s PLC.
To learn how Pepsi Bottling With an OEM upgrade to the processor and a few creative internal modifications, PBV was
Ventures used OEE data to able to reduce downtime by 55 percent at this specific machine center. With this gain in
foster a culture of continuous performance, the OEM upgrade was paid off in five months.
improvement, see “Automation as
a Continuous Improvement Tool” Long-term results with improved performance also exhibited a 43 percent decrease in labor
also in this playbook. over time (from 2009 to 2011).
continued for installation? For upgrades, it’s important to understand what the future outlook is for
Four Considerations the system under consideration. With the significant maintenance and security issues tied
to process control systems, you should always consider your risk of system obsolescence
for Upgrades and and the associated costs incurred with such a scenario versus the costs of moving to a
Migrations better-supported system. The good news is that, in the process industries, most vendors
are very aware of the long-term use of their systems by end users and thus tend to support
their systems for multiple decades rather a single decade, as is more common with office
IT systems. As newer automation technologies become core components of process
control systems, be sure to talk with your supplier about their support plan for those newer
technologies.
• Flexibility – We design-in flexibility for every system to ensure your Systems Software, Hardware and
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