September 13, 2011 - Polystar has selected the SIMATIC PCS 7 process control system and SINAMICS drives from Siemens Industry, to automate its plant in Dalton, Ga. Established in 2002, Polystar produces a full line of epoxy systems based on amine and epichlorohydrin chemistries. The plant, which was previously operated manually, includes 12 reactors ranging in size from 2,000 to 10,000 gallons. Polystar President Eric Kuckhoff says the goal of the automation upgrade is to improve efficiency by increasing reproducibility and reducing variability. “We evaluated a number of companies and chose Siemens largely because of technical support and scalability,” said Kuckhoff.
“The PCS 7 system is scalable and flexible so we can start with process monitoring, then move into automation control and then add batch when we are ready.” The PCS 7 process control system has already been commissioned and the plant is up and running. “As Polystar has grown in both size and chemistry complexity, so too has the need for greater control, consistency, reproducibility and safety,” said Rich Chmielewski, chemical industry manager, Siemens Industry, Inc. “PCS 7 is an ideal option for the company because it is a comprehensive scalable solution upon which Polystar can build while leveraging initial investments.”
Siemens Industry
Siemens Industry, Inc. is the U.S. affiliate of Siemens’ global Industry Sector business—the world’s leading supplier of production, transportation and building technology solutions. The company’s integrated hardware and software technologies enable comprehensive industry-specific solutions for industrial and infrastructure providers to increase their productivity, sustainability and profitability.
The Industry Sector includes six divisions: Building Technologies, Industry Automation, Industry Solutions, Mobility, Drive Technologies and Osram Sylvania. With nearly 204,000 Siemens Industry Sector employees worldwide, the Industry Sector posted a worldwide profit of $4.7 billion on revenues of $47.3 billion in fiscal 2010.
