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Emerson migrates Provox to DeltaV at Silicon wafer plant

  • November 07, 2006
  • Emerson
  • News

Summary

Migration to DeltaV digital automation system and MES network installation brings increased visibility to key operating information and improves reliability of field instrumentation. AUSTIN, TEXAS (November 7, 2006) -- Emerson Process Management has completed a major automation upgrade of the Silane unit in the REC Silicon plant in Moses Lake, Washington, migrating the company's existing PROVOX control system to a DeltaV digital automation system. A new plant-wide MES network was installed that hosts an OSIsoft PI data historian. The project also included new AMS Suite predictive maintenance software, increasing the plant's visibility to the health status of the existing smart field instrumentation. The Moses Lake facility produces solar-grade polysilicon for use in solar panels and devices, and includes two processing areas, Silane and Polysilicon. "Given the large scope of this project, we experienced very few surprises," said Scott Brown, operations manager at Moses Lake for REC Silicon. "The project team did a great job of keeping everyone on track and achieving the mission on time. We can be very demanding of our contractors and suppliers. You delivered on our demands." The scope of work for Emerson on the project included front end engineering design (FEED), hardware design, migration configuration, AMS Device Manager configuration, turnkey implementation, installation of a critical data backup server, and automation simulation services. Emerson's DeltaV digital automation system is a core component of Emerson's open, standards-based PlantWeb digital plant architecture which features innovative technology that substantially reduces project costs. The architecture's built-in predictive intelligence can improve plant operating efficiency by 2% or more. PlantWeb services are key to helping customers derive full value from state-of-the-art control, automation and asset management predictive diagnostics, whether at the installation or operational phase of the project. The Moses Lake project included installation of an extensive MES network. The new 20,000 point PI Historian software is used for information gathering and analysis. It integrates the plant's DeltaV system, Modicon PLCs, PROVOX, and Oracle RDBS to provide real time information to business decision makers. Emerson is OSIsoft's only Platinum VAR providing scalable data management design and implementation services globally with local sales and support. Production for the Moses Lake facility is in a sold-out position, so minimizing turnaround time on the project was important. The upgrade project began in August, 2005 and wrapped up in May, 2006. While Moses Lake budgeted 10 days for the installation turnaround, actual downtime was limited to 6 days. One main benefit of the upgrade was new visibility to existing intelligent field devices that used HART protocol. On startup, it was possible to quickly identify devices that required attention and recalibrate and/or respan these promptly. "We are pleased to have been a part of the Moses Lake upgrade," said John Gardner, senior vice president of Emerson Process Management. "It is gratifying that REC Silicon chose us for this project's broad scope of engineering services and products. Our close relationship and expertise working with OSIsoft's complementary products was a key factor in keeping the project's MES scope on track." Emerson Process Management has dedicated industry consultants globally that have installed millions of OSIsoft PI tags. The Emerson-OSIsoft strategic alliance provides customers unprecedented value by allowing them access to real time information to quickly respond and take advantage of favorable market conditions as they arise. The migration to the DeltaV system has been a great success and the upgrades were all completed within the time allowed for the shut down. The Moses Lake facility has been slated for a doubling of capacity with completion expected in early 2008. About REC REC is uniquely positioned in the solar energy industry as the only company with a presence across the entire value chain. REC Silicon and REC Wafer are the world's largest producers of solar grade silicon and wafers for solar applications. REC Solar produces solar cells and solar modules and is gaining market share through strong growth. REC Group had revenues in 2005 of 2,454 MNOK and an operating profit of 601 MNOK. About Emerson Process Management Emerson Process Management, an Emerson business, is a leader in helping businesses automate their production, processing and distribution in the chemical, oil and gas, refining, pulp and paper, power, water and wastewater, food and beverage, life sciences, and other industries. The company combines superior products and technology with industry-specific engineering, consulting, project management and maintenance services. Its brands include PlantWeb, Fisher, Micro Motion, Rosemount, Mobrey, Daniel, Bristol, DeltaV, Ovation, and AMS Suite. About Emerson Emerson is a global leader in bringing technology and engineering together to provide innovative solutions to customers through its network power, process management, industrial automation, climate technologies, and appliance and tools businesses. Sales in fiscal 2005 were $17.3 billion. Learn More

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