Automation Portals
- Automatic Identification
- Design & Simulation
- Digital Factory
- Electrical & Control Panels
- Embedded Automation
- Factory Automation
- Fieldbus Networks
- Flow, Level & Process Inst.
- Fluid Power, Valves & Pumps
- HMI & Operator Interfaces
- Industrial Communications
- Industrial Computers
- Industrial I/O
- Machine Control
- Machine Safety
- Manufacturing Intelligence
- Motion Control
- OPC
- Plant Management & Maint.
- PLCopen
- Process Control
- Process Safety
- Programmable Controllers
- Robots & Robot Controllers
- SCADA & RTU
- Security
- Sensors
- Systems Integration
- Test, Measurement & LIMS
- Vision
- Wireless Connectivity
- Network Portals
- EtherCAT
- EtherNet/IP
- PROFINET
- Industry Portals
- Building Automation
- Chemical
- Food & Beverage
- Machine Tools, CNC & DNC
- Material Handling
- Oil & Gas
- Packaging
- Pharmaceutical
- Power & Energy
- Transportation (Microsite)
- Water & Wastewater
- Event Portals
- Hannover Messe
- Industrial Automation NA
- ISA Automation Week
Manufacturing Intelligence Software Portal
Application Stories
|
|
EPLAN Optimizes parts management for Dutch Manufacturer
- 05/24/12
Fischcon, a Dutch manufacturer of custom hydraulic packs and firefighting systems used in oil and gas exploration, uses EPLAN to manage the procurement of components. |
|
|
|
Drax Power Station uses ProcessVue to improve alarm management
- 05/22/12
Drax Power Station in the UK uses ProcessVue software to identify alarm trends and analyse the causes of plant upsets. |
|
|
Linamar uses Kepware software to automate auto parts line
- 05/07/12
Linamar deployed KEPServerEX Communications platform to gather data from sixty production machines controlled by six disparate systems. |
||
|
|
Automatic car quality control at Ford Genk
- 03/08/11
Since it was founded, the Ford Group has always been looking for modern ways of working, developing new automated solutions for production issues. One of the relatively recent innovations is the addition of thermal imaging cameras from FLIR to the testing range at Ford Genk. |
|
|
Food Manufacturing: Batch Control for Multiple Kitchens
- 05/13/12
Automation World, May 2012 By Randy J. Otto, ECS Solutions Systems integrator ECS followed the ISA 88 Batch standard when installing a control system at an unnamed food manufacturer. Rockwell’s FactoryTalk Batch software was chosen for batch management portion of the controls. |
||
|
|
B&R's Automation Studio integrates with EPLAN Electric P8
- 05/03/12
The seamless interaction between EPLAN Electric P8 and Automation Studio allows development to occur in parallel processes. |
|
|
Raising the bar on supply-chain efficiency
- 04/26/12
Packaging Digest, April 2012 By Lisa McTigue Pierce Using linear bar codes, unique identifiers and global standards, Becton, Dickinson synchronized data on 500 products to eliminate product errors, reduce stock outs, improve traceability and speed up payments. |
||
|
Optimise planning of piping systems using CAE
- 04/26/12
European Chemical Engineer, April 2012 By Ulrich Feldhaus Lurgi GmbH in Germany uses Fl,owmaster CAE software for the system simulation of mile-long and branched piping systems. |
||
|
Better control through predictive behaviour
- 04/26/12
European Chemical Engineer, April 2012 To optimise plant operations at its chemical production facility in Spain, Solvay used Honeywell's Profit Loop model-predictive controller algorithm for most of its existing control loops. |
||
|
Energy as a Direct Cost
- 04/25/12
Automation World, April 2012 By Jim Koelsch Valero reports that it cut its energy consumption at its refineries by $120 million in the first year alone after tracking and analyzing its energy costs with the Manufacturing Integration and Intelligence (MII) application from SAP. |
||
|
AEGIS MOS streamlines NPI process for Badger Technologies
- 04/18/12
Badger Technologies incorporated Aegis’ MOS Manufacturing Operations Software into their Farmington, NY factory. |
||
|
|
Polycontrols Technologies uses EPLAN for flow control
- 03/19/12
After adopting EPLAN Electric P8 and EPLAN Data Portal, it has been able to reduce project design time significantly and eliminate common editing errors, leading to faster turnaround times. |
|
|
Exele TopView saves energy at Flakeboard
- 03/12/12
The Energy Management Information System shows energy targets for each of the mill lines in near “Real Time” and identifies savings and losses in both dollars and energy units. |
||
|
A Taste for Troubleshooting
- 03/12/12
Industrial Networking, February 2012 By Joe Reilly, Comtec Industries Comtech, a builder of crust-forming machines, uses eWon’s cloud service to provide remote diagnostics for its PLC-based control systems. |
||
|
Search for the Asset Management, Part II
- 03/10/12
Control, March 2012 GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK) plant in Cork, Ireland, recently replaced its legacy, mostly manual calibration method with a combined software solution, including AMS DM from Emerson and CMX Professional from Beamex. |
||
|
(Not) breaking the mould in glass bottle quality analysis
- 03/10/12
Process & Control, February 2012 Quality Analyst software from NorthWest Analytics helped glass container maker Saint-Gobain chart variables and make comparisons in order to implement an effective and efficient quality programme. |
||
|
|
Technip installs IFS Applications ERP
- 03/05/12
Technip implemented ERP at its Flexi France site to improve production management of flexible pipe for the oil & gas industry. |
|
|
Woodlands Dairy chooses Wonderware
- 02/17/12
South Africa Instrumentation & Control, February 2012 Woodlands Dairy previously bought a second hand powder plant but the control system was outdated. They replaced it with Wonderware’s System Platform consisting of the Application Server, InTouch (HMI/SCADA), Historian and ActiveFactory trending and reporting tool. |
||
|
Pactron installs Aegis manufacturing software to run board plant
- 02/15/12
The MOS includes iLaunch, iView, iTrac, IQ and XLink software modules that enforce discipline across four production lines and ensures that products are routed correctly during manufacturing. |
||
|
APC application yields significant operability, economic benefits
- 01/22/12
Hydrocarbon Processing, January 2012 The Karratha Gas Plant used multivariable predictive control (MPC) on an LNG liquefaction train and got a 4,000% return on investment. |
||
|
Thermal Mainstay Learns New Tricks
- 01/15/12
Control Design, January 2012 By Aaron Hand Despatch Industries builds metallization firing furnaces for the solar panel industry. They upgraded control systems to Beckhoff IPCs, which run Despatch-developed software to manage the heater and conveyor controls, I/O, data logging, alarms, and interfaces to MES systems. |
||
|
Hooking Up the Plant and the Enterprise
- 01/11/12
Control, January 2012 By Dan Hebert At a major oil refinery, Yokogawa's Manufacturing Data Exchange (MDX) software replaced a proprietary interface to integrate a plant's process control system with an aging, in-house ERP system. |
||
|
|
Michelin Tire Automates Production Facilities to Achieve Real Time Views
- 01/06/12
Michelin Tire in Sandy Springs, SC, manufactures rubber compounds. It uses an automated system from OPC Systems.NET for HMI, trending, data logging, and alarm logging. |
|
|
Integrating process control systems
- 12/29/11
Control Engineering, December 2011 By Jerry Steenhoek, Interstates Control Systems Interstates integrated a plant-wide information system for an unnamed manufacturer using FactoryTalk applications with the PlantPAx Process Automation System from Rockwell Automation. |
||
|
IT’s Contribution to Continuous Improvement
- 12/29/11
Automation World, December 2011 By Renee Robbins Bassett ARPAC, a packaging machinery manufacturer, ensured lean automated processes by using real-time visualization systems and other technology linked to its ERP system. |
||
|
Aegis software controls Spectrum Assembly operations
- 12/21/11
Aegis iLaunch and iView Manufacturing Operation Software modules provide SAI with a distributed, paperless environment to replace paper-based manufacturing process instructions. |
||
|
Werum supplies MES to Novo Nordisk
- 12/06/11
The program will implement a globally standardized ERP/MES solution on the basis of SAP and Werum’s PAS-X. |
||
|
Lonmin system platform upgrade
- 11/18/11
South Africa Instrumentation & Control, November 2011 Lonmin’s Marikana complex is one of the largest platinum mining and processing operations in the world. It uses uses five ArchestrA Galaxy Repository servers, 43 ArchestrA Object Servers, 42 view stations, 14 Wonderware Historian servers and 68 PLCs. |
||
|
Cummins Revs Up Production with Apriso’s FlexNet
- 11/17/11
IEN, October 2011 Cummins is deploying Apriso’s FlexNet MES to manage its manufacturing operations across machining, engine assembly and component technologies such as fuel systems, controls, air handling, filtration, emission solutions, and electrical power generation systems. |
||
|
Tips For Good OEE
- 11/14/11
Automation World, November 2011 By James R. Koelsch Users and vendors explain how they have been able to boost the efficiency of their equipment by monitoring and controlling those factors within their manufacturing operations that have a direct impact on cost. |
||
|
IBM manages Kenya Petroleum Refineries
- 10/26/11
IBM Maximo asset management software will allow KPRL to better utilize its production equipment, facilities and IT systems to reduce risk and control costs. |
||
|
Conveyor system upgrade improves material transfers
- 10/15/11
Energy-Tech, October 2011 By Chris Griffin Northern Indiana Public Service Company upgraded its conveyor feed systems, reducing fugitive material and the potential problems it can cause. By updating the facility’s longest conveyor, company officials have seen reductions in dust and spillage, contributing to greater plant safety, productivity and environmental responsibility. |
||
|
Wireless Overspill Solution Protects Workers & Environment
- 10/15/11
IEN, October 2011 FH Tank Storage AB is using Emerson’s wireless level and pressure transmitters to provide overspill protection at its Kalmar storage terminal on the east coast of Sweden. The company has installed a plant-wide Smart Wireless network, DeltaV digital automation system, and AMS Suite predictive maintenance software to automate tank storage level monitoring. |
||
|
|
Richco Reduces Inventory with IFS ERP
- 10/12/11
With the implementation of IFS ERP, Richco achieved a 25 percent reduction in inventory levels and reduced administrative time. |
|
|
B. Braun installs Werum MES n Switzerland
- 10/10/11
Process and Control Today, October 2011 B. Braun installed Werum’s PAS-X system at its production facility in Sempach, Switzerland. PAS-X will optimize the manufacturing of liquids, and operate in explosion-proof areas. |
||
|
Deacom ERP runs Independent Beverage Company
- 09/19/11
ERP provides recipe management, purchasing, production scheduling, inventory and lot control, order entry, warehouse management, accounting, and reporting. |
||
|
Direct connection from shop floor to database improves efficiency
- 09/08/11
Process & Control Today, September 2011 Kawasaki Precision Machinery uses a Mitsubishi MES module in a PLC to interface their production control systems directly to a MES database. |
||
|
Stack emission measurement
- 09/08/11
South Africa Instrumentation & Control, September 2011 System integrator Bytes Systems Integration used Wonderware solutions to implement a comprehensive emission monitoring system that is flexible enough to handle geographically-dispersed data sources while complying to various business rules. |
||
|
|
Aegis software improves EE Technologies’ production
- 08/29/11
EE Technologies installed Aegis’ Manufacturing Operations Software (MOS) to translate engineering designs into manufacturing documentation. |
|
|
Emerson controls tank storage terminal in Sweden
- 08/29/11
FH Tank Storage AB is using Emerson’s Rosemount wireless level and pressure transmitters to provide overspill protection at its Kalmar storage terminal on the east coast of Sweden. |
||
|
Transparent cybersecurity
- 08/18/11
Plant Services, August 2011 By Mike Bacidore, PlantServices Gerdau Ameristeel, a mini-mill steel producer and steel recycler uses KepServerEX communication technology and OPC server to connect PLCs, ERP, Wonderware and an historian through firewalls. |
||
|
Dutch Food Manufacturer Employs GE Software for Quality
- 08/07/11
Process and Control Today, July 2011 Bolletje, a Dutch baked goods manufacturer, had variation in the quality of its dough from batch to batch due to inconsistent process execution. Bolletje chose the Proficy Software platform, because it provided an integrated platform for Batch execution, MES automation and visualization. |
||
|
|
GSE Power Deploys RELDATA system for Disaster Recovery
- 07/25/11
GSE Power Systems provides real-time simulation and training solutions for the electric power, oil and gas and chemical process industries. |
|
|
PLM Propels Productivity and Profits
- 07/23/11
Automation World, July 2011 By James R. Koelsch Mercury Marine uses Teamcenter PLM software from Siemens to tie design not only to its manufacturing operations and supply chain worldwide, but also eventually to its aftermarket service organization. |
||
|
Smart Cameras Track and Trace
- 06/28/11
Vision Systems Design, June 2011 By John DiPalo A serialized packaging data management (SPDM) system uses smart cameras to validate the presence, accuracy, and readability of pharmaceutical labels and ensure the integrity of packaged product. |
||
|
Cloud Computing Finds Its Target with Mid-Size Manufacturers
- 06/28/11
Automation World, June 2011 By James R. Koelsch Small and mid-size manufacturers are finding "software as a service" to be more than just the latest rage in Internet computing. It can be a practical way to stretch your IT dollars and enable global operations. |
||
|
Modular Automation Allows for Food Manufacturing Flexibility
- 06/27/11
Control, June 2011 By Bob Sperber Denmark-based dairy Arla Foods standardized on SAP enterprise software and MES software from Wonderware with installs at 35 plants. Estimated benefits of the SAP-Wonderware integration initiative include reduced work hours; process and scheduling improvements; compliance to food safety; reduced stoppages/downtime; and improved quality. |
||
|
Cardinal Ethanol - Plant Sustainability With a Plant-Wide Optimization Control System
- 06/27/11
Control, June 2011 By Jeremey Herlyn, Cardinal Ethanol Rockwell Automation suggested that Cardinal Ethanol consider implementing a plant-wide model predictive control (MPC) optimization technology. The solution improved plant stability and reduced variability on all key process variables, especially the batch fermentation operations. |
||
|
|
Emerson supplies 1000 valves to Dutch gas field
- 06/14/11
Emerson supplied more than 1000 Fisher control valves, FIELDVUE digital valve controllers, and AMS ValveLink SNAP-ON software to the Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij Groningen gas field in The Netherlands. |
|
|
Crown Paints collects plant data to help boost productivity
- 06/12/11
Control Engineering Europe, May 2011 Crown Paints in the UK, a manufacturer of paints and wood stains, is making efficiency improvements through the installation of AssetManager, InfoServe365's touch screen, intuitive out-of-the-box production reporting system. |
||
|
From SCADA to business intelligence with Adroit
- 06/12/11
South Africa Instrumentation & Control, June 2011 Johannesburg Water uses an Adroit SCADA Intelligent Reporting System aimed at aligning its process control with its business processes in order to achieve strategic goals. |
||
|
Assetmanager Paints A Pretty Picture For Crown
- 05/27/11
Process & Control Today, May 2011 InfoServe365 Ltd installed its AssetManager system at Crown Paints in the UK to provide accurate and reliable data regarding the performance of the line so that it could pinpoint where changes could boost productivity and reduce downtime. |
||
|
Logic PD brings the power of IT to the manufacturing floor
- 05/25/11
Automation.com, May 2011 By Jay Mellen, Savigent Software Logic PD implemented a system to fully automate Logic tracking and control of its box-build processes. The new system empowers Logic PD to scale faster, bring products to market more rapidly, increase customer visibility, and improve overall manufacturing efficiencies. |
||
|
Savigent installs Catalyst xM software at Logic PD
- 05/18/11
Savigent provided Logic PD with the ability to fully automate execution and electronic record management of its box-build processes. |
||
|
The Art Of Slashing Lead Times
- 05/18/11
IMPO, May 2011 By Joel Hans, Associate Editor, IMPO Pointe Precision. in Plover, WI, does contract precision CNC machining. To reduce the unnecessary wait to fulfill an order, the company’s managers had to undertake a drastic shift in philosophy. The solution was quick response manufacturing (QRM). In the most advanced QRM-enabled area, lead times have dropped by 75 percent. |
||
|
Concept 2 Market implements Aegis Manufacturing Software
- 05/09/11
The Aegis software collects data and puts it into reports, visualizations, and real-time dashboards that are used by C2M to constantly improve quality and efficiency. |
||
|
|
Siemens automates automobile transmissions in Toldeo
- 05/09/11
Siemens provided the PLC, CNC, HMI, RFID, Profinet and safety systems to Toledo Powertrain for a Flexible Assembly Configuration System (FACS) to build the GF6 six-speed, front wheel transmission. |
|
|
INITEC Energía adopts AVEVA Diagrams software
- 05/04/11
INITEC Energía uses the software to develop and manage HVAC diagrams and P&ID systems. |
||
|
CNPC Jilin Petrochemical Reduces Energy Costs by 5 Percent
- 04/24/11
Process & Control Today, April 2011 Invensys provided its ROMeo process optimisation software and consulting services, enabling CNPC to respond in real time to changes in feedstock variation, process conditions and utilities prices to achieve sustainable energy savings. |
||
|
Wonderware MES 4.0 helps Alfa Laval increase productivity
- 04/24/11
Process & Control Today, April 2011 Alfa Laval upgraded to MES 4.0 from Invensys Wonderware. The new solution helps reduce unplanned downtime by identifying and analysing the causes of outages and enables in a standardised way the comparison of production data in the continuous improvement process supported by the OEE number. |
||
|
|
Racine Federated improves manufacturing process with iPads
- 04/18/11
The EMAP system includes the deployment of several Apple iPads to the flow meter production line, including assembly, testing and shipping operations. |
|
|
|
Invensys installs optimization software at China National Petroleum
- 03/31/11
ROMeo optimization software enables CNPC to respond in real time to changes in feedstock variation, process conditions and utilities prices for sustainable energy savings. |
|
|
Solarsoft opens the door to process transformation at Southco
- 03/26/11
Process and Control Today, March 2011 Southco, a manufacturer of latches and hinges in the UK, installed a MES from Solarsoft. The system helped reduce scrap in its injection molding process, saving $700,000. |
||
|
Overly Door cuts lead time and costs with Infor ERP Syteline
- 03/14/11
By Mark Humphlett, Infor Soon after starting a continuous improvement program, Overly Door realized that its largest source of waste came from the way that it took orders and translated those orders into information that drives manufacturing — a process affecting the entire business. |
||
|
|
Wireless I/O Control System Proves Successful for Vehicle Manufacturer in India
- 03/03/11
India manufacturer of utility vehicles built a modern greenfield facility with state-of-the-art EMS conveyor enabled by Rockwell Automation control architecture and a ProSoft Technology wireless communication system. |
|
|
|
Leveraging Workflow Automation in the Batch Environment
- 03/03/11
Automation.com, March 2011 By Jay Mellen, Savigent Software HallStar, a specialty chemical company near Chicago, uses Catalyst xM and PDC software to automate batch execution, electronic batch record management, and collect key manufacturing intelligence related to plant asset management. |
|
|
Metal Fab Plant Finds Cloud Savings
- 02/11/11
Automation World, January 2011 By Rob Spiegel The Marwood Metal Fabrication plant needed to upgrade its DOS-based ERP system. Plex Systems, a cloud-based software-as-a-service ERP provider, replaced Marwood’s antiquated ERP, as well as 10 disparate databases that had never shared data. |
||
|
|
Flow-Cal controls West African Gas Pipeline
- 02/10/11
With the FLOWCAL Enterprise system, WAPCo is able to identify and correct key anomalies from both a volumetric and gas quality perspective. |
|
|
Bottling lines get an efficiency boost
- 02/07/11
Control Engineering Europe, January 2011 Following the implementation of a web-based PILOT Total Productivity Management (TPM) system from Felten, Beiersdorf AG has reported significant increases in efficiency at its NIVEA production plant in Hamburg. |
||
|
Hudson and Knight upgrade at edible oils refinery
- 02/07/11
South Africa Instrumentation & Control, February 2011 Software solutions include the Wonderware System Platform, InTouch HMI/Scada, Wonderware Information Server and the Wonderware Historian. |
||
|
Invensys controls ExxonMobil lubricants plant
- 01/27/11
InFusion ECS will manage the operating facility, controlling major processes and integrating the existing SAP enterprise resource planning, batch process and final packaging and shipping systems. |
||
|
Better, Faster Cookie Packaging? Sweet!
- 01/16/11
Control Design, January 2010 Langen Packaging's LCR-500 top-loading robotic cell uses production measuring and performance management software to identify in-feed adjustments needed in a cookie manufacturing application. |
||
|
Discrete Event Simulation Offers Real Value
- 01/16/11
Chemical Processing, January 2011 By Bernard McGarvey, et al, Eli Lilly Pharmaceutical plants gain design, troubleshooting and other insights from models. Eli Lilly and Company has been using DES to model many of its manufacturing facilities for quite a few years. |
||
|
Keeping air filters clean is the key to energy efficiency
- 01/16/11
Plant Services, January 2011 Centro Energia Teverola’s cogeneration power plant in Teverola, Italy, installed an AMS Performance Monitor system to analyze two gas turbines, two heat recovery steam generators (HRSGs) and one steam turbine. AMS found that filters needed to be changed, and paid for itself. |
||
|
McObject provides Embedded Database for Solar Power Electronics
- 01/12/11
Azuray Technologies will include McObject’s eXtremeDB Fusion embedded database system in its communications gateway, a Linux-based device for solar power optimization. |
||
|
Success story at SAB
- 01/09/11
South Africa Instrumentation & Control, January 2011 By Wonderware South Africa Wonderware enterprise manufacturing intelligence or EMI coordinates the efforts of seven manufacturing regions so as to provide an in-depth, unified and comprehensive view of KPIs. |
||
|
eXtremeDB Embedded Database handles Nuclear Waste Processing
- 01/05/11
Baltic Information Systems (BIS) developed a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) product called BISMARC that relies on the eXtremeDB In-Memory Database System (IMDS) from McObject. |
||
|
SITEK installs large Siemens MES in Russia
- 12/20/10
The MES aims to improve optimization of production and reduce costs through better production processes management at Avtodizel (Yaroslavl Motor Works). |
||
|
Cutler MAX APC controls World's Largest Ammonia Plant
- 12/13/10
SAFCO's Jubail Saudi Arabia Urea plant, the largest in the world, has been running the MAX APC controller since April 2010. |
||
|
Continuous improvements yield high returns
- 12/12/10
InTech, December 2010 By Roberto Anibal Gorbarán A comprehensive asset management program implemented at the Petrobras Zarate polystyrene manufacturing plant in Argentina on 1,000 intelligent FOUNDATION fieldbus and HART field devices has enabled continued productivity gains and greater profitability. |
||
|
PcVue 9.0 installed in the new Data Centre for TelecityGroup France
- 12/12/10
Process and Control Today, December 2010 PcVue 9.0 from ARC Informatique monitors the electricity distribution and air conditioning systems for the entire range of installations at TelecityGroup's new Data Centre in the Paris region. |
||
|
|
Softing Technology helps make Pizza
- 11/30/10
Softing integrated pizza production information in SAP R/3 via a Siemens S7 OPC Server to enable automated fault logging with precise time information. |
|
|
Goodyear Gives Variability a One-Two Punch
- 11/21/10
Control, November 2010 By Jim Montague As part of a DeltaV migration project at its Beaumont plant, Goodyear implemented Emerson's SmartProcess distillation optimizer, which uses embedded DeltaV APC, and has on-line key performance indicator (KPI) calculations. |
||
|
|
Emerson automates Varandey oil export terminal in Russia
- 11/10/10
Emerson supplied DeltaV control systems, AMS software, Rosemount instrumentation and Fisher control valves, communicating via HART, Modbus and FOUNDATION fieldbus protocols. |
|
|
Software Offers Solar Panel Manufacturer Repeat Benefits
- 11/07/10
Assembly, October 2010 By Jim Camillo Manufacturing software lets Solyndra Inc. quickly and easily model, track and control any production process—and instantly react to changing business needs. |
||
|
World-class chocolate manufacturing
- 10/20/10
South Africa Instrumentation & Control, October 2010 Orley Foods, a chocolate manufacturer in South Africa, installed a material tracking solution from Wonderware for HACCP regulatory compliance. |
||
|
Western Glove Implements Centric PLM Software
- 10/18/10
Western Glove Works is implementing Centric’s Product Specification, Product Sourcing, Calendar Management and Line Planning modules across all product lines. |
||
|
ABB controls iron ore pellet plant in Bahrain
- 09/22/10
ABB supplied a System 800xA process control system, field instrumentation, motor control centers, motors and variable speed drives to Gulf Industrial Investment, Bahrain. |
||
|
Brunner Mond goes for PIMS from ITS
- 09/10/10
Control Engineering Europe, August 2010 Brunner Mond implemented a Plant Information Management System (PIMS) from ITS at its Mond Northwich site in the UK. |
||
|
|
OSRAM uses FactoryLOOK software to watch semiconductor processes
- 09/08/10
FactoryLOOK software monitors, alerts and correlates manufacturer’s data while tracking the customer’s manufacturing processes. |
|
|
AspenTech’s APC Reduces Energy Costs for Czech Refinery
- 08/23/10
Process and Control Today, August 2010 Unipetrol deployed 18 DMCplus controllers from AspenTech, all of which remain online more than 95 per cent of the time. In addition to achieving better control of the process, Unipetrol is using the AspenTech APC solutions on a daily basis to compare actual data from its plant to targets created using a model. |
||
|
Cloud Computing with SAP: One User’s Experience
- 07/12/10
Automation World, July 2010 By Wes Iversen Quick implementation and predictable costs were among benefits of using SAP’s new Software-as-a-Service ERP product for a start-up plant in China. |
||
|
|
Emerson improves productivity at Cambrex Profarmaco
- 06/02/10
Cambrex Profarmaco of Milan, Italy, successfully implemented Emerson's DeltaV digital automation system, AMS Suite, Rosemount instruments and meters, and Micro Motion F-Series Coriolis mass flowmeters. |
|
|
ArcelorMittal's end line inspection
- 05/15/10
South Africa Instrumentation & Control, May 2010 Steelmaker ArcelorMittal implemented an ELI (end of line inspection) facility based on Wonderware software to ensure pipes conform to alignment, rotation and ultrasonic requirements at its Vereeniging tubing plant. |
||
|
How .NET Helps Transitions Optical to See Better
By CimQuest Transitions Optical has successfully applied off the shelf .NET technologies in manufacturing using programming tools from CimQuest INGEAR. |
||
|
OEE automation project profile
- 04/08/10
Control Engineering, April 2010 Overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) at U.S. Pipe Marvel City mill improved by applying FactoryTalk from Rockwell Automation, Microsoft SQL, and smart integration from Revere Control Systems and Stone Technologies. |
||
|
Emerson controls cut fuel costs for INEOS Chlor
- 03/17/10
Using PlantWeb control and predictive maintenance technologies, INEOS Chlor has been able to reduce venting of hydrogen gas and instead use it as a fuel to heat onsite boilers for power generation. |
||
|
Focus on Critical Assets Pays Off
- 03/10/10
Chemical Processing, February 2010 By Joel Holmes, Monsanto Since an Emerson AMS asset optimization program was initiated more than two years ago at the Monsanto herbicides plant in Muscatine, Iowa, it's prevented several potentially expensive process interruptions, saving the company tens of thousands of dollars. |
||
|
Schweppes control in the can
- 02/19/10
Process & Control Engineering, February 2010 By Sarah Falson Schweppes Australia upgraded its syrup room DCS control system at its Huntingwood facility to a control system based on PlantPAx and FactoryTalkView SE software from Rockwell Automation. |
||
|
|
AMS software helps Centro Energia Teverola increase efficiency
- 02/09/10
Centro Energia Teverola optimized their maintenance strategy for inlet filters on gas turbines, contributing to an overall efficiency improvement of more than 1%. |
|
|
Constellation Energy deploys Transpara Visual KPI
- 02/02/10
Management uses Visual KPI to monitor and manage operations, predictive maintenance engineering, vibration analysis, emissions tracking and daily reports. |
||
|
|
Emerson automates ethanol plant in Sweden
- 01/27/10
A pilot ethanol processing plant built by Chematur Engineering uses Emerson's DeltaV control system with WirelessHART, Wi-Fi, FOUNDATION fieldbus, AMS, and Rosemount wireless pressure and temperature transmitters. |
|
|
Batesville Tool & Die ERP and MES SaaS
- 01/20/10
Automation World, January 2010 By Rob Spiegel Batesville Tool & Die produces engineered stamping and robotic welding tools Plant managers wanted to standardize its two plants with a common ERP while also automating plant functions such as labeling. Batesville installed an ERP/MES from Plex. |
||
|
|
Automated manufacturing system quadruples production
After a fire destroyed the manufacturing process, Research Products had two options: either rebuild using equipment comparable to what had previously been used, or investigate ways to automate the manufacturing process. |
|
|
Bottling Plant Decreases Downtime and Achieves Swift Payback
Invensys Operations Management Just like consumers selecting a soft drink, Pepsi Bottling Ventures had a number of choices to consider for its new manufacturing performance system. With Wonderware software, the plant achieved 50% reduction in changeover time and 10% increase in line efficiency, with payback in less than one year. |
||
|
GE Intelligent Platforms tracks GE turbines
- 12/17/09
Turbine monitoring and diagnostic platform uses Proficy Historian, Proficy SOA, Proficy Workflow and Proficy CIMPLICITY software to track more than 1,100 units. |
||
|
United Solar Ovonic standardizes on Proficy software
- 12/14/09
Proficy software includes Operations Management, HMI/SCADA and Reporting modules. |
||
|
Software puts F1 company in pole position
- 12/06/09
Control Engineering Europe, December 2009 Whitely Brooks plant in Brinley, UK, makes parts for Formula One race cars. It uses ProgressPlus software from Berkeley Myles Solutions to keep track of and follow orders every step of the way, making sure parts stand up to rigid design specifications and are delivered on time. |
||
|
Bentley benefits from production analysis software
- 12/06/09
Process & Control Today, December 2009 Luxury car producer Bentley Motors is using FactoryMonitor, a production analysis software system supplied by Autotech Controls. FactoryMonitor extracts and compiles a mass of data from the shop floor, presenting it in user-friendly graphical formats in real time. |
||
|
|
Apriso FlexNet helps Shanghai General Motors improve efficiency
- 11/16/09
Shanghai General Motors implemented FlexNet for Quality Containment to improve tracking of materials across production, reduce the cost of quality and increase manufacturing efficiency. |
|
|
SAP = Maintenance Success For Centocor
- 10/22/09
Maintenance Technology, October 2009 By Rick Carter In what some in the maintenance world might consider a minor miracle, a SAP-PM implementation for Johnson & Johnsons Centocor paid for itself through savings in both material and time. No cries of "Why me?" or "No! No! No!" SAP-related savings actually paid for the $3.2-million investment in less than two years. Miracles do happen. |
||
|
What's Green and Safe and Makes Lots of Pulp?
- 10/19/09
Control, October 2009 By Juan Jorge Caceres, et al, Celulosa Arauco Celulosa Araucos pulp mill in Nueva Aldea, Chile, is capable of producing 856,000 air-dried tons of kraft cellulose per year. Control is by Emerson's PlantWeb, DeltaV, Foundation fieldbus, Profibus, DeviceNet, and digital valve controllers. |
||
|
ABB CPM software improves production at Pratt Industries paper mill
- 10/14/09
CPM provides Pratt Industries with better production and quality data visibility, centrally managed multi-mill planning and optimization, real-time integration with their box plants and paper mills and a modern IT system architecture. |
||
|
Factivity installs shop floor MES at Swanson Industries
- 10/07/09
Factivity fit Swanson Industries with its shop floor technology, replacing pen-to-paper with a PC based manufacturing execution system (MES). |
||
|
Xcel Energy SmartGridCity power grid uses OSIsoft PI System
- 09/23/09
The PI System stores, in a single database, electricity usage meter data for households, substation performance and status data for all four Boulder substations. |
||
|
How Many More Months Will It Run?
- 09/20/09
Chemical Processing, September 2009 By Seán Ottewell INEOS Chlor, Runcorn, UK, the largest chlor-alkali producer in Europe, uses Emersons PlantWeb digital plant architecture, HART communications, and AMS Suite for startup on a large chlorine compressor. Before plant startup, 40 inputs into the compressor must be calibrated and tested. |
||
|
|
Emerson automates Bunge rapeseed oil processing plant
- 09/17/09
Emerson's DeltaV, PlantWeb, AMS software, valves and instruments helped increase production by 10%, cut maintenance costs by 50% and reduce utilities and raw materials at a rapeseed oil processing plant in Kruszwica, Poland. |
|
|
New production line in record time
- 09/13/09
Control Engineering, September 2009 The Southland Tube mill in Birmingham, AL (USA) is an all-Siemens plant that uses PLCs, dc drives, motor starters, Profibus, WinCC software and Step 7 project management software. The line started up in only two weeks, and the second piece of steel tubing that came off the mill was sellable. |
||
|
Optimizing Energy and Operations for Cement Production
- 09/13/09
Control Engineering, September 2009 By Iltaf Khan, Lehigh Cement, and Moin Shaikh, Siemens Lehigh Cement Company's Union Bridge, MD (USA) plant integrated process control and energy management to improve efficiencies across the facility. They installed Simatic PCS 7 and the Cemat application library from Siemens to control raw material processing, preheater and kiln, clinker grinding, packaging, and storage. |
||
|
|
Florida Rock cuts production costs using particle size analysis
- 09/01/09
Florida Rock Industries uses a model predictive control package from Pavilion Technologies and a particle size analyzer from Malvern Instruments. |
|
|
Software tools enable energy savings at wastewater plant
- 08/27/09
Reliable Plant, August 2009 By retrofitting motors on waste-activated sludge pumps with variable-frequency drives, and other efforts, the Metropolitan Syracuse Wastewater Treatment Plant in New York reduced its energy costs by more than $200,000 annually. The plant used two U.S. Department of Energy tools, Metro WWTP implemented the project. |
||
|
Chevron Pipe Line streamlines flow of data between field workers and the office
- 08/24/09
OIl and Gas Product News, August 2009 Using the CartoPac Field Server, Chevron Pipe Line will deploy and manage its field data collection technology via the web. The web-based server provides field workers with complete access to data on a handheld unit or laptop computer, centralizing data storage and providing unlimited availability with an Internet connection |
||
|
Vintner Saves with Distributed Architecture
- 08/16/09
Control, August 2009 By Jeremy Pollard All of the automated equipment at the Bronco winery is controlled by Rockwell Automation PLCs, with Factory PMI and Factory SQL software from Inductive Automation. |
||
|
Mission-critical control at Parnell pharmaceuticals plant
- 08/16/09
Process & Control Engineering, August 2009 By Sarah Falson Equipment for the New South Wales laboratory and manufacturing facility is from Wonderware (HMI and historian); Rockwell Automation (PLC); HachUltra (particle counters); Vaisala (humidity instruments); Titan (pressure transmitters); and HP (servers and PCs). |
||
|
Rolls with speed
- 08/16/09
Process & Control Engineering, July 2009 By Sarah Falson Fischer Brots new high-tech bakery factory in Australia is controlled by VIPA Speed7 PLCs, with programming via Step7 by Siemens; and visualisation and recording of data using WinCC. |
||
|
Coca-Cola SABCO: a refreshing look at business
- 08/16/09
South Africa Instrumentation & Control, August 2009 Coca-Cola looked to an MES system from Wonderware to manage complexity, improve efficiency and reduce costs at its Bloemfontein, SA, facility. Apart from the usual extensive MES functionality, the system handles batch tracking, line performance, operations management and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) functionality. |
||
|
Farm fresh
- 07/21/09
InTech, July 2009 By Michael Hader Food safety is critical to Tennessee sausage manufacturer; new ERP, barcode system keeps identification on track. |
||
|
TPM and Tecate: The new translation
- 07/19/09
Maintenance World, June 2009 Total Productive Maintenance does not have a great reputation in American industry these days. At Cervecería Cuauhtemoc Moctezuma, one of the largest brewers of beer in Latin America, the concept of TPM is alive and well at CCM's brewery in Tecate, |
||
|
|
ABB's Expert Optimizer increases Nordkalks production by 9%
- 07/15/09
CPM solution helps limestone plant in Finland optimize process, improve output, and reduce fuel consumption |
|
|
Petroleum Development Oman deploys AlarmAnalyst
- 07/15/09
AlarmAnalyst provides the ability to proactively manage the vast amounts of time-stamped textual data generated by their plants oil production facilities. |
||
|
|
Emerson improves production efficiency for Pernod Ricard Nordic
- 07/15/09
Emerson was responsible for the front-end engineering and design (FEED), and installation of PlantWeb, DeltaV, HART communications, AMS software and intelligent devices. |
|
|
Lean is "in" More Than Ever
- 07/14/09
Automation World, July 2009 By James R. Koelsch Graphicast, a foundry and machine shop in Jaffrey, N.H., adopted the Lean Manufacturing philosophy and cut lead times and work in progress in half. |
||
|
Looking through the prism of condition monitoring
- 07/10/09
Power Engineering International, June 2009 InStep installed its Prism online condition monitoring system and eDNA real-time historian data historian solution in the Middle East at the Al Hidd power plant in Bahrain |
||
|
Control Valve Diagnostics Reduce costs at Swedish Paperboard Mill
- 07/10/09
Process Industry Informer, June 2009 Emersons Fisher control valve diagnostic technologies are being used for predictive maintenance to realise operational savings at Iggesund Paperboard. At the mill, diagnostic information from digital valve controllers is delivered to AMS Suite predictive maintenance software for access by plant personnel. |
||
|
AngloGold Ashanti
- 07/10/09
South Africa Instrumentation & Control, July 2009 AngloGold Ashantis Geita gold mine in Tanzania installed an Expert System to be which would run with Wonderwares Information Server, Active Factory reporting tool, InTouch SCADA and Historian. 17 Allen-Bradley PLCs were upgraded to cope with the new environment. |
||
|
FDT takes the guesswork out of paper machine maintenance
- 07/09/09
Control Engineering Europe, June 2009 By Sandra Gisy, Endress+Hauser, and Vagn Kudsk, Dalum Papirfabrik Implementing a condition-based monitoring system with FDT/DTM technology gave these Danish paper machine engineers information they never had before |
||
|
Online condition monitoring system checks remote pumping station
- 07/09/09
Process & Control Today, June 2009 UKs Environment Agency installed a FAG online condition monitoring system at one of its remote pumping stations in Winestead near Hull to enable its engineers to make key asset management decisions regarding two critical floodwater pumps. |
||
|
Inline Metrology System
By As One Technologies As semiconductor manufacturer was scrapping too many wafers late in their recording head production process. Catalyst was used to enable an inline metrology step with the primary purpose of identifying indicators of scrap at a step where rework was still an option, therefore reducing scrap costs dramatically. |
||
|
Compressed Air Control System
By As One Technologies An automotive assembly plant was using over 40,000 kWh of electricity during daily production to generate the compressed air needed for assembly operations. An automated control system was created using Catalyst software that provided remote system control and monitoring along with automated failover. |
||
|
Target Maintenance Tracker
By As One Technologies A manufacturing operation used over 200 tools that all require scheduled maintenance based on usage data such as the number of kilowatt hours or number of units produced since the last scheduled maintenance. Catalyst software simplified the process. |
||
|
SEM Products Achieves Dramatic Process Improvements with Integrated ERP System
By Deacom SEM,, a manufacturer of interior and exterior auto body repair and refi nishing products, installed a DEACOM ERP system to integrate formulation, inventory control, production, sales, purchasing, regulatory reporting, EDI, contact management, and accounting in one system without customization. |
||
|
OYO Geospace installed dcLINK for inventory control
- 06/29/09
OYO Geospace manufactures instruments and equipment used by the oil and gas industry. dcLink provides real-time visibility of its inventory of materials and finished goods. |
||
|
Staying in Control
By Expertune BP uses PlantTriage to continuously monitor and analyze the health of seven refineries control loops and associated valves, compares the findings against established standards and, where performance is sub-optimal, conducts further analysis to pinpoint the likely causes. BP estimate that benefits of the order of $1-5 million per year are being realized in each refinery. |
||
|
MES: When Preparation Meets Opportunity
Control, May 2009 By Brian Chviruk, Bristol-Myers Squibb When Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) built a biologics manufacturing facility in Devens, MA, it provided a unique opportunity for BMS engineers to put into practice some intriguing ideas they had been discussing about streamlining the entire validation process by incorporating factory acceptance techniques. |
||
|
EMI Down Under
Automation World, April 2009 By Wes Iversen G. James is using Oracles MOC Manufacturing Operations Center EMI software to monitor a dozen individual computer numerical control (CNC) milling machines, wire cutting machines and spark erosion discharge machines in a division that makes aluminum extrusion die toolage. These machines previously had little external communication. |
||
|
Enterprise Manufacturing Intelligence: A Room with a View
Automation World, April 2009 By Wes Iversen Every morning, senior managers at Valero Energy Corp. gather in the companys Emergency Operations Center (EOC) for a daily operations call to each of the companys 15 refineries in the United States, Canada and Aruba. Valero executives are able to call up dashboards detailing real-time operating statistics on each of the 15 sites. In rapid succession, spending less than 60 seconds per plant, managers can get a visual snapshot of the operational status of each refinery. |
||
|
Wireless System Organizes Parts Replenishment
Assembly, April 2009 The Getrag-Ford transmission plant in Cologne, Germany, assembles six different transmission types. A WhereNet material-flow replenishment system system tracks the exact time of every part request, automatically prioritizes the requests and sends instructions to material handling driverswhose vehicles are equipped with vehicle-mounted Wi-Fi terminalstelling them where to pick up and deliver the parts. |
||
|
Simulation Software Aids Assembly
Assembly, April 2009 A new software program that simulates assembly paths has been developed by engineers at Fraunhofer. By using the software, components that only exist in the form of CAD data can be virtually installed in a new car model by manufacturing engineers. If a component is too large to be maneuvered into place, the program gives concrete advice on where to change its shape. |
||
|
Ontario Clean Water Agency uses Wonderware
South African Instrumentation & Control, April 2009 OCWA work teams and emergency response teams rely on the system for realtime data about pump pressures, power consumption, piping systems, chemical levels and other performance factors. The data is used to respond to immediate needs, but also to compile reports that are required by the Ministry of Environment. |
||
|
MacroView despatch system automates truck loading at Coogee Chemicals
PACE, March 2009 Coogee Chemicals installed a MacroView system to automate their truck loading system in Kwinana, Western Australia. The new system automates the process of loading trucks over their weigh bridge, replacing the previously manual process. |
||
|
Closed Loop Hydraulics
Design News, April 2009 By Al Presher Position and pressure control of a hydraulic cylinder is a common application, but precise control of these systems has traditionally presented significant challenges because of the high speeds and pressures. Euro Electronics developed a system using the LabVIEW FPGA module and CompactRIO hardware from National Instruments. |
||
|
Pump Monitoring System
By As One Technologies Semiconductor manufacturer replaced an existing pump monitoring system with Catalyst software, saving over $12,000 per month and increasing the number of pumps monitored. The Catalyst system monitors 19 key attributes for each pump and compares these values against upper/lower warning and upper/lower alarm limits to predict when maintenance was needed for a particular pump. |
||
|
Top Truck-Parts Supplier Deploys Electronic Kanban for Faster Turns, Reduced Inventory
By Thomas R. Cutler An aspect of automation is electronic kanban's seamless integration with a companys existing ERP system, enabling the company to provide any authorized user with an accurate and comprehensive real-time view of parts and inventory. |
||
|
|
Marco TRAC-IT MES helps make airline food
- 04/08/09
TRAC-IT MES factory floor efficiency system has brought significant improvements to Uniq Prepared Foods production facility, where it makes sandwiches and wraps for European airlines. |
|
|
Big Pay-Off from Automation Investments
Control Engineering, March 2009 By Mark Albano, Honeywell Process Solutions Polpharma selected POMS MES to increase performance by tightening up reliability of the manufacturing processes. POMS controls and tracks all aspects of production, secures predictable quality, enforces GMP, and provides all necessary historical data for regulatory compliance. |
||
|
Univalve transforms valve asset management
HazardEx, February 2009 Asset management of thousands of valves, vital to major operators in the oil, gas and petrochemical industries, uses data capture technology from Terrington Data Management. |
||
|
Areva NP uses Ubisense software in nuclear plants to find workers in emergencies
- 02/10/09
The software stores plans and other printed building documents to immediately locate and find all personnel precisely and reliably to facilitate rapid rescue and evacuation. |
||
|
Pavilion Technologies optimizes operations at Bongards Creameries
- 02/02/09
Pavilion8 model-predictive control technology helps increase capacity, reduce energy consumption, and increase yield |
||
|
Business Processes for a 21st Century Coatings Company
By Deacom Progress Paint evaluated a number of ERP software providers prior to its selection of the DEACOM Integrated Accounting and ERP Software System in April of 2006. |
||
|
Emerson's AMS Suite enables Solvay to increase maintenance productivity
- 01/28/09
The Tavaux plant, the largest chemical plant in the Solvay group, installed Emersons AMS Suite predictive maintenance software to better manage field devices. |
||
|
Emerson automates Chinas Huaneng coal-fired power plant
- 01/26/09
Emerson installed an Ovation expert control system, Smart Wireless, AMS Suite predictive maintenance software, and Rosemount wireless pressure and temperature transmitters. |
||
|
Coordinated Control and Optimization of a Complex Industrial Power Plant
Power Engineering, November 2008 By George Valadez and David Glenn Sandberg, Alcoa The power plant at Alcoas Point Comfort aluminum smelting process has a DCS that was installed during the past 20 years. The system was expanded with an ABB multi-level approach that uses real-time optimization (RTO), connected to advanced process control (APC). |
||
|
Filling in the Business Process Gaps
By Deacom Taiyo America, a manufacturer of solder mask, replaced a DOS-based computer running three software applications with a Deacom ERP system to control everything from formulation to invoicing. |
||
|
Moving into the Fast Lane
By Deacom Blazer Industries, a manufacturer of commercial buildings, replaced a vintage Bidtek ERP system with a Deacom system. |
||
|
SCADA system controls Port of Gothenburg
Process & Control Today, December 2008 In Sweden, a CitectSCADA system controls and monitors all of Port of Gothenburgs multiple control, alarm, energy, security, and loading/unloading functions. |
||
|
MES helps make sandwiches
Process & Control Today, December 2008 Manton Wood in the UK is the world's largest sandwich manufacturing facility. The wireless Yield Control Module (YCM), part of Marcos TRAC-IT MES, is achieving rapid and radical yield improvements. TRAC-IT MES makes sure the correct product is always at the correct place on the line to ensure sandwich layering is in the right order. |
||
|
SCADA historian solution slashes Bostik's bottom line
PACE, December 2008 By Gia Laverne, Citect CitectHistorian improves adhesives manufacturer Bostik, in reducing its bottom line through greater data visibility and access. Bostik has 15 SCADA workstations that tie back to a single CitectHistorian server. They have a VPN with Citrix clients so that users can remotely access data from outside the plant. |
||
|
Microbial maintenance
InTech, December 2008 By David Hillyer and James Cox, Eli Lilly Asset management software simplifies maintenance in biotech facility. During a recent expansion at an Eli Lilly facility, we made use of technology to improve instrument and control valve reliability and reduce time-based maintenance. |
||
|
Straight to the point
InTech, December 2008 By Jody Damron and Laura Somak, Salt River Project The Power Generation Instrument & Control Application is saving time and money for Salt River Project. It includes a shared integration of the Instrument Index, DCS, Circuit and Raceway Schedules, Line Book, document management system, and asset management software. |
||
|
International Paint deploys IncuityEMI software
By Lawrence Waldron, International Paint International Paint is the oldest paint company in the world. It uses IncuityEMI business intelligence software to gain insight into production operations, and increased line output by 20%. |
||
|
Hexion Chemicals deploys IncuityEMI as data platform
By Stephane Lacasse and David Holmes, Hexion Specialty Chemicals Hexion Specialty Chemicals is the worlds largest producer of thermosetting resins and formaldehyde. It uses IncuityEMI software to integrate data from OSIsoft, Wonderware historian, GE Proficy Historian, DeltaV, Foxboro equipment and a Honeywell PHD System. |
||
|
Chemtura identifies batch optimization opportunities with Incuity
- 12/15/08
By Mark Garnett, Chemtura Canada Chemtura makes additives, intermediate chemicals and other products. It uses Incuity EMI software to increase production by two percent simply by being able to drill down into overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) data to reduce idle time in batch systems. |
||
|
Ballard Power standardizes on IncuityEMI
By William Blakeman, Ballard Power Systems Ballard Power makes proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells. Ballard uses IncuityEMI manufacturing software to manage access to 35 R&D, production & field test databases that collect 20 million transactions a day. |
||
|
Arkansas Steel adopts Incuity manufacturing software
By Terrell Thompson, Arkansas Steel Associates Arkansas Steel is a leading producer of railroad tie plates. It uses Incuity EMI business manufacturing software to gather information from multiple different data sources, to analyze and manipulate it better, and to share the resulting information with any users in the company. |
||
|
DEACOM ERP software manages Canadian panel plant
- 12/08/08
Brockport Home Systems manages its accounting, labor tracking, production, inventory control, engineering links, purchasing, and sales order entry processes in one software system. |
||
|
Batch tracking and reporting with ISA 95
South Africa Instrumentation & Control, October 2008 SAB Maltings, Cape Town, South Africa, installed a Wonderware system to track products through the process to get a complete view of production variables applicable to each batch. The system is compatible with the ISA-95 industry standard. |
||
|
Change management software at Coca Cola minimizes production downtime
- 09/28/08
The CCE Wakefield plant has 93 Siemens S5 PLCs, 11 Siemens S7 PLCs, 20 Allen Bradley ControlLogix PACs, 31 Allen Bradley SLC500 PLCs, and 26 universal Devices. MDT AutoSave software tracks all changes. |
||
|
Turning Tin Into Gold
Automation World, September 2008 By Dave Gehman Ohio Coatings Co. focuses on smooth flow of data from its ERP system to its control systems. By the time order information from the business system reaches the production floor, the data has generated many hundreds of production parameters. And every process involved, from incoming quality control on steel, to plating to coiling, can be aggregated into custom certifications for every coil moving out of the plant. |
||
|
Building from Worker to the Queen
Automation World, September 2008 By Rob Spiegel BP Pipelines of North America, in Forest City, Ill., decided to add leak detection to the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system to monitor pipeline leakage. The challenge was to feed process data from the Sybase database to the leak detection system. Cogent Industrial Technologies used a OPC DataHub to make the connection. |
||
|
Turning Tin Into Gold
Automation World, September 2008 By Dave Gehman Ohio Coatings Co. focuses on smooth flow of data from its ERP system to its control systems. By the time order information from the business system reaches the production floor, the data has generated many hundreds of production parameters. And every process involved, from incoming quality control on steel, to plating to coiling, can be aggregated into custom certifications for every coil moving out of the plant. |
||
|
Sweetening Ethanol, Sugar Mix
Control Engineering, September 2008 By Brandon Henning, GE Fanuc One of Brazil's largest sugar producers GE Fanuc's Proficy Plant Applications efficiency module provides a comprehensive view of key factors including equipment downtime, quantity, and event sequences. The system also uses Proficy HMI/SCADA Cimplicity, PACSystems controllers, and Series 90-30 PLCs. |
||
|
A Solution for Your Operations that Just Flows
By Inductive Automation A Solution for Your Operations that Just Flows! Case histories of three water/wastewater companies using SCADA systems: Brazeau County in the Province of Alberta Canada; the City of Lago Vista in Texas and the Helix Water District in Californias San Diego County. |
||
|
NI LabVIEW Monitors Structural Health of Olympic Venues in Beijing
China Earthquake Administration selected a structural health monitoring solution based on LabVIEW graphical system design platform and CompactRIO programmable automation controllers. The systems aid engineers in conducting structural health research on megastructures in China, including the Beijing National Stadium and the National Aquatics Center. |
||
|
Boiler Optimization and SCR Systems: Reducing NOX, Managing Tradeoffs
Power Engineering, July 2008 By Rob James and Peter Spinney, NeuCo Inc. Artificial intelligence-based optimization software is gaining traction as a tradeoff management tool. Optimization is particularly good at understanding the cause and effect impacts of multiple actions taken across multiple systems interacting in a dynamic environment. NeuCo, for example, is working with Babcock Power to more closely tie plant-wide economic optimization with SCR controls. |
||
|
DEACOM ERP cuts costs at inks and coatings manufacturer
- 07/30/08
American Inks and Coatings implemented DEACOM ERP software and was able to close its off-site IT office and cut its IT staff from four to one. |
||
|
The Smart Factory
Advanced Manufacturing, July 2008 To maintain their quality commitment to Ford for assembling key automotive components, Automodular needed to make sure that all their people had all the information needed to assemble each part, at the right time. Automodular turned to PinPoint Information Systems to develop a software system to communicate and verify information and track conformance to standards in real time. |
||
|
ABB Chosen To Give Polypropylene Plant Optimum Regulatory Control
Process Industry Informer, June 2008 ABBs Loop Performance Manager (LPM) software is giving Petroquimica Cuyos, Mendoza, Argentina polymer plant improved productivity. Besides its usefulness for loop tuning activities and process insight through its model building capabilities ABBs LPM software is helping the Mendoza facility operate at peak efficiency and meet its market demands. |
||
|
|
Reliance Security IT team reduces testing bottleneck by 80%
- 06/27/08
Reliance Security Services, a supplier of electronic security solutions, used Original Softwares TestPlan testing solution to enable its IT team to deliver projects on time and on budget. |
|
|
Integrator Uses Simulation to Close Design Loop
Control Design, June 2008 Maverick Technologies uses software emulation to help identify potential control problems upfront, shorten the machines start-up time, and provide a good platform for operator training. |
||
|
How to Control a 27-km-long Machine
- 06/23/08
Machine Design, May 2008 By Nipun Mathur, National Instruments The largest machine in the world, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), covers parts of France and Switzerland and will cost a staggering $3.5 billion U.S. to design and build. The real difficulty is synchronizing collimators that can be 13 km away from each other with jaws that are synchronized to within 100 µsec and move with accuracies of ±10 µm. |
||
|
Better hardware, better bottle
Control Engineering Europe, June 2008 Amcor, an Australian packaging company, installed Wonderware InTouch SCADA and real-time database InSQL on Advantech Touch Screen PCs. The acquisition of data from plastics machinery required fast data access without affecting PLC cycle time. A pilot design was developed and tested prior to deployment across 28 machines. |
||
|
|
Emerson automates world's largest pulp mill
- 06/18/08
The PlantWeb solution includes DeltaV, 3300 FOUNDATION fieldbus, Profibus DP and DeviceNet devices, MCCs, PLCs, Modbus, Fisher valves with Fisher FIELDVUE digital valve controllers, and AMS Suite. |
|
|
See the unseen: Power data diagnostics
Control Engineering, June 2008 Using reports from relay events can help diagnose power system problems, increase system reliability, lower maintenance costs, and reduce potential for system damage and outages. Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories helped detect problems in Conway, Arkansas' city-owned power system. |
||
|
Anatomy of Steam Plant
Control Engineering, June 2008 By Frank Smith To lower the cost of steam generation and become a performance-driven enterprise, this petrochemical company optimized its processes from the bottom up with dynamic performance measurements. |
||
|
Dairy Processor Stays Flexible
Control Engineering, June 2008 By Walter Staehle, Siemens Energy & Automation Wireless control and a SCADA system help Dietrichs Specialty Processing specialty plant stay efficient and effective while handling a variety of critical dairy products. |
||
|
Wonderware steels Nucor
South Africa Instrumentation & Control, May 2008 Nucors mill in Berkeley, South Carolina, updated the InTouch application already in place with Wonderwares IndustrialSQL Server historian and Application Server. |
||
|
Emerson software helps Minnesota power plant improve operations
- 05/29/08
Results include a 70 percent improvement in ramp rate, from 2 MW/min. to 7 MW/min.; 2 MW reduction in over/undershoot; and a 4 PSI average decrease in throttle pressure. |
||
|
System Sweetens Bottom Line for Sugar-Making Company
Chem.Info, May 2008 RRB Sugar Mills, one of Indias largest sugar producers, installed back-pressure turbo-alternators with two high-pressure boilers, a turbine generator, and a back-pressure turbine generator. InduSoft Web Studio HMI/SCADA system was initially installed only to control the boilers, it worked so well that RRB expanded it to control the entire sugar-making and wastewater processes. |
||
|
Upgrade delivers spare parts
Control Engineering, May 2008 By Marvin Coker, Bachelor Controls Golden Triangle Energy Cooperative in Craig, MO, had control system hardware that had been deemed obsolete by the manufacturer, and replacement parts were becoming difficult to find. Bachelor Controls upgraded the system to Rockwell Automations Process Automation System, ControlLogix PAC and I/O, and RSView. |
||
|
Breaking bread habits
Intech, May 2008 By Ellen Fussell Policastro two European food production facilities have experienced just how much automation adds to their processesone a bakery building better batches with software to add flexibility, and the other a mill integrating processes with automatic control, monitoring, and traceability for smoother production and less worker intervention. |
||
|
Cognex ID Readers Turbocharge QC at Borg Warner
Process & Control Today, May 2008 By deploying the DataMan ID Readers and In-Sight 5110 vision systems from Cognex, Borg Warner Turbo Systems in Germany improved the quality control of their turbocharger production. They were able to create seamless traceability through the production process and beyond. |
||
|
Bronco Wine saves $300,000 by switching to FactoryPMI
By Inductive Automation Bronco Wine uses FactoryPMI plant management software for enterprise-wide process monitoring, control, and troubleshooting. It replaces another SCADA product that had high licensing fees, so they saved $300,000 in fees. |
||
|
Statoil pumps up production through information sharing and smart practices
By IBM Corporation With oil and gas production the backbone of the Norwegian economy, Statoilthe nations largest producerneeded a way to offset the natural trend toward declining production levels. Statoil sought to incorporate new technologies into production processes in order to transform, streamline and improve them. |
||
|
Siemens tracks energy providers nuclear materials
Process & Control Today, April 2008 Siemens implemented a SIMATIC IT MES to track and trace all nuclear materials produced by British Energy. BE needed a new Nuclear Materials Accountancy System that would allow them to catalogue and locate nuclear material in accordance with the European Commission Safeguards Regulation No 302/2005. |
||
|
OPC Drives Overall Equipment Efficiency from 65% to 75%
By Thomas R. Cutler "Supporting OPC creates great new opportunities for collecting data from production equipment in real time, performing statistical analysis on the data and then feeding information back to operators, engineers or to the equipment itself," says Byron Shetler, Chief Technology Officer for Hertzler. |
||
|
Ryvita plant installs MES
Control Engineering Europe, April 2008 Ryvita claims to have cut manual inputs across its production system by 90 per cent, boosting efficiency and accuracy. The food manufacturer is using a Citect AMPLA MES, installed by Silchester Control Systems, at its Poole, UK site, to act as a backbone for its factory-wide reporting system. |
||
|
Solutia R&D Powered by OPC
By Matrikon Solutia used a MatrikonOPC Server for the legacy Moore APACS to enable data interchange between APACS, OPC DA clients, and the process data historian (AspenTechs InfoPlus.21). |
||
|
Wind Generators bring data together with MatrikonOPC
By Matrikon AES Wind Power uses MatrikonOPC Desktop Historian and Operational Insight software for real-time and historical data access, thus eliminating multiple SCADA systems and making data universally available. |
||
|
Few Achieve Shop Floor to Top Floor Integration (A Rare Breed)
Managing Automation, March 2008 By Jeff Moad Manufacturers place a high strategic priority on shop floor-to-top floor integration, and most say they have at least started down that integration path. Despite the difficulties of integrating plant floor systems with enterprise business systems, Celestica, Dairy Crest, and Portucel Viana are making significant headway. (Registration required) |
||
|
Citect calls for alarm management
Control Engineering Europe February 2008 Too many alarms can make safety and productivity systems less functional and are liable to overwhelm operators. Citect UK discusses why and suggests their solution. |
||
|
Lather up with batch
Intech, March 2008 By Matthew Leys, Unilever, and Sean Cahill, Siemens Unilevers North Rocks site in Sydney, Australia, is responsible for the manufacture of personal health and beauty products. It upgraded its existing controls and installed an ISA88-compliant batch engine. |
||
|
Hands Across the Water
Control Design, March 2008 Trumpf uses Tele-Diagnostics to fix 90% of its machine problems. Sensors embedded in each machine allow technicians to diagnose remotely. Data is transmitted by an analog phone line using the software package PCAnyWhere and through the Internet via WebEx, provided that the customers machine has Internet access that is not blocked by a firewall. |
||
|
Monitoring System Tracks Worker Efficiency
By TJ Johns, AutomationDirect BG Industrial Control builds its Greer Monitoring System for textile plants based on AutomationDirect's touch panels, Terminator IO, DirectLOGIC 205 Ethernet-based controllers, and Think & Do Studio PC-based control software. |
||
|
Tank Program Employs Visual Tracking Software
Assembly, February 2008 DRS Laurel Technologies refurbishes Bradley Fighting Vehicles for active service in Iraq and Afghanistan. It inspects, repairs and certifies 100 wire harness assemblies in the hull and turret of each vehicle. DRS uses Inspect visual-inspection software from ASI DataMyte to provide a detailed visual record for each cable as it is processed. |
||
|
CMMS helps Spokane International Airport eliminate paper
- 02/19/08
ProTeus CMMS software manages maintenenace of everything at Spokane International from electrical pumps to HVAC. |
||
|
MI Windows & Doors uses ProTeus CMMS software
- 02/12/08
With ProTeus, MI reduced its production downtime from 20% to 3.5%, saving nearly $1.5 million per year. |
||
|
Ahold Coffee selects Ampla to improve OEE on its production lines
SA Instrumentation & Control, February 2008 The Ahold Coffee Company selected Ampla, Citect's MES solution, which consisted of the Planner, Downtime, Production, and Metrics modules. Overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) is a key indicator, and the company has already seen significant improvements in this KPI on selected lines since Ampla was installed. |
||
|
Managing MS Windows NT4
Control Engineering, January 2008 By Bob Vieraitis, Solidcore Systems One class of systems where any change, authorized or not, creates a high-risk proposition is legacy systems running the Microsoft Windows NT4 operating system. Changes can cause in-production outages and downtime that threatens overall plant production. Heres how one plant solved the problem. |
||
|
Full Transparency Without a Central Process Control System
Process and Control Today, January 2008 Instead of an expensive centralized process control system, Follmann & Co, a chemical company in the UK, used compact modular controllers and HMI control terminals from Mitsubishi Electric. Follmann uses MX Sheet software to feed the process data from the controllers directly into the existing office software. |
||
|
World's Largest Coca-Cola Plant Uses OPC DataHub
By Cogent Real Time Systems Coca-Colas Ballina Beverages facility, recently installed the OPC DataHub from Cogent Real-Time Systems to log alarm data and create end-of-shift reports. The plant, located in Ballina, Ireland, sends alarm data from RSLinx to a OPC server, through the OPC hub, and to an Excel spreadsheet. |
||
|
Kinder Morgan Canada Uses Matrikon Alarm Manager for Pipeline Management
Matrikon Alarm Manager collects and stores all alarm and event data, allowing Kinder Morgan Canada to measure alarms, reduce nuisance alarms, adjust workloads, manage changes and standardize alarm practices across its pipelines. |
||
|
Follett Ice: Three years of Demand Driven Supply Chain Efficiency - Still Part of Continued Process Improvement
by Thomas R. Cutler Follett wisely identified the key variables when selecting a demand driven supply chain three years ago. They needed a commitment from management to support lean manufacturing and supply base that is open to change. They also recognized that if the method of ordering changed, order quantities and lead-times would be reduced, yet needed people available for implementation and had to generate enough savings to cover start-up and monthly fees. |
||
|
Wisconsin Public Service Optimizes with CMMS
Control, November 2007 Avantis Pro EAM software manages all the companys preventive maintenance (PM) at its fossil fuel plants. The company is integrating Avantis with its financial, inventory and corporate labor systems as well. |
||
|
Got automation
InTech, November 2007 Pennsylvania milk producer Dietrich handles small, specialized batches of product such as organic or kosher foods and food ingredients. It uses tablet PCs and MES software to manage clean-in-place processes. |
||
|
True PC-Based Control
American Machinist, October 2007 Fluid Line Products in Willoughby, Ohio, replaced some outdated equipment with true PC-based controls: the P100 THINC-OSP Microsoft Windows and PC-based control from Okuma America Corp. |
||
|
Woodworking Automation: Manufacturing Execution System Solutions
By Thomas Cutler Engineer-to-order is a style of manufacturing rather than one specific industry grouping. For such a style, an MES solution should include parametrics and dynamically change bills of materials, bills of labor, labor routings, costs, selling prices, etc. |
||
|
Mechatronics Meets Kinetic Architecture for Arizona Cardinals Stadium
Design News, August 2007 At Cardinals Stadium Uni-Systems engineers devised a patented cable-driven system for safely transporting the roof panels along a sloped path. Key elements in the system include: ABB ACS800 drives, ProfiBus, GE Fanuc VersaMax I/O and Series 9030 PLCs, and Turck proximity switches and encoders. |
||
|
Los Alamos National Laboratory
By Objectivity The Alexandria Project is an unprecedented information tracking endeavor. Alexandria is an application that tracks the flow of information into and out of electronic documents, as well as the flow of those documents into and out of other applications. Alexandra requires a high performance database, and real-time solutions. |
||
|
Government Security & Intelligence
By Objectivity Northrup-Grumman had a need for a complex, mission-critical interactive analysis involving billions of objects. Whats more, there was no existing methodology for this complex analysis, so any tool developed would have to be able to change on the fly as the methodology was fine tuned. |
||
|
Information and Knowledge Management in a Complex World
By ARC Advisory Group An overview of how manufacturers can use the Objectivity/DB object oriented technology to consolidate multi-source data for improved business efficiencies and to enhance strategic planning and profitability. |
||
|
Citect Monitors Uranium Mine
By Citect The Langer Heinrich Uranium mine selected Citect Professional Services to design, install and commission the entire control automation system consisting of CitectSCADAand CitectSCADAReports combined with Siemens S7-400 PLCs. |
||
|
PepsiAmericas Quenches Thirst for Plant-Floor Information
Control Engineering, June 2007 By Paul Moylan, Rockwell Automation Selected as the backbone for the beverage producer's enterprise data acquisition was the Rockwell Automation Line Performance Solution, a suite of pre-integrated software and services based on the FactoryTalk production and performance software suite. |
||
|
Treatment Plant Calls Cell Phones with Alarms
- 08/12/07
Control Engineering, May 2007 By Jason Tincu, Xenia Water Reclamation Division InduSoft SCADA software and Sixnet I/O modules communicate to operators via cellphones at a water treatment plant in Xenia, Ohio. |
||
|
PC control breaks blow-molding mold
Control Design, May 2007 By Jim Montague, Executive Editor Graham Wheel chose Beckhoff Automation PCs with 2.4 GHz Pentium 4 processors running TwinCat software as the main control for its Wheel rotary blow molders. |
||
|
Architectural Millwork Manufacturer Tracks Productivity
Brunt Associates is an architectural millwork firm based in Wixom, Michigan. The company experienced significant growth and needed to upgrade its software system yet required a solution that could address the unique issues facing a company in the woodworking industry |
||
|
Matrikon integrates supply chain at AB Nynäs Petroleum
Nynas installed Matrikons Resolution to aggregate data from plant sources; integrate operational, business, and real-time market information; and enable desktop access to data for every aspect of plant operations. |
||
|
Nynas Integrates supply chain with Matrikon Resolution
Nynas was faced with serious business challenges arising from fragmented data sources within their supply chain. Separate, individualized and non-standardized planning bases meant poor visibility into the production plan across the organization, and weak links between corporate planning and refinery planning resulted in suboptimal refinery production schedules |
||
|
Matrix Technologies upgrades process control system at steel mill with OPC
Matrix upgraded the control system at one of AK Steels mills. The computer had to communicate with A-B and Square D PLCs. The interface was accomplished with a MatrikonOPC Server. |
||
|
PIMS Rollout and Upgrade
Provided necessary FIX 6.0 application programming and associated PLC-5 programming to integrate plant floor controls with corporate WAN system architecture. Coordinated programming efforts with Sybase database programmers. |
||
|
Water Flows in Iraq
By Danetta Bramhall, Prosoft The largest water treatment facility in Southern Iraq, the Nasiriyah Plant supplies 10,000 cubic meters per hour of fresh drinking water to approximately three million Iraqis. The plant is controlled by Allen-Bradley and Modicon PLCs with ProSoft software. |
||
|
Embedded Data Logging Case Studies
National Instruments provides flexible, embedded data loggers that are ideal for a variety of industrial and in-vehicle logging applications that require a stand-alone, rugged logging solution. These data loggers combine an embedded real-time controller for stand-alone operation, a rugged chassis, and a variety of I/O modules for connecting with any analog or digital sensor. |
||
|
All American Seasonings' Growth: Focus on Flavor and Efficiency Through Technology
All American has recently invested in a brand new production facility with over 40,000 sq. ft. It was clearly time for an upgrade in tools and procedures which captured all pertinent operations data and supported instant decision making throughout the enterprise. After an exhaustive search and performance shootouts between candidate systems, All American selected BatchMaster Software Inc. and has begun implementation of the Food ERP system. |
||
|
Airport Terminal Operations
FMC Technologies Airport Services oversees Continental Airlines maintenance at the George Bush International Airport in Houston, TX. Three areas of the facility that FMC manages have begun to age and needs replacement parts but, after looking into these parts, they were either too expensive or obsolete. The failure of the communication ports are preventing critical information being passed to the PLC, says Larry Buford, Senior Systems Analyst at FMC. The goal was to find a field solution allowing FMC to replace the outdated equipment running Windows NT and migrate to Windows XP and interface with Object Automation (OA) Software. |
||
|
Geisum Oil Company Offshore Platform
Geisum uses InduSoft for its offshore platform emergency shutdown system in the Gulf of Suez, Egypt. The system monitors and controls all platform instruments and setpoints, and allows maintenance people to access critical data with handheld PDAs and laptops. |
||
|
The University of Sarajevo - Helping to Rebuild a Nation
InduSoft Web Studio is enabling the University of Sarajevo to teach engineering students how to develop real-world software applications that simulate real-life conditions. Students use the software to test electrical transmission towers in Bosnia. |
||
|
Upgrade Streamlines Application Software
Control Engineering, February 2007 By Rick Hannasch, president of Magnum Engineering The goal in replacing the HMI hardware and software was to provide the requested resolution and detail while dramatically reducing PLC program complexity by offloading the security and configuration functions to the HMI. |
||
|
Crude gets smart
InTech, March 2007 By Pavel Kataev, et al Neural network technology proves best choice for virtual sensing in crude refining units. Perm, Russia's, LUKOIL refinery, chose to use artificial neural networks for online, real-time inferential property estimation in what could be one of the world's largest installations (in terms of the number of neural models) on a single crude unit. The neural networks run as function blocks within the automation system's controllers. |
||
|
Bringing Nuisance Alarms Under Control
Control Engineering, March 2007 By David Gaertner When operators have to answer 5,000 alarms in 18 hours, its time to attack a huge problem. To reduce alarm floods that seemed to be occurring with increasing frequency, Arizonas Salt River Project (SRP) implemented a very effective alarm management solution at two of its generating stations, Navajo and Santan. |
||
|
Real-time Linux, past and present
Embedded Computing Design, March 2007 By Daniel Walker, MontaVista Software Linux traditionally has been considered a general-purpose server or desktop Operating System (OS), and as a result is often viewed as incapable of true real-time functionality. However, this assumption has proven false on multiple occasions. In fact, various Linux approaches begin with a dual OS, Linux, and Real-Time Operating System (RTOS) and continue down the path of low latency, resulting in Linux as the RTOS. Typical real-time approaches entail running an application on bare hardware or using a small OS, which is considered tightly bounded and specifically created for use in real-time applications |
||
|
MACSEA improves Navy Ship reliability with machine monitoring & control
Military Sealift Command (MSC), as part of the U.S. Navy, provides strategic sealift and ocean transportation for U.S. military forces. The Navy places strong emphasis on reducing the total ownership cost of its assets throughout their life cycle. Cost reduction efforts are therefore focused on reducing manning levels and implementing Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM) on future Navy ships. |
||
|
Ease of connection improves plant efficiency for Santee Cooper
OPC technology provides ease of access to the wide variety of devices in our enterprise, eliminating costly custom or proprietary interfaces. Providing us with a flexible and scalable solution we can build on for years to come. We are confident and secure in our ability to meet the 98% uptime emissions reporting requirements. Now that these manual processes are automated, we are saving approximately 4 hours of resource allocation in a 24 hour shift rotation. |
||
|
Shurtape Reduces Cost of New Operator Interface Points by 40 Percent with Thin Clients
Shurtapes manufacturing process is constantly changing, forcing them to add and move operator interfaces more often then theyd like. Things became a lot easier when they implemented thin client technology, courtesy of Automation Control Products. |
||
|
From Loading Bay to Enterprise with One System
Plains Marketing Canada recently implemented a Bulk Terminal System from ProSoft Technology resulting in unprecedented access to reliable product inventory availability and product movement forecasts, elimination of labor associated with manual data transfer and centralized management of the TMS database on a company-wide basis, resulting in a significant labor cost savings at truck loading facilities. |
||
|
Integrating Live Production Data with Business Applications
Propal Paper Production in Valle del Cauca, Colombia recently upgraded their plants as part of a strategy to enhance profitability, stay competitive and maximize their Return on Investment (ROI) in the demanding paper market. They used standards-based OPC industrial connectivity to provide a complete off-the-shelf solution to give them quick, reliable and secure access to highly accurate data. |
||
|
PacifiCorp Energy Meets Power Demands with Alarms & Events Server
Our challenge was to implement an Alarms and Events server that extracts and stores event data from the Sequence of Events Recorder in our PLC controls system. Once that was in place, we needed to install a client application to view the stored alarms and events data.Many alarms are generated when a Generator is suddenly stopped. Our Scada system did not provide accurate event time stamp of the alarms or store the alarms for later use, noticeably increasing recovery time from an unplanned shutdown, leaving us unable to meet demands for power, and incurring significant down-time costs. |
||
|
Alarm Reduction Using Exaplog A Case Study
from G.F.S. Computing, Inc. Information bombards operators today at an ever-increasing rate. This growing barrage of information is driven by additional measurements in the field and by inclusion of business data on the plant floor. Control systems only exasperate the problem if data is not properly filtered and tuned. At best, unorganized, unfiltered data can become useless. At worst, it can lead to confusion and operational mistakes. The job of the control engineer must now reach beyond traditional control to include data management on the plant floor. |
||
|
Air Products Realizes Multiple Significant Gains With Alarm Management
Proper management of alarms and alarm data can be a significant source of hidden capacity in a plant, as Air Products and Chemicals Inc (APCI) discovered when they implemented a comprehensive alarm management program at their Calvert City, KY ethylene vinyl acetate plant. Air Products was looking to make three improvements to their plant performance: a reduction in off-spec product, an increase in capacity by reducing cycle time and, due to reassignment of duties of the controlroom staff, a better way to present and prioritize alarms. |
||
|
Maintaining Healthy IT Assets using OPC Technology
Over the past several years, there have been two significant trends in the industrial marketplace. First, control system vendors are using more Ethernet based communication networks and Microsoft operating systems. Second, many companies have an increased focus towards predictive or condition based maintenance. OPC plays an important role in both trends. |
||
|
OPC Enabled Real-Time Access to Remote Field Data
Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) produces 43% of Nigerias oil and is the pioneer and leader of Nigerias petroleum industry. Operating in the Niger Delta and adjoining shallow offshore areas, Shell has over 3,000 kilometers of pipelines, 87 flowstations, 8 gas plants and more than 1,000 wells. |
||