May 20, 2019 -- As part of its five-year investment to boost capacity within its global plastics additives business, BASF has awarded Emerson, a multi-million dollar contract to modernize automation software and controllers at its specialty chemical production facility in Lampertheim, Germany. These enhancements will help chemical manufacturer increase production flexibility and enhance operations.
BASF is making an investment to modernize plant automation as part of its effort to sustain market leadership and achieve Top Quartile performance.
BASF will implement Emerson’s hybrid automation solution that replaces existing programmable logic controllers (PLCs), used to control 20 reactors, with Emerson’s DeltaV PK Controller . The hybrid technology integrates into BASF’s existing DeltaV automation system, which is designed to reduce the cost, time and complexity of modernizing the automation system; minimize start-up time for new production batches; and make switching production easier.
For BASF, Emerson will also replace an obsolete system controlling the tank farm and distillation columns at the facility, which produces additives that improve characteristics for plastics and coatings. The expansion of Emerson’s DeltaV distributed control system, which is already used to control other parts of the plant, will ensure continued production and enable BASF to standardize its control architecture.
A key part of the project is to expand automation security protections. This technology, developed with Emerson to address cybersecurity threats, has been applied at other BASF manufacturing plants. By modernizing its automation systems, BASF can take advantage of capabilities embedded in Emerson’s automation systems that help fortify plant operations against cyber threats.
Emerson will also provide approximately 8,000 hours of on-site engineering services, a separate virtualized system.
About Emerson
Emerson, headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri (USA), is a global technology and engineering company providing innovative solutions for customers in industrial, commercial, and residential markets. The Emerson Automation Solutions business helps process, hybrid, and discrete manufacturers maximize production, protect personnel and the environment.