{
    "case-studies": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies\n\nTITLE: Case Studies\n\nFor more than 120 years, we have been engineering solutions that advance industrial automation. We're proud to share examples of how we've helped our customers maximize performance, advance innovation and drive growth. We hope these customer success stories inspire your business transformation.\n\n",
    "solutions-in-action--power-automation-systems": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/solutions-in-action--power-automation-systems\n\nTITLE: Solutions in Action: Power Automation Systems\n\nA truly lean manufacturing environment doesn't stop at the end of the production process. It extends to the logistics operation as well. Inventory is costly and in most facilities, space is at a premium.\n\nAs a result, today's logistics professionals are under increasing pressure to optimize their supply chains \u2013 beginning with a critical link, their warehouses. Power Automation Systems (PAS) provides automated warehouse solutions designed to address the inadequacies of traditional warehouse systems\u2013 and dramatically improve the efficiency of existing and new facilities.\n\nA global company headquartered in Lathrop, California, PAS delivers innovative high-density, high-throughput systems to a wide range of food, beverage, pharmaceutical and consumer packaged goods companies.\n\nThe key operations in any warehouse facility revolve around pallet storage and retrieval. To achieve that functionality, typical warehouses use either a manual racking or a crane-based automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS).\n\nWarehouses with manual systems are characterized by wide forklift aisles and limited racking heights.\n\nAutomated crane-based systems can generally be installed only in new facilities designed for their use \u2013 and offer only limited capacity gains over manual systems. On the other hand, the patented PowerStor\u00ae cart-based AS/RS from Power Automation Systems can double the density of a typical warehouse \u2013 while achieving throughput topping 500 pallets an hour.\n\nUnique in the industry, the scalable solution can accommodate virtually any floor layout and ceiling condition \u2013 and is custom designed to meet existing warehouse parameters or new facility specifications.\n\nThe energy-efficient PowerStor system uses independent, automated pallet handling vehicles to transport pallets into and out of the storage system. A vertical lift then moves the loads up and down the racking modules.\n\n\"PowerStor can operate independently \u2013 or can be combined with our PowerStage\u00ae pallet delivery system,\" said Mike Terrill, vice president of automation, Power Automation Systems. PowerStage takes pallets directly from the production area and delivers them to the right PowerStor module for storage. As the name implies, PowerStage also stages and delivers outgoing shipments to loading docks.\n\nEach PAS solution includes PAS OS, the company's warehouse control system software. PAS OS provides an intuitive user interface to enable real-time inventory control and detailed information about individual components. \"PAS OS has a web interface that allows integration with a customer's ERP system,\" explained Terrill. \"We can program PAS OS to exchange messages with the ERP system on a regular basis. As a result, the warehouse inventory is always 'live'.\" The PAS solution is built on a Rockwell Automation integrated control and information platform, based on Allen-Bradley\u00ae GuardLogix\u00ae and CompactLogix\u2122 programmable automation controllers.\n\nThe CompactLogix controllers are used for all pallet handling vehicles, while the GuardLogix safety controllers manage supervisory and module control \u2013 as well as communication with all field devices. The system also features Allen-Bradley ArmorStart\u00ae distributed motor controllers. Ideal for material handling applications, the ArmorStart controllers provide a cost-effective way to integrate combination starters, I/O and network capabilities throughout the system. This On-Machine\u2122 solution also includes ArmorBlock\u00ae Guard I/O\u2122. The solution is integrated on an EtherNet/IP\u2122 network.\n\nTo enable wireless communication, the system incorporates RadioLinx modules from ProSoft Technology, a Rockwell Automation Encompass\u2122 Product Partner. \"Our system is highly distributed,\" Terrill said. \"The ArmorStart controllers provide us with all the I/O we need \u2013 mounted locally to the equipment in each module zone. This significantly minimizes wiring and installation costs. Wiring everything back to a panel would be cost-prohibitive.\"\n\nWorking with Rockwell Automation consultants, PAS leveraged the capabilities of the GuardLogix safety controller, ArmorBlock Guard I/O and guarding equipment to configure a solution that meets functional safety standards \u2013 and helps maximize uptime. \"With the safety controllers and other safeguards, we can lock-out specific zones within the system when maintenance is required,\" said Terrill. \"As a result, maintenance personnel are isolated from power while they complete their work \u2013 but the rest of the system remains operational.\"\n\nPower Automation Systems looks forward to continually improving their solutions to maximize the density and throughput of unique warehouse and distribution facilities for years to come. \"Our solutions are designed for flexibility,\" Terrill said. \"We rely on Rockwell Automation products and expertise to support that flexibility \u2013 and help us stay on the cutting edge of machine control.\"\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: household-and-personal-care\n\n",
    "encore-tissue-plant-drives-upgrade-increases-productivity": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/encore-tissue-plant-drives-upgrade-increases-productivity\n\nTITLE: Encore Tissue Plant Drives Upgrade Increases Productivity\n\n*** Sustainability is a key component of Australia's pulp and paper industry. Advances in technology have provided the capability to reduce environmental impact, safety and support the ongoing sustainability of the tissue production process. ***\n\nEncore Tissue is an Australian family owned business that was established in 1998 by the Holckner family, comprising of Charlie Holckner and his two sons, David and Mark Holckner.\n\nToday, the company is a leading manufacturer of toilet tissue and kitchen towel with a manufacturing plant in Laverton North, Victoria. Encore's philosophy is to manufacture quality products and endeavour to be environmentally, socially and economically responsible.\n\nThe fibrous raw material is sourced from responsibly managed plantations and regrowth forests. The fibres are sourced from local and International suppliers who practice sustainable management of forests in line with strict international standards. All suppliers operate under Forest Stewardship Council accredited environmental systems and practices.\n\nEncore Tissue is committed to achieving sustainable economic growth that is of benefit to present and future generations, without threatening the resources or biological systems of the world in which we operate.\n\nThe company is committed to constant improvement in its manufacturing process as it grows into a major player within the industry. As testament to this commitment, Encore Tissue decided to undertake an upgrade to part of their tissue production line to keep in touch with the latest technology, increase production output and help their customers by providing a better quality product that exceeds their requirements.\n\nThe scope of the project was to upgrade the original tissue machine, which was commissioned back in 2003 to incorporate new technologies and improve production rates.\n\nEncore's tissue machine has increased production output as a result of the upgrade\n\n*** Driving Increased Tissue Production\n\n ***\n\nThe original tissue machine at Encore originated from Italy and had Reliance Automation components, which were supplied by Rockwell Automation. The tissue machine was relocated from Velcarta in the south of Italy and was installed in 2002/2003 at Encore Tissue's Laverton North site, which enabled Encore to supply a full range of multi-ply virgin and recycled converted tissue products.\n\nDuring the relocation of the tissue machine, the original end of life Reliance DC drives were upgraded to newer FlexPak 3000 DC drives, beginning the relationship between Encore Tissue and Rockwell Automation. However, as demand continued to grow for Encore's products, the original tissue machine required an upgrade that would use new technology to improve quality and output.\n\nNew upgrade hardware integrated with the existing system.\n\n*** According to Mark Camilleri, project manager at Encore Tissue, \"We have enjoyed a longstanding relationship with Rockwell Automation. The company upgraded our drives back in 2003 so when we were embarking on the latest line upgrade, we invited them to tender for the project and once again, their approach, solution and capabilities made them the most logical choice.\"\n\n ***\n\nThe tissue making process starts with pulp that is approximately 99.8 percent water and 0.2 percent fibre. This pulp is pumped by a large pump called a fan pump onto the machine, through a head box, which distributes the pulp onto a forming fabric creating the tissue sheet. The tissue sheet is then transferred onto a felt and transported through the machine.\n\nThe felt passes over a suction roll, which removes some of the water from the sheet before the tissue sheet is transferred onto a large steam heated and pressurised drum called a Yankee Dryer. The Yankee Dryer further dries the tissue sheet, aided by gas heated hoods until the sheet is 95 percent fibre and only 5 percent water before it is creped off the Yankee and wound onto paper cores by the pope reeler, creating the finished parent reel.\n\n*** To gain additional kilowatts and increase production output with the new machine, the fan pump, forming roll and suction press drives were upgraded from FlexPak 3000 DC drives with four new\u00a0PowerFlex(R) 755 AC drives\u00a0and the existing control system was upgraded to GuardLogix(R) to address safety requirements.\n\n ***\n\n\"As part of the design process we went to the plant to measure the room to see if the drives fit within the existing space, but because the footprint of the AC drive is much larger than the DC drives, we had to change the configuration of the drive so it would fit in the room.\n\nGuardLogix controlling the drive system as well as machine safety circuits.\n\n*** This involved reversing the arrangement of some of the drives and putting the circuit breaker panels on the left hand side, instead of the right side so they were aligned with the high beams in the roof,\" said Peter Tomazic, senior solutions consultant at Rockwell Automation.\n\n ***\n\n\"The tissue machine required a high current system, the incoming feed was 4000amps so this involved finding a suitably rated busbar system. Also, because at least 50 percent of the cabinet was retained we had to ensure that it married up with those existing cabinets and the system was integrated effectively,\" he explained.\n\nAccording Mark Camilleri, \"To continue to grow the business we need to keep in touch with the latest technology and provide a high quality product to our customers. The team at Rockwell Automation were able to customise our panels and solution to suit our requirements and maximise our output.\"\n\n*** Integrated Safety\n\n ***\n\nEncore is committed to improving its manufacturing process and also to meeting safety requirements. Back when the tissue machine was initially commissioned, ControlNet was the network used for the drive system control as Ethernet was not yet mature enough. Now, Ethernet provides the capabilities to do all the coordinated drive system control as well as safety and standard IO on the one network.\n\nGuardmaster solenoid locking switches used for protection of personnel and machine.\n\n\"As part of the upgrade, GuardLogix was used to combine control and safety in the one platform and helped the plant meet current and future safety regulations. Another benefit of this integrated control and safety is that installation costs and set up times were reduced. Additionally, we also used\u00a0Allen-Bradley(R) Guardmaster(R)\u00a0door locking devices to prevent the unauthorised access of plant personnel to the reel section of the machine when it is in state that could be dangerous,\" said Matthew Barrett, senior project engineer at Rockwell Automation.\n\n*** Software Customisation ***\n\nAccording to Matthew Barrett, \"Supplying the product is the easy part but understanding how it is engineered to run is much more challenging. With this sort of equipment you need to make sure the drives are running at the same speed to avoid mechanical damage or breaks so there is a fair amount of smarts in the way you engineer the drives. We have developed libraries of software for these sorts of applications as a result of years of experience that saves engineering time and improves reliability.\"\n\nThe Encore site has now evolved through three generations of Rockwell Automation solutions and has gradually migrated equipment so that down the track when any remaining equipment needs to be updated, they will be able to do so easily.\n\n\"Being able to migrate in stages is good from an economics point of view and there is a lot of flexibility in the product which makes integration of the new solution with our existing equipment seamless,\" said Mark Camillieri.\"\n\nAs part of the system test, a full factory test was conducted to minimise downtime upon installation. This demonstrated that the whole system was working as a dry system and also validated a few functions. During the commissioning process there was a standard protocol that was followed which made installation easy and ensured that there was no downtime involved.\n\n*** Sustainable Lifecycle ***\n\nAccording to David Holckner, director at Encore Tissue, \"Today we have three generations of Holckner family members working together supported by a dedicated management team, and we are all looking forward to the challenge of continuing to build our business, offering our customers improved tissue quality and innovative products with our new capability.\"\n\nWater is a key resource in paper manufacturing and trying to reduce water usage has been a key project for Encore Tissue. Since commencement, the amount of water used per tonne of paper manufactured has reduced by 65 percent. This has been largely due to reusing and recycling water within the manufacturing process.\n\n\"The solution is more energy efficient and helps us to use less water in the manufacturing process, especially as we get it up and running to full capacity. Integration and commissioning was straightforward which meant we were up and running with no significant downtime and we are already familiar with the look and feel of the product which makes it easy to operate. As a result of the solution, the tissue machine now has increased output which was our key business driver,\" said Mark Camillieri.\n\n\"We have enjoyed working with Rockwell Automation, they are a very professional company that knows their product well. They are easy to work with and provide flexibility within their product and services so we would not have any hesitation in recommending Rockwell Automation to other customers,\" he said.\n\n\nTAG: fiber-and-textiles\n\n",
    "sala-sao-paulo-modernizes-roof-panel-motion": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/sala-sao-paulo-modernizes-roof-panel-motion\n\nTITLE: Sala S~ao Paulo Modernizes Roof Panel Motion\n\nSala S~ao Paulo is one of the most important concert venues in Brazil. Located in the center of the capital city, the historic Antigua Estrada de Ferro Sorocabana building is home to the Symphonic Orchestra of the State of S~ao Paulo (Osesp).\n\nIts architectural complex dates back to 1925 and is part of the historical heritage of the city. The Sala was born out of the adaptation and restoration of the J'ulio Prestes Station and was inaugurated in July of 1999.\n\nAmong its distinctive elements are an adaptable roof, a system that brings elements of the building's original architecture together with new architectural and technological concepts.\n\nThe roof of Sala S~ao Paulo rises up 25 meters over the main floor. The roof is comprised of 15 panels weighing 7.5 tons each held in place by 20 cables. Each of the panels can be controlled individually. This allows the volume of the hall to vary between 12,000 and 28,000 m3, guaranteeing that the sound intensity of any composition is preserved.\n\nThe entire system is controlled by computers, locks and automatic sensors. In addition, 26 velvet banners can be moved up to eight meters in height in accordance with the necessary vibrations.\n\nAlong the roof there is a cover that fits in with the building's original design, but utilizes more modern materials such as thermoacoustic tiles made of polycarbonate.\n\n*** The Challenge ***\n\nRecently Sala S~ao Paulo faced issues with the motion system for the panels, which was automated.\n\nControl of this system was done using PLCs and frequency drives manufactured by a company that no longer operates in Brazil. Furthermore, whenever maintenance was required, it was difficult to find spare parts and individuals skilled in that technology, which was obsolete.\n\nTime was lost searching for such individuals and the outstanding sound quality of the venue could be compromised. Faced with this situation, in the second quarter of 2013, Osesp, administrator for the space, searched the market for options to optimize the roof control system.\n\n*** The Solution ***\n\nAmong the alternatives submitted to Osesp by different companies specializing in automation, the one that stood out the most was Tago Automac~ao Industrial, which, with the support of the authorized distributor Ladder/Edge, proposed a complete reconfiguration of the system.\n\n\"Our proposal was selected because it offered the best technical solution according to the assessment of those in charge of mechanical maintenance of the equipment,\" says Osvaldo Kirst, Manager at Tago.\n\nTago designed a system with a\u00a0CompactLogix L33ER controller and 18 PowerFlex 755 frequency drives, ideal for the load-lifting application, as in the case of the roof's moveable panels.\n\nThe expectation of Daniela Marcondes, Maintenance and Repairs Manager at Osesp, is \"to reduce personnel costs for the operating the panels and maintaining parts since, with the new system, we will have greater motor efficiency and performance.\"\n\nOne of the most important aspects of this solution, and one that will help Osesp to meet this expectation, is the automatic configuration of the drives (plug-and-play type), which will allow system auto-configuration without the need for experts. This automatic autoconfiguration capability is possible thanks to the ADC (automatic device configuration) function.\n\n*** The Results ***\n\nAs one of the cultural venues most visited by the public living in the area and tourists visiting the capital, Sala S~ao Paulo had a very short period of time in which it needed not only to replace the system, but also to have it operating perfectly.\n\nIn less than 30 days the roof's control system was ready to move in concert with the varied and extensive schedule of Sala S~ao Paulo.\n\n\"The ability to meet the schedule established by Osesp was also a deciding factor that resulted in the Tago proposal winning, and that was made possible by selecting our Rockwell Automation technology,\" states Kirst.\n\nPlatform testing was done at Tago so that once the system was installed at Sala S~ao Paulo, only fine-tuning was needed.\n\n\"We knew the Rockwell Automation brand, but we had never worked together before. To date, the company has been meeting our needs very well and product performance is what we expected,\" says Daniela.\n\nSatisfaction of the end client is a good sign for Rockwell Automation, which could be part of the automation expansion at Sala S~ao Paulo where they intend to integrate the automation of the roof's other control system elements, such as scenery.\n\n\nTAG: entertainment\n\n",
    "mra-pioneers-industry-leading-train-load-out-automation-technology": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/mra-pioneers-industry-leading-train-load-out-automation-technology\n\nTITLE: MRA pioneers industry leading train load out automation technology\n\nAutomating the TLO process delivers improved capacity, profitability and safety at Anglo American's German Creek mine\u00a0\n\nThe reliability and efficiency of the train load out process at coal mines can be a 'make or break' when it comes to meeting production timelines and profitability.\n\nAnglo American is the world's third largest exporter of metallurgical coal. The company uses the latest technology to run their operations in the best possible way and strive for continuous improvement at existing assets.\n\nTrain loading stations are often considered a bottleneck, as these facilities are typically operated manually resulting in variable performance, wagon over or under loading and poor reliability. As a result, companies are often faced with heavy fines and in some cases substantial costs to obtain additional trains to meet required throughput.\n\nMRA Electrical & Automation Engineering (MRA) was initially involved in the first automation of a train load out (TLO) in Australia more than fifteen years ago. As such, the company has a detailed understanding of the systems required.\n\nAt that time there were some limitations in the technology that resulted in some shortcomings of the early systems. These limitations culminated in issues with accuracy and environmental conditions. To address this, MRA conducted extensive research and development, using the latest technologies to overcome these shortfalls and develop an efficient and reliable automated TLO solution.\n\nWhen Anglo American tasked MRA with automating their TLO process at the German Creek coal mines, the result exceeded expectations and provided an intelligent and intuitive system that not only improved efficiency and reliability but also delivered a state of the art solution with an unrivalled return on investment.\n\n*** Clever control technology ***\n\nInitially MRA investigated primarily vision based systems, but were subject to accuracy issues as a result of changing environmental and weather factors such as sun, rain and fog. As laser and sensing technologies advanced, they provided a more reliable alternative that is not as vulnerable to the effects of these often harsh mining environments.\n\nAccording to Stephen Mount, general manager at MRA, \"We built the robust automated TLO system on the fundamentals of train speed and position to improve the accuracy of the process. The raw data is filtered and moved into our system to perform the correct analysis to overcome any issues with environmental conditions.\"\n\nThere are three major components to the system, the first being the sensors in the field, the laser scanners and RFID tag reader; the second is the PC-based server that performs all the filtering and analysis of data prior to communicating to the PLC, the third component of the system.\n\n\"The system architecture of this TLO demonstrates the power of the ControlLogix platform for data processing and integration as well as control,\" said Geoff Irvine, mining industry manager, Rockwell Automation.\n\nThe Allen-Bradley(R) ControlLogix(R) PLC is programmed to provide centralised control for the entire TLO process. The MRA system has been engineered to integrate seamlessly with the controller via Ethernet/IP communications using point to point networking via a StratixTM switch.\n\nThe automated TLO is monitored from the central control room\n\n\"We incorporate as much functionality as possible inside the Logix controller which delivers unmatched fault-finding capabilities and advanced integration between the PC and controller,\" explained Peter McPherson, engineering manager at MRA.\n\n\"Laser sensors detect information about the wagon location that is communicated to the Logix controller. Also, information about coal profiling is concurrently fed back to the controller which is programmed to analyse this information and provide advanced feedback control of the TLO process in real time,\" he said.\n\n*** Automated loading ***\n\nPrior to the automation of the TLO process, operators were only able to load wagons based on the available tools at their disposal. However, significant advancements in automation technology has enabled operators to consistently load train wagons with uniform and symmetric profiles to meet coal height and bogie loading requirements.\n\nAutomation technology enables operators to consistently load train wagons\u00a0\n\n\"There are substantial penalties involved if a train is not loaded correctly with the right profile over the bogies. Over loading results in significant penalties but there is also an issue with under loading that needs to be considered. By under loading, each wagon is losing capacity, which directly impacts on efficiency and profitability, but it also entails a safety issue and risk of derailment. Reducing weight variations in order to optimise the amount of coal loaded per train is the ultimate goal in automating the TLO,\" explained Mount.\n\nConsidering variables such as operator fatigue, time of day and environmental conditions presented challenges for MRA in developing the automated TLO system. To address this, MRA's solution was developed to use predictive modelling and advanced filtering methods to compensate for aberrations in raw data and also allows for environmental compensation through scanning methods and adaptive software.\n\nThe Logix controller provides the platform for feedback control and real time output of data through Ethernet/IP communications. This use of smart technology with self-diagnostics and alarming provides an intelligent and intuitive system that removes the guesswork for operators. By automating the TLO, the operator performs a supervisory role either from the TLO or a central control room during loading to monitor the system.\n\nAccording to Anthony Manousso, Capcoal Control System Coordinator, Anglo American, \"When you automate a process, you have to consider all the variables in the design and commissioning phase. We did that and the way the system is running now, the operators can sit in the control room and monitor the process. The operator interface is easy to use so training requirements are minimal.\"\n\nThe TLO is an integral part of the pit to port operation\u00a0\n\n*** Remote commissioning reduces downtime ***\n\nWhen it comes to a TLO, time is money and therefore any amount of time that the system is down has direct impact on profitability. One of the features of MRA's TLO system is that the outage time for installation is minimal. \"It took less than a day's downtime to go from the existing system at German Creek to the new automated TLO. The bulk of our commissioning is done remotely by accessing the PLC online to make any required changes, which saves significant costs with no need to go to site,\" said McPherson.\n\n\"Once the scanners are installed prior to the cutover we record live data from the site and undertake detailed simulation prior to installation to make sure it's working as per the specification. This reduces not only the commissioning time but also the need to delay trains post installation,\" he added.\n\n*** Impressive return on investment ***\n\nHaving been in operation for approximately three years now, German Creek has recorded real time results indicating a return on investment of less than four months for the TLO automation system.\u00a0\n\nPrior to the upgrade, the subjected TLO was consistently achieving average payloads in the order of 9100 to 9300 tonnes per train. Post upgrade, the subjected TLO is now averaging 10,000 tonnes per train. \"With this monthly average increase of approximately 700 tonnes per train, based on 40 trains per month, this equates to an approximate efficiency gain of significant returns per month,\" said Mount.\n\nPost upgrade, the TLO is now averaging 10,000 tonnes per train\n\nAutomating the TLO also provides significant benefits in terms of improved safety by reducing the risk of derailment from under loading, which can also have detrimental environmental effects resulting from spillage. In addition, automation of the TLO process removes operators from potentially hazardous situations and fatigue issues can also be avoided.\n\n\"The coding that MRA developed within the ControlLogix PLC is extremely efficient and reliable. We are now using it for 98 percent of loading with only 2 percent being loaded manually as a result of external factors. This TLO system is an integral part of our pit to port operation - the end goal is to make sure our trains are fully loaded,\" explained Anthony Manousso.\n\nCompany background\n\nRockwell Automation Australia and Rockwell Automation New Zealand are subsidiaries of Rockwell Automation, Inc.-a leading global provider of industrial automation and information solutions that helps manufacturers achieve a competitive advantage in their businesses. The company brings together leading global brands in industrial automation which include Allen-Bradley(R) controls and services and Rockwell Software(R) factory management software. Its broad product mix includes control logic systems, sensors, human-machine interfaces, drive controllers, power devices, and software.\n\n\n\nRockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK), the world's largest company dedicated to industrial automation and information, makes its customers more productive and the world more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., Rockwell Automation employs approximately 22,000 people serving customers in more than 80 countries.\n\nAllen-Bradley, ControlLogix, Rockwell Software and Stratix are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\nEthernet/IP is a trademark of the OVDA.\n\n\u00a0\n\nMedia contact:\n\nChristine Filippis\n\nTeraze Communications\n\n61 3 8391 0701\n\nchristine@teraze.com.au\n\n\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\n\n",
    "bi-esse-chooses-rockwell-automation-solutions-for-its-brand-new-": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/bi-esse-chooses-rockwell-automation-solutions-for-its-brand-new-\n\nTITLE: Bi-Esse chooses Rockwell Automation solutions for its brand new fully automated warehouse\n\n***** Background *****\n\nBi-Esse was founded in 1980 as a point of sale for electrical materials. The company grew over time and today has 20 branch offices in Italy and four abroad, in Albania, Romania, the Czech Republic and Kosovo, and is a point of reference in the domestic market for the distribution of electrical supplies, with a strong bent towards industrial automation. This specialization is further enhanced by the presence of an in-house industrial automation team and manager at every branch office. Rockwell Automation, in addition to being one of the primary suppliers for Bi-Esse, is also one of the company's most important partners. When the company's constant growth and desire to optimize processes to become more reactive to the needs of the market led to a decision to build a brand new automated warehouse fitted with the most advanced technologies, the choice of Rockwell Automation as an ally for the automation portion was an immediate, natural one.\n\n***** Challenge *****\n\nBi-Esse has a solid position in the Italian market, and over the course of time it has distinguished itself for its constant growth without pause, even during the economic crises that hit the sector hard. In 2014, to support expansion and improve efficiency in processes and be more reactive to market demands, the company decided to start construction of a new automated warehouse at its Fossano headquarters, specifically in the area dedicated to wire cutting and small item picking.\n\nPrior to this, all logistics activities were centered in this site, and the area dedicated to the warehouse was expanded through the acquisition of structures in the surrounding area. Nevertheless, over time this solution was proving to no longer be sufficient as regards to the needs of a growing market demand, as well the vast expansion of the area, subdivided into several buildings did not promote efficiency. A new automated warehouse would allow the company to take better advantage of space, and manage this space according to logic, to help maximize potential through the use of advanced, high-performance technologies. This would result in a series of benefits, including improvements in service, increase in volumes, a reduction in error, increased speed of order fulfillment and lowered costs.\n\n***** Solution *****\n\nGiven the strategic importance of the project, Bi-Esse commissioned the feasibility study and the detailed logistics project to Simco Consulting of Milan, a well-known European consulting firm specializing in automation. First, the details of all the logistical aspects were deeply defined, followed by the specifications for the automation portion. Once this phase was concluded, collaborators that could meet the needs outlined in the logistic project were selected. For the completeness, performance and potential of its solutions, Rockwell Automation was selected, while for the development and construction of turnkey plants Cubar, based in Fossano, in the Cuneo province, was selected. Cubar is a highly specialized company in technological systems with many years of experience in automated warehouses and logistics and production solutions; it is also a Rockwell Recognized System Integrator.\n\n\"We are talking about a warehouse that services all the branch offices as well as all of our clients; and extends to cover 11,000 square meters. There are two areas inside this space that are the focus of the project: the automated warehouse for wire cutting and the small-items warehouse, which alone represent 70% of our warehouse handlings. To help ensure the efficiency of these warehouses, we need to count on reliability, safety and a high performance level, which we knew we could find in the solutions offered by Rockwell Automation, and Cubar, one of its recognized system integrator,\" affirms Andrea Sarvia, project manager - new Ce.Di of Bi-Esse.\n\n\"We are well versed in the resources and potential of these solutions, not only because Rockwell Automation is a very important ally for us, but also because confirmation comes from our clients daily,\" continues Sarvia.\n\nTo automate the two warehouses, Rockwell Automation proposed an Integrated Architecture(R) System. The heart of the systems is represented by Allen-Bradley(R) Compact GuardLogixTM 5370 series 1769 controllers and GuardLogix 1756-L71S 5570 Safety Controllers, which associate the performance of a Logix controller and safety and control of the axes, all integrated on a single EtherNet/IP network, in addition to a single common configuration and developmental environment for all the control devices.\n\nA stacker crane with a carrying capacity of 2,000 Kg was installed in the wiring warehouse with 1,500 spots and dual-depth shelves capable of moving coils up to 2,000kg. The stacker crane, which can manage 60 combined transports per hour, is fitted with a telescopic fork that can reach coils positioned at 4 m distance. The coils are transported up to the front of the warehouse and vertically supported to be positioned on a series of rotating rollers that then move them to one of the two wire-cutting machines where they are processed. According to the quantity of the order, once the wire is cut it is wrapped around a spool or smaller coil. Once processing is concluded, the coil is then placed by the stacker crane in the warehouse, while the spool or coil for the order is sent to shipping. Loading and unloading full coils is also managed automatically, based on custom designed programmable automation controller (PAC) logic from Rockwell Automation.\n\nThe small-items warehouse system is lighter and offers superior performance (speed 4 m/s & lifting 2 m/s) and productivity, even though it is more complex and articulated from a logic point of view. It is composed of three stacked cranes arranged along three corridors with shelves located to the left and right, containing 30,000 50 kg capacity drawers, measuring 60 x 40 cm. Each stacker crane can transport four drawers incoming and four outgoing and a software program manages picking and placing based on a priority optimized pathway. Once picked, the drawers are placed on rollers that supply the six collection bays.\n\nThe bays are manned by an operator with a touchscreen reporting the quantity to be picked from each drawer to fulfill the orders being processed. Each bay can manage 10 orders simultaneously. Once the drawer is positioned, a light shows the operator the drawer to be filled. Once picking is concluded, the operator presses a button and the system containing all the identification information for all the items ascertains if the picks are accurate by weighing the drawer. Any conflicts are signaled, and the operator makes corrections. If there are no conflicts, the drawer is returned to the shelf while the completed box is pushed along a roller that transports it to the closing and the automatic labelling stations, and then to a sorting area.\n\n\"We work on a daily schedule, meaning that most of what is prepared in a day or evening is loaded onto transport during the night and delivered the next day,\" says Sarvia. \"This kind of rapid automation allows us to increase our productivity and drastically reduce margins of error compared to manually counting pieces. The customer, who is seeking rapid, precise service, can now order material up to the late evening and have it delivered on site the next morning.\"\n\n***** Results *****\n\n\"We have only just begun to measure the benefits derived from the decision to create a warehouse from the ground up and equip it with the most advanced technologies. The first results we are registering are the reduction of error margin passing from 0.1% (1 in every 1,000) to 0.005% (1 in every 20,000) and an overall increased operator productivity from an average of 45 pick-ups per hour to an average of 120 pick ups per hour. Furthermore, we have the clear impression of cost reductions and an increase in global efficiency, thanks to the optimization of all our operations. The expected ROI for each warehouse is four years,\" continues Sarvia.\n\n\"Today we are working faster, resulting in, for example, the possibility to extend the cut-off time for receiving orders, allowing our clients to insert their orders online far past the work site closure time and have the ordered materials the next day.\n\n\"Another positive effect that we are especially gratified by is the possibility to reassign our personnel to activities with added value,\" Sarvia adds. \"According to their personalities, our employees are being reassigned to logistics and sales.\n\n\"Our innovation strategies are aimed at improving the entire chain of value,\" he concludes, \"so it is necessary to take into account a series of factors, ranging from prepared, motivated personnel that see the advent of technology as an enhancement, to an increase in the level of service offered to clients, thanks to greater process efficiency and error reduction.\"\n\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: warehouse-fulfillment\n\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: safety-instrumented-systems\n\n",
    "solutions-in-action--djs-systems-inc--": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/solutions-in-action--djs-systems-inc--\n\nTITLE: Solutions in Action: DJS Systems Inc.\n\nWhether it's plastic, paper or foam containers and lids \u2013 or single-use utensils \u2013 every foodservice provider uses disposable containers and cutlery.\n\nAnd with the popularity of carryout and \"meals on the go\" on the upswing globally, the demand for disposable foodservice products is expected to rise at an annual rate of five percent or more. For the companies positioned to meet this need, time is money.\n\nThe more efficiently their equipment can convert material into consumer-ready product, the more profitable they will be. But to meet productivity goals, every speed improvement made at the front end of the conversion process must be matched by incremental gains on the packaging line.\n\nDJS Systems, an innovative machine builder headquartered in Homer, Michigan, specializes in product handling and automation systems that improve end-of-line throughput for the thermoforming, paper converting and injection molding industries. Shortly after its founding in 2003, DJS Systems set about designing an efficient cup counter and vertical bagger system for the disposable foodservice market.\n\nThese systems count, stack and bag finished cups per end customer specifications, which dictate stack count and the number of stacks per bag. Ideally, counter/baggers run continuously and fast enough to keep up with the primary converting equipment upstream.\n\nFrom the beginning, DJS Systems recognized that motor-driven control was the key to improving the speed, accuracy and flexibility of existing systems on the market. \"Most systems used air-driven cylinders to control the motion applications,\" explained Steve Sherman, vice president, DJS Systems. \"Accuracy and speed can be difficult to maintain with pneumatic control because operation is affected by air quality, humidity and temperature.\"\n\nTo improve repeatability, DJS Systems designed their first counter and vertical bagger using servo technology for motion control. Their initial system was built on a Rockwell Automation platform, featuring Allen-Bradley\u00ae MicroLogix\u2122 controllers, AC drives and servo drives on a DeviceNet\u2122 network. \"The Rockwell Automation solution immediately differentiated our equipment,\" said Mike Walper, sales manager, DJS Systems. \"Integrated AC motor and servo control enabled us to run our system faster \u2013 and establish a recipe-driven interface to speed changeover.\"\n\nWorking closely with Rockwell Automation Global OEM Technical Consultants (GOTCs) over a ten-year period, DJS Systems continuously improved their machine, ultimately increasing cycle time from 30 to 55 stacks per minute. \"We felt we had maximized the performance of our\n\noriginal equipment as much as we could,\" Walper said. \"Then our customers starting saying \u2013 if you can go faster, we can go faster. It was time for a major upgrade.\" In designing the new equipment, DJS Systems took a hard look at current market trends and engaged the Rockwell Automation GOTC team.\n\nThe latest conversion machinery was able to churn out disposable containers faster than ever before. But just as critical, more end customers were specifying retail-sized packaging. For a counter/bagger at the end of the line, this means fewer products per stack \u2013 and faster cycle times. \"Companies do not want to slow down their primary equipment,\" Sherman said. \"To accommodate the shorter stacks and faster cycle times, many companies divert the counter/bagger operation to multiple machines or take it offline. We wanted to provide a better way.\"\n\nThe company's new integrated servo counter and vertical bagger system is designed for continuous, inline operation and features a Rockwell Automation control solution based on the Allen-Bradley CompactLogix\u2122 programmable automation controller. For motion control, the 5-axis system uses Allen-Bradley Kinetix\u00ae 300 and Kinetix 350 servo drives. Allen-Bradley PowerFlex\u00ae 525 AC drives control the infeed and discharge conveyors.\n\nThe system is integrated on an EtherNet/IP\u2122 network and incorporates Stratix 5700\u2122 managed industrial Ethernet switches.\n\n\"Without changing the mechanics of the equipment, the new control system enabled us to improve speed by about 20 percent,\" Walper said. \"We now have a fully scalable platform that can be used on the smallest to the largest system. This allows us to customize the solution to each customer's requirements.\"\n\nThe system can achieve up to 70 cycles per minute. Through the recipe-driven interface, it can be quickly configured to change stack count \u2013 and to modify the number of stacks per bag from 1 to 8. In addition, thanks to EtherNet/IP connectivity, DJS Systems can now off er remote equipment monitoring. \"EtherNet/IP is the preferred protocol for most of our customers,\" Walper said. \"Now, we can easily help program and troubleshoot installed systems from our Michigan headquarters. This is becoming increasingly important as our customer base expands globally.\" \"Throughout system development, Rockwell Automation helped ensure our equipment was fully tested and validated,\" Sherman added. \"As a company, our objective is to deliver machinery that keeps pace with primary conversion equipment. Rockwell Automation helped us meet our goals.\"\n\n\nTAG: chemical\nTAG: pulp-paper\n\n",
    "new-ERP-transition": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/new-ERP-transition\n\nTITLE: ERP Gives AVA More Production Visibility and Control\n\nFounded in 2021, Advanced Vehicle Assemblies, LLC is known for its unique manufacturing processes that enable the production of complex metal assemblies.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\n* Pressed for Time: New ERP Needed\n\nAdvanced Vehicle Assemblies (AVA) split from its former sister company in June 2020, kicking off an urgent search for a new ERP system. They were covered under a shared service agreement from their previous affiliation, but the end date was nearing. As a result, the company looked for an ERP solution that minimized hardware maintenance - a stark contrast to their previous experience - and could be implemented within their tight timeline.\n\nAdditionally, AVA faced the fact that their old system did not include Manufacturing Execution System (MES) integration. The absence of real-time production reporting and inventory tracking led to reliance on manual processes, causing significant delays and a lack of trust in the collected data. As AVA aimed for rapid independence and organizational rebuilding following the split, the selection of a new ERP system became a critical aspect of their strategic focus.\n\nAVA conducted surveys, evaluations, and demonstrations to help identify their top priorities with the help of user feedback. Despite the tight time frame, the culmination of this rigorous process led them to select Plex as their new ERP system in late 2020. This choice marked a pivotal step for the company. They embraced a new ERP system that promised to streamline operations, enhance efficiency, and support their journey towards becoming a thriving, independent enterprise.\u00a0\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\n* An Accelerated ERP Journey\n\nEmbarking on their Plex ERP system revamp journey, AVA utilized the Milan, Michigan facility as their first Plex implementation site in December 2020. Adding an extra layer of complexity is the fact that this location shared the outdated ERP system with AVA's sister company. Knowing time was of the essence, the Milan team aimed to go live on Plex within an ambitious 60 days.\n\nTo ease the transition, AVA enlisted the support of Plex implementation services, who assigned a project manager to the Milan site. The project manager brought a deep understanding of the project's parameters and the urgency of a rapid go-live time frame. To bolster their efforts, the Plex team also enlisted outside consultants to assist with the critical data cleansing phase as it was loaded into Plex. Employee training sessions and workshops were also prioritized to prepare users for the impending changes.\n\nAs the go-live date loomed, an impressive collaboration unfolded, with up to seven Plex team members present at the Milan location during each shift. The level of teamwork from all sides underscored the collective commitment to a successful implementation. Despite the challenge of a 60-day timeline, the Milan site implemented Plex successfully within the desired time frame. Employees mastered the main Plex functions, navigating the natural learning curve that comes with migrating to a new manufacturing solution.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\n* Transformed Operations with Insights and Data\n\nRob Arrowsmith, CIO of AVA says, \"Before Plex, data was not easily accessible, and functions difficult to learn. Now, real-time data is accessible, and the online learning resources Plex provides are abundant and easy to follow.\"\n\nThe Plex implementation brought about a transformative wave of improvements for AVA, revolutionizing their operational landscape. Most notably was the establishment of real-time production reporting and inventory tracking. Accessing real-time data instilled a heightened sense of awareness of inventory for AVA, enabling employees to address issues promptly, fostering agility in their responses and elevating overall operational efficiency. The Plex ERP also significantly augmented visibility across production. With operators more engaged and proactive on the shop floor, AVA witnessed quicker problem resolution.\n\n\n\n* Future Growth Unlocked\n\nThe benefits of Plex empowered AVA to successfully grow its business while maintaining a lean operational structure, minimizing the need for additional personnel to manage the Plex ERP system. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) became more visible and dynamic, seamlessly integrating into Plex rather than being extracted from external Excel sheets.\n\nPlex also eliminated the necessity for financial consolidation software, streamlining processes and making contextual data easily available. The intuitive nature of the Plex system unlocked this accessibility, making it easy for users to navigate and find the information they need. The cloud-based nature of Plex, coupled with its highly configurable background settings, provided a flexibility that enabled AVA to continue to test and implement improvements.\n\n\n\n* Full Independence and Minimal Support Needed\n\nThe company's most significant achievement with Plex has been the ability to attain complete independence. Upon completion of the implementation, internal surveys affirmed the success of Plex as it earned high marks for reliability, speed, and ease of use. The adoption and integration of the software extends beyond that of the Milan, Michigan location, with AVA employees able to take on the remaining Plex implementations internally with little to no Plex support required on site.\n\nThis case study is a replicated version, with the original available on the Plex website. To access the original version, please click here.\n\nTAG: accelerate-digital-transformation\n\nTAG: automotive-and-tire\n\nTAG: plex-erp\n\n",
    "smart-cip-system-improves-performance---reporting": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/smart-cip-system-improves-performance---reporting\n\nTITLE: Smart CIP System Improves Performance & Reporting\n\nFor the food and beverage industry, satisfying consumers' insatiable appetite for new products is just one part of a complex equation. Equally important is protecting the food supply - and maintaining compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act, Title 21 CFR Part 11, S88 and other regulatory mandates.\n\nThe latest standards have had a direct impact on equipment cleaning processes and have heightened food and beverage companies' expectations of their clean-in-place (CIP) systems. CIP systems are designed to efficiently clean the interior surfaces of process equipment without disassembling it.\n\nStepping up to the challenge is Central States Industrial (CSI), an equipment supplier focused on providing value-added components and systems for hygienic processes. A family-owned business headquartered in Springfield, Missouri, CSI serves a global customer base ranging from Fortune 500 food companies to craft breweries and family farms.\n\n** A Smarter Way to Clean **\n\nWith its modular CIP 2.0 system, CSI is well-aligned to meet both industry and regulatory demands. Designed for food, dairy and beverage plants and delivered on scalable skids, CIP 2.0 incorporates smart machine technology to enhance performance, flexibility and reporting.\n\n\"The core programming of our system makes CIP 2.0 smarter than previous generations of equipment,\" said Trent Bullock, manager, engineering services, CSI. \"Historically, CIP systems relied on time-based cleaning cycles - and many still do. CIP 2.0 controls the cycles using process parameters.\"\n\nFrom pre-wash to final rinse, each cycle within the system is configured to reach predetermined setpoints for flow, temperature and chemical concentration. Additional sensors can be added to the system to control the duration of the cycle.\n\n\"For example, we can add turbidity sensors to a pre-wash cycle as a configurable option,\" Bullock explained. \"So we can actually pre-wash until an acceptable level of soils is removed from the line.\"\n\nRelying on process parameters enables a more accurate and repeatable process than a strictly time-based approach. In addition, a process-based system minimizes overuse of chemicals, water and other resources.\n\n** Optimizing Cycle Times, Maintenance & Reporting **\n\nCSI also works with customers to improve cycle times further by offering additional configurable options, such as incorporating a hot water supply or direct steam injection.\u00a0\n\n\"In plants that must clean-in-place 8-12 times a day, accelerating cycle time by 30 or 40 minutes can have a dramatic impact on overall productivity,\" Bullock said.\n\nTo maintain efficient operation, CIP 2.0 allows operators to configure, monitor and run washes in real time from the recipe-driven interface. Trend charts and maintenance manuals are also digitally stored and accessible through the HMI to streamline troubleshooting.\n\n\"The CIP system also incorporates automated record keeping,\" Bullock said. \"This functionality is designed to help customers comply with regulatory standards, including the Food Safety Modernization Act.\"\n\nCIP 2.0 also facilitates connectivity to enterprise-level systems through the control environment.\n\n** Future-Ready Standardization Speeds Deployment **\n\nThanks to a standard approach to control system design, the same functionality is available on all CIP 2.0 installations - whether it's a single-supply, one-tank skid or dual-supply, four-tank system.\n\nCIP 2.0 is based on a Rockwell Automation(R) control platform featuring\u00a0Allen-Bradley(R) CompactLogixTM 5370 controllers and Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) 755 AC drives. The system is integrated on an EtherNet/IPTM network and includes\u00a0Stratix(R) managed switches with network address translation (NAT). The system is monitored on an Allen-Bradley solid-state\u00a0integrated display computer running on a Windows(R) 7 operating system and FactoryTalk(R) View HMI software.\n\n\"Our standard, modular approach provides customers with cost-effective options for various areas of their plant,\" Bullock said. \"And since all run on the same platform, operators are automatically cross-trained.\"\n\nA standard control platform has also enabled CSI to make incremental improvements more easily, which have resulted in a more robust system overall. Today, the most common customer requests are configurable options.\n\n\"A one-week turnaround for a quote has become the norm in the food and beverage industry,\" Bullock said. \"Because we have a robust standard, we can typically deliver quotes that meet strict requirements within one day or less.\"\n\nStandardization also speeds deployment. Rockwell Automation assembles, programs and wires the control panels, which allows CSI to reduce design time and related costs.\n\n\"We aim for cost-effective, forward-looking designs,\" Bullock said. \"For example, currently we offer remote monitoring as an option. We are also exploring ways to incorporate cloud-based analytics into our platform to deliver an even more robust monitoring option in the future.\"\n\nAllen-Bradley, CompactLogix, FactoryTalk, Listen.Think.Solve, PowerFlex, Rockwell Automation and Stratix are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc. Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. EtherNet/IP is a trademark of ODVA, Inc.\n\nTrademarks not belonging to Rockwell Automation are the property of their respective companies.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "ptl-continuous-melters": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/ptl-continuous-melters\n\nTITLE: PTL Continuous Melters\n\nPTL is a New Zealand engineering company, specialising in designing and manufacturing innovative chocolate and bar machinery. With a clear objective to create high-quality machinery focused on simplifying operations and improving efficiency, PTL collaborates with customers to ensure that their chocolate and bar machinery meets their needs.\n\nChocolate coatings are a key ingredient in many popular products including granola bars and the confectionary industry. Some of the issues faced by companies which melt product in the chocolate and snack industry today are footprint, changeover times, washdown times and melt rates. The key features of the PTL Continuous Melters help address these common industry challenges.\n\nFeatures\n\n    * Heavy Duty, Durable Construction\n\n    * Removable Heating Manifold for Easy cleaning and tank access\n\n    * Designed to melt multiple products\n\n    * 304 Stainless Steel (316 optional)\n\n    * Colour Touchscreen\n\n    * Simple Operation\n\n    * Thorough Safety Protocols\n\nOptions\n\n    * Pump and Filter System\n\n    * GMA finish upgrade\n\n    * Removable Gearmotor for stirrer seal removal\n\n    * Castors\n\n    * Loading Table\n\n    * Pump Speed Control\n\n    * Pump Protection\n\nBenefits\n\n    * Fast Changeover time between multiple products (1-2 hours)\n\n    * Compact Footprint compared to Traditional Tank Systems\n\n    * Easy to Clean (1-2 hours)\n\n    * Low Power consumption compared to Traditional Tank Systems\n\n*** Chocolate Melting Made Easy ***\n\nThe PTL Melter has the ability to handle a large range of products used in the baking, snack and confectionary industries. In various formats, the machine can melt chocolate, compound, cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, dairy butter, shortening and various fats for a variety of end user applications. \u00a0\n\n\n\n\"The unique features of the PTL melters are their flexibility and washdown capability, enabling users to go from one product to another quickly and easily, maximising production. They are designed to melt product continuously, corresponding to downstream production rates,\" explained Brandon Sermaine, product design engineer, PTL.\n\n*** Smart Machine Technology ***\n\nThe melters incorporate smart machine technologies from Rockwell Automation including the Allen-Bradley\u00ae CompactLogix controller\u2122, PowerFlex\u00ae 525 drives, PanelView\u2122 Plus 7 Electronic Operating Interface and the latest I/O Link Sensor Technology with POINT I/O-Link master.\n\nThe flexibility of IO-Link capable sensors allows the machine to operate more effectively by providing the controller with diagnostics. In addition to process information, sensors provide detailed and accurate machine health status to improve uptime and increase productivity.\n\n\n\n\"The PTL melters are smart machines with I/O Link Technology and control devices connected on the EtherNet/IP network. This makes troubleshooting very easy with advanced diagnostics available in real time both locally and remotely,\" said Prasad Nory, industry manager, Rockwell Automation.\n\n*** Safety, Hygiene and Flexibility ***\n\nThe CompactLogix controller is at the heart of the machine and delivers control with POINT I/O for standard control, I/O Link Master for smart sensors and PowerFlex 525 drives with Safe Torque Off (STO) with 10\" PanelView Plus 7 HMI on Ethernet/IP which enables the melters to meet global safety standard Category 3 PLd.\n\nThe PTL melters help you meet changing consumer tastes by providing the flexibility for a fast changeover between multiple products. They can be used to melt blocks, buttons, wafers and chips thoroughly at high speed. The melters come with self-contained heating systems, providing the capability for transport but they can also be assembled to use with your existing hot water system as the heating source.\n\nHygiene is a key aspect of the PTL melters with hygienic washdown design enabling thorough and simple cleaning of the machine \u2013 this allows you to process different products on the same piece of equipment with minimal downtime. Furthermore, the melters have a compact footprint and low power consumption compared to traditional tank systems.\n\nFor more information, contact:\n\nPTL Machinery\n\n+1 262 349 0309\n\n+64 9274 3514\n\ninfo@ptlmachinery.com\n\nwww.ptlmachinery.com\n\n\n\nAllen-Bradley, CompactLogix, PanelView and PowerFlex are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\nEtherNet/IP is a trademark of OVDA Inc.\n\nTrademarks not belonging to Rockwell Automation are property of their respective companies.\n\n\nTAG: industrial-automation-and-control\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: power-generation\n\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: human-machine-interface\n\n",
    "dalian-metro-system-uses-energy-intelligence-to-cut-energy-usage": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/dalian-metro-system-uses-energy-intelligence-to-cut-energy-usage\n\nTITLE: Dalian Metro System Uses Energy Intelligence to Cut Energy Usage\n\n*** Background ***\n\nChina is looking to improve transportation for its 1.36 billion citizens \u2013 no small task. Nine of China's largest cities have citywide metro systems. Another 28 cities are building metro lines or planning to build them in the next five years.\n\nLocated in the south of the Liaoning Province, the major seaport city of Dalian needed a transportation system to accommodate its growing population. Buses and trams were clogging the streets, and rolling hills throughout the city make bike commuting difficult.\n\nThe city's current metro system consists of three lines \u2013 two underground lines and one above-ground light-rail line. An additional six new lines or expansion lines are expected by 2020. Spanning over 66 miles, the current system carries more than 100 million passengers annually through 50 stations throughout the metro area.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nWhen designing the Dalian Metro building automation control system, engineers standardized on Logix controllers. Operators needed a sophisticated, centralized method of control to effectively manage the HVAC, lighting, emergency signage, elevator systems and other electrical components on the system that stretches across the city.\n\nAdditionally, Logix-based systems have proven successful across other major metro systems in China, including Hong Kong, Beijing, Nanjing and Tianjin.\n\nWith a new building automation system (BAS), metro system planners aimed to reduce energy costs and keeps commuters comfortable. The city of Dalian has humid, monsoon-filled summers and dry, cold winters, so keeping riders comfortable without overspending on energy for the HVAC system was a challenge. The HVAC system accounts for 55 percent of the total energy usage, and the system's lighting, escalators, safety and other electrical equipment account for the remaining energy costs.\n\nSystem engineers needed a solution that tied directly into the control system to gain access to accurate data at the individual station level and at the operation control center (OCC).\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nThe entire Dalian metro system includes more than 50 redundant Allen-Bradley\u00ae MicroLogix\u2122 and CompactLogix\u2122 controllers with about 100,000 I/O points across the different stations. A typical station includes two pairs of PLCs as communication controllers to pull and aggregate data from different devices within the HVAC, elevator and alarm systems.\n\nTo improve visibility and pull actionable energy data from within the control system, the engineers tapped the FactoryTalk\u00ae software suite from Rockwell Automation. FactoryTalk Historian software collects up to 10,000 data tags from PLCs per line. Metrics include station temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide concentration and other environmental data.\n\nFactoryTalk View Site Edition HMI software with a redundant server provides a comprehensive and accurate view into electricity, water and HVAC usage data.\n\n\u201cController data is directly integrated with the energy intelligence system to give our operators a holistic view into the BAS operations,\u201d said Hetong Wang, chief engineer for Dalian Metro.\n\nThis information is fed to the FactoryTalk VantagePoint\u00ae portal from Rockwell Automation, which offers advanced reporting and analytics on BAS data, converting raw numbers into shareable dashboards with actionable information. Trend reports developed with this information allow operators to set the system to respond automatically. For example, as the number of riders increases during evening rush hour at the end of a warm summer day, the system will automatically turn up the air conditioning to ensure riders stay cool and comfortable during their commutes.\n\nOperators can also manually adjust any of the systems from the OCC or a local station if they see a sudden fluctuation in riders or if an unpredicted weather event occurs.\n\nAll of the BAS information is monitored, controlled and displayed on Allen-Bradley PanelView Plus\u2122 graphic terminals. Now, the operators at the OCC can monitor electrical equipment and devices down to the station level, allowing them to oversee routine operations and quickly react in case of emergencies.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nAfter implementing the FactoryTalk software suite on top of the system architecture, operators increased visibility into operations across the entire system. With the ability to adjust system performance based on weather, ridership and trends, the Dalian metro system is projecting a 12 percent annual reduction in energy usage, equating to a 2 percent cost savings.\n\n\u201cNot only is the system saving money, but the centrally controlled escalators, emergency exits and signage means the system is ultimately safer for our riders,\u201d said Wang.\n\nAdditionally, Dalian commuters are enjoying a more pleasant riding experience, with more responsive climate-controlled stations and trains.\n\nTo keep the entire BAS system stable and riders comfortable, Dalian Metro plans to implement FactoryTalk AssetCentre software. The software provides a set of asset-focused tools to centrally and securely manage the BAS across all of the metro stations. The addition will also help with any future disaster-recovery efforts.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Dalian Metro's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nTrademark Information:\n\nAllen-Bradley, CompactLogix, FactoryTalk, MicroLogix, PanelView and VantagePoint are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\n\nTAG: \n\n",
    "bottling-made-easy-at-yalumba-": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/bottling-made-easy-at-yalumba-\n\nTITLE: Bottling Made Easy at Yalumba\n\nFive generations and 168 years later Yalumba, Australia's oldest family owned winery, has grown in size and stature, embodying all that has made the Australian wine success story the envy of winemakers the world over.\n\nYalumba's heritage-listed Angaston winery was founded in 1849 in South Australia's famous Barossa Valley and today continues to produce high-quality wines loved by generations.\n\nThe marketplace for wines has undergone significant change, with consolidation and disintermediation throughout the supply chain in most markets. As such, technology is becoming a more important component in winemaking.\n\nTo keep up with increasing consumer demands and maintain product consistency, Yalumba called on FOODMACH and Rockwell Automation to upgrade their bottling lines.\n\n*** Old Meets New ***\n\nThe Angaston site has five bottling lines with the main production on two glass bottling lines which were last updated in the early eighties. The remainder of the lines are used for sparkling, cask and other miscellaneous packaging tasks.\n\n\"While various pieces of equipment were added over time the layout of the bottling lines were set up more than thirty years ago and due to obsolescence and reliability issues we made the decision to pull everything out and start from scratch with the bottling line. We also needed to upgrade the depalletisers that move the glass from pallets onto the line and address our aging conveyors,\" said John Ide, manager - winery operations, at Yalumba.\n\n\"One of our key goals was to separate our material flow in and out of the line and hence forklift movement in the main operational areas,\" he explained.\n\nThe project was taken to tender and as a result of their extensive experience in the food and beverage industry, together with their innovative approach and design for the bottling lines, FOODMACH was awarded the project.\n\nFOODMACH designs and manufactures user-focused automation for FMCG and industrial manufacturing customers, delivering fully integrated equipment and packaging lines for maximum productivity. They offer customised solutions for packaging machinery design, manufacturing, controls and service. FOODMACH's Robomatrix(R)\u00a0hybrid palletising system fully utilises the\u00a0Allen-Bradley(R)\u00a0ControlLogix(R)\u00a0platform and\u00a0FactoryTalk(R)\u00a0View SE, and according to FOODMACH, has become the gold standard of high-speed beverage palletisers in Australia and abroad.\n\nThe first bottling line contained predominantly existing equipment that was relocated with new controls, a new conveyor and new palletisers, while line two was a completely new line with a new de-palletiser, filler and packer. The existing labeller and palletiser were retained.\n\nFOODMACH's key responsibilities were to provide the overall automation and control systems for the bottling lines as a whole, design, supply all the conveying and to manufacture two new glass depalletisers.\u00a0 Careful consideration of the control interfacing between each machine on the line teamed with appropriate conveyor design and buffering is essential to delivering the highest possible line efficiencies.\n\nAccording to Gavin Alder, software manager, FOODMACH, \"Having worked with Rockwell Automation previously, we knew that their control system would be the best choice for this application in regards to integration, programming and commissioning. We have developed our software standards around OMAC/PackML and using our proprietary line control software all neatly wrapped up in Add On Instructions we can develop and deploy systems quickly and consistently. Programming becomes drag and drop.\n\nBottling line two was a completely new line with a new de-palletiser, filler and packer.\u00a0\n\n*** Flexibility and Speed ***\n\n\"Prior to the upgrade, both bottling lines had no integrated automation so basically everything including the conveyors and packers, ran as individual pieces of equipment. We wanted the new lines to be completed integrated,\" said Ide.\n\nBy controlling both lines with ControlLogix, this high level of integrated control and automation could be achieved through Ethernet communications. In line one, the control system feeds back information about the line's speed and based on this information, the equipment is able to speed up or slow down. The capacity of ControlLogix for this backward integration to the legacy PLCs added significant value to the solution.\n\nControlLogix provides high-level integrated control and automation for the bottling line.\u00a0\n\nThe second line was controlled slightly differently in that the filler speed was established and the line itself will speed up or slow down to match whatever it needs to do the conveying. That is, the filler stays fixed at a determined speed and the conveying ramps up or down to suit, whereas with line one the conveying is at a fixed speed and the machines ramp up or down to suit.\n\nIde explains, \"This suits our needs because line one is a very flexible line where we can bottle varying amounts and liquids including sparkling, cork, screwcap and crown sealed bottles but line two is our high volume line and need to run at speed. Line one can fill between 6000-9000 bottles per hour while line two is set to fill 12,000 bottles per hour of 750ml screw cap bottles.\"\n\n*** Talking the Talk ***\n\nHaving everything on a common visualisation platform provides a clear view across both lines and also helps operators to monitor the operational status of the winery. FactoryTalk View SE provides unified site-wide monitoring . Bottling line control via three\u00a0VersaView(R)\u00a0terminals\u00a0on the plant-floor with the local edition of FactoryTalk View SE (providing redundancy and security for line control) and PanelViewTM Plus human-machine interfaces (HMI) for individual machine level control.\n\n\"The standalone units for the overall control of the line have been fantastic, basically, we can go into them, select a recipe of what bottle we want to be running and they will basically set the line with the parameters that need to run that bottle. As soon as we select a recipe, all the parameters go into the drives and it limits the filler speed and sets everything else up that we need to run that particular bottle, \" said Luke Wilson, senior process engineer at Yalumba.\n\n\"In the very near future we will be rolling out\u00a0FactoryTalk Metrics\u00a0across the bottling line which will be used to capture production data, provide real time OEE, uptime performance indicators and graphical representations through FactoryTalk Delay Accounting and\u00a0VantagePoint(R),\" he added.\n\nThe Angaston site has six thin clients that also allow operators to keep a close watch on trends using remote access to FactoryTalk ViewPoint without having to come to site. This system is integrated with Yalumba's proprietary 'wine management system' which is a non-commercial database of all vintages for the purpose of label integrity.\n\n\"The\u00a0Integrated Architecture(R)\u00a0system from Rockwell Automation made it very quick and easy to bring the system online and up to speed. We have developed conveying blocks using Rockwell Automation Add on Instructions. Using these instructions has greatly reduced the design and commissioning times required for such a project,\" explained Alder.\n\n*** Fuss-Free Filling and De-Palletising ***\n\n\"In what was a good outcome for Yalumba, the OEM team at Rockwell Automation helped to integrate the Allen-Bradley CompactLogixTM controller in the new filler which was imported from Italy. This provided the capability for easy commissioning and integration that would not have been possible with another controller,\" said Ide.\n\nAccording to Rob Campbell, OEM account manager, Rockwell Automation, \"This is a good example of how we can leverage our global reach and collaborations to provide added value to our customers and most importantly make it a seamless process.\"\n\nCompactLogix also controls the new de-palletiser, manufactured locally by FOODMACH and Servo drives from Rockwell Automation are used to run the lift motor and sweep where it moves the bottles in a single layer.\n\n\"The de-palletising is a fully automated process which has helped reduce the manual labour at the plant. At the end of the second line we have a robot that arranges pallet formation automatically. The control for both lines allows the system to monitor the intake and output of the entire line, speeding it up or slowing it down depending on whether there are any issues, hold ups or backlogs,\" explained Ide.\n\n*** Producing Quality Wines Today and for Future Generations ***\n\nTo maintain the flavour and freshness of each bottle of Yalumba wine, dissolved oxygen meters with alarming have been integrated into the bottling line to avoid oxidation. Line one contains a carbon dioxide (CO2) meter to measure dissolved CO2 in sparkling wine.\n\nThe quality systems are integrated with the SCADA system so data is collected directly with FactoryTalk Transaction Manager to provide information on the product being bottled through the filtration skid and store all relevant information about the batch in FactoryTalk Historian for future reference and quality control, reducing the risk associated with manual reporting.\n\nThe wine bottling and labelling is carried out in an insulated room that is controlled by an air conditioning system. CompactLogix controls the air conditioning system so that parameters such as relative humidity, dewpoint and room temperature are monitored on the SCADA system.\n\n\"We're now using 10 percent less overall power for the bottling area compared to what was consumed prior to setting up the new lines and we have also increased capacity on line two by 50 percent. The automation solution has also allowed us to reduce labour costs and improved safety,\" said Ide.\n\nYalumba has been manufacturing high-quality wines for more than 160 years and thanks to the investment in new technologies and a commitment to quality, future generations will be able to enjoy many more vintages for many years to come.\n\nYalumba is Australia's oldest family owned winery.\u00a0\n\nAllen-Bradley, CompactLogix, ControlLogix, FactoryTalk, Listen. Think. Solve., Integrated Architecture, PanelView, Rockwell Software, VantagePoint and VersaView are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\nAll other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "conquering-automation-complexity-to-deliver-best-fit-solution-to": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/conquering-automation-complexity-to-deliver-best-fit-solution-to\n\nTITLE: Conquering Automation Complexity to Deliver Best-fit Solution to Swedish Microbrewery\n\nOver the past few years, the worldwide growth of microbreweries and craft beer brands has exploded, with many countries, especially in North America and Europe, seeing double digit expansion in the last decade.\n\nThe fascination with artisan beers has fuelled this growth, as discerning beer drinkers opt for specialist niche brews rather than mass-produced commercial brands. Supporting this rapid growth is the fact that microbreweries can be relatively easy to set up and run.\n\nThis upward trend is set to continue, too, as some of the larger brewing conglomerates snap up smaller operations in order to maintain and grow their foothold in this sector. However, many microbreweries are committed to remaining independent. Knowing that they will never be able to take on the bigger companies, they can still provide the great brews for which they have become popular.\n\nThe \"problem\" with popularity is that it fuels growth; and unless microbreweries can scale up production or deliver greater efficiencies - without affecting quality - they run the risk of alienating their loyal customers, while also facing the prospect of financial issues due to batch and delivery issues.\n\nOne microbrewery that realised that efficiencies could be gained was S\"alens fj\"allbryggeri AB, based in S\"alen, Sweden. Huvudbryggare - or Head Brewer - Sofia Bergkvist realised that the bottling phase took a disproportionately long time compared to other steps in the process, and looked to incorporating an automated solution that would be sympathetic to the brewery's size and output.\n\nFor this project, S\"alens fj\"allbryggeri AB turned to Swedish company Pontum AB. Based in Handen, Sweden, the company has over 30 years' experience in the development of high-quality packaging equipment. Concentrating on quality, simplicity and flexibility, its bottling & labelling machines, feeding tables and rinsers have all been designed in close co-operation with microbreweries.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nStarting with a clean slate presents fewer challenges than many industrial applications, but in this instance there were three issues that needed to be addressed. First, the brewery was not particularly big, so any new machines had to fit within the existing real estate and not complicate or hinder any existing flows and access.\n\nThe machine also had to be simple to use. As Bergkvist explains: \"We are not engineers, so it's up to me to get everything sorted. If the technology is messing with me, I'm going to be one angry brewer!\"\n\nFinally, brewing is an art form that relies on experience and knowledge, coupled to an innate sympathy and understanding of the ingredients and processes. So any automated solutions have to have negligible impact on the 'magic' that precedes the bottling process; ideally making it even better and more efficient, but without removing or detracting from the positive impact of the human factor.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nAccording to Magnus Carlberg, owner of Pontum AB: \"We need technology that makes our machines simple to use, while still satisfying the original business objectives behind their purchase. Our FK1 bottling machine was originally designed with a control system from another supplier, but the design, development and subsequent supply of the machine was hindered by the lack of support we were receiving from this supplier, so we looked at a new source of automation solutions and, as a result, started working with Rockwell Automation.\"\n\nEngineers from Rockwell Automation developed a new bill of materials, based on Allen-Bradley(R) components, and were able to lower the total component price while also reducing the total cost of ownership for the end user. A smarter drive application was also developed - based on two\u00a0Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) 4M drives, for the conveyor and cap sorter - as was an HMI solution with a tailored symbol library, which resulted in a friendlier user interface.\n\n\"Rockwell Automation also offered us a greater range of controllers,\" Carlberg continues, \"so we were able to get a best-fit solution that more closely matched the machine's needs. Not only is the\u00a0Allen-Bradley Micro800TM PLC more economical, it also takes up less space and requires fewer ancillary cards. We are also able to control the pneumatic system directly from the PLC.\n\n\"Our customers can make use of the\u00a0Connected Component Workbench software, too,\" he continues. \"When any of our clients need an update, I can simply email them a programme and they can do the rest themselves. I have had clients that can't even start a coffee machine, but can still download and deploy a programme using this software!\"\n\n*** Results ***\n\n\"We are looking to migrate all of our machines over to a Rockwell Automation control architecture,\" Carlberg elaborates. \"The bigger\u00a0Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM 800 HMI means we can develop more intuitive displays. By making the display larger and clearer, we have more room to deliver messaging for both alarms and remedial action, removing some of the technical knowledge needed to identify and remedy production issues. This type of visibility is an incredibly strong argument for this technology.\"\n\nBergkvist adds to this: \"The HMI indicates if anything is wrong, such as running out of caps... small things like that. The most important data it shows is the exact CO2 pressure we're on, in the machine and in the bottles. Using this information, we can control flow valves and filling levels and make other small but helpful adjustments, all based on information from the screen. All beers are different and have their own personalities. With help from the technology, we can adjust the machine based on the beer we are bottling, instead of the other way around.\n\n\"This is the first bottling machine in this young brewery, so it's quite a big deal for us. But what I have noticed from working with another non-automated machine is that we're not seeing as much waste beer - or \"staffies\" in proper technical language - in this brewery.\n\n\"I just don't have the time and patience to figure out tech issues,\" she concludes. \"My experience with technology is very limited; although I can do some basic 'hillbilly' constructs and some normal around-the-house type fixes. However, the program that Pontum provided us with is quite idiot proof. I have not had any problems with learning it.\"\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to S\"alens fj\"allbryggeri and Pontum's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nAllen-Bradley, Micro800, PanelView, PowerFlex and Rockwell Automation are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\nTrademarks not belonging to Rockwell Automation are property of their respective companies.\n\n\nTAG: pre-engineered-network-solutions\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: human-machine-interface\n\n",
    "itrak-helps-machine-builder-slash-changeover-times-by-up-to-50-": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/itrak-helps-machine-builder-slash-changeover-times-by-up-to-50-\n\nTITLE: iTRAK Helps Machine Builder Slash Changeover Times By Up To 50%\n\n\u00a0\n\n*** Background ***\n\nOptima Nonwovens, a member of the OPTIMA Packaging Group GmbH, develops leading-edge technologies for packaging paper hygiene products. The company's systems cover the complete range of automated packaging processes, from the intake of products right through to being palletised for shipment. Products include nappies, sanitary towels, bathroom tissue rolls and wet wipes.\n\nThe company's solutions offer impressive format flexibility, and are able to process everything from small packages to jumbo packs on a single machine, in accordance with the increasingly diverse product variations and requirements of the international markets. Inspection functions and secondary packaging capabilities are integrated to achieve complete automated lines.\n\nOptima Nonwovens actively seeks out and employs state-of-the-art engineering technologies in its development and project planning and that led it to develop a new diaper (nappy) bagger/stacker for its customer Intigena Produktion, one of Europe's leading suppliers of hygiene products. The new machine employs the revolutionary iTRAK\u00ae Intelligent Track System from Rockwell Automation. Not only has this technological deployment resulted in far greater flexibility for rapid product-format changeovers, it has also helped to increase the overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) of the machine.\n\nOPTIMA Packaging Group GmbH is a member of the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork\u2122 program as an OEM Program Participant at partner level. Members of the Rockwell Automation OEM Program demonstrate a commitment to offer high-quality, innovative machines and equipment that help manufacturers improve business agility, optimise productivity, and increase business performance. Through the use of Rockwell Automation products, technology and industry expertise, these PartnerNetwork members also help end users achieve sustainability and safety-compliance objectives.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nThe previous-generation machine used a long belt, with fixed-pitch paddles for transportation and grouping of the product to be packaged. This configuration meant that any product changeovers \u2013 especially those relating to the size of the product \u2013 required significant re-engineering to adjust the belts to match the new product sizes. In isolation, these changeovers were not too long, but when four or five were required on a shift, the cumulative downtime soon added up.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nWith 95% of its machines already benefiting from the deployment of Allen-Bradley\u00ae products from Rockwell Automation, the move over to an iTRAK solution was a natural progression for Optima.\n\nThe iTRAK solution comprises multiple movers running on straight and curved paths, all of which can be independently controlled; instantly removing the limitations of fixed-pitch belt systems. Its highly innovative capabilities combine both linear and rotary motion, resulting in a flexible, fully integrated solution that can increase production throughput, reduce maintenance and overall machine size and, in this instance, slash machine changeover times.\n\nThe iTRAK system is part of a Rockwell Automation\u00ae Integrated Architecture\u00ae solution, which is used to both actuate and control the majority of the machine's primary functions. At the heart of the automation infrastructure is an Allen-Bradley ControlLogix\u00ae programmable automation controller (PAC) working in conjunction with an Allen-Bradley PanelView\u2122 Plus 7 operator interface. In addition to the iTRAK servo solution, the machine deploys a number of more-traditional servo motors and Allen-Bradley Kinetix\u00ae 6000 multi-axis servo drives. These servo solutions are used for a number of steps and functions, including pushing the diapers/nappies into the packs, driving the belts to move the products between stations, the turntables, the two product compression steps, product positioning, bag welding, bag extraction and final movement to the take-out conveyor.\n\nAn EtherNet/IP network reduces overall wiring on the machine and also offers easier integration with factory and office communication systems and access to the Connected Enterprise.\n\nIn operation, individual nonwoven products are taken from the manufacturing machine by the stacker and then counted and grouped into standard sequences. The high-speed stacker provides the first compression step, before a pusher transfers the separate product stacks to the handling unit that is connected to the bagger. The stacks are compressed again and are turned around and positioned either as layers or rows and transported onto the bagger.\n\nIn the bagger, foil bags are fed in and the product stacks are forwarded to the main compression process. A pusher loads these product stacks into the iTRAK system where they are then moved and positioned individually using the iTRAK movers and pushed into the bags. The bags are then sealed and forwarded for further processing, such as secondary packaging.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nOliver Rebstock, Managing Director at Optima explains: \"This machine represents the cutting edge of current technological possibilities in the packaging of nonwovens products. Intigena could now process up to 1,600 products per minute with this new high speed stacker design and we have eliminated the previous bottleneck in the stacker infeed.\n\n\"In operation, Intigena benefits from clearly reduced format changeover times, with a reduction of some 15 minutes or 50% per format changeover,\" Rebstock continues. \"The transport cassettes are adjusted accordingly for a change to a thicker or thinner diaper or for a different product count. The transport cassettes are adjusted solely from the HMI and can be done so during production. What is more, during this time, the tightening function for stabilising the products in the cassettes is maintained.\n\n\"The simplified format change has a noticeable positive influence on Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE),\" Rebstock elaborates, \"even when there is only one format change per shift. Many nonwovens companies however report ever more frequent format changes \u2013 even four changes per shift are no longer rare. In this instance it is clear to see where rapid changeovers offer a huge time saving advantage.\"\n\nAccording to Helmut Krasko, account manager at Rockwell Automation, the iTRAK solution removes all the limitations of a belt-driven infrastructure. \"And if you want to extend the line you simply add more movers. Previously, changes to the product size or packaging format meant multiple mechanical adjustments were required. Using iTRAK, this is all done automatically by the PAC via input from the HMI.\"\n\nSignificant research and tuning of the iTRAK system was undertaken, with the help of engineers and a Rockwell Automation GOTC (Global OEM Technical Consultant), in order to optimise the iTRAK operation to suit the specific demands of the application; including the acceleration and deceleration profiles and the compression steps. Rockwell Automation GOTCs are responsible for product and technology adoption with partner OEMs and have extensive domain knowledge of the industry and applications being served along with in-depth knowledge of the Rockwell Automation products, technology and system architecture in order to provide domain level expertise consulting.\n\n\"The previous packaging system from Optima was in use for many years and was very much acclaimed in the company,\" explains Claus Ullrich, Technical Director at Intigena Produktion. \"All of our expectations regarding this new machine were fulfilled. The machine was here in good time and was ready-to-operate after only a few days. And with the experience of the first installation, the time taken to commissioning the second line was reduced to just one week.\n\n\"We are facing market challenges where our customers require different kinds of packaging, stacking, and contents,\" Ullrich continues, \"so we have to react quickly and deploy manufacturing solutions that deliver faster changeovers. We had to find new solutions; and as well as flexibility we needed to increase machine throughput. The former solution from Optima was limited by speed \u2013 it simply couldn't go any faster using chains \u2013 so this new iTRAK-based machine is making a huge difference. We are now capable of running the packaging process at higher speeds while still achieving the packaging quality our customers demand. The machines have been running for one year now and the results are very promising. We achieved the stated performance demands within a very short time and there are still possibilities to go even faster and run the lines at even higher volumes.\n\n\"We are particularly interested in the Connected Enterprise concept, in relation to the IoT and Industrie 4.0. A more connected infrastructure means that two-way communication between us and other people in the value chain will result in even greater efficiencies. The collection of real-time manufacturing data, which can be actioned immediately, is also of huge benefit and will help us to improve our packaging operation even further.\"\n\n\nTAG: household-and-personal-care\n\n",
    "loparex-keeps-production-running-with-sag-correction-system": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/loparex-keeps-production-running-with-sag-correction-system\n\nTITLE: Loparex Keeps Production Running With Sag-Correction System\n\n*** Products That Stick ***\n\nLoparex is one of the world's largest producers of release liners, which are paper and film substrates that are coated with specialty silicones, polymers or other material.\n\nThe liners are attached to a self-adhesive face stock and can be peeled off when the face stock is applied, either during manufacturing, such as for product labels, or in end-use applications.\n\nLoparex release liners are used in products ranging from tapes and envelope liners to roof coverings that protect homes from the elements and transdermal medical products that deliver drugs through adhesive skin patches.\n\nFor more than a decade, the company's 305,000-square-foot production facility in Hammond, Wisconsin, had been experiencing voltage sags several times per year that disrupted its largest production line.\n\nA voltage sag is a drop of 10 percent or more in the nominal voltage and can occur in the blink of an eye.\n\nBrief as they may be, these sags can impact production equipment in many ways.\n\nFor example, they can disrupt controllers and industrial computers, which require a low DC voltage in order to operate. They also can trip the relay in an emergency-stop circuit or create an under-voltage condition on a drive's DC bus.\n\nThese events can result in production downtime, damaged electrical equipment, increased scrap and missed production targets.\n\nPerhaps even worse, an inability to diagnose these power issues can leave plant personnel all but helpless to understand and mitigate them.\n\nHoping to reduce the effect of these energy events, Loparex implemented a sag-correction system to help keep its top production line running through voltage sags.\n\n*** Voltage Sags a Drag on Production ***\n\nWith the Hammond facility sitting at the end of an approximately 6-mile utility feed, Loparex knew its power quality was less than ideal. But it lacked a way to investigate its power-quality events.\n\nTo get a better grip on the voltage-sag problem, Loparex installed the Allen-Bradley\u00ae i-Sense\u00ae and i-Grid\u00ae intelligent network system from Rockwell Automation on its largest coating line. At about 250 feet long, the line includes tandem extrusion, in-line coating and slitting capabilities, and can run at speeds of up to 2,000 feet per minute.\n\nOnce implemented, the i-Sense power monitor transmitted the production line's power-quality feed to the cloud-based i-Grid application, which collected and analyzed the power-event data before delivering it to plant personnel.\n\n\"We learned that even a sag event of less than 250 milliseconds and in the 80 percent power-quality range could take us down,\" said Greg Weyer, engineering manager at Loparex's Hammond facility. \"These seemingly tiny instances could bring the whole line down or cause communications to go down.\"\n\nEach shutdown resulted in downtime that could last anywhere from 45 minutes to a few hours, depending on how long it took workers to clean up product and get the line moving again.\n\nAnd because partially processed products could not be recycled or recovered, each shutdown could result in anywhere from 10,000 to 15,000 feet of waste.\n\nWeyer estimated that the sag-related downtime events cost the company about $5,000 on average when lost production time and waste were factored in.\n\nAnd given that the line was experiencing an average of about 20 sag-related downtime events per year in recent years, the energy events were annually costing Loparex about $100,000 on just one line.\n\n*** Sag-Correction System ***\n\nWith data in hand that correlated the power-quality events to production issues, Weyer received the go-ahead to take corrective action.\n\nA full backup power supply, like an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system, would have been too expensive given the size of the production line. Instead, Weyer opted to use Allen-Bradley Dynamic Sag Corrector (DySC\u00ae) products from Rockwell Automation.\n\nThe battery-free products use a double-conversion inverter technology to achieve up to five seconds of ride-through during short-term sags and momentary outages.They can be scaled from 0.25 kVA to 2000 kVA for either machinewide or facilitywide protection.\n\nWith the help of the i-Sense/i-Grid system, Weyer and his team identified the key control areas of the Hammond production line where power-quality events were causing the shutdowns. This helped to determine where to implement the DySC products.\n\nThe production line is comprised of seven integrated systems, each with its own standalone control system.\n\nWeyer and his team installed one DySC product in each of these control panels, and then an eighth DySC product on the air compressor that feeds the entire plant.\n\n*** 90 Percent Reduction ***\n\nWeyer originally set a goal of enabling the production line to ride through 50 percent of voltage sags with the DySC products in place.\n\nThey far exceeded that target, riding through about 90 percent of sags. That's translated to about $90,000 per year in savings via reduced downtime and saved product.\n\n\"In the two years since we've implemented the DySC products, we've only had four or five sags take this line down,\" Weyer said. \"Without them, we would have experienced about 40 sag-related downtime events in that time period.\"\n\nAdditionally, the air compressor that is integral to not only this line but also the Hammond facility's seven other lines can now ride through nearly every power-quality event.\n\nWeyer originally estimated the DySC system would pay for itself within two years if the 50 percent ride-through goal was met.\n\nGiven the better-than-expected performance, however, the system recuperated its cost in less than one year.\n\nNow, Weyer has plans for bringing the DySC system to other parts of the Hammond facility.\n\n\"We're looking at implementing the DySC products on our two blown film lines,\" Weyer said. \"Voltage sags can result in a number of fault issues on these lines, which can be a headache to recover from.\n\nThey also have the potential to damage equipment and electronics. We see the DySC products as helping us address both of these issues.\"\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Loparex's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nAllen-Bradley, DySC, i-Grid and i-Sense are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\n\nTAG: \n\n",
    "global-food-leader-begins-the-journey-to-the-connected-enterpris": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/global-food-leader-begins-the-journey-to-the-connected-enterpris\n\nTITLE: Global Food Leader Begins The Journey to the Connected Enterprise\n\nWhen a noted and iconic food and beverage company with a global reputation of being a trusted producer of delicious foods puts its trust in Rockwell Automation, then there's every chance that this is a good recipe for success.\n\nThe challenges experienced with information sharing over a number of manufacturing sites all around the world would require an innovative solution to align multiple processes, people and geographies - laying the foundations for their journey towards a connected enterprise.\n\nGiven the size of the organisation, converging the plant floor operational technology with the office layer IT infrastructure globally was not a small undertaking but it was certainly a very important one to meet growing production and business goals.\n\nSmart manufacturing drives productivity and profitability. It requires highly connected plants so devices and processes can be continually monitored and optimised.\n\nThrough The Connected Enterprise(R), Rockwell Automation helps food and beverage manufacturers offer a more agile response to changing manufacturing and consumer demands. The company works with customers to help them converge plant-level and enterprise networks, and securely connects people, processes and technologies.\n\n***** Digital Manufacturing *****\n\nLeveraging data from the Industrial Internet of Things is the basis of a connected enterprise approach.\u00a0 \"It was important for us to gain an understanding of the existing IT layer and applications as well as considering the future roadmap and requirements,\" explained Sean Doherty, Food & Beverage account manager, Rockwell Automation.\n\nLeveraging data from the Industrial Internet of Things is the basis of a connected enterprise approach.\n\n*** \"In the first instance, it was vital to create a back up of the control layer of the plant so if there were any issues, the disaster recovery would seamlessly take place. The IDC provides a complete back up of the control system layer using\u00a0FactoryTalk(R) AssetCentre and was built offsite in our facility in Auckland,\" he added.\n\n ***\n\nThe majority of the commissioning was performed remotely and was a seamless process. The engineers were onsite for a week but once it was connected to the plant's network, the remote support centre did the rest of the commissioning process remotely.\n\n***** Combined IT and OT Support *****\n\nRockwell Automation was responsible for delivering the complete solution, converging IT and OT to help reduce downtime through remote monitoring.\n\n\"This provided several advantages to the customer as they were able to benefit from our expertise in cyber security and patching and also from the fact that we have a greater understanding of the operational environment than a typical IT provider- providing a complete solution, combining IT and OT technical support in the same number rather than having to bounce between providers and thus getting operations back into production more quickly,\" explained Doherty.\n\n\"As a result of the service level agreement in place, the processes at the plant are monitored remotely and each filter or alarm is responded to every 10 minutes, with the average response time being only four minutes. In actual fact, every 2 minutes there's a 'heartbeat' sent to the technical support team in Melbourne which then goes to the support team in UK, then US and then back through Melbourne. This means that they are supported end to end with any required patching supported remotely,\" he said.\n\nTo increase manufacturing uptime at the plant, the customer invested in an\u00a0Industrial Data Center (IDC)\u00a0 from Rockwell Automation. The IDC is a pre-engineered solution providing the hardware required to run multiple operating systems and multiple applications from virtualised servers.\n\nRockwell Automation delivered the complete solution, converging IT and OT to help reduce downtime through remote monitoring.\n\nThe Rockwell Automation IDC provides industry-leading technology from partners including Cisco, Panduit, EMC2 and VMWare. It delivers high availability and fault tolerance, while reducing server footprint.\n\nThe IDC is a key component for the Connected Enterprise vision. It provides the capability to bring data from the plant floor and monitor performance for local strategies.\n\n***** Data Visibility *****\n\nPeace of mind came from knowing that the Rockwell Automation remote control centre was responsible for proactively monitoring the plant, while complete remote access was also provided from both the plant and from the corporate network, offering real time data visibility.\n\n\"This is the first step towards establishing a Connected Enterprise at the plant. The next stage of the project will establish the ability to gain process improvement through the whole organisation by providing the capability for both corporate and engineering to create reports based on real time information from the control system,\" said Doherty.\n\nA key goal of this project was to develop a roadmap that addresses all aspects of the operation, while also preparing for technology advances and meeting operational and corporate objectives such as reduced downtime and improved productivity.\n\nThe Industrial Data Centre houses all of your applications in an easily managed and supported environment.\n\n***** Meeting Global Performance and Environmental Strategies *****\n\nThe icing on the cake, was the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, energy and water usage, and waste. By analysing data the customer is now able to drill down and identify areas that could be improved to help meet these objectives. The new solution also helps with the move towards a paperless environment, with information being stored in the cloud and IDC.\n\nThe Connected Enterprise(R) lays the foundation for seamless connectivity and greater collaboration among the many people, processes and technologies that impact product safety and quality. Additionally the digitisation of your operations removes paperwork from the plant floor reducing complexity and compliance costs. Smart operations are connected operations.\n\nThe ability to access relevant, real-time and role-based information can enable more informed decision-making at every level and create nearly endless opportunities for manufacturers to improve processes. Additionally, advances in equipment, control systems and information systems can help establish more flexible and more responsive operations.\n\nThe benefits of smart manufacturing extend far beyond operational improvements. A secure network infrastructure, greater connectivity and access to actionable information also create opportunities to enhance quality, food safety and worker safety.\n\n\"Alongside new technology, the process is about creating a culture of continuous improvement. The Connected Enterprise(R) promotes seamless collaboration and integration enabling the power of real-time data to help make better, more profitable business decisions,\" concluded Doherty.\n\n\u00a0\n\nAllen-Bradley, FactoryTalk AssetCentre and Rockwell Software are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "monterey-regional-water-pollution-control-agency-saves-millions-": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/monterey-regional-water-pollution-control-agency-saves-millions-\n\nTITLE: Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control Agency Saves Millions Turning Wastewater into Safe Water\n\nA Water-Dependent Industry\n\nThe central California city of Monterey is located along the state's rugged coastline, with expansive views of the Monterey Bay. The area's moderate climate makes it ideal for agriculture, earning it the nickname the \"Salad Bowl of the Nation,\" with major farming productions providing a wide range of fruits, vegetables, and even grapes for wine production.\n\nIn order to provide clean and safe water for the region's nine cities and outlying farms, the Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control Agency (MRWPCA) processes over 18.5 million gallons of wastewater each day.\n\nAfter completing an extensive research project in 1998, the agency determined that reclaimed water was safe for use on various crops, and may even increase crop yield and quality. As a result, the area decided to implement wastewater recycling programs to help support the local crop irrigation needs.\n\nRecycling Wastewater\n\nThe programs would recycle wastewater pulled in from over 10 different collection points for fresh, edible food crops, including artichokes, celery, broccoli, lettuce and cauliflower. This extensive system includes the Salinas Valley Reclamation Project (SVRP) water recycling plant and the Castroville Seawater Intrusion Project (CSIP) distribution system. The gathered wastewater is cleaned through an extensive process control system, which required tight control over water-quality analysis, level control, chemical additions and distribution.\n\nAfter nearly 15 years in operation, the control system running the process was nearing obsolescence. The dated Windows(R) XP-based human machine interface (HMI) software had no backup power in case of a shutdown or emergency. Communications from the various, disparate collection points were often delayed and irregular - leading to falsified communication status. Additionally, production data was logged manually, a time-sensitive and error-prone process that also made data transfer unreliable. The system operators were unable to quickly gather data and trend reports critical for good decision-making. For example, if an engineer put in a request for flow estimates, the data may not be available for weeks.\n\nAfter a review of the entire supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) and IT systems' master plan with Kennedy Jenks Consultants, the agency decided it was time to upgrade its control and information system to help keep up with demand and reduce risk.\n\n*** Refreshing the System ***\n\nThe agency wanted a thorough understanding of the current SCADA system's operational performance, and turned to Rockwell Automation for a complete, Installed Base EvaluationTM\u00a0assessment. This process provided MRWPCA with a baseline understanding of its most critical assets and obsolescence risks.\n\nThe agency decided to rebuild the network and control infrastructure, and implement a PlantPAx(R) distributed control system (DCS) from Rockwell Automation.\n\nStarting from the ground up at the SVRP facility, MRWPCA needed to lay new fiber optic runs to help support the newly virtualized system. The old programmable logic controller (PLC) code was easily converted to the new PlantPAx system, helping to ease setup and programming during commissioning. The virtualized system would also allow staff to start operations with a backup server in case the primary server failed, reducing the risk of water treatment interruption.\n\nThe system was built using network communications standards based on EtherNet/IPTM\u00a0to help streamline control and information flow, and enable real-time diagnostics and electronic documentation for the water treatment process.\n\nConversion to nine Ethernet I/O modules reduced installed I/O by an entire rack, and increased the speed of the system. This enabled MRWPCA to physically move the PLC off the plant floor and into an administrative building.\n\nA Rockwell Automation field service engineer came on-site to help install the software and provide hands-on training for the agency staff.\n\nImproving the information-enabled functionalities of the new DCS included redundant historian capabilities to provide real-time and historical water trends, such as system demands, levels and storage. The system collects, tracks and records key process data from approximately 2,300 historian tags to pinpoint water trends.\n\nThe new HMI was converted directly from the old software and implemented on redundant virtual servers, which has increased reliability and speed - all with improved screen aesthetics.\n\nTo ease process and regulatory reporting, MRWPCA also implemented a FactoryTalk(R) VantagePoint(R) enterprise manufacturing intelligence (EMI) system from Rockwell Automation, which aggregates water treatment information from the historian and other assets. Operators can use the new EMI system to access various instrument and report tags in real time and generate specific reports for process management and regulatory purposes.\n\n*** Improvements Across the Board ***\n\nThe new information-enabled DCS has helped MRWPCA collect and access data that is crucial to the water treatment process. Now operators can reliably access data from any of the disparate locations in real time.\n\nThe improved visibility and access to data has helped improve control over chemical usage. Because the treatment processes use upward of 5,000 pounds of chlorine each day, achieving tighter control meant major cost savings. MRWPCA has since been able to save $25,000 per year in chemical costs. These cost savings were not initially anticipated, but were an added benefit, that in turn provided a full ROI on the HMI upgrade in just five years.\n\nAn energy audit yielded no further energy-saving suggestions - drives were running more efficiently, and the system was fully optimized for energy savings. This was a huge win for the agency, as energy consumption is often one of the highest operating costs associated with water treatment.\n\nMRWPCA was also operating a booster station affected with a pressure problem, leading to multiple burst pipes, breaking valves and several other unresolved issues. Prior to the new DCS system, the county was unable to determine the root cause of the issue, but the data collection and trending capabilities helped enable operators to pinpoint and resolve the issue. The DCS system prevented the county from having to modify the booster system by putting in variable frequency drives, saving almost $3 million.\n\nThe agency also partnered with OSIsoft to use its open data infrastructure PI SystemTM to build dashboards of publicly facing data. The data is migrated from the SCADA system up to the enterprise system. Then, it is pushed up to Microsoft(R) AzureTM cloud, where dashboards are available for constituents to see water quality in real time.\n\nAdvanced reporting capabilities within the new DCS also allowed for easy regulatory reporting. The process, which used to take up to three days, is now done through the click of a button.\n\nMRWPCA is taking the lessons learned from the SVRP and CSIP projects, and applying them to a critical new initiative for residents of the Salinas Valley. The Pure Water Monterey project will leverage a PlantPAx system, and aims to provide safe, reliable and sustainable drinking water.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control Agency's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nFactoryTalk, Installed Base Evaluation, PlantPAx and VantagePoint are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\nEtherNet/IP is a trademark of ODVA Inc.\n\nPI System is a trademark of OSIsoft.\n\nAzure and Windows are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.\n\n\nTAG: water-wastewater\n\n",
    "liquid-extraction-baler-uncovers-profit-in-waste": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/liquid-extraction-baler-uncovers-profit-in-waste\n\nTITLE: Liquid Extraction Baler Uncovers Profit in Waste\n\nMeeting the market's insatiable thirst for unique products that are tasty and safe to consume is at the forefront for beverage producers. But profitability also depends on managing the complete beverage lifecycle - from bottling and distribution to the disposal of out-of-specification or out-of-date products.\n\n\"Manufacturers, bottlers and co-packers must efficiently discard filled containers that are rejected during the production process,\" said Nick Roberts, national sales manager, Harmony Enterprises. \"In addition, they are responsible for products that are returned because they have reached their expiration date before being sold.\"\n\nMinnesota-based Harmony Enterprises is focused on improving waste disposal and recycling efficiency for its global customer base. The company's extensive product line includes PLC-enabled waste balers and compactors to meet diverse commercial and industrial requirements.\n\nRecently, Harmony introduced the ExtractPack Pro intermediate liquid extraction baler to address an unmet need for a vertical, stainless steel baler in the beverage disposal marketplace.\n\n***** Sized Right & Built to Last *****\n\n\"Our research uncovered a gap in the liquid extraction baler market,\" said Lane Powell, new business development manager, Harmony Enterprises. \"Industry professionals told us they wanted a liquid extraction baler capable of high volumes that took up as little space as possible.\"\n\nExisting options included only low-volume, hand-fed solutions ideal for smaller operations - and high-volume horizontal balers designed to produce mill-sized bales. Mill-size bales are extremely dense and can be sent directly to mills for final recycling.\n\nThe new ExtractPack Pro fits the niche between these options - and produces mill-sized bales in a vertical, space-saving footprint. The machine is an optimal fit for operations that typically process about one or two mill-sized bales of recyclable aluminum, PET or Tetra Pak(R) containers per day. Each bale is equivalent to about 21,000 12-ounce aluminum cans.\n\nAnd the ExtractPack Pro is built to last. In addition to filling a unique need, it is the first vertical baler on the market to feature stainless steel construction.\n\n***** Simply Efficient Operation *****\n\nThe ExtractPack Pro liquid extraction baler is based on a Rockwell Automation(R) control platform including an Allen-Bradley(R) MicroLogix(R) 1200 controller and Allen-Bradley push buttons, safety relays, sensors and other components. The hydraulically-powered machine allows simple and efficient standalone operation - and can be easily configured for network integration.\n\nIn a typical application, product is deposited into a hopper and then run by conveyer to the back of the baler. When the baler chamber is full, it automatically cycles to activate a platen that compresses the product. The platen and chamber floor are lined with \"shark teeth,\" which perforate the containers as they are compressed to form a bale. The machine continues to cycle on-demand until the bale has reached full size.\n\nAn indicator light is activated when the bale is full. Then, the operator stops the machine and ties-off the bale. To help enable safe bale removal, the bale is hydraulically ejected from the front of the machine onto a pallet.\n\nThroughout operation, a closed-loop product catch system captures the extracted liquid. The liquid can be discharged and collected from two points on the machine.\n\n\"With a cycle time of 38.5 seconds, the machine is very efficient,\" Powell said. \"If fed continuously with product by a 36-inch conveyor, the ExtractPack Pro baler can create and eject a mill-size bale in about 46 minutes.\"\n\nIn addition, the machine includes a \"sleep mode,\" which allows it to draw less power while remaining ready to process product.\n\n***** Capturing Impressive Return on Investment (ROI) *****\n\n\"Oftentimes, intermediate-size producers pay by the ton to have beverage containers destroyed and recycled,\" explained Roberts. \"Our new machine delivers the functionality they need in a space-saving footprint - so they can destroy product on site automatically, sell directly to recyclers and recoup revenue.\"\n\nHarmony Enterprises anticipates customers will see a return on their investment within 12 to 18 months.\n\n\"The results have been very good thus far,\" said Roberts. \"In fact, our first installation quickly led to a request for a similar system from a nearby company that had seen the ExtractPack Pro in action.\"\n\nLearn more about how Rockwell Automation helps improve machine builder performance.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: safety-products\nTAG: push-buttons-and-signaling-devices\n\n",
    "green-bay-packaging-sustainable-paper-mill": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/green-bay-packaging-sustainable-paper-mill\n\nTITLE: Green Bay Packaging Builds Plant of the Future\n\nGreen Bay Packaging is an integrated packaging manufacturer located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. \"By integrated, we mean that we've got our own paper mills to manufacture paper, and then that gets converted into corrugated packaging and used in various applications from point of purchase displays to packaging a dishwasher,\" says Matt Szymanski, Vice President of Mill Operations for the company. Matt has been with Green Bay Packaging for almost 30 years and has seen the company grow organically and through acquisitions as market demand for paper products increases.\n\nThe original Green Bay Packaging mill was built over 70 years ago. \"Over that period of time, a lot has changed in our business,\" says Matt. Although upgrades to control and electrical systems had been performed throughout the years, the system in its entirety was aging and causing issues with reliability. In some cases, spare parts were unattainable, making maintenance a challenge. Green Bay Packaging was also facing a new market reality: their buyers expected 110'' paper rolls. The existing machinery was 164'' wide, causing a trim issue.\n\n\"I was fortunate to be in the room in 2017 when we had a brainstorming session,\" says Bob Mihalski, Director of Mill Sales, Trades, and Continuous Improvement. \"The decision was made to build a new mill. The President and CEO was committed to building in Green Bay and transferring the existing staff to the new mill,\" says Bob. \"We also knew that this was our chance to deepen our commitment to innovation and sustainability.\"\u00a0 The new mill was built with a machine that has a wire width of 331\".\n\n***** Reducing Risk *****\n\nThe new mill was the first paper mill built in Wisconsin in over 35 years and was built by one of our PartnerNetworkTM OEMs: Voith. This was the first time in U.S. history that a single company has provided machinery to support a complete paper production facility and they chose Rockwell Automation as the automation partner.\n\nThe scope of this build was very large. There were days where more than 1,100 people were working together to bring the new plant online. Rockwell Automation led the network design, provided engineering and design consulting, and coordinated commissioning and installation of power and automation equipment. \"Rockwell Automation was very involved with the engineering and design of the new mill,\" Matt shares. \"They helped us manage integration of the various project pieces, so we knew we were covering the important bases and not missing anything as we went through the process.\"\n\n***** Enabling the Workforce *****\n\nThe company's focus on retaining existing staff meant that upskilling was needed. Bob explains, \"We had challenges in terms of training. The staff all knew how to make paper. They knew how to drive the car, right? But they were driving a 1957 Chevy and the challenge was teaching them how to operate and maintain a 2022 Corvette.\"\n\nThe Rockwell Automation Lifecycle Services team developed a training curriculum and hosted classroom and field training for the employees to get them up to speed. \"Rockwell Automation was instrumental in our success,\" says Bob.\n\n***** Optimizing Operations *****\n\nThe new mill contains modern equipment with embedded diagnostics and over 800 sensors that measure data on equipment and process performance. \"This is Papermaking 4.0,\" says Bob. \"This data allows us to use predictive analytics to maximize and optimize all of our quality specifications, real time as we're producing the paper, so we can ensure we deliver the highest-quality product for our customers.\" The data also enables predictive maintenance, and the ability to schedule work orders before equipment runs to failure - saving the company time and money by reducing downtime.\n\nThe new mill is powered by Allen-Bradley(R) motor control solutions, including PowerFlex(R) 755TM drives and CENTERLINE(R) MCCs that use\u00a0IntelliCENTER(R) Software. Safety was a key focus, so the power equipment was designed to meet the safety requirements specified by Voith and the mill layout was designed to minimize forklift traffic.\n\nAutomation is implemented using ControlLogix(R) and GuardLogix(R) controllers, and operators monitor system performance and issue commands using the PlantPAx(R) Distributed Control System. A centralized control room allows operators to collaborate, share information, and make better operational decisions. The PlantPAx DCS control screens are built with grayscale design that aligns with industry standards and makes important information easily visible to operators.\n\nMaintenance staff can visualize equipment status using ThinManager(R) enabled mobile tablets and the mill uses FactoryTalk(R) AssetCentre on a centralized server for automated software change management control and in the event disaster recovery is needed.\n\nPairing these technologies with a larger production board machine allows the new plant to achieve more than twice the output of the old plant.\n\n***** Driving Sustainability *****\n\nIn addition to optimized operation, the new mill is built with sustainability in mind. The alignment with modern corrugator sizes reduces waste. The boiler now runs on natural gas instead of coal, and leftover heat is reused throughout the facility. Finally, the new mill leverages a state-of-the-art water treatment system that significantly reduces the amount of fresh water required to support the process.\n\n\"With our new mill, we're able to make more quality product and get it to our customers when they need it. We're environmentally efficient, sustainable, and you know, as we continue to use the data we're collecting, it's only going to get better,\" says Bob.\n\nTAG: empower-people\n\nTAG: integrated-architecture\nTAG: sustainability\nTAG: lifecycle-services\n\nTAG: pulp-and-paper\n\nTAG: factorytalk-thinmanager\nTAG: factorytalk-operationsuite\nTAG: factorytalk-assetcentre\nTAG: factorytalk-maintenancesuite\nTAG: motor-control\nTAG: intellicenter\nTAG: controllogix\nTAG: plantpax-dcs\nTAG: plantpax\nTAG: motor-control\n\n",
    "sustainable-air-travel": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/sustainable-air-travel\n\nTITLE: BETA Technologies Reimagines Air Transportation\n\nKathleen MurriERP Manager, Beta Technologies\n\nMeet Kathleen Murri, ERP manager for BETA Technologies, an aerospace company that's creating a safe, reliable and sustainable electric transportation ecosystem. That includes developing electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and a multimodal charging network across the U.S. that supports eVTOLs and ground electric vehicles.\u00a0\n\nKathleen joined BETA in 2021 after spending most of her career in automotive manufacturing. As a previous Plex Systems user, she later became an ERP and Plex consultant. That's how she met BETA, and as its ERP manager, she's responsible for implementation of Plex solutions.\n\n***** Watch the Video *****\n\n***** Even in Development Phases, Data is Key *****\n\n\"We're in a unique situation because we're working towards our FAA certification and we need to prove we can handle production and traceability,\" Kathleen explains.\n\nAs such, BETA has focused on collecting data for its more mature manufacturing processes, including motor and battery pack production.\n\n\"Batteries are one of the most important processes,\" Kathleen says. \"Even though we're still in development phases, it's very important to capture the traceability and know what parts are going into the product, who they came from, and collect some quality data around those parts.\"\n\n***** Leveraging Capabilities for Fully Integrated Manufacturing *****\n\nBETA's end goal is a fully integrated manufacturing plant with digital work instructions for operators.\n\n\"We plan to use all of Plex's capabilities, and it's been exciting to see what Rockwell Automation will be able to offer with some of its other products,\" Kathleen says.\n\nSo far, BETA has integrated Plex with its CAD software, including designs and new parts, and automated the process, providing workflow visibility to all appropriate departments.\n\n\"Purchasing can set up everything they need. Manufacturing is aware of a new design. Quality can set up all their part specs and control plans,\" she explains. \"We are excited for the continuous improvement.\"\n\nBETA is also using Plex's MES Automation and Orchestration module.\n\n\"We're integrating that with our torque drivers and battery pack testing equipment, which will allow us to get quality data directly from the tools and equipment,\" she says. \"And to make sure there's no operator error in that data because that is very important to us.\"\n\nTAG: accelerate-digital-transformation\n\nTAG: mes-solutions\nTAG: sustainability\n\nTAG: aerospace\n\nTAG: plex\n\n",
    "oem-newlands-systems-optimizes-brewing-solution-development-": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/oem-newlands-systems-optimizes-brewing-solution-development-\n\nTITLE: OEM Newlands Systems Optimizes Brewing Solution Development\n\nCraft brewing exploded across North America in the late 1980s and has enjoyed exponential growth ever since. Fueled by consumer demand for local and unique products, the industry has responded with distinctive offerings produced in a wide variety of microbreweries, brewpubs and regional brew houses.\n\nQuietly growing alongside the craft brewing boom is Newlands Systems - an equipment supplier that has distinguished itself by designing breweries from the brew master's perspective. A division of Accent Stainless Steel, Newlands Systems was established in 1990 and has installed more than 550 brew systems since its inception. The company is headquartered in Abbotsford, British Columbia.\n\nNewlands Systems provides complete process solutions that extend from conceptual design and feasibility studies through configuration, fabrication, installation, brew quality audits and after sales support.\n\n\"Our broad customer spectrum ranges from small microbrewery start-ups to major, global brewers who need help producing a craft brew in their large production facilities,\" said Christian Von Der Heide, chief operating officer, Newlands Systems.\n\nIn addition, Newlands serves a high percentage of repeat customers. In many cases, these companies are looking to replicate their success in order to broaden distribution. For example, a small craft brewer may plan to expand their own production facilities - or enlist contract brewers in other geographic regions to produce their products.\n\n\"Consistent quality is critical for our customers,\" Von Der Heide said. \"They come to us for repeatable process solutions that preserve the reputation of their brand.\"\n\nFor each installation, Newlands must consider not only unique recipe ingredients and processing requirements, but also facility limitations, and climate and environmental factors - such as energy or water constraints.\n\nTo meet the varied needs of their clientele, Newlands delivers highly customized solutions. In fact, historically up to 90 percent of a typical solution was custom content. By incorporating a standard process control system, the company believed it could a take a more balanced approach to customization - and improve repeatability, supply chain efficiency and time-to-market.\n\n\"At the end of the day, our customers want to achieve a particular beer profile, performance and yield,\" Von Der Heide explained. \"And they also need a solution that's on time and on budget.\"\n\nWhile Newlands Systems had included various automation components in their equipment for years, the company chose to team solely with Rockwell Automation for the new process control system.\n\n\"Our decision to work with Rockwell Automation isn't just about the hardware and software - it's a choice based on finding a better overall solution for our customers,\" said Von Der Heide. \"Unlike our previous supplier, Rockwell Automation provided a cross-functional team to address our needs personally and professionally.\"\n\nThroughout system development, the company tapped the expertise of Rockwell Automation Global OEM Technical Consultants (GOTCs) working onsite at Newlands headquarters as well as local distributors and the account team.\n\nThe new solution is based on the Rockwell Automation PlantPAx(R) distributed control system (DCS), configured using standard control objects. The application runs on an Allen-Bradley(R) CompactLogixTM controller and incorporates Allen-Bradley(R) PowerFlex(R) AC drives for variable speed control - plus local monitoring and supervisory-level visualization capabilities.\n\nIntegrated on an EtherNet/IPTM network, the system includes an Allen-Bradley StratixTM managed Ethernet and wireless access point solution for smart plant operation.\n\nThe Rockwell Automation craft brewing application provides a flexible and modular control and visualization platform to accommodate Newlands' broad system portfolio that varies widely in vessel size, complexity, and levels of instrumentation and automation.\n\n\"The beauty of the system is its modularity and scalability,\" said Von Der Heide. \"The software solution can be adapted to address a wide range of needs - and both large and small systems.\"\n\nIn addition, thanks to Ethernet connectivity, Newlands Systems now offers remote monitoring as an aftermarket service. The company also plans to expand their monitoring capabilities by adding smart instrumentation to their system from Endress+Hauser, a Rockwell Automation strategic alliance partner.\n\n\"With the Endress+Hauser devices in place, we will have more ways to measure equipment health,\" Von Der Heide said. \"This data will help us provide customers with better information regarding asset care and preventative maintenance.\"\n\nVon Der Heide continued: \"Brewing beer is both an art and a science. Working with Rockwell Automation, we are able to take some of the complexity out of our process - and deliver a cost-effective, highly repeatable solution to our customers.\"\n\n\u00a0\n\nLean more about how Rockwell Automation helps improve machine builder performance.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "digital-twin-logistics": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/digital-twin-logistics\n\nTITLE: Jungheinrich: Improved Logistics with Digital Twin\n\nJungheinrich Forklift (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. is part of the Jungheinrich Group from Hamburg, Germany. Since 1953, the brand has been providing forklift handling equipment to customers in the industrial field. It is a leader in industrial vehicles, warehousing technology, and intralogistics.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nIn this era of digital transformation, the value-add that data can provide has become a blue ocean for businesses to be leveraged. The logistics equipment industry, known for its efficiency, is driven by data and continues to transform with new models and forms of smart logistics.\n\nJungheinrich Forklift (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., part of the Jungheinrich Group that is headquartered in Germany, has been supplying forklift handling equipment to industrial customers since 1953, and is a leading supplier of industrial vehicles, warehousing, and logistics technologies. In a bid for continuous progress, the team noticed room for improvement during the planning phase of projects.\n\n\"In the past, many of our planned solutions were actually 'paper talk', although data analysis would be conducted according to the plan. Only when the project really landed could the advantages and shortcomings of the project be detected, and the potential bottlenecks or optimizable space in the project,\" said Shi Ruohong, technical manager of Jungheinrich Forklift Shanghai Co., Ltd.\n\nThe company turned to Emulate3DTM digital twin software to overcome these challenges.\n\n\u00a0\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\nEmulate3D - Breaking Through Bottlenecks with Virtual Simulation\n\nEmulate3D's focus on high-fidelity industrial animation, simulation, and control provided a comprehensive solution. The platform allowed Jungheinrich to create a digital twin of the entire lifecycle of a project from design to implementation, bridging the gap between virtual and real-world scenarios. This breakthrough enabled the team to detect potential bottlenecks, optimize project plans, and accurately predict control system sequences.\n\nEmulate3D's digital design approach can greatly improve the efficiency and accuracy of design, while shortening design time, helping users increase project success rate, improve productivity, and reduce costs.\n\nEmulate3D's dynamic display capabilities were leveraged not only for project implementation but also for creating impressive 3D dynamic case demonstration videos for events like CIIE, an important showcase for Jungheinrich in China. The software's user-friendly interface, combined with a powerful simulation engine, facilitated easy modeling and in-depth development, addressing the team's need for both simplicity and scalability.\n\nShi shared that with the Emulate3D software's powerful simulation capabilities and 3D visual expression, the team was able to bring to life the complete equipment applied in each point of the project, and the dynamic effects of various application scenarios from storage to picking to handling.\n\n\u00a0\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\nEase of Use and Scalability\n\nAnother important factor that the Jungheinrich team appreciated about the digital twin software is that it is both easy to use and scalable.\n\nEmulate3D's product library includes the main automation products commonly used in the industry, and the shape and action characteristics of the model are highly matched with the actual product. For most projects, the main modeling work can be completed by dragging and dropping directly into the interface. This makes the task easier, even for the less experienced team members, as they can quickly grasp the key points and get the job done.\n\nFor more advanced users with complex needs and strong secondary development capabilities, Emulate3D provides a toolbox full of extension functions, to help developers achieve various required functions and effects through in-depth development. Shi added that the combination of Emulate3D's \"easy to use\" and \"strong expansion\" characteristics empower the Jungheinrich team to make configurations according to the capabilities of different developers, effectively improving the team's overall efficiency in the face of different types of projects.\n\nValue Expansion and Future Innovations\n\nEmulate3D not only enables the Jungheinrich team to face today's challenges, but also helps them expand their innovative abilities for the future.\n\nShi shared that Jungheinrich plans to further leverage Emulate3D in virtual debugging, exploring its powerful visualization capabilities. Shi explained that many customers are no longer satisfied with the traditional 2D display but hope to view the operation of the system from all angles from a 3D perspective. The Jungheinrich team envisions using Emulate3D to build highly simulated digital SCADA that accurately represents on-site operations.\n\nBeyond project design and implementation, Jungheinrich aims to extend the value of Emulate3D to after-sales service by developing a VR/AR-based technical support solution. This initiative would allow real-time remote support for end customers' operation and maintenance personnel, showcasing Jungheinrich's commitment to continuous innovation in the logistics industry.\n\nEmulate3D has not only addressed current challenges but has positioned Jungheinrich for boundless possibilities and unlimited expansion in the evolving landscape of smart logistics. The platform's innovative application ideas are expected to shape the future of logistics solutions for Jungheinrich and its customers alike.\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: warehouse-fulfillment\n\nTAG: factorytalk-emulate-3d\n\n",
    "oil-gas-asset-management": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/oil-gas-asset-management\n\nTITLE: Liberty Oilfield Services Finds the Perfect CMMS\n\nWhen Liberty Oilfield Services US Maintenance Manager Jack Featheringill started googling \"maintenance software\" in 2017, he knew exactly what he was looking for: something entirely different than the CMMS he had cut ties with. While the first CMMS his team worked with allowed them to move away from the pen-and-paper based work order system they had outgrown some time ago, it had also introduced a host of other problems.\n\n\"It wasn't structured for mechanics or shop work,\" Jack explained. \"It was tracking parts costs fine, but it wasn't telling the whole story that we needed to know. If a customer wanted records, we couldn't tell them anything beyond, 'Well, we charged four filters to that unit.' That's just a fraction of what really happened. There was no failure analysis, no context, no insurance for our mechanics.\"\n\nWorse still, the system was nearly impossible to use. \"It was multiple clicks. Click, click, click, click... you'd get lost in it. There's no way the mechanics were going to spend that much time trying to input the information that would have been of any use.\"\n\nParts Manager Joe Netherland adds that the final straw came when he was asked to provide a review of his experience with the CMMS. \"Evidently, I told the truth and they didn't like that too much. When I turned in my review, they told me to pull it or they wouldn't give us any more support.\"\n\nSearching for an intuitive, effective CMMS\n\nJack had one soured CMMS experience behind him and he decided to use what he had learned to find a better alternative. \"I probably spent about three or four weeks just examining different systems,\" he explained.\n\n\"I knew right out of the gate that whatever we went with had to be easy to use, since that's what we were missing before. The other thing was finding something that could capture all that information that we were missing, where I didn't have to sit at a filing cabinet and thumb through hundreds of handwritten papers just trying to understand what was happening.\"\n\nFrom the beginning, Fiix(R) stood out as a frontrunner because Jack was able to demo the tool immediately. \"Every other company wanted me to enter in a bunch of information, which I did a time or two, but then the phone just started ringing off the hook. I appreciated that with Fiix, I could actually take the time to play around with it a bit and see if this was something I liked before I decided to talk to anyone.\"\n\nGaining broad buy-in for Fiix CMMS\n\nTesting the system himself made it easy for Jack to confirm that Fiix could provide an easy-to-use, data-centric CMMS solution, but now it was time to present the software to his team. \"I wanted it to be a group decision. My technicians, my maintenance managers, the parts department, all those folks were going to be the ones using it all day long, so I wanted to give everyone their chance to decide if it would work for them.\"\n\nUltimately, it wasn't a hard sell. \"There was so much chaos that we went through before this. Everyone knew this was going to make their lives easier.\"\n\nOnce they came to a group consensus, they got to work implementing the system. As Jack describes it, many of the features he needed came \"right out of the box\", but he was glad that Fiix was able to provide some customized features as well, including a custom widget, customized workflows, and status changes that made sense for them.\n\nImmediate results and ability to scale\n\nThough Jack had expected a dramatic improvement over the last CMMS, he was shocked by how quickly Fiix provided the insight he needed. \"We saw right away where the gaps were,\" he told Fiix. Now those insights are part of his day-to-day. \"The dashboard is number one in my world,\" he says. \"I love just having a quick overview of what's going on in each district, what's going on companywide.\"\n\nThe immediate benefits extended to parts and supplies as well. As Joe Netherland explains, before Fiix, there were massive amounts of missing inventory that resulted in huge quarterly spends that couldn't be accounted for. Fiix provided an immediate solution for this, giving an opportunity for every part used to be documented. \"Now, these quarterly inventories are non-events,\" remarks Joe. \"Our CFO just told us that the dollar figure is now so small that it's nothing to worry about.\"\n\nThough the team at Liberty Oilfield Services continues to grow quickly, with over 400 employees now using Fiix across all districts, no one is worried about outgrowing the solution. \"Having this system in place is a huge relief,\" says Jack. \"It's one hundred and ten percent better than what we were using before, and it's good to know that we're finally headed in the right direction.\" As for parts and supplies, Joe echoes the same sentiments. \"Having Fiix feels like having an 'easy' button. The guys in my world love it.\"\n\nTAG: oil-and-gas\n\nTAG: fiix\n\n",
    "oil-and-gas-emissions-mpc": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/oil-and-gas-emissions-mpc\n\nTITLE: Oil and Gas Producer Reduces Emissions With MPC\n\nPetroleum companies around the globe are seeking ways to meet increasing customer demand while also achieving aggressive sustainability goals.\n\nIn 2019, Rockwell Automation began a project with a leading Latin American petroleum company whose leadership believed that the answer to this riddle lay in improving water management.\n\nThe company injects pressurized water into reservoirs to increase overall oil recovery and maintain a consistent oil production rate. How much oil they produce in a certain amount of time is directly related to how much water they're able to inject into the reservoirs. And we're talking about a LOT of water. For every 100 barrels the company extracts, 98 are water and 2 are oil.\n\nAlthough the field in question had a high level of automation, there were still opportunities for process control improvements because there were no control loops in place. There was also an outstanding issue with instability in the water transfer and injection process. In the face of any operational disturbance, the injection or transfer pumps were turned completely off, which led to significant oil production losses.\n\nThe company approached Rockwell Automation looking for a solution that would increase water injection, reduce the variability of the injected flow and energy consumption, and create a stable system. As one company executive shared, \"We knew it would be a win for us to use Rockwell Automation technology, since our entire installed base is supplied by them and we have a history of working together.\"\n\n\"We wanted to design this project in a way that would give our customer the same level of confidence we had in the solution we were providing.\", says Rockwell Automation engineer, German David Gonzalez Gonzalez. \"The contract was subject to a performance indicator: 1% increase in water injection. We divided the risk between the company and ourselves.\" And so, Rockwell Automation and the company joined forces to take on a two-part goal: increase water injected by 1% and reduce energy consumption per barrel injected (kW-hr/barrel).\n\n***** Solution *****\n\nAfter a thorough analysis, we decided to implement PlantPAx(R) MPC technology on 35 water injection pumps and three pool transfer units and pads. Model Predictive Control technology (or MPC) reduces process variability and increases efficiency by simulating process control needed in future operating conditions and taking control action to make those conditions a reality. MPC leads to a reduction of process variability, allowing the operation to be carried to the limits of the operational restrictions, without exceeding their maximums.\n\nRockwell Automation can deliver MPC technology in two ways-hardware and software. For this company, whose installed base includes Logix hardware, we chose the embedded version of MPC technology. However, MPC technology can also be installed 'on top' of any existing system using the server-based model predictive control software solution.\n\n\"Model Predictive Control is one of the most used and advanced control technologies worldwide. Most of the time this type of MPC module requires the implementation of a server and a large infrastructure. In this case, the platform is a small controller that can be installed anywhere and is easy to implement.\" highlights a company executive. \"Most of our control system was from Rockwell Automation already, which made integration as easy and quick as it could be, and that too during a pandemic,\" he adds.\n\nThat's right. This whole project was implemented remotely to maintain worker safety during a pandemic. Solution configuration, testing and commissioning were all done virtually - and in a way that maintained compliance with cybersecurity best practices.\n\n***** Benefits *****\n\nThe increase in water injection exceeded all expectations, reaching 2.4%, which is equivalent to an increase in injection of close to 36,000 barrels of water per day. This water injection increase meant an additional 548 BOPD (Barrels of Oil Per Day) could be extracted from the site.\n\nIn addition to these results, the company achieved greater stability and operational continuity - and was able to eliminate losses associated with low pool levels and low suction pressure in the pads. They were also able to reduce energy consumption and lower CO2 emissions.\n\n\"Rockwell Automation knows our field infrastructure in depth and therefore it is much easier to develop a project like this, especially with the levels of innovation that this MPC solution presents in the business of crude oil production. Clearly, with another company we would have required more time and money\", says a company engineer.\n\nThis initial project was completed in April 2021. In light of the results achieved, the company now plans to expand the use of advance process control to additional areas of the company.\n\nTAG: drive-sustainability\n\nTAG: sustainability\nTAG: energy\n\nTAG: oil-and-gas\n\nTAG: plantpax\nTAG: advanced-process-control\n\n",
    "lakefront-brewery-KHS": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/lakefront-brewery-KHS\n\nTITLE: Unified Control Is Smart Choice for Craft Brewery\n\nKHS Group is a global manufacturer of filling and packaging systems for the beverage and liquid food industries. The company's leading subsidiary, KHS USA, is headquartered in Waukesha, Wisconsin.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\n* Making the Switch from Bottles to Cans\u00a0\n\n*****\n\nMicrobrewing expanded rapidly across the United States in the 1980s. And Lakefront Brewery was one of the first craft brewers to set up shop in Milwaukee, Wisconsin - a city known for its rich beer heritage.\u00a0 *****\n\nEstablished in 1987, Lakefront currently offers more than 20 different beers available in over 30 states and distributed to multiple countries. The brewery is known for its innovative ales and lagers - and boasts one of the most popular brewery tours in the United States.\n\nFrom the beginning, Lakefront packaged their shelf-stable offerings in glass bottles. But recently, the company opted to transition to cans as a more economical, efficient and environmentally friendly choice. Cans also maintain better quality, since no light can enter the can and degrade the product.\n\nTo make the switch, Lakefront called on the same OEM who had delivered the existing bottling line about 10 years before - KHS.\n\nKHS Group is a global manufacturer of filling and packaging systems for the beverage and liquid food industries. The company's leading subsidiary, KHS USA, is headquartered in Waukesha, Wisconsin. KHS is part of the Rockwell Automation(R) PartnerNetworkTM program.\n\n\n\n* Conserving Space. Easing Use.\n\nTransitioning from one packaging paradigm to another is challenging under any circumstances. But space constraints at the Lakefront operation, housed in a historic 1908 power plant, added to the complexity.\n\n\"Our space is quite limited,\" said David Karrer, director of brewing operations, Lakefront Brewery. \"That was a driving factor in our technology decision. We required a solution with a compact footprint.\" \u00a0\n\nIn addition, Lakefront did not have the space to run the existing bottling line and new canning application concurrently.\n\n\"We had to remove our entire bottling line and start over with the new system,\" Karrer said. \"To maintain as much productivity as possible, we obviously needed a solution that was easy to install and use.\"\n\nTo simplify installation and integration with other equipment in the brewery, Lakefront specified a Rockwell Automation control solution for the entire canning line.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\n* Ongoing Improvements Match Requirements\n\nKHS offered an ideal solution for the Lakefront application - the Innofill Can C filler. Especially suitable for craft brewers, the Innofill Can C fills and seals between 10,000 and 60,000 cans per hour. In addition, the machine's compact design accommodates the 13-foot X 7-foot space available at the Lakefront facility.\n\n\"Our Innofill Can C system delivers the innovations of our larger filling machines in one self-contained skid,\" said Brian Anderkay, electrical engineering manager, KHS. \" Its unique combination of size and speed allows higher output capacity when space is at a premium.\"\n\nCoincidentally, KHS USA was already working on transitioning the machine's control system to a complete Rockwell Automation solution when Lakefront approached the company about the project. The original system included Rockwell Automation components, but also a third-party HMI system and fill computer. The dedicated fill computer provided inputs and outputs, but the logic used to generate the output was not visible. As a result, the system was difficult to maintain. \u00a0\n\nThe updated system features a Rockwell Automation platform including an Allen-Bradley(R) GuardLogix(R) safety controller, Kinetix(R) 5700 servo drives and PowerFlex(R) 525 AC drives. The system runs on an EtherNet/IPTM network and is monitored by FactoryTalk(R) View HMI software on an Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM graphic terminal.\n\nTo incorporate the fill computer logic into the main controller, KHS rewrote the program from the ground up.\n\n\"Our goal with the rewrite was to keep all functionality of the original machine, while simplifying the actual troubleshooting of the code and overall operation,\" said Matthew Herrick, electrical engineer, KHS.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\n* Fast Installation. Better Accuracy & Troubleshooting. \u00a0\n\nWith the Rockwell Automation platform in place, KHS completed installation and commissioning in under two weeks. The 21-valve system currently runs at a rate of 230 to 235 cans per minute to match upstream processing speed.\n\nThe switch from bottles to cans also enabled Lakefront to improve fill accuracy. Instead of measuring the product, the bottler used vent tubes to achieve a specific fill level. The canning technology measures product volume using flowmeters.\n\n\"As a result, we can individually dial in every single valve to improve consistency,\" said Tom Giese, plant engineer, Lakefront Brewery.\n\nIn addition, Lakefront anticipates they will be able to handle most maintenance issues with in-house staff.\n\n\"Luckily we haven't had to really troubleshoot yet,\" said Giese. \"But I can see that troubleshooting and maintenance will be much easier, since everything uses one software and control platform.\" \u00a0\n\nAnd Lakefront knows they can always rely on KHS for support, if necessary.\n\n\"We're just up the road - only 25 minutes away,\" said Anderkay.\n\nLearn more about OEM Solutions.\n\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: human-machine-interface\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: safety-products\nTAG: factorytalk-studio-5000\nTAG: factorytalk-view-studio\n\n",
    "dairy-modernizes--and-captures-competitive-edge": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/dairy-modernizes--and-captures-competitive-edge\n\nTITLE: Dairy Modernizes - and Captures Competitive Edge\n\nThe entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in the dairy industry. Unprecedented interest in unique and artisanal offerings has spurred dairies and cheesemakers to explore new product lines. And as demand for specialty products ramps up, many turn to their equipment suppliers for more efficient ways to manage production - and expand capacity.\n\n\"Plant expansions are always driven by the market,\" said Dominique Roberge, director of engineering, Qualtech. \"When a product becomes popular, dairies must often install new lines very rapidly to meet contractual obligations with retailers.\"\n\nOver the past 25 years,\u00a0Qualtech has implemented more than 150 cheese plant expansions in Canada and the United States.\n\nHeadquartered in Quebec, Qualtech provides stainless steel equipment, process engineering and turnkey project implementation for pharmaceutical, food and dairy applications. The company's expertise in cheese processing technology encompasses the complete manufacturing line - from milk intake through curd transformation and molding.\n\n***** \u00a0 *****\n\n***** Combination of Automated & Manual Processes *****\n\n\"The cheesemaking process always starts the same way,\" said Roberge. \"Incoming milk is transferred from milk tanker to silo, pumped into the pasteurization system, and then distributed to the various process steps.\"\u00a0\n\nNew dairies are typically a combination of automated and manual processes. A smaller operation may have automated high temperature/short time (HTST) pasteurization and clean-in-place (CIP) systems - but use a manual process to route the milk through other steps.\n\n\"For example, we helped Skotidakis Goat Farm establish its plant about 15 years ago,\" Roberge said. \"At the time, a completely automated system was not appropriate for the artisanal cheese and yogurt maker.\"\n\n\n\nConventional flow panels featuring \"swing\" elbow connections were used in milk receiving - and to fill and empty fermentation tanks.\u00a0\n\nDairy flow panels feature a main supply port at the center, with additional ports surrounding it. Milk is diverted to specific process steps through single seat valves within the ports. To transfer milk, an operator manually connects the correct port to the supply port - and stops and starts the flow on a push button interface.\n\nAdditional flow panels and valving are required for cleaning solutions used in CIP systems.\n\n***** \u00a0 *****\n\n***** Limited System Visibility *****\n\nWhile the flow panel configuration initially served the Skotidakis dairy well, challenges mounted as capacity increased.\n\n\"The operators had limited visibility into the process,\" Roberge explained. \"Changeovers were more frequent. The system did not include proximity sensors, so there was no easy way to verify that elbow connections were in place correctly.\"\u00a0 \u00a0\n\nAs a result, an operator starting a sequence might soon discover that milk had run down the drain - or had been diverted to the wrong tank. \u00a0\n\nIn addition, as product mix grew from Greek yogurt and feta cheese to a line of dips, spreads and ricotta, so did the overall complexity of the system.\n\n***** \u00a0 *****\n\n***** Unifying the Plant *****\n\n\"Bringing new products online was challenging using the manual system,\" said Roberge. \"As Skotidakis began making plans for a new feta cheese line, they contacted us for an automated solution that would encompass their entire plant and improve operations.\"\n\nTo modernize the plant, Qualtech chose a control system based on a Rockwell Automation(R) platform featuring Allen-Bradley(R) CompactLogixTM controllers and Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM graphic terminals. Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) 525 and 753 AC drives control pump and mixing applications. The solution is integrated on an EtherNet/IPTM network.\n\nTo optimize fluid routing, Qualtech automated the milk receiving process - and replaced the existing flow panels with 200 mixproof valves. Mixproof valves enable the flow of both milk and CIP solution through the same valve simultaneously without risk of cross-contamination.\n\n\"Mixproof valve clusters save significant space and minimize system complexity,\" Roberge said. \"Plus, the valves are intelligent.\"\n\nSensors detect if the valve is open or closed - and sequences are validated through the control system. No manual connections are required.\n\nThe multiphase plant expansion and modernization also features a range of new Qualtech equipment including silos, fermentation tanks, a Greek yogurt separator, an automated feta molding line, filling machines - and CIP and HTST systems.\n\n***** \u00a0 *****\n\n***** Better Control. Extraordinary Results. *****\n\n\"Today, every phase of production at the Skotidakis plant is automated and can be controlled from the HMI or a tablet,\" Roberge said.\n\n\"Our dairy plant expansions and control system modernizations typically deliver significant benefits,\" Roberge added.\n\nIn this case, Skotidakis reduced operator error by 95%, increased productivity by 20% and improved their yield.\n\n\"By utilizing Qualtech to upgrade our plant's automation, we have consistently improved our yields and fewer complications occur,\" said John Skotidakis, president and CEO, Skotidakis Goat Farm. \"These enhancements have allowed our plant to increase our customer base and maximized our efficacy.\"\n\n\nTAG: pre-engineered-network-solutions\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: drives-and-motors\n\n",
    "how-the-danish-navy-put-new-wind-in-their-sails": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/how-the-danish-navy-put-new-wind-in-their-sails\n\nTITLE: How The Danish Navy Put New Wind In Their Sails\n\nNot many of today's best practice technology stories start with naval ships, life-threatening situations and the potential of war. But in the case of the Danish Navy and its need to upgrade vessels in their elite Absalon-class support fleet, this is exactly the case.\n\nUnderstanding the specific needs of the armed forces can be difficult for even the best 'civilian' technology architect to tackle, however LOGIMATIC, a leading system integrator had extensive experience working with the Navy. Together with long-time ally Rockwell Automation, they faced the first of the Danish Naval flexible support vessels when it arrived into dry dock for a complete technical overhaul.\n\nThey knew they would have to not only think and act like they were sailing the high seas themselves, but to push the boundaries of marine technology.\n\n*** Fifteen years at sea ***\n\nBuilt in 2003, the Danish Navy ship HDMS ABSALON (L16) was scheduled to have its automation and remote control system completely replaced after a 15-year lifespan. The situation called for nothing less than a complete modernization of the ship's entire technical infrastructure.\n\nRunning the ship's outdated 'thick' system was not only excessively expensive to maintain, but in many cases had become so obsolete that it was no longer updatable. User terminals around the vessel with banks of screens controlling different functions such as fire management, warning systems, camera monitoring and alarms had become a labour intensive task to maintain.\n\nIt had become critical to overhaul this aging infrastructure to confirm that serving naval personnel could access the right application from the right location at the right time, with a modern visualisation system which would not only improve the user experience, but also to save time and potentially save human lives.\n\n\"Clearly the ship's technical abilities were antiquated and needed to come into line with more modern capabilities,\" explains Mathias Jensen, Project Engineer, LOGIMATIC. \"The Danish Navy was keen to find new flexible, yet resilient, solutions for their personnel which could be easily implemented and activated.\"\n\n*** Course set for updates ***\n\nLOGIMATIC, knew the situation required a \"leaner\" system which would connect the entire vessel in a way where content could be managed, delivered and shared with terminals anywhere across the ship via any crew member.\n\nHowever demonstrating to the Danish Navy that this system was the best plan of attack was not as easy as a standard pitch. So LOGIMATIC decided to go the extra mile - they custom built a dedicated, fully operational proof of concept lab where their proposed systems could be tried and tested first-hand.\n\nAfter in-depth consultations with the navy, including time spent inside the lab, LOGIMATIC's recommendation was to design and implement ThinManager, the simplified technical architecture from Rockwell Automation which simplifies management of hardware, applications and visual sources. Having been impressed with much of the pre-work performed with ThinManager during this consultative process, navy personnel readily agreed to set sail.\n\n\"We spent a huge amount of time together with the Danish Navy inside our concept lab, constantly reviewing designs and trouble-shooting potential issues\" continues Mathias Jensen. \"We knew that we would have a limited amount of time on the ship itself, so it was critical that all parties felt comfortable with our plan. The concept lab was an excellent way to do so.\"\n\nOnce the project was officially given the green light, it quickly became necessary for LOGIMATIC to go beyond the land locked lab and set out to sea with the ship's crew, regardless of the 20 year history working with the Danish Navy. They needed to gain a stronger first-hand understanding of the pain points, naval requirements and best-case solutions required for ThinManager implementation.\n\nEverything considered 'standard practise' with civilian clients went overboard when the LOGIMATIC team began working directly with the crew of the naval support ship. Seemingly simple issues such as switching between screens, pressing a button or even the size of a standard mouse needed to be considered as a potential matter of life or death.\n\nBy gaining a deeper level of understanding and appreciation of the conditions that the IT infrastructure would need to perform under, the LOGIMATIC team developed a specifically tailored ThinManager solution. Purpose designed software was programmed into carefully considered hardware, with multiple sources integrated into single display terminals instantly capable of reading and reacting to constantly incoming data from all over the ship's IP cameras, FactoryTalk View SE SCADA system and other third-party software packages.\n\n*** Sailing on a technology wave ***\n\nOnce the initial system was installed, the LOGIMATIC team continued to sail with the Danish Navy onboard the newly refitted HDMS ABSALON (L16). Testing and refining the infrastructure in real life scenarios throughout Norway and Scotland allowed for a collaborative effort to hone systems, hardware and protocols.\n\nWhat was a heavy system of aged hardware and countless sub-systems had been upgraded with customised server based software and virtual machines at each user terminal. Easily accessed by assigned personnel and seamlessly delivering the content that is most relevant to each situation, the HDMS ABSALON (L16) had taken a giant leap forward from its fifteen year old self that had been hoisted into dry dock only months earlier. So-much-so that sister ship HDMS ESBERN SNARE (L17) was quickly approved for a complete technological overhaul.\n\n\"Any unforeseen downtime at sea can be dangerous, especially in potential combat situations,\" shares Soren Praesius, Project Manager, Electrical Power and Automation, Danish Ministry of Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation.\n\n\"Having the ability to work on terminals with a consistent, lightning-quick speed can literally be a life or death situation. Our crew members are now empowered to quickly act, under any level of stress, with a system that is consistent and intuitive to use.\"\n\nLowered cost of operation is also one of key benefits the Danish Navy has experienced as a result of the ThinManager implementation. Excessive and expensive-to-maintain hardware has been removed in place of more modern, efficient controls together with HMI software. ThinManager is also scalable to allow for any number of adaptations and necessary changes over the coming years, which translates to a reduction in costs especially when compared to the legacy system.\n\nSecurity in any armed forces is paramount and nothing more so than a naval vessel at sea or dockside where all precautions need to be taken against malfunctions and the threat of outsiders bringing computers or USB's onboard for example.\u00a0 LOGIMATIC implemented the ThinManager system to employ the highest of security measures. While the new system is still an 'open system,' the architecture makes executing protective means far more efficient and effective.\n\n\"We've seen a very positive impact on the entire Danish Navy via of this project,\" says Soren Praesius. \"The new technology provides a blueprint for improvements to be made throughout the rest of our fleet. The successful upgrades to both HDMS ABSALON and ESBERN SNARE has paved the way for enhancements to three of our Naval frigates. We're looking forward to seeing what else we can accomplish together.\"\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to the Danish Navy's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nTrademark Information:\n\nThinManager, FactoryTalk View SE are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\n\u00a0\n\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: safety-solutions\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: marine\n\nTAG: factorytalk-thinmanager\nTAG: factorytalk-view-se\nTAG: factorytalk-view-me\n\n",
    "the-journey-toward-the-connected-enterprise": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/the-journey-toward-the-connected-enterprise\n\nTITLE: The Journey Toward The Connected Enterprise(R)\n\n*** Background ***\n\nRockwell Automation is the world's largest company dedicated to industrial automation and information solutions. Whether working with a highly recognizable food producer, major oil processor or top automaker, Rockwell Automation helps companies improve processes, reduce inefficiencies and increase productivity.\n\nBehind its support for some of the world's most recognizable manufacturers and industrial operators, however, Rockwell Automation is also a manufacturer.\n\nAbout one-third of the company's 22,500 employees work at its 20 global manufacturing plants and manage a product catalog of nearly 400,000 SKUs. The company's average product has a 20-year life span, and the average order includes 200 line items, with product delivery times ranging from a few days to several months.\n\nRockwell Automation harnessed the power of its own information in a way that could help increase visibility into these complex production environments, support a common manufacturing platform, and enable a restructured supply chain.\n\nThe best way to accomplish this was to leverage its integrated control and information portfolio to converge its information technologies (IT) and operational technologies (OT) into a single, globe-spanning system. The system would allow an unprecedented level of connectivity, communication and collaboration across all locations.\n\n\u00a0\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nSimilar to other manufacturers with large product portfolios and a global manufacturing presence, Rockwell Automation used a wide range of manufacturing processes at its different plants. Each plant also ran its own enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, with none of them talking to each other, while also using custom applications that monitored and analyzed machine data in different ways.\n\nRockwell Automation also wanted to establish a fully connected system that could be used to track and swiftly respond to issues that might occur anywhere in the world. That could include responding to a surge in demand at one facility by ramping up production at another nearby facility or adjusting to a disruption with one supply network partner by working with another.\n\nThe company also sought to reduce the number of applications registered through its business process mapping. The large number of products and parts being produced had led to the existence of hundreds of applications. The wide variation in data and I/O points increased not only the risk of error but also the time needed to understand collected data.\n\n\u00a0\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nRockwell Automation has been on a decades-long journey to enable better decision making using enterprise data. Driven by a standard and open Ethernet network architecture that utilizes the Internet Protocol, and boosted by key enhancing technologies such as the Internet of Things,\u00a0The Connected Enterprise(R) is helping the company evolve and advance that pursuit.\n\nThe Connected Enterprise(R) unifies IT and OT systems, providing new opportunities to access, monitor and capitalize on operational, business and transactional data across a manufacturer's enterprise.\n\nEstablishing a single connected system across the globe necessitated that Rockwell Automation change its network infrastructure approach. The company decided to implement EtherNet/IPTM, a standard and open network infrastructure that enables secure interoperability between corporate IT networks and industrial applications.\n\nThe company also replaced the many different ERP systems dispersed at its factories around the world with a single ERP system that could easily manage its multiple systems across its global facilities. The new standardized system delivers processes and points of reference for consistently measuring performance across all facilities.\n\nIn tandem with the new ERP system, Rockwell Automation rolled out a new Manufacturing Execution System (MES) to standardize processes across all of its production sites.\n\nThe company chose to use its own FactoryTalk(R) ProductionCentre(R) software, which uses an extensible work-flow engine and operational model that can grow with operations. The software's high flexibility also fits well with the diverse manufacturing styles needed to produce the company's broad portfolio of products, which include standard, configured-to-order and engineered-to-order products.\n\nRockwell Automation also deployed its FactoryTalk VantagePoint(R) Enterprise Manufacturing Intelligence (EMI) software, which tracks and records data, and can help pinpoint production trends.\n\nThe combined MES and EMI system brings information from hundreds of applications into one centralized location. It gives workers understandable and actionable information that they can use to make improvements, and enables real-time analysis of key performance indicators, such as quality, production performance and work-flow management.\n\n\u00a0\n\n*** Results ***\n\nRockwell Automation is still in the process of deploying The Connected Enterprise(R) to all of its plants, but the company has experienced numerous improvements to date where the new system has been implemented.\n\nThe company has lowered its total cost of ownership, reducing inventory days from 120 to 82 and capturing 30% in annual capital avoidance. It has also accelerated its time-to-market, with supply-chain deliveries now up to 96 percent and lead times cut in half. Additionally, the company estimates it has experienced a 4-5% annual improvement in productivity.\n\nFunneling data into and out of the ERP system via the MES platform has continually reduced issue resolution times and supported leaner operations. As a result, an improvement in output efficiencies was realized, which are critical to any manufacturer's profitability.\n\nThe company has also passed The Connected Enterprise(R) benefits on to its customers. On-time delivery has increased from 82% to 98%, and parts-per-million defects have been cut in half through improved quality.\n\nRockwell Automation plans to roll out the new system to 95% of its facilities in the next two years. Even then, the company will still view The Connected Enterprise(R) as an ongoing effort that will require new goals and a commitment to continuously improve.\n\nThe Connected Enterprise(R) is the industrial revolution of the 21st century. It offers numerous competitive advantages that will be imperative to manufacturers in the coming years, including uncovering new opportunities for improving global production, supporting sustainability efforts and increasing agility.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to the Rockwell Automation use of products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\n",
    "zhejiang-medicine-company-improves-compliance-with-mes-software": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/zhejiang-medicine-company-improves-compliance-with-mes-software\n\nTITLE: Zhejiang Medicine Company Improves Compliance With MES Software\n\n***** Reintroducing an In-Demand Drug *****\n\nZhejiang Medicine Company (ZMC) is a large-scale pharmaceutical producer with roots in China dating back to the 1950s.\n\nToday, the company is listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and operates six subsidiary units that produce a diverse drug portfolio, including natural and synthetic vitamins, antibiotics, anti-viral drugs, and food additives. Among its notable achievements, the company annually produces 30,000 metric tons of vitamin E for both human and animal consumption.\n\nZMC recently created a new subsidiary named Novus Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd. to serve regulated markets, primarily the U.S. and Europe. ZMC funded the construction of a new powder-for-injection production facility at one of its manufacturing sites, a 350-acre campus located about two hours outside of Shanghai.\n\nOne of the key drugs that ZMC will produce in this greenfield facility is vancomycin, an antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections. The drug has appeared in recent years on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) drug-shortage list, due in part to the inefficient production cycle time. \u00a0\u00a0\n\nZMC, however, developed a new technique for producing vancomycin that replaces the traditional freeze-drying process with a spray-drying process. The new approach is expected to reduce batch times from as many as seven days to half a day, making production significantly more efficient and increasing through-put.\n\nA key element of this new approach is the manufacturing execution system (MES). By completely eliminating the paper-documentation burden from production operations, MES helps increase efficiencies, reduce costs and enforce compliance in real-time.\n\n***** A Mountain of Paperwork *****\n\nLaws and regulations worldwide require extensive documentation of pharmaceutical production. The requirements vary by country or region, but they share the same goals: making sure drugs are safely produced, and reducing the threats of counterfeiting or tampering.\n\nHowever, these requirements can create a mountain of paperwork that makes getting new and highly regulated products to market challenging. During production, valuable time and labor is spent on recording virtually every process-related data in batch records. Even more time and labor is needed to review those records in quality assurance (QA).\n\nPaper-based documentation methods also can be prone to errors, from incorrectly entering information to misreading data, which can create quality and compliance issues.\n\n\"Our goal was to eliminate the presence of paper 100 percent in the powder-for-injection facility,\" said Choon Teo, manufacturing systems architect for ZMC. \"That meant eliminating not only our standard operating procedure paperwork, but also our handwritten equipment and material labels, and our auxiliary and training records.\"\n\nThe challenge for ZMC was twofold. First, the company needed an MES with electronic batch recording (EBR) capabilities that could completely digitize the facility's documentation requirements in accordance with U.S. and European regulations. Second, the company needed an MES supplier with a presence in China to provide localized integration support.\n\n***** 'Everything We Wanted' *****\n\nAfter conducting an extensive vendor-selection process, Teo and his team ultimately chose Rockwell Automation and its FactoryTalk(R)\u00a0PharmaSuite\u00a0solution.\n\n\"PharmaSuite MES gave us everything we wanted,\" Teo said. \"Rockwell Automation also had an excellent integration team in China. We looked at other major vendors, but they lacked either the local presence or the local experience that Rockwell Automation could provide.\"\n\nPharmaSuite MES is fully integrated into ZMC's network architecture, with connectivity up to the enterprise resource planning (ERP) layer and down to the facility's programmable logic controllers (PLCs). It also communicates with the facility's warehouse management system (WMS) and laboratory information management system (LIMS).\n\nFrom a process standpoint, the solution pulls production orders from ZMC's ERP business systems and identifies the materials that need to be retrieved from the staging room. It then guides operators through production - including weighing and dispensing, sterile filtration, aseptic spray drying, filling, and inspection and packaging - to help verify tasks are completed according to the recipe.\n\nIntegration with the process automation systems enables MES software to manage the status of production equipment and bulk containers used to transport product material. MES also captures key parameters throughout the entire process.\n\nReal-time alarm monitoring and exception handling can alert operators of abnormal situations and help confirm issues are immediately addressed, rather than after a batch is complete. Any collected exceptions also can serve as the starting point for QA reviews, enabling quality personnel to more efficiently address documented deviations and more quickly close out reviews.\n\n\"Using common smartphone devices, operators can scan labels with a mobile application developed by Rockwell Automation to monitor processes and confirm the correct equipment is being used,\" Teo said. \"It's a more efficient alternative to using handwritten labels. And it eliminates the risk of the labels falling off or being altered.\"\n\n***** Fully Paperless *****\n\nMES software has helped ZMC achieve its goal to make its new powder-for-injection facility 100 percent paperless.\n\nThe facility is expected to come online later this year, at which point it will undergo an FDA preapproval inspection before commencing production. Until then, ZMC has conducted a cost analysis and undergone two phases of user-acceptance testing to confirm that the user experience matches the user requirements specifications.\n\n\"We're saving 5 to 10 percent on our labor costs using PharmaSuite MES by eliminating manual data recording,\" Teo said. \"More importantly, going paperless will help prevent potential operator mistakes, such as incorrect data transcription.\"\n\nWith automated data management and a far more efficient batch-review process, the company also calculates MES will help reduce supervisory and QA batch product review by 46 to 75 percent, and cut management-review cycle time by 50 percent.\n\nAll of these savings have helped pave the way for ZMC to produce vancomycin in a more efficient and compliant facility.\n\n\"Our unique approach to producing this drug combined with PharmaSuite MES will help us meet compliance requirements, and combined with our innovative process cut our operation costs by almost 80 percent compared to the traditional approach,\" Teo said. \"It's created an opportunity for us to deliver a drug that people need while meeting our business goals.\"\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Zhejiang Medicine Company's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nPharmaSuite and FactoryTalk are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\n\nTAG: life-sciences\n\n",
    "iconic-australian-biscuit-manufacturer-upgrades-adelaide-product": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/iconic-australian-biscuit-manufacturer-upgrades-adelaide-product\n\nTITLE: Iconic Australian Biscuit Manufacturer Upgrades Adelaide Production Plant\n\nArnott's is one of the largest food companies in the Asia Pacific region. More than 50,000 Australians have worked for Arnott's over the past century.\n\nToday, Arnott's employs around 2,200 Australians across all States and Territories. The company also employs several thousand people across the Asia Pacific region, in countries such as New Zealand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Japan.\n\nMillions of Australians have grown up with Arnott's over the past 152 years. For them, Arnott's is more than a food company - it's a piece of Australia's history and a national icon. Arnott's portfolio of brands includes household names like Tim Tam, Shapes, Iced VoVo, SAO, Vita-Weat, Salada and Tiny Teddy.\n\nAs consumers continue to seek high quality and variety in product ranges, food and beverage manufacturers are actively looking to invest in new technologies to help them develop a more agile response to changing consumer tastes and increased flexibility in production lines.\n\nArnott's produces a wide variety of sweet and savoury biscuits that have been enjoyed by generations. In fact, Arnott's has invested approximately a quarter of a billion dollars in their Australian biscuit facilities.\n\nThe company's manufacturing plant in Adelaide produces approximately 10,000 tonnes of biscuits annually. To meet increasing local and global consumer demand, Arnott's recently embarked on Project FLEX - a control and\u00a0HMI system upgrade to deliver increased flexibility and agility for biscuit production.\n\n*** Agility and Flexibility ***\n\nWhen embarking on Project FLEX, Arnott's had no hesitation in calling upon their longstanding automation and control provider SAGE Automation. According to Stuart Mitchell, senior systems engineer at SAGE, \"We have been working with Arnott's in Adelaide for the past 20 years so we are very familiar with the plant. It is a Rockwell Automation site through and through, so we naturally called on them to help with the upgrade.\"\n\nWith expansion into international markets and a subsequent demand to increase production, it was important for Arnott's to have the ability to run any biscuit on any line while maintaining product consistency.\n\nThe first stage of the project involved updating the legacy oven conveyor's PLC hardware to improve the way that operators could load new production orders, including a feature that allows different recipes to be stored, selected and produced on the same line. It also involved the installation of two new cooling systems for conveyors including reprogramming of the control system and HMI.\n\nThe control system upgrade required the migration of legacy SLCTM controllers to\u00a0Allen-Bradley(R) ControlLogix(R) to help reduce maintenance costs and allow for increased flexibility on production lines. \u00a0While justifying the risk and expense of control system upgrades may initially seem like a challenge, investing in modern technologies that leverage the Industrial Internet of Things helps manufacturers realise the benefits of smart manufacturing.\n\nAs Jonathan Footman, solutions architect, Rockwell Automation, explained, \"The more connectivity you have across the plant floor helps implement the technology to enable smart manufacturing and progress in the journey towards a Connected Enterprise.\"\n\nThe upgrade provided the flexibility for Arnott's to run any biscuit on any line.\n\n*** Keeping the Plant Running ***\n\nTo keep the plant running, Arnott's leveraged the inherent flexibility of the Rockwell Automation\u00a0Integrated Architecture(R) system\u00a0to undergo a staged migration to the new controllers.\n\nThe ControlLogix control system offers modular architectures and a range of\u00a0I/O and network options. Tight integration between the programming software, controller, and I/O modules, reduces development time and costs at commissioning and during normal operation.\n\nTo help reduce engineering time, SAGE used existing SLC I/O in the first stage and subsequently added some Ethernet Point I/O and Flex I/O on\u00a0DeviceNet. The\u00a0RSLogixTM Project Migrator tool\u00a0was used to install the ControlLogix controllers with ease.\n\n\"While the majority of the plant uses Ethernet, there is still some equipment communicating through DeviceNet and\u00a0DH+TM\u00a0so by using ControlLogix, any potential integration issues were overcome because the controller is compatible with all three networks. This flexibility allowed the upgrade to be performed in a staged manner as opposed to having to perform the whole upgrade in one go,\" explained Footman.\n\nReducing production loss during an upgrade is often filled with challenges but in this case, thanks to careful planning and a phased approach to the migration, the upgrade was completed with no production loss.\n\nSAGE designed, programmed and installed the HMI solution allowing for a large number of recipes to be created and stored for each oven.\n\n*** Driving Flexible Biscuit Production ***\n\nDelivering a wide range of motor control, Arnott's installed seven new\u00a0PowerFlex(R) 525 drives\u00a0as part of the upgrade. SAGE was responsible for the drive integration using existing code to both new and existing Ethernet and DeviceNet networks. Moving to the newer platform increased the operational efficiency and centralised the plant's control system.\n\nAllen-Bradley PowerFlex drives on Ethernet provide the capability for diagnostics to be accessed in real time.\n\nIn addition, Arnott's leveraged the intelligence of the PowerFlex variable speed drives on Ethernet to help operators access real time information in the plant.\n\n\"Prior to the drive upgrade, the operators would have to run feedback using analogue set points which was very time consuming but now with the PowerFlex drives on Ethernet, all the diagnostics can be accessed in real time. The drives also have a small footprint, reducing the required panel size,\" explained Mitchell.\n\nThe HMI design and functionality was updated according to Arnott's specifications to improve the way operators could load new production orders, including a feature that allows different recipes to be stored, selected and produced on the same line.\n\nSAGE designed, programmed and installed the HMI solution allowing for a large number of recipes to be created and stored for each oven. The recipe management page enables each oven to store recipes with pre-programmed conveyor paths, line speed set points and variables.\n\nThe new HMI system utilises\u00a0PanelViewTM terminals\u00a0and reduces the number of pages from approximately 70 to only 20, simplifying events with each conveyor having its own pop up with manual controls and speed settings.\n\nWith this new system, Arnott's are able to achieve greater flexibility on each line with a reduced margin for human error. According to Andre Spoor, engineering manager, Arnott's Biscuits, \"SAGE upgraded our PLC and HMI with no loss in production and no downtime. It's a great result for us considering it was such a big upgrade.\"\n\n*** Centralised Production ***\n\nBy undertaking a staged approach to the control system migration, the multiple manufacturing control solutions were delivered with no unplanned interruption to production. The system was centralised with all cooling systems being monitored and controlled from a centralised ControlLogix controller.\n\n\"The change has ensured that the site improves its ability to be flexible. It has simplified the selection and set up process and therefore reduced operator error and provided control systems for the sites conveyors and cooling systems that are well supported within industry,\" explained Spoor.\n\nIntegration between the programming software, controller, and I/O modules reduced development time and cost.\n\nThanks to the upgrade, Arnott's is well positioned to meet the growing demand for increased flexibility and agility in their manufacturing operations. By increasing connectivity across the plant floor, they are realising the benefits of smart manufacturing and are now able to build on this foundation, step by step to work towards a\u00a0Connected Enterprise.\n\n\u00a0\n\nAllen-Bradley, ControlLogix, DH+, PanelView, PowerFlex, Rockwell Software, RSLogix and SLC are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "biopharmaceuticalfirm": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/biopharmaceuticalfirm\n\nTITLE: Biopharmaceutical Firm Slashes Time in Process in Half\n\n*** Background ***\n\nFerring Pharmaceuticals of Saint-Prex, Switzerland, is a research-driven biopharmaceutical company devoted to identifying, developing and marketing biopharmaceutical therapies in the fields of infertility, obstetrics, urology, gastroenterology, endocrinology and osteoarthritis.\n\nWith historical roots extending back to the 1950s, Ferring develops and sells pharmaceutical products based upon natural, pituitary-produced peptide hormones. Over the past few decades, the firm has developed a strong international profile: In-house production of its award-winning therapies is carried out in Argentina, China, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Israel, Mexico, Scotland and Switzerland. Two new manufacturing sites are being planned and built in the United States and India.\n\nFerring's facility in Saint-Prex is a state-of-the-art, multi-purpose site providing additional production capacity with respect to Ferring's dry product range, and secondary packaging and distribution of all products.\n\nGrowth has been especially strong for the company, evidenced by its burgeoning portfolio of biopharmaceutical therapies and the necessary rise in capacity required to make and supply its products worldwide. However, like any company, one of the toughest things to do is manage such growth effectively - something made even more complex because of the highly regulated environment that frames the entire pharmaceutical industry and its manufacturing processes.\n\nFerring, like most biopharmaceutical companies of its age and legacy, supported its batch processing production cycle with a paper-based batch record-keeping system. This system of record keeping also formed the foundation of the company's Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) regime, which is fundamental to the company's ability to comply with global regulators, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA).\n\n*** Challenges of Growth ***\n\nAs Ferring's market success drove its growth, it became clear to the company's executives that more had to be done to improve operations, accelerate its time-to-market, enhance its quality and compliance regimes, and give its employees sharper tools to manage quality and compliance all the more accurately across its international supply chain.\n\nThe solution, the managers felt, was to implement an integrated manufacturing execution system (MES), beginning with an electronic batch record (eBR) application. In pharmaceuticals, batch records and process transparency are critical elements of regulatory compliance and managing its products' \"time in chain.\"\n\nJerome Repiton, Ferring's associate director of its Lean Six Sigma program, offered attendees at the 2014 Rockwell Automation TechED a table revealing that manufacturing lead times for the pharmaceutical industry were between 120 and 180 days - a long period relative to other industries because of the demands regulators place on drug producers. Regardless, says Repiton, Ferring's lead time was \"very long,\" especially compared to its competitors. Managers felt that implementing an eBR and integrating it into a contemporary MES would \"help us eliminate steps in the chain,\" Repiton explains.\n\nHe says that within the frame of product manufacturing lead times, Ferring's manufacturing step is one of the shorter elements of the process. What takes the most time is the QA/QC qualification testing and review that can take weeks and often occurs after the product is made.\n\n\"You can't manage a product without information, and compliance is impossible without information,\" he says. The challenge for Ferring was that all of its batch information was generated via paper-based methodologies, embedded in standard operating QC procedures that extended the time from batch manufacture to release to 44 days or more. In 2010, Ferring began its journey by implementing at its premier facility in Saint-Prex an eBR/MES solution based on FactoryTalk(R) PharmaSuiteTM from Rockwell Automation.\n\n*** eBR and Real-Time Transparency ***\n\nAccording to Repiton, paper-based systems are full of \"hitches,\" and no matter how well-organized a paper-based system might be, it could never deliver the real-time process transparency Ferring needs to manage its supply chain effectively. \"An eBR solution is the GPS of manufacturing operations,\" he says. \"It guides the user to the desired destination, finds the shortest trip, alerts one to dangers and provides feedback in real time.\"\n\nRepiton explains that Ferring understood that eBR was the key to process transparency. If one has process transparency, one can understand process trends in the same time frame and know immediately if there has been an excursion that might affect quality. With technology providing process data from Rockwell Automation that is characterized by the batch recipe - the \"destination\" in Repiton's GPS analogy - any deviation becomes known virtually instantaneously via the application's dashboard.\n\n\"When you work with paper, you have to wait for someone to review the paper,\" he notes. Armed with real-time process information, qualified personnel can conduct batch quality review during manufacturing rather than after and manage by exception: \"If nothing's wrong, then it is OK to press the button,\" he says.\n\nFor Ferring, implementing FactoryTalk PharmaSuite was both a process quality and quality assurance process improvement program. The company now is able to track time in process, and that includes time spent in QA/QC review. According to Repiton, time in process has been cut in half - a dramatic improvement and one of the primary goals of the whole endeavor.\n\nSince the eBR/MES program began in 2010, the number of batches processed by the company has jumped from 7,000 to 11,000. That's a 56% leap in just five years with the same amount of staff, \"representing a real return on investment,\" according to Repiton.\n\nWith FactoryTalk implemented and pervasive process data available to key operations, Repiton says Ferring created a solid basis to integrate the system with its IT infrastructure, including laboratory information management and enterprise systems, to provide an MES that truly supports the organization's compliance and competitive agility goals.\n\nThe company plans to roll out the total solution across its international operations and to its new facilities in India and the United States. Characterizing it as an operational excellence project, Repiton concludes that Ferring is much better equipped to cope with the complexities associated with biopharmaceutical manufacturing and to proactively comply with demanding regulators around the world.\n\nLearn more about the Rockwell Automation FactoryTalk Suite.\n\n\nTAG: life-sciences\n\n",
    "a-clear-view-into-water-production": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/a-clear-view-into-water-production\n\nTITLE: A Clear View into Water Production\n\n***** Background *****\n\nIn 2008, the New Zealand Ministry of Health issued revised drinking-water standards for drinking-water safety. To comply, water treatment facilities must track, save and provide monthly reports on water production, intake and discharge levels. At the same time, water providers need timely usage reports to make sure municipal customers can properly budget and forecast for city water needs.\n\nAs one of the largest water producers in New Zealand, the Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) understands these requirements well. The GWRC is responsible for supplying clean water to more than 10 percent of New Zealand's population. Drawing water from lakes, rivers, wells and aquifers, the council is the wholesale water treatment provider for the cities of Lower Hutt, Porirua, Upper Hutt and Wellington.\n\nIn order to comply with the changing regulations, the GWRC required a reporting solution which can provide accurate and timely reports generated from data automatically retrieved from its existing water treatment production and control-system infrastructure. As a result, the GWRC was not only able to comply with government reporting requirements, but it was also able to leverage real-time production data to improve water treatment distribution, and better inform internal and external stakeholders on water production and usage.\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** Challenge *****\n\nThe GWRC employs the most advanced water treatment system in New Zealand with a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system that runs four entirely automated water treatment plants, 15 pumping stations and more than 180 kilometers (110 miles) of pipeline. This system provides high-quality water for the southern portion of North Island.\n\nHowever, collecting process data from disparate data sources proved challenging, especially since data needed to be stored in a reliable time-series archive for analysis and reports. Lily Wang, data analyst for GWRC, explained that it was time consuming to manually extract and organize data from different sources within the water treatment system for required governmental compliance reports. A faster, more accurate and automated reporting system was needed; one that could generate predetermined reports automatically and share them with authorized groups. This system also needed data validation capability as well as the ability to retain 10 years of data.\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** Solutions *****\n\n\"After comparing several options, Rockwell Automation provided the most advanced and impressive capabilities, meeting or even exceeding all our data collection and reporting requirements,\" commented Wang.\n\nGWRC implemented FactoryTalk(R) Historian Site Edition (SE) and FactoryTalk VantagePoint Enterprise Manufacturing Intelligence (EMI) software onto GWRC servers. The historian provided ready connectivity to GWRC plants' automation-system controllers, with the capability to automatically pull tags directly from different controllers via interface nodes. Tags are then stored in the FactoryTalk Historian server for the required 10 year retention period. Once stored this information is available to be retrieved for trending comparisons and other analyzing and reporting purposes.\n\nUsing FactoryTalk VantagePoint EMI software, the GWRC's data-management system is able to schedule and produce 11 automatically generated reports to provide information on weekly and daily water consumption, discharge, intake, water quality and reservoir levels, as well as reports on lake storage volumes and total-flow volume.\n\nAnalysts like Wang, water production/maintenance engineers and operators, business managers, marketing, and GWRC committee members charged with water-supply management and regional strategy have access to this data from any location. Secure login via a web-browser brings each stakeholder to a single portal where they can access predetermined dashboards and charts.\n\nFacility operators have visibility of real-time consumption data for validation that usage levels are as expected. If demand peaks, more water can be supplied from other plants. Business managers are able to make comparisons on year-to-date usage versus the previous year, to ensure billing forecasts based on past usages are accurate, or to update expected revenues.\n\n\"The FactoryTalk software suite's high level of integration and multicompatible connectivity to existing hardware and software components in our plants and business system has given us the ability to pull reliable data from the widest variety of sources,\" Wang said. \"Combined with the processing power in FactoryTalk VantagePoint software and its accessible dashboards, trends, X-Y plots, and Microsoft Excel reports, we are able to transform all this rich data into information people can actually use for a diverse set of purposes.\"\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** Results *****\n\nThe GWRC had a need for a reliable and effective data-management solution. Working with Rockwell Automation, they developed a production intelligence strategy that empowers stakeholders with information they need to help make informed decisions.\n\nData is now more quickly available and accurate. \"Reports that used to take me the better part of a week to create and several more days to validate can now be produced in a few minutes or even seconds,\" claims Wang. This level of insight allows operations managers and business leaders to incorporate production metrics into business plans and to give feedback to system technicians based on hard data to more quickly resolve issues or improve operations.\n\nAs a data analyst, Wang checks water intake and production data every day. \"With real-time data immediately available, it's as easy as doing a balance check.\" In the summer of 2012, during one daily validation, more water was taken in than what was fed into the drinking-water system, signifying a leak. Wang was able to immediately contact the maintenance engineers responsible for the appropriate plant and direct them to the relevant pipeline to find and fix the leak. The problem was discovered and solved before the leak was noticeable to production engineers or developed into a larger issue. Wang added, \"Our data system is so reliable now, that we've made it public.\"\n\nThe GWRC now offers a live map of the current rate of water supply, which is updated every 15 minutes. As residents are now able to see water use by city over a monthly, quarterly and annual basis, the GWRC hopes a public that is more informed about water production and usage will better conserve water, especially in times of peak demand.\n\nThe GWRC has rolled out this same scalable solution to track system-wide chemical and power usage. \"We have a firm grasp on our chemical and power inputs,\" explains Wang, \"we can optimize the control system to get the best information to our business managers, so they get the best value from our budget.\"\n\n\nTAG: water-wastewater\n\n",
    "state-of-the-art-automation-processes-helps-more-malnourished-ch": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/state-of-the-art-automation-processes-helps-more-malnourished-ch\n\nTITLE: State-Of-The-Art Automation Processes Helps More Malnourished Children\n\n*** A Lifeline for Children ***\n\nThe 2-year-old girl sat still and quiet as a small tape measure was gently wrapped around her skinny bicep.\n\nNine centimeters. That's about two-thirds the size of what a child's arm should measure. It only confirmed what was already clear to the human eye: She was extremely malnourished.\n\nThe girl was just one of many children being seen at a clinic in the central-African country of Chad. By mid-morning, nearly 200 children had already had their arms measured and been weighed before being put into one of two groups \u2013 the moderately and the severely malnourished. And several more children were still sitting with their mothers on the dirt ground, waiting their turn.\n\nSeeing all this unfold was Navyn Salem, who founded the nonprofit organization Edesia to help children like these who are in a fight for their lives to get the energy and vital nutrients their bodies need.\n\n\"Children shouldn't be dying because they are malnourished, this is something we know how to fix,\" Salem said. \"It just doesn't make any sense.\"\n\nWorldwide, nutrition-related factors contribute to about 45% of deaths in children ages 5 years and younger, according to the World Health Organization [1].\n\nEdesia is working to change that. It makes \"miracle packets\" \u2013 ready-to-use packaged foods for children ages 6 months to 5 years old. The packets have playful names, like Plumpy'Nut\u00e2, Plumpy'Sup\u00e4 and Plumpy'Doz\u00e4, but the purpose of these therapeutic and supplementary foods is entirely serious: To save lives.\n\nWhich is why Salem and others at Edesia want to make as many of them as possible.\n\n*** Running at Capacity ***\n\nEdesia ships its food packets to what Salem calls \"the most troubled places on earth\" - wherever crises like conflicts, droughts and political instability leave children undernourished.\n\nShe has traveled to many of these places herself and seen firsthand how Edesia's food packets change lives.\n\n\"I was at a clinic in Sierra Leone, and on one side were moms who had walked who knows how far to bring in their children,\" she said. \"Some of their children didn't even have the energy to cry. They were conserving every ounce of strength to keep their heart beating. And on the other side of the clinic were children running around like typical toddlers, because they had been receiving our food packets.\"\n\nBut scenes like this are only possible if Edesia keeps production of its food packets flowing.\n\nThe organization's original factory in Rhode Island was built in 2010 and small by most standards. It had a warehouse, a production floor and a single loading dock all packed into a 15,000-square-foot location - or about one-fourth the size of a football field.\n\n\"We were making more than 9,000 metric tons of product per year, and trying to get all that material in and out of one dock door was slightly crazy,\" Salem said. \"We wanted to make more product, and we knew we needed more room.\"\n\nIn addition to more space, Edesia needed better efficiencies. Its factory only used limited automation in its processes and required a lot of manual labor from workers - many of whom are former refugees themselves.\n\n\"Our workers hauled in 50-pound bags of dry ingredients and hand poured them into the hoppers,\" said Ron Yanku, director of engineering at Edesia. \"Then, after packaging, they had to carry 32-pound cases of finished product out to our loading dock - sometimes lifting them over their heads or carrying them up a ladder to load a pallet. It was a lot of busy bees doing a lot of really hard work.\"\n\n*** Ready to Grow ***\n\nGetting more food packets to children around the world required a bigger, better and smarter factory, and Yanku and his small team of engineers were tasked with creating it.\n\n\"I had a simple mandate from Navyn: Make a state-of-the-art facility that is more efficient and can make more lifesaving foods for more kids,\" Yanku said.\n\nYanku and his team identified the new production equipment they wanted and worked with system integrator Hallam-ICS to design it into a new factory. Using the Rockwell Automation PlantPAx modern DCS for batch process control, Hallam-ICS then integrated and automated all the production processes in the new 85,000-square-foot facility beginning with the raw-ingredient supplying.\n\n\"We explained our vision to Hallam, and we benefited from their expertise,\" Yanku said. \"They are in factories all over the world, and they helped us make sure our system would be completely customized for what we do.\"\n\nNow, instead of workers lifting and pouring 50-pound bags, they use a forklift to transport bags that weigh up to 2,200 pounds onto a loading cell. The cell then adds the ingredients into the hopper. Likewise, on the back end, the feeding of packets into cases has also been automated.\n\nWorkers in the new facility also now have better production information to help them monitor batches and make better decisions in their jobs.\n\n\"We have so much information at our fingertips now,\" Yanku said. \"From my desktop, I can see hundreds of motors, control points, temperatures - everything that's happening and whatever shouldn't be happening. Some of us also get hourly notifications on our smartphones, with basic metrics about how we're doing.\"\n\nShift supervisors are using production tracking and trending data to better coordinate activities in the factory. For example, if they see production is ahead of schedule, they can shut down a line to complete preventative maintenance ahead of schedule, and production-floor operators can see how they're performing by the second and compare their shift's output against others.\n\n\"All three shifts are displayed side by side for the day,\" Yanku said. \"Workers come in for their shift and see how many cases the other shifts filled. It creates some healthy competition between the shifts and motivates to them to do even better.\"\n\n*** Moving Fast and Smart ***\n\nThe new factory has more than tripled Edesia's annual production capacity to about 25,000 metric tons.\n\n\"With help from this new factory, we've now reached 10 million children in more than 50 countries since 2010, far more children than we would have reached running our old facility.\" Salem said.\n\nAnd with a load literally off their backs, production workers have found not only new roles but also renewed purpose thanks to the new factory's modern manufacturing technologies. For example, one woman who used to be a box packer has become the resident expert on the facility's state-of-the-art packaging equipment.\n\n\"She started by operating the robotic cell and now she's a trainer,\" Yanku said. \"She knows every single function in this factory and understands all the equipment. If a machine isn't working correctly, she's a first point of contact. And there are at least a dozen others like her who have made a similar transition.\"\n\nThe larger, more efficient factory has also helped Edesia lower its price of production every quarter.\n\n\"We are obsessed with efficiencies, with reducing waste and with having our processes constantly reviewed,\" Salem said. \"We know what the ROI is on every piece of equipment we have and how to capitalize on that ROI. That allows us to make decisions to add technology, creating a more efficient process and lowering our costs, all so we can reach more malnourished children.\"\n\nEdesia has also used the larger facility to add a commercial production line to its operations. Its first commercial product, MeWe, was developed for the U.S. market to help introduce peanuts to children at an early age to help ward off peanut allergies for many. What's more, all the profits from this new product go back to Edesia's efforts to help reach more malnourished children.\n\n\"We're a strange combination of advanced manufacturing and nonprofit,\" Salem said. \"We're trying to move as fast and smart as we can to bring nutritional solutions to as many people as possible.\"\n\nTo learn more about Edesia and how you can help their mission to help treat and prevent malnutrition in the world's most vulnerable populations, visit https://www.edesianutrition.org/.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Edesia's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n[1] Children: Reducing Mortality, World Health Organization, Sept. 19, 2018\n\nTrademark Information:\n\nPlantPAx\u00ae is a trademark of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\n\nTAG: process-automation-control\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\nTAG: plantpax\nTAG: plantpax-dcs\n\n",
    "supplier-reduces-cost-mes": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/supplier-reduces-cost-mes\n\nTITLE: MES Solution Enhances Modern Manufacturing\n\nSpecial Products & Mfg., Inc. has been serving OEMs for over 50 years, specializing in metal fabrication, contract manufacturing, welding, and more. A premier ISO 9001:2015 certified company, they are committed to driving innovation and redefining what it means to be a modern manufacturing company.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\n* Modernizing Business Operations\n\nAlways looking for ways to modernize their business, Special Products & Mfg. Inc.\u00a0(SPM) knew that many of their internal and operational processes needed to be updated. For example, the workforce was relying on company knowledge that was based largely on memory. This made it difficult to systemize that knowledge, document it formally, and make it accessible to everyone. The memory-based knowledge was also making it difficult to add new knowledge and best practices that would help the company grow.\n\nAdditionally, SPM was running on manual processes for scheduling shifts, reporting quality issues, and extracting reports-all tasks that were vulnerable to human error. For example, non-conformance issues would be recorded on hand-written pieces of paper, delivered to the management team, and two or three days later, make their way to critical downstream departments.\n\nFinally, SPM was challenged by reports that were difficult to extract from their current system and that had unreliable accuracy. Staff would have to take time to pull data from one portal and manually type it into an ERP. SPM was not able to forecast which and how many parts they would need in the coming months, leaving them to scramble to fill customer orders while dealing with each part's varying lead time.\n\n\n\n* On the Hunt for an MES Solution-More Efficiency, Reliability, and Connectivity\n\nSPM needed streamlined processes, better access to reliable data, and more connectivity between departments. As a company that walks its talk, the team searched for an MES solution to help them modernize this part of their business once and for all.\n\nWhen SPM found the Plex MES solution, they knew they found a platform designed exactly for their needs. They were looking to eliminate manual work prone to human error, connect departments to one another, and ensure 100% data accuracy. Specifically, SPM implemented three core Plex solutions: MES, Quality Management, and Production Monitoring.\u00a0\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\n* MES\n\nSPM sought to eliminate the reliance on memory-based knowledge and the challenges associated with systemizing, documenting, and making knowledge accessible to all employees. The Plex MES solution played a pivotal role in streamlining this aspect. By providing a centralized platform for managing production activities in real-time, the MES solution allowed SPM to digitize and organize crucial information, breaking free from memory-bound processes. The system facilitated seamless coordination between different teams, ensuring that everyone had access to up-to-date and standardized knowledge.\n\n\n\n* Quality Management\n\n\"The cost of quality has been a big focus for our strategic plan,\" says Nora Harding, Executive Vice President at SPM. Nora and her team knew that Plex's Quality Management module would empower them to shift from manual processes for recording non-conformance to a digitized, automated system. This not only enhanced accuracy but also accelerated the identification and resolution of quality issues. Real-time visibility into quality metrics allowed SPM to proactively address concerns, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.\n\n\n\n* Production Monitoring\n\n\"We used to have one system that was operationally focused. It did not have great reporting or metrics that we could get from it,\" says Nora. That's why the SPM team also chose to implement the Plex Production Monitoring tool. This module offered real-time insights into production activities, enabling swift and accurate reporting. The system's ability to extract and present data in a user-friendly format eliminated the need for manual data entry, reducing the risk of errors. Production Monitoring also empowered SPM to forecast part requirements more accurately, optimizing inventory management and ensuring timely fulfillment of customer orders.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\n* Product Quality\n\nFrom a product quality perspective, the Plex Quality Management module has been amazing for SPM. Reporting non-conformance issues used to take days to trickle down to critical departments. With Quality Management, all quality data is electronically in the system with 100% accuracy and accessibility to everyone. During an audit, managers can pull reports with reliable data on a moment's notice, which has helped improve SPM's Cost of Quality. Plex has also helped SPM improve their company culture. Armed with data, associates can pose informed questions to managers and provide recommendations.\n\n\n\n* Shop Floor Operations\n\nPlex has transformed shop floor operations at SPM. Since implementation, SPM saw a 75% increase in revenue per FTE. Before Plex, scheduling was a very manual process. Since implementation, supervisors use the hot list to make adjustments before and during shifts to make sure associates have what they need at any time. Supervisors can pull data easily to see a 10-min look at what they need to know for the rest of the day to make sure everything is on track. It also helps supervisors ensure that any automated work was completed successfully the night before.\n\nSPM also saw a 30% reduction inventory levels, resulting in lower carrying costs and better cash flow. Plex has allowed SPM to practice just-in-time manufacturing. Whenever a customer places an order, there's a lead time. As that part goes through the floor, it stops at various departments. With Plex, SPM can pull reports that allow them to forecast and buy to that forecast. The system will drive when they need to purchase those items.\n\nPerhaps most critical to shop floor operations is that previously disparate departments can now collaborate seamlessly. Bo Carroll, Engineering Manager at SPM says, \"I'm most excited about the total connectivity that we can have, that kind of connectivity from the front to the back is super exciting and Plex has allowed us to do that.\"\n\n\n\n* Workforce Management\n\nWhen it comes to cultivating a successful, engaged team of shop associates, \"it's all about having what they need, when they need it,\" says Tanya Lance, HR Manager at SPM. Plex has enabled SPM to execute a smooth onboarding process from when associates are hired to when they enter the shop floor. With Plex, SPM can support their associates with great technology in their internal systems, just as they connect them with great technology in their equipment on the shop floor.\n\nAssociates get particular use out of the Employee Suggestion module. It allows users to feel heard and build SPM's culture of employee engagement. While employee engagement has been a longstanding value at SPM, \"Plex allowed us to take that to the next level,\" says Tanya. More tangibly, Plex's streamlining of employee processes and maximizing of employee time has given SPM the ability to scale their business without adding headcount.\n\nSPM has always had strong values of innovation, quality, and teamwork. Plex's MES solution and other tools are helping SPM live out those values in every aspect of the business and achieve tangible results-from product quality to shop floor operations to workforce management.\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: metals\n\nTAG: plex\n\n",
    "europhartech-implements-holistic-fully-integrated-serialization-": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/europhartech-implements-holistic-fully-integrated-serialization-\n\nTITLE: Europhartech Implements Holistic Fully Integrated Serialization Project\n\nFor several years,\u00a0Europhartech has been implementing a continuous investment policy, firstly to make its production ever more agile and, secondly, to comply with future demands and legislation. Therefore, in order to anticipate new serialization regulation in February 2019, it has devoted more than 40% of its investments to the implementation of a serialization solution on its medicine packaging lines - a significant investment for an SME with a turnover of 20 million euros.\n\nFounded 20 years ago in Auvergne region, France, the company develops and produces medicines and food supplements for pharmaceutical and veterinary laboratories around the world. It provides complete support for projects, from production through to shipment of the finished product. All of these activities are spread over two sites, with a total area of over 10,000 m^2. Each year, 400 million tablets are manufactured and more than 30 million cases and jars are packaged.\n\nEurophartech differentiates itself through its ability to produce small and medium batch sizes to meet specific needs, such as fragile and niche products. It also possesses expertise in the production of medicines for healthcare centres, for which it designs pre-cut blister packs that facilitate unit dispensing.\n\nSerialization and tamper-proofing will concern 10 to 12 million boxes a year - 70% of Europhartech's activity - all destined for the European market. For this project, Europhartech turned to leading automation and information solutions supplier, Rockwell Automation and serialisation machine specialist H2M Technologies.\n\n*** CHALLENGE ***\n\nEach of the five production lines covered by this project manufactures both medicines and food supplements, with manufacturing orders varying in nature and volume. The manufacture of a batch of medicines, to which the serialization and tamper-proofing system will apply, may be followed by the manufacture of a batch to which only one operation applies, or, indeed, neither. The solution therefore needed to adapt to the demands of each order.\n\nMarking is currently performed by a conventional ink jet printer, and then read and verified by an obsolete camera. This system is poorly optimized for the production line, as some boxes were not marked. This caused their rejection, generating extra costs. Finally, the specifications impose a reduction in the rate of production line failures in order to increase productivity. The new serialisation solution will mitigate this marking problem, with a marking-rate target of 100%.\n\nProject success will also depend on the smooth running of serial number exchanges. Its good execution will impose an irreproachable interfacing between Europhartech's computer networks and those of its customers. The solution must therefore assure data integrity.\n\n*** SOLUTION ***\n\nEurophartech was advised and supported by Rockwell Automation and by H2M Technologies, a specialist company, which offers a variety of machines for track & trace solutions for pharmaceutical packaging lines, delivering serialization, aggregation and tamper-evident printing capabilities. In addition to the new production line configuration - now with two horizontal conveyors - new cameras with OCR capabilities have been deployed to greatly reduce or even eliminate rejects.\n\nRockwell Automation proposed a configurable and pre-validated base solution, which significantly reduces implementation time. The serialization solution is based on its\u00a0Rockwell Software(R) PharmaSuite(R) MES platform, using a client-server architecture running FactoryTalk(R) View Site Edison (SE). The Product Management Client (PMC) is designed as a module of the PharmaSuite MES and acts as an operator-interaction screen. Unlike many solutions designed and developed from Tier 1 systems, the Rockwell Automation serialization solution is designed as a Tier 3 specific module. It therefore benefits from the ability to interface with other ERP and MES suites, as well as line controllers and lower-tier machines.\n\nFrom an automation perspective, the project employs an Allen-Bradley(R) ControlLogix(R) programmable automation controller (PAC). This is powerful processor that is specified due to the large amounts of serialisation data it needs to store. Should the serialisation server fail, the PAC can run autonomously using the pre-downloaded data.\u00a0Allen-Bradley CompactLogixTM PACs can also be used if a full batch download is not required. Due to the Logix range's scalability, very little effort is required to change controllers.\n\nVisualisation and operator interaction is provided by an Allen-Bradley VersaView(R) industrial computer, Although FactoryTalk View does not normally need a computer equipped HMI, in this instance more functionality was required as was the need to run parts of the PharmaSuite client on screen. The PLC and motion solution can also be controlled from this interface.\n\nFor product movement and orientation, the serialisation solution deploys several Allen-Bradley Kinetix(R) servo drives. These are used to control both the upper and lower belt rotation, the vertical position of the upper belt (to cater for varying box sizes) and the two-axis printer head. Servo delivered accuracy is important to synchronise printing and the application of the tamper evidence solution. This accuracy is coupled to the flexibility need to cater for a variety of box sizes, with simple re-programming or recipe selection via the HMI.\n\nThe Rockwell Automation solution is also scalable, and can adapt depending on the needs of Europhartech. For example, centralized serial number management and tamper-proofing, which the PMC allows, can be extended to aggregation. The randomized serial numbers, supplied by the company's ERP system, are sent to the workshop via the MES where the PMC module will process them. The PMC also supports main recipes and packing orders.\n\nEurophartech also chose a\u00a0predictive maintenance solution from Rockwell Automation, which will be used to reduce or even eliminate faults, a major boost for the group, whose production is performed on a just-in-time basis, operating on a 3 x 8-hour shift basis, sometimes seven days a week.\n\nThis new data architecture, delivering more robust internal and external communication, has taken Europhartech into the arena of the Rockwell Automation Connected Enterprise, an approach which converges plant (OT) and enterprise (IT) networks, and securely connects people, processes and technologies. As well as addressing upcoming serialisation regulations, it also covers all primary facets of an Industry 4.0 approach and, in this instance, Pharma 4.0.\n\n*** RESULTS ***\n\nOf the five lines to be modernised, the first was upgraded in March 2018, with final roll-out scheduled for November 2018. Europhartech started with serialization and tamper-proofing, preferring to postpone aggregation until it is more familiar with the new tool. It also wished to test its potential in order to refine the settings under varying real-life conditions, comprising successive batches of different medicines.\n\nEurophartech will be ready to meet all the requirements of current and future regulations by June 2018, giving it a significant competitive and commercial advantage, and improving serialization information exchange with its partner customers. Its maintenance teams already appreciate the design of the module, including front-facing label projection. They also welcome the line's agility, which manufacturing/process line switching easier than before.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\n\n\nTAG: life-sciences\n\n",
    "stretch-wrap-automated": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/stretch-wrap-automated\n\nTITLE: Orion Delivers Premium Stretch Wrapping Technology\n\nOrion --Packaging is a leader in heavy-duty industrial stretch wrapping technology. They are a part of ProMach, a family of best-in-class packaging and processing solution brands that serve manufacturers in the food & beverage, pharma, household, and industrial goods industries. Orion is a member of the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM program. Pat Pownall is the Director of Sales for Orion Packaging.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\n* A flexible freight solution\n\nIn today's global marketplace, products often travel quite a distance from the warehouse to the point of sale. Merchandise in transit is subject to many hazards like moisture, rough handling, or improper storage.\n\nTo prevent damage, most businesses unitize their products by placing them on pallets and wrapping them with layers of plastic film. Stretch wrap, a thin plastic film, keeps the product in place by applying tension. The stretch wrap also helps protect the products from dust, water, and other potential contaminants. And while more layers of stretch wrap can better protect a pallet of product (up to a point), using more stretch wrap quickly drives up shipping costs and increases plastic waste.\n\n\"Shipments that are damaged in transit get shipped back to the sender, where they must be repalletized, rewrapped, and reshipped,\" says Pat Pownall, Director of Sales at Orion Packaging. \"That can cost anywhere from $700 per pallet to upwards of $5000 per pallet.\"\n\nAs there was a growing need for this solution, Orion Packaging needed a reliable and consistent partner for the control system on their premium line of machinery. The company decided to integrate Rockwell Automation controls into its Flex line of high-quality stretch wrappers.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\n* Effective, Repeatable Performance\n\nTo help its customers control stretch wrap usage-by far the most expensive part of the process-the machines in the Flex line are designed to wrap pallets of product quickly and efficiently - while using the least amount of stretch film:\n\n    * The S-Carriage InstaThread Pre-Stretch Film Carriage pre-stretches film by up to 260% before application. This significantly reduces the amount of film needed - driving down costs and reducing waste.\n\n\n\n    * The Orion RevoLogicTM technology uses tooth counting technology and load-height sensing photo-eyes to apply the precise number of wraps needed to secure the product.\n\n\n\n    * The Controls System, designed in partnership with the Rockwell Automation Configured Solutions Business (CSB) uses a Micro850(R) PLC, PowerFlex(R) 525 drive, PanelViewTM 800 graphic terminal, and Stratix(R) Ethernet switch. The controls system is easy to use, set up, maintain, and repair.\u00a0\n\nThe result? A premium line of stretch wrappers that are reliable and easy to use for both operators and maintenance staff.\n\n\"If we tell the Flex pallet wrapper to put three wraps on the top and three wraps on the bottom, that's exactly what you will get: three wraps. Other technologies read a 'home' position, which would apply three wraps plus some excess,\" Pat explains.\n\nThis consistency also applies to the pre-stretch. According to Pat, \"The stretch wrapper does the same job every time a pallet is brought to it. If you're stretching the wrap by hand, you might get a 40% pre-stretch in the morning, and by the time the afternoon comes around, you're getting somewhere in the vicinity of only 20% pre-stretch. Machine-based stretching is more effective and consistent - it gives you a 260% pre-stretch every time.\"\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\n* Orion Delivers Savings and Delivers them Quickly\n\nOrion's customers are currently saving up to 15% in film costs thanks to the Orion Flex line, along with other stretch wrapping machines that use the Orion S-Carriage.\n\n\"In addition to savings on stretch wrap, our customers experience labor savings,\" Pat says. \"The machine approach is efficient and more effective. More pallets get wrapped in the same amount of time, and there is less rework for the operator.\"\n\nOrion is able to get machines in the hands of customers quickly from their facility in Alexandria, Minnesota. \"We pride ourselves on being able to deliver most machines in two to four weeks, depending on the season,\" says Pat. \"With Rockwell Automation as a Partner and supplier, we have a reliable and consistent supply of components and parts we can rely on,\" says Pat. \"Their level of service and support is next level when we have unique projects that require custom programming or applications.\"\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\nTAG: sensors-and-switches\nTAG: human-machine-interface\nTAG: programmable-controllers\n\n",
    "king-county-preserves-the-past-with-new-drawbridge": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/king-county-preserves-the-past-with-new-drawbridge\n\nTITLE: King County Preserves the Past with New Drawbridge\n\n** Preserving a link to the past **\n\nWhen Seattle's decades-old South Park Bridge closed, the thousands of commuters who crossed the bridge daily lost a vital connection between the city's south-end working-class community and the rest of the city.\n\nOfficials vowed to replace the iconic drawbridge that had carried traffic over the Duwamish River since 1931. And within a matter of months, funding was indeed secured for a multi-year, total project cost of $175\u00a0million for replacement of the bridge.\n\nA critical element of the new bridge was the drive controls used to operate the raising and lowering of the bridge's draw span. While only a small fraction of the total project cost, the controls were essential to providing safe, reliable bridge operations. At the same time, it was also important that the drive controls share commonality with the controls used in other Seattle bridges to streamline maintenance and inspection activities and ensure that any local bridge operator could easily adjust to the new bridge's system.\n\n** Everything old is new again **\n\nDuring World War II, thousands of workers crossed the South Park Bridge to help produce Boeing's B-17 Flying Fortress - and later other versions of Boeing's heavy bombers. Millions of tons of barge and ocean-going vessels also passed through the bridge over the years to help sustain local industries.\n\nThese decades of heavy use left the bridge in poor condition, with King County officials spending significant time and resources on maintenance and refurbishment to keep the bridge operational.\n\n\"The bridge started settling, or moving, and we had to continuously alter it to allow it to land and align properly,\" said Larry Finnick, bridge electrical and mechanical maintenance supervisor for SDOT Roadway Structures who operate and maintain the bridge for King County. \"The underwater cross waterway wiring was also failing. Wires were shorting out and causing problems with the operations. And electrical components were outdated and obsolete.\"\n\nA 6.8-magnitude earthquake in the Puget Sound region only further compromised the structure. Shortly after the 2001 Nisqually earthquake, King County inspectors gave the bridge a score of 6 out of a possible 100 and eventually closed the bridge to ground traffic in 2010 for safety reasons.\n\nWhen it came time to replace the bridge, King County, who owns the bridge, sought to create a new, state-of-the-art bridge - while still preserving some of its history. The old South Park Bridge was, after all, on the National Register of Historic Places. Residents also made it clear that they wanted it to keep the bridge's familiar architecture.\n\nBut it wasn't only the bridge's look that needed to be preserved.\n\nPlanners also decided to continue the tradition of other Seattle drawbridges using DC drive technology for the movement of the structure. While AC drive technology has become the solution of choice for most heavy movable applications, the use of DC drive technology would keep inspection and maintenance activities for the new bridge consistent with other city owned and operated movable bridges.\n\n** Drawing on experience **\n\nSystems Interface, a systems integrator based in the Seattle area and Solution Partner in the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM program, was tasked with designing, specifying and installing the new South Park Bridge control system. To do this, the company leveraged its extensive experience delivering control solutions for movable bridges, including drawbridges in the Seattle area.\n\nFor the bridge's DC drives, Systems Interface chose the Rockwell Automation PowerFlex DC digital drives. The drives provide precise speed and current regulation, easy programmability and extensive diagnostics. Allen-Bradley CENTERLINE 2100 Motor Control Centers (MCCs) were also selected for integrated control and power in one package.\n\nFor the bridge's automation control, Systems Interface chose the Allen-Bradley ControlLogix controllers. While various steps of the bridge's operation would be initiated manually by an operator in the bridge's control tower, the controller would manage dozens of subsystems and functions, including alarm enunciation, center lock actuation and brake sequencing.\n\nAn Allen-Bradley integrated display computer with FactoryTalk View software was chosen to give workers in the control tower access to critical information about bridge operations, maintenance and inspections.\n\n** Reliable, familiar bridge operations **\n\nKing County celebrated the grand opening of the new South Park Bridge four years to the day after the old bridge closed and decommissioned.\n\nSystems Interface supported the on-time opening by taking advantage of the premier integration between the controller and drive. The ability to configure the two devices in one design environment and use integrated drive profiles in that environment helped save development time. Premier integration also provided easy access to drive diagnostics for maintenance purposes.\n\nThe control solution that Systems Interface implemented has brought reliability to the South Park Bridge's operations and consistency with the control systems used in other City of Seattle owned and operated movable bridges, while also providing additional operational benefits.\n\n\"We've been using Rockwell Automation drives for a while, and one of the reasons we like them so much is because they load share,\" Finnick said. \"You don't have a differential. You just have two separate motors on each side of the bridge, and they lift the bridge up and down and share the load.\"\n\nLooking to the future, Systems Interface's movable bridge know-how combined with Rockwell\u00a0Automation's product lifecycle support may prove valuable to sustaining the new bridge's control system for the long-term - the very long-term. The South Park Bridge has an anticipated 100-year lifespan, and over that time, the control system will require migration to new processors, I/O cards and platforms.\n\n\"I've been doing drive systems for over 20 years, now, and I've always been really impressed with everything from Rockwell Automation,\" Finnick said. \"I love the ease of operation and of reading and manipulating the logic. But I've also been really happy with Rockwell Automation's ability to support migrations. Working with them, I know we'll always have the support we need.\"\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to King County's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nTrademark Information:\n\nAllen-Bradley, CENTERLINE, ControlLogix, FactoryTalk and PowerFlex are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\n\nTAG: industrial-automation-and-control\n\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: factorytalk-view-se\nTAG: factorytalk-view-me\n\n",
    "digital-transformation-with-bic": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/digital-transformation-with-bic\n\nTITLE: Digital Transformation with BIC\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\nTAG: mes-solutions\n\nTAG: household-and-personal-care\n\n",
    "oem-solution--combi-packaging-systems": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/oem-solution--combi-packaging-systems\n\nTITLE: OEM Solution: Combi Packaging Systems\n\nIncreased global competition is driving leaner operation in today's manufacturing facilities.\n\nTo gain efficiencies, more companies are incorporating disruptive technologies, such as robotics, across their plant floors.\n\nThanks to a recent product innovation introduced by Combi Packaging Systems, manufacturers can now reap the advantages of robotic technology in shorter run, end-of-the-line operations.\n\nBased in Canton, Ohio, this supplier of customized packaging equipment has added a robotic pick and pack feature to its leading product, the Ergopack(R) packing station. The new Ergopack robot-assisted packing station was developed through a strategic alliance with Motion Controls Robotics.\n\n\"Our standard Ergopack hand packing station is ideally suited for products that don't lend themselves to automatic packing,\" said Susan Lewis, marketing manager, Combi Packaging Systems. \"Now we off er a robotic arm option, which can automatically pack these products up to 25 percent faster.\"\n\nErgonomically built for ease of use and operator comfort, the standard hand packing station combines an integrated case erector, product infeed conveyor, case conveyor, operator pack station and case sealer. The robotic option can be ordered with new installations or retrofi tted to expand the functionality of existing stations.\n\nWith the addition of the FANUC robot, mounted to the floor at the back side of the pack station, users can minimize human intervention in diffi cult or hazardous packaging tasks.\n\n\"Combi Packaging Systems is the first company to offer an ergonomically designed hand packing machine that incorporates an alternative where the end user never needs to touch a case,\" Lewis explained.\n\nThe robotic option is also ideally suited to applications that must comply with regulations governing product lots and expiration dates, serialization numbers or retail packaging requirements.\n\n\"The robotic functionality - combined with an optional vision system - allows users to address these requirements very cost-effectively,\" Lewis explained. \"The vision system can be programmed to read and record unique product numbers by specific case. The system can also recognize product orientation on the infeed conveyor.\"\n\nBuilt for flexibility, the robotic arm can be \"parked\" when not in use to enable complete manual packing when needed. To minimize contact with the robotic functionality and help safeguard operators, the robot-assisted station includes an enclosed and guarded hand-pack area.\n\nThe robot-assisted option features a Rockwell Automation solution including an Allen-Bradley(R) MicroLogixTM programmable logic controller, integrated on EtherNet/IPTM to communicate with and control an Allen-Bradley Kinetix(R) 300 EtherNet/IP indexing servo drive.\n\nAllen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) 520-Series AC drives supply power control. Allen-Bradley Guardmaster(R) safety relays help provide machine and personnel protection. The robot-assisted area is integrated with the packing station's CompactLogixTM programmable automation controller via EtherNet/IP and monitored on an Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM Component C400 graphic terminal.\n\nWith the robot-assisted functionality now available, Combi Packaging Systems is well positioned to provide end users with customized solutions that meet a broad range of unique packaging requirements - and complement other systems in their plants.\n\n\"For years, we have used Rockwell Automation solutions to control our machines,\" Lewis said. \"Allen-Bradley products are a recognized standard within the packaging industry and are known for their reliability. Our end users have common knowledge of this platform - and can easily integrate our machines with other packaging equipment in their facilities.\"\n\nFor more information, contact: Susan Lewis Marketing Manager Combi Packaging Systems, LLC Phone: 330.456.9333, Email: sulewis@combi.com or sales@combi.com.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: household-and-personal-care\n\n",
    "wonderful-pistachios-meets-global-demand-with-food-production-fa": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/wonderful-pistachios-meets-global-demand-with-food-production-fa\n\nTITLE: Wonderful Pistachios Meets Global Demand With Food Production Facility\n\nPistachio trees didn't exist in this country in the 1930s. Today, the U.S. is the world's second-largest producer - and worldwide demand continues to grow.\n\nOnce reserved for royalty, pistachios have become a global snack sensation. People are hungry for the green nut because of its unique flavor, along with its natural health attributes. Like almonds, walnuts and other nut varieties, pistachios are packed with protein, antioxidants and fiber.\n\nWonderful Pistachios is a leader in satisfying worldwide demand for this tiny treat. The company is based in California's central San Joaquin Valley, the heart of America's pistachio industry. To flourish, the trees require cool winters and long, hot summers with low humidity. This largely limits pistachio production to three primary places on the planet - Iran, Turkey and California.\n\nToday, Wonderful Pistachios alone accounts for 50 percent of the global pistachio market and 65 percent of the domestic sales. To continue to grow, Wonderful Pistachios needed a new facility where it could convert more raw fruit into the roasted - and usually salted - snack craved by consumers around the world.\n\n***** Building a New Facility - Fast *****\n\nThe first stage of the production process - hulling - is time-sensitive. The nuts come off of the trees encased in a protective outer layer, which must be quickly removed to prevent spoiling. That's why Wonderful Pistachios built the new facility in Firebaugh, California, close to the pistachio groves.\n\nThe hulling section of the new facility needed to be ready in time for the harvest, which begins in September and lasts eight to 10 weeks. After hulling, the nuts can be stored for the year-round processes of sorting, roasting, salting and packaging. Company managers planned to complete those subsequent sections once the hulling area was up and running.\n\nThey projected that more than 4.8 million pounds of pistachios would be hulled each day of the harvest. To handle such a huge volume - eventually across the entire production process - the new facility required major infrastructure investments, including a 30-megawatt transmission substation and miles of natural gas pipes.\n\nWith that groundwork under way, the company began planning the design of the hulling and production lines.\n\nTo manage the entire process, the Wonderful Pistachios team needed a control solution they could implement quickly, and later expand to include critical stages, such as pasteurization and precise roasting.\n\n***** Precise Controls for a Precise Process *****\n\nThe choice of a control solution collaborator was straightforward for the project team since they've worked with Rockwell Automation for over 20 years. Almost 15 years ago, Wonderful Pistachios began standardizing on the Rockwell Automation control platform, including motor control centers (MCCs).\n\n\"In our industry, the turnaround time for projects is very fast,\" said Don Kloster, electrical engineering manager for Wonderful Pistachios. \"The Rockwell Automation control platform allows us to order and install controllers and MCCs, and start production in a few weeks.\"\n\nTo control the 500 motors powering pistachio production at the new facility, Kloster and his team designed the process, confirmed their motor control needs, and ordered Allen-Bradley CENTERLINE(R) 2100 MCCs from Rockwell Automation in bulk.\n\nThe smart MCCs, integrated with Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) 70 and PowerFlex 525 drives from Rockwell Automation, help provide flexible control of production. The MCCs include preconfigured software that gathers real-time production and diagnostic data, trends, component history, wiring diagrams, user manuals and spare parts.\n\nThe MCCs provide significant startup time savings compared to Wonderful Pistachios' previously in-house built panels. As always, the MCCs were fully inspected before arrival, easing installation for the Wonderful Pistachios team.\n\nIn addition, the MCCs' centralized control and intuitive add-on instructions help provide a lower total cost of ownership compared to the in-house panels by reducing downtime and troubleshooting time. The team can easily make changes in the field, and quickly and safely move MCC buckets as needed.\n\nThe MCCs communicate the production and diagnostic data via an EtherNet/IPTM network to Allen-Bradley ControlLogix(R) programmable automation controllers (PACs) from Rockwell Automation.\n\nFacility operators can access the data directly from the controllers and pull historical production reports within an hour. That data allows them to quickly determine - and if necessary, adjust - production variables, such as dryer temperatures and roaster speeds. With the EtherNet/IP network connectivity, Wonderful Pistachios can monitor all systems remotely and quickly respond to any issues.\n\nIn addition, the open nature of the control platform and the EtherNet/IP network allowed the Wonderful Pistachios team to easily install and connect OEM-supplied equipment. The team purchased dryers, pasteurizers and other equipment without controls, and integrated them into the ControlLogix platform.\n\n***** Production by the Millions *****\n\nAfter the MCCs arrived, the production line was ready to go live within three weeks, just in time for the fall harvest season. Pre-processing then started the following year, which exceeded volume estimates by 15 percent.\n\nWith the control system's reliability and monitoring capabilities, the new facility runs lean.\n\n\"In 2000, 100 people were required to run a facility that would produce 1.5 million pounds per day,\" said Paul Hughes, general manager of capital projects at Wonderful Pistachios. \"At the Firebaugh facility, 10 people onsite manage production of 5.6 million pounds per day during harvest season.\"\n\nBy 2023, the facility will have finishing-processing capabilities, and the entire buildout will be completed by 2025.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Wonderful Pistachios' use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: programmable-controllers\n\n",
    "azerbaijan-state-oil-firm-deploys-process-solution": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/azerbaijan-state-oil-firm-deploys-process-solution\n\nTITLE: Azerbaijan State Oil Firm Deploys Process Solution\n\n*** Background ***\n\nThe State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) is involved in exploring oil and gas fields, producing, processing, and transporting oil, gas, and gas condensate, marketing petroleum and petrochemical products in domestic and international markets, and supplying natural gas to industry and the public in Azerbaijan.\n\nThe Kalmaz underground gas storage, with a total operating capacity of almost 3 billion cubic meters, plays a vital role in supporting the development and stabilization of the gas market in Azerbaijan. The primary parts of the surface facilities of the Kalmaz underground gas storage comprise two-stage separation of solids and condensate, gas flow measurement at wells, gas compression, pre-heating and pressure control and drying and treatment.\n\nInkoel MMC process automation solution is helping SOCAR maximize the capacity of the Kalmaz underground gas storage facility at Hajigabul, 100km from Baku. As a Main Automation Contractor, Inkoel has supplied the core instrumentation and control system, assisted with the associated scope along with the engineering design and responsibility for ensuring compatibility and interfacing of the automation system with interconnected devices.\n\nThe installation of Rockwell Automation PlantPAx\u2122 Process Automation Solution, with about 1,000 I/O has increased visibility into the process, helping the plant to improve control and run closer to its capacity. Automating data collection has also eliminated manual rounds at the plant, improving operator efficiency and safety.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nThe PlantPAx System provides the best available technology for process control, monitoring and gas flow calculation. Included in the server-client architecture:\n\n    * OWS \u2013 Operator Work System\n\n    * PASS \u2013 Process Automation Supervisory Server\n\n    * EtherNet/IP network\n\n    * Prosoft Technology MVI56-AFC for dedicated gas flow and calculation algorithm using ISO-5167 measurement standards\n\n    * Endress+Hauser overload-resistant pressure and differential pressure and temperature smart transmitters provide data for accurate process control and flow calculations\n\nThe 520 smart measurement devices from Endress+Hauser are the real eyes and the ears of the process at the Kalmaz underground gas storage.\n\nThe Prosoft Technology MVI56-AFC Gas and Liquid Flow Computer allows PlantPAx to perform measurement of natural gas using ISO-5167 measurement standards. The module calculates flow rates, accumulated volumes, accumulated mass and accumulated energy up to 16m runs, making it cost effective.\n\nThe most significant benefit of using an in-rack MVI56-AFC flow computer is seamless communications providing data directly to the PlantPAx system. The calculation results are transferred back to the Processor memory for use in the control application or for transfer to Servers and OWS supervisory layer.\n\nWith Ex Interface relay modules the customer gained the right interface solution for the application. Intrinsically safe signal circuits are electrically isolated from the system and the process values are transmitted to the process control system with a high degree of accuracy.\n\nThe consistent and intrinsically safe solution for I/O addresses safety regulations for hazardous installation areas. The enhanced control and superior class visualisation are all integrated on the PlantPAx system to help increase the operational reliability.\n\n*** Results ***\n\n\"We got a robust control system within short installation window time,\" said Dashgin Iskenderov, General Director Azneft PU (SOCAR). \"The SOCAR team was also impressed with the PlantPAx system from Rockwell Automation and combined solution consisting of process management and flow computing.\"\n\nThe consistent and intrinsically safe solution for I/O addresses safety regulations for hazardous installation areas. The enhanced control and superior class visualization are all integrated on the PlantPAx system to help increase the operational reliability.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic's (SOCAR) use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\nTAG: oil-and-gas\n\n",
    "marlen-captures-40--energy-savings-with-new-design": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/marlen-captures-40--energy-savings-with-new-design\n\nTITLE: Marlen Captures 40% Energy Savings with New Design\n\nDesigning equipment that performs consistently year after year in the harsh washdown environment of a meat or poultry processing plant is a challenge. So is keeping pace with evolving sanitary requirements, consumer trends, and new advances in technology.\n\nMarlen, a premium manufacturer of highly engineered food processing equipment and systems, has addressed these challenges extraordinarily well with its longstanding and reliable line of Opti Series vacuum stuffing and pumping systems.\n\n\"We introduced our Opti pump series in the 1950s,\" said Doug Wilson, director of engineering, Marlen. \"It's very typical to see our equipment running in plants more than 30 years after it was first installed.\"\n\nRecently, Marlen introduced the OptiServ 340, a model that promises more precise control, better energy efficiency - and hygienic design. The OptiServ 340 is designed for product throughput up to 34,000 pounds per hour.\n\n** From Hydraulics to Servos **\n\nOptiServ systems use vacuum pumps to portion and deposit whole muscle, sectioned, formed or emulsified meat or poultry into sausage casings, rollstock film packaging or downstream equipment.\n\nHistorically, Opti Series pumps and ancillary components were controlled by hydraulics. While these systems continue to perform well, Marlen opted for a different approach in their OptiServ 340 design to address an industry shift away from hydraulic systems.\n\n\"Our machines have always used food grade hydraulic oil,\" Wilson said. \"But manufacturers today simply do not want oils and other foreign materials anywhere near the product. This is one of the factors that drove us to design a servo system.\"\n\n\"Also, servos can achieve a much higher degree of accuracy,\" Wilson added.\n\nPortioning precision is critical in all food packaging applications. To ensure product meets advertised packaged weight, manufacturers often err slightly on the heavy side when defining portion size.\n\n\"For manufacturers, even a one percent overage in portion weight can translate to thousands of dollars wasted,\" Wilson said. \"Our new system is designed to deliver precise portions every time.\"\n\n** Tighter Tolerances. Better Accuracy. **\n\nThe OptiServ 340 system features a two-piston servo design. Product enters the machine hopper where an auger drives it into the main vacuum chamber. Here, two cylindrical sleeves working opposite each other capture the product. Two piston pumps push the product through the sleeves and out the end of the machine. The front rotary valve shifts from left to right to distribute product from one piston to another, thereby maintaining continuous flow.\n\nThe machine runs on a Rockwell Automation control platform featuring an Allen-Bradley CompactLogixTM controller. Allen-Bradley MP-SeriesTM servo motors and Allen-Bradley Kinetix(R) 5700 EtherNet/IPTM servo drives control the piston pumps, sleeves and front rotary valve. An Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) 525 AC drive controls the auger. The system is integrated on EtherNet/IP and is monitored on an Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM Plus 7 stainless steel graphic terminal.\n\n\"Servos have a much higher resolution than hydraulics, so you can maintain tighter tolerances and be more accurate with the product flow and portioning,\" Wilson explained.\n\nAnd because the servo-driven system also holds better vacuum, more entrapped air can be removed from the final product.\n\n\"The result is a great looking, consistent product,\" Wilson said.\n\n** More Energy Efficiency **\n\nWhile servos are intrinsically more energy efficient than hydraulics, the OptiServ 340 system uses Kinetix 5700 regenerative bus supply capabilities to accelerate energy savings. The system monitors servo energy usage and regenerates excess energy back to the AC power source for other servos to use.\n\n\"Our customers are concerned about power management,\" said Wilson. \"And this system uses about 40% less energy than the hydraulic stuffers.\"\n\n** Simpler to Maintain. Easier to Use. **\n\nThe transition from hydraulics to servo control also results in a less complex system - with about one-third fewer parts.\n\n\"Hygienic design also improved system maintainability,\" Wilson said. \"Since the equipment handles raw products, it is cleaned at least once a day - and more often if there are changeovers.\"\n\nTo ease sanitation, the machine features easy-to-clean sloped surfaces with no external hinges - and a patented no-leak electrical enclosure tested to withstand washdown procedures. In addition, the system features tool-free disassembly, which enables machine teardown in about 2.5 minutes.\n\nThe OptiServ 340 system also comes equipped with an innovative HMI based on icons - not words. Now standard on Marlen equipment, the HMI is designed to ease training and operation for a diverse - and often multilingual - workforce.\n\n\"Put simply, the new servo system is designed to address contemporary customer needs - and to drive a lower cost of ownership throughout the life of the equipment,\" said Wilson.\n\nLearn more about how Rockwell Automation helps improve machine builder performance.\n\n\nTAG: industrial-automation-and-control\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: programmable-controllers\n\n",
    "eagle-quality-testing": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/eagle-quality-testing\n\nTITLE: Eagle Technologies Simplifies Quality Testing\n\nJack Uhl is vice president of Business Development and Sales for Eagle Technologies. They build custom machines that automate factories worldwide. A member of the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM, Eagle serves a variety of industries including aerospace, automotive, and electric vehicle.\n\nOne of Eagle's long-time customers, a leading global aerospace company that manufacturers its own servo motors, needed to create a test cell for a wide range of motor sizes with multiple encoder options. Eagle's challenge was to develop a testing solution that used a single servo controller able to handle more than 100 different servo motor options.\n\nWatch the Video\n\n**** \u00a0 ****\n\n**** Jack Uhl ****\n\n**** VP of Business Development and Sales, Eagle Technologies ****\n\n\"They needed help with how to leverage one drive that could perform testing with multiple encoder inputs,\" Jack explains. \"We worked with Rockwell Automation and Kendall Electric, a distributor we utilize, to help our controls engineering team come up with a solution.\"\n\nThat solution features Rockwell Automation's PowerFlex(R)\u00a0755 Drive, Compact GuardLogix(R) controller, and an ENC1 Encoder.\n\nIncreasing Efficiency while Exceeding Customer Expectations\n\n\"We used the PLC controller to generate the recipes for the parameters of each motor drive which is then interpreted through a barcode scan,\" Jack says. \"So, every time a specific motor was loaded into the test center, we were able to check speed, torque and linear profile.\"\n\nEagle's solution not only enabled its aerospace customer to meet mandatory test criteria, but also streamlined and optimized the testing system.\n\n\"Utilizing one common drive is a lot more efficient than multiple drives. So, we did have some power savings there,\" Jack explains. \"But ultimately, what impressed the customer was the robustness of the Rockwell Automation solution and our ability to minimize the number of solution components.\"\n\nDemonstrating the Benefits of Technology Advancements\n\nWhile Jack describes this aerospace customer as an early adopter of new technology, he notes other customers, regardless of sector, require a bit more encouragement and understanding.\n\n\"I think customers sometimes default to what they know,\" he says. \"Our job as an integrator, along with Rockwell Automation as a provider, is to educate customers about the value proposition of investing in technology because the long-term results of applying newer technology far exceed performance of current equipment.\"\n\nSuch educational efforts include demonstrating new technologies. For example, Eagle has been on the cutting edge of advancements in the automotive market, including battery and motor production for electrical vehicles. That's why Rockwell Automation asked Eagle to develop a prototype lithium-ion battery assembly and test system for its Electric Vehicle Innovation Center, in San Jose, California.\n\n\"It's a fantastic demonstration of smart machine technologies now available across our broad portfolios, including robotics, artificial intelligence and augmented reality,\" Jack says. \"And when customers across the globe visit, they're very impressed with both Rockwell Automation and hopefully Eagle as well.\"\n\nTAG: industrial-networks\nTAG: integrated-architecture\nTAG: network-architectures\n\nTAG: aerospace\n\nTAG: drives-ac-low-voltage\nTAG: controllogix\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: human-machine-interface\nTAG: industrial-control-products\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: sensors-and-switches\n\n",
    "data-analytics-help-boost-oee-at-rockline-industries": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/data-analytics-help-boost-oee-at-rockline-industries\n\nTITLE: Data Analytics Help Boost OEE at Rockline Industries\n\nAmericans are more germ-conscious than ever. That's one factor fueling the demand for hard-surface disinfectant wipes, which are designed to remove bacteria and viruses on everything from kitchen counters to doorknobs.\n\nConvenience is another major factor: You can simply pull the ready-to-use wipes from a plastic canister, rather than turning to the more traditional spray-and-paper-towel method of household cleaning.\n\nRockline Industries\u00a0has built a healthy business by manufacturing these disposable, private label wipes for major retailers. At its plant in Sheboygan, Wisconsin\u00a0\u2014 one of seven the company operates globally\u00a0\u2014 Rockline produces millions of wet-wipe canisters a week.\n\n\"It's been a great run for these product lines and the demand continues to skyrocket,\" said Pat Rusch, operations manager at Rockline's Sheboygan plant, which also manufactures coffee filters. \"We can sell every canister we can produce.\"\n\nAt the same time, he said, \"It's been a tremendous challenge scaling our operations with that growth.\"\n\nThat means that any increase in incremental capacity is well worth the return in revenue.\n\n\"An incremental 5 percent in throughput is an incremental 5 percent in capacity for us, which means an incremental 5 percent that we can sell,\" explained Frank Hacker, general manager at the plant.\"\n\nTo capture those dollars, plant management embarked on a journey in 2006 to obtain the real-time data that's essential to drive continuous improvement.\n\n*** A Backward System ***\n\nBack in 2006, the overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) for many of the manufacturing cells on the wet-wipe side of the plant was below 50 percent.\n\nImproving that number would require better visibility into how the lines and the individual machines were operating within in the five large work cells, which operate 24 hours a day.\n\nEach manufacturing cell is dedicated to producing a specific size or type of wet wipe. The products vary in count and ingredients, including different sanitizing formulations and scents.\n\nThe high-speed packaging process begins with a \"parent\" roll of nonwoven fabric or substrate, which is automatically slit, perforated and wound into individual rolls of wipes. The rolls then are placed into rigid plastic canisters and filled with liquid ingredients. The container lids go on next, then the labels. Finally, the canisters are packed in trays or cases, and palletized for distribution.\n\nEach manufacturing cell contains a series of machines and equipment that are strung together in series. Maintaining the right balance and speed on the line is critical to avoid common bottlenecks, like a jams in a capper, labeler or filler, that disrupt the flow and trigger unplanned downtime\n\nBefore 2006, each of these events would be captured manually. Whenever a machine went down or came back up, an operator would enter the time on a piece of paper, as well as line speeds and other parameters. Later, technicians had to key the handwritten metrics into an Excel spreadsheet, which was then shared with operators, managers and engineers in various plant departments.\n\n\"Our paper-based system for production reporting was very cumbersome when it came to trying to understand and analyze data,\" said Hacker. Another problem: The system only looked backward. \"We needed to understand our assets in real time. With that information, we could also look forward to see how we could fine-tune the process to increase throughput and reduce costs.\"\n\nRusch added, \"It became very obvious that the only way to sustain growth was to find a tool or a set of tools that would allow us to consistently deliver year on year continuous improvement.\n\n*** Up-to-Speed Solution ***\n\nIn search of a solution, the Sheboygan plant managers turned to Rockwell Automation and Stone Technologies. Allen-Bradley products already were the cornerstone of the plant's manufacturing infrastructure.\n\nManagers consulted with Rockwell Automation experts in their local distributor's office, as well as during the annual Automation Fair\u00ae\u00a0event, which showcases the most advanced manufacturing hardware, software and integrated solutions from Rockwell Automation.\n\nRockline managers were impressed by the capabilities of the company's\u00a0FactoryTalk\u00ae Metrics software as a potential solution for monitoring its plant-floor equipment. The solution helps provide accurate, timely, granular and specific information on machine production, performance and activities.\n\n\"Given that we were already using an Allen-Bradley control system, FactoryTalk Metrics was the ideal option as it would integrate seamlessly to the technology we already in place,\" Hacker said.\n\nTo convert that option into reality, Rockline put together a team consisting of its own engineering experts, some from Rockwell Automation and others from Stone Technologies, a Rockwell Automation Information Solution Partner. They approached the project in systematic stages, starting with one cell and a scaled-down version of the software solution \u2013 meaning it collected a limited selection of data.\n\nThe results of the pilot far exceeded Rockline's expectations. Managers had projected a six-month pay back on initial project, but got their return on investment in three months.\n\n\"Within a couple of weeks of implementing the FactoryTalk Metrics solution, we saw an immediate 5 percent gain in OEE and throughput,\" Hacker recalled. \"That was enough to see the system was well worth the benefits. Just by being able to react and to respond to issues in real time, we were minimizing downtime and optimizing uptime.\"\n\nAs Dan Engelhard, a director at Stone Technologies, explained, \"Previously, Rockline was catching big downtimes, but missing the micro stops. With the Rockwell Automation data analytics solution, Rockline could now understand those stops and how they were disrupting continuous flow.\n\nThe results justified moving the FactoryTalk software into the other manufacturing cells. By that time, employees in others cells were clamoring for the new system.\n\nEach cell underwent a \"hard\" transition, meaning the software replaced the manual data-collection system virtually overnight. To quickly bring operators up-to-speed on the computerized solution, training experts from Stone Technologies knew they needed to take an immersive approach.\n\n\"Cultural adoption of a new system can take a while in many companies,\" Englehard said. \"Rockline, with our assistance, became very aggressive in that arena. Operators weren't allowed to use pencil, paper or clipboards after the system went live. We went straight to the screens.\"\n\nEmployees can view the real-time status of the operation from any vantage point in the cell. Large panel displays in the center of each work center scroll data points at a steady rate. During downtime \u2013 scheduled or unplanned \u2013 the displays become giant clocks that track the time required to return to normal operations.\n\n\"Seeing the numbers from the FactoryTalk solution motivates our operating teams and helps drive accountability,\" Hacker said.\n\nThe intuitive nature of the system also eased the transition.\n\n\"From an operator perspective, FactoryTalk Metrics are easy to read, easy to interface with, and easy to get information out of,\" Rusch said. \"From engineering-management perspective, the data is instantly credible and critical for charting continuous improvement.\"\n\nRockline improvement teams have used the data to understand the crux of problems on the line. For instance, the capper in one of the cells was showing a significant amount of intermittent downtime, triggering stops on the line. By analyzing production data, engineers identified the raw material (lid) as the root cause.\n\n\"We went to Stone Technologies and Rockwell Automation for help to cure our raw material issue,\" Hacker said. \"Data delivered from the solution showed the impact of the material on our process. We couldn't do that before.\"\n\n*** World-Class OEE ***\n\nToday, OEE in each manufacturing cell exceeds 70 percent.\n\n\"We went from mediocre to world-class,\" Hacker said. \"That never would have happened without the Stone Technologies solution based on FactoryTalk software.\"\n\nCanister production in each cell improved; Rockline saw the biggest increase on its cell with the highest demand, which increased output by over 180,000 units a week.\n\n\"FactoryTalk Metrics allowed us to take advantage of all incremental capacity,\" Hacker said. \"Quality is also up because line operators can react to problems sooner.\n\nRockline's improvement teams are focusing on their next project using FactoryTalk data:\u00a0 reducing waste and scrap. They are also using Stone generated information as an input for process simulation and modeling.\n\nBy using live data, they can evaluate the impact of process changes or equipment upgrades on overall performance. This allows them to identify key opportunities and maximize future capital investment.\n\n\"The system will do the heavy lifting for us,\" Hacker said. \"And we expect similar results.\"\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Rockline Industries' use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nTrademark Information: FactoryTalk Metrics is a trademark of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\n\nTAG: household-and-personal-care\n\n",
    "action-environmental-solutions-sets-new-standard-for-material-re": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/action-environmental-solutions-sets-new-standard-for-material-re\n\nTITLE: Action Environmental Solutions Sets New Standard for Material Recovery\n\nBackground\n\nThe classic song says that New York City is a city that never sleeps. And where people never stop moving, the city's waste system can't either. Helping it move is the Action Environmental Group, one of the largest solid waste and recycling providers for the five boroughs of New York City. The group's recycling company, Action Environmental Solutions (AES), picks up and separates recyclable material from the city's commercial buildings. The resulting piles of paper, plastic and aluminum are bundled into large bales, which are then marketed to international buyers.\n\nThose bales are re-purposed into shoes, water bottles and new paper. International buyers want the lowest levels of contamination \u2013 meaning materials other than what is supposed to be in the bales. For example, China's \"green fence\" policy restricts this level of contamination to three percent or less. However, local laws can make this difficult. New York City mandates that all recycling material be contained within plastic bags and picked up at curbs. This commingling can lead to greater contamination of materials.\n\n\n\nChallenge\n\nBefore 2013, AES operated one basic recycling plant \u2013 including one picking station, one screen and a few balers. Employees manually separated recyclable materials. Without automated systems, employees were limited in how much material they could gather from quickly moving conveyors, and the plant was losing a lot of material that could be marketed and sold. The company wanted to decrease contamination in materials and increase the amount of material the system tossed. By creating more bales of recyclable material, the company would also keep more material out of landfills. Automation technology for recycling systems has dramatically improved and expanded since AES built its existing facility.\n\nThe AES team decided to build a state-of-the-art facility that would automate the recycling process. The goal: separate more tons per hour of the most valuable recyclable material. The automated system would include more screeners and magnets to pull out aluminum and plastic, and optical sorting units to target the white and high-value paper. This advanced recovery equipment would come from several manufacturers. AES needed an expert integrator who knew the demands of recycling firsthand, with an engineering staff that could coordinate the equipment and automate the entire facility. Vecoplan, an industry leader in building and automating recycling technology, knew it could take on that project.\n\n\n\nSolutions\n\nAs AES coordinated with manufacturers to bring in advanced sorting and processing machines, Vecoplan, headquartered in Archdale, N.C, designed the system's controls. This was no simple task. The new material-recovery facility in the Bronx would be the largest of its kind in the metro area. Its size and complexity required tight controls over conveyor speed, optical sorters and other intricacies of the process. Simply put, the process starts when trucks bring in loads of mixed waste and discharge it onto the tipping floor. A grapple scoops up recyclable material and loads it into one of two metering bins. These weigh each load before it goes onto the conveyors.\n\nAs material moves down the line, optical sorting units use infrared technology and high-speed cameras to sort the high-value white paper from the mixed paper and other materials. Next, a series of magnets gather tin and aluminum, and a final optic sorter separates high-quality plastic. Workers along the conveyor line help ensure as much recyclable material is gathered as possible. \"This is a unique system that connects machines from different manufacturers over multiple networks,\" said Todd Carswell, vice president of technical services for Vecoplan. \"Our familiarity with Rockwell Automation controls and their local technical support made making those connections easy.\" Two Allen-Bradley\u00ae CompactLogix\u2122 programmable automation controllers (PACs) manage all machine functions and seamlessly integrate with other system components via the EtherNet/IP\u2122 network and other networks.\n\nThe first PAC manages the first half of the system, containing the general sorting, and the second PAC manages the specific sorting. With the optical sorting units, the new facility sends between 400 and 500 tons of white paper to market each month \u2013 that compares to 250 tons per month previously. On-site operators can monitor the entire facility's function and throughput with four Allen-Bradley PanelView\u2122 Plus human-machine interfaces (HMIs) on the floor. They can make manual adjustments down to the component level \u2013 from speeding all conveyors to slowing one specific optic sorter. The HMIs contain troubleshooting guides that operators can access if there is an issue on the line.\n\nThe guides provide step-by-step corrective actions and detailed photos, down to the component level, to help operators fix any glitches and reduce downtime. The HMIs are programmed with FactoryTalk\u00ae View Machine Edition (ME) software, which details alarm loggings, event histories, and system start and stop times. Operators can access the data from the HMIs on the floor and in the central control room. For motor control of the system's 70 conveyors, Vecoplan chose Allen-Bradley PowerFlex\u00ae 40P variable frequency drives. The drives' data are sent via an EtherNet/IP network to the master control room, giving operators further insight into facility operations.\n\n\n\nResults\n\nAES now goes to market with more high-quality bales of recyclable material, containing less contamination to meet international standards. For example, the older recycling facility sorted out 25 tons per month of high-quality plastic. The new Bronx facility produces an average of 65 tons per month. With the optical sorting units, the new facility sends between 400 and 500 tons of white paper to market each month \u2013 that compares to 250 tons per month previously.\n\n\"There isn't another facility in the city that produces bales like ours,\" said Ron Benson, project manager for AES. \"With the facility's advanced automation and controls technology, we've been able to maximize our throughput and minimize our downtime.\" For AES management, the most impressive result is the amount of aluminum the system sorts. During five years at the older facility, the company marketed fi ve tons of aluminum. Within six months of the new facility's opening, the system had produced 63 tons of baled aluminum.\n\nOverall, the Bronx facility sorts through 300 to 400 tons of waste and recyclable material daily. AES is looking to increase that amount, up to 10,000 tons monthly. The benefits of that growth extend beyond financials. By taking more re-usable material out of the waste system, AES reduces pollution and greenhouse gases, and saves landfill space. If the AES team reaches the facility's capacity limit, they will keep enough material out of landfills to fill over 300,000 square yards.\n\n\n\n\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Action Environmental Solutions's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\nTAG: \n\n",
    "delivering-plantwide-control-for-arriums-iron-knob-mine": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/delivering-plantwide-control-for-arriums-iron-knob-mine\n\nTITLE: Delivering plantwide control for Arrium's Iron Knob mine\n\nIron Knob is an entire pit to port operation, including mines, crushing and beneficiation facilities, rail, trucking and port facilities.\u00a0\n\nArrium Mining is an exporter of hematite iron ore and also supplies iron ore feed to Arrium's integrated steelworks at Whyalla. The business currently exports approximately 9-10 million tonnes per annum of hematite ore, primarily to China.\u00a0\n\nIron Knob is located in the Middleback ranges approximately 60 kilometres north west of Whyalla, South Australia. It is said to be the birthplace of Australian steel with commercial mining dating back to the 1890s.\n\nThe site is an entire pit to port operation, including mines, crushing and beneficiation facilities, rail, trucking and port facilities.\n\nArrium engaged Striker Australia to prepare infrastructure to access the ore reserves in the Iron Knob mine. Striker provides quality, reliable and tough crushing, screening and materials handling equipment to the mining and related industries.\n\nThe task at hand was to design, supply, assemble, install and commission modular crushing and screening equipment to process hematite iron ore sourced from the Iron Knob Mining Area for rail transport to Arrium's port facilities with minimum ground works and in a short on-site construction timeframe.\n\nTo achieve this, Striker Australia contracted SAGE Automation, a Solution Partner of Rockwell Automation and leading provider of industrial automation and control systems. The company is committed to deliver the highest technical solution and customer service, leading with Rockwell Automation technologies and this project was no exemption.\n\nSAGE Automation was contracted to supply the control system and visualisation together with the complete electrical design, construction and installation works for the new crushing and screening plant.\n\n*** Keeping it mobile and modular ***\n\nThe Iron Knob crushing and screening plant was designed to have a 10 year life expectancy, making the use of mobile crushing and screening equipment as a more cost-effective solution compared to a fixed infrastructure solution.\n\n\"The plant was originally estimated to cost approximately $40 million, but by using mobile equipment, this cost was able to be reduced by half,\" said Christopher Poetsch, Senior Electrical Engineer at SAGE Automation.\n\nPoetsch knew that the control and visualisation solution from Rockwell Automation would provide the required flexibility and reliability for this application. As a result of the maintainability and easy integration of the solution into the systems at the site, Rockwell Automation is the control and visualisation vendor of choice for Arrium Mining.\n\nAccording to Greg Schultz, executive account manager at Rockwell Automation, \"By having the crushing in close proximity to the mine, the requirement for transport and materials handling is reduced dramatically.\"\n\nThe modular design of the plant made integration easy and also delivered the flexibility required to adapt to changes. \"The new plant has had a number of design revisions but because it is modular and mobile, it has been easy to adapt to changes,\" explained Jonathan Deluao, Principal Control Systems/Maintenance Engineer at Arrium Mining.\n\n*** Designing a flexible control solution ***\n\nThe overarching control requirements for the entire plant including the conveyors, crushers, feeders and stackers were provided by Allen-Bradley(R) ControlLogix(R).\u00a0 With safety being a vital consideration for the plant, Allen-Bradley GuardLogix(R) - with local and distributed safe POINT I/OTM modules - provided integrated safety control and the ability to stop either a particular piece of equipment or a section of the plant if required.\n\nDue to the size of plant, over 75 variable speed drives were required. The more complex of these were from the Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) family, used for the synchronisation of the vibrating feeders and for the speed control of the conveyors to optimise flow rates to the crushers. FactoryTalk(R) View Site Edition (SE) supervisory-level HMI software is used for monitoring and controlling the plant. It provides operational insight into the complete site, including the conveyors, crushers and feeders.\n\nMore than 75 variable speed drives were required due to the size of the plant\u00a0\n\nThe site now processes approximately five million tonnes of ore per annum\n\n\"Using the Rockwell Automation platform for control and visualisation of the plant provided peace of mind, reliability and improved maintenance response times. The plant operators are familiar with, and have confidence in, the ControlLogix and FactoryTalk platform. Because it is used on other Arrium sites, maintenance requirements are also reduced,\" explained Poetsch.\u00a0\n\nMobile crushing and screening equipment provided a more cost-effective solution\n\n\"Using the Rockwell Automation platform for control and visualisation of the plant provided peace of mind, reliability and improved maintenance response times. The plant operators are familiar with, and have confidence in, the ControlLogix and FactoryTalk platform. Because it is used on other Arrium sites, maintenance requirements are also reduced,\" explained Poetsch.\n\nOne of the most significant challenges the project team faced was the extremely tight timeframe. \"To deliver the project within these timeframes, we leveraged previous project experience, industry knowledge, SAGE Automation team agility, and the use of the Rockwell Automation tools for the design and deployment of the control system, which proved to save significant time and cost,\" said Poetsch.\n\nDue to the delivery sequence for the crushing and screening equipment, it was necessary to start commissioning sections of the plant while others were being mechanically and electrically installed. Poetsch explained that \"the use of POINT I/OTM for the system allowed for flexibility in design and scope changes, right through to the commissioning and handover phase, which helped to deliver the project within time and budget.\"\n\n*** Reducing downtime ***\n\nBeing an Arrium project, the automation control system had to adhere to the strict design, implementation and testing standards that have been developed over recent years.\u00a0\n\n\"Integration between plant equipment was made easy with the Integrated Architecture platform from Rockwell Automation which we stipulate as a standard for Arrium sites. This allows us to benefit from common spares and resources, minimises training requirements and helps the plant capitalise on the core infrastructure,\" said Deluao.\n\nThe high availability of the ControlLogix control system and associated components gives Arrium the assurance of a high mean time between failure (MTBF) and mean time between repair (MTBR) and low mean time to repair (MTTR), which ultimately equates to minimal downtime, planned or unplanned.\n\nIntegrated Device Level Ring (DLR) connectivity was used to optimise the network architecture, increase its fault tolerance and provide consolidated network diagnostics. The Allen-Bradley StratixTM switches included integrated DLR connectivity, and although the control system did not require redundancy to the level of other Arrium plants, the DLR network topology delivered a reliable network architecture for the plant.\n\n\"The site now processes approximately five million tonnes of ore per annum and the control system has been embraced by operators and maintenance staff with minimal training. The system was designed and installed to meet Arrium's stringent requirements, which are not only site specific but company-wide,\" said Poetsch.\n\nThe modular design of the plant delivers the flexibility required to adapt to changes\n\nCompany background\n\nRockwell Automation Australia and Rockwell Automation New Zealand are subsidiaries of Rockwell Automation, Inc.-a leading global provider of industrial automation and information solutions that helps manufacturers achieve a competitive advantage in their businesses. The company brings together leading global brands in industrial automation which include Allen-Bradley(R) controls and services and Rockwell Software(R) factory management software. Its broad product mix includes control logic systems, sensors, human-machine interfaces, drive controllers, power devices, and software.\n\nRockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK), the world's largest company dedicated to industrial automation and information, makes its customers more productive and the world more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., Rockwell Automation employs approximately 22,000 people serving customers in more than 80 countries.\n\nAllen-Bradley, ControlLogix, FactoryTalk, GuardLogix, Integrated Architecture, POINT I/O, PowerFlex, Rockwell Software and Stratix are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\n\u00a0\n\nMedia contact:\n\nChristine Filippis\n\nTeraze Communications\n\n61 3 8391 0701\n\nchristine@teraze.com.au\n\n\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\n\n",
    "mra_s-smart-stockyard-management-system-improves-mine-to-port-ef": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/mra_s-smart-stockyard-management-system-improves-mine-to-port-ef\n\nTITLE: MRA's Smart Stockyard Management System improves mine to port efficiency\n\nAs mining product stockpiles across the world continue to rise steadily, companies are faced with the challenge of balancing the benefits provided by maintaining stockpiles - such as guarding against supply fluctuations while also managing costs associated with stockyard management.\n\nThe stockyard is a critical component in the bulk materials handling supply chain at both the mine site and port. The port-based stockyard can represent a billion-dollar investment in real estate, large-scale machinery and automation.\n\nGiven such a significant investment in infrastructure, the more efficiently materials can be processed through the stockyard, the faster the payback and higher the operating profits. Smart automation can help organisations optimise material flow into the stockyard and onto the train or vessel.\n\nMRA is an engineering firm based in Newcastle, New South Wales, that specialises in mine and port machine automation. MRA has developed the Smart Stockyard Management System that combines smart engineering and leverages the latest control and automation technologies from Rockwell Automation. The system can optimally manage and automate the inbound receipt and outbound delivery of mined material including, coal, iron ore and bauxite.\n\n*** Advanced stockyard management ***\n\nThe Smart Stockyard Management System is deployed in four major east coast coal-handling facilities which together manage over 250 million tonnes per annum and includes, Port Waratah Coal Services, the largest coal exporter in the world. All four terminals use Allen-Bradley(R) ControlLogix(R) PLC to drive machine-level automation and real time monitoring. The system uses real-time machine metrics, combined with laser enhanced stockpile modelling and smart analytics to send optimised instructions through to the PLC.\n\nStockyard, Stockpile and Machine View:\n\nHighly accurate 3D visualisation with the colours showing bench heights and a mix of stacking methods including windrow and cone slew.\n\nMRA's system enables the stockyard, stockpiles and machines to be viewed in a highly accurate real time 3D visualisation. Material, quality and age can be tracked in 0.064 cubic metre blocks throughout the stockyard. Core components of the System include: short term machine planning and anti-collision, stockpile modelling, real-time monitoring and visualisation, quality tracking and machine optimisation.\n\nA 48-Hour Play Forward feature enables multiple stockyard scenarios to be run to best meet targeted outcomes, which are in turn, translated into machine-level instructions.\u00a0 A 30-Day Playback enables operations to review performance and incident investigation.\n\n*** Significant gains from laser optimised reclaimers ***\n\nTo increase the accuracy of the stockpile model, MRA has introduced machine-level laser optimisation which will adjust for irregular stockpile profiles and post stacking slumps that can occur due to weather and the reclaiming process. The refined model has resulted in a significant improvement in performance with optimised turnarounds being able to increase a reclaimers time-in-material.\n\nMachine metrics and laser data points are used to calculate turnaround slew position for the current and next slew swings.\n\n\"Our Smart Stockyard Management System represents a major advancement in the automation and management of a stockyard, its stockpiles and machines.\u00a0 Laser optimsation of reclaimers has helped boost throughput by more than 10% over machines that are only optimised in the PLC. It comes down to more accurate decision making leveraging the existing infrastructure.\" explained Peter McPherson, MRA's head of Engineering.\n\n\"We are confident in the increase in throughput that can be achieved with laser optimisation, particularly for bucketwheel reclaimers. Our Reclaim Performance Check allows us to project these gains by analysing machine data and help build a business case.\" says Andrew Wilshire, commercial director.\n\n*** Enhanced quality management ***\n\nAnother significant advancement for the stockyard is in quality management, where mine and port systems can be linked to provide seamless quality reporting from source all the way to supplier.\n\nVessel Quality Metrics:\n\nThe quality properties of iron ore being shown for each vessel hatch\n\nMRA's system can track quality properties including age, from the mine site, onto the rail wagon, to the port, through the dump station into the stockyard and onto the vessel on a per pour and hatch basis. All this is enabled through the Rockwell Automation PLC.\n\n\"Our ability to track the quality of the material onto the vessel is becoming increasingly critical in competitive markets\", says McPherson.\n\n*** Improved safety and productivity ***\n\nSafety and productivity are of paramount importance for stacking and reclaiming coal. Being large machines, it is critical to avoid collisions between the stackers/reclaimers and other moving equipment or fixed obstacles at the terminal. Allen-Bradley(R) GuardLogix(R) PLC is used for machine anti-collision systems in these coal-faciltiies.\n\nPort Waratah Coal Services, one of four major coal export terminals that use MRA's Stockyard Management System based on Rockwell Automation technology.\n\n\"Operators can now see the stockyard, stockpile and each machine from the Operations Room through a real time visualisation and monitoring system that removes the requirements for physical site inspection. Where the anti-collision system provides the functional safety,\" said McPherson.\n\nMRA won the 2019 Australian Bulk Handling Award for Innovative Technology for a 11.3% gain in throughput performance achieved through laser optimisation.\n\n\"We are delighted to have collaborated with MRA and this high value application - the Smart Stockyard Management System is a key piece in bringing the \"Connected Mine\" to life for our mining customers,\" said Geoff Irvine, enterprise account manager, Rockwell Automation.\n\n\"MRA continue to develop their Smart Stockyard Management System and bring a high level of domain expertise for mining customers.\u00a0 Rockwell Automation is delighted to have been a part of the development of this system which optimises the supply chain, and enhances safety for shipping terminals,\" he concluded.\u00a0\n\nAbout Rockwell Automation\n\nRockwell Automation Australia and Rockwell Automation New Zealand are subsidiaries of Rockwell Automation, Inc.-a leading global provider of industrial automation and information solutions that helps manufacturers achieve a competitive advantage in their businesses. The company brings together leading global brands in industrial automation which include Allen-Bradley(R) controls and services and Rockwell Software(R) factory management software. Its broad product mix includes control logic systems, sensors, human-machine interfaces, drive controllers, power devices, and software. Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK), the world's largest company dedicated to industrial automation and information, makes its customers more productive and the world more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., Rockwell Automation employs approximately 23,000 people serving customers in more than 80 countries.\n\nAllen-Bradley, ControlLogix, FactoryTalk, GuardLogix, Rockwell Automation and Rockwell Software are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\nMedia contact:\n\nChristine Filippis\n\nTeraze Communications\n\n61 3 8391 0701\n\nchristine@teraze.com.au\n\n\nTAG: safety-solutions\n\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\nTAG: mining\nTAG: metals\nTAG: cement\n\nTAG: programmable-controllers\n\n",
    "cosma-brings-the-connected-enterprise-to-life": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/cosma-brings-the-connected-enterprise-to-life\n\nTITLE: Cosma Brings The Connected Enterprise(R) to Life\n\n***** Background *****\n\nItalian company Cosma designs and manufactures automatic machines for sheet metal cold working in the white goods and household appliances industry, fulfilling 95 percent of its production in-house. \"We develop, partly patent and produce our machines in-house, in order to be the most innovative player in the market and closely meet customers' needs,\" says Fabrizio Beretta, Cosma Chief Engineer & Sales Manager.\n\nCosma manufactures customised automatic machines and complete lines for many of the world's largest household appliance companies who produce refrigerators, freezers, washing machines, dishwashers, etc. From its Vigevano headquarter, located near Pavia, in Northern Italy, Cosma exports its solutions all over the world, from Europe to the Americas, from Asia to Africa.\n\n\"Our lines are designed to process metal sheets with thicknesses of between 0.35 and 1 mm. These lines satisfy the particularly demanding requirements of customers for highest productivity, maximum precision and quality, and to meet deadlines,\" Marco Moretti, Cosma Head of Software & Hardware Development explains. Between April and December 2015, Cosma designed a new line for a customer based in Central America, to produce washing machines' external chassis using a Rockwell Automation control and visualisation solution.\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** Challenge *****\n\n\"The customer requested a 64-axes line featuring a 15-second cycle time. Thus, we needed a high performance and advanced automation architecture to control the main functionalities in the line,\" Marco Moretti adds.\n\nIn this new Cosma 70 m-long line, metal sheets are automatically loaded, after being sliced and pre-painted (in white, red, grey or black). Successively, sheets are cut and bent along both their short and long sides. Each sheet is then bent into a U-shape and moved to the next station - using a suction-equipped manipulator - for automatic mounting of the back panel through a clinching and fastening system. The final line output comprises the finished chassis.\n\nThe line is designed to process 240 washing machines per hour, producing 1,800 pieces in each daily shift,\" Marco Moretti says. In April 2015 Cosma started working with Rockwell Automation to design the automation architecture for its new line, selecting high-performing servo drives and motors, and the most advanced control and visualization technology. \"We needed to achieve the highest line efficiency and an excellent accuracy in metal sheets handling and processing in the line,\" Marco Moretti explains: \"We manufactured a mono-brand line, which was equipped with Rockwell Automation components and solutions, in order to deliver a unique automation integrated platform for our customer.\"\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** Solution *****\n\nThe Rockwell Automation solution for the new Cosma line\u00a0 included Allen-Bradley(R) Kinetix(R) 5700 (2198 Series) servo drives, Allen-Bradley MP-SeriesTM servo motors, Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) 525 AC drives, Allen-Bradley POINT I/OTM modules, Allen-Bradley ControlLogix(R) 1756 and GuardLogix(R) programmable automation controllers (PAC), StratixTM 2000 Unmanaged switches, RSLinx Gateway and one Performance/Advanced 6181P industrial PC with an integrated 17\" display. Devices and software applications in the line are connected through a standard EtherNet/IPTM communication network.\n\nWith support from Rockwell Automation, Cosma engineered a compact and versatile automation system, which broadly simplified motors coupling and axes interpolation functionalities. \"In order to manage the 64-axes line architecture, we asked Rockwell Automation for advanced and integrated servo drive technology for complex applications, which the Kinetix 5700 delivers,\" Moretti says. Thanks to its compact design and its easier programming approach through the Rockwell Software Studio 5000(R) Logix Designer software environment, Cosma saved even more space in the two lines' electrical cabinets, as well.\n\nCompact size and easier programming through Studio 5000 software also distinguished the ControlLogix 1756 PAC, which proved to be the perfect controller to manage complex machines. The Italian machine builder was able to connect the line directly and securely to the customer's IT platform, bringing the Rockwell Automation Connected Enterprise vision to life.\n\nAlong with direct machine connectivity, the Cosma line puts into practice another aspect of the Connected Enterprise - mobility: parameters can be controlled through the MobileViewTM 2711T operator panels too, including tethering functionality and 10'' display.\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** Results *****\n\nCosma considered the solution delivered by Rockwell Automation decisively scalable and versatile, which are key points for Cosma's end customers.\n\n\"It happens frequently that customers ask us for machines performing 15-second cycle times and 90-degree metal sheet bending, yet afterwards they need to move - on the same machine - to more complex bending functionalities featuring the same cycle time. With the versatile control platform from Rockwell Automation, customers can adapt their machines to future production changes without modifying or re-designing the entire machine layout,\" Moretti explains. \"The Studio 5000 software suite, integrating motion and logic control programming, boosts the overall line efficiency. If necessary, the engineering team can add CPUs or replace stations just by disconnecting and reconnecting power and communication cables.\"\n\nWith the new line, Cosma helped its customer to realize The Connected Enterprise(R). Machines from the production plant are connected to the end customer's IT systems. The direct connectivity between Operations and IT departments simplifies the changing of metal sheet profiles and cutting or bending parameters. \"For example, the end customer is now able to manage, directly in the line - from its ERP platform - specific labelling patterns required by sheets running into production,\" Marco Moretti says. \"Machine connectivity also helps in 24/7 remote assistance services.\"\n\nCosma also benefited from Rockwell Automation global technical support in start-up and after-sales services. \"We offer our end customers high-performing technologies and excellent pre- and after-sales services. At the same time, the Rockwell Automation team continues to support us long after our projects have been installed and commissioned. Together with our end users, we rely on their technical skills and on their spare parts availability even when lines are up and running,\" Marco Moretti concludes.\n\n\n",
    "visualisation-reduce-risk": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/visualisation-reduce-risk\n\nTITLE: Plant Visualisation Reduces Customer Risk for PFi\n\nWith the large upfront costs often involved in new plant automation solutions, problem-solving engineering company, Products For Industry (PFi), based in Queensland, Australia, has found a way to provide its customers with additional certainty, and reduced risk.\n\nPFi employs Emulate3DTM by Rockwell Automation to create a digital twin, and completely visualise a new or upgraded plant, prior to the physical implementation.\n\nUsing 3D CAD modelling and integrated automation software, Emulate3D allows users to test the entire production process virtually, which helps to optimise the solution to save customers space, time, downtime, energy usage, and cost.\n\nGavin Dunwoodie, managing director, PFi, said, \"More and more customers are asking for a simulation during the tender process, so if we can show exactly how well our solution will work, the ROI they are likely to achieve, and that we are meeting industry best practices, it gives us a real competitive advantage. We use Emulate3D software during the tender process to visualise customer operations using our machinery as part of our pitch.\"\n\n\"Since incorporating Emulate3D into the process, we have seen a greater win rate, as customers can see the product working before they purchase. Yes, there are upfront costs, but they pay dividends as the customer is willing to pay a premium to see that the product produces needed, and often increased results,\" added Dunwoodie.\n\nPFi is a locally owned and operated business servicing the industrial sector. The company offers a full suite of in-house capabilities to support manufacturers with machine automation products, systems and solutions.\n\nFor brand new plants or automation retrofits, PFi uses Emulate3D by Rockwell Automation to showcase exactly how the new plant will run, down to the finest details.\n\n\"The details you can include in the software are incredible. If you're handling frozen food, for example, we can simulate that melting could cause condensation, which would warp the shape of a cardboard container, which would impact how it travels along a conveyor. All of this can be simulated, realistically, using Emulate3D, and we can then recommend that a customer select a different packaging type to ensure product integrity and efficient delivery. The same goes for if our engineers believe they can tweak the machine or other operating variables to increase production or uptime - the customer is always excited when we over-deliver,\" said Dunwoodie.\n\n***** Software drives business growth *****\n\nIn addition to using Emulate3D as a value-add to customers, or as a tool to win tenders, PFi also uses it to help their own business grow. Just seven years ago, PFi had 26 employees, and today, it has more than 250.\n\nDunwoodie shared that key to the company's strong growth has been reputation management, and staff retention. \"Emulate3D has enabled us to test solutions before delivering them, meaning that we are only ever delivering quality solutions that are proven to work, and this means we maintain an excellent reputation in the industry.\"\n\n\"Further, I've always believed staff are the heart of any business, and staff retention is critical to business growth. Engineering and automation staff, in particular, want to work with the latest tools, so by investing in Emulate3D, we're investing in keeping our staff,\" he said.\n\nGary Tyson, senior associate, packaging and materials handling, BECA, has discovered the added value of involving Emulate3D in the tender process. \"Using Emulate3D during the tender process gave us a clear visualisation of the solution to be provided, and it allowed us to review and eliminate any bottlenecks before presenting an optimised solution to the end-user,\" said Tyson.\n\nBECA is an engineering and professional services consultancy firm widely used by industry, and they contract PFi for individual projects that require automation solutions. Gary believes companies like PFi should be selected based on risk, and how \"true to life\" the solution is. \"Emulate3D reduces customer risk, and significantly helps PFi win the job, by proving their system capabilities,\" he added.\n\n***** Visualisation benefits *****\n\nEmulate3D users can improve a solution's time to market, as well as optimise operational productivity through digital machine prototyping.\n\n\"It can even be used for virtual commissioning, which has been particularly helpful to navigate site access restrictions during the pandemic, and can save transport costs involved with a whole team travelling to site for commissioning,\" said Rockwell Automation account manager, Keegan Houlihan.\n\nFurther benefits of using Emulate3D include:\n\n    * Space-saving - The software allows engineers to find the optimum plant layout and test multiple options before settling on the best solution.\n\n    * Reduced downtime and 'teething issues' -By creating an optimal plant layout, and testing all scenarios, there is a reduced chance of experiencing operational issues, or 'teething issues' common when new technologies are first installed.\n\n    * Energy-saving - By measuring data on all equipment, the software can determine the most efficient way to operate the entire plant, which results in savings on power.\n\n    * Safety and standards compliance - The software can help engineers design a solution that is compliant with all relevant safety and industry standards from the outset.\n\n    * Reduced risk - being able to accurately test the operations of an entire plant prior to installation means that there is significantly reduced risk of errors or issues after commissioning.\n\n    * Maximised throughput and efficiency - automation solutions can be installed in an almost unlimited variety of configurations, so having visualisation software allows engineers to determine which one will create the most throughput, most efficient overall operation, and deliver the best ROI\n\n\u00a0\n\n\"Australian manufacturing is growing, and to continue this upward trajectory, manufacturers need to be able to deliver quality, reliability, repeatability, and traceability. Emulate3D is helping us achieve these qualities, and is adding value to our customer offering,\" concluded Dunwoodie.\n\n\n\n\n\nNote: \"Tender process\" refers to the process whereby an organisation requiring goods/services invites multiple parties to submit proposals for consideration. The invitation is commonly referred to as a Request for Tender (RFT).\n\nTAG: build-resilience\n\nTAG: factorytalk-emulate-3d\n\n",
    "global-standard-helps-redefine-palletizing-capabilities": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/global-standard-helps-redefine-palletizing-capabilities\n\nTITLE: Global standard helps redefine palletizing capabilities\n\nClevertech S.p.A. explains its mission as \"designing the future through integration\". It achieves this by delivering tools and solutions that help its customers to meet the needs of an ever-more competitive and demanding market.\n\n\"Our target is to ensure high standards, in terms of quality, reliability and security,\" explains Luca Carollo, business development manager at Clevertech \"an approach developed and evolved over the years thanks to important partnerships with leading multinational companies.\"\n\nThe company attributes its success, in part, to developing modular solutions that incorporate high levels of automation. \"Modularity offers significant benefits to our customers,\" Carollo continues, \"including increased efficiency, costs reduction and the highest level of flexibility. Our customers must adapt to market demands, and we must help them, but not by sacrificing quality or throughput.\"\n\nComprehensive range\n\nThese modular solutions take many forms, including palletizers, palletizers/depalletizers, basket loaders/unloaders, stretch wrapping machines, strapping systems, case erectors, case packers and case sealers, all of which can be bought together into application-specific turnkey lines.\n\nA recent addition to the company's extensive portfolio is its Line Flex Manipulator, which creates ordered product layers prior to palletizing as an alternative to using robotic manipulators.\n\n\"The Line Flex Manipulator offers a highly efficient system within a compact design,\" Carollo elaborates, \"which integrates perfectly with any type of palletizing system. It can process cases, packs and shrink packs made from any material - an important feature for sustainable packaging - at a rate of about 38 manipulations per minute.\"\n\nPositive handling\n\nThe manipulator at the base of the overhead gantry robot is used to move products gently using positive handling, which does not stress or lift the product. Linear motors ensure precise movements and reduced vibrations, and an anti-collision system prevents product damage.\n\nReprogramming to adapt to alternative products, SKUs or palletizing formats is easily achieved, and line integration is remarkably straightforward, with the system being managed by the palletizer's Rockwell Automation PLC, with operator interactions via an HMI.\n\n\"One of the first applications was for a leading global home and healthcare supplier who liked the mechanical concept and how the gantry system manipulated products,\" Carollo explains. \"Globally, this company standardized on Rockwell Automation, so they asked us if we could employ an Allen-Bradley(R) Logix programmable automation controller (PAC).\n\nSmoother, faster and more stable\n\n\"As it turns out, the new Rockwell Automation PAC not only makes the machine run more smoothly, but it is also faster compared with the system it replaced,\" Carollo explains. \"We also found that we gained greater stability, which is essential for both positive handling and quality.\"\n\nClevertech uses a broad range of Rockwell Automation solutions across its range to optimize its machine's operational capabilities. As well as traditional automation hardware, it also deploys ASEMTM panel PCs. In terms of digital solutions, its use of FactoryTalk(R) OptixTM helps its customers with digital transformation and data capture, allowing them to monitor operational information using remote devices.\n\n\"We are fortunate to have a very close relationship with Rockwell Automation in Italy,\" Carollo adds. \"We speak regularly and always support close communication between the two companies. In this project, once the mechanical system has been developed, the Rockwell Automation team came on site and worked with our engineers to write the software and test the automation solution. They didn't just sit with us; they shared our journey right up until the launch. We are extremely happy with the support we get.\"\n\nGlobal opportunities and support\n\nClevertech also has significant exports going to the North American market. \"Besides the support we enjoy in Italy, Rockwell Automation also gives us fantastic support in the USA, and this level of service is being mirrored in India, where have recently started production operations. The local market will soon be able to call upon specialist machines designed in Italy but built in India, with features perfected for the Indian market. Logistically this will be incredibly attractive for this growing region.\n\nThis expansion into India addresses another of Clevertech's primary goals, which is to offer the best possible onsite technical support during both the sales and after-sales phases. To meet these goals, Clevertech decided to become a global supplier for its customers all around the world by opening new locations and production sites, with the confidence that it has class-leading support from its own automation supplier, Rockwell Automation.\n\nDiscover our comprehensive portfolio of OEM and machine design solutions, here\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: life-sciences\n\n",
    "mine-commissions-new-technology-to-keep-the-lights-on-": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/mine-commissions-new-technology-to-keep-the-lights-on-\n\nTITLE: Mine Commissions New Technology to Keep the Lights On\n\n*** Background ***\n\nFamilies and businesses across the Western plains rely on energy that originates from a coal mine in Wyoming. Every year the mine delivers roughly six million tons of coal by train to member utilities to generate electricity. This electricity heats homes, operates plants and keeps those must-have digital devices powered up.\n\nThat power begins with raw coal that's mined from the two separate surface mines by huge dragline excavators and then dropped into dump trucks. The trucks unload their black cargo into crushers that break it down into small pieces. From there, the crushed coal moves on to conveyor belts to storage silos. The conveyor network forms the \"circulatory system\" of the operation, delivering coal from the crushers to the prep-plant where it is washed and filtered. Then it moves to storage silos and soon after, to the rails cars. The conveyors are propelled by powerful motors that move the coal more than a 1,000 feet per minute.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nThe original conveyor system was built in the early 1980s, and the equipment was far from optimal. The system consumed vast amounts of electricity, was unreliable and created a deafening noise, especially during hard stops and starts. When transporting 2,250 tons of coal an hour, 24 hours a day, the operation needs reliable equipment to ensure the people who depend on the coal get it when they need it. Reliability was becoming even more of a concern with the construction of an onsite utility plant that would depend on the smooth flow of coal.\n\nTo become more energy-efficient and reduce operating costs, the mine's team analyzed electrical usage. First, they scrutinized the equipment that drives conveyor belts. The hydraulic system used to operate the motors on the conveyor belts was mechanically based and therefore experienced lots of wear, driving up maintenance costs. The fluid-coupling device, part of the hydraulic system, was temperamental, and it caused a lot of downtime on the conveyor, along with being loud, unreliable and an energy hog. The high pressure and heat associated with the hydraulic system also presented safety risks to maintenance personnel. The engineering team knew the fluid-coupling device should go and that automation would be the critical player in delivering the solutions and the results desired.\n\n*** Solutions ***\n\nAfter evaluating options and talking to peers in the industry, the team chose to install Allen-Bradley(R) PowerFlex(R) 7000 variable frequency drives on the conveyor belts. Because variable frequency drives more accurately control motor speeds, they typically use less energy than hydraulic systems.\n\nOn conveyor belts, for example, variable frequency drives can reduce the current needed to start the motor from 650 percent of FLA typical of Direct On Line Starting, to 150 percent of FLA, typical of Current Limited VFD Starting - all without requiring a special rotor design. Meanwhile, the starting torque may be increased to approximately 150 percent of Full Load Torque. Using linear or S-ramp acceleration profiles, the belt can start without causing undue voltage sags, while the mechanical drive train, including gearboxes and the belt-tensioning systems, aren't exposed to the motor's breakdown torque. The speed control is infinitely variable and can be used to level load the belt. This helps mine operators ease motor startups or slow down the conveyor belt speed, for instance, when an issue in the pit disrupts coal delivery.\n\nThe drive installation process began at the beginning of the conveyor belt network. Since then, the drives have been added in stages to subsequent sections of the conveyor network, such as between the crusher and the prep-plant. Rockwell Automation also installed Allen-Bradley PowerMonitorTM devices so managers could track the mine's energy use in real time.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nThe mine has realized benefits beyond expectations. Installing the new drives has significantly reduced the noise onsite and most importantly, the operation has less unplanned downtime. While mine operators haven't yet calculated improvement in downtime, the mine definitely is running more smoothly, with less downtime. Meanwhile the numbers on electric use are clear - the mine is saving about $3,000 per month. A side benefit of better conveyor control is that the mine is able to move the coal more efficiently and fill the rail cars more accurately.\n\nWhen dealing with tons of coal, the mine can now be within plus or minus 100 pounds. As a result of the success, the team plans to install the variable frequency drives to the remaining conveyor belts to utilize the additional benefits throughout the mine.\n\n\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\n\n",
    "electra-ev-supply-chain": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/electra-ev-supply-chain\n\nTITLE: Electra Battery Materials Rethinks EV Supply Chain\n\nRenata CardosoVice President, Electra Battery Materials\n\nRenata Cardoso is vice president of sustainability and low carbon at Electra Battery Materials, a processor of low-carbon, ethically sourced battery materials. With an ambitious ESG agenda, Electra is committed to providing sustainable and traceable raw materials for North America's rapidly growing electric vehicle (EV) industry.\n\n\"Sustainability is in our DNA and our value proposition is being ethical, being traceable, and being low carbon,\" Renata says. \"Automation is key to tracking performance and delivering results. We are collaborating a lot with Rockwell Automation as we automate our processes.\"\n\n***** Watch the video *****\n\n***** \u00a0 *****\n\n***** North America's First Environmentally Sustainable Battery Park *****\n\nElectra is expanding its Ontario, Canada refinery where the company is developing the region's first integrated EV Battery Materials Park. It's part of a multiprong strategy focused on bringing the EV supply chain closer to automotive manufacturing centers in North America.\n\nThe new Battery Materials Park will feature cobalt, nickel and manganese refining; black mass and scrap battery recycling; and precursor cathode active material (pCAM) manufacturing.\u00a0 Operations will be built on Rockwell Automation services and technologies, including the PlantPAx(R) Distributed Control System, PowerFlex(R) Drive technology, Motor Control, Industrial Control, Network Security & Infrastructure, and Engineering Services.\n\n\"Once we're up and running we will be able to track our product from the very beginning -- from suppliers through to our customers,\" Renata explains. \"With all this data, we'll be able to understand, to improve, and to provide progress to society.\"\n\n***** Sustainability and Safety *****\n\nSuch data and reporting are essential in the mining and metals industry, where both sustainability and safety are top priorities.\n\n\"It's so important to work collaboratively with companies such as Rockwell Automation to not only be able to track indicators in the ESG arena, but also most importantly to protect our people. Automation takes people out of risk areas and reduces health and safety exposure,\" Renata says. \"ESG can be a lot of things, but at the end of the day, it should be people centered. All the work we do has to do with protecting people and making their lives better.\"\n\nTo date, Electra has launched the pilot phase of its new recycling plant and expects to start the commercial operation this year. It also plans to commission its cobalt sulfate refinery plant, the first of its kind in North America, in 2023. Additional refinery and production will commence in phases in 2024 and 2025.\u00a0\n\nTAG: process-solutions\nTAG: sustainability\n\nTAG: automotive-and-tire\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\n\nTAG: plantpax\nTAG: networks-security-and-infrastructure\n\n",
    "mes-cooper-tire": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/mes-cooper-tire\n\nTITLE: Cooper Tire Transforms Operations with Single MES\n\nRegardless of industry, size or scale, the day-to-day challenges on the factory floor share commonalities - maintaining productivity, quality, low cost, and a skilled workforce. Embracing digital transformation can reshape operations allowing for more agility and responsiveness to meet these requirements.\n\nCooper(R) Tire and Rubber, Findlay, Ohio, has spent more than a century creating the right rubber-to-dollar ratio - offering high-performing tires at a competitive price.\n\nLike most in the industry, Cooper Tire understands that two of the largest costs in tire manufacturing are capital and labor. The industry is capital-intensive and leaders need to attain a high level of efficiency with assets while continuing to focus on quality and safety.\n\nWhile Cooper Tire always operates in an environment of continuous improvement, the opportunity for enhancing operations in this case was driven by the value of bringing consistency and commonality through a single manufacturing execution system (MES) solution deployed across processes, from mixing through final finish, and across facilities.\n\nThe MES is the heartbeat of any manufacturing operation. It is the foundational layer that oversees the production process for transforming raw materials into a finished product. This system is fundamental for achieving complete visibility and control over operations on the plant floor. Cooper Tire wanted a platform designed to meet their unique needs. To get there, Information Technology (IT) and Operations Technology (OT) would need to work together.\n\n***** IT/OT Teamwork *****\n\nCooper Tire's Core Team was tasked with designing and implementing a global MES across facilities.\n\nThis project had high visibility in the organization, driving the priority to get the right Information Technology (IT) and Operations Technology (OT) representation on the team, to foster productive collaboration across functional siloes, and result in IT/OT teamwork.\n\nThe first phase of the project was to complete the global design and implement in the first plant in Texarkana, Arkansas, with subsequent rollouts in additional U.S. plants as well as facilities in Mexico, China, and Serbia.\n\nFunctioning as a basic ecosystem, Cooper Tire's MES would be the epicenter for how to plan, execute, and collect contextualized data. With strong integration capability with ERP systems, automation layers and apps, the MES becomes that bridge between specialty functions for increased efficiency and improved decision-making.\n\nThis MES could also implement enforceable workflows to maintain continued improvements and:\n\n    * Break down organizational information silos to connect people with systems\n\n    * Enable greater collaboration, standardization, and enforcement of best practices to improve productivity\n\nThe team began the process of digitizing manufacturing operations, designing and implementing a global MES across manufacturing facilities that produce passenger and light truck tires for both replacement and original equipment customers of Cooper Tire.\n\n\"This work was seen as a 'no regrets' foundational initiative,\" said champion Phil Kortokrax, senior vice president of Global Operations & Procurement. \"It was intended to create the digital foundation for future use cases in simulation, predictive analytics, digital twin and beyond.\"\n\n***** Pandemic Poses Challenge *****\n\nThe team engaged over 100 subject matter experts across manufacturing plants and processes for the better part of a year - a challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic.\n\nA familiar scene for most manufacturers, as the project was kicking off the facilities went into a new way of working, delaying the start of the project and replacing in-person meetings with remote blueprint sessions and virtual plant tours. Many on the internal team had not worked together before.\n\nTeam members across manufacturing plants processes relied on virtual meetings to discuss and drive to decisions and reference local as well as global requirements.\n\nBlueprint and design sessions utilized the skills and experience of the core team and Rockwell Automation team. Local plant champions helped ensure participation with the right resources at their locations.\n\n***** Evolving Digital Transformation Implementation *****\n\nCooper Tire's approach considers that, by being on a common platform, any best practices or improvements can be quickly rolled out to multiple locations in a data analytics use case. For overall digital transformation, the key is being integrated to the right, reliable data. That allows for flexibility in focus areas, built on the same foundation.\n\nDigital transformation solutions provide increased interoperability, contextualized data, and advanced analytics with IT/OT integration. Using these solutions, future digital use cases have been prioritized by a group of manufacturing leaders and subject matter experts primarily around impact and effort. The list was generated based on pain points.\n\n***** Meaningful Impact *****\n\nCooper Tire made a meaningful impact on its cost structure through the MES solution. \"In addition, with the potential traceability improvements, we estimate that quality will continue to improve through enhanced robust systematic error proofing,\" said Kortokrax. \"Aside from the manufacturing cost efficiency and quality improvements, we estimate an annual savings in ongoing MES maintenance.\"\n\nPurpose-built for key industries to respond to variations related to specific processes, challenges and desired outcomes, Rockwell Automation has developed industry-specific MES solutions to meet the diverse needs of tire companies.\n\nAnd forward-thinking companies like Cooper Tire, that lean into innovation and implement modern technologies, will be ready for the challenges of today and prepared for the innovations of tomorrow.\n\nRecommended for You\n\nTAG: optimize-production\nTAG: accelerate-digital-transformation\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\nTAG: mes-solutions\n\nTAG: automotive-and-tire\n\nTAG: plex\n\n",
    "digital-transformation-starts-with-scalable-control-platform": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/digital-transformation-starts-with-scalable-control-platform\n\nTITLE: Digital Transformation Starts With Scalable Control Platform\n\n*** Nutrition Where You Need It ***\n\nPets such as dogs and cats have become part of everyday lives in many people. As a result, the pet food industry is rapidly growing. Previously, pet food only focus on providing pets with their favorite pet food, but now much focus is on providing customized nutrition solutions based on scientific knowledge for pet's healthy lives.\n\nThe introduction of smart manufacturing system is essential to improving production efficiency, optimizing process operations and reducing costs, and strict quality control and tight food safety management.\n\nDue to this reason, many pet food manufacturers are adopting smart manufacturing systems, and\u00a0 systems of Rockwell Automation have been implemented to the new plants of many premium pet food manufacturers in Korea.\n\n*** Quality Production ***\n\nTo fulfill its brand promise of offering precise nutritional solutions, Global pet food company needed accurate production control. If a problem arises, production must halt and the root cause have to be immediately identified to avoid product waste and contamination.\n\nIn all of its facilities, Global pet food company ensures industry-leading premium quality with its unique production processes and\u00a0 recipes, utilizing cutting-edge technology in each phase, from raw material handling/storage, grinding, mixing through extrusion, drying, coating, cooling and packaging.\n\nThis same quality was expected in the new plant, with all field tasks and process operations delivered directly from France.\u00a0 Global pet food company will manufacture products with the same recipes and processes used all over the world,\n\nProduction control begins at order entry. Production requirements are based on expected operating hours and operating efficiency \u2013 productivity per hour \u2013 and constantly monitored to determine if production is within acceptable parameters. Global pet food company monitors network security 24/7.\n\nFor its new facility, Global pet food company complies with Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) food safety management and product quality requirements. HACCP certification demonstrates to customers a company's commitment to producing safe food. This evidence-based approach is particularly beneficial when subject to inspection by regulatory authorities or stakeholders.\n\nIn particular, through adherence to this standard, global pet food company is committed to using systems that identify, prevent and control all food safety hazards. For example, rather than rely on conveyors to deliver ingredients from hopper to hopper, which pose the risk of ingredients falling off the conveyor, Global pet food company uses automated blowers, dryers and product silos to avoid cross-contamination and ensure cleanliness.\u00a0\n\n*** Better Control Means Better Food ***\n\nGlobal pet food company global headquarters made the decision to use Rockwell Automation as the main automation provider, cascading all architectures from a global standard. For Global pet food company, new facility, the process automation solution, which uses EtherNet/IP\u2122 as standard, is built on a variety of control, safety and visualization products.\n\nLike many food and beverage industry companies, Global pet food company emphasizes machine and operator safety as part of the overall control infrastructure. POINT Guard I/O\u2122 modules are safety-rated I/O modules designed to fit into the standard POINT I/O\u2122 system, offering automation and safety functionality in a maximum density I/O solution. POINT Guard I/O communicates by using the CIP\u2122 safety protocol over EtherNet/IP for GuardLogix\u00ae safety controllers.\n\nAllen-Bradley\u00ae 1734 POINT I/O\u2122 modules offer digital, analog, and specialty I/O, as well as POINT Guard safety-rated I/O, so global pet food company could mix standard and safety I/O in the same system. Comprehensive diagnostics and configurable features made POINT I/O easy to apply.\n\nThe new process control system centers on the Allen-Bradley ControlLogix\u00ae 5570 programmable automation controller (PAC). ControlLogix 5570 PACs provide multi-disciplined control leveraging development tools, a network protocol and service oriented architecture, making it a fully integrated, scalable control platform that can be used throughout the new plant.\n\nControlLogix controllers provide increased performance, capacity, productivity and security to help meet the growing demands of smart machines and equipment for manufacturing. All ControlLogix controllers use the\u00a0Studio 5000\u00ae design environment as the standard framework that optimizes productivity and reduces time to commission. This framework manages Integrated Motion over EtherNet/IP for high-speed motion applications and SIL2/PLd and SIL3/PLe safety solutions.\n\nIntegrated on an EtherNet/IP network, the facility used Allen-Bradley\u00ae PowerFlex\u00ae 525 and PowerFlex 755 drives for flexible motor control and to help communicate device diagnostics to the control system. These drives provide ease of use, application flexibility, and high performance.\u00a0They include multiple control and hardware options, as well as optional embedded safety features.\u00a0\n\nThe combination is monitored on a single FactoryTalk\u00ae View SE, supervisory-level HMI software for monitoring and controlling distributed-server/multi-user applications. It provides a comprehensive and accurate picture of operations, meeting the demands of multiple stakeholders including engineering, maintenance, operations, and production Information Technology (IT). The Studio 5000\u00ae automation design environment combines engineering and design elements into one standard framework that enabled optimized productivity and reduced commissioning time. With the Studio 5000 environment,\u00a0 Global pet food company could respond quicker to changing market and business needs, while reducing total costs of ownership, including maintenance and training.\n\nA core advantage of this solution is a reliable, standardized hardware platform and software solution that includes the PlantPAx\u00ae distributed control system (DCS) and machine safety control via a single EtherNet/IP industrial network. PlantPAx DCS combines the plant-wide control technologies and unlimited scalability of Rockwell Automation\u00ae Integrated Architecture\u00ae with all the core capabilities expected in a world-class DCS. It supports the adoption of the latest technology for improving productivity and addresses industrial IT security from the individual field device on the plant floor to the enterprise level.\n\n*** Ready for More Pet Food ***\n\nRockwell Automation successfully completed a one-year GreenField project for system design, panel building, E&I installation and support for prototype production at this plant.\n\nWith this solution, Global pet food company was able to realize the value of digital transformation, including enhanced network and information security as well as performance improvements. These IoT-enabled technologies help to monitor assets and processes, better protect employees, and secure business systems and information.\n\nThe advanced level of factory automation allows Global pet food company to maintain the same or better productivity and stability with fewer people.\n\nAdditionally, operators have gained more control over the process. With web browser-based control, operators can easily make and monitor process changes via a web browser interface, without additional personnel. The upgrades keep the food quality high while increasing production speed, with improved consistency in flavor and quality.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Global pet food company use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nAllen-Bradley, ControlLogix, FactoryTalk View, GuardLogix, Integrated Architecture, PlantPAx, POINT Guard I/O, POINT I/O, PowerFlex, Studio 5000 and Rockwell Automation are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc. Trademarks not belonging to Rockwell Automation are property of their respective companies.\n\n\nTAG: safety-solutions\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: factorytalk-studio-5000\n\n",
    "andon-solution-delivers-better-decision-making-at-toyota": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/andon-solution-delivers-better-decision-making-at-toyota\n\nTITLE: Andon Solution Delivers Better Decision Making at Toyota\n\n*** Background ***\n\nToyota Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd.\u00a0(TMUK) has two manufacturing plants in the UK employing over 3,200 people.\n\nRepresenting a total investment in excess of \u00a32.2 billion, the vehicle manufacturing plant is located at Burnaston in Derbyshire and the engine manufacturing plant at Deeside in North Wales.\n\nThe first car, a Carina E, drove off the Burnaston production line in 1992.\n\nThe Burnaston plant is the sole manufacturer of the Avensis model and the sole European manufacturer of the Auris and Auris Hybrid.\n\nThe plant comprises a single assembly shop \u2013 which produces both models \u2013 and within this facility a number of information technology solutions are deployed to collate and deliver a wide variety of production management data.\n\nThese IT solutions are used as the communication framework for a number of production programs and philosophies, which underpin Toyota's impressive worldwide manufacturing efficiency reputation.\n\nOne such program is the company's Andon solution, which allows line operators to call for management help or temporarily stop the production line if they spot something that they perceive could have a detrimental effect on vehicle quality.\n\nOriginating from the word for a paper lantern, Andon \u2013 which in English translates to 'sign' or 'signal' \u2013 is a term that refers to an illuminated signal notifying others of a problem within the quality-control or production streams.\n\nIt is a means of highlighting a problem as it occurs in order to immediately countermeasure the issue and prevent re-occurrence.\n\nIt was the intention of TMUK to refresh its current Andon systems through a phased program of hardware and application replacement and modernisation.\n\nThe approach would reengineer the existing organically developed solutions to provide a suite of integrated applications that could be deployed on a range of display technologies to leverage the data collected from shop floor programmable controllers.\n\nFor this upgrade project, Toyota appraised a number of technologies from different vendors and approached Rockwell Automation to develop the new solution based on more up-to-date and open technologies.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nThe existing Line Andon System comprised a number of technologies from multiple vendors and included a reporting system that was also made up of a mixture of systems and software suites.\n\nThe display technology was fairly basic. It had evolved from red and green bulbs that showed where the line had stopped, up to a more contemporary 640 x 720 LED-based solution that showed basic figures such as production targets. But this was beginning to show its age and was exhibiting failures.\n\nTMUK needed to undergo a modernisation program to develop a new solution that would not only collect all the necessary production information, but would also collate and decipher it before disbursing it in an easy to understand, actionable format to all parties involved in any remedial actions prompted by the Andon solution.\n\nThe new solution was to be made up of three core elements: a Line Andon system; a Real Time Andon reporting system; and hourly reporting and shop display boards.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nThe new Digital Andon System (DAS) for TMUK is based on technologies already deployed, tested and delivered by the Rockwell Automation Global Solutions Team in North America team across multiple Toyota sites in the US.\n\nThe UK Global Solution team enhanced the DAS with the addition of\u00a0FactoryTalk\u00ae Historian Site edition (SE) and clients to provide additional functionality that will deliver a standard Manufacturing Intelligence platform for Toyota to develop beyond the Andon solution, across its global manufacturing sites.\n\nAdditional work for the UK project was undertaken by the Rockwell Automation Global Engineering Centre in India, which developed the graphical elements of the Line Andon system.\n\nThe Line Andon System is delivered by a number of stations (specific to each line) running\u00a0FactoryTalk\u00ae View Station Site Edition (SE) on six physical PCs, but using video extender cables to connect to multiple monitors mounted above the line in full view of the operators and their supervisors.\n\nThis system provides pull or line-stop indication to production line team leaders, giving them the ability to respond to team members' concerns and avoid extended line stops.\n\nThe new system gathers data from the line-control panels (LCP) for immediate reflection on local display screens as well as ensuring that data extracted from the LCPs is also made available for extraction, for use by the Real Time Andon and other systems.\n\nThe Real Time Andon System uses virtual servers for FactoryTalk Historian Site edition (SE) running in conjunction with RSLinx\u00ae,\u00a0FactoryTalk\u00ae VantagePoint\u00ae and Microsoft SQL servers.\n\nRelevant information from these servers can then be displayed on various client PCs as web reports and on the large shop display boards that are located at strategic points around the assembly shop.\n\nIn operation, the Real Time Andon System gathers data from the shop floor controllers and then populates an SQL database.\n\nIt can then display different levels of data graphically using a touchscreen interface, which provides supervisors with the ability to perform rapid identification of line stop or Andon pulls that are impacting production.\n\nThe new system is a scalable, accessible integrated solution that will evolve with the production solution.\n\nIn addition, the databases can also be used to calculate where potential issues may occur; and if there is any relationship to times, shifts or specific operator stations.\n\nCompleting the new installation are the new Shop Display Boards, which comprise a number of large-screen displays that summarize overall shop status and line-specific data, regarding planned volume, achievement and operation rate.\n\nAccording to Alastair Moore, Section Manager Assembly Engineering at TMUK: \"We had an idea of what we wanted to achieve in terms of modernization, but our main focus was the visualization.\n\nThe main shop displays were 15 to 16 years old and really starting to show their age.\n\nWe had a look at what was available from the market in terms of new solutions \u2013 including the most recent development of the incumbent hardware and software \u2013 and the solutions from Rockwell Automation were part of this mix.\n\nIn the end, the final decision was based upon licensing costs and the way the whole solution 'hung together'. Rockwell Automation was able to offer us something a lot more competitive.\n\n\"The majority of our existing production equipment is based on Rockwell Automation control solutions,\" Moore continues, \"so we already knew that Rockwell Automation could offer us a robust solution based on an Ethernet network; and the fact that its architecture is open and more technologically agnostic made it more attractive in the long term.\"\n\nThe collection, collation, deciphering and delivery of pertinent actionable real-time manufacturing data is a core feature of the Rockwell Automation Connected Enterprise.\n\n\u00a0The Connected Enterprise(R) \u2013 an approach that leverages connected machines, supply chains and customers \u2013 allows companies to establish manufacturing processes that are information-rich, supported, more secure and ready for future market demands.\n\nUltimately, a Connected Enterprise approach creates a more competitive, innovative enterprise that can deliver insights to improve productivity, sustainability and economic performance through faster time to market, lower total cost of ownership, improved asset utilisation and enterprise risk management.\n\nOther benefits of access to real-time, contextualised information include minimised downtime, improved technology and process optimisation, greater workforce efficiency and smarter expenditure.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nTMUK now has a Digital Andon System that delivers exactly what it needs in terms of accurate, pertinent real-time operational information to both the line-side operators and their supervisors; speeding up the time taken to recover from a stop and to identify the root cause.\n\nIn addition, the Historian functionality gives them the ability to predict where problems may occur and take preventative action.\n\nIts open, integrated architecture and scalability also means that the hardware and software can be modified to suit future needs in terms of production volume or information requirements.\n\nAccording to Guy Smithson, Account Manager UK Automotive & Tire at Rockwell Automation: \"A similar Andon evolution took place in a Toyota plant in Kentucky USA and as well as sharing information to specific line supervisors, the information was more widely shared in order to discover how issues affected other operations in the production flow.\n\nIn this instance the paint shop was able to react immediately to alerts generated by subsequent processes instead of waiting for a production report from the previous day.\n\nIn addition to other Andon reporting streams, it was estimated that annual cost savings could be in the region of over half a million dollars.\n\nThis whole new wider approach also addresses Toyota's Muda philosophy, which tackles futility, uselessness and wastefulness.\"\n\n\"The Rockwell Automation engineers are easy to work with,\" Moore concludes, \"and the mutual respect means that both sides are willing to listen to each other.\n\nAlan Williams (a senior engineer at Rockwell Automation UK) has been involved with Toyota for almost 20 years; we have known each other for a while and trust each other's opinion.\n\nWe are looking to expand the system into other areas and factories and then potentially into other countries such as France, with any improvements and lessons learnt from these projects being rolled back to us.\"\n\nAllen-Bradley, FactoryTalk View Site Edition (SE), FactoryTalk VantagePoint, FactoryTalk Historian, LISTEN. THINK. SOLVE., and Rockwell Automation are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\nEtherNet/IP is a trademark of the ODVA\n\nTrademarks not belonging to Rockwell Automation are property of their respective companies.\n\n\nTAG: automotive-and-tire\n\n",
    "yalumba_s-oxford-landing-winery-incorporates-latest-in-wine-maki": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/yalumba_s-oxford-landing-winery-incorporates-latest-in-wine-maki\n\nTITLE: Yalumba's Oxford Landing Winery Incorporates Latest in Wine Making\n\n*** The Oxford Landing Estate Vineyard and Winery is named after a site where drovers once grazed and watered sheep. Today it's home to a loyal flock of down-to-earth folk who take great pride in making quality wines, enjoyed the world over.\n\n ***\n\nWith 650 acres under vine, Oxford Landing Estate is not small but by micro-managing 130 five-acre blocks as separate ecosystems, the grapes are given exactly what they need to achieve optimum flavour.\n\nTechniques such as detailed pruning, canopy management and crop thinning provide the winery with ultimate control in expressing the individuality of each block. Oxford Landing prides itself on being nimble enough to harvest small batches of the fruit as soon as it ripens, so not an ounce of freshness is lost.\n\nSet on the northern edge of the Barossa Valley the key to the success of the Oxford Landing Estate Winery is their ability to achieve a continuous production flow via a sophisticated automation and control system. In winemaking, this timing is particularly crucial since the grapes need to be processed within a critical window of time where the acid and sugar content are at a premium.\n\nTo achieve this, together with keeping up with increasing consumer demands, winemakers are turning to technology to streamline the process.\n\n*** Over a Decade of Service and Support ***\n\nYalumba is Australia's oldest family-owned winery, and one of the country's largest wine exporters. Its Angaston winery was founded in 1849 in South Australia's famous Barossa Valley. Over time however, the demand for Yalumba wines has grown to exceed the processing capacity of the heritage-listed Angaston facility. This led to the establishment of the Oxford Landing Estate Winery, which is now the primary producer of Oxford Landing Estate wines and Yalumba's popular two litre cask wine varieties.\n\nOne of the main challenges with winemaking is that customers expect consistency, they get used to a particular label and expect it to taste the same, but every year the acid level is different, the sugar content is different as are the aromas and colour of the berries.\n\nAccording to John Ide, winery operations manager, at Yalumba, \"The aim for the Oxford Landing winery was an environmentally friendly plant incorporating the latest in winemaking technology, plus a new and unique process stream methodology. The objective was to achieve greater management of the process and the product.\"\n\nThe agility needed to meet the demands of frequently changing production demands was uniquely met by the process automation solutions from Rockwell Automation. This on top of the end to end efficiencies of the plant wide control inherent in Integrated Architecture truly made this a solution real win for Yalumba.\n\nThe Oxford Landing Estate Winery was commissioned in 2005 and has been able to meet market requirements and improve product quality for more than a decade now. The secret, says Ide, is the automated process streams that ensure the grapes are fermented under optimum conditions, given the high volume throughput. It is particularly critical at all times to control fermentation rate and minimise oxidation, both of which are highly dependent on temperature.\n\nFrom the moment the skin is broken during harvesting, it's important to move the product quickly through the crushing stage, chilled and into the controlled environments of the fermentation tanks.\n\nEach process stream begins at one of three receive hopper/crusher bays, where loads of grapes are converted into 'must', a mix of juice, skin and seeds. The must is then pumped through one of three 'must chillers' to reduce the temperature to around 12 degrees Celsius for white and heat or cool to 25 degrees for red. To produce white wine, the juice is extracted from the skin and seeds and clarified prior to fermentation; conversely, red wine is fermented with the skins included in the fermentation vessel. For both styles of wine, the premium juice/wine or 'free run' is drained and kept separate from the second stream or 'pressings' of extracted product through subsequent processing and storage. After wines are fermented they are clarified and blended into the final product before filtration and bottling.\n\nFactoryTalk View SE provides a clear view across entire lines and production processes.\u00a0\n\n*** Virtualisation and Visibility ***\n\nThe control and automation system plays an important role at Oxford Landing, the system performs sophisticated control of the numerous process streams, while at the same allowing the winemakers to exert their influence and apply their experience to achieve the desired result.\n\nThe primary user interface for the system is a virtualised server supported by two virtualised clients and six onsite clients, each running FactoryTalk(R) View SE. Winemakers and operators use this supervisory-level HMI to specify process streams, crushing speeds and fermentation schedules; plus monitor the operational status of the entire plant.\n\nFrom the moment the skin is broken during harvesting, the product is moved quickly through the crushing stage, chilled and into the controlled environments of the fermentation tanks.\u00a0\n\n*** The Angaston site allows maintenance operators to keep a close watch on trends using remote access via FactoryTalk ViewPoint or the virtual clients without having to come to site. This system is integrated with Yalumba's proprietary 'wine management system' which is a non-commercial database of all vintages for the purpose batch tracking for label integrity.\n\n ***\n\nFactoryTalk View SE is a key component of Oxford Landing's automation system, providing a clear view across entire lines and production processes. This unified site-wide monitoring and control via the terminals and numerous plant-floor PanelViewTM Plus human-machine interfaces (HMI). \"Having everything on a common visualization platform was an attractive part of the package,\" said Ide.\n\nFrom a programming point of view, Integrated Architecture(R) provides a common development environment for all applications utilising the mobility and virtualisation of the FactoryTalk system. FactoryTalk allows data tags created in one application to be immediately available to all applications across the integrated architecture system.\n\nThe ability to share data tags considerably reduces the software development time. The whole network was connected in the workshop and programmed at the same time. There was one tag database available to both the SCADA and the PLC programmers. Any tag created was immediately available to everybody so there was no importing, exporting, connecting or waiting. From the onset, the system could be programmed concurrently so there was no time delay.\n\n*** Flexing Muscle ***\n\nAt the heart of the system, more than 10 Allen-Bradley(R) ControlLogix(R) programmable automation controllers (PAC) perform the hybrid functionality required of sequential, process and drives control. This includes overseeing a myriad of Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) drives that control screw feeders, crushers, pumps, presses, agitators, and so on; and also encompass enhanced PID control of temperature. \"We have introduced a system for automatic dosing of yeasts for ferments which is also controlled by this system,\" said Ide.\n\nControlLogix also controls the advanced refrigeration plant - perhaps the most critical function of all. \"The refrigeration plant is our main tool for controlling temperature at all stages of the process,\" said Ide, explaining that three ammonia compressors and a pumping system circulate liquid ammonia through the must chillers, 'rack and return tanks', and fermentation vessels as required.\n\nThe control system works out the required load and directs which should be the lead compressor and what the optimum settings are, based on how much cooling is needed for the required fermentation rates. \"We have also just installed a PowerFlex 755 variable speed drive on the 450kW motor of our lead compressor increasing efficiency, flexibility and saving energy over the vintage period,\" added Ide.\n\nTo link the automation system all together, the Oxford Landing plant utilises a site-wide Ethernet/IP network that connects the SCADA server and clients with each other and the ControlLogix PACs for a seamless flow of information through the plant. A ControlNet communications network provides high speed peer-to-peer communications, while device-level communications are provided by DeviceNet.\n\nIn addition, CompactLogixTM is used as the control system for equipment such as press and cross flow filters, which are networked back to the ControlLogix via Ethernet. FactoryTalk ViewPoint provides visibility remotely via a tablet, which delivers real time and historical trending. \"As a result of the success of we've had with FactoryTalk View SE integrating all areas of our plant in one platform, we've now rolled it out at our Yalumba site in Angaston,\" said Ide.\n\nThe control system works out the required load and directs which should be the lead compressor and what the optimum settings are, based on how much cooling is needed for the required fermentation rates. \"We have also just installed a PowerFlex 755 variable speed drive on the 450kW motor of our lead compressor increasing efficiency, flexibility and saving energy over the vintage period,\" added Ide.\n\nTo link the automation system all together, the Oxford Landing plant utilises a site-wide Ethernet/IP network that connects the SCADA server and clients with each other and the ControlLogix PACs for a seamless flow of information through the plant. A ControlNet communications network provides high speed peer-to-peer communications, while device-level communications are provided by DeviceNet.\n\nIn addition, CompactLogixTM is used as the control system for equipment such as press and cross flow filters, which are networked back to the ControlLogix via Ethernet. FactoryTalk ViewPoint provides visibility remotely via a tablet, which delivers real time and historical trending. \"As a result of the success of we've had with FactoryTalk View SE integrating all areas of our plant in one platform, we've now rolled it out at our Yalumba site in Angaston,\" said Ide.\n\n*** Two Shades of Green ***\n\nThe Oxford Landing site is 'green' in more than one sense, with a number of strategies in place to ensure environmentally friendly practices. The refrigeration system is highly efficient, with the option of off-peak loading to reduce both electricity costs and power consumption through maximised compressor efficiency. In addition, the hot return ammonia gas heats the water used for washing tanks throughout the plant, plus Oxford Landing has its own complete wastewater recycling plant which is also interfaced with the FactoryTalk(R) View SE system for visualisation and control.\n\nThe plant and wastewater facility is running at best practice and recently won an Environmental award from the South Australian Wine Industry Association for implementing an innovative cross flow filtration system that minimises waste going to the plant while increasing yield.\n\nAt Oxford Landing, the ultimate goal has always been to achieve a continuous production flow through the plant. Ide believes that the Integrated Architecture from Rockwell Automation is key to ensuring that this objective is met and maintained. \"FactoryTalk View allows us to see trends in real time, and we can backtrack to specific batches as required,\" he says. \"Troubleshooting is also easy. For example, we can delve right down into the drives remotely, changing programming and configuration and perform pretty much anything. That's the advantage of a fully integrated system which has a consistent look and feel across the board.\"\n\n\"In addition, we are currently utilising our newly installed FactoryTalk(R) EnergyMetrix system to control the maximum kVA demand and email alarms when we are nearing the limit. We are in the stages of using the integrated system to automatically shut down other non critical motors to reduce demand when we are approaching the limit,\" explained Ide.\n\nYalumba has shown that efficiency leads to quality and by using automation, efficiency can be increased and quality improved. It is the juxtaposition of high-volume processing technology and winemaking art that is making Yalumba successful, granting it the ability to deliver bottles of red and white that are finding favour, and flavour, the world over.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "wpi-pulp-mill": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/wpi-pulp-mill\n\nTITLE: Pulp mill boosts reliability with PlantPAx DCS\n\n*** A leading New Zealand pulp mill has upgraded its Distributed Control System (DCS) to Rockwell Automation's PlantPAx(R).\n\n ***\n\nWinstone Pulp International Ltd (WPI) produces a range of timber and pulp products derived from renewable plantations of Radiata pine for both New Zealand and international markets.\n\nIts pulp mill in Karioi, Ohakune (about 100km south of Lake Taupo) was experiencing usability challenges with its DCS, and WPI saw risks for the future of the business.\n\n\u00a0\"Our existing DCS was coming to the end of its lifecycle. It required highly specialised knowledge and was not easy to modify if our needs changed. It was not a cost-efficient or optimised way of running the pulp mill,\" said Lindsay Rowe, project manager, WPI.\n\nWPI already had Rockwell Automation's PlantPAx DCS running in some areas of the plant, where it was operating reliably and efficiently, so the decision was made to convert the rest of the plant to PlantPAx, to create a unified DCS.\n\n\"We wanted a true DCS to be implemented plant-wide - something that was user-friendly, with standard template that could easily be modified as our needs change in the future. Importantly, we wanted a DCS that was simple to learn and to operate, to minimise the risk of an experienced maintenance technician retiring and leaving a knowledge gap in the company, for example,\" added Rowe.\n\nThe Karioi pulp mill - which produces wood pulp that is used for folding boxboard manufacture - has more than doubled its production capacity since it began in 1978, by implementing new plant, processes, and technology. WPI's latest investment follows this trend of utilising proven technology to drive reliability and efficiency benefits.\n\n*** Feed study optimises outcomes\n\n ***\n\nPrior to Rockwell Automation's involvement, spare parts were more difficult to come by, and the legacy system lacked newer functionalities, which presented further risks in a major shutdown scenario.\n\n\"We conducted a feed study for WPI, to provide a complete understanding of processes right from the outset. This helped shape our planned migration to PlantPAx, and optimised the outcomes for WPI,\" explained Lin Han Thwe, account manager, Rockwell Automation New Zealand.\n\nThe feed study and documentation process involved interviews with engineers and operations personnel, to gain a complete picture of WPI's operations, and of their customers' needs.\n\n*** Resourceful and creative measures to overcome pandemic-related challenges\n\n ***\n\nThe PlantPAx migration project commenced in 2020, when New Zealand was experiencing its strictest lockdowns and significant Covid-19 outbreak in the community.\n\nTo navigate these challenges, Rockwell Automation conducted remote tests, and employed careful contingency planning and assignment of resources. The team was able to commission around plant shutdowns to minimise any disruptions to WPI's operations.\n\n\"Upgrading so many areas of a plant within a short duration is challenging enough, and that's before adding the pandemic restrictions on top of it. But the commitment, technical prowess, and resourcefulness of the team shone through to deliver a satisfactory outcome for our customer,\" said Bernard Ooi, project manager, Rockwell Automation New Zealand.\n\n*** PlantPAx delivers user-friendly, connected, and efficient DCS\n\n ***\n\nWPI has now converted the entire pulp production area to Rockwell Automation's PlantPAx DCS, where it can now take advantage of a standardised DCS that is simple to update, modify, and train new staff to use.\n\n\"Having one vendor, and one solution, makes our lives a lot easier,\" said Rowe. \"We no longer have to engage different system integrators each time we need to update our processes. Further, we can easily train new operators to use the PlantPAx DCS, so we're never at risk of losing that knowledge if an employee leaves the company,\" she added.\n\nIn addition to supplying the latest PlantPAx DCS technology, Rockwell Automation is also providing ongoing service and maintenance to WPI, to keep everything running at optimal levels, so that WPI can maximise the return on their investment.\n\n\"Service is faster and simpler with Rockwell Automation, which is a big downtime saver. Additionally, we often have complex requirements, and Rockwell Automation is always there to help us with problem solving. This support is a major asset to us, as we look to continue building on the growth we've experienced over more than 40 years,\" said Rowe.\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** PlantPAx benefits *****\n\nThe PlantPAx system is based on four core principles:\n\n    * Plant-wide Control and Optimisation: The PlantPAx system uses a common automation platform for seamless integration between critical areas of a plant. Benefits include common platforms, seamless information flow, ease of management, and lower total cost of ownership.\n\n    * Scalable and Modular Architecture: A wide range of architecture options for increased flexibility are provided with the PlantPAx system. This means easy integration without replicating data, faster time to market, and scalable system capabilities such as HMI, batch management and data collection.\n\n    * Open, Information-enabled, and Secure: The PlantPAx system is based on open communication standards leveraging Ethernet/IP as its backbone. As a result, secure real-time information is readily available throughout the enterprise for better business decision-making.\n\n    * Flexible Delivery and Support Network: Users can select the optimal implementation and support team based on their needs with a PlantPAx system, with the long-term confidence that the investment is protected with support from Rockwell Automation.\u00a0\n\n\"PlantPAx is what we like to refer to as a 'full-blown' DCS. It has everything from cybersecurity, streamlined workflows, and drives consistency, through to intelligent analytics and a reduced footprint. For operations looking for outstanding reliability, it's a powerful solution,\" concluded Lin Han.\n\n*** About Rockwell Automation ***\n\nRockwell Automation Australia and Rockwell Automation New Zealand are subsidiaries of Rockwell Automation, Inc.-a leading global provider of industrial automation and information solutions that helps manufacturers achieve a competitive advantage in their businesses. The company brings together leading global brands in industrial automation which include Allen-Bradley(R) controls and services and Rockwell Software(R) factory management software. Its broad product mix includes control logic systems, sensors, human-machine interfaces, drive controllers, power devices, and software.\n\nRockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK), is a global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation. We connect the imaginations of people with the potential of technology to expand what is humanly possible, making the world more productive and more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rockwell Automation employs approximately 26,000 problem solvers dedicated to our customers in more than 100 countries. To learn more about how we are bringing The Connected Enterprise to life across industrial enterprises, visit www.rockwellautomation.com.\u00a0\u00a0\n\nPlantPAx is a trademark of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\n\u00a0\n\nTAG: pulp-and-paper\n\nTAG: distributed-control-systems\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: plantpax\n\n",
    "lbc-tank-terminal-deploys-open-and-scalable-plantpax-solution": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/lbc-tank-terminal-deploys-open-and-scalable-plantpax-solution\n\nTITLE: LBC Tank Terminal Deploys Open and Scalable PlantPAx Solution\n\n*** Background ***\n\nLBC Tank Terminals is one of the world's largest operators of bulk liquid storage facilities for chemical and oil products, owning and operating a global network of terminals with a combined storage capacity of close to three million cubic metres at key locations in Europe, the USA and China.\n\nThe company is expanding its capacity and network, through new facilities at existing locations and through acquisitions, joint ventures and greenfield developments. It is also enhancing its existing installations, installing state-of-that art control systems to help achieve optimum efficiency and product handling.\n\nA recent example of this upgrade work occurred at its Antwerp facilities. Agidens (formerly Egemin N.V.), a Rockwell Automation Recognised System Integrator, was tasked with not only migrating and replacing an obsolete control architecture at one tank farm with a new, fully integrated PlantPAx(R) control system, but also introducing PlantPAx libraries into an existing installation, which although running on Rockwell Automation(R) hardware, was operating using different software.\n\nThe LBC Antwerp facilities - located on the right Scheldt riverside in the fourth harbour dock in Antwerp, in the heart of the world's second largest chemical cluster - handle chemicals, petroleum products, mineral oils, base oils and lubricants and offers customers ship-to-ship transfers, flexi-bag loading, forwarding and customs services as well as a 13,400m2 warehouse facility, including hazardous materials. The terminal has a capacity of 270,000 m3 divided over 188 tanks and is also equipped for special handling such as heating, nitrogen blanketing, drumming and purging.\n\n\u00a0\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nEngineers faced multiple challenges with regards to the migration project. Foremost was the need to cause as little disruption as possible to the everyday running of the terminal, keeping downtime to an absolute minimum.\n\nFrom a technical standpoint, LBC had a number of demands, all of which pertained to the operational parameters of the new PlantPAx control system. These demands included open standards in both hardware and software, high availability, the deployment of a high integrity, integrated safety solution, high maintainability, secure information management in the process control environment, easy-to-use operator consoles in classified areas and, just as importantly, the ability to cater for future expansion in terms of extensions and functionality.\n\nLBC was adamant that it needed to regain ownership of its production networks - spread across several terminals around the world - and that it wanted to bring these infrastructures to a performance and security level that not only matched its business objectives, but also those pertaining to local and international standards. Due to work already starting on the revamp of the control system at the Antwerp terminal, the first service offered was development of a Production Network Design to be applied at the new Industrial Automation Control System (IACS) deployed at the Antwerp terminal.\n\nThe LBC terminal is a 24/7 operation, so the migration to the new Rockwell Automation system had to be completed over the course of just one weekend. Agidens therefore set up a clear migration strategy with fall-back scenarios - part of which involved installing the new PlantPAx controllers in parallel with the existing solution - to avoid any unnecessary downtime.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nAgidens' solution involved the migration of the existing control system to PlantPAx and the use of the PlantPAx Process Objects Library. The solution was designed with a focus on high availability; integrated safety; open standards; and information security and maintainability - with the main focus here being on integrity, availability and confidentiality.\n\nThe process control system - designed to be deployed over two phases - included PlantPAx process and safety controllers with operator workstation (OWS) and engineering workstations (EWS) in a centralised control room, coupled to a new unified network infrastructure based on EtherNet/IPTM with Stratix managed switches. The OWS and a process automation system server (PASS) are both running in a virtual environment. Visualization was in accordance with ISA 101 while an integrated safety solution was deployed in accordance with SIL - IEC 61508/IEC61511.\n\nExisting remote I/O from Rockwell Automation was maintained, but instead of running a Profibus network it was updated for use with Ethernet. From a security standpoint, LBC also employed the Rockwell Automation Network Security Services team to design the Ethernet infrastructure and configure the switches to conform to the network design.\n\nBy using EtherNet/IP as the primary communication protocol, LBC has given itself the opportunity to more easily move into The Connected Enterprise(R), an approach based on future smart manufacturing initiatives, such as Advanced Manufacturing Partnership 2.0 (United States), Industrie 4.0 (Germany), Manufacturing Intelligence 2025 (China), Manufacturing Innovation 3.0 (Korea) and others. These initiatives leverage the use of connected assets, supply chains and customers, allowing them to establish processes that are both data and information rich, supported, secure and future ready for market demands.\n\nBenefits of access to real-time, contextualised information include minimised downtime, improved technology and process optimisation, greater workforce efficiency and smarter expenditure. Because EtherNet/IP is based on standard, unmodified Ethernet, there is very little that needs to be done to establish the connections between equipment; it also follows international standards to prevent unwarranted access.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nThe first project, which involved the deployment of PlantPAx libraries is benefitting from significant new added value as the process control system is now open and scalable.\n\nThe migration project is enjoying the same open and scalable benefits offered by an Ethernet-based architecture running PlantPAx. Agidens' primary focus was on safety, reliability and flexibility, designing and constructing a solution that was fully compliant with legislation and the needs of LBC. As it turns out, the fall-back scenario, although comprehensive, was not required.\n\nSince the migration of the older legacy system, the new PlantPAx control system has been handed over to operations and maintenance personnel and the terminal is fully operational, providing the functionalities described by LBC.\n\nAccording to Tom Janssen, Group ICT Infrastructure Manager for LBC Tank Terminals: \"Our objective is to know, in real time, the status of our terminals with respect to production throughput, safety compliance and asset status from the complete terminal down to individual assets. With our customers demanding more flexibility at lower cost it's key for us to optimise our terminals and have a \"live\" view 24/7/365. Maintaining a leadership position on the market requires us to ensure we are cyber secure while having seamless information flows on our terminal network.\"\n\nHe concludes: \"Having connected terminals allows us to respond quicker to changing market conditions without compromising our way of running our terminals. As IT Infrastructure Manager it's key to provide services to the terminals to ensure common methodology and procedures without reducing production flexibility and throughput.\"\n\n\nTAG: chemical\n\n",
    "solutions-in-action--c3-corporation": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/solutions-in-action--c3-corporation\n\nTITLE: Solutions in Action: C3 Corporation\n\nFor today's consumers who make many of their purchases online, overnight delivery is no longer an exception. It's an expectation that's accelerating the need for more efficient inventory management and material handling throughout the supply chain.\n\nLarger companies are taking advantage of the \u201canytime, anywhere\u201d nature of e-commerce to consolidate manufacturing and warehouse facilities. Smaller entities are rethinking ways to maximize space and streamline processes.\n\n\u201cMany smaller and mid-sized facilities are not built for high-density storage,\u201d said Joe Van De Hey, founder and CEO, C3 Corporation. \u201cThey must optimize space for raw materials and work in process \u2013 and efficiently track and move that material throughout their plant.\u201d\n\nHeadquartered in Appleton, Wisconsin, C3 began as an integration firm in 1994 and has evolved into an equipment manufacturer with an acute understanding of information systems. Recently, the company introduced an automated pick and place gantry as an efficient alternative to conventional pallet-based material handling systems.\n\n\u201cOur studies show that in many plants, up to 50 percent of downtime is caused by inefficient material delivery,\u201d Van de Hey explained. \u201cIn other words, machines are idle and waiting for material.\u201d\n\nThe pick and place gantry system automates material delivery in line with production and order requirements \u2013 and improves space utilization.\n\nWhile the company's initial system was designed for mattresses and foam components, the scalable offering can be configured for a wide range of applications.\n\nIn the mattress application, the gantry system is the production entry point for foam cores. As the foam enters the system, material data is collected and automatically aligned with the plant's inventory. The gantry locates appropriate storage space, and then tracks, retrieves and delivers material as needed.\n\n\u201cThe gantry system replaces forklifts or automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and allows us to use floor space in better way,\u201d said Van De Hey. \u201cThanks to our gantry's reach, we can extend material storage from floor to ceiling in many cases, and sometimes double or even triple capacity.\u201d\n\nBuilt with three axes of motion, the gantry runs horizontally on a track of unrestricted length and can extend vertically to about 30 feet. In addition, the gantry's side-to-side reach is 80 inches in both directions, which allows material storage on either side of the track.\n\nMaterial delivery can be generated automatically via integration with a company's ERP system or triggered manually, through an operator interface on the plant floor.\n\n\u201cWe provide our customers with one integrated system, which is much easier to improve and support over the long term than multiple systems,\u201d Van De Hey said.\n\nTo ease integration, the pick and place gantry relies on an information-enabled Rockwell Automation control system, featuring an Allen-Bradley\u00ae CompactLogix\u2122 controller and Allen-Bradley\u00ae PowerFlex\u00ae 755 AC drives. The system runs on an EtherNet/IP\u2122 network and is monitored on an Allen-Bradley PanelView\u2122 Plus 7 graphic terminal.\n\n\u201cThe PowerFlex drives provide the high-resolution feedback required to control the movement of the system's three axes,\u201d said Van De Hey. \u201cThe drives also help maintain safe handling of the load during vertical lifting to higher storage areas.\u201d\n\nTorqProve\u2122, a standard feature of the PowerFlex 755 drive, is specifically designed for coordinated and sustained control of a load and mechanical brake. The TorqProve algorithm enables the drive to monitor and hold the load position \u2013 and bring the load down safely and slowly in the event of a power disruption.\n\nC3's first pick and place gantry was installed in just one week and quickly exceeded cycle time expectations. Initial targets of about 125 feet per minute or one cycle per minute were achieved upon installation. Within two weeks of commissioning, the system was running at more than 175 feet per minute and completing one cycle every 30 or 40 seconds.\n\n\u201cWhether it's foam, paper or another application, our gantry system is a significant step toward a more efficient, smarter production line,\u201d said Van De Hey. \u201cIt provides just-in-time access to inventory information \u2013 and enables better decisions regarding production scheduling.\u201d\n\nAllen-Bradley, CompactLogix, PanelView, PowerFlex, Rockwell Software and TorqProve are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc. EtherNet/IP is a trademark of ODVA. Other trademarks are the property of their respective companies.\n\n\n",
    "pallet-packaging-robotic": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/pallet-packaging-robotic\n\nTITLE: Custom Palletizing Solution Increases Productivity\n\nConcept Systems, Inc delivers streamlined automation systems that solve manufacturing challenges across industries worldwide with high-quality solutions that increase efficiency, reduce waste, accelerate time to production, and improve safety in manufacturing environments.\n\nSteve Strong is Chief Executive Officer for Concept Systems, Inc. The firm, a Gold member of the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM, develops automation systems that solve manufacturing challenges across industries worldwide.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\n* Palletizing equipment that could handle multiple packaging sizes\n\nThe need for a palletizing cell able to accommodate multiple packaging sizes was among the recent challenges facing a large packaging manufacturer.\n\n\"They had roughly 100 different types of packaging that they needed to palletize,\" Strong said. \"They had gone to several OEMs, but the industry didn't support that amount of variability.\"\n\n\n\n* Labor shortages led to downtime\n\nLabor shortages, workplace hazards, and implementing upgrades within a brownfield manufacturing facility were also issues that required attention.\n\n\"There were constraints around the size of the facility and having to work around the existing equipment,\" Strong explained. \"One of their biggest challenges was they couldn't keep the facility running because they couldn't hire enough people. Or even when they did hire people, they couldn't start the facility because workers weren't showing up for their shifts.\"\n\n\n\n* Employee safety at risk\n\nFurther, employee safety was at risk because the facility pipes in steam to run presses and other equipment.\n\n\"The labor issue we're seeing is people don't want to do dangerous, dirty, boring jobs,\" Strong said. \"So, from the beginning, we looked at how we can apply and integrate automation to make operators and processes safer.\"\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\n* Automated case erecting, robotic palletizing, and integrated conveyance\n\nConcept Systems worked closely with the facility's operations team and factory floor personnel to fully understand the packager's process and needs, including safety concerns and building obstacles. As a result, the system integrator developed a solution with automated case erecting, robotic palletizing, and integrated conveyance.\n\n\"We were able to take their customer requirements and create a machine specific to their application that wasn't available off the shelf from other integrators,\" Strong said. \"We dug deep into the Rockwell Automation catalog using Rockwell Automation products throughout our solution. The PLC systems are all ControlLogix(R) and Compact GuardLogix(R) with CIP Safety, which delivers a deeply integrated safety system.\"\n\nPanelViewTM HMIs allow the customer to control the palletizing cell from any HMI in the facility. The system also includes PowerFlex(R) Variable Frequency Drives and Input/output Modules. The robotics technology is from FANUC, a Rockwell Automation Strategic Alliance Partner.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\n* Increased production capacity and throughput\n\nWith the new palletizing system, the packaging manufacturer can now run seven lines, up from three, using the same number of personnel.\n\n\"While before they had to shut down a shift because of labor constraints, now they're not only able to keep the facility running, but also run longer at higher efficiency producing additional product,\" Strong explained. \"We're excited we were able to provide that additional capacity when it wasn't necessarily expected, and the customer is excited to have that throughput in the same facility.\"\n\n\n\n* Enhanced employee safety\n\nConcept Systems was also able to enhance employee safety through automation and robotics.\n\n\"We moved operators further from hazardous pieces of equipment and processes.\" Strong said. \"By using scanners, integrated safety, and some collaborative robotics, operators now perform less dangerous activities compared to the manual efforts required previously.\"\n\nTAG: empower-people\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: warehouse-fulfillment\n\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: human-machine-interface\nTAG: input-or-output-i-or-o-modules\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: safety-products\n\n",
    "3v-automation-journeys-towards-smart-machines-and-digital-transf": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/3v-automation-journeys-towards-smart-machines-and-digital-transf\n\nTITLE: 3V Automation Journeys Towards Smart Machines and Digital Transformation\n\nElectric vehicles (EVs) are transforming the automotive industry. Bloomberg estimates that by 2040, 54 percent of new vehicle sales will be electric. And by 2030, it is predicted that 100 percent of passenger vehicles in China and India will be electric.\n\nTo meet this demand, automakers are calling for innovative solutions from tier 1 suppliers throughout their supply chain. There is room throughout the entire EV supply chain to integrate new technologies and improve productivity.\n\n3V Automation is an intelligent automation company focusing on automated production and process engineering. The company was founded in 2013 in Tianjin China and has now grown to become a global market leader in the automotive and industrial heat exchange industries.\n\nWith a rapidly growing specialty in new energy process automation for the automotive industry, 3V Automation knew that digital transformation of their operations would help create new value and revenue streams.\n\n*** Implementing tomorrow's technology today ***\n\nAs a result of growing global competition in the automotive industry, 3V Automation recognized that their customers would benefit from a differentiated machine offering. To position automakers for greater success, 3V Automation worked with Rockwell Automation to implement the latest digital technologies for smart machines and equipment.\n\n3V Automation needed to build smart machines to meet their customers' requirements both today and into the future. Therefore, it was clear that 3V Automation would benefit from leveraging their existing platform and data to deliver more insights and value.\n\nThe enabling technologies that could make this possible included a new Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) platform, scalable analytics as well as\u00a0Augmented Reality (AR) for enhanced operations and remote maintenance.\n\n*** Enabling Technologies for Digital Transformation ***\n\nDigital transformation requires secure, reliable, seamless connectivity to all industrial assets. To continue to provide industry leading smart machines to tier 1 automotive customers, 3V Automation knew that by making their data more accessible productivity and visibility would be improved \u2013 ultimately enabling more informed business decisions.\n\nThe focus of the project was to leverage the existing plant floor data to bring more value with the new IoT platform, FactoryTalk InnovationSuite, powered by PTC.\n\nAs part of InnovationSuite,\u00a0ThingWorx IIoT platform connects disparate devices, applications and data sources across the enterprise, providing a single source to collect, aggregate, and enable secure access to industrial operations data. It provides the capability to connect, manage, monitor, and control diverse automation devices and software applications through one intuitive user interface.\n\n3V Automation also implemented the latest AR technologies to improve workforce productivity, efficiency and customer satisfaction. FactoryTalk Innovation Suite's Vuforia provides the capability for machines to be assembled with AR technology. This helps to improve diagnostics through access to the machine's real time data. It also provides detailed, xray analysis of key machine parts for customer demonstrations and training.\n\n*** Expanding new capabilities ***\n\nWith the introduction of advanced IIoT technologies, 3V Automation has created a new ecosystem of connected machines and analytics to remotely support global customer workforces, while growing their digital service business model.\n\n3V Automation's domain expertise and progressive nature, together with the technology platform from Rockwell Automation will help them differentiate in the marketplace. It will help to deliver new revenue streams and return on investment to their customers.\n\nBy utilising information solutions, analytics and augmented reality, 3V Automation has been able to improve production, reduce downtime, and lower maintenance costs and risks.\n\nIn the near future, 3V Automation will be exploring more IIoT technology and machine learning so that they can continue to empower their customers' operational productivity and intelligence. 3V Automation is creating a new future in the automotive industry \u2013 working together with Rockwell Automation to build an international solution to customers around the world.\u00a0\n\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: automotive-and-tire\n\nTAG: vuforia\nTAG: thingworx\n\n",
    "smart-packaging-machine": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/smart-packaging-machine\n\nTITLE: Hopak Machinery Implements Smart Solutions to Develop Intelligent Packaging Machine\n\nFounded in 1992, Hopak Machinery has been engaging in design, R&D, production, and sales of \"High Speed Horizontal Flow Wrapper\". Recently, Hopak broadened its product portfolio, adding complete packaging lines and the whole-plant automatic packaging designing. Hopak supplies equipment to pack in the food, chemical, pharmaceutical, hardware, publisher, and household products all over the world.\n\nThe comprehensive smart mechanical solution helps Hopak Machinery overcome space, cost and data collection challenges.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nThree major pain points in traditional packaging machines\n\nBased on the current usage of packaging machines, there are three major pain points:\n\n1.\u00a0Significant space needs\n\nIn terms of space requirements, traditional packaging machines are limited by the hardware they use. A single device can only package one type of product. If there is a need to switch packaging specifications, such as packaging other products or the same product in different styles, the machine can only be stopped to change mechanical parts, adjust gear ratios, and be reprogramed. This may take at least four hours to complete.\n\nConsequently, factories usually set up two to three packaging production lines to ensure production efficiency.\n\nThis not only increases costs, but also requires a larger factory space, especially for automated feeding packaging lines, which require even more space, significantly impacting factory space layout and workflow planning.\n\n2.\u00a0High costs\n\nThe mechanical structure of traditional packaging machines is relatively complex, leading to high maintenance costs.\n\nAdditionally, production lines heavily rely on manual adjustments and operations, resulting in high labor demands and costs. With experienced workers retiring and less young talent joining the workforce, the skills shortage further exacerbates costs.\n\n3.\u00a0Difficulties in data collection\n\nTraditional packaging machines typically lack data collection and integration platforms, failing to provide data on equipment operation and production. This limitation hinders the development of applications such as production history tracking, equipment optimization, and process enhancement.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\n*\n\nHopak Machinery introduced a comprehensive smart mechanical solution integrating the following solutions from Rockwell Automation: iTRAK(R) intelligent track systems, Emulate3DTM digital twin software, and FactoryTalk(R)\u00a0OptixTM software platform.\n\n\n\nThe iTRAK system enables the team to adopt a modular design, allowing integration into existing packaging machine mechanisms used by Hopak Machinery, thereby avoiding significant changes in mechanism design. They can also integrate lug chain push rods and smart belt conveyor belts to expedite and streamline equipment assembly, reducing the need for staff.\n\nEmulate3D can simulate the operation status of the production line digitally, meaning that the packaging machine automatically adjusts and operates after switching to different work orders. It also calculates the benefits of enhancing production efficiency by replacing the original mechanism with iTRAK.\n\nFinally, the FactoryTalk\u00a0Optix software platform supports the storage and transmission of equipment operation and production information, providing the necessary data for the team to transform and improve operations in their factories.\n\nThe Rockwell Automation Global OEM Technical Consultant (GOTC) team provided comprehensive technical support to help Hopak Machinery tackle various challenges throughout the equipment development process.\n\n\"The GOTC team not only understands the operating principles and mechanisms of packaging machines, but also the usage requirements of manufacturing plants, and can assist in integrating iTRAK with peripheral components and existing systems to help Hopak Machinery improve its product transformation journey,\" shared Rockwell Automation OEM customer manager Chun-Chieh Ou.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\nHopak Machinery expands market horizons with smart upgrades\n\nThe main distinction between the smart and intelligent horizontal packaging machine and the traditional packaging machine lies in the capability of iTRAK to automatically detect products and control the mover on the packaging machine independently. This allows for a reduction in the length of the automatic feeding conveyor belt, while simultaneously enhancing packaging speed and flexibility, leading to an estimated 80% reduction of downtime and 30% of floor space.\n\nMoreover, when changing packaging specifications, there is no need to replace too many parts. An automated packaging production line can package three different arrangements of products, allowing a manufacturing facility to meet all packaging needs with just one packaging production line, which helps in optimizing factory space and increasing the operating rate.\n\nHe believes that through the product upgrades, it opens new horizons for Hopak Machinery. The smart and intelligent horizontal packaging machines are not common in Taiwan. Hopak Machinery can be said to be a leader in the Taiwanese market. With increasing smart manufacturing demands to come, more manufacturers will inevitably require such smart machines.\n\nTherefore, Hopak Machinery will be expanding the application scope of smart and intelligent horizontal packaging machines across fields such as medical, semiconductor, and electronic products, hoping to break away from the price competition of traditional packaging machines and retain its hold as a leader in the smart packaging machine market.\n\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: packaged-solutions\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\nTAG: human-machine-interface\nTAG: packaged-solutions\nTAG: factorytalk-emulate-3d\nTAG: factorytalk-optix\n\n",
    "wellhead-upgrades-help-santos-futureproof-lng-production": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/wellhead-upgrades-help-santos-futureproof-lng-production\n\nTITLE: Wellhead upgrades help Santos futureproof LNG production\n\n\u00a0Natural gas is Australia's third largest energy resource and its export demand in growing. Australian liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports have increased from 15.4 million tonnes in 2009-10 to an estimated 74.8 million tonnes in 2019-20.\n\nSantos is one of the leading independent oil and gas producers in the Asia Pacific region, supplying the energy needs of homes, businesses and major industries across Australia and Asia.\n\nWith a large resource base in Queensland and growing demand for LNG in Asia, Santos created the GLNG project in 2007. This pioneering project was to convert natural gas, including coal seam gas from the Bowen and Surat Basins, into LNG for export to Asia.\n\nThe project involved the development of gas fields in the Bowen and Surat Basins, the construction of a 420 kilometre underground gas transmission pipeline to Gladstone and a two-train liquefaction and storage facility with a nameplate capacity of 7.8 mtpa on Curtis Island in Gladstone.\n\nTo assist in futureproofing LNG production, Santos decided to update the standard wellheads design for new wells with an advanced control and automation technology platform.\n\nA pilot project was conducted and field tested for both PCP and LRP wells\n\n*** Lightning fast communications ***\n\nProgressing Cavity Pump (PCP) and Linear Rod Pump (LRP) wellhead skids are critical parts of the LNG production process. Their main components include a separator and motor control centre. To improve the next generation of new wellhead skids, Santos called on their longstanding relationship with ATSYS, a Rockwell Automation Recognised System Integrator. Having an accomplished background and expertise in this area, ATSYS produced a wellhead control and monitoring solution for the project with consideration to the arduous environment which the equipment must operate within.\n\nATSYS was tasked with designing a system that not only improved reliability but would also have the functionality to implement new innovations from Santos on the open system. This would improve the functionality over and above what the previous system could do.\n\nIn deciding which technology would provide the best solution for the wellhead skids, ATSYS went through a process exploring a number of options.\n\n\"After investigating a number of options, we found that the Rockwell Automation Integrated ArchitectureAE solution provided the best performance because it allowed very fast communications between the PLC and the drive which was critical to this application,\" explained Andre Tassone, managing director, ATSYS.\n\n\"We still do not believe that there is much else on the market, in terms of technology that is able to achieve the performance for this type of solution using off the shelf equipment and the Rockwell Automation platform is really the only valid solution that can do this,\" he added.\n\nA pilot project was conducted and field tested using this solution for both PCP and LRP wells and as a result of its success, Santos moved forward with the mass rollout of the new design which involves approximately 400 wellhead skids per year. \u00a0\n\n*** Fast commissioning and dynacard generation ***\n\nThe new system was designed around efficient commissioning. Commissioning of the old system took days and now just takes hours per wellhead. The systems are built and tested offsite utilising automatic PLC and drive setup via SD cards.\u00a0 The skids arrive onsite already configured and tested, meaning commissioning is a seamless process.\n\nThere were over 400 wellhead skids commissioned at Santos' GLNG site last year\n\nThe speed of communications between the Allen-BradleyAE CompactLogix^o controllers and PowerFlexAE 753 drives allows for very precise real time measurements of torque and position of the pumps. \"While the pump is operating, we need a high-speed sampling rate to ensure the accuracy of the dynacards. The dynacard plots the pump load against position, allowing us to perform some advanced control functions,\" explained Alex Gibson, principal control systems engineer, ATSYS.\n\nThe Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture solution delivered high-speed communications between the Allen-Bradley CompactLogix PLC and PowerFlex 753 drive.\n\n\"The high speed communications and processing power of the Rockwell Automation system, provided the capability to use a PLC instead of an RTU for this application when a lot of people in the industry thought this would not be possible. It provided maximum flexibility and the ability to perform AGA3 gas flow calculations in this complex control application,\" explained Gibson\n\nGiven the remote location of the sites, having access to diagnostic information was a key requirement for the project to avoid people having to go to site. There are diagnostic features built into the system using analog I/O with HART connectivity from Spectrum Controls, a Rockwell Automation Encompass^o Partner.\n\nThe dynacard plots the load against position at very high speed for advanced control functions to be performed\n\n*** Expanding the possibilities ***\n\nThere were over 400 wellhead skids commissioned at Santos' GLNG site last year. The new system provides improved reliability, simplified set up and commissioning, fast fault diagnosis and the simplicity of a single standardised design for multiple wells. It also has complete vendor support from the Rockwell Automation global team including their local experts and support centre in Australia.\u00a0\n\n\"The Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture solution is flexible, scalable and futureproof to allow for additional innovations. It provides a technology platform for Santos to not only meet today's requirements but to also expand the future possibilities of gas production,\" said Tassone.\n\nThe collaboration between Santos, ATSYS and Rockwell Automation has been a key component of this project.\n\n\"The project teams and engineers from all companies involved were able to work together to effectively solve complex problems which culminated in the ongoing success of this project,\" concludes Greg Schultz, channel account manager, Rockwell Automation.\n\n\u00a0\n\nAbout Rockwell Automation\n\nRockwell Automation Australia and Rockwell Automation New Zealand are subsidiaries of Rockwell Automation, Inc.-a leading global provider of industrial automation and information solutions that helps manufacturers achieve a competitive advantage in their businesses. The company brings together leading global brands in industrial automation which include Allen-Bradley(R) controls and services and Rockwell Software(R) factory management software. Its broad product mix includes control logic systems, sensors, human-machine interfaces, drive controllers, power devices, and software.\n\nRockwell Automation Inc. (NYSE: ROK), is a global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation. We connect the imaginations of people with the potential of technology to expand what is humanly possible, making the world more productive and more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rockwell Automation employs approximately 23,000 problem solvers dedicated to our customers in more than 100 countries. To learn more about how we are bringing The Connected Enterprise(R) to life across industrial enterprises, visit www.rockwellautomation.com\n\n\n\nAllen-Bradley, CompactLogix, Encompass, Integrated Architecture, PartnerNetwork, PowerFlex, Rockwell Automation and Rockwell Software are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\n\u00a0\n\nMedia contact:\n\nChristine Filippis\n\nTeraze Communications\n\n61 3 8391 0701\n\nchristine@teraze.com.au\n\n\nTAG: oil-and-gas\n\n",
    "solutions-in-action--marchant-schmidt--inc--": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/solutions-in-action--marchant-schmidt--inc--\n\nTITLE: Solutions in Action: Marchant Schmidt, Inc.\n\nAt the grocery counter, getting just a little bit more than paid for can be a benefi t for consumers. But even a small difference between the advertised and actual weight of an item \u2013 known as \"giveaway\" in the industry \u2013 can significantly impact a food producer's bottom line. Marchant Schmidt, a family-owned business headquartered in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, provides innovative cheese converting solutions designed to minimize giveaway and waste \u2013 and maximize yield. What began 50 years ago as a company focused on the needs of local farmers and businesses has grown into a global organization recording nearly 50 percent of its sales from outside the United States. Recently, Marchant Schmidt redesigned the cheese portion cutting module on its Vision Cutting System (VCS) to optimize the speed and accuracy of its offering. In incremental and rapidly executed steps, the VCS solution can reduce the size of an initial 640-pound block of cheese into exact-weight After leaving the guillotine cutter, the portion enters a check weigher. Products that are either overweight or underweight are automatically rejected. \"Our machine is designed to keep off -weights to an absolute minimum,\" said Mike Haseleu, controls manager, Marchant Schmidt. \"Through automatic feedback, the control system monitors the weight and then adjusts the cut calculations if portions are running slightly heavy or light.\"\n\nTo improve rotational cutting speeds \u2013 and reduce stress on the machine frame \u2013 the company replaced the linear actuator on its guillotine shears with a crank-style mechanism. The company also upgraded the module's Rockwell Automation control and information solution to incorporate the latest technology. An Allen-Bradley\u00ae ControlLogix\u00ae programmable automation controller manages all weighing and measurement applications and overall machine control. The controller is also integrated with the vision camera system and Allen-Bradley PowerFlex\u00ae 525 and 527 AC drives via an EtherNet/IP\u2122 network. Two PowerFlex 525 drives provide motor control on the infeed segment of the conveyor. On one outfeed conveyor, a PowerFlex 527 drive is installed to control the position and speed of the outfeed induction motor.\n\nAn Allen-Bradley Kinetix\u00ae 6000 multi-axis servo drive controls an Allen-Bradley MP-Series\u2122 food-grade servo motor on a second outfeed conveyor, which correctly positions the cheese. Servo drives supply motion control in all areas that require precise positioning, including the guillotine cutter. \"The PowerFlex 527 drive was ideal for this application,\" said Haseleu. \"We needed to match the profi les of the two outfeed conveyors to synchronize the machine. New drive functionality made that much easier.\" Since the PowerFlex 527 drive uses the same configuration and integrated motion instructions as the servo drives, programming could be accomplished quickly through common programming techniques within the controller. The guarded machine incorporates Allen-Bradley SensaGuard\u2122 non-contact interlock switches and Guardmaster\u00ae safety relays. The system is monitored on Allen-Bradley PanelView\u2122 Plus 6 1000 graphic terminals. Marchant Schmidt has recorded impressive speeds on its redesigned module. While similar cutters on the market average 100 to 150 pieces per minute (ppm) for a typical 8-ounce (227 gram) portion run, the Marchant Schmidt machine achieves speeds up to 200 ppm. \"Our portion cutting module is very accurate \u2013 and can be easily modifi ed for global markets,\" said Wright. \"It's also the fastest machine we've built to date.\"\n\nWith the help of Rockwell Automation solutions, the company completed the development of their machine rapidly as well. \"We started using Rockwell Automation solutions pretty much from Day One,\" Haseleu said. \"The support the company provides and tools \u2013 like the Drives and Motion Accelerator Toolkit \u2013 help reduce our overall development time. There's really no reason to go anywhere else.\" portions. The portion cutting module is located near the end of the converting line \u2013 after initial size reductions and before final weighing and shelf-ready packaging. The cheese typically enters the portion cutting module in 3\u00bd -inch by 5\u00bd -inch sticks of varying lengths. Utilizing 3-D vision scanning software and cameras, the system measures the stick and automatically determines a custom cut solution to maximize yield, based on exact-weight portion size. \"Since the module includes two infeeds, two sticks can be cut at the same time,\" explained Dennis Wright, project manager, Marchant Schmidt. \"However, each stick can have a unique cut solution.\"\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "itrak-helps-oem-slash-changeover-times-by-up-to-50-": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/itrak-helps-oem-slash-changeover-times-by-up-to-50-\n\nTITLE: iTRAK Helps OEM Slash Changeover Times By Up To 50%\n\n***** Background *****\n\nOptima Nonwovens, a member of the OPTIMA Packaging Group GmbH, develops leading-edge technologies for packaging paper hygiene products.\n\nThe company's systems cover the complete range of automated packaging processes, from the intake of products right through to being palletized for shipment.\n\nProducts include nappies, sanitary towels, bathroom tissue rolls and wet wipes.\n\nThe company's solutions offer impressive format flexibility, and are able to process everything from small packages to jumbo packs on a single machine, in accordance with the increasingly diverse product variations and requirements of the international markets.\n\nInspection functions and secondary packaging capabilities are integrated to achieve complete automated lines.\n\nOptima Nonwovens actively seeks out and employs state-of-the-art engineering technologies in its development and project planning and that led it to develop a new diaper (nappy) bagger/stacker for its customer Intigena Produktion, one of Europe's leading suppliers of hygiene products.\n\nThe new machine employs the revolutionary\u00a0iTRAK(R) Intelligent Track System from Rockwell Automation.\n\nNot only has this technological deployment resulted in far greater flexibility for rapid product-format changeovers, it has also helped to increase the overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) of the machine.\n\nOPTIMA Packaging Group GmbH is a member of the Rockwell Automation\u00a0PartnerNetworkTM program as an OEM Program Participant at partner level.\n\nMembers of the Rockwell Automation OEM Program demonstrate a commitment to offer high-quality, innovative machines and equipment that help manufacturers improve business agility, optimise productivity, and increase business performance.\n\nThrough the use of Rockwell Automation products, technology and industry expertise, these PartnerNetwork members also help end users achieve sustainability and safety-compliance objectives.\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** Challenge *****\n\nThe previous-generation machine used a long belt, with fixed-pitch paddles for transportation and grouping of the product to be packaged.\n\nThis configuration meant that any product changeovers - especially those relating to the size of the product - required significant re-engineering to adjust the belts to match the new product sizes.\n\nIn isolation, these changeovers were not too long, but when four or five were required on a shift, the cumulative downtime soon added up.\n\n***** Solution *****\n\nWith 95% of its machines already benefiting from the deployment of Allen-Bradley(R) products from Rockwell Automation, the move over to an iTRAK solution was a natural progression for Optima.\n\nThe iTRAK solution comprises multiple movers running on straight and curved paths, all of which can be independently controlled; instantly removing the limitations of fixed-pitch belt systems.\n\nIts highly innovative capabilities combine both linear and rotary motion, resulting in a flexible, fully integrated solution that can increase production throughput, reduce maintenance and overall machine size and, in this instance, slash machine changeover times.\n\nThe iTRAK system is part of a\u00a0Rockwell Automation(R) Integrated Architecture(R) solution, which is used to both actuate and control the majority of the machine's primary functions.\n\nAt the heart of the automation infrastructure is an\u00a0Allen-Bradley ControlLogix(R) programmable automation controller (PAC) working in conjunction with an Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM Plus 7 operator interface.\n\nIn addition to the iTRAK servo solution, the machine deploys a number of more-traditional servo motors and Allen-Bradley Kinetix(R) 6000 multi-axis servo drives.\n\nThese servo solutions are used for a number of steps and functions, including pushing the diapers/nappies into the packs, driving the belts to move the products between stations, the turntables, the two product compression steps, product positioning, bag welding, bag extraction and final movement to the take-out conveyor.\n\nAn\u00a0EtherNet/IP network reduces overall wiring on the machine and also offers easier integration with factory and office communication systems and access to the Connected Enterprise.\n\nIn operation, individual nonwoven products are taken from the manufacturing machine by the stacker and then counted and grouped into standard sequences.\n\nThe high-speed stacker provides the first compression step, before a pusher transfers the separate product stacks to the handling unit that is connected to the bagger.\n\nThe stacks are compressed again and are turned around and positioned either as layers or rows and transported onto the bagger.\n\nIn the bagger, foil bags are fed in and the product stacks are forwarded to the main compression process.\n\nA pusher loads these product stacks into the iTRAK system where they are then moved and positioned individually using the iTRAK movers and pushed into the bags.\n\nThe bags are then sealed and forwarded for further processing, such as secondary packaging.\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** Results *****\n\nOliver Rebstock, Managing Director at Optima explains: \"This machine represents the cutting edge of current technological possibilities in the packaging of nonwovens products.\n\nIntigena could now process up to 1,600 products per minute with this new high speed stacker design and we have eliminated the previous bottleneck in the stacker infeed.\n\n\"In operation, Intigena benefits from clearly reduced format changeover times, with a reduction of some 15 minutes or 50% per format changeover,\" Rebstock continues.\n\n\"The transport cassettes are adjusted accordingly for a change to a thicker or thinner diaper or for a different product count.\n\nThe transport cassettes are adjusted solely from the HMI and can be done so during production. What is more, during this time, the tightening function for stabilising the products in the cassettes is maintained.\n\n\"The simplified format change has a noticeable positive influence on Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE),\" Rebstock elaborates, \"even when there is only one format change per shift.\n\nMany nonwovens companies however report ever more frequent format changes - even four changes per shift are no longer rare. In this instance it is clear to see where rapid changeovers offer a huge time saving advantage.\"\n\nAccording to Helmut Krasko, account manager at Rockwell Automation, the iTRAK solution removes all the limitations of a belt-driven infrastructure.\n\n\"And if you want to extend the line you simply add more movers. Previously, changes to the product size or packaging format meant multiple mechanical adjustments were required.\n\nUsing iTRAK, this is all done automatically by the PAC via input from the HMI.\"\n\nSignificant research and tuning of the iTRAK system was undertaken, with the help of engineers and a Rockwell Automation GOTC (Global OEM Technical Consultant), in order to optimise the iTRAK operation to suit the specific demands of the application; including the acceleration and deceleration profiles and the compression steps.\n\nRockwell Automation GOTCs are responsible for product and technology adoption with partner OEMs and have extensive domain knowledge of the industry and applications being served along with in-depth knowledge of the Rockwell Automation products, technology and system architecture in order to provide domain level expertise consulting.\n\n\"The previous packaging system from Optima was in use for many years and was very much acclaimed in the company,\" explains Claus Ullrich, Technical Director at Intigena Produktion.\n\n\"All of our expectations regarding this new machine were fulfilled. The machine was here in good time and was ready-to-operate after only a few days.\n\nAnd with the experience of the first installation, the time taken to commissioning the second line was reduced to just one week.\n\n\"We are facing market challenges where our customers require different kinds of packaging, stacking, and contents,\" Ullrich continues, \"so we have to react quickly and deploy manufacturing solutions that deliver faster changeovers.\n\nWe had to find new solutions; and as well as flexibility we needed to increase machine throughput. The former solution from Optima was limited by speed - it simply couldn't go any faster using chains - so this new iTRAK-based machine is making a huge difference.\n\nWe are now capable of running the packaging process at higher speeds while still achieving the packaging quality our customers demand.\n\nThe machines have been running for one year now and the results are very promising.\n\nWe achieved the stated performance demands within a very short time and there are still possibilities to go even faster and run the lines at even higher volumes.\n\n\"We are particularly interested in\u00a0The Connected Enterprise(R) concept, in relation to the IoT and Industrie 4.0.\n\nA more connected infrastructure means that two-way communication between us and other people in the value chain will result in even greater efficiencies.\n\nThe collection of real-time manufacturing data, which can be actioned immediately, is also of huge benefit and will help us to improve our packaging operation even further.\"\n\n\nTAG: household-and-personal-care\n\n",
    "flaring--what-s-behind-a-suggestive-light-in-the-night-": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/flaring--what-s-behind-a-suggestive-light-in-the-night-\n\nTITLE: Flaring: What's behind a suggestive light in the night?\n\nThe sight of a blaze in the night, when you pass by a refinery, has something fascinating about it if you don't stop to think about what's behind these flares. We all perfectly understand that this, like any combustive phenomenon, is in fact polluting the atmosphere.\n\nA more in-depth analysis about the operation of these plants would lead us to the conclusion that the energy wasted in this way could be exploited.\n\nThe increasing attention shown in recent times by many companies with regard to efficiency and the reduction of plant management costs, in addition to greater sensitivity to environmental sustainability policies, should lead to a gradual decline of these flares.\n\nBut how do you minimize a phenomenon that causes serious harm to the community and denies the company the opportunity to make the best use of its resources?\n\nAs often happens, the solution to the problem is not so complex and is characterized specifically by a cost/benefit ratio decidedly in favor of the latter.\n\nHaving a turbomachine control system that allows the recycling of the gas produced by the compressor running the turbine means the ability to reuse an energy resource that would otherwise have to be combusted, creating a flare. A system that translates into tangible benefits in terms of reduced energy consumption, improved productivity and asset use and, last but not least, reduced environmental pollution.\n\n***** Chemical engineering and technology to increase profitability *****\n\nEnergy Control Technologies, in short ECT, was established in the United States about a dozen years ago and for three years it has been operating its own subsidiary in Europe. The company has focused its activity on the control of open-platform turbomachinery, specializing in applications, know-how and control algorithms for large rotary compressors for industrial plants, whether axial, centrifugal, steam turbines, gas turbines or turbo-expanders.\n\nIt is a niche activity that plays a role in industrial automation applications and is based on the creation of very complex algorithms that, taking into account the thermodynamics of the gas inside the compressors, avoid the need to burn a flare, ensuring energy efficiency not only for the compressor but also for the machine and the entire system. Such systems require extremely high levels of processor scanning response rates from the hardware point of view, around 30/40 milliseconds, and find their ideal application when integrated within a compressor control system.\n\nECT has found these features in Rockwell Automation, for which it has been an OEM partner for over ten years, recognizing the Allen-Bradley(R) ControlLogix(R) programmable automation controller (PAC) as its most historic, reliable and benchmarked hardware installation, with the added value of seamless integration with the PlantPAx(R) distributed control system.\n\n*** Proprietary vs. open platforms ***\n\nAbout 30 to 40 years ago, when this market niche was developed, PLCs on the market did not offer the required performance and this meant that for anti-surge functionality the industry developed proprietary hardware platforms on which the software was installed. Although this is not an optimal situation, because it creates a close dependence between the company and the developer of the black-box solution, this type of technological landscape is still quite frequent; for example, in terms of costs and service time in the event of failure or the handling of spare parts intended only for that unit.\n\nBy providing configurable, nonprogrammable control algorithms for turbomachines installed on open hardware platforms, with a preference for Rockwell Automation ControlLogix, ECT is successfully helping to eradicate this practice based on its customers' reported benefits. The choice to provide configurable and nonprogrammable algorithms means that the core of the algorithm is sealed and cannot be changed. For example, the 600 configuration parameters to run the basic surge control algorithm on a specific machine or plant, create a repeatable process that is perfectly documented and therefore absolutely independent from whoever developed it. This allows it to be maintained over time because it is based on the same building blocks that are well documented and therefore can be replicated project after project.\n\n***** A best practice project *****\n\nAn example of this is the project carried out by ECT and Rockwell Automation for an OEM operating in the Czech Republic who has built a compressor for a Slovakian Oil & Gas company. It is a compressed ethylene gas application and specifically a plant unit on the main refining process. Although this unit is not essential for refining and does not have any impact on the operation of the plant in the event of its shutdown, it represents an improvement which greatly increases the productivity of the refinery. In a highly competitive industry such as refining, the exploitation and partial reuse of material obtained from process waste and the consequent increase in productivity make the availability of these satellite plants particularly important, as they have a strong impact on the profitability of oil and gas companies.\n\nIn this project, an electric motor has been installed with a two-stage compressor controlled by valves whose opening/closing function allows for the regulation of gas flow, as well as pressure and temperature. The control system is based on a ControlLogix PAC for the anti-surge functionalities, with valves controlling the passage to each stage in order to avoid uncontrolled increases in temperature and gas pressure that would compromise the compressor and risk melting it. The system also includes control loops with wedge controllers that inject cold gas into the recycling line to compensate for overheating with early valve opening based on ethylene transformation curves. All of this has been achieved by integrating the compressor control system, managed through Rockwell Automation's PlantPAx DCS.\n\nA distinct characteristic of this project is the use of the ControlLogix multi-processor architecture. Where a compressor control system using Rockwell Automation solutions is already in place, it is particularly useful to integrate an additional CPU dedicated to the ECT algorithms for the anti-surge. In this way, the two systems, although perfectly segregated as each has its own CPU and I/O card, coexist on a single PAC and create a fully integrated solution for machine control and anti-surge management, overcoming the dichotomy represented by hybrid situations where the anti-surge function is managed with black box solutions completely disconnected from the compressor control system.\n\nIn the case of the Slovakian oil & gas company, the project was created from scratch, but such a solution is also perfectly applicable to existing plants, where proprietary platforms for anti-surge can be replaced and integrated into a single control environment represented by the existing PlantPAx system. This integration provides access to all the native analytics capabilities of the PlantPAx distributed control system to improve, for example, predictive maintenance strategies and minimize downtime.\n\nAdditional Information\n\nwww.rockwellautomation.com\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to ECT's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n*** Partner Company Statement ***\n\nEnergy Control Technologies (ECT) delivers control solutions for turbocompressors, steam turbines, gas turbines, turboexpanders, screw compressors, reciprocating compressors, and centrifuges. ECT solutions increase energy efficiency and production while improving machine protection.\n\nECT Solutions include surge control, performance control, loadsharing, steam turbine speed and extraction control, gas turbine fuel control and sequencing, turboexpander control, vibration protection, plant air network control, simulation services, and centrifuge control and protection systems.\n\n\nTAG: oil-and-gas\n\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: plantpax\nTAG: plantpax-dcs\n\n",
    "connected-enterprise-delivers-improvements-at-ukrainian-sinter-p": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/connected-enterprise-delivers-improvements-at-ukrainian-sinter-p\n\nTITLE: Connected Enterprise Delivers Improvements at Ukrainian Sinter Plant\n\nModernisation can deliver multiple technological, operational and legislative benefits, even in industries where automation has not traditionally played a key role.\n\nOne example would be in metalworking foundries, which are often highly mechanised and do not deploy automation on a scale similar to other major industries. Through modernisation however, these types of sites can realise significant performance gains, while also more effectively addressing ever-stronger legislation concerning energy use and harmful emissions.\n\nIntegrated Iron and Steel Works can actively use modern technologies to increase the efficiency of controlling industrial and business processes. A classic example of production automation is the \"Enterprise in plain sight\" system of visualisation and monitoring of technological processes, which was implemented at the Zaporizhstal PJSC in 2016.\n\nZaporizhstal PJSC\u00a0turned to Ukraine-based Rockwell Automation Recognised System Integrator, Azov Controls LLC, to not only replace and build the control systems for its fifth and sixth sinter strands, but also design and populate a brand new central control room.\n\nThe display system operates 24 hours a day and the processing speed of the received data is a matter of seconds. This provides round-the-clock access to the most up-to-date information on production processes, online monitoring of production, making of informed decisions, and implementation of control actions.\n\n***** Challenge *****\n\nThe project was huge! Technologically, the shop comprises six continuously operated sinter strands. In order to provide pollutant emissions control for these sinter strands, they are equipped with process-gas cleaning and air-aspiration systems to cater for the intense sources of dust generated by the sintering process.\n\nIn the course of this turnkey project, Azov Controls had to gain an in-depth understanding of the customer's precise needs and then develop a system that met these needs; undertaking implementation, installation, commissioning and all other major project activities, including reconstruction and site surveys.\n\nIn addition to the scale of the project, time was another major factor. In view of maintaining as continuous production as possible, the works had to be performed under a tight schedule, using a phased approach - requiring incredibly robust management.\n\nEach and every control and electrical component had to be replaced. The power and control circuit supply systems were to be completely reconstructed and new hardware components introduced.\n\n***** Solution *****\n\nThe brains of the new control system is an Allen-Bradley(R) ControlLogix(R) L83 programmable automation controller (PAC), which communicates with a number of networked devices and cells using Cisco Industrial 3750 and 3010 Ethernet switches and multiple EtherNet/IP-based device level rings (DLR).\n\nAn\u00a0Allen-Bradley SmartGuardTM 600 safety controller is another core component, delivering CIP and CIP SafetyTM capabilities, while\u00a0Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) 753 variable-speed drives are used for the mixing drum rotor and an\u00a0Allen-Bradley PowerFlex DC drive controls the sinter belt.\n\nFrom a software perspective,\u00a0FactoryTalk(R) View Site Edition provides SCADA capabilities, hardware- and software-redundant FactoryTalk(R) View Server delivers the SQL functionality, with FactoryTalk(R) View Studio being used to configure, develop and test the HMI and visuals based upon existing graphics.\n\nThe new central control room was built \"from scratch\" in a completely new building, with the layout being determined by the tasks to be undertaken by the operators. Console-type monitors were used for the local management of workstations and a mixture of 27 and 55 in industrial monitors are used in a video wall to display the information served by the FactoryTalk software.\n\nUsing this new infrastructure, the operational staff at Zaporizhstal PJSC are able to accurately and clearly monitor key parameters such as temperature, pressure, humidity, machine speed and equipment status, while also being able to obtain real-time information about possible malfunctions and issues.\n\nAzov Controls, as a Rockwell Automation Recognised System Integrator, makes a commitment to deliver the highest technical solutions and customer service, leading with Rockwell Automation technologies. These integrators have a mutually supportive relationship with the Rockwell Automation sales and/or distributors they work with.\n\n***** Results *****\n\nThe result of all the work undertaken by\u00a0Azov Controls has resulted in a truly modern sinter shop control room at Zaporizhstal PJSC.\n\nThe new facility allows the operational services of the plant to not only monitor and control the main technological parameters of all workshop equipment, but also to perform automated management of these processes.\n\nThe deployment of Allen-Bradley PACs in conjunction with FactoryTalk software has delivered remote monitoring, far more accurate production process control, intelligent energy regulation and greater plant productivity.\n\nIndeed, according to Alexey Chernik, Head of the Automation & Drives Department at Azov Controls: \"The capabilities of the system we created are actually beyond the scope of the original terms of reference; and at the moment the system is actively still developing and improving. The next stage of the reconstruction will be the modernisation of the control systems for the batch-feeding conveyors and sintering machine No. 4.\"\n\nMr. Dronov, Head of Automation at Zaporizhstall adds his thoughts: \"We are very satisfied with the solutions delivered and we are currently striving to extract even more capabilities and savings out of the system. We have several other projects in the pipeline related to the sinter and blast-furnace shops and the data we are seeing from this new installation is already being used in the MES track-and-trace module at the plant.\n\nAllen-Bradley, ControlLogix, FactoryTalk, LISTEN. THINK. SOLVE., PowerFlex, Rockwell Automation and SmartGuard are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\nEtherNet/IP and CIP Safety are trademarks of ODVA, Inc. Trademarks not belonging to Rockwell Automation are property of their respective companies.\n\n\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\n\n",
    "dalian-metro-system-uses-energy-intelligence--cuts-energy-usage-": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/dalian-metro-system-uses-energy-intelligence--cuts-energy-usage-\n\nTITLE: Dalian Metro System Uses Energy Intelligence, Cuts Energy Usage by 12%\n\n*** Background ***\n\nChina is looking to improve transportation for its 1.36 billion citizens - no small task. Nine of China's largest cities have citywide metro systems. Another 28 cities are building metro lines or planning to build them in the next five years.\n\nLocated in the south of the Liaoning Province, the major seaport city of Dalian needed a transportation system to accommodate its growing population.\n\nBuses and trams were clogging the streets, and rolling hills throughout the city make bike commuting difficult.\n\nThe city's current metro system consists of three lines - two underground lines and one above-ground light-rail line.\n\nAn additional six new lines or expansion lines are expected by 2020. Spanning over 66 miles, the current system carries more than 100 million passengers annually through 50 stations throughout the metro area.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nWhen designing the Dalian Metro building automation control system, engineers standardized on Logix controllers.\n\nOperators needed a sophisticated, centralized method of control to effectively manage the HVAC, lighting, emergency signage, elevator systems and other electrical components on the system that stretches across the city.\n\nAdditionally, Logix-based systems have proven successful across other major metro systems in China, including Hong Kong, Beijing, Nanjing and Tianjin.\n\nWith a new building automation system (BAS), metro system planners aimed to reduce energy costs and keeps commuters comfortable. The city of Dalian has humid, monsoon-filled summers and dry, cold winters, so keeping riders comfortable without overspending on energy for the HVAC system was a challenge.\n\nThe HVAC system accounts for 55 percent of the total energy usage, and the system's lighting, escalators, safety and other electrical equipment account for the remaining energy costs.\n\nSystem engineers needed a solution that tied directly into the control system to gain access to accurate data at the individual station level and at the operation control center (OCC).\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nThe entire Dalian metro system includes more than 50 redundant Allen-Bradley(R) MicroLogixTM and CompactLogixTM controllers with about 100,000 I/O points across the different stations. A typical station includes two pairs of PLCs as communication controllers to pull and aggregate data from different devices within the HVAC, elevator and alarm systems.\n\nTo improve visibility and pull actionable energy data from within the control system, the engineers tapped the FactoryTalk(R) software suite from Rockwell Automation. FactoryTalk Historian software collects up to 10,000 data tags from PLCs per line. Metrics include station temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide concentration and other environmental data.\n\nFactoryTalk View Site Edition HMI software with a redundant server provides a comprehensive and accurate view into electricity, water and HVAC usage data.\n\n\"Controller data is directly integrated with the energy intelligence system to give our operators a holistic view into the BAS operations,\" said Hetong Wang, chief engineer for Dalian Metro.\n\nThis information is fed to the FactoryTalk VantagePoint(R) portal from Rockwell Automation, which offers advanced reporting and analytics on BAS data, converting raw numbers into shareable dashboards with actionable information. Trend reports developed with this information allow operators to set the system to respond automatically. For example, as the number of riders increases during evening rush hour at the end of a warm summer day, the system will automatically turn up the air conditioning to ensure riders stay cool and comfortable during their commutes.\n\nOperators can also manually adjust any of the systems from the OCC or a local station if they see a sudden fluctuation in riders or if an unpredicted weather event occurs.\n\nAll of the BAS information is monitored, controlled and displayed on Allen-Bradley PanelView PlusTM graphic terminals. Now, the operators at the OCC can monitor electrical equipment and devices down to the station level, allowing them to oversee routine operations and quickly react in case of emergencies.\n\nResults\n\nAfter implementing the FactoryTalk software suite on top of the system architecture, operators increased visibility into operations across the entire system. With the ability to adjust system performance based on weather, ridership and trends, the Dalian metro system is projecting a 12 percent annual reduction in energy usage, equating to a 2 percent cost savings.\n\n\"Not only is the system saving money, but the centrally controlled escalators, emergency exits and signage means the system is ultimately safer for our riders,\" said Wang.\n\nAdditionally, Dalian commuters are enjoying a more pleasant riding experience, with more responsive climate-controlled stations and trains.\n\nTo keep the entire BAS system stable and riders comfortable, Dalian Metro plans to implement FactoryTalk AssetCentre software. The software provides a set of asset-focused tools to centrally and securely manage the BAS across all of the metro stations. The addition will also help with any future disaster-recovery efforts.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Dalian Metro's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nAllen-Bradley, CompactLogix, FactoryTalk, MicroLogix, PanelView and VantagePoint are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\n\nTAG: infrastructure\n\n",
    "miraka-benefits-from-model-predictive-control-solution": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/miraka-benefits-from-model-predictive-control-solution\n\nTITLE: Miraka Benefits from Model Predictive Control Solution\n\nMaori-owned Miraka is well established in the New Zealand dairy-processing industry with strong values founded on the cultural beliefs of its owners.\n\nLocated in Mokai, on New Zealand's central North Island, Miraka is unique within the dairy industry. The company's milk supply is sourced from 107 local farms within an 85km radius of the factory, delivering a farm-fresh advantage and superior quality products with a global reach to more than 23 countries.\n\nMiraka uses sustainable and renewable geothermal energy and state-of-the-art manufacturing processes, resulting in the power and capacity to process more than 250 million litres of milk into powders and UHT products every year.\n\nMeeting increasingly stringent consumer and regulatory demands is a continual challenge for all dairy manufacturers. Complex challenges such as consumer demand, product specifications, regulatory compliance and fluctuating costs place strategic importance on continually improving performance and profitability.\n\nWith a strong commitment to continuous improvement of current manufacturing assets, Miraka invested in a solution to optimise their milk powder process. Capacity was maximised by driving to process constraints.\n\nYield was optimised through improved targeting and reduction of variability of milk powder moisture, protein, and fat.\u00a0 The evaporator solids and drying profile was balanced to reduce energy consumption.\n\n*** Process Optimization ***\n\nRaw milk is collected from dairy farms daily and transported to milk powder production plants.\u00a0 A portion of the raw milk is separated into skim milk and cream.\u00a0 The milk is typically standardised by blending raw milk, skim milk, lactose, and permeate to meet international standards.\u00a0\n\nThe standardised milk is then concentrated in multi-effect evaporators and spray dried to form powder. Optimal operation of these processes is essential to reduce costs, maximise capacity and meet final product quality specifications.\n\nWhen embarking on process optimisation, Miraka called on the specialist process control capabilities of Rockwell Automation. Leveraging Rockwell Automation's\u00a0Pavilion8(R) model predictive control (MPC) software platform\u00a0and their decades of experience in delivering solutions in the dairy industry, Miraka teamed closely with Rockwell Automation engineers to specify and deploy a system to optimise their milk powder production plant.\n\n\"There was a high level of engagement from all the key stakeholders which facilitated a fast paced and successful implementation,\" said Lynn Medich, Pavilion regional technical manager, Rockwell Automation.\n\n\"Leveraging our expertise in deploying model predictive control solutions in dairy standardisation, evaporation and spray drying we worked closely with Miraka to engineer a solution that generates operational improvements and business value.\"\n\nMiraka processes more than 250 million litres of milk into powders and UHT products every year.\n\nModel Predictive Control\n\nAll manufacturing processes have variability that can be caused by many factors. The primary objective of the Rockwell Automation Model Predictive Control (MPC) solution is to enhance stability in the process unit through the reduction of variability of key process parameters and optimal control to desired targets.\n\nThe Rockwell Automation Pavillion8 system includes modules to control, analyse, monitor, visualise and integrate information and processes. This system encompasses and manages dynamics and changing disturbances that occur minute by minute.\n\nThis delivers enhanced process stability so that defined control objectives can be achieved. In the case of powdered milk production, reducing the variability of key process parameters enables plants to drive to their processing and specification limits optimising yield and capacity.\n\nPavilion8 Console trends provide visibility of controller actions and predictions.\n\nRealtime performance is viewed in Pavilion8 Console KPIs.\n\n*** Optimising Milk Powder Production in a Holistic Approach ***\n\nThe Miraka Pavilion8 solution was implemented in phases to effectively introduce model predictive control technology to operators while delivering value. Real time key performance indicators were deployed quantifying the value being delivered as each unit was commissioned.\n\nThe evaporation process was optimised in the first phase. Variability was reduced and total solids targeting was improved. The evaporator total solids target was lifted resulting in better thermal efficiency across the evaporation and drying stages and increased capacity.\n\nIn the second phase spray dryer model predictive control was commissioned.\n\n\"Deploying model predictive control on Miraka's spray dryer allowed us to improve yield through closed-loop moisture control combined with targeting an increased powder moisture,\" explained Kerryn Sakko, Pavilion senior application engineer, Rockwell Automation. Capacity was additionally maximised by pushing the process safely to constraints.\"\n\nImplementation of multivariable model predictive control on the standardising process was delivered as the final phase of the solution. Use of multivariable models for liquid composition control combined with inferential models for tracking composition through the entire drying process resulted in reduction of protein and fat variability in the final powder.\u00a0\n\nAdditionally the liquid composition controller included additional objective functions to maximise use of lower cost standardising ingredients.\n\nTraining sessions, which utilised the advanced analytics capability of the Pavilion8 system, facilitated operators quickly learning to optimally use the system and additionally streamlined site acceptance tests.\n\n*** Measuring Process Improvement ***\n\nThrough consultation with Miraka, a set of parameters were identified that would provide information about the effectiveness of the process improvement.\n\nThe identified parameters were:\n\n    * Quality (powder moisture yield)\n\n    * Evaporator solids (plant throughput improvement)\n\n    * Dryer thermal efficiency (dryer capacity improvement)\n\n    * Reduction in energy per tonne of product (cost reduction)\n\n    * Protein and fat optimisation (yield)\n\nThe Pavilion8 solution provided Miraka an exceptional result. A capacity increase of more than four percent was achieved during the peak season, moisture targets were raised by 0.04 percent, and improved protein and fat control provided the potential to reduce fat plus protein giveaway by more than 100 tonnes per year.\n\nIn addition, optimisation of the evaporator solids and drying profiles resulted in an estimated energy savings of greater than one percent per tonne of milk powder during peak production\n\nAccording to Paul Trewin, general manager operations at Miraka, \"The excellence and innovation values of the Miraka Powder Plant team who delivered this project alongside Rockwell Automation greatly exceeding expectations was brilliant to observe.\n\nRockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK), the world's largest company dedicated to industrial automation and information, makes its customers more productive and the world more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., Rockwell Automation employs approximately 22,000 people serving customers in more than 80 countries.\n\n\u00a0\n\nAllen-Bradley, FactoryTalk, Pavillion, and Rockwell Software are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "pnc-boosts-cutoff-machine-performance": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/pnc-boosts-cutoff-machine-performance\n\nTITLE: PNC Boosts Cutoff Machine Performance\n\nTransforming metal into usable components is an age-old challenge. But creating metal parts with the speed, accuracy and flexibility required by modern manufacturing ramps up technological demands for an already exacting process.\n\nRound solid metal bar or tubing is the base material for a vast array of components for products ranging from automotive drive shafts and exhaust systems to home appliances and firearms. Through multiple steps, long pieces of the raw stock are machined to meet specified lengths and other parameters.\n\n\"Our cutoff machines are at the front of the line and that's where the drive for optimal production rates and precision begins,\" said Darin Drennan, president, Modern Machine Tool Company. \"Our equipment must consistently deliver product to specification or else the entire line could be compromised.\"\u00a0\n\nFounded in 1916, Modern Machine Tool Company quickly established a reputation for its initial product offering - a hand-operated lathe cutoff machine. Today, the company's portfolio includes lathe-style, high production cutoff machines for round stock and complementary equipment featuring sophisticated automation technology. The Jackson, Michigan, company serves a global customer base.\n\n*** Delivering Multifunctional Performance ***\n\n\"Modern Machine prides itself on continually updating and improving our products,\" Drennan said. \"Years ago, it may have taken three or four machines to do what one machine can do today.\"\n\nFor cost-conscious manufacturers, multifunctional equipment conserves valuable floor space - and helps improve production efficiency since material does not need to be transferred as frequently.\n\nIn a cutoff machine, tool slides and the spindle do the bulk of the work. While the spindle rotates the metal bar or tube, programmable tool slides perform the operations. In a typical application, a single Modern Machine can automatically load, position and cut stock to length. It can also chamfer the outer diameter (OD), turn it on the OD, bore the inner diameter (ID) - and thread the OD or ID depending on specifications.\n\n*** A Cost-Effective Choice: Programmable Numeric Control (PNC) ***\n\nFor years, Modern Machine relied on dedicated computer numerical control (CNC) systems for its multi-axis, multifunctional machines.\n\n\"With our latest control system upgrade, we aimed to meet customer demand for precision and additional functionality more cost effectively,\" Drennan explained. \"Specifically, our goal was to incorporate simple threading without a full-blown CNC system.\"\n\nTo achieve this performance, the company standardized on a Rockwell Automation(R) control platform, featuring programmable numeric control (PNC), which is capable of supporting RS274D part programs. The system is based on an Allen-Bradley(R) CompactLogixTM controller, Allen-Bradley Kinetix(R) 5700 servo drives and Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) 525 AC drives. The system is integrated on an\u00a0EtherNet/IPTM network and monitored on an Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM Plus 7 graphic interface.\n\n\"We worked with a Rockwell Automation consultant over a four-day period to program the capabilities we needed,\" Drennan said. \"We now have the ability to perform linear and circular interpolation of our slides - plus turning, boring and simple threading applications on the Rockwell Automation platform.\" \u00a0\n\n*** Flexible Performance. Intuitive Operation. ***\n\nFor the vast majority of applications, the PNC solution delivers the machining required - and allows the company's customers to use the same control platform for all Modern Machine equipment in their plants.\u00a0\n\nThe robust capabilities of the control platform - combined with easy tooling changeover - also improves machine agility.\u00a0\n\n\"The ability to run a wide range of parts on one machine is very much in demand,\" Drennan said. \"Our machines are built for quick, cost-effective changeovers.\"\n\nTypically, changing from one stock diameter to another can be completed in less than 15 minutes with minimal tooling. Operators can activate the correct product parameters in seconds from the part program library on the easy-to-use HMI.\u00a0\n\n\"One of the biggest challenges our customers face is attracting skilled workers,\" said Drennan. \"The more complex a system is, the harder it is to find and train people who can operate it.\"\n\nDrennan added: \"By standardizing on a single control platform - and intuitive HMI - we enable easier integration with other equipment in the plant and help our customers address workforce challenges.\"\n\nAllen-Bradley, CompactLogix, Kinetix, Listen.Think.Solve., PanelView, PowerFlex, Rockwell Automation and Rockwell Software are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc. EtherNet/IP is a trademark of ODVA, Inc. Trademarks not belonging to Rockwell Automation are the property of their respective companies.\n\n\n",
    "petroecuador-optimizes-management-with-new-automatic-control-sys": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/petroecuador-optimizes-management-with-new-automatic-control-sys\n\nTITLE: Petroecuador Optimizes Management With New Automatic Control System\n\n*** Background ***\n\nSupervisors of the EP Petroecuador Balao terminal decided to carry out a complete renewal and updating project of the pumping station operations, which included the development of an automatic control system for the management of the maritime terminal.\n\nTransport management is a unit of EP Petroecuador. This unit is responsible for managing the transport system pipeline TRANS-Ecuadorian system, SOTE, as well as pipelines, storage stations, and the distribution of the finished products derived from petroleum, among which stands out the Balao Terminal.\n\nAt the Balao maritime terminal they oversee the receiving of finished products and communication to the tankers that perform operations for loading and unloading derived products from hydrocarbons, to and from the refinery in Esmeraldas.\n\nThe office of the supervisors of the Balao terminal, which is located in the province of Esmeraldas, Ecuador (the South American Pacific coast) serves an average of 450 ships per year both international and coastal. This number takes into account the effect on maritime services that facilitate the operations of ships and port facilities.\n\nSome time ago, the supervisor of the Balao Terminal carried out a technical inspection of the terminal and decided to optimize its facilities, which included the total renovation of this station. \"We developed a draft on mechanical engineering, electrical, procurement of materials, construction and assembly of the station. We only needed the automation part\" recalls Luis Monta~no, supervisor of the Balao terminal.\n\nIt was this that lead to the development of an automatic control system for the management of the maritime terminal. Transport management for EP Petroecuador carried out a public bidding process in which Rockwell Automation Ltda. Ecuador won by reaching the highest technical score and at the same time presenting the most economical offer out of all qualified bids.\n\n\"They offered us a solution, high-quality equipment, and highly qualified personnel. In addition, they offered a number of proposals for improvements to the original project free of charge which constituted a fundamental added value\" added Monta~no.\n\nSpecifically, the terminal had pumping units that were 35 years or older which received little investment and maintenance during that time. The reliability of these units was very low, which generated a series of operational problems on an ongoing basis. Not to mention, the time it took to unload products from ships was extremely long.\n\n*** Challenges ***\n\nAn interesting aspect of this project, which began operations in early 2015, was that virtually all business units within Rockwell Automation were involved. One business unit which stood out was the automation and software division. They were responsible for providing the automatic control systems, process control networks and information Ethernet IP and software for historicizing variable management instruments and condition monitoring pumping units. The power systems unit is responsible for providing the variable frequency medium voltage drives that were used to drive pumping units.\n\nThe service unit was responsible for managing and overseeing all the work of the sub-contractor, who completed the assembly of the equipment and tools, pavement cables and networks, as well as running wirings force, control and instrumentation. The service unit was also responsible for testing and commissioning of MV drives.\n\nFinally the systems and solutions unit completed the management and full integration of the project. This unit was what designed the architectures and development of control strategies as well as configures the logic and deployments to operate the station. They are also responsible for being the primary point of contact with supervisors and others from Balao terminal.\n\nThe system and solutions team from Rockwell Automation was who led technically from the proposal stage and in the stages of detailed engineering, construction, testing and training up to the commissioning and start the entire project. The team SSB or Systems and Solutions as it is known internally at Rockwell Automation, is where equipment and components are manufactured, transported, installed, and operated according to the timetable proposed originally in the offer.\n\nThe implemented control system, the PlantPAx modern distributed control system, includes not only the monitoring of process variables or the management of control valves for appropriate products that will be pumped, but also integrates with the variations of frequency PowerFlex 7000 AC drives.\n\nThis allows optimized control and management of the pumping system. \"This allows us to control pressure with high precision, temperature and flow of fuel, in addition to measuring the vibration and temperature in the bearings of pumps, and key points to protect and increase the reliability of the pumping units\", states Monta~no\n\nOne of the most important tasks of this project was to develop and configure the application according to the engineer since this is a bi-directional station, i.e., discharge and reversion, and from the Esmeraldas refinery. \"The system should run the various operations for all lines and pumps. Both suction and discharge challenges were fully met by Rockwell Automation\" he says.\n\nIt's worth mentioning, that Rockwell Automation not only took over the provision of systems but also the assembly, installation, and commissioning throughout the project of automation, instrumentation and medium voltage drives. In that sense it's remarkable that this initiative was completed before the deadline assigned indicated in the contract by EP Petroecuador and without any additional cost to the end customer, the Ecuadorian State.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nWith the implementation of this system, the port terminal managed to triple their capability of loading and unloading ships. \"One example I noticed was that before a ship with 200 thousand barrels took 120 hours to unload, now it takes us between 35 and 40 hours\" said Luis.\n\nIt shows the solution provides a great benefit by reducing the down time of a freighter, which means significant cost savings for the company. In addition, it was possible to optimize delivery to the Esmeraldas refinery for processing and distribution of fuel.\n\n\"We can see all the operating parameters. Like for example the flow rates and pressures of the ships, which provides us with the necessary requirements for these ships and for the proper functioning of the station\" highlights Monta~no.\n\nThe operation is also now very safe and reliable so subsequently the pumps can be used at full capacity. With some control algorithms implemented by Rockwell Automation they can determine when the ideal time to slow down is, thus reducing the pump flow. As a result operations can also prioritize the quality of fuel transferred with the lowest possible risk.\n\nBefore, all processes were performed manually, such as the handling of the different product lines and pumping units. Now, they are conducted automatically, which allows among other things the reduction of hazardous mixtures of products.\n\n\"Every time damage happened in bearings or impellers, operations were stopped to solve these problems. Now we can regulate the speed of the pump motors and lengthen the life span of the equipment\" explained Luis. As part of the contract with EPP, Rockwell Automation trained operating and maintenance staff of the terminal. Also, they performed a complete transfer of the technology implemented which will further increase the benefits of the project over time.\n\n\"The project was quite successful and the results are clear. Both in terms of the human resources that collaborated in the project as well as the equipment provided. Rockwell Automation achieved a ten-point work,\" concludes Monta~no.\n\n\nTAG: oil-and-gas\n\n",
    "retrofit-enables-threefold-increase-in-capacity": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/retrofit-enables-threefold-increase-in-capacity\n\nTITLE: Retrofit Enables Threefold Increase in Capacity\n\nTo update existing equipment or purchase new is never an easy decision. While capital outlay is often what tips the scales in favor of a retrofit, other critical factors come into play - including system support and production flexibility.\n\nHenshaw, a machine builder and system integrator headquartered in Romeo, Michigan, was recently approached by a customer weighing their options regarding an outdated machining cell based on computer numeric control (CNC). The high-volume production equipment is used to manufacture metal driveshaft yokes for the automotive industry.\n\n\"For years, we had serviced this customer's machines,\" said David Clark, CEO, Henshaw. \"They were happy with our work and asked if we could retrofit their CNC machine with a new control system.\"\n\n\u00a0\n\n*** Choosing to Retrofit ***\n\nThe multimillion dollar machining cell, originally purchased from an Italian supplier, was no longer meeting productivity goals. In addition, the supplier had just one technician based in the United States and replacement parts were scarce.\n\nPurchasing new equipment was cost prohibitive. Plus, a new machine from the same supplier would not address the company's other goals. Specifically, the CNC system was based on closed programming code, which could not be easily modified.\n\n\"Our customer wanted a system that could accommodate new functionality as needed,\" Clark explained. \"They were pleased with the performance and flexibility of Rockwell Automation systems on other equipment in their plant and hoped to replicate that in the machining cell.\"\n\n\u00a0\n\n*** Extraordinary Complexity ***\n\nThe 12-station rotary dial machine features robotic load and unload and can handle more than 12 different part styles with customizable recipes.\n\nTo begin the process, a robot loads a stock metal part into the first station. Milling begins with each part advancing to the next process station via turntable. Some stations cut simple paths, others cut advance radius paths - and still others are idle, depending on the part style. The product is robotically unloaded from the machine as a completely finished part.\n\nIn all, the enclosed machining cell includes 32 servo axes and 15 spindles - and occupies a footprint of approximately 2,500 square feet.\n\n\"From a CNC standpoint, this system is about as complex as it gets,\" said Keith Kammer, controls engineering manager, Henshaw. \"In addition to the control system retrofit, our customer worked with other suppliers to replace the machine's load and unload robots and hydraulics.\"\n\n\u00a0\n\n*** A Cost-Effective Solution: PNC ***\n\nHenshaw delivered a cost-effective solution based on a standard Rockwell Automation(R) control platform featuring programmable numeric control (PNC).\n\n\"The PNC solution supports RS274D part programs, just like a CNC system would,\" said Justin Clark, controls engineer, Henshaw. \"Our customer can turn the CAD toolpaths of their parts into standard G-code programs and upload them to the system.\"\n\nThe PNC system interprets the code - and is fully customizable to match the application requirements.\n\nDue to system size, the Rockwell Automation solution includes both an\u00a0Allen-Bradley(R) ControlLogix(R) controller for standard control, including robotic interface, and an Allen-Bradley GuardLogix(R) safety controller. Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) 527 AC drives control the spindles, while Allen-Bradley Kinetix(R) 5700 servo drives and servo motors control the motion axes.\n\nThe machine is integrated on an\u00a0EtherNet/IPTM network and monitored on an Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM Plus 7 graphic terminal. For additional monitoring flexibility, the solution features\u00a0Allen-Bradley MobileViewTM tethered operator terminals. Mobile terminals enable operators to access HMI applications - and maintain \"line of sight\" when making tooling adjustments.\n\n\u00a0\n\n*** Team-Based Solution Development ***\n\nThroughout system development, Henshaw worked closely with Rockwell Automation technical consultants and the local Allen-Bradley distributor, McNaughton-McKay Electric Company, to help streamline the process.\n\n\"While the equipment was down, the customer used up to five back-up CNC machines to maintain production capacity,\" said Justin Clark. \"Taking a team approach streamlined the process and enabled us to get the retrofitted machine into service as quickly as possible.\"\n\n\u00a0\n\n*** Remarkable Performance & Flexibility Gains ***\n\nDuring its initial run, the machine produced a week's worth of parts in just a half day. In fact, machine capacity is about three times more than what it was before the retrofit.\n\nIn addition, the PNC system is based on modifiable logic.\n\n\"We've already added functionality,\" said Kammer. \"If it can be done with a programmable controller, we can do it.\"\n\n\"This PNC solution is one of the first of its kind,\" David Clark added. \"Based on the success we've achieved, I can see many more applications for it.\"\n\nAllen-Bradley, ControlLogix, GuardLogix, Kinetix, Listen.Think.Solve., MobileView, PanelView, PowerFlex, Rockwell Automation and Rockwell Software are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc. EtherNet/IP is a trademark of ODVA, Inc. Trademarks not belonging to Rockwell Automation are the property of their respective companies.\n\n\n",
    "cpg-company-uses-dcs-to-launch-its-new-production-facility-on-a-": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/cpg-company-uses-dcs-to-launch-its-new-production-facility-on-a-\n\nTITLE: CPG Company Uses DCS to Launch Its New Production Facility on a Tight Deadline\n\nIn less than 15 years, a maker of planet-friendly cleaning products expanded its reach from a single store to tens of thousands of retail locations across four continents.\n\nThroughout its years of rapid growth, the company had contracted out the manufacturing, packaging and distribution of its products to various companies. However, in order to meet demand and also lighten its environmental footprint, the company sought to bring its dispersed operations together under one roof with its first-ever, in-house production facility.\n\nIn recent years, the company unveiled ambitious plans for its new operations facility in a major U.S. city. Those plans included a refurbished wind turbine; solar-panel installations that would move throughout the day to track the sun; and native land renewal \u2013 all in support of the factory earning LEED Platinum-certification.\n\nThe company's production timeline was also ambitious, with the initial production launch date being set less than a year after the facility's groundbreaking. This put significant pressure on the company and its industrial-automation partners to be as efficient as possible in designing, deploying and commissioning the manufacturing infrastructure to meet the timeline.\n\n*** Immediate Versus Future Needs ***\n\nThe plans for the new operations facility included six bulk supply tanks that would receive and hold raw ingredients. Those supply tanks would transfer ingredients to five mixing tanks, where products would be agitated and formulated into final-product batches. Those batches would then be transferred to the plant's filling and packaging line.\n\nGrantek Systems, a Rockwell Automation Solution Partner, was tasked to lead a deployment of the automated control systems for the tanks, transfer and mixing systems.\n\nGiven the tight timeline, the company and Grantek agreed to take a staged implementation approach. This meant first establishing a mix of automated and manual operations that would allow the facility to begin production on a limited basis by its desired production launch date.\n\n\"They knew they wouldn't be fully automated by the launch date,\" said Doug Hinckley, senior process engineer for Grantek Systems. \"The goal for the initial launch was to ensure operators had enough access to use the equipment and create batches.\"\n\nFrom there, the two parties could finish implementing and commissioning the remainder of the system in support of fully automated production.\n\nIn addition to the staged implementation, the system had to support the company's requirements for future scalability and flexibility. This included the ability to eventually accommodate up to two additional bulk tanks and 10 additional mixing tanks, as well as any future system enhancements, such as phase management.\n\n*** Quick Startup ***\n\nThe PlantPAx\u00ae modern distributed control system (DCS) from Rockwell Automation was selected for the system's process control. The company has plans to grow its capabilities and its physical footprint, and the new system enabled both. A future addition of information solutions is also enabled through a seamless integration with the FactoryTalk\u00ae software suite from Rockwell Automation. When additional lines are needed, the system design can be duplicated.\n\nThe system is responsible for controlling the transfer of ingredients from the supply tanks, the agitation of product batches in the mixing tanks, and for delivery of the batches to the finishing and packaging line.\n\nThe DCS was configured with unique faceplates and controls that allow operators to manually start and stop processes from the human machine interface devices on the production floor. Pre-allocated tags were created for the future\u00a0FactoryTalk Batch system to allow operators to simply switch over from manual to automated mode once the new system was in place.\n\nJust as important, the DCS helped simplify and shorten deployment processes in support of the tight launch timeline. One of the biggest timesavers was the use of the Rockwell Automation library of process objects, which includes pre-defined controller code, display elements and faceplates. For example, objects with embedded displays gave engineers the control variable, process variable and set point to help ease the tuning process.\n\n\"The PlantPAx system includes a display with a trend that's already created with it,\" Hinckley said. \"So right off the bat you can observe your response and tune the gains.\"\n\nEngineers also took advantage of the pre-configured library objects that were available for the\u00a0Endress+Hauser flow meters used on each of the supply and mixing tanks.\n\n\"Without the pre-configured objects within the Rockwell Automation system, I would have had to use the raw data from the flow-meter input and wrap my own logic around it, which would have been a lot more effort on my end,\" Hinckley said. \"The PlantPAx system took a lot of that low-level code and did it all for me, which saved us about two days' worth of programming time.\"\n\nThe PlantPAx alarm builder tool, which automates the alarm-configuration process, created additional time savings for building the system's device alarms. Hinckley estimated the tool enabled him to do in one day what otherwise could have taken as long as one week to complete.\n\n\"Once we started commissioning, alarm builder was critical for getting those alarms created in time,\" he said. \"The number of objects in the system that we would have had to go through and manually create messages for would have been a project in itself without this tool.\"\n\n*** Cleaning Up Nicely ***\n\nThe facility was successfully operational by the company's target date. Although it was mostly reliant on manual operations, production kicked off with single-shift, single-batch runs.\n\nWith this limited level of production underway, commissioning began to automate the processes.\n\nIt took about five weeks to program and automate the first mixing tank. However, because the equipment phases, user-defined data types (UDDT), and devices were identical for each of the five mixing tanks, the team was able to duplicate the remaining four tanks in a period of just two weeks.\n\n\"Using the same group of logic, we just created another instance of it and pointed it to another set of valves for each tank,\" Hinckley said. \"The duplication process was very easy.\"\n\nAs a result, the five mixing tanks and all delivery sequencing were fully automated by mid-March.\n\nMoving forward, the scalable and modular PlantPAx architecture also will allow for an easy expansion to operations. In the near future, that includes integrating FactoryTalk Batch software to support recipe executions and deliver batch reports, and\u00a0FactoryTalk Historian software to log critical production information and track clean-in-place parameters. Longer term, the system will be able to support additional bulk and mixing demands if demand requires.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to this company's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nFactoryTalk, PartnerNetwork and PlantPAx are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\n\nTAG: household-and-personal-care\n\n",
    "plex-ux-transition": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/plex-ux-transition\n\nTITLE: McGregor Metal Prepares for Plex UX Transition\n\nFounded in 1965 and based in Springfield, OH, McGregor Metal is the leading metal stamping company serving agriculture, lawn and garden, lamination, health and fitness and automotive markets.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\n* Ready to Further Modernize with Plex UX\n\nMcGregor Metal, a metal stamping company based in Springfield, OH, has been a long-time Plex user since 2005.\u00a0As a provider of metal stamping and some assembly solutions, McGregor has used\u00a0Plex ERP and Plex MES\u00a0across three separate Process Control Networks (PCNs) to streamline and digitize their operations.\u00a0After nearly two decades of success, McGregor is now ready to transition to the Plex UX interface and further modernize their manufacturing processes.\n\nWhile McGregor had used Plex to automate many plant floor processes, they were looking to transition to a more modern user experience. Additionally, the company wanted to streamline operations with deeper automation, including robotics integration and self-printing solutions. Finally, they wanted to protect the future of the company by investing in long-term scalability and efficiency in an increasingly complex market.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\n* Preparing for a Plex UX Transition\n\nCurrently, McGregor is embarking on a phased plan to migrate to Plex UX and integrate additional smart manufacturing capabilities. The three-year roadmap includes transitioning to Plex UX, continuing to leverage Plex MES A&O, and expanding their use of automation.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\n* A Plex UX Transition that will Build on Decades of Success\n\nSince implementing Plex in 2005, McGregor has experienced continued success. For example, the company has fully digitized its operations, moving from legacy systems to a connected, smart manufacturing environment. Second, McGregor has optimized processes to improve workforce connectivity and overall efficiency. Finally, with the upcoming transition to Plex UX, the company is set to sustain its competitive edge through enhanced automation and modernized ERP/MES solutions. \"We had a lot of success with Plex in 2005 and we want to continue to grow that with Plex UX,\" says McGregor's Director of IT Chad Walls.\n\nYou may also be interested in\n\nTAG: accelerate-digital-transformation\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: metals\n\nTAG: plex-erp\nTAG: plex-mes\n\n",
    "fresenius-digital-transformation": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/fresenius-digital-transformation\n\nTITLE: Fresenius Medical Care Drives Efficiency\n\nFresenius Medical Care provides solutions for people living with chronic kidney disease and related conditions. Providing services through a network of almost 4,000 outpatient dialysis centers, the company primarily treats end-stage renal disease, which requires patients to undergo dialysis three times per week for the rest of their lives.\n\nFresenius Medical Care has a deeply integrated value chain for the design and manufacturing of different devices and disposables, and recently expanded its product portfolio with extracorporeal blood treatment for heart and lung therapies.\n\nWorking to improve the quality of life of every patient, every day, Fresenius Medical Care is transforming healthcare through research, innovation and compassion.\n\nTo continue its innovation, Fresenius Medical Care needed to move away from its paper-based systems, processes, methods and tools. Digital transformation would allow the healthcare company to develop global products, drive efficiency and speed time to market in product development, manufacturing and product management, along the complete product lifecycle.\n\n***** Drive Efficiency, Speed Time to Market *****\n\nFresenius Medical Care has been growing successfully, but cumbersome, paper-based regional processes, methods and tools in product development did not match on a global scale.\n\nThe situation hindered global collaboration between product teams, created unnecessary inefficiencies, and slowed development cycles and speed to market - especially in context of developing complex, next-therapy systems.\n\nFresenius Medical Care realized that streamlining and digitalization of processes were key steps to allow design anywhere, build anywhere and ship anywhere.\n\nFresenius Medical Care worked with Rockwell Automation to create a global digital transformational program to realize digital twins of its products to drive efficiency in global product development and regulatory compliance. The Global Product Lifecycle Management(PLM) is a strategic program for managing all product andprocess data with streamlined capabilitiesbased on a globally accessible andintegrated eco-system.\n\nThe overall business goals of the project included:\n\n    * Speed time to market in product development, manufacturing and product management\n\n    * Increase global collaboration and efficiency, especially among product teams\n\n    * Improve product quality\n\n    * Lower administrative efforts\n\n    * Prepare for and enable the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)\n\nGlobal PLM drives for asingle source of truthfor managingproductdata digitally, enabling research and development (R&D), manufacturing and quality to become trulyglobal,collaborative organizationsand move intostate-of-the-art,digital-driven product development and manufacturingas thebasis forfuture products.\n\n***** Justifying Investment *****\n\nFresenius Medical Care identified tangible examples and pain points that clearly highlighted the potential benefits of this initiative to the board of directors and executives.\n\nAbove pure financial justification, they placed initiatives as strategic programs targeting overall efficiency increases and improved time to market.\n\nSince program work began in 2017, Fresenius Medical Care has defined a variety of streamlined and globally harmonized engineering and manufacturing capabilities and had numerous rollouts that started gaining value from better collaboration, digital processes and less administrative efforts.\n\nAs a result of the PLM project, Rockwell Automation has helped Fresenius Medical Care move from paper-based systems to systems that capture and drive analytics on product data, including tracking adoption of capabilities and operational improvements - for example, change management lead time or deliverable lead time.\n\nGoing forward, Fresenius Medical Care will add advanced analytics and leverage machine learning and automation to improve R&D and manufacturing operations from insights.\n\n***** Global Topic Owners and Expert Groups *****\n\nThe program's timeline was created as a multi-year business transformation consisting of four phases, slicing the transformation into digestible pieces of work that can be implemented step by step to progressively deliver value. For example, systems engineering allows early-stage simulations and verification of development results.\n\nWith Rockwell Automation, the Fresenius Medical Care team created global topic owners (GTO) and expert to drive definition of new capabilities and confirm proximity to users and customer centricity.\n\nSince 2017, the project team has reached out to over 300 people from different product teams across sites and functions to secure input about business needs, priorities, pain points and additional use cases.\n\nThe project team established a complete end-to-end operating model, including teams to address technical solutions, the cloud, cybersecurity, training and global support. Experts were embedded within the operative product teams to quickly drive adoption and transformation and create a feedback loop.\n\n\"We developed several measures to acquire and sustain the right expertise needed,\" said Oliver Paul, senior director, Therapy System Lifecycle Management. \"We have engaged external partners who brought the business and technical expertise and experience as well as additional capacity and people power needed for this endeavor. As we hire employees, we bring in more people with experience and a digital way of thinking and working to keep the expertise gained, and educate and train colleagues to sustain PLM/digital twin as a business concept at Fresenius Medical Care.\"\n\nAccording to Larry Dube, Vice President of PLM Strategy, GTOs and expert communities are a key pillar to drive adoption within the organization.\n\n\"For every rollout we look for deployment leads who are part of the operative product team,\" Dube said. \"By selecting a few early adopters and demonstrating success through measurable business value, other product teams and organizations now seek us out to deploy the capabilities.\"\n\n***** Improved Global Digital Collaboration *****\n\nThe work outlined in the project is supported by a communication series for different levels and target groups, including a sounding board to update leaders about milestones, achievements, next steps and success stories.\n\nAt the beginning of the program in 2017, the team connected the rollout of the first capability with one of the most important and largest product development teams.\n\n\"We successfully rolled out the capability to this team to demonstrate better global digital collaboration, digital approval process and management of all product deliverables in a much leaner way than before,\" said Paul. \"Getting this done with the most complex product team gave our organization and our implementation team confidence that we are on the right track.\"\n\nWorking with digital processes and data has enabled more fact-based decisions and transparency for global product teams. In addition, teams have learned what it means to manage product data in a digital way and to follow new best practices - for example, atomizing information as digital objects, representing the described digital twin of products, instead of managing large sheets of documents.\n\nRecommended for You\n\nTAG: accelerate-digital-transformation\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: life-sciences\n\nTAG: factorytalk-emulate-3d\n\n",
    "manufacturer-upgrades-metal-press-safety-and-control-functions": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/manufacturer-upgrades-metal-press-safety-and-control-functions\n\nTITLE: Manufacturer Upgrades Metal-Press Safety and Control Functions\n\n*** Background ***\n\nIn the metal press industry, the difference between success and failure is nearly microscopic - often just a fraction of a millimeter. That's true at North American Tillage Tools (NATT) too, where harrow discs that exceed a half-millimeter wobble tolerance won't meet customers' stringent quality requirements. The plant revolves around precise manufacturing and safety standards. NATT, located in Hamilton, Ontario, is one of North America's premier disc-tillage manufacturers.\n\nEach year, the business produces about 1.8 million steel discs, which are sold to farm equipment manufacturers and dealers for use in planting, tillage and seeding tools. The rugged, earth-engaging tillage parts are usually mounted on a tool bar or row units and used by farmers to break up the soil surface. The disc blades must have high tensile strength to resist breakage when the equipment meets with a hard rock or other obstacle. The discs can't drag and must be of uniform concavity to prevent wobbling.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nIn recent years, the factory ramped up to 24/7 operations to fill increased orders - but soon discovered it needed even more production capacity. NATT made the decision to add another metal press to its Hamilton facility. The company worked with its machine supplier and system integrator, Allied Innovations Inc. of Hamilton, Ontario, to procure an additional press. The team selected a press that met all of the plant's quality requirements. However, it lacked the safety requirements the plant needed and wouldn't easily integrate with the facility's existing control system.\n\nAccording to Tom Dyment, major projects manager at NATT, \"We wanted to integrate our new press into our automated process line, including all safety and motion control functions - and we wanted the same control platform that we already had.\" Using a common control platform, Dyment felt, was critical to ensuring consistent, reliable operations throughout the plant.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nAllied Innovations retrofitted the press control system with an Allen-Bradley(R) GuardLogix(R) programmable automation controller (PAC) for safety control, tapping the expertise of Gerrie Electric Automation Group for technical support.Based on the Logix control platform, the Compact GuardLogix PAC integrates with other Logix-based controllers used across the facility. All controllers share a common programming and configuration software - Rockwell Software(R) RSLogixTM 5000 - easing programming and start-up.\n\n\"With the Logix system we could design our production line to meet current safety standards out of the box, without further modifications,\" said Dyment.\n\nTim Raymond, vice president of technology at Allied, brings an integrator's perspective to the system. \"I've been integrating safety systems for more than 20 years now, and consider the metal form functions blocks to be a big benefit,\" he said. The press includes an Allen-Bradley GuardLogixTM Point I/OTM safety module and an Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) 70 variable frequency drive (VFD). The new controller uses an EtherNet/IPTM network to control the drives and to communicate with remote safety I/O.\n\nThe GuardLogix controller makes it easy for NATT to integrate a variety of components into the automation line, including its robots, access safety gates, various presses and heating equipment. \"By mating our robots with Rockwell Automation controls, we can improve automation performance and help ensure operatorsafety,\" said Dyment.\n\nNATT can perform \"zone control,\" in which one zone of the machine/line is brought to a safe state while others continue to operate. This is possible because the control and safety systems coexist on the same network, and share data between the safety and standard applications. Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM Plus 6 human-machine interface software gives operators access to the press machine's data with screen displays that clearly show machine status, menus and more.\n\nBy integrating the safety and standard control systems, operators have visibility into all machine events - including safety events - via the HMI, allowing operators to more quickly return the machine to full production after a shutdown. \"Our operators really like the PanelView HMI because it's easy to use and understand,\" said Dyment.\n\n*** Results ***\n\n\"Our system integration was completed on time and on budget for one reason,\" said Dyment: \"The programming environment used with the GuardLogix controllers is so flexible that it integrated easily with our other components.\"\n\nAs a result, NATT was able to get the new machine online and in production quickly. As variations in tillage machinery continue to proliferate, using a flexible control platform is more critical than ever.\n\n\"Our business is a little like the automotive industry,\" said Dyment. \"Every customer we sell to has a different design requirement, so we need about 25 different machines to produce different types or sizes of discs or disc parts. We rely on the Rockwell Automation programming environment to help us quickly adapt to changes.\"\n\nDyment is counting on the system's flexibility to accommodate inevitable future changes, too. \"We knew that our new processing and safety controls would help us meet current production demands and safety standards,\" he said. \"By upgrading with Rockwell Automation controls, we're future-proofing our production line.\"\n\n\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to North American Tillage Tools' use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\n\n",
    "drake-autoloader-solves-artisan-sausage-challenges": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/drake-autoloader-solves-artisan-sausage-challenges\n\nTITLE: Drake Autoloader Solves Artisan Sausage Challenges\n\nTake a stroll down the sausage aisle in any food market and chances are you will find a variety of locally sourced and artisan products sharing space with familiar global brands.\n\nSpecialty sausage makers take pride in their craft - and many start their businesses packaging products manually. As market demand and production increases, automated solutions become a viable alternative.\n\nBut niche sausages typically feature natural casings, which pose challenges for automated packaging equipment.\n\n\"Since natural casing sausages vary widely in length, curvature and size, the flow of product down the line can be quite random,\" explained George Reed, vice president of engineering and operations, Drake. \"Because of that variation, it will not run efficiently on traditional equipment designed for straight, uniform links.\"\n\nRecently, Drake introduced the SR-400 robot autoloader to address the unique characteristics of natural casing products.\n\nDrake is a leading supplier of loading systems for cylindrical food products including sausage and cheese sticks. The company enjoys a 90 percent share of the frankfurter loading market in the United States - and captures more than 80 percent of new sales in the Western Hemisphere. Headquartered in Waynesboro, Virginia, Drake is a brand of The Middleby Corporation.\n\n***** How the SR-400 Works *****\n\nThe SR-400 collates and places processed product into multiple horizontal packaging configurations. After exiting the smokehouse, the sausages are delinked and enter the autoloader's hopper. Sausage links are randomly fed from the hopper to an elevator conveyor. Next, using a patented technology, the links are indexed and aligned into individual buckets for conveyance to the robot.\n\nSensors at the end of the two-lane conveyor detect the presence of the sausage, which is indexed forward to feed the robot continuously. The robot uses high-speed end-of-arm tooling to pick the product and place it into packaging pockets.\n\nThe equipment loads up to 400 pieces per minute (ppm) and can handle a variety of products up to 200 mm (8 inches) in length.\u00a0\n\n\"The SR-400 automatically adjusts to the random flow of product into the system,\" said Keith Hopkins, senior controls engineer, Drake. \"If the product flow becomes more regular, the speed of the conveyor will become more continuous as well.\"\n\n***** Smart Machine Design *****\n\nTo achieve this functionality, Drake took an innovative approach to smart machine design. Unlike conventional equipment that includes a separate robotic control environment, the SR-400 relies on one control platform for the entire system - from robotics control to indexing and conveyance.\n\n\"One\u00a0Allen-Bradley(R) 5069 CompactLogixTM controller provides all the processing power we need from beginning to end,\" said Hopkins. \"By having the robot and all the servo drives integrated within one controller, the robot can follow the random indexing motion exactly. There is no encoder time delay.\"\n\nThe single control environment means the entire system can be managed from one control touch screen.\n\nPlus, the overall machine design is simpler and easier to maintain.\n\n\"A conventional system with a mechanical loading head includes many components and must be adjusted frequently,\" said Andre Richards, mechanical engineer, Drake. \"The robotic design mitigates much of that complexity - and the need for mechanical expertise on-site.\"\n\nIn addition to the CompactLogix controller, the Rockwell Automation(R) system includes\u00a0Allen-Bradley Kinetix(R) 5500 servo drives and MP-SeriesTM servo motors. The servos control the Codian Delta robot as well as the indexing motion of the conveyors. Codian Robotics is an\u00a0EncompassTM Product Partner in the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM program.\n\nAllen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) 525 AC drives\u00a0run auxiliary conveyors in the system.\n\nFor machine guarding, the loader uses\u00a0Allen-Bradley Guardmaster(R) safety relays and Allen-Bradley SensaGuardTM non-contact interlock switches. The system is integrated on an\u00a0EtherNet/IPTM network and includes\u00a0Stratix(R) 5700 Ethernet switches. The loader is monitored on an Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM Plus 6 graphic terminal.\n\n***** Saves Time and Money *****\n\nThanks to Ethernet connectivity, Drake offers remote monitoring via VPN to their customers as standard.\n\n\"With remote monitoring, we are often able to troubleshoot issues without an on-site visit,\" said Reed. \"This helps our customers save both time and money.\"\n\nDrake completed the first installation of the SR-400 robot loader earlier this year and is currently fulfilling additional orders.\n\n\"The new equipment has enabled our customer to manage the busy summer months without hiring an additional 10 to 15 seasonal employees,\" Hopkins said. \"They typically had a difficult time filling those temporary positions, but now their permanent staff can handle the work.\"\n\nAllen-Bradley, CompactLogix, Encompass, Guardmaster, Kinetix, MP-Series, PanelView, PartnerNetwork, PowerFlex, Rockwell Automation, Rockwell Software, SensaGuard and Stratix are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\nEtherNet/IP is a trademark of ODVA, Inc.\n\nTrademarks not belonging to Rockwell Automation are the property of their respective companies.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "bolivar-implements-new-technology-to-improve-adelaides-wastewate": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/bolivar-implements-new-technology-to-improve-adelaides-wastewate\n\nTITLE: Bolivar Implements New Technology to Improve Adelaide's Wastewater Treatment Quality\n\nProtecting health and the environment, sewage systems are a critical aspect of everyday life. SA Water\u00a0is a\u00a0leader in sewage treatment. Every year they manage and treat millions of litres of sewage for South Australians.\u00a0\n\nSA Water's three major metropolitan wastewater treatment plants at Bolivar, Glenelg and Christies Beach process more than 250 megalitres of sewage every day. That's about five full baths every second.\n\nEstablished in 1966, the Bolivar Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) is the largest of the three plants, treating approximately 70 per cent of metropolitan Adelaide's wastewater and serving approximately one million customers. The treatment process\u00a0recycles the treated water as well as the organic material that comes out of the water.\n\nWith a continued effort to always make their best better, SA Water invests in new technologies to keep treatment plants running reliably and improve quality and throughput.\n\nThe original parts of the Bolivar treatment plant, such as the pumping and power stations and inlet works, were\u00a0built approximately 45 years ago. As such, the equipment was reaching its end of useful life and a comprehensive and staged upgrade of the SCADA, PLC and communication networks was ultimately required for the entire plant.\n\n*** Out with the old and in with the new ***\n\nThe Bolivar catchment covers an extensive area, with 156 pumping stations connected to the treatment plant though a series of gravity and rising mains.\u00a0 It is designed to treat an annual average flow of 165 ML/day and a peak wet weather flow of 500 ML/day.\n\nCritical infrastructure, such as the Bolivar WWTP, needs to be in operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This requirement makes downtime, as a result of equipment failure, a situation that is best avoided. Upgrading legacy equipment at the plant was a priority project that required a staged approach.\n\nSAGE Automation\u00a0was contracted by SA Water to upgrade the site facilities. Barry Higham, senior project manager, SAGE Automation, stated that as a first step, design workshops were conducted to assess the current functionality and then establish what was required moving forward. The workshops also provided a valuable opportunity to help establish a collaborative culture within the integrated team, which lent itself to an outcome-focused solution.\n\nThe Bolivar WWTP treats approximately 70 percent of metropolitan Adelaide's wastewater and serves approximately one million customers.\u00a0\n\nAt the heart of the plant's existing control system were legacy PLC-5 controllers that are no longer supported but were responsible for the automatic control of wastewater treatment that complies with the Environment Protection Authority's (EPA) requirements for a licensed wastewater treatment facility.\n\nGiven the importance of maintaining uptime at the plant and the risks involved with legacy equipment, the PLC-5 controllers were upgraded to\u00a0Allen-Bradley(R) ControlLogix(R) with the provision for redundancy.\u00a0PowerFlex(R) drives were used to power the pumps and the field devices were controlled using the Allen-Bradley CompactLogixTM controllers. \"Our scope was to fully rewrite the PLC logic for all required functionality and install new redundant ControlLogix processors,\" said Higham.\n\nAs products age and give way to new technologies, Rockwell Automation works with customers to help them meet the demand to innovate and help to optimize performance. The PLC-5 Control System is among the largest installed base of any one control platform. However, spare parts, repaired units, and engineers that have experience with these controllers are becoming increasingly scarce.\n\nAs part of the update, the legacy ControlNet adapters for the Flex^O I/O were replaced with Ethernet/IP adapters.\u00a0\"This simplified the process and reduced project risks as the I/O wiring was not impacted or interfered with for this network change. By using ControlLogix and CompactLogix controllers, we were able to develop the new PLC logic in the RSLogix 5000 environment. Using Add-On Instructions that were defined during earlier stages of the upgrade works, there was no need to develop new code for subsequent stages of the upgrade, which proved to be a great timesaver.\u00a0FactoryTalk(R) View was used for the HMIs, providing premier integration and the ability to see the entire plant,\" explained Higham.\n\nThe plant's legacy PLC-5 controllers were upgraded to Allen-Bradley ControlLogix with the provision for redundancy.\n\n*** Maintaining wastewater treatment during the upgrade ***\n\nA spokesperson from SA Water explained that a key challenge for the project from inception was the ability to transition from the old control system to the new.\n\n\"Apart from the complexity behind the wastewater treatment process, transitioning from the old to the new system posed a high risk in terms of plant performance and operability. In order to avert a potential sewage overflow, the cutover process was meticulously planned, reviewed, quality assured and monitored.\"\n\nAs the entire wastewater treatment plant was live, the complex upgrade was carried out on a running system. To avoid downtime during the upgrade, the PLC-5 controllers essentially became a gateway to allow the flexibility for easy roll back and roll forward as required. \"We decided to encode everything by transferring all the FlexTMI/O modules that were previously on ControlNet to Ethernet/IP. We sequentially checked the coding related to devices connected to each card was correct. This allowed us to complete the upgrade with no significant interruption to wastewater treatment,\" said Higham.\n\nOne of the biggest challenges encountered during this project was deciding on how to respond to a PLC failure. As there are many areas of the plant linked to each other, opening and closing valves has sequential consequences for downstream processes. To address this, each and every possible scenario was considered and based on this, the resulting outputs decided.\n\nFor improved uptime, the plant can be separated into two separate plants with a redundant link between the two. Therefore, if there is an issue with a switch in one part of the plant, connection can be maintained. The diagnostics are available via the controllers through Ethernet/IP and alarming is notified through SCADA so any problems can be fixed with ease to minimise downtime at the plant.\n\nThe new system contains more than 5000 I/O and has proved to be significantly more reliable, flexible and robust.\n\n*** New and improved system ***\n\nThe new system has proved to be significantly more reliable, flexible and robust. With improved diagnostics and feedback, any failure in the plant can be quickly addressed so the plant is up and running again with minimal downtime. This is a noteworthy achievement, especially given the size of the plant, which consists of approximately 5000 I/O.\n\nAccording to a spokesperson from SA Water, \"The completion of this project went beyond the technical realms of delivering a desired outcome. The SCADA network architecture involved dividing the plant into eight device level rings (DLRs) that reported into the centralised control system. The project was delivered on time and under budget. In addition, plant performance was optimised which yielded operational savings and significantly lowered environmental risks.\"\n\nSA Water received an Australian Institute of Project Management Award for this project.\n\nAllen-Bradley, CompactLogix, ControlLogix, Flex I/O, PowerFlex, Rockwell Automation and Rockwell Software, are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\n\nTAG: industrial-automation-and-control\n\nTAG: water-wastewater\n\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: motor-control\nTAG: factorytalk-view-studio\n\n",
    "wireless-i-o-control-system-proves-successful-for-vehicle-manufa": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/wireless-i-o-control-system-proves-successful-for-vehicle-manufa\n\nTITLE: Wireless I/O Control System Proves Successful for Vehicle Manufacturer\n\nIn Chakan, Pune, India, a market leading manufacturer of utility vehicles built a modern Greenfield facility from the ground up with state-of-the-art equipment. At the heart of the plant is the Electrified Monorail System (EMS) conveyor, designed to deliver reliable, safe, quiet and efficient transportation of the vehicles from one work station to another along the assembly line. The EMS runs throughout the entire length of the Trim, Chassis and Final assembly (TCF) line of the Vehicle in the General Assembly shop. The light truck manufactured in this facility is transported by a wireless EMS conveyor. The TCF line is considered the final stage in production, where components are added to the vehicle including \u2018trim' components such as windshield glass and seats, as well as operational components such as the engine and wheels before final vehicle testing.\n\n\n\nControl and Communication Automation\n\nFor consulting, specifying and planning of this project, the manufacturer worked with Yantra Automation, one of the largest Rockwell Automation distributors in India, in conjunction with their local Rockwell Automation account manager, and with system integration company, Precision Automation and Robotics India Limited (PARI). The team worked closely to develop the best overall solution for this sophisticated project.\n\n\n\nThis being a new system and a Greenfield plant, they were not bound by constraints associated with some of the older monorail systems found in manufacturing plants. Thus, they were able to design a sophisticated system that easily conformed to the goals of the project and the manufacturer's commitment toward Flexible and Lean Manufacturing. This entailed the following features:\n\n    * To eliminate communication issues and concerns associated with rigid copper bus bars and brush collectors commonly used for communication with EMS carriers\n\n    * To optimize reliability and uptime of the EMS conveyor system\n\n    * To deliver real-time communication with Programmable Automation Controllers (PACs) and Inputs/Output (I/O) modules for enhanced conveyor control\n\n    * And ultimately, to achieve optimum response times for managing the EMS vehicle carriers\n\n\n\nFrom Yantra Automation, Ajay Kulkarni and Manish Sahni began the challenge of designing a complex wireless communication system for the assembly manufacturing line; an ambitious goal in a large-scale project involving multiple carriers in continuous motion along the overhead Electric Monorail System. Together, the team selected a Rockwell Automation control solution supported by ProSoft Technology wireless Ethernet communication. The challenge: creating a seamless and reliable communication system between each carrier and the controller as they move throughout the plant.\n\n\n\nImplementation\n\nPARI was commissioned for the design and implementation of the specific assembly line. PARI is a turnkey integration company specializing in top-to-bottom conveyor system design, robotics, and controls & communication automation for Automotive Industry segment in India.\n\n\n\nPARI designed the full vehicle assembly line to operate in real-time on the EtherNet/IP control network, using several Rockwell Automation ControlLogix PACs and supporting peripherals on the shop floor, including I/O and Variable Frequency Drives. The decision to go with ProSoft Technology Industrial Hotspot radios was made primarily because of their industrial hardware and solid reputation for supporting Rockwell controls and communication interfaces seamlessly, in addition to the ease of operation.\n\nMovement of the EMS carriers for transporting vehicles through the different stages of assembly is handled over a wireless EtherNet/IP network. The control system consists of one ControlLogix PAC on the conveyor and one ControlLogix PAC on engine decking system for body marriage. The conveyor PAC is hardwired to two ProSoft Technology Master radios while the Engine Decking PAC is hardwired to a third Master radio. The conveyor PAC is wirelessly connected with 33 individual carriers along the EMS, while the Engine Decking PAC is connected wirelessly with 3 engine carriers. Each independent EMS carrier has a local control panel with Rockwell Automation I/O and a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD), and a ProSoft Technology access point acting as Repeater to establish wireless communication between the main control panel equipment and their respective PAC. The carrier radios communicate with each other as well as with Master radio.\n\nThis EMS application is time critical, so each repeater radio is connected with its parent Master radio at all times to avoid switching delays as communications change from one Master radio to another while the carriers are in motion. The Master radio in each conveyor PAC has two Omni antennas with a splitter to deal with multipath fading effect. The architecture fully supports seamless roaming by the carriers.\n\n\n\nResults\n\nAfter some initial challenges with line-of-sight issues which were resolved by adding another Master radio and elevating their locations, the system is now able to provide real-time communication between the EMS carriers and the PACs on the assembly plant floor, including real-time I/O status for conveyor movement control. The system also enables wireless synchronization between the floor-mounted engine trolleys and the overhead EMS carrier, for the smooth decking of the engine.\n\n\n\nThe flexible architecture permits independent operation of each vehicle carrier, enabling carriers to be programmed for different speeds based upon their location on the conveyor path. The conveyor speeds are seamlessly switched in the process zones, transit zones, straight and curve zones, manual speed zones; and slow-and-stop speed zones. Limit switched in the vertical elevators enable ramp up and ramp down velocities for elevation changes, ensuring safety of the carriers on the line. Buffers in the conveyors can be adjusted based upon prevailing production pull systems.\n\n\n\nBy opting for this wireless network, the manufacturer was able to gain several benefits, including:\n\n    * Gained the ability to control EMS conveyor and the engine decking carrier in real time and synchronizing the VFDs with the Engine Decking Carriers\n\n\n\nEliminated complex wiring/cabling and cat tracks for communication cable\n\n    * Eliminated additional Bus Bars for communications with associated complex communications interfaces\n\n    * Obtained seamless and robust communication between the PACs and the I/O\n\n    * Obtained determinism with all the I/Os on each EMS carrier for better scan time management\n\n\n\nThe Future\n\nThe project went live in November 2009. Since then, the manufacturer has seen an increase in uptime, reliability and consistency in production output, enhancing their commitment toward Lean Manufacturing. With the success of the Rockwell Automation control and ProSoft Technology communication solutions, five similar applications consisting of both EMS conveyor system and material handling in the vehicle assembly shops are being installed.\n\n\nTAG: automotive-and-tire\n\n",
    "mge-automation-delivers-fully-integrated-packaging-suite": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/mge-automation-delivers-fully-integrated-packaging-suite\n\nTITLE: MGE Automation Delivers Fully Integrated Packaging Suite\n\n*** Background ***\n\nWestbury, UK-based\u00a0MGE Automation provides a complete range of mechanical and electrical services backed up by over 40 years' experience in the packaging industry.\n\nIts customers are those seeking to increase production, replace aging or obsolete equipment, establish brand new production lines or are looking for maintenance and support contracts.\n\nAs part of its service it can offer all elements of the project from system & electrical control design, through machine installation and onto maintenance.\n\nIn a recent project it was tasked by Dailycer, a leading manufacturer of breakfast cereals and cereal bars for many leading food retailers, to develop and install a complete cereal bar packaging line, comprising conveying of the product from the end of the cooling tunnel, through primary packaging and onto secondary packaging.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nThis was a completely new line at the Dailycer factory, there was no existing system so there was no template on which to base the solution.\n\nDue to the precise supply, mixing and batching processes used in the kitchen system, the new line also had to integrate very tightly to ensure that all elements of the line worked in symphony with each other.\n\nDue to the different components in the line, effective inter-machine communication was also vital.\n\nThe row-distribution system had to 'talk' to both wrappers and both of the wrappers had to 'talk' to a cartoner at the end of the line in order to achieve optimum throughput.\n\nThe wrappers also required significant amounts of precision motion, with all axes tightly locked together, another facet that demanded highly accurate communications.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nMGE Automation supplied the major elements of the packaging system for the line, which included conveyors, row-distribution systems, buffers, two flow wrappers, a cartoner and conveyors around check weigher.\n\nTo control this line, MGE turned to Rockwell Automation for its\u00a0Integrated Architecture(R) control solution. Primary control products deployed across the line included Allen-Bradley(R)\u00a0CompactLogixTM programmable automation controllers (PAC) and Allen-Bradley\u00a0PowerFlex(R) variable-speed drives on the conveyor systems, a CompactLogix PAC and Allen-Bradley\u00a0Kinetix(R) servo drives on the row-distribution solution and Allen-Bradley ControlLogix(R) PACs on each of the two high-speed flow wrappers.\n\nFor operator control and interaction, each machine (five in total) is also equipped with an Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM Plus HMI. Completing the primary elements is an Allen-Bradley Guardmaster(R)-based safety solution, which feeds all signals back into the primary controllers.\n\nThe two (LH & RH) flow wrappers deployed at the Dailycer site were actually refurbished machines that had previously been equipped with a mechanical camming solution for motion.\n\nMGE Automation was able to replace the mechanical control elements with a Kinetix servo-based solution. \"We have undertaken these sorts of modifications many times in the past,\" explains Mark Gerrish, Managing Director at MGE Automation.\n\n\"We have an intimate knowledge of the Logix programming environment and have become very adept at replacing cam-based systems with modern electromechanical hardware solutions driven by the very latest integrated control software.\n\n\"The infeed conveyors and the row-distribution solution were both new components, as was the cartoner,\" he continues, \"but we replaced the controls on the cartoner with the Allen-Bradley components, which delivered a much more powerful package\"\n\nThe whole line runs on a\u00a0Stratix(R)-switch-managed EtherNet/IPTM communication network - equipped with Allen-Bradley POINT I/OTM modules - which also offers seamless communication back to the enterprise solutions and the all-important kitchen equipment, which was also based around an Allen-Bradley solution.\n\nThe use of an EtherNet/IP backbone and integrated hardware gives Dailycer the ability to exploit the benefits of The Connected Enterprise(R).\n\nIndeed, future plans include the exploitation of real-time manufacturing data in order to make better decisions centred on planning and production metrics.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nAccording to Gerrish: \"We have worked with Rockwell Automation for many years. Indeed, we always strive to use Rockwell Automation products as we know they work and do exactly what we need of them.\n\nAs a completely new line, this was an interesting proposition as we had a blank canvas in the packaging area and which formed part of a larger blank canvas for Dailycer from the kitchen all the way to the end of the line.\n\nThe kitchen system itself is also highly automated with most of it being controlled with Rockwell Automation solutions, including the mixing, batching, temperature control, extrusion, enrobing and finally the cutting with a guillotine.\n\n\"The primary benefits to Dailycer in this instance,\" he continues, \"are based around the capabilities delivered by a connected and integrated control solution.\n\nAs well as delivering optimal data paths, the single-platform control solution delivers a familiar look and feel along all elements of the line, from the kitchen all the way through to final secondary packaging.\n\nWe certainly hit the throughput and efficiency targets that Dailycer wanted and the line could in fact offer higher throughput if necessary, but this would depend on the product being processed and would need to be balanced with the time required in the kitchen prior to packaging.\n\nThe Allen-Bradley solution offers a simpler and easier upgrade path too, due to its tight integration between hardware and software and its plug-and-play design.\n\nThis is of particular importance to Dailycer, which is seeing its order books growing.\"\n\nThe ability to make better decisions based on real-time production data is a key facet of the Connected Enterprise.\n\nWith this data-capable infrastructure, Dailycer will be able to improve productivity and optimise operational performance due to the new insights it now has into its production operations.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "globalizes-cartoning-machine": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/globalizes-cartoning-machine\n\nTITLE: OEM PACMAC Globalizes Cartoning Machine\n\nPacmac manufactures tube filling and cartoning machines for the CPG industry. The company is spread out to three units, manufacturing packaging machines, with state-of-the-equipment.\n\nPacmac's mission is to develop technologically adept machines, designed and manufactured in India, with a focus on robustness and customer satisfaction.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nPacmac was in need of an automated cartoning machine that could quickly and easily accommodate varied packaging sizes.\u00a0\u00a0\n\nThe typical challenge faced by Pacmac with the old machine was the open loop. There was no data exchange, and involvement of many mechanical components decreased accuracy over a period. When the size of the carton changes, the axis of the machines required manual adjustments to compensate the offset. The absolute position of the main motor could not be determined in case of power failure causing product loss, and failure of the main motor leads to a complete stoppage of machine.\n\nAdditionally, the old machines were limited in the ability to handle tube variations. With enhanced architecture, the same machine could carton products in multiple variations without machine stoppage by simply selecting a different tube type from the HMI.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\nDeveloping a new machine to handle varied carton types, increase productivity, and efficiency.\n\nPacmac partnered with Rockwell Automation to develop a new cartoning machine with an automated product changeover feature to meet increased global demand.\n\nRockwell designed a solution for Pacmac, which is powered by CompactLogixTM, Kinetix(R) 5500 EtherNet/IP Servo Drives, and Kinetix(R) VP-Series Servo Motors. The new machine has the axis connected to the servo motor, which is on Kinetix(R) 5500 EtherNet/IPTM for communication with the controller, eliminating the manual mechanical system.\n\nCompactLogix controllers provide higher performance, increased capacity, improved productivity, and enhanced security to help meet the growing demands of smart machines and equipment for manufacturing.\n\nKinetix VP-Series Servo Motors provide smooth, integrated motion control over EtherNet/IP networks.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\nSimplifying machine design to meet demand\n\nThe new machine has enabled Pacmac to serve a greater variety of products and number of end users. Remote operation and monitoring of the machine is now possible as the multi-discipline architecture can be accessed remotely for troubleshooting or modification, rather than through a physical site visit.\u00a0\n\nWith the multi axis machine, seamless data transfer is possible via Ethernet communication. Based on the product type, end user can select a recipe from the HMI (human machine interface) and system will make an automatic offset adjustment. Operators can more accurately predict and detect failures. Absolute position of the servos can be retained in case of power failure.\u00a0\n\nEnd users enjoy higher accuracy and lower maintenance with a reduced mechanical system, and scalability is achievable with axis addition or deletion. It is easy to integrate the machine with upstream systems.\u00a0\n\nMachine maintenance cost and time is reduced, improving overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). This is accomplished by:\u00a0\n\n    * Reducing the number of mechanical parts on a machine, so fewer parts receive extreme wear and tear.\n\n    * Automating the offsetting of the servo to reduce errors, waste, and downtime.\u00a0\n\n    * Reducing product changeover time by simply selecting the product type from the HMI and adjustments are made automatically.\u00a0\n\n",
    "intermountain-electronics-overcomes-underground-mining-constrain": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/intermountain-electronics-overcomes-underground-mining-constrain\n\nTITLE: Intermountain Electronics Overcomes Underground Mining Constraints\n\n*** Background ***\n\nWhen most people think of coal mining, they envision men in soot covered clothes and hard hats digging at deposits in deep underground caverns. These mental images commonly include coal cars rumbling on rails as they emerge from the earth, filled to the brim with rocky ore.\n\nThe world of modern, long-wall coal mining is a far different place. Yes, it's underground, the miners still wear hard hats, and the environment is filled with soot. However, today's mining operations are carefully monitored and the entire process is highly automated.\n\nThree miles underground, a sophisticated, high-powered mining machine moves steadily through a six-foot-high tunnel at an average speed of two miles per hour, carving out coal, then conveying it to a crusher and carrying it to the surface.\n\nInstead of digging out the ore, a long-wall mining system slices it from the exposed tunnel face, using giant rotating shears. The shorn coal tumbles onto a conveyer below the shears, and is conveyed to the \"stageloader\" where it is crushed and dumped onto the main conveyer belt that eventually hauls it out of the mine.\n\nIntegral to the long-wall shear and conveyor is a moving metal roof that protects it from the thousand plus feet of ground above. The ceiling panels automatically advance above the mighty shears, powered by hydraulic roof supports that stand on the other side of the tunnel-like soldiers, moving in a slow, sideways lock-step with the shears.\n\nThis complex and massive machine makes long-wall mining the most efficient and productive method for excavating coal. In fact, it produces 3,000 to 25,000 tons of ore per shift, versus 600 to 1,000 tons for the conventional or commonly used method known as room-and-pillar mining. Using that method, miners develop one section of a mine at a time after carving out load-bearing columns of coal to support the roof above their heads.\n\nLong-wall mining also is considered safer than the room-and-pillar method, largely because the process is mostly automated, requiring fewer workers in this famously hazardous environment.\n\nStill, long-wall mining has its drawbacks: The equipment is expensive and the mining conditions are harsh. An entire long-wall system can cost between $50 million and $100 million, while the electrical controls used to operate it can cost an additional $1 million to $2 million. These investments grind away all day, every day, in hot tunnels filled with coal dust.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nEventually, the abuse takes its toll, and every few years, a machine must be pulled out of service, and retooled with state-of the-art controls and electronics before it is reinstalled.\n\nA mining company in Illinois recently faced that proposition with one of its long-walls. But the company didn't want a run-of-the-mill upgrade. The highest productivity mine in the U.S., as measured by tons per man-hour wanted a compact, high-performing, customised electronic control package \u2013 and they wanted Rockwell Automation\u00ae products.\n\nEnter Intermountain Electronics (IE). With 275 years of combined mining operations experience among its leaders, engineers and project managers, IE designs and installs custom electrical distribution and control equipment.\n\n\"We've worked with Rockwell Automation for years, which really helped us with this client because they wanted to standardize on Rockwell Automation control system equipment,\" said Pat Lemmon, project engineer, IE. \"In this case, the challenge was the real estate we had to\n\nwork with.\"\n\nLemmon was referring to the small space available to house the new variable frequency drives (VFD's) that would power the machine's motors. The enclosure could be just 72 inches high. However, the VFDs that the mining company wanted are usually mounted vertically and stand 91 inches tall.\n\nAdditionally, much of the allotted control space needed to be reserved for ventilation or coolant systems to protect the power equipment from overheating. That added an additional layer of complexity to the existing space limitations.\n\n*** Solutions ***\n\nFortunately, Intermountain Electronics had experience with modifying control equipment to fit into extremely tight areas. But the VFDs from Rockwell Automation had never been used in a horizontal application, which is the only way this system could work.\n\n\"The people at Rockwell Automation listened as we explained the tight situation we were in,\" Lemmon said. \"We absolutely couldn't have made this system work without their support.\"\n\nRockwell Automation re-engineered the packaging of its Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 755 high-power IP00 VFDs so they could be laid horizontally on their backs within their enclosures.\n\n\"The new packaging lowered cabinet height by 75 percent,\" said Lemmon. \"The result is that the drives consume only an 18-inch-high footprint in our 72-inch allotted space, leaving ample room for our coolant system.\" The extra space also improves serviceability.\n\nIn this operation, four PowerFlex 755 VFDs operate the motors that run the hydraulic emulsion pumps responsible for advancing the roof supports. The hydraulic pumps use emulsion to push up and pull down alternating roof supports in a coordinated manner that drives the system forward. The drives help dictate the appropriate speed and maintain the delicate balance in pressure required for proper function. This is a huge improvement over older designs that had limited controls, thus improving service life while reducing energy costs.\n\nTwo other drives govern the speed of motors running the stage-loader conveyer. Based on the load weight, the drives automatically adjust the motor speed. This helps protect the machine from damaging overuse, extending equipment life. They also further reduce energy costs when the system is not running at full capacity.\n\nLastly, two more drives power centrifugal water pumps that run liquid through water jackets on the motors to keep them cool. This is critical because the constant churning of long-wall system motors creates tremendous heat. The pumps also help suppress the dust that is an unavoidable by product of coal mining.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nMounting the drives in a horizontal configuration provided the user with a high-performance control solution that could successfully operate in a confined space. The drives are designed with an open chassis, which proved critical in providing cooling systems that would fit in the custom enclosures.\n\nHigh availability proved to be another benefit of the new control system. \"With so many moving parts that must be precisely configured, there is always a risk of downtime during an electrical control system changeover,\" Lemmon said, \"But in this installation, our customer didn't lose any productivity due to unscheduled downtime. That's almost unheard of for applications of this size.\"\n\n\"I'm glad we were able to deliver such a seamless solution to meet our customer's needs.\" Lemmon said. \"Thanks to the newfound ability to turn the Rockwell Automation drives on their side, we will suggest using them in future mining operations.\"\n\n\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\n\n",
    "grain-handling-solution": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/grain-handling-solution\n\nTITLE: Rockwell Automation Technology Powers Unique Grain Handling Solution\n\nA VK Logic solution, powered by Rockwell Automation technology, is helping to enhance uptime and increase capacity for professional mobile seed grading business, Klean A Seed.\n\nMajor benefits of the new solution include an increase in capacity to 36 tonnes, quality assurance, better contamination control, and more efficient cleaning.\n\nThe technology involved recognises that grain handling is a complex process that requires dedication to quality, hygiene, and uptime. To produce a clean, graded final product suitable for vendors or re-sowing, grains are typically taken offsite to a processing facility.\n\nCarting seed to and from a processing facility adds delay and expense, so Pat Cummins established a mobile grain processing business, Klean A Seed, in Yarrawonga, about 100km west of Albury/Wodonga, on the Victorian border with NSW. Klean A Seed provides seed grading, grain processing, contamination control, and quality seed treatments.\n\n\"I work with farmers to treat winter cereals, like wheat and barley, and prepare them for sowing. Klean A Seed helps with pest and disease control, and our professional seed grading helps avoid blockages of planting machinery,\" says Cummins, who has owned and operated Klean A Seed since 2009.\n\nAfter years of providing a mobile seed grading service, Cummins noticed several areas that could be more efficient, produce higher quality results, and enhance profitability, if the right technology was used.\n\n***** Taking mobile seed grading to the next level *****\n\nAfter thorough research, Cummins engaged VK Logic, a specialist design, build, and automation company based in North Albury, to build a new truck utilising the latest technology.\n\n\"There were a number of challenges in developing the Klean A Seed solution. Pat had a great vision for what he wanted to achieve, but there were restrictions in what could fit in the size and dimensions of the truck, while still keeping it roadworthy and safe for on-road and off-road use,\" said Justin Van Klaveren, managing director, VK Logic.\n\nVK Logic provides total end-to-end engineering solutions, including in-house engineering and fabrication, with a combination of mechanical, electrical, and automation expertise. Having design, building, and maintenance capabilities under one roof means projects can be completed more efficiently compared to engaging two or three separate companies.\n\n\"To keep the truck within certain dimensions and weight distributions, but to add such advanced technologies and processes, was one of the largest challenges of the project. We found Rockwell Automation's technologies gave us the greatest flexibility to achieve these complex requirements,\" added Van Klaveren.\n\nVK Logic identified key areas that could be improved in the new truck build, including making it more user-friendly, giving the operator greater control over machines and processes, increasing capacity, and reducing maintenance downtime.\n\n\"We knew, given the complex requirements, that the best process control solutions could be achieved using Rockwell Automation technologies. Not only was Pat already familiar with Rockwell gear, but Rockwell Automation provides greater accessibility to support when out in the field, which is a crucial benefit to a business that spends its time in the countryside helping farmers,\" said Van Klaveren.\n\n***** New technology drives performance benefits *****\n\nVK Logic designed a new mobile seed grader that utilised Rockwell Automation's CompactLogixTM safety processor, PowerFlex 525 drive over Ethernet, PanelViewTM, and PowerFlex 750 drive.\n\n\"Rockwell Automation had the best product offering and solutions to complement the new truck we were building, and the service is a valuable added benefit,\" said Van Klaveren.\n\nThe unique design of the new mobile seed grader featured a range of innovative advances on previous designs, including:\n\n    * A conveyor belt with 3.6m telescopic function, so that Klean A Seed can transfer the treated seed directly into the customer's silo. Further, the conveyor can then be adjusted, so that it can deposit seed into different silos within reach, without having to adjust the position of the truck\n\n    * Slide-out generator, for easy access and maintenance\n\n    * More electric motors, controlled via Rockwell Automation PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers), which provides more control over the machine\n\n    * Flatbed type screens and rotary screens for grain processing\n\n\"VK Logic, a Rockwell Automation System Integrator Silver partner, has done an outstanding job of listening to customer needs, and developing the most efficient and user-friendly solution, one that will continue to deliver value year after year,\" said Matthew Taylor, NSW account manager, Rockwell Automation.\n\n***** Increased capacity and uptime *****\n\nWith the new truck now in operation, Cummins is experiencing a broad range of benefits in relation to capacity, user-friendliness, and maintenance.\n\n\"One of the major objectives of the project was to increase capacity. We nominated 32 tonnes per hour from the outset, and now that the truck is fully built, it is comfortably achieving 36 tonnes per hour, which is a great result,\" added Van Klaveren.\n\nMaintenance was another major consideration in the new truck's design. To avoid contamination, and to provide quality assurance to customers, Klean A Seed needs to clean out the entire machine between customers.\n\nVK Logic designed the truck so that the machinery tilts out, which makes access for cleaning significantly easier, thereby reducing downtime. \"We estimate that a 30-minute cleaning task has now been reduced to 5 or 6 minutes each time. When you consider how many customers Pat is serving, that time saving really adds up,\" said Van Klaveren.\n\n\"We are proud of this solution, and the ongoing benefits it will deliver to Klean A Seed. Rockwell Automation gave us the technology features, the flexibility, and the service to recommend a robust solution to our customer, so it was an ideal partnership,\" he concluded.\n\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: industrial-automation-and-control\n\n",
    "southwest-baking-company-addresses-aging-workforce-challenges": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/southwest-baking-company-addresses-aging-workforce-challenges\n\nTITLE: Southwest Baking Company Addresses Aging Workforce Challenges\n\nSouthwest Baking Company makes its dough by producing more than 2 million cases of bread every year at its 40,000-square-foot production facility in Tolleson, Arizona. Restaurant staples ranging from sandwich loaves to breadsticks roll off the production lines at rates of up to 11,000 pound of dough per hour.\n\nThe bread-making process begins in the facility's raw-material receiving area. Ingredients such as flour, yeast and salt are stored in holding bins until the batching system transfers them into an industrial mixer, where the ingredients are combined. The mixture then moves into production, where the bread product is formed and frozen, before being packaged, palletized and shipped to distribution centers.\n\nThese processes run 24 hours per day, nearly every day of the week, and are necessary for meeting the demand of some of the world's largest restaurant brands. Southwest Baking is committed to, keeping up and staying ahead of demands by continually investing in building our associates skill sets.\n\nYet for all the ingredients, equipment and precision that are required to make quality bread products at a high rate, another element is also needed \u2013 skilled workers. It's this crucial piece of the recipe that Southwest Baking realized it needed to address. Key members of its workforce would soon be retiring, leaving the company short on highly skilled workers needed to meet aggressive production targets.\n\n*** Looming Retirements, Looming Workforce Challenges ***\n\nSouthwest Baking found itself facing a dilemma that has become all too familiar for many manufacturers and industrial producers \u2013 the looming retirement of aging skilled workers.\n\nAccording to a report from Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute, nearly 3.5 million U.S. manufacturing jobs will likely need to be filled during the next decade \u2013 and an estimated 2.7 million of those jobs will result from retirements of existing workers. Unfortunately, a shortage of skilled workers will result in 2 million of those 3.5 million jobs going unfilled.\n\nThe workforce-availability issue stands to have significant implications not only on individual manufacturers but also on global productivity, including threatening to reduce economic growth by 40 percent.\n\nThe more immediate concern at Southwest Baking, however, was maintaining a skilled workforce for its bread-making operations.\n\nThe company's most knowledgeable maintenance technician was on the verge of retirement, and the company didn't have anyone to fill that role when the technician left. Additionally, the company had recently replaced the outdated custom batch system used for its dough mixers with a flexible batch-recipe management system. This required a maintenance technician who could support the upgraded system and play a role in its future growth.\n\n\"We know we need young blood in our operation,\" said Robert Wroblewski, plant engineer at Southwest Baking Company. \"We have some people who are not retiring right now, but will be in the coming years. And we know that the machine technology is growing faster and faster, so we need technicians who can support these systems in the future.\"\n\n*** Accelerated Training: A Recipe for Success ***\n\nIn fact, the company did have young blood in its workforce with one of its most junior employees. Chris Belzunce, [22], had been working at Southwest Baking for four years as a trainee, mostly on a part-time basis while he attended high school.\n\nBelzunce hadn't even started college yet, and his only knowledge about manufacturing processes and industrial automation control systems was based on his limited and part-time work experience at the company.\n\nSouthwest Baking management knew it wanted to invest its future in Belzunce, and it had an immediate need for a maintenance technician, so the company decided to enroll him in a Rockwell Automation Accelerated Skills Academy (ASA) training program.\n\nThe ASA program was created to address exactly the kind of workforce availability challenges that Southwest Baking was experiencing. The ASA is an intensive training program with a multicraft curriculum that aims to empower workers with skills and knowledge in three months that would otherwise take as much as eight years of on-the-job learning to acquire.\n\nBelzunce participated in the inaugural ASA program held in the Phoenix area. The program included two primary phases. The first phase, five weeks, addressed electrical, mechanical and safety concepts, covering everything from AC/DC concepts and mechanical print reading to safety standards and electrical troubleshooting. The second phase, seven weeks, focused on integrated architecture skills and knowledge, including Ethernet design and troubleshooting, controller fundamentals, maintenance and troubleshooting.\n\n*** From Junior Employee to Senior Talent ***\n\nBelzunce completed the program and returned to Southwest Baking as a new worker.\n\n\"A year ago, he wouldn't have been left alone in the plant,\" Wroblewski said. \"Today, he has the knowledge and skillset to handle any job.\"\n\nImmediately after completing the program, Belzunce was assigned to new and more complex projects, and began contributing in new ways. In one of his first projects, for example, he helped repair a failing human machine interface system. He also worked with a fabricator to design and build a new machine as part of the company's new GS1 labeling efforts.\n\n\"I'd consider him one of my more senior guys, not in terms of his years but in terms of his knowledge,\" Wroblewski said. \"He has the knowledge to do whatever job I need him to now. I feel very confident with what he does, and I trust him all over the plant. That was not the case a year ago, but now we know he has the skills to handle the job.\"\n\nMore than giving Belzunce the skills and knowledge he needed to take on a new job, the ASA program also gave him a new level of respect for the manufacturing field, helping him see it as a career path as he begins his pursuit of an engineering degree at Northern Arizona University.\n\n\"Coming out of high school, I don't think any kid knows what they're going to do for a living,\" Belzunce said. \"I had no idea. This program opened up my eyes to what I want to do. Now I want to control every part of a machine that I can.\"\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Southwest Baking Company's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "solutions-in-action--precision-pmd": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/solutions-in-action--precision-pmd\n\nTITLE: Solutions in Action: Precision PMD\n\nIn the world of machine customization, meeting unique application requirements is just part of the equation. Designing machinery that integrates seamlessly with other equipment throughout a plant is equally critical. Precision PMD, an Ohio-based supplier of primary packaging equipment for the food and beverage industry, has built its business by delivering value on both sides of the equation. Precision PMD supplies denesters, conveyors, fi llers, sealing systems and lid applicators to customers ranging from global Fortune 500 companies\n\nto regional contract packagers and niche suppliers. Backed by more than 30 years of industry expertise, the company provides solutions as complete systems or flexible components and modules. \"Every system or machine we deliver is customized,\" said Joe Lukes, co-owner, Precision PMD. \"We built our company with a vision to supply solutions that meet customer needs precisely - and cost-effectively.\n\nOne of the company's leading products, the Precision PMD D-Nester, illustrates this business model. In the primary packaging room, denesters separate containers that are nested together in magazines at the front of the system. The separated containers are placed on a conveyor, and then move down the line to be filled by a wide range of food products. Container size and type are variable and application dependent.\n\n\"From a denesting standpoint, our equipment can literally run everything from a yogurt or cottage cheese cup to foil pans and poultry trays,\" said Dan Auvil, co-owner, Precision PMD. \"Of course, the containers must be relatively rigid and meet our \"stackability\" requirements.\n\nUnlike denesters that use vacuum tools to denest containers from the magazine, the Precision PMD equipment uses a servo-driven screw assembly to separate containers from the bottom.\n\n\"Since our D-Nester doesn't rely on vacuum tools, it is more energy efficient,\" said Lukes. \"In addition, packagers simply don't have to contend with performance issues like suction cup rigidity and variable in-plant air that make vacuum systems less reliable over time.\" Precision PMD has built D-Nester machines that span single or multiple lane applications in either intermittent or continuous motion environments. The equipment can be delivered as part of an end-to-end system or integrated with an existing filling line. To enable even more flexibility, Precision PMD offers D-Nesters as mobile units.\n\nA mobile unit can be integrated on an existing line - then moved from line to line as needed. \"Flexibility is a key characteristic of all our equipment,\" Auvil said. \"And we extend this adaptability from our individual machines to our end-to-end systems.\" The company recently demonstrated a Complete Packaging System for an application that incorporates denesting, filling, sealing and capping. The system can run a wide range of products, and with a few change parts, can easily adjust from a cup line to a tub line to a tray line. Precision PMD builds its equipment on a Rockwell Automation Integrated ArchitectureTM platform that typically includes Allen-Bradley(R) CompactLogixTM programmable automation controllers, Allen-Bradley Kinetix(R) 350 single-axis EtherNet/IPTM servo drives, and Allen-Bradley MP-SeriesTM low inertia servo motors.\n\nSystems are generally integrated on an EtherNet/IP network. Auvil credits Rockwell Automation solutions with helping the company deliver customized machinery quickly and affordably. \"We base our designs on 3D modeling,\" Lukes explained. \"And Rockwell Automation provides CAD drawings, 3D models and other engineering tools - plus great support. As a result, we can optimize our process and deliver a high quality, custom solution with minimal lead-time.\" The Rockwell Automation solutions also streamline integration at the packaging facility. \"Rockwell Automation is the industry standard and it's our standard,\" Lukes said. \"We were looking for an automation supplier who could provide durability, stability and reliability. We found it with Rockwell Automation.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "mining-company-reduces-reporting-time-by-80-percent-with-product": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/mining-company-reduces-reporting-time-by-80-percent-with-product\n\nTITLE: Mining Company Reduces Reporting Time by 80 Percent with Production-Intelligence Software\n\nPhosphorous is an essential element necessary for the nutrition of plants, animals and humans. This naturally occurring substance is present in our food and water \u2013 and can even be found throughout our bodies. For that reason, companies mine phosphate rock to incorporate the nutrient into fertilizers, animal feeds and food additives.\n\nOne mining company's expansive operations include a site in Florida that extracts phosphorus from ancient sea fossils and processes the ore into phosphate rock. Using sulfuric acid produced on-site, the rock is then converted to phosphoric acid and shipped to customers throughout the world.\n\nOverall, the operation mines millions of tons of phosphate rock annually, producing 1 million tons of phosphoric acid and hundreds of pounds of phosphate feed. During that process, data must be collected and logged for continuous environmental and operational reports. \u00a0\u00a0\n\n*** A Manual Shift ***\n\nThroughout most of the life of the mining operation, statisticians manually processed operator data and transferred the information to various spreadsheets for daily and monthly reports. But after a major staff reduction in 2013, statisticians were soon few and far between. This meant that chemical engineers throughout the plant inherited the responsibly of collecting and logging data, as well as the manual calculation of forecasting trends in preparation for production reports seen by company executives.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\n\nEach day, engineers sifted through multiple data sources, including Excel\u00ae books and papers to manually calculate material-balancing recordings, branded inventory and more.\u00a0\n\n\"The engineers would spend a lot of time circulating the data to get it right,\" explained a systems analyst for the mining operation.\n\nIn fact, engineers spent at least two hours per day \u2013 and sometimes up to 20 hours per week \u2013 performing static calculations. At the end of the month, closure reports could take as long as six days complete, pulling personnel away from the heart of the business.\n\n\"The process left many engineers with too much on their plates,\" the analyst said. \"It was time to look into a different solution.\"\n\n*** Automating with Manufacturing Intelligence ***\n\nAfter identifying what was clearly a process deficiency, the company determined the answer was clear: automated data collection and reporting.\n\n\"Man-hours and having the right amount of people were the two catalysts that fueled the jump to automated reporting,\" the analyst said. \"It was something that needed to happen, and it kick-started the project.\"\n\nThe company needed a system that would be easily integrated into multiple databases. Data at the site was currently being reported from multiple sources, including three historians, several Oracle\u00ae databases and paper log sheets.\n\nDuring the company's hunt for a solution, one of its process control engineers recommended the FactoryTalk\u00ae VantagePoint\u00ae EMI software from Rockwell Automation as a tool for time series data and report generation.\n\n\"VantagePoint software was the only tool that had native connectivity to all disparate data sources,\" the analyst said. \"There really is nothing else out there that has that capability.\"\n\nAfter conducting a proof-of-concept to demonstrate the software's feasibility, the company connected its historians and databases to the FactoryTalk software to begin the automation process. As part of the project, the company also upgraded hardware, created its own dynamic, asynchronous manual data-entry form (OLS) for report customization, and retrained operators on the reporting process.\n\nIn the end, the company was able to generate automatic reports based on logical models shaped by the users. Additionally, operators could access data on a real-time basis, also helping to improve operations. Users learned that if they were unable to gather the report through the eventing feature, they could use the Web portal to access information instantly.\n\n*** Seamless Integration Results in Savings\u00a0 ***\n\nThe mining operation's use of FactoryTalk software resulted in multiple reports, including material-balancing recordings, that can now be generated automatically.\n\nWhile a structured training curriculum is often required after the implementation of a new process, the company's operators and engineers were actively crafting reports after roughly one training session.\n\nThe automated reporting also significantly reduced the time it took for operators to pull together month-end reports. What used to take more than six days to complete now takes operators half a day \u2013 a time savings of 80 percent. Today, roughly 80 reports are produced each night, all of them created without manual reporting and the probability of human error.\n\nOverall, the company saw a 25 percent increase in bandwidth for its engineering staff and supervisors because they were freed from the manual reporting process. Operators were also alleviated from documenting data on paper log sheets because the automation migration resulted in the creation of a custom relational model.\n\n\"With a little training, operators no longer write on paper,\" the analyst explained. \"They write into our custom front-end. We mimicked the same fields on our paper log sheets, so now when they type it in, it's synchronized and there for everyone to see.\"\n\nAfter the successful integration of the plant, the company decided to incorporate similar models into two other locations, with plans to bring the system to other existing locations.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to this company's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nFactoryTalk and VantagePoint are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\nExcel is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.\n\nOracle is a trademark of Oracle Corporation.\n\n\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\n\n",
    "arc-resources-optimizes-artificial-lift-systems--with-connectedp": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/arc-resources-optimizes-artificial-lift-systems--with-connectedp\n\nTITLE: ARC Resources Optimizes Artificial-Lift Systems With ConnectedProduction Solution From Rockwell Automation\n\n** Oil Country **\n\nCanada is the world's fifth-largest oil producer. This is due, in large part, to the country's vast reserves in and around Alberta, which contains the third-largest known oil reserves in the world.\n\nCalgary-based\u00a0ARC Resources Ltd. has called this oil-rich region home for more than 20 years. The company has assets distributed across western Canada, and operations that include the exploration, development and production of conventional oil and natural gas.\n\nJust across Alberta's western border in northeast British Columbia, ARC Resources is one of the largest operators in the Montney region, which is considered one of the best tight gas plays in North America. And it was here that ARC Resources recently decided to begin optimizing the control systems it was using for its large, multi-well natural-gas production sites.\n\nThe existing systems in place at these sites didn't support artificial lift, which would soon be needed to maintain production levels. The existing systems also presented both expansion and safety challenges that the company wanted to address.\n\n** Operations at a Crossroads **\n\nARC Resources already had optimization programs at its smaller pads that contained only one to four wells. Control systems in place at these pads supported the use of artificial-lift systems to help maintain or increase production as these wells depleted.\n\nLarger pads of five or more wells, however, lacked control systems to support artificial-lift systems. And as some of these sites approached production milestones of 10 to 15 years, the company knew that it would need to make improvements in the near future.\n\n\"We were very successful with using assisted lift to keep production stable in the smaller fields,\" said Charlie Kettner, programming specialist for ARC Resources. \"We didn't have the same optimization option in our bigger pads. So, our production engineers wanted to find a control solution that would allow us to bring artificial lift to these fields, as well.\"\n\nThe existing controllers were not capable of handling the large amount of I/O required to run the entire well pad. As a result, the company had to use multiple controllers, which were hardwired together, along with remote terminal units (RTU). This approach not only made the control infrastructure more complex - and thus more prone to mistakes - but also limited the amount of information available for control and monitoring.\n\nThe use of multiple hardwired controllers also presented safety challenges. ARC Resources relies on its control architecture to monitor toxic and explosive gases, and to take actions such as turning on an exhaust fan or blocking wells as conditions dictate.\n\nHowever,\u00a0the controllers could lock up and freeze their outputs, and give no indication that there was a fault. This forced the company to add \"watch dog\" timer hardware to monitor for such conditions.\n\n** A 'Canned Package' **\n\nKettner reached out to Rockwell Automation to begin discussions about\u00a0optimization options that would support artificial-lift systems at the large multi-well pads, as well as simplify control, and address safety concerns.\n\nTheir talks led them to the ConnectedProductionTM well manager solution from Rockwell Automation, which includes an out-of-the-box Allen-Bradley(R) ControlLogix(R) programmable automation controller (PAC) and FactoryTalk(R) View human-machine interface (HMI) that require no custom coding.\n\nThe PAC gives ARC Resources single-platform control for large sites with up to 32 artificial lift wells, and contextualized production information to help operators maintain optimal production levels and troubleshoot issues.\n\n\"It's a canned package,\" Kettner said. \"You order it, install it and plug in your data to the points it's looking for, and away you go.\"\n\nKettner and his team decided to pilot the new technology at an eight-well production site named Sunrise near the town of Dawson Creek, British Columbia, before installing it at four other multi-well pad sites.\n\nOne of the benefits they first discovered during this trial run was the add-on instructions included in the ConnectedProduction solution, which helped them save about two days of programming during the installation process. And because the solution uses an open architecture, integration with other vendor hardware at the site was easy.\n\n** Enhanced Visibility and Safety **\n\nThe ConnectedProduction solution has eliminated the need for multiple controllers and RTUs that were previously in place at the Sunrise site. Now, all well pad controls have been consolidated into a single control platform. In addition to simplifying the architecture, this will help lower hardware and software costs for the site.\n\nThe solution also enables the use of artificial-lift systems, including on/off timers and plunger-lift systems, and provides visibility into those systems.\n\n\"Operators can track events in the ConnectedProduction solution to see what stage we're in of the optimization cycle and make better decisions about what to do next,\" Kettner said. \"Operators can see, for example, that a timer well is not producing anymore, and move to the next step of putting a plunger in the hole.\"\n\nThe new system also is helping ARC Resources enhance safety by reducing the risk of faults going undetected at the Sunrise site.\n\n\"Now if something goes wrong with the processor or if an I/O rack comes undone, the ControlLogix platform can fault to a safe state where it shuts down all the processes,\" Kettner said. \"It takes all the power off the solenoids and essentially results in an emergency shutdown.\"\n\nAnother benefit of the ConnectedProduction system is it can support a flow-measurement card within the control panel. This has allowed Kettner to eliminate the use of a separate flow-measurement computer, which is saving his company tens of thousands of dollars at the site.\n\n\"We just plug the card into the rack, and it communicates on the backplane,\" Kettner said. \"It's given us huge cost savings.\"\n\nLooking ahead, Kettner already has orders in to bring the ConnectedProduction solution to at least four more large multi-well pads in the area.\n\n\"We've seen value of the Rockwell Automation solution and want to bring it to our other sites where we need assisted lift,\" he said. \"On new pads, we'll implement this right from day one so it's there and available when it's needed, and we can just turn it on.\"\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to ARC Resources' use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nAllen-Bradley, ConnectedProduction, ControlLogix and FactoryTalk are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\n\nTAG: oil-and-gas\n\n",
    "dan-web-reduces-engineering-efforts--costs-and-time-by-deploying": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/dan-web-reduces-engineering-efforts--costs-and-time-by-deploying\n\nTITLE: Dan-Web Reduces Engineering Efforts, Costs and Time by Deploying Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture Solution\n\nBackground\n\nWith new products and processes being developed all the time, many machine builders have to make their core machine designs scalable and easily adaptable to give their end-user customers the production flexibility they, in turn, need to adapt processes and products to meet constantly changing consumer and market demands. This flexibility includes the control architecture. As such machine builders have to be certain that their automation supplier can deliver powerful, integrated and scalable solutions that can help them keep pace with their customer's demands. These automation solutions also have to offer a lifespan commensurate to that of the host machine.\n\nBased in Galten, Denmark, Dan-Web was founded in 1976 by John Moesgaard, and has since become a leading worldwide supplier of turnkey airlaid lines, standalone web forming systems, hammer mills and other airlaid-related equipment.\n\nThe company builds heavy duty, high-speed modular production lines for multiple types of finished products. These include Latex bonded airlaid (LBAL/BBAL) products, such as table cloths, napkins, wipes, wet wipes, industrial wipes, feminine hygiene products, and packaging material. Thermal-bonded airlaid (TBAL) products include the core material for baby diapers, feminine hygiene and incontinence products, meat pads and packaging material, while Hydrogen bonded airlaid or x-bonded airlaid (HBAL/XBAL) products also form the core material for baby diapers, feminine hygiene and incontinence products. Finally, multi-bonded airlaid (MBAL) products - a combination of LBAL and TBAL - are widely used for absorbent cores and different wipes, too.\n\nWith large customers all over the globe Dan-Web typically build \"one-offs\", with the machines only sharing a 60% core; the remaining 40% of the machine is determined by the customer's precise requirements. The most unique element of the Dan-Web machines is the company's patented form header, which, coupled to many years of knowledge, delivers long life spans and high production figures in more than 100 plants over the world.\n\nIn a recent application for a new 18,580 m2 (200,000 ft2) air-laid material factory in the USA, Dan-Web was tasked with creating a new machine around 90 m long, 12 m high and 5 m wide - one of the biggest applications Dan-Web has built to date. In this instance, the customer, a global manufacturer of specialty papers and fibre-based engineered materials, wanted the new machine to connect seamlessly with the plant's existing Allen-Bradley(R) automation and factory infrastructure, which meant Dan-Web turned to Rockwell Automation for its Integrated Architecture(R) control solution.\n\nChallenge\n\nThe biggest challenge in this particular project was all the TCP/IP connections, which required a lot of communication and meetings between Rockwell Automation and Dan-Web to determine the optimum layout for new the Ethernet network and its connection with the existing Ethernet infrastructure. With more than 400 TCP/IP connected devices and 200 safety connections, the IO count would influence the number of programmable automation controllers (PAC) used in the solution.\n\nDan-Web also needed a supplier that could offer easy and rapid access to spares and technical support anywhere in the world for its high-capital-asset machines, so a supplier with a global reach was another major part of the design consideration.\n\nSolution\n\nFor this installation, the customer dictated that Dan-Web should supply a Rockwell Automation solution, however, Lars Hansen, Electrical engineer at Dan-Web explains: \"If an end user has no specific requirements for the control solution, Rockwell Automation is our preferred standard.\n\n\"The end user also had specific network products and protocols in place,\" Hansen continues, \"including StratixTM 5700 and 5400 Ethernet switches. They also determined that the variable-speed drives should be Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) 525 or 753 units, and motion was to be supplied by Allen-Bradley Kinetix(R) 5500 servo drives. The HMIs also needed to be Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM Plus 7 Performance displays. The reason for this specific set of products and requirements was the request that all of the primary automation components could communicate on TCP/IP and all could be programmed in the Studio 5000(R) environment. This single-programming-platform approach simplifies not only operational demands for the end user, but also maintenance and the addition of further hardware should the plant be expanded.\n\nIn total, the Rockwell Automation(R) Integrated Architecture solution comprised three\u00a0Allen-Bradley ControlLogix programmable automaton controllers (2 x L72S and 1 x L85), 217 PowerFlex 525, 753 and 755 variable-speed drives, five Kinetix 5500 servo drives, 28 PanelView Plus Performance HMIs and 12 Stratix 5400 and 5700 Ethernet Switches. These were complemented by a variety of Allen-Bradley POINT I/OTM modules, various safety components and sensors.\n\nDan-Web also had significant support from Commercial and Field Service Engineers for the machine build, and Global OEM Technical Consultants (GOTC) in the programming of the PLCs, the creation of the motion profiles and the architecture and topology of the networking infrastructure. \"The machine had an entirely integrated control solution,\" Hansen explains. \"This integrated approach made product installation and commissioning a lot easier, which means we can get to market much quicker, which is especially important considering the time between order acceptance and delivery can sometimes be as high as two years for a line of this scale.\"\n\nResults\n\n\"Rockwell Automation products are easy to use,\" Hansen continues, \"and the effective relationship between the local Rockwell Automation offices and Dan-Web removed many of the challenges. And in USA, the end user will be able to use local Rockwell Automation Field service engineers to help with the start up.\n\n\"We were able to reduce the programming and configuration time, too thanks to Studio 5000,\" he elaborates, \"primarily due to all the primary components being on the same network and programmed in the same single software package. This common-platform approach reduced overall wiring, because all components communicate over Ethernet, so you only need a patch cable instead of 10 separate wires mounted in a panel. All the drives deploy safety over Ethernet, too, which gives a lot of flexibility in programming the PACs and all the PanelView HMIs use the same layout, so we only needed to make one template.\n\n\"The support of the Rockwell Automation Commercial Engineers and the Global OEM Technical Consultants (GOTC) was also very good, where they helped with many different facets of the machine's automation solution and liaised with the end customer to support the networking requirements,\" Hansen concludes, \"and gave us a lot of faith in the overall control solution. We have some more projects commencing in 2018, which will use the Allen-Bradley platform, too. They are a little smaller than this one, but the setup is very similar and we can reuse programming and code.\"\n\nAllen-Bradley, ControlLogix, Integrated Architecture, Kinetix, LISTEN. THINK. SOLVE., PowerFlex, PanelView, POINT I/O, Rockwell Automation, Stratix and Studio 5000 are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\n*EtherNet/IP is a trademark of ODVA, Inc.\n\nTrademarks not belonging to Rockwell Automation are property of their respective companies.\n\n\nTAG: household-and-personal-care\n\n",
    "georgia-pacific-connected-workforce": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/georgia-pacific-connected-workforce\n\nTITLE: Georgia-Pacific Creates Connected Workforce\n\nFor decades, Georgia-Pacific products like Brawny(R) paper towels and Quilted Northern(R) bath tissue have been a fixture in the home and the workplace.\n\nThe company, which makes tissue, pulp, packaging, building products and related chemicals, operates about 200 facilities and employs about 35,000 people worldwide. But in recent years, the company has faced a challenge within its employee base: looming retirements. Internal studies showed that in 2015, a significant percentage of the company's workforce was age 55 and over.\n\nThe loss of these workers and their critical knowledge presented a threat to Georgia-Pacific's ability to compete. This led the company to undergo a digital transformation across its entire organization.\n\n***** Adopting a new mentality *****\n\nPrior to its digital transformation, Georgia-Pacific's production operations had an \"operator-centric\" mentality. Simply put, they operated in a tribal knowledge-based system. And replacing that knowledge on a one-to-one basis as employees retired would have been a monumental, if not impossible, task.\n\n\"We were going to have this large knowledge gap that was going to show up inside our plants and also with the SMEs that were going to support those plants,\" said Mike Carroll, senior vice president of innovation, Georgia-Pacific. \"And because of that, we needed a new kind of platform that would help us connect the organization.\"\n\nDigitally connecting the organization also presented an opportunity to change how problems were solved in production facilities. Most of the company's internal capability groups were reactive and tried to predict problems based on past experience and beliefs, rather than data and facts.\n\nBut connecting the organization would be a sizable job. Much of the technology used in facilities needed to be upgraded, integrated and secured. And the IT and OT organizations were siloed.\n\n**** \"We had to shift,\" said Steve Clancey, senior vice president of IT and CIO, Georgia-Pacific. \"And to make that happen, we had to figure out, how do we make it a win for everybody?\" ****\n\n***** Transformation takes shape *****\n\nFor its digital transformation, Georgia-Pacific built a capability team that included business strategists, software engineers, operational SMEs, project engineers, continuous-improvement analysts and others.\n\nThe team needed to build a new ecosystem. One that everyone could participate in and work through, without silos holding them back. And one where innovations, specialized services and support could be provided to business units based on needs and use cases.\n\nThe team started with smaller, scalable projects that gave them some initial momentum. Helping them move forward were a combination of internal SMEs, vendor partners and other similarly sized, non-competitive companies that provided some form of support, from running experiments to understanding possible solutions to problems they faced. They also found that having buy-in from leadership was paramount, as it freed them from layers of bureaucracy and analysis paralysis.\n\nPerhaps the pinnacle of the team's efforts was the creation of a new Collaboration and Support Center (CSC). The CSC connects to each facility to provide support and collaboration through remote monitoring, predictive analytics and SME support. The CSC is also designed to remotely operate facilities as needed.\n\n***** Radical operational change *****\n\nDigital transformation has moved Georgia-Pacific from its operator-centric mentality to a new \"monitor-centric\" mentality.\n\n\"We have models that run against the data and help us detect either problems ahead of the time or tell us how to run the machines optimally,\" Clancey said. \"And then we provide that data back into the mill so they can make the adjustments they need to make.\"\n\nEmployees and external partners have also been remotely connected to production facilities as part of the transformation.\n\nThis proved invaluable during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most support staff were able to work from home and integrate seamlessly with their workflows and internal systems as if they were at their normal facility. It also transformed how the company's approximately 80 SMEs work. By remotely connecting to sites instead of physically traveling to them, these employees have improved both their productivity and their work-life balance.\n\nAnd while the company has seen record productivities, one thing that's been important to Georgia-Pacific's digital transformation has been changing mindsets around how work is done.\n\n\"That's how Steve and I know we're successful,\" Carroll said. \"When somebody says, 'Who do you work for?' and they say, 'Well, it depends on the problem I'm solving.' That's the kind of organization we're trying to build.\"\n\nLearn more about our Digital Transformation Strategy Consulting Services\n\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: household-and-personal-care\n\nTAG: factorytalk-innovationsuite\n\n",
    "global-tyre-manufacturer-modernises-production-assets-and-gains-": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/global-tyre-manufacturer-modernises-production-assets-and-gains-\n\nTITLE: Global Tyre Manufacturer Modernises Production Assets and Gains Greater Productivity, Compliance and Flexibility\n\nModernisation presents companies with multiple benefits, in terms of performance, agility, flexibility, overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), total cost of ownership (TCO) and - of particular importance in this modern data-rich era - connectivity. Contemporary solutions also help to address major concerns, including legislation, safety, obsolescence and compatibility.\n\nFor these reasons many companies embark on programmes, replacing aging, legacy, black-box solutions with modern, data capable, fully integrated automation and information systems, with rapid payback across all operational parameters very quickly justifying the investment.\n\nThe tyre industry is one realm that is seeing rapid adoption of new connected technology and new techniques, as it seeks to both streamline and speed up manufacturing operations. Indeed, many of the major players are undertaking huge investment campaigns to modernise and expand existing capabilities, with global demand for passenger car and light commercial vehicles tyres in 2018 estimated to be some 1.63 billion units. According to the\u00a0TechSci Research report, \"Global Tyre Market Forecast & Opportunities, 2022\", the global tyre market is forecast to surpass $ 319 billion by 2022 on account of anticipated rise in vehicle sales and expanding vehicle fleet.\n\nIt was the desire to leverage the capabilities of modern control solutions - while also addressing product variety, market expansion and compliance challenges - that prompted one of the world's largest tyre producers to approach INDAS Tech, a Romanian Rockwell Automation Recognised Systems Integrator, to modernise its stage one and stage 2 tyre building machines at its plant in Romania. The company was also looking to incorporate new features in its productions systems that would deliver much more flexibility in terms of tyre-size changes and product handling.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nINDAS Tech faced many demands that are inherent with fast-moving production environments in conjunction with a limited time window in which to deploy the new solution. As well as the mechanical redesign and automation migration, it also had to cater for deployment of the new capabilities and tie all of this in with compliance requests from the end user's many customers.\n\nThe project would eventually see INDAS Tech designing the electrical equipment, delivering technical assistance for the installation and cabling of electrical components and developing the application software for the programmable automation controllers (PAC) and HMIs. Following this, it had to undertake production testing, with and without the products, before performing full factory-acceptance testing and the delivery of operator manuals.\n\nAccording to Adrian Busurca, Operations Manager at INDAS Tech: \"Our customer set us a number of challenges.\" These included:\n\n    * An operator interface that would permit easy recipe changes coupled to simpler parameterisation and calibration\n\n    * Increased working speeds in order to increase productivity\n\n    * Modular software for the easy implementation of solutions for future technological demands, and\n\n    * New security solutions with optical barriers, proximity radars, bi-manual commands and safety strips.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nThe existing automation and control solution comprised AC motors and drives used for drum positioning controlled via I/O modules by legacy Allen-Bradley(R) SLCTM 500 PLCs, with operator interactions delivered by an older\u00a0Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM HMI. Compared to modern solutions, this older architecture did not offer easy programming, meaning recipe changeovers and parameter changes took too long. The production cycle was also overly long compared to market standards, which, in today's fast-moving, dynamic markets is simply unacceptable.\n\nThe new solution saw multiple new developments by INDAS tech. The new control solution comprises an Allen-Bradley ControlLogix(R) PAC, a new PanelView Plus 1000 HMI,\u00a0Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) 70 variable-speed drives and servo solutions on a SERCOS network driven by\u00a0Allen-Bradley Kinetix(R) 6000 servo drives. New programmes were developed for the PAC and HMI and the ability to communicate with level 2 systems and servers was made possible by an EtherNet/IPTM communication infrastructure. Third party solutions include pneumatic valves and servo position control and the laser marking system, which was controlled over DeviceNet.\n\nThe deployment of these smart control devices creates a smart manufacturing environment, which forms a gateway to digital transformation. Connected smart devices open new windows of visibility into processes, while data and analytics help enable better and faster decision making. This seamless connectivity spurs new collaboration.\u00a0The Connected Enterprise(R) from Rockwell Automation makes all this possible by converging plant-level and enterprise networks, and securely connecting people, processes and technologies.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nBusurca explains the results: \"Our customer now has a set of machines that deliver all the capabilities requested. It is now seeing greater productivity, reduced down time, increased flexibility in machine operation and, importantly, it has the option to much more easily and quickly develop, programme and initiate new tyre architectures.\n\n\"We have been working with Rockwell Automation for more than 24 years,\" he concludes, \"and have met many people from the company over the years, covering multiple projects. This complements our 15 years' experience in the tyre industry, where we have developed projects for many important lines and machines, including mixers, extruder lines, calendar lines, tyre-building machines, curry presses and tyre testing machines. Our mix of capabilities across all elements of projects like these is mirrored by Rockwell Automation's product and technology offering.\"\n\nAs a Rockwell Automation Recognised System Integrator, INDAS Tech makes the commitment to deliver the highest technical solutions and customer service, leading with Rockwell Automation technologies. These integrators have a mutually supportive relationship with the Rockwell Automation sales and/or distributors they work with.\n\nAllen-Bradley, ControlLogix, CompactLogix, GuardLogix, Guardmaster, Kinetix, PowerFlex, PanelView Plus, POINT I/O, Rockwell Automation and SLC are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\nEtherNet/IP and DeviceNet are trademarks of ODVA, Inc.\n\nTrademarks not belonging to Rockwell Automation are property of their respective companies.\n\n\n",
    "itrak-system-achieves-extraordinary-oee": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/itrak-system-achieves-extraordinary-oee\n\nTITLE: iTRAK System Achieves Extraordinary OEE\n\n\"Mass customization\" is a concept that has been around for decades. But with the advent of the Internet of Things (IoT) and more sophisticated automation technology, a flexible manufacturing environment that can efficiently address multiple SKUs and more personalized production is becoming a reality.\n\n\"Our customers are researching new and better ways to automate their processes,\" said Mark Meckem, director of engineering and technology, DT Engineering. \"We collaborate with customers and suppliers to offer solutions that adhere to cycle time, improve return on investment and address workforce challenges.\"\n\nDT Engineering is a family-owned, industrial automation developer and system integrator that prides itself on an innovative approach to project execution by Bringing Concepts to Life. Located in Lebanon, Missouri, DT Engineering serves leading appliance, HVAC, agricultural, tire, consumer product and pharmaceutical/medical device companies.\n\n** Conventional Conveyance Limits OEE **\n\nSince Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) is critical to return on investment (ROI), OEE is a key performance indicator for most industries. Improvement in changeover time and equipment accuracy impact OEE, thereby improving ROI.\n\nConveyance is central to many industrial applications. And the method used oftentimes limits OEE improvements.\u00a0\n\nConventional conveyors are designed to move products through a line on a preconfigured path - at a fixed speed. Products on the conveyor are equally spaced - and the system only runs as fast as the slowest process on the line.\n\n\"High-speed assembly and packaging applications involve transporting products with control and precision,\" Meckem explained. \"Old style line-shaft cam or belt-driven equipment has a high degree of accuracy but no flexibility. A system based on independent cart technology has both accuracy and flexibility, thereby reducing the capital expenditures for multiple SKUs.\"\n\nRecently, DT Engineering applied this new approach to improve machine speed and performance in a multi-application solution featuring Rockwell Automation independent cart technology (ICT).\n\n** A Better Way **\n\n\"We had partnered with Rockwell Automation to develop and deploy a \"double-decker\" system for a Fortune 500 customer based on iTRAK(R) ICT,\" said Meckem. \"We designed the solution to meet the customer's OEE standard - 85%. Currently, the system is achieving 97% OEE.\"\n\nBased on that success, DT Engineering designed a double-decker iTRAK solution that can serve as a prototype for many applications.\n\niTRAK technology is based on linear synchronous motors, which enable the independent control of multiple magnetically propelled carriers. Control software and embedded sensors continuously calculate carrier position.\n\nInstead of traveling at a fixed speed, carriers move independently from station to station.\n\nIn the prototype solution, one iTRAK system transports products to processing stations. A second iTRAK runs overhead and can assume various roles.\n\n\"The ability to transfer tooling from iTRAK system to iTRAK system creates several opportunities for improved product flow,\" Meckem said. \"For example, the system can be used to stage multiple SKUs, manage quality control, enable component revisions to support warranty items, and incorporate additional processes that improve cycle times.\"\n\n\"The system can also be configured to run two SKUs simultaneously,\" Meckem added.\n\nThe solution runs on an Allen-Bradley CompactLogixTM 5380 controller and features Allen-Bradley Kinetix(R) 5700 servo drives, Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM graphic terminals, and Allen-Bradley Stratix(R) 5700 managed switches. The solution is integrated on an EtherNet/IPTM network.\n\nFor the pick and place applications in the prototype machine, DT Engineering installed FANUC(R) robots. FANUC is an EncompassTM Product Partner in the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM program. Additionally, DT Engineering is an Authorized System Integrator for FANUC robots.\n\n** More Efficient. Repeatable. **\n\nDT Engineering can replicate the process steps used in their previous machine applications. But thanks to the iTRAK system, the way they can execute those steps has changed significantly.\n\n\"Because accelerations, decelerations, velocities and positions are all programmable, we can actually speed up and slow down between some of the processing stations,\"\u00a0Meckem explained. \"This improves the overall efficiency of the system considerably.\"\n\n\"And since tolerances are electronically tuned and controlled, the system is highly repeatable,\"\u00a0Meckem added.\n\n** Precise Synchronization **\n\nThe most challenging aspect of the project was implementing the company's inventive approach to material dispensing using the upper iTRAK. To dispense a load, an assembly transported by the upper track must be married to the product carried by the lower track for an interval of time.\n\nAchieving precise synchronization - at 7 thousandths of an inch - was an engineering feat that required exceptional collaboration between DT Engineering and the Rockwell Automation team.\n\n\"Rockwell Automation completed the simulations for us to determine the number of carriers needed on both iTRAK systems - and the dwell time needed for each station,\"\u00a0Meckem said.\n\nTo extend OEE further, the prototype includes a PTC(R) Vuforia(R) augmented reality (AR) experience that simplifies maintenance by guiding operators through procedures. PTC, a digital transformation leader, is a Rockwell Automation strategic alliance partner.\n\nDT Engineering anticipates many customers will capture a significant return on OEE by taking advantage of new ways to develop and deploy iTRAK solutions - and smart, digital technologies.\n\nLearn more about how Rockwell Automation helps improve machine builder performance.\n\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: power-generation\n\nTAG: human-machine-interface\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: vuforia\nTAG: independent-cart-technology\n\n",
    "perth-maintenance-savings": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/perth-maintenance-savings\n\nTITLE: Perth County Ingredients Saves Big on Maintenance\n\nPerth County Ingredients is a supplier of dried egg products to food, beverage and sports nutrition markets in Canada and worldwide.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nFighting fires all day, every day\n\nTom Dufton joined PCI's dried egg processing facility as a contractor back in 2012, so he already had in-depth knowledge of the plant when he took on his current role as Maintenance / Project Manager in 2017.\n\n\"When I started [full time], there was a large need for us to upgrade our facility. We needed new boilers, new chillers, that sort of thing,\" says Tom. What's more, the maintenance team was wasting time and resources. 100% of the maintenance work was reactive. The team couldn't move beyond trying to put out fires all day. His team also had little insight into after-hours emergency calls. The maintenance team would get alerted and someone would have to respond - even if it was just to press a reset button or address a routine problem.\n\nTom knew his facility was in desperate need of a solution that would allow them to be more proactive.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\nUsing Fiix to tackle reactive maintenance and save time\n\nThe facility's BAS system was already in place, but Tom knew more was needed to get things under control. He needed solid\u00a0CMMS software\u00a0and made the choice to use Fiix, by Rockwell Automation. It didn't take much to get started.\n\n\"It was quite simple,\" says Tom about putting Fiix in place at his facility. \"The minute you start adding assets, you start making work orders, you start making scheduled maintenance, and your team can look to the software for day-to-day instruction.\"\n\nTom knew that the Fiix solution needed to be accessible from a mobile device. He started by providing tablets with the\u00a0Fiix app\u00a0to the entire maintenance team. The app allowed the team to log and look up work by scanning a QR code on an asset. It also gave them the power to access standard operating procedures (SOPs), old work orders, and the BAS in seconds. All of this helped to shave hours off the time it took to troubleshoot a problem, especially when it came to managing contractors.\n\n\"We put Wi-Fi throughout the entire plant, which has allowed us to use tablets and cell phones to access Fiix,\" says Tom.\n\nAnd when you have all that scheduled maintenance in the system with pictures and asset tags, you can set up contractors with that information and your team doesn't need to be disrupted.\n\nAutomating maintenance across the whole company\n\nThe VP of operations at PCI noticed the success at Tom's facility and asked Tom to implement Fiix at seven other L.H. Gray facilities across the country.\n\n\"The automation within our facility has basically allowed us to run multiple operations from one location,\" says Tom about the benefits of this project. \"The production manager and I get emails, so our fingers are always on the pulse of the facility. Even without being there physically, you still know what's happening.\"\n\n\"Putting in these measures for automation has allowed us to bring down the number of people who need to be in one place at one time,\" says Tom.\n\n\n\nWhat's more, the control that Fiix gives Tom has allowed him to roll out the remaining implementations remotely, with no plans of slowing down anytime soon.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\nThe search for maximum maintenance efficiency\n\nTom's strategy was working. Reactive maintenance was down 54% and after-hours call-ins were down 47%. But there was still plenty of room for improvement.\n\nPreventive maintenance was still being scheduled based on old habits. A compressor would be checked every few weeks, even if it was operating perfectly. Oil changes relied on whether technicians thought the oil was good or bad. And inspections were still being done manually. The team was spending hours checking meter readings and logging data every week.\n\nAnd while asset failure and firefighting were down, Tom knew tasks like these were costing his team time and money they could be using somewhere else. So he set out to cut them from the schedule.\n\nThere was just one problem-Tom didn't have the information he needed to pinpoint those jobs or the tools to automate them. So he teamed up with Fiix's integration partner\u00a0Majik Systems\u00a0to find a solution.\n\nSaving $40,000 a year with condition-based maintenance\n\nWith the help of Fiix and Majik, Tom connected the facility's PLCs to his CMMS. This gives him the power to collect real-time information about the condition of equipment. Now he can track vibration, temperature, or any other machine reading.\n\nBut this data would be next-to-useless without the link between Majik and Fiix. This connection allows asset data to flow into Tom's CMMS without him lifting a finger. If a reading hits a certain threshold, a work order is created.\n\nThe best part is the integration was done remotely. And it took only two weeks from start to finish (with less than a day's work for Tom and his team).\n\n\"We now have alarms that are tripped and warnings to operators that if action is not taken or maintenance isn't contacted that it could shut them down,\" says Tom. \"The plant runs 24/7, but maintenance is only here Monday to Friday. So it's very important that we're capturing all this information... because when we see a change in the condition of an asset, we need to take action.\"\n\nThe results have been immediate and significant. It's been nine months since Tom put Majik in place and has already cut costs by $40,000 from decreasing breakdowns and shedding unnecessary jobs from his team's to-do list. This is a 300% return on his original investment in the project.\n\nWe've seen old issues fall off. Things like motor pumps and bearings replacements. They've all decreased. And the value of connecting Fiix and Majik will only increase as Tom continues to find ways to optimize his maintenance schedule and help his company make smarter CapEx decisions.\n\nSupplementing condition-based maintenance with predictive maintenance\n\nCondition-based maintenance was a huge step forward for PCI. But Tom knew that the next leap for the maintenance team was to start taking more predictive measures. He wanted to get to a place where failures could be predicted before they were even close to occurring - Fiix's Asset Risk Predictor was the answer.\n\nBecause the team was already tracking things like pump current and torque, thanks to their Majik integrations, feeding that data into Asset Risk Predictor just made sense.\n\nThe data being collected and pushed through Asset Risk Predictor lets them do a deeper dive into those alerts than a CMMS could allow. Now, things like premature pump failure or excessive seal wear can be avoided, production can remain smooth, and they can make educated decisions based on all the data flowing into their system.\n\n\"We've had great success so far,\" says Tom. On the question of failures, he joked that, \"Unfortunately, we haven't had a failure yet, but we have seen some of that data trend upwards to a yellow alert.\"\n\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\nTAG: fiix\n\n",
    "vreugdenhil-dairy-foods-automates-and-controls-entire-milk-powde": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/vreugdenhil-dairy-foods-automates-and-controls-entire-milk-powde\n\nTITLE: Vreugdenhil Dairy Foods Automates and Controls Entire Milk Powder Plant with Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture\n\nGEA\u00a0is a leading technology provider to the food industry, which represents 70% of its income. With 17,000 employees in more than 50 countries, the company specializes in the construction of food processing plants, particularly in the dairy industry.\n\nAccording to Alejandro Nectal\u00ed, Automation Engineer at GEA Spain: \"We deliver comprehensive solutions, from design to process development, engineering and technology to the supply, installation and commissioning of the plant.\"\n\nThe company specializes in creating plants that are designed to operate 24/7. \"This helps the manufacturers to maximize the capacity usage,\"\u00a0 says Nectal\u00ed.\n\n\"Indeed, our plants are designed to cover the specific requirements of each customer, in accordance with the standards of the dairy industry, and we always strive to deploy the most recent technology.\"\n\nOne of their customers is Vreugdenhil Dairy Foods, a company with headquarters in Nijkerk and three production plants in the Netherlands, which has been present in the market since 1954.\n\nIt is the largest producer of full cream milk powder in Europe. With three factories and 900 Dutch farmers who deliver the raw product, it produces milk powders for the food industry and for millions of consumers worldwide.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nThe Dutch subsidiary of GEA was challenged with the creation \u2013 from scratch \u2013 of a new 13,000 m2 milk powder production plant in Gorinchem for Vreugdenhil Dairy Foods.\n\nThis required several processes to be combined, from\u00a0 the separation of raw milk into skimmed milk and cream, through evaporation and drying by atomization, on to milk powder handling and packaging. Before such a huge challenge, the Dutch subsidiary of GEA turned to several GEA subsidiaries in other countries since, being a global corporation, its know-how is decentralized.\n\nIn this sense, GEA Netherlands provided the general management of the project and the engineering team for milk powder processing; GEA Spain supplied the automation engineering; GEA France, the evaporation engineering; GEA Denmark, the drying engineering; GEA New Zealand, powder handling engineering; and GEA Germany, the separation engineering.\n\nTherefore, the project became international and multidisciplinary, and required also several working teams from several companies to be coordinated in different countries to ensure the success of the project. However, they shared a common ground: Control Systems and Automation. This area was performed and overseen by the GEA Spain team.\n\n\"In this context, one of the challenges was to implement a single solution for the whole plant, including hardware, software and control networks for all areas in the plant, from material reception to packaging,\" states Nectal'i.\n\n\"A common platform, based on products and solutions from the Rockwell Automation(R) Integrated Architecture(R) platform, was chosen since the Rockwell Automation solution had already proven highly successful in another Vreugdenhil Dairy Foods plant.\"\n\nThis decision is confirmed by Hans van der Heijden, project engineer at the dairy company: \"Our existing factory includes 17\u00a0Allen-Bradley(R) PLC 5(R) controllers (25E, 40E and 80E, and 80 SLC 5/04) from Rockwell Automation and our engineers were already familiar with the programming environment. In fact, some of our technicians are trained at Rockwell Automation to improve their expertise.\"\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nGEA was able to take the project forward thanks to its experience in previous implementations, its acquired skills, its previous joint work with Rockwell Automation and its ability to deliver a global support to the project, contributing locally in Spain and the Netherlands.\n\nAccording to van der Heijden: \"Both subsidiaries were extremely helpful in establishing the first definitions of the architectures, and we were offered good support during the implementation process at all times.\" After the initial study, GEA implemented Rockwell Automation solutions.\n\nFrom field devices to the reporting system, all the elements are connected via EtherNet/IP, which greatly simplifies communications and data flow. Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) drives and E300 electronic overload relays, are integrated in the system, easing motor configuration and diagnostics, with\u00a0Allen-Bradley FLEXTM I/O handling signal distribution.\n\nAll the field elements are connected by means of\u00a0Stratix 5700 and\u00a01783-ETap switches (PDF) to\u00a0Allen-Bradley ControlLogix(R) programmable automation controllers (PAC) and Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM Plus 6 graphic terminals, and to the different system PCs.\n\nThe control system software was implemented within a VMWare virtualization infrastructure using two physical servers. FactoryTalk software, a service-oriented application (SOA) platform, was used for this purpose since it allows elements to be shared as permissions and user roles, communications, logs, etc. among the different software packages that comprise it.\n\nSCADA supervision and control was delivered by FactoryTalk View SE, with data collection and historization by\u00a0FactoryTalk Transaction Manager and FactoryTalk Historian. Reporting is through\u00a0FactoryTalk Vantagepoint and asset management - including version control, audits and disaster recovery - by FactoryTalk AssetCentre.\n\nAll this, in the opinion of Van der Heijden, \"allows the company to set up the parameters in its own instruments; simplifying the management.\"\n\n*** Results ***\n\nThanks to the system design performed by the engineers from GEA using Rockwell Automation systems, the new Vreugdenhil Dairy Foods milk powder factory can produce 8 tons of milk powder per hour, and can process 1,600,000 litres of raw milk per day, with the advantage that these parameters are fully scalable.\n\nThis is one of the big advantages of working with Rockwell Automation, according to Nectal'i: \"The benefit of using a single platform for the whole plant with Rockwell Automation is that everything can work concurrently. All these elements are easily interconnected, and we had no problems in integrating them with each other.\n\nA new component can be added and the system instantly recognizes it. A single Rockwell Automation solution is friendlier to work with,\" he comments.\n\nThis impacts on the customer too, Nectal'i explains. \"When we finish the project and leave the factory, we are no longer required since the customer can talk directly with Rockwell Automation experts for the staff training, to make enquiries or to solve any incident.\n\nThis is beneficial for the customer, because the availability of local support by the manufacturer and the chance of being part of its own team, does not depend of an integrator for future modifications; and for us, as we can close the project and handover the factory maintenance to our colleagues from the GEA local Service.\"\n\nThanks to Rockwell Automation software, Vreugdenhil Dairy Foods operators can generate its own customized production reports using common and widely used software, such as Microsoft Excel. These reports can be checked via a web browser and using mobile terminals, such as smartphones or tablets.\n\nOn the other hand, the implementation of a single control solution for the whole plant helps with asset optimization improvements, a reduction of ownership costs and lowered spares counts. Production and maintenance staff training is simplified too.\n\nThe Rockwell Automation control system provides multidisciplinary controllers that can be used in different areas of the plant combined on a single Ethernet-based communications network, which delivers real-time information flow between several areas and departments in the factory.\n\nAn additional benefit is the direct connection with the other Vreugdenhil Dairy Foods factory, which are close to each other. \"All communications are much easier and compatible, since they are made through standard communication protocols and networks,\" states Nectal\u00ed, who recognizes the advantages provided to his company along the project.\n\n\"For us, the development work undertaken in this project with Rockwell Automation technology has enabled us to strengthen links with the global automation and information systems company for future projects. Indeed, we are taking advantage of the efforts made and the experience gained in new smallerscale projects currently in progress in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Spain and France, all of them based exclusively on Rockwell Automation technology.\"\n\nFor his part, van der Heijden confirms that he is very satisfied, not only with Rockwell Automation\u00ae, but also with the work carried out during the implementation process by GEA.\n\nAllen-Bradley, ControlLogix, EtherNet/IP, PanelView, PowerFlex, Rockwell Software, are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "huge-product-variety-demands-high-packaging-agility": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/huge-product-variety-demands-high-packaging-agility\n\nTITLE: Huge product variety demands high packaging agility\n\nFrom naked products to case packing\" promises Italian specialist CT Pack, for customers who are primarily large-scale producers in bakery confectionery, and ice cream.\n\nNow think about the variety of product formats, counts, sizes, and flavors and all the different packing styles, compounded by marketing promotions, supermarket specials and seasonal variations and you soon realize what broad range of demands CT Pack must cover for its important customers.\n\nAs a result, to manage this product variety, end users demand extreme flexibility from their machine suppliers, they want machines and lines that can adapt to a wide variety of profiles and do so quickly, easily and with minimal downtime.\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** Multi-format capabilities *****\n\n\"CT Pack was founded in 1991 with the aim of providing horizontal primary wrapping and end-of-line packaging solutions for a variety of markets\", explains Alberto Bonazza, Sales Director. The company merges the capabilities of leading firms in the specific fields of distribution and feeding systems, horizontal primary wrapping, and flexible end-of-line solutions. With a total of 65 years of experience, CT Pack represents a consolidated source for equipment and experience in the supply of turn-key solutions to the food industry.\n\n\"The strength of our company,\" he continues, \"is its ability to manufacture complete turn-key solutions that can handle naked products to case packing... and everything in between. And to address the needs of modern producers, these solutions must exhibit maximum flexibility, efficiency, and reliability, which is why we rely on technology providers like Rockwell Automation, who can give us the agility and digital capabilities our customers demand.\"\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** Plastic reduction *****\n\nThis agility is being called into play more and more across the markets and customers CT Pack serves, as many look to reduce their use of plastic as a primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging material.\n\n\"The majority of our customers are moving over to using paper film for their packaging media,\" Bonazza explains, \"and we must deliver the capabilities to handle this - not just on our new machines, but by retrofitting older machines too. There are a lot of mechanical modifications to be made, but an agile automation infrastructure is just as important towards making this process simpler and faster to achieve, especially in the machines already in the field.\"\n\n\"At CT Pack, sustainability is a way of thinking for our machines too,\" Bonazza adds. \"We start at the design phase, by reducing the quantity of material in our products and by reducing the energy consumption of our equipment. Indeed, we are already ISO14001 certified, with ISO45001 certification in progress and expected in May 2023.\"\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** Remote connectivity *****\n\nAnother element of the flexibility offering, thanks to its use of digitalized solutions, is the enhanced connectivity offered by CT Pack. \"We can now service all our machines using Smart Glasses,\" Bonazza explains. \"Our systems are fully connected, so we can provide remote access, troubleshooting and support. Indeed, we are already analyzing information relevant to efficiency, functionality, and component wear and this is helping us to boost customer OEE, while also cutting downtime and increasing the overall life of our solutions. Rockwell Automation is, of course, a big help in making this a reality, providing an exceptional variety of hardware and software packages to manage these very important after-sales activities.\"\n\nNone of this would have been possible without a robust approach to cybersecurity. \"Thanks to its attention to cybersecurity with the new Rockwell Automation FactoryTalk(R) Remote AccessTM solution, we can now comply with the IT security rules imposed by our customers and introduce remote access to applications where before it would not have been possible. This capability allows us to support a broader spread of customers and applications quickly and decisively!\n\n\"CT Pack works very closely with Rockwell Automation across many facets of its operations,\" Bonazza concludes, \"from application development and understanding the needs of customers, through global coverage for spares and support, and onto the development and deployment of new products and technologies. These not only give us a lead in the market in terms of capabilities, but looking to the future, we will be using advanced analytics for next-generation solutions that will reduce downtime even further and boost the operational life of our machines. The customer wins at every stage!\"\n\nTo discover more about our smart solutions, click here.\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: life-sciences\n\nTAG: cloud-manufacturing\n\n",
    "global-cosmetic-manufacturer-cuts-downtime--improves-production": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/global-cosmetic-manufacturer-cuts-downtime--improves-production\n\nTITLE: Global Cosmetic Manufacturer Cuts Downtime, Improves Production\n\n*** Background ***\n\nAncient Greeks lined their eyes with kohl, and Romans dabbed their faces with rosewater. But never have we seen such demand for beauty products as today.\n\nThe global cosmetics industry is a multibillion-dollar business \u2013 and growing. A few multinational corporations produce nearly half of the world's cosmetics, and for the thousands of other manufacturers, competition is keen. Production quality and efficiency are imperative to business survival.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nA leading global cosmetics manufacturer recently added a new line to its Dallas plant to increase production quantities of mascaras and lip glosses, bringing the plant's total number of production lines to 29.\n\nPlant management expected the new line to produce between 100-120 containers per minute. But once production went online, output was disappointing, and there were frequent line stoppages. To improve its measurement of overall equipment efficiency (OEE) and gain greater control over the efficiency and quality of the new line, management enlisted the help of Lewisville, Texas-based Prime Controls, Solution Partner for Control, Process and Information under the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork, and leading information and control construction firm.\n\n\"The new line was logging an incredible amount of downtime,\" said Bill Bivens, vice president of business development for Prime Controls. \"The customer recorded in excess of 2,500 stops/starts per 12-hour shift, and they couldn't detect the source of the problem.\" The plant lacked the manufacturing intelligence it needed for root-cause analysis.\n\n*** Solutions ***\n\nPrime Controls implemented a manufacturing intelligence solution using FactoryTalk\u00ae Metrics software from Rockwell Automation to efficiently monitor, collect and analyze data. The application can collect and provide reports on any machine events that can be detected in the control system.\n\nPrime Controls evaluated existing operations on the new line, designed as a chain of multiple transfer conveyors with five work-cell stations. An Allen-Bradley\u00ae ControlLogix\u00ae programmable automation controller (PAC) and an Allen-Bradley CompactLogix\u2122 PAC automate the production machinery, including bottle feeders, fillers, labelers, cartoners and packers. Since implementing FactoryTalk Metrics software, plant management has the granular answers they need to understand the \"why\" of machine performance, pinpointing the root causes of downtime and loss.\n\nAll controllers are tightly synchronized via the plant's EtherNet/IP\u2122 network \u2013 but integration between machine controls and the plant's existing manufacturing software was less effective and limited to bar-code readers that required operators leave their work station to manually select a fault for any downtime. Many shorter periods of downtime were never tied to any fault. Prime Controls engineers design logic and configured the new software to automatically assign downtime to a specific root fault or other events, effectively determining the source of line stoppages.\n\nThe Prime Controls team installed FactoryTalk Metrics software on a local server and connected the program directly to the plant's network. After migrating the existing application to the FactoryTalk database, engineers analyzed the line in running mode. They determined that the machine with the highest OEE rating was running at maximum level while other machines were either starved or blocked \u2013 something that wasn't visible to the human eye.\n\nThe first machine on the line \u2013 the bottle feeder \u2013 was in starved status 60 minutes per shift all combined. This was an easy fi x, as it only requires proper stocking. They also realized the labeler was switching states too rapidly. After attributing all downtime to specific faults, engineers began editing existing programming codes. They decreased the labeler's buffer alarm to prevent the machine from switching into starved mode too frequently.\n\nEngineers then configured the FactoryTalk software to calculate and visualize OEE for the monitored equipment. Now, when operators are notified of an alarm, they can easily understand the root cause of stoppage or inefficiency, and access the data they need to identify actionable areas for improvement.\n\nResults\n\nWith FactoryTalk Metrics software, key performance indicators and other vital data are easily accessible via Web browser. Using contextual, real-time machine and line data, plant management can now establish meaningful production metrics beyond an improved OEE score to achieve significant cost reductions.\n\nSince implementing FactoryTalk Metrics software, plant management has the granular answers they need to understand the \"why\" of machine performance, pinpointing the root causes of downtime and loss. The result: measurable improvements in production quality and efficiency. The plant reduced per-shift machine starts/stops by 90 percent \u2013 from 2,500 to 250. It also recorded a 15 to 20 percent increase in uptime and is saving $100,000 annually in service-contract costs and productivity improvements.\n\n\"The customer now has the transparent machine status they needed all long,\" said Bivens. \"Plant management can evaluate product-loss calculations and true machine efficiency, and maintenance managers can see a list of down time events relative to actual machine alarm codes.\"\n\nWith new, granular manufacturing intelligence, the cosmetics manufacture can easily evaluate line deficiencies and identify needed improvements \u2013 giving management the knowledge and confidence they need to keep pace with their demanding industry.\n\n\nTAG: household-and-personal-care\n\n",
    "technological-evolutions-and-market-expansion-underpinned-by-automation": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/technological-evolutions-and-market-expansion-underpinned-by-automation\n\nTITLE: Technological evolutions and market expansion underpinned by automation\n\nBased in Les Achards, Vend'ee, in France MG Tech, founded in 2004, explains that the skill of its employees who are passionate about their profession has proved instrumental in the company's expansion and growth; with CEO Eric Gautier pointing out that this is backed by constant research into quality and industrial performance.\n\nAccording to Charles Girault, business development at MG Tech: \"We provide a wide range of packaging equipment for secondary and tertiary products, including wrapping machines, cartoning machines, case-erecting machines, case packers and palletizing machines. We are also able to provide full industrial packaging lines, including different functionalities, so our customers can adapt their production lines to match industrial needs.\"\n\nWith this impressive technological portfolio, the company supports a wide range of markets, including dairy, bakery, confectionary, desserts, fresh produce, tea, coffee, meat, petfood, cosmetics and general grocery.\n\nOne of the company's best sellers is its Wrap-Around Case Packer, available in sequential or continuous models. \"MG Tech's packer DNA is different than its competitors,\" Girault explains. \"We take products as they come and, as far as possible, we pick them individually - respecting product integrity by keeping physical contact to an absolute minimum - using robots and load them directly into the cartons without a collation phase, a design principle that makes our case packers not only very easy to operate but also fast to change between batches/formats, without the use of tools.\"\n\nOf interest to many of its customers will be the company's brand new Cobotic Palletizer, which performs palletization of open trays up to 30 kg on Euro or US pallets. Thanks to its additional vertical axis, trays can be stacked on pallets up to 2,500 mm. Girault elaborates: \"Our Cobotic Palletizer offers our customers increased flexibility within a smaller footprint, which makes it ideal for those looking for a solution that will help them move from manual to automatic palletization.\n\n\"We use robotics and vision systems in all our machines for loading and sometimes for carton forming and closing,\" Girault adds. \"And to maintain maximum productivity, we have developed our own robots - poly-articulated and 3-, 4- or 5-axis delta robots). We have also developed strong partnerships with robot and cobot suppliers, including Fanuc.\"\n\nFanuc is part of the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM as a Strategic Alliance Partner.\n\nIn this regard, Rockwell Automation has proved pivotal for MG Tech, not just for specific technological developments, but also for the company's expansion into the North American market. One of the key features MG Tech appreciates is the open architecture used by the automation solutions.\n\nMG Tech does not do 'black boxes',\" Girault exclaims. \"We make our programs accessible to end users so their technicians and operators have easy access to modify parameters, all of which is made possible by a user-friendly interface into all the I/O and servo-axes. New formats should be easy to create, not difficult.\"\n\nThe connectivity delivered by the automation solution also supports MG Tech's new IN USE platform, which is delivered with all new machines. \"IN-USE allows our customers to have access to a chat area with our service department as well as visibility of updated machinery documentation. In addition to this, it also offers an optional monitoring function, which can be used to record production and efficiency data for the creation of predictive maintenance routines. The machines are also equipped with a telemaintenance system, which uses cameras placed in strategic positions within the machine to record events when they happen.\n\n\"We have been working with Rockwell Automation for many years,\" Girault concludes. \"It is a major player in the food market, and has a strong global network, which has helped us with our move into the North American market.\"\n\nFind out how we can help you develop smart capabilities. Visit our smart portal here.\u00a0\n\nTAG: machine-and-equipment-builders\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: life-sciences\n\n",
    "utilization-and-uptime-increase-across-the-board-at-barrett-steel": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/utilization-and-uptime-increase-across-the-board-at-barrett-steel\n\nTITLE: Utilization and uptime increase across the board at Barrett Steel thanks to digital transformation\n\nBarrett Steel\u00a0are steel stock-holders, with 28 sites across the UK, generating lb500m turnover per year. Barrett Steel have a USP in the market by selling 'kits of steel' to the construction industry.\n\n\"All the data was already there, we just weren't collecting it... or using it,\" explains Paul Burke, Head of Engineering at Barrett Steel, the UK's largest independent steel stockholder.\n\nA relatively simple premise that has since evolved into the driving force behind a remarkable digital transformation - underpinned by the ThingWorx(R) SaaS-based SCP (smart connected products) package from PTC and the Fiix computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) from Rockwell Automation.\n\nThis evolution has subsequently resulted in comprehensive savings in budget, unproductive machine time, employee hours, transportation and energy consumption, not to mention a completely revised proactive maintenance regime; and there is so much more to achieve.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nWhen he took over as Head of Engineering across all Barrett Steel's sites, Burke applied a mindset that he had nurtured from his experience in manufacturing and set about identifying significant operational efficiencies across all facets of the company.\n\nBut these efficiencies would only become apparent if he had much clearer and deeper insights into the various operations, which included offices, cranes, loading, cutting, logistics and maintenance.\n\n\"I wanted as much operational data as possible, including power use, run time, downtime, repairs, vehicle locations and productivity, to name but a few,\" Burke explains. \"I needed contextualized operational data upon which I can base my decisions and help operations managers make their decisions - not just relating to one machine and one site, but across the entire enterprise.\"\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\nInitially concentrating on machine capacity and order turnaround, Burke's first paper-based system underwent a rapid evolution. With the help of CHG Electrical - a trusted supplier of Barrett Steel and member of the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork as a recognized system integrator - the updated approach took the form of an electronic data-collection solution, with Rockwell Automation PLCs and software providing the all-important interface to the machine-level metrics.\n\nPeter Clarke, CEO of CHG Electrical, explains: \"Paul was looking to identify reasons for downtime, such as maintenance, lack of stock or staff availability. As such, we ran a trial on one machine at one site, and then extrapolated this data across all sites with similar machines. We quickly realized that there was a very strong business case for a large integration project encompassing 52 machines across 10 sites.\"\n\nAt this stage, CHG and Barrett Steel agreed that dedicated software would be a better approach to cater for all the disparate data sources, the anticipated wider roll out, and eventual multi-site scalability. This decision led to the deployment of the ThingWorx platform and the Fiix CMMS.\n\nArmed with these tools and a more streamlined ability to collect and analyze data, Barrett Steel and CHG started identifying other potentially data-rich operations that could be analyzed and improved.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\nTo date, the results have been hugely impressive. \"We ran a trial on one machine at one site, which highlighted that a 1% improvement in utilization would result in lb250,000 of additional income,\" Burke enthuses. \"Even a conservative improvement of 5% equates to more than lb1 million of additional revenue. We then extrapolated the results across all sites with similar machines.\n\n\"We also looked at unplanned downtime and discovered that when we used industry-standard data - which is still very conservative - lb5 million of downtime could be improved by simply better managing the 40 asset-care engineers. Even a 10% improvement equates to lb500,000. It was this realization that led to the deployment of Fiix.\n\n\"90% of our crane team's maintenance work is now proactive,\" he explains. \"In fact, using the original rudimentary approach, the payback on one site with eight machines would have been just six months; with Fiix rolled out across all sites, the payback will be just as impressive.\n\n\"Using ThingWorx to capture and collate the data, we have also identified surplus machine capacity on other sites to the tune of lb300,000. If we equate this into capital expenditure for new cranes, loaders and forklifts, we justify the investment in ThingWorx for four years, in just one year's savings.\"\n\nAnd it's not just the heavy work that has benefitted from this new data-driven paradigm, Burke has also identified and measured other disciplines within the company's operations.\n\n\"Thanks to ThingWorx being cloud based and offering open APIs,\" Clarke continues, \"we can pull in other disparate sources of data that previously weren't being looked at by Barrett Steel and put them in context with other operational data. Logistics and energy usage are big parts of this.\n\n\"From the transportation side of things, we are looking at vehicles in terms of fuel use, miles travelled, and the weight of steel being moved. Armed with this, we can deploy the most suitable vehicles for the job. We also use ThingWorx to look at electrical use by measuring consumption based on shift patterns. We found that over lb1.2 million or 40% of its electrical consumption was occurring during in non-operational shifts, due to lights being left on or equipment left running, so we immediately put a CO2 emissions reduction plan in place which would address air leaks, turn off unneeded machinery, sort out lighting 'misuse' with lux and presence sensors, and evolve the existing solar generation infrastructure. All these savings go onto the bottom line.\"\n\n\"We're not using true OEE at the moment,\" Burke continues. \"We're just looking at utilization and availability, but we will introduce performance eventually. Quality is also not an issue as it is a very nominal benefit to us as scrappage rates are so low. We will certainly see productivity increases, but this is not a key metric at the moment, we're currently at the issue-spotting stage.\n\n\"Having said that, on one site in Bradford, when we got its machines up to 80+% OEE/utilization, we certainly saw increased product onto vehicles and out of the door, a rise in the number of drivers out on time, and a significant reduction in driver and weekend overtime, due to planning around traffic and rush hours.\n\n\"We've also not lost sight of how important people are in the overall equation. People must work on and with the data. You can collect it and monitor it, but if you don't act on it and make good operational decisions, which produce tangible results, then the motivation to use it falls. It is vital that you use it and be motivated to use it.\n\n\"Initially some operators thought we were observing them, but once we showed them that it was the machines under the spotlight and then showed them what we had learnt, there was a noticeable shift in attitude, which is even more apparent compared to lines that are not currently being monitored. Not only is the attitude different, but the productivity levels on the monitored lines are hugely improved. Looking at the project as a whole, we're not there yet, but we can see the very bright light at the end of the tunnel.\"\n\nBurke saves the most convincing idiom until the end; and it's the one he used in front of his management team after he had presented the business case for digital transformation. He simply said: \"It's up to you whether we can afford it or not, but I don't think we can afford NOT to do it!\"\n\nTAG: drive-sustainability\nTAG: empower-people\nTAG: optimize-production\nTAG: digital-transformation\nTAG: build-resilience\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: metals\n\nTAG: thingworx\nTAG: fiix\n\n",
    "ar-protein-packaging": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/ar-protein-packaging\n\nTITLE: Proving the Value of AR in Protein Packaging\n\nPrice pressure and competition for skilled workers is fierce in the protein industry. To be successful, meat and poultry processors must find better ways to capture more value from the equipment on their plant floors - and attract, train and retain workers.\u00a0\n\nMaple Leaf Foods, a recognized leader in the agribusiness industry, is addressing these challenges head-on. Through a unique partnership and innovative pilot program, the company aims to demonstrate how augmented reality (AR) can improve operations - and deliver benefits across the industry sector. \u00a0\n\nThe largest producer of prepared poultry and meats in Canada, Maple Leaf Foods also maintains operations in the United States and Asia. The company has grown its reputation for quality and innovation through leading consumer brands including Maple Leaf, Schneider's and Greenfield Natural Meat, Co.\n\n***** Laying the Foundation for Success *****\n\nMaple Leaf centered their AR pilot on packaging line challenges - and called on three industry leaders to partner with them in the project: Harpak-ULMA Packaging, Rockwell Automation and PTC.\n\nOEM Harpak-ULMA focuses on providing customers with smart, connected packaging machines and end-to-end packaging lines. The company has standardized on a Rockwell Automation control platform - and relies on Rockwell Automation Strategic Alliance Partner PTC for pre-integrated IIoT solutions, including Vuforia(R) industrial AR software.\n\n\"We are thrilled with this opportunity to help an organization of Maple Leaf's stature and reputation achieve world class productivity through digital transformation,\" said Kevin Roach, CEO, Harpak-ULMA Packaging. \"Together I expect us to define a new paradigm for leveraging AR technology to drive operational excellence.\"\n\nIn fact, Maple Leaf established productivity-centric criteria to measure the success of the pilot.\n\nSpecifically, Maple Leaf has set an Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) goal of greater than 80%.\n\nOEE is considered the gold standard for quantifying manufacturing productivity. Actions impacting OEE include upskilling staff through better training, fewer/shorter downtime events, increased first pass quality and faster Mean Time to Repair (MTTR).\n\n***** A \"Design and Experiment\" Approach *****\n\nThe four companies took a collaborative \"design and experiment\" approach to the pilot. During the first stage, Harpak-ULMA deployed its embedded OEE Application, which automatically calculates, monitors, and reports packaging line performance in real time.\n\nHarpak-ULMA next deployed the entire library of PTC AR applications and created its own machine-based AR experiences. AR offers rich, visually based work instructions and training and on-demand expert guidance.\n\nMost AR user experiences leverage the machine's digital twin, a dynamic model that virtually represents the physical machine. Digital twins enable the life-like animation that allows workers to simulate a maintenance routine or operation before interacting with the machine.\n\nDigital twins also allow personnel to virtually see inside an operating machine to identify the location and condition of components without stopping production.\n\n\"AR is the ideal way for Maple Leaf Foods to deliver digital information to front-line workers in the context of their tasks,\" said Jim Heppelmann, CEO, PTC. \"We believe their pilot program results will underscore the huge opportunity for productivity gains while increasing staff job satisfaction.\"\n\nEmbedded real-time remote communication and collaboration technologies are also employed, which significantly reduce the need for on-site technical experts.\n\n***** Demonstrating Early Value *****\n\nThe pilot project quickly demonstrated the value of AR in a packaging line. For example, the OEE application delivers self-diagnosing machine reports that identify machine downtime and high-priority action items by shift.\n\nUsing remote connectivity, the Harpak team monitors these reports daily, identifies any high-frequency stoppages - and then builds remediation routines using Vuforia Expert Capture. With this application, OEM experts capture and transform step-by-step procedures into AR-based work instructions operators can access in real time.\n\nWhen it comes to both training and machine error diagnosis, AR enables workers to view and interact with a real-time digital twin of the machine - from anywhere at any time. This means an OEM can often diagnose a machine without an on-site visit. It also means effective training is possible before an employee enters the plant.\n\nAR-based training is already demonstrating promising results for Maple Leaf. For example, the interactive, visually intensive training has helped minimize language barriers, decrease worker error - and reduce training cycles in an environment that often experiences high staff turnover.\n\n\"We're proud to be part of the team working with Maple Leaf to pilot augmented reality to increase efficiency and improve outcomes across various critical business practices,\" said Blake Moret, chairman and CEO, Rockwell Automation. \"It's inspiring to see the positive impact that this technology has already had on training time and worker error.\"\n\nBy putting OEM knowledge within easy reach, AR technology can also equip internal employees with the skills to complete complex tasks - such as packaging tool rebuilds - that have typically been performed by an outside resource.\n\nAR not only provides step-by-step instructions, but also audits task completion as needed. Maple Leaf has targeted three high-value activities for compliance enforcement in the pilot: tool rebuilds, startup and shutdown procedures, and sanitation protocols. \u00a0\n\n***** Lessons from the Journey *****\n\nWhile the protein packaging pilot is ongoing, all four companies will continue to gather feedback, make improvements and assess any future commercialization of the program.\n\nThus far in the journey, the team has learned the value of a transparent and equitable partnership - and an agile perspective. Each company offers unique skill sets. And honest and open feedback between the partners - plus a willingness to change or redirect efforts - is critical to success.\n\nAbove all, the team recognizes that technology for technology's sake is a recipe for failure. The basis for any investment must be a compelling business case that delivers operational and financial value.\n\nTAG: empower-people\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: food-packaging\n\nTAG: vuforia\n\n",
    "food-manufacturing-uptime": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/food-manufacturing-uptime\n\nTITLE: Summer Garden Food Manufacturing Improves Uptime\n\nJason MorrowControls Technician, Summer Garden Food Manufacturing\n\nJason Morrow is a controls technician with\u00a0Summer Garden Food Manufacturing. The company manufactures and packages products for the retail and food service markets including various barbecue and pasta sauces.\n\nWith an operation that runs two 12-hour shifts a day, 5 days a week and produces up to 100,000 cases of sauces weekly, overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) is a priority. But until Summer Garden Food installed the\u00a0Plex Smart Manufacturing PlatformTM\u00a0in late 2022, they lacked the data visibility needed to ensure equipment was performing as efficiently as possible.\n\n\"We were missing downtime. We knew we had it, but we couldn't find it. Our kettle yields weren't equaling our run times. We wanted to start tracking downtime at a more detailed level than the piece of paper the operator writes,\" Jason explains. \"Plex is easily scalable. We could start with one machine and then build off that once we knew what we're doing. The scalability was one of the biggest reasons we went with Plex.\"\n\n***** Watch the Video *****\n\n***** Downtime Minutes Add Up\n\n *****\n\nThe first task for Summer Garden Food Manufacturing was tracking downtime on a key piece of equipment: the filler machine. The machine's processes are controlled by Rockwell Automation 5300 series ControlLogix programmable controllers, which meant they were already collecting a lot of data. Using the Plex Smart Manufacturing Platform, the food manufacturer was able to easily program and extract data reports that pulled data from the Rockwell Automation controllers and several other sources. \u00a0\n\n\"We found we had four hours of downtime per shift. Operators were repeatedly opening the door which stops the machine, making adjustments, and then closing the door. A minute here, two minutes there, five minutes here add up substantially throughout a shift,\" Jason says. \"But the operators weren't writing it down. They didn't think it was anything big. Yet, three to four hours of downtime a shift is a ton of downtime.\"\n\nWith that valuable insight, the company is now focused on improving operator training and control to help improve machine performance. One tactic Summer Garden Food Manufacturing is undertaking is development of a visualization screen that provides operators insight into their personal daily OEE to facilitate individual awareness and growth.\n\n***** Increasing Production with Further Machine Visibility\n\n *****\n\nNext on its digital transformation journey, Summer Garden Food Manufacturing plans to expand the number of machines on its Plex platform.\n\n\"We started small. Now we're going to branch out to the machines further down the line that may be causing the filler idle time. I'm sure there's micro downtime we're missing on the rest of the machines,\" Jason explains. \"There should be a ton of information. It's just digging into all that and eventually it should increase production.\"\n\nFrom there, Summer Garden Food Manufacturing will analyze manufacturing data by product, such as comparing the run times of different sauces.\n\n\"How do we improve the operation of the red sauce or the barbecue sauce so we can get the same speeds out of each product?\" Jason offers as an example. \"We have so many options when it comes to Plex. And it's so simple whether it's an add-on module or extra programming. You couldn't ask for anything easier than that.\"\n\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: mes-solutions\n\nTAG: prepared-foods\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: plex\n\n",
    "ppg-reduces-risk-in-chemical-plant-with-new-sis": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/ppg-reduces-risk-in-chemical-plant-with-new-sis\n\nTITLE: PPG Reduces Risk in Chemical Plant with New SIS\n\n*** Everything Old is New Again ***\n\nWith a production history that dates back to 1899, PPG's industrial production plant in Barberton, Ohio, is no stranger to change.\n\nIts products have evolved from raw materials for glass-making operations to the range of specialty chemicals it makes today. Its operations have also completely transformed from manual processes to today's more automated, distributed control-based operations.\n\nOne of the most recent changes in the plant was how workers evaluate and mitigate safety risks. Recent adoption of the layers of protection analysis (LOPA) risk-assessment method gives workers a better understanding of the effectiveness of plant safeguards \u2013 and has even proven useful in identifying areas where they can further strengthen those safeguards.\n\n*** Safety Risks Uncovered ***\n\nThe chloroformate unit is one of the Barberton plant's smallest process units but one of the plant's highest safety risks.\n\nWorkers at the plant have performed process hazard assessments (PHAs) on the unit for decades in accordance with OSHA's process safety management standard (29CFR1910.119). With the adoption of LOPA, workers now had to evaluate the safeguards identified in those PHAs to quantify and validate their effectiveness.\n\n\"We started by evaluating our current interlocks and looking at the scenarios they might be protecting,\" said Matt Kinsinger, senior process control engineer, PPG Industries. \"Then we re-evaluated anything that we had already ranked as a high risk in the PHAs to make sure it had adequate protection. This helped us identify opportunities where the existing control system, instruments and control devices could be improved to meet our acceptable risk level.\"\n\nFrom here, Kinsinger and his team developed requirements for a new safety instrumented system (SIS) in accordance with the ISA-84/IEC-61511 standard. The new SIS would need to not only help reduce risk on the process unit but also address other key plant requirements.\n\nThese requirements included:\n\n    * Usability: The team wanted an easy-to-use operator interface easily integrated with existing distributed control system (DCS) interfaces.\n\n    * Scalability: The SIS system needed to be able to support new or modified plant equipment.\n\n    * Expandability: The team wanted to be able to easily add to the SIS or add requirements for higher levels of protection based on future analysis or future PHAs.\n\n*** A Scalable SIS Solution ***\n\nThe team reviewed SIS offerings from two vendors whose technologies were already used in the plant.\n\nThey landed on the AADvance system from Rockwell Automation. The flexible and scalable system can be used in operations ranging from small-quantity I/O to large systems and can meet multiple SIL levels in an application. It also provided easy, standard communication to the plant's existing Allen-Bradley ControlLogix controller.\n\n\"The AADvance system hit all our boxes for an SIS,\" Kinsinger said. \"The price was great. It met our initial requirements. And it could easily be expanded or scaled-up, as needed.\"\n\nOnce the order was placed, the team had a short timeline of four months to develop the new system and implement it during a planned outage.\n\nTo start, Rockwell Automation assigned a project manager and project engineer to support the upgrade. The project manager coordinated the team's meetings, communication and documentation to keep the project moving and verify milestones were met. The project engineer worked directly with Kinsinger and his team to develop a system that met all of their needs.\n\nFor the factory-acceptance test (FAT), Kinsinger traveled to the Rockwell Automation Houston facility with a spare controller that was modified to include the SIS communication. The Rockwell Automation team performed a detailed FAT, including simulating every safety instrumented function (SIF), I/O point, and bypass and reset condition.\n\nThe SIS was then shipped to the Barberton plant where PPG personnel duplicated the FAT as a site-acceptance test (SAT) without any outside support. This provided a validation of the system as required in the ISA-84/IEC-61511 standard.\n\n*** Closing the Gap ***\n\nKinsinger and his team hit their target of installing the AADvance system and going live according to the scheduled timeline.\n\nThe new SIS provides the protection required to meet the plant's acceptable risk level for the chloroformates process unit. It also offers flexibility to grow or evolve with the plant. This is important because the process is already at capacity and will likely need to be expanded. Also, continual re-evaluation of process hazards in the plant means changes to the SIS are very likely.\n\n\"We performed what we felt was a comprehensive review of the current system,\" Kinsinger said. \"But we also wanted room for any additional items to be added to the SIS or requirements for higher levels of protection based on future PHAs.\"\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to PPG's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nTrademark Information:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\n\nAAdvance, Allen-Bradley and ControlLogix are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\n\nTAG: safety-solutions\n\nTAG: chemical\n\nTAG: safety-instrumented-systems\nTAG: distributed-control-systems\n\n",
    "new-ag-terminal-with-process-automation-opens-new-markets-for-mi": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/new-ag-terminal-with-process-automation-opens-new-markets-for-mi\n\nTITLE: New Ag Terminal With Process Automation Opens New Markets for Midwest Farmers Cooperative\n\n*** Finding the Right Location ***\n\nAfter operating for decades, the\u00a0Midwest Farmers Cooperative (MFC) faced limited opportunities to expand their global market reach. With most transportation of their grain occurring by truck, the co-op decided the best way to grow would be to build a new rail terminal. The terminal would need to have rail service and highway access for inbound trucks, and be strategically located with respect to MFC's current operating facilities.\n\nOnce MFC found a location that met those requirements, they worked with system integrator\u00a0Wachter Inc. to design an automated facility, based on the PlantPAx\u00ae distributed control system (DCS) from Rockwell Automation. Now up and running, the terminal helps MFC bring their corn and other grains to new markets.\n\n*** Need for Train Transportation ***\n\nMFC, a full service cooperative, brings together 4,100 farmer patrons in Nebraska to negotiate higher prices as a group and reach customers they may not have immediate access to otherwise. The co-op operates 28 facilities in Nebraska, where farmers truck in grains to be dried, conditioned and stored until purchased and transported out. However, only a few terminals had access to trains to carry the grain to market. That meant trucks were the primary means of transit. This fact limited the co-op's customer base to those companies operating in the Midwest.\n\nThe co-op efficiency also was limited because most of its terminals were not automated. Operators needed to manually keep processes moving forward.\n\nMFC knew a greenfield facility would be crucial to growing their business, providing a larger customer market to their patrons and keep operating costs low. They decided to build a fully automated, central hub terminal with access to both major U.S. rail lines.\n\n*** Centralizing Controls for Success ***\n\nCo-op management found a location in Syracuse, in southeastern Nebraska, that met their requirements for rail-line access. The co-op secured the land and moved forward with planning.\n\nMFC decided to partner with Wachter to design and automate the new ag terminal. Watcher knew that the Rockwell Automation Solution Partner could provide the automated controls solution that was needed.\n\nTo lay the foundation for a fully automated terminal, Wachter and MFC decided to deploy a centralized, scalable PlantPAx DCS. \"This was the first time MFC was deploying a centralized, DCS in a terminal,\" said Daniel Alvarez, automation software systems consultant at Wachter and a lead on the project. \"We knew that the PlantPAx modern DCS would be easy to design and deploy quickly, helping to get the terminal operating sooner.\"\n\nWhen designing the control system, Wachter leveraged the Rockwell Automation Library of Process Objects. The pre-built, pre-engineered and tested process objects allowed Wachter to quickly design and deploy the system. The Rockwell Software\u00ae Studio 5000\u00ae Logix Emulate\u2122 software application enabled the Wachter team to validate, test and optimize code without hardware. This reduced design time by around 25 percent, and allowed the team to gather buy-in from MFC stakeholders and train operators.\n\nWith an EtherNet/IP\u2122 backbone, the modern DCS integrates smoothly with the plant's new machines \u2013 such as conveyors and dryer systems \u2013 to efficiently monitor and visualize the terminal from inbound to outbound. This comprehensive view enables operators to control all areas of the terminal through only three workstations located at receiving, weighing and loadout. Typically, older terminals would require multiple operators to manually manage the process.\n\nThe new system also smoothly manages enterprise-level monitoring, data storage and alarming. The system's connectivity to the enterprise-level monitoring also enables remote access. If an issue arises, Wachter can remotely access the control system for maintenance and troubleshooting, reducing costs and time for both.\n\n*** Automation Brings Higher Margins ***\n\nThe greenfield terminal is operating with no major downtime events to date. The rail-line access allows MFC to bring their corn and other grains to more national and global markets, from California and Mexico to the East Coast, at higher profit margins.\n\nIn addition, MFC is reaping benefits across the board from their first centralized DCS and fully automated terminal. Production moves more quickly and efficiently compared to older terminals, and remote monitoring reduces downtime and saves MFC thousands of dollars on any maintenance issue.\n\nThe biggest benefit to MFC? Rapid project development and expedited commissioning. MFC began building the terminal in December 2015. Wachter began designing the upfront engineering and design in March 2016. By the end of October, the system was deployed and began validating processes in less than two weeks.\n\n\"Our operations, management and leadership teams have varying levels of automation experience, from little or none, to full-on, wholly automated facilities,\" said Eric Werth, manager for the MFC Syracuse terminal. \"With the PlantPAx system, Wachter helped us go from design to operations at the same location, within a year \u2013 helping our patrons reach a bigger customer base faster than expected.\"\n\nThe new terminal has a capacity of 2.75 million bushel, which could more than double if warranted. The receiving end has the capacity to take in 1,000 bushels every two minutes, and receives an average of 300 trucks per day.\n\nMFC plans to standardize on the PlantPAx system across facilities, as the co-op builds future terminals and upgrades existing ones.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Midwest Farmers Cooperative's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nLogix Emulate, PartnerNetwork, PlantPAx, Rockwell Software and Studio 5000 are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\nEtherNet/IP is a trademark of ODVA Inc.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "leading-construction-chemical-company-migrates-legacy-control-so": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/leading-construction-chemical-company-migrates-legacy-control-so\n\nTITLE: Leading Construction Chemical Company Migrates Legacy Control Solution to Modern Distributed Control System (DCS)\n\nIn any industry, modernisation should always be seen as a massive opportunity, as opposed to an industry-mandated or legislation-driven trend.\n\nThis is especially true in the chemicals industry, where older technology reduces flexibility, gives limited access and visibility to vital, real-time processing and manufacturing data and does not offer any form of contemporary standardisation for both legislative purposes and future upgrades.\n\nAn upwards evolution from less capable legacy hardware \u2013 and in some cases paper-based reporting solutions \u2013 can deliver almost instantaneous benefits, including improved flexibility, greater process agility, more streamlined and cost efficient operations and of course, the all-important ability to collect and act upon both real-time and historical manufacturing data.\n\nThe same argument can be made for processes running so-called black box solutions, which may have reached the end of their useful life, facing obsolescence and spare part issues or are simply not capable of addressing the demands of modern consumers and contemporary market forces.\n\nAs a result, whether launching a new plant or revitalising an aging plant, chemical producers must prioritise investments around the technologies that deliver the best ROI to solve their most pressing business challenges.\n\nOne company facing this legacy-technology situation specialises in the development, production and marketing of adhesives, cladding, sealing and insulation solutions, epoxy, decorative paints and coatings and acrylic adhesives. The company realised that it had to update its process and automation solutions in order to maintain its position in a competitive market.\n\nIn light of this realisation, it employed the services of Tomatic Ltd., an Israeli system integrator that specialises in the field of process automation and the management of production systems for industrial plants. Tomatic, in turn, presented a solution that was supplied and supported by Rockwell Automation.\n\nTogether with the end customer, they worked towards the development and deployment of a full\u00a0Rockwell Automation\u00ae Digital Process control system that would give the customer the ability to leverage the benefits of The Connected Enterprise(R), which provides all the necessary hardware, software and connectivity capabilities to create an Industrie 4.0-compatible solution.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nThe first challenge the company was facing was its use of obsolete hardware, which was already presenting risks due to the unavailability of spares. In addition, its SCADA solution was based on Windows XP, which was no longer receiving security updates. Finally, its batch control solution was primarily based on manual inputs, using legacy, tailor-made software and programming. Not only did this present flexibility issues, but it was difficult to export parameters in order to generate reports and spot trends. The customer also had very limited capabilities to create new recipes.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nAccording to Assaf Beckman, Project Manager at Tomatic: \"The existing system was based around a tailor-made black box solution running on much older controllers. It was very hard for the engineers to control the recipes or add new equipment. Indeed, in many cases they would need intervention from the original system supplier to make any significant modifications. What they wanted was a more open, user friendly and flexible approach that would give them the ability to own the system \u2013 in terms of its development and evolution \u2013 and not be held hostage by legacy suppliers.\n\n\"The company approached us with its list of requirements,\" he continues, \"and we teamed up with Rockwell Automation to present our proposed solution. Once we had Rockwell Automation on board, its engineers undertook a site survey to see what was required and how best to develop a configuration based on the customer's precise needs.\"\n\nThe solution initially comprises a pilot project based on a mid-range programmable automation controller (PAC). This is being run (and wired) in parallel with the existing control architecture and is being used to ascertain the operational capabilities of the new system, using manual feed systems.\n\nThis pilot project will eventually be scaled up across the whole process system through the replacement of two legacy computers with a new server and control solution based around a higher range PAC coupled with\u00a0FactoryTalk\u00ae Batch and\u00a0FactoryTalk Historian software suites delivering a modern DCS. \"We are able to keep the existing wiring system and there will be no impact on the control cabinets due to the size of the replacement components, so the physical impact of the changes will be negligible. The biggest impact will be how well the system operates. And if the pilot project is anything to go by, the customer will see a step change in its in-house capabilities.\"\n\nThe deployment of smart devices will be further enhanced by the interconnectivity the solution offers, which will allow the customer to modernise and migrate further into a Connected Enterprise, which converges plant-level and enterprise networks, and securely connects people, processes and technologies \u2013 delivering greater (and easier) third-party interactions and the ability to analyse and act upon data from a much wider array of information nodes.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nThe new solution will give Tomatic's customer the ability to have complete control over its process and automation parameters, delivering the flexibility required in the original brief. Engineers will be able to modify set points and fine tune the system without having to call upon the 'black-box expertise' of an external agent.\n\nAs well as the automated Historian software being more powerful and flexible in terms of its data collection and collation, engineers will also be able to dial into the process and control solution remotely. The FactoryTalk server also delivers a virtual environment for testing and set-up procedures.\n\n\"We had great support from Rockwell Automation,\" Beckman explains, \"with a specialist from its Spanish office joining us both onsite and online to help formulate the batch solution. He also gave us assistance with the development of the overall solution and the training we needed to support our efforts. The customer will enjoy good spares support too, through the local Rockwell Automation distributor and in-country office. With this level of support, we intend to continue working with Rockwell Automation and will advise our customers to do the same.\"\n\nAllen-Bradley, FactoryTalk Batch, FactoryTalk Historian, PlantPAx and Rockwell Automation are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\nTrademarks not belonging to Rockwell Automation are property of their respective companies.\n\n\nTAG: chemical\n\n",
    "supplier-delivers-multiple-benefits-to-leading-european-water-co": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/supplier-delivers-multiple-benefits-to-leading-european-water-co\n\nTITLE: Supplier Delivers Multiple Benefits to Leading European Water Company\n\n***** Background *****\n\nCertified to ISO9001-2000, EMAS, ISO 14001-2004, UNE 1600:2010 and OHSAS 18001, Aig\"ues Ter Llobregat (ATLL) is appointed by Generalitat de Catalunya SA to supply drinking water to more than a hundred municipalities in its regional network, from the Ter and Llobregat rivers and from desalinated seawater.\n\nRockwell Automation's involvement is best visualised when split into three distinctive areas: Asset Management (of a large and geographically dispersed automation and control infrastructure); an Integrated Architecture solution (installed to control the world's largest reversible electro-dialysis plant) and an on-line condition monitoring system (to assist in the implementation of a complete predictive maintenance strategy).\n\n** FactoryTalk(R) AssetCentre **\n\nATLL must provide drinking water regardless of the quality of the local river supply, which changes constantly. Every day, during the different shifts, the ATLL control engineers are confronted with multiple changes in the adjustment points of the PACs (Programmable Automation Controllers), in response to the different quality of water in-flow.\n\nATLL employs some 230 PACs - comprising PLC5, SLC500 and Allen-Bradley ControlLogix - in conjunction with 210 Allen-Bradley PanelView operator panels. Engineering and maintenance of the PACs is undertaken by four employees, including a Systems Integrator. Even though the PACs are distributed over more than 2,000km2, that can all be monitored from a central position thanks to satellite communication.\n\nATLL has invested time, money and effort to obtain the IS09001-2000, ISO14001-2004 and EMAS certifications in order to prove to its clients that it can provide water continuously, at a consistent level of quality while respecting environmental demands at all times. With these factors in mind, asset monitoring is vital, especially with regards to any changes made in the PACs. Therefore, it is important for ATLL to control access to the control equipment and at the same time manage its maintenance.\n\nATLL worked in direct collaboration with Rockwell Automation in order to install the management solution of the FactoryTalk AssetCentre and to change its IT infrastructure. The solution currently administers approximately 100 PACs, along with two desktop PCs used by ATLL staff and the Systems Integrator. Functions implemented include: access control, an auditing system, a backup and disaster-recovery plan and a reports solution. The benefits include the ability to monitor changes to specific parameters, which affect water quality and the accuracy of the flow meters, more efficient exchange of information and knowledge between control engineers working on different shifts, the prevention of PAC problems when several contractors are working simultaneously on the installations and the security with which timely backups are made.\n\nATLL plans to improve its maintenance operations through the implementation of a complete disaster-recovery plan, so that the PLCs, jointly with the HMI, can continually supply quality water, even in the event of an emergency. ATLL will use the FactoryTalk AssetCentre solution as part of the requirements of ISO9001-2000, as it will be able to prove that it complies specifically with the regulations pertaining to control of industrial assets.\n\n***** Rockwell Automation Integrated ArchitectureTM *****\n\nThrough expansion of the installation, the drinking water treatment station (ETAP) at LLobregat has increased its production from 200,000 to 345,000m3/day.\n\nThe project, co-financed by the cohesion fund of the European Union, is designed to improve the treatment line, as water from the lower branch of the River Llobregat presents salinity and contamination (Trihalomethanes) problems, which make the purification process difficult. For this reason, ATLL needed to put a desalination plant into operation, based on a reversible electrodialysis system (EDR), which allow improvements to be made to the chemical and organoleptic properties (taste and smell) of the water.\n\nAnother challenge was reaching a greater level of plant automation. All the control and site components must be monitored from a central position. The purpose of this is to increase the 100,000 existing signals with 30,000 new signals (distributed over an area of 2,000km2), monitored in real time from the control room which regulates the operation of the regional distribution network. Finally, the high availability of the installation is also a legal issue - it is unacceptable to stop production of drinking water, even for a few hours. This factor implies that the plant process is structured in parallel and that a reliable, flexible, and scalable control solution is found.\n\nWorking jointly with ATLL, Rockwell Automation and EBE Associates developed an advanced automation solution for the new plant based on the Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture solution. The control solution integrates 11 Allen-Bradley ControlLogix(R) PACs; nine of which are located in the EDR, subdivided into nine totally independent production lines. This allows engineers to only need to stop one-ninth of the plant for any reason. Each of these PACs is connected to an Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM Plus 1250 operator panel, allowing the local monitoring and manipulation of each of the nine lines. The I/O is divided into four remote Allen-Bradley ControlLogix frames and the decentralised I/O on site is configured using three frames of FLEXTM I/O cards.\n\nAll the controllers, operator panels and decentralised inputs and outputs are connected using a redundant Allen-Bradley ControlNet network, which helps make sure high availability of data in provided in any situation. In order to act on the site valves, there are DeviceNet networks for each of the nine production lines. In summary, the desalination plant includes a total of nine redundant Allen-Bradley ControlNet networks, 18 DeviceNet networks and a total of 10,200 signals, 1,000 of which are analogue for processing.\n\nThe other two redundant Allen-Bradley ControlLogix PACs are responsible for managing the pump station, the lime beds, the control of the addition of chemicals and auxiliary components of the installation. The inputs and outputs are distributed on site using Flex I/O cards and joined through a redundant Allen-Bradley ControlNet network. All the controllers are joined together at the central control room using an EtherNet/IP network on fibre optic ring topology, which configures the ideal means for displaying any parameter from any device in real time.\n\nThe great versatility of the Integrated Architecture solution combines Logix multidiscipline controllers platform, NetLinx open networks architecture, View display platform and FactoryTalk data and information services. This provides the highest level of reliability, flexibility and scalability necessary for meeting the objectives stated from the start of the project.\n\n***** On-Line Condition Monitoring *****\n\nATLL has experience in the use of predictive maintenance systems based on vibration readings in its machines, through the use of portable data collectors. The advantage in this case, is that with a reduced investment in the acquisition of instrumentation and software, a large number of machines in one plant can be measured. The problem, on the other hand, is the assumed cost of a full team trained in these techniques, and the lack of information in real time of the mechanical condition of equipment considered critical for the process.\n\nOne of the most critical installations in the plant is the water intake. This intake, initially made up of four vertical pumps, has now been increased to eight. After an extensive analysis of the different alternatives on the market relating to online monitoring of vibration, temperature and critical parameters, ATLL opted for a solution from Rockwell Automation based on the XM family. The reasons which brought them to this decision are listed below.\n\n***** Variable-Speed Machines *****\n\nIn installations where drives are used to regulate motor speed, savings in energy consumption have been achieved of up to 50% when centrifugal loads, such as water, are regulated with pumps working between 100 and 80% of their capacity. This means that the machines used must have a very accurate speed control for regulating the flow, and from a mechanical point of view, certain precautions when operating and maintaining them. Thanks to the tachometer input, which the series Allen-Bradley XM120 vibration control devices have, it is possible to correlate the vibration level and operating speed directly. This allows the vibration value to be controlled permanently as a multiple of the speed of rotation (1x, 2x, 3x, etc.). This data, as well as the phase reading, is key when starting and stopping the pumps, and under normal operating conditions, as they allow the critical and resonance frequencies of the system assembly to be ascertained.\n\n***** Distributed System *****\n\nThe price of copper, the cost of maintaining the cabling and developments in communications have favoured the use of fieldbuses, resulting in a new concept of distributed architecture. At ATLL, four vibration channels, one tachometer and six temperature-reading channels have been connected to the corresponding XM units installed in a small cabinet at the foot of each of the pumps. Each of these cabinets communicates using DeviceNet real time. In turn, these are connected to other distributed devices such as an Allen-Bradley ControlLogix PACs, a converter unit XM500, and a pair of Allen-Bradley PanelView 1250 operator panels which carry out monitoring and control. The controller also creates a bridge between the field DeviceNet and the plant's Ethernet.\n\n***** Restrictions of 4-20mA Transmitters *****\n\nThe first restriction found was that these transmitters are designed to work at predetermined amplitude and frequency ranges. This restricts the use of a specific transmitter unit with regard to an approximate amplitude for each type of machine. Also, the mid-frequency ranges, (always fixed) may not filter vibration levels from other machines, and are not even capable of detecting mechanical problems, such as bearing failures, due to the incompatibility of ranges or measurement units. The use of these probes made it necessary to wire up each channel point to point, and to have cards available at the reception (controller), which were compatible with analogue signals, with the resulting additional cost.\n\nATLL chose the XM solution from Rockwell Automation, which allows the installation of standard vibration probes (accelerometers) with no restrictions regarding frequency or amplitude ranges, and without any kind of distinction between them.\n\n***** Capacity for Analysis *****\n\nATLL appreciates that the devices have sufficient information necessary for making an advanced diagnosis. Each XM 120 vibration unit is capable of measuring, in real time, more than 30 vibration parameters: spectrum FFT, waveform, four configurable bands regarding frequency and speed of rotation, independent amplitude levels with regard to the type of failure (imbalances, misalignments, bearings, etc.), sensor states, record of files and inhibition of alarms with respect to the speed of the machine. This information is processed locally for each unit and sent to the Allen-Bradley PAC and to the different systems and departments of the plant, so that the general states and parameters of the pumps can be available in real time. The maintenance staff will have more complete information to hand, such as the wave analysis of spectra, which is then recorded in the database of the Emonitor program.\n\n***** Conclusion *****\n\nATLL, with the installation of the latest prediction system for protection and on-line monitoring from Rockwell Automation, has managed to integrate all the information on the condition of the water supply pumps into the plant's control system. This information will be extremely useful for general operations, in order to efficiently adapt the maintenance plans to the real conditions of the machines, and easily expanded into the remaining critical equipment of the plant.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to this customer's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "mitsubishi-chemical-performance-polymers--uses-modular-control-s": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/mitsubishi-chemical-performance-polymers--uses-modular-control-s\n\nTITLE: Mitsubishi Chemical Performance Polymers Uses Modular Control System, Manufacturing Intelligence to Launch New Plant in Brazil\n\nConsumers in places like the U.S., Japan and most of Europe take it as a given that their new vehicles will come equipped with an airbag. The safety feature became prevalent in vehicles in many developed countries during the 1990s. And by the turn of the century, it was either required by law or considered an essential component for automakers to include in their vehicles to achieve desired safety ratings.\n\nBut the same can't be said in many developing and emerging countries around the world, where airbags still either aren't required or aren't commonly found. This was the case for car owners in Brazil until just recently. In 2014, a new law took effect requiring that airbags and other safety technologies be installed on all new vehicles sold in Brazil.\n\nBrazil's new airbag requirement was the driving force that led\u00a0Mitsubishi Chemical Performance Polymers (MCPP) to establish a greenfield production facility in Brazil, the world's seventh-largest car market. The new facility would primarily support the automotive market, supplying resins to airbag manufacturers for use in safety-critical airbag covers.\n\nPrior to expanding to Brazil, MCPP already had been a leading global supplier of custom automotive materials for more than 30 years. The company had operations in 16 countries around the world, and provided solutions for fuel management, interior, exterior, wiring and other automotive applications.\n\nHowever, building a facility from the ground up on a new continent - while also meeting key quality, safety and production demands - would be no easy task.\n\n***** The Need for Speed *****\n\nWith an industrial site north of Sao Paulo selected as the location for its new production facility in Brazil, MCPP wanted to get production up and running as soon as possible to help local auto suppliers meet the impending airbag requirement.\n\n\"We wanted the start of production to coincide as closely as possible with the timing of the new airbag requirement,\" said Lee Wilson, plant manager for MCPP. \"The harsh rain season pushed our site work behind schedule somewhat. When that happened, it became all the more important to look for ways to be efficient in launching this new location.\"\n\nIn terms of the production infrastructure, the new facility required a feeder and extrusion system that could produce up to about 10 million pounds of resin per year at maximum production capacity. Wilson and his team wanted the Brazilian plant to mimic what MCPP already had in other regions in terms of production speed and especially quality management.\n\n\"Quality was our first priority,\" Wilson said. \"We needed to make sure we could maintain tolerances with the feed systems that were feeding the extruder, as well as achieve proper distribution and dispersion of the various ingredients inside the extruder. Aesthetically, we needed to be able to maintain a consistent product look as material is compounded and pelletized.\"\n\nVisibility into the system would be essential to helping operators monitor quality and quickly take action on any production issues that may arise. Additionally, there was a desire to provide remote access into the system. This would allow U.S.-based MCPP employees and other outside experts to troubleshoot or diagnose technical challenges, and help compensate for a lack of local technical support in Brazil.\n\n***** A Modular Approach *****\n\nMCPP evaluated two vendors and ultimately chose Indiana-based Apex Engineering and its subsidiary Apex Controls Specialists, a Rockwell Automation Recognized System Integrator, to develop the extrusion system for its new Brazilian production facility.\n\nApex Engineering proposed a solution based on its Apex Modular ExtrusionTM system. The system has a material-handling system at its top level that receives raw materials, including various rubbers, oils, heat stabilizers, impact modifiers and pigments. Those materials are distributed via a feeder deck down to the extrusion system, where they are heated and blended, and finally sent to an underwater pelletizing system that produces the final bead-like product. That product is then packaged into large bags and boxes, which are shipped to the airbag manufacturers.\n\nA compounding control center houses the extrusion system's electrical and control infrastructure, including an Allen-Bradley(R)\u00a0CompactLogixTM programmable logic controller (PLC), Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) 755 AC drives, and solid-state relays from Rockwell Automation. A separate utility control center houses the system's utilities and information server.\n\nThe information-enabled system gives workers and outside experts visibility into critical manufacturing intelligence, including temperatures, feed-rate pressures and feeder motor speeds. FactoryTalk(R) Historian software from Rockwell Automation collects thousands of these data points throughout the production process, while\u00a0FactoryTalk View HMI software and FactoryTalk VantagePoint(R) enterprise manufacturing intelligence (EMI) software allow workers to manage recipes, monitor processes, and identify and resolve production issues.\n\nCommunications over EtherNet/IPTM allow the manufacturing intelligence to be shared plant-wide and with outside experts via remote access, while also reducing wiring in the MCPP facility.\n\n***** Rapid Deployment *****\n\nThe extrusion system's modular design proved crucial in helping MCPP speed up the launch of its new facility.\n\nWhile construction of the plant was underway in Brazil, Apex was simultaneously designing and building the system in Evansville, Indiana. Wilson and his team at MCPP kept in close touch with Apex engineers during this process through weekly calls. Once the extrusion system was complete and operational, they were on-site with Apex personnel for a week of testing.\n\n\"We crawled all over the equipment,\" Wilson said. \"It was great being able to see the equipment running and test it firsthand. We only made small changes, but it was nice being able to make them before shipping the equipment to Brazil. It helped us avoid production delays and saved us some long flights to Brazil.\"\n\nOnce the equipment arrived in Brazil, an on-site contractor quickly and easily assembled the system in a paint-by-numbers approach. The system's power and electricals, for example, were all set up on connectors. Workers only needed to pull cables from cable trays and plug them in. Similarly, the system's mechanicals had an accompanying drawing with easy-to-follow instructions for bolting the system together.\n\nIn total, the system took only about one month to install at the Brazilian facility. This saved MCPP as much as four months in deployment time. It also allowed the company to finish the extrusion system right around the time that it finished construction of the facility it was housed in.\n\nThe facility's integrated control and information has been vital to helping workers optimize quality management and identify production issues.\n\n\"Operators can see trending information on the screen to make sure all the equipment and feeders are running right where they should be,\" Wilson said. \"Any processes that run outside their minimum or maximum setpoints will generate alarms on the operator screen so they can quickly address the issue.\"\n\nBoth Wilson and Apex team members can access the system to remotely monitor systems and help workers without traveling on-site. This was especially valuable early on as workers were getting the system up and running, and had limited access to local technical support.\n\n\"I can look at any of the data points from right here in my office,\" Wilson said. \"We've looked at alarms and helped them diagnose issues, such as when they had trouble getting the proper feed rate or were encountering some initial mechanical issues with the feeder. It's safe to say remote support helped us reduce some of those early downtime incidents from days into hours.\"\n\nAdditionally, by using add-on instructions (AOI) in the development of the extrusion system, Apex Control Specialists created plug-and-play functionality for any future changes or additions at the facility. For example, MCPP can add a new feeder to the system in as little as 10 minutes.\n\nWilson said MCPP may seek to replicate some of the benefits of the modular extrusion system at other facilities.\n\n\"The next project we do, we're going to consider replicating some of the benefits we've seen with the modular system,\" he said. \"It made the project a lot more manageable than a conventional build. I could even foresee using the approach closer to home here in the U.S.\"\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Mitsubishi Chemical Performance Polymers' use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nAllen-Bradley, CompactLogix, FactoryTalk, PowerFlex and VantagePoint are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\nEtherNet/IP is a trademark of ODVA Inc. Apex Modular ExtrusionTM is a trade mark of Apex Engineering, PLLC\n\n\nTAG: chemical\n\n",
    "solutions-in-action--ab-fasa": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/solutions-in-action--ab-fasa\n\nTITLE: Solutions in Action: AB FASA\n\nAB FASA manufactures packaging equipment for the dairy industry - for butter, margarine, processed cheese, yoghurt, cream, ice cream, milk, confectionary and other food products.\n\nIt offers a wide range of packaging machines, including filling, filling and wrapping, fill and seal, form-fill-seal (FFS), flow-pack, batchers, homogenizers, collating and stacking, glazing machines and freezing tunnels.\n\nIt exports its machines worldwide to more than 50 different countries: including those in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, Central Asia and the Far East, as well as South America. The company also has a wide distribution network in Russia and the former Soviet countries.\n\nFASA is committed to the development of new, technologically advanced equipment and its experienced professional staff, design & testing facilities and problem-solving expertise allow it to create innovative, customised solutions to address its customer`s requirements. All of its packaging lines are designed to comply with the food and safety regulations of the food industry.\n\nThe company's ARM Filling and Wrapping Machine is designed to fill and wrap butter, margarine and other edible fats in aluminium foil laminates or parchment paper.\n\nTwo product-feed options are available: hopper with augers or direct feed from the processing line. Capable of producing 80 blocks per minute (depending on the [product weight), the machine offers a wide dosing range and a large variety of brick sizes - from 8 to 1,000 g.\n\nThe machine uses a complete, integrated control solution from Rockwell Automation, from the PLC down to the pushbuttons. At the heart of the automation infrastructure is an Allen-Bradley(R) Micro850(R) control system which control all the primary axes, including the pneumatic system used for the cutting and folding of the wrapping media.\n\nAccompanying the Micro850 control system is an Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM 800 graphic terminal for operator interaction and Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) 525 drives, which control the conveyors. Other Allen-Bradley components include stack lights, fibre optic photo switches, guard locking switches and contactors.\n\nFASA also offers a number of options for the ARM machine, fulfilling even more customer requirements, these include: protective machine covers with or without locking system or minimal safety covers, a bactericidal lamp, an automatic lubrication system, a hopper sensor & hopper cover, a heated cutter for margarine and an inkjet date printer or a thermal date printer.\n\n\"Our machine will normally be positioned in the middle of a processing line,\" explains Karolis Samusis, CEO of AB FASA, \"often followed by a conveyor, which takes the wrapped products onto secondary packaging stations and eventually on to pallets. Its primary strength is its simplicity. The machine is incredibly easy to use and is far less complex than other units available on the market. But this simplicity is not at the sacrifice of flexibility as we believe we can offer one of the widest ranges of packaging sizes and formats on the market - from 8 to 1,000 g. It is also very stable and easy to maintain.\n\n\"It also offers interchangeable parts,\" he continues, \"so users can easily change form one package format to another to cater for changing market demands. The trend in the market is smaller capacity and smaller batch sizes, as each shop or chain demands different products and packaging.\n\n\"We went with Rockwell Automation after opening a US sales office last December. As well as offering us a much more accepted control solution for the US market, we also found we received better support than that from our existing supplier. Indeed, we removed all of the previous supplier's hardware and simply swapped them with Allen-Bradley products from Rockwell Automation - right down to the push buttons. As well as the excellent support, we have also optimised our designs due to having a lower overall part count, thanks to integrated and optimised products that also save space in the control cabinet. This has also resulted in less overall wiring.\"\n\nFrom a customer perspective Samusis concludes: \"Rockwell Automation helped us from the very early stages and in an ongoing capacity, it is also able to offer better, quicker support in the US (and worldwide) with spares from local warehouses.\"\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to this customer's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\u00a0\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "biopharmaceutical-mes": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/biopharmaceutical-mes\n\nTITLE: Biopharmaceutical Pioneer Installs MES\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nBuilding on its legacy of discovery, this biopharmaceutical leader has a robust pipeline of investigational therapeutics with more than a dozen in clinical development. Critical to that pursuit is their Process Development division.\n\n\"We have a small manufacturing division that takes a drug developed in R&D and scales it up to a batch used for clinical trials,\" explained the company's Information Technology Manager. \"Over the past 15 years, this division has generated more than two million paper batch records. These records are stored in a dedicated room.\"\n\nThe company sought an electronic batch records solution that would improve data integrity by eliminating manual processing and related paper-based errors, such as transcription mistakes, missed signatures, and out-of-order production steps. It would also bring all records together in a single location, so records could be searched, compared, and reported upon.\n\n\"Our primary goal was to digitize data to reduce the number of errors and make it simpler to search and analyze,\" the IT Manager said.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\n* MES for Process Development\n\nAfter a thorough and competitive review, the Process Development division selected FactoryTalk(R) PharmaSuite(R) as the system they would use to digitize the records. PharmaSuite is a leading Manufacturing Execution System (MES) solution developed specifically for the Life Sciences industry.\n\nMost large companies in the Life Sciences industry are already using PharmaSuite in some capacity. However, this project marked the first time PharmaSuite has been deployed in a Process Development capacity. It was also the first time this customer had adopted any MES technology.\n\n\"We felt that starting our MES deployment in the Process Development division would be a good first step in our digital transformation journey,\" the IT Manager explained. \"We have a very close relationship with our Rockwell Automation Strategic Account Manager and extended Rockwell team. They tailored the MES demonstration to our processes and needs, so it was easy to see the value.\"\n\n\n\n* Upfront Collaboration Improves Outcomes\n\n\"Our business team and IT team worked closely with the Rockwell Automation engineers during implementation. It was a continuous process in which we went back and forth until we identified the best configuration,\" the IT Manager said.\n\n\"To be successful when you deploy a system like this, the business must own the system and the configuration process. When they're involved in everything from the beginning, they start to learn and understand what's going on and that helps tremendously with change management.\"\n\nIT's role was to provide support. Also crucial were availability and resources from Rockwell Automation team members in the United States and configuration specialists in India.\n\n\"Rockwell Automation was holding our hand at all times and jumped in right away whenever there was a need,\" the IT Manager recalled. \"That gave our users the confidence that if something happened, they weren't alone and they could continue to produce their batches and digitize the data simultaneously.\"\n\n\u00a0\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\n* Streamlined Manufacturing\n\nThe Process Development division completed the PharmaSuite implementation, including 10 complex recipes and system extensions, in 2023. With the new MES in place, they expect to save 500 pages of paper per product campaign, which equates to more than 3,000 pages a year. They estimate they will reduce batch cycle times from 10 to 8 weeks and produce an additional two batches annually.\n\n\"Having the electronic system streamlines the manufacturing process,\" the IT Manager said. \"Multiple users can work within the system at once. We can perform quality and data verification in real time, instead of after the fact on paper. And we're able to determine quicker if something is not going to specifications and fix it for that batch as well as subsequent batches.\"\n\n\n\n* Improved Reporting\n\nAs users became more familiar with the system, they also identified that they could create a primary batch record report to collect and summarize data. This report, once generated manually over the course of several days, can now be generated in minutes.\n\n\"Now at the end of a batch, the team just presses a button, and the primary batch record report appears,\" the IT Manager explained.\n\n\n\n* Data Visibility Makes Future Improvements Possible\n\nWith the system's improved data access and visibility, the customer plans to perform batch analytics and trending to improve predictability. They'll also expand their use of other PharmaSuite capabilities, including functions that enable the process development division to electronically manage equipment and materials workflow. Processes that were also paper-based.\n\nNext for the customer is developing the use case for deploying an MES in their GMP manufacturing site. The vision is they'll eventually integrate that MES with their other systems including its ERP, data management and Rockwell Automaton platforms.\u00a0\u00a0\n\n\"We're going to integrate these systems so whatever makes sense to be passed from one system to another, will be passed electronically and not double entered manually,\" the IT Manager said. \"Our Process Development MES implementation is an important first step in our digital transformation and creates a foundation for a synergized manufacturing platform.\"\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: life-sciences\n\nTAG: factorytalk-pharmasuite\n\n",
    "major-oil-processing-plant-gains-greater-visibility-and-flexibil": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/major-oil-processing-plant-gains-greater-visibility-and-flexibil\n\nTITLE: Major oil processing plant gains greater visibility and flexibility with modernised control solution\n\nConnectivity is a vital element of any contemporary industrial operation, no matter what market it serves. Industry 4.0 and big data aside, having access to up-to-date and actionable operational data is essential to extract the best possible performance from any plant.\n\nA major challenge across the industrial spectrum is that older and so-called 'black box' technology cannot keep pace with technological developments and rapidly changing market demands and does not offer the interconnection and data-generation capabilities needed in modern industrial operations. For these reasons, many established companies are looking to upgrade and modernise their control and automation infrastructures to leverage the benefits of data-capable technology.\n\nA major Romanian oil-processing plant recognised that it was facing these challenges in its rail tanker loading ramp operations. In addition to the risks associated with older technology, such as the signal failures, it realized its incumbent closed-source black box solution was impossible to update and also very insular in that it did not readily share the essential data needed to optimise the plant's operations.\n\nFor the modernisation work, the customer approached Romanian company Smartech Automation SRL, a member of the Rockwell Automation recognised system integrator programme. Recognised system integrators make the commitment to deliver the highest technical solutions and customer service, leading with Rockwell Automation technologies. These integrators have a mutually supportive relationship with Rockwell Automation sales and distributors.\n\nChallenge:\n\nThe challenge facing the terminal operator was its inability to exchange data between the plant-wide systems and the loading ramps, in a continuous and streamlined fashion. All the data that was collected or that could be collected from the loading process was barely available for the higher plant-wide management systems.\n\nThe customer tried to develop the terminal management application to deal with the logistics and data of the loading process but concluded that integration with the existing automation application for the loading ramps was simply not feasible.\n\nBecause there was no integration, time was lost due to manual input of data, either as new data for loading, or for the resultant loading data. This operation was also performed by the same operators that operated the loading process, increasing the loading time. The time taken to manage the resulting paper reports compounded the issue.\n\nThe technological issues faced could be broken down into connectivity, expandability and flexibility. The existing system was nearly impossible to modify, thus hard to integrate with the new terminal management system. It was a closed system, too, and any failures were hard to troubleshoot and could potentially lead to significant losses due to downtime.\n\nThe new solution had to be open, easily interfaced with the terminal management application and flexible. It had to allow both the implementation of the previous features in addition to the easy incorporation of future features. Also, since there was not a lot of time available for commissioning and start up, all the previous I/O were not moved to new panels and new I/O cards, and the old PLC chassis were kept.\n\nThe new system had to seamlessly integrate the previous connections with the field devices (valves, hydraulic systems, etc), thus avoiding a longer shutdown due to moving cables and wires from the old panel to a new one. Integration of all the existing metering systems was also a requirement \u2013 the loading meters and scales. This had to be done via a serial interface.\n\nSolution:\n\nAccording to George Marinescu, control engineer Smartech Automation SRL: \"The four loading ramps are now each controlled and monitored by four operators, each with its own high-end operator interface. A primary server hosts the application, which is served to the operator panels using dedicated software. Gateway software is used to interface with the terminal management application as an OPC server.\"\n\nThe operator stations are used for the loading process control (positioning of the loading tube) and monitoring (real time loading data, such as mass, volume, density, for all the meters and scales for a given ramp/station), allowing the operator to now work in one of two modes:\n\n    * Online mode \u2013 All the loading data is received from the terminal management application and after loading, all the resulting loading data is sent back (loaded mass, volume, average density, temperature, meter used, batch number, etc).\n\n    * Fall-back or offline mode \u2013 The operator can access tables, which allow them to fill in the data normally received from the terminal management application. The resulting final data is then logged in an SQL database, saved in a queue to send back to the terminal application, when it becomes available again. The offline mode also allows for printing of reports and data retrieval. Thus, the offline mode replicates some of the functions of the terminal management application when it is not available.\n\nMarinescu continues: \"The previous application's functions were split and some moved on the PLC level (meters and scales communication, loading steps, meter interlocks) while others were implemented in the software application (loading results reporting, SQL archiving).\n\n\"The\u00a0PLC racks were left into place due to commissioning time constraints,\" he adds, \"but the CPUs were replaced with Allen-Bradley\u00ae 1747-AENTR Ethernet adaptors and the PLC code migrated and adapted into new mid-range programmable automation controllers (PAC).\"\n\nFour MVI69L-MBS Modbus Serial Lite Communication Modules from Prosoft Technology, a Rockwell Automation Encompass\u2122 Product Partner were also used \u2013 mounted on the PAC chassis \u2013 to deliver serial communication capabilities.\n\nResults:\n\nThe new system was seamlessly interfaced with the terminal management application, delivering the easy exchange of necessary data between the two systems. All the existing functions are replicated in the new system, this time on a more open platform, comprising operator interfaces and PACs.\n\nThis new platform allows for the easy addition of new features (new products to be loaded, changes and improvements of the loading process, addition of new meters, etc) and time is now no longer being lost on tasks such as manual data input or managing paper reports.\n\nMarinescu explains: \"We are working on a new system for two more loading ramps, for the same client, but this time the ramps are new. The core system will have pretty much the same functionality as the modernised one; however, since the ramps are new and the commissioning time constraints are not as great, we are able to design a more advanced control system, with brand new automation panels. The new system uses the same server/software/interface solution, alongside redundant High-end PACs.\n\n\"Other ongoing projects we are working on using Rockwell Automation products include a demineralized water finishing station for a thermoelectrical plant, using redundant high-end PACs, high end HMI software and hardware solutions and process I/O modules.\"\n\n\nTAG: process-automation-control\n\nTAG: oil-and-gas\n\nTAG: programmable-controllers\n\n",
    "fps-keeps-it-cool---and-efficient": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/fps-keeps-it-cool---and-efficient\n\nTITLE: FPS Keeps It Cool - and Efficient\n\nWhen consumers pay top dollar for food, they expect consistent quality. And whether the buyer is selecting items for a restaurant menu or the family table, frozen food is hard to beat when it comes to preserving nutrients and flavor.\n\nBut food is finicky.\n\n\"Even a slight change in temperature or time during the freezing process can affect the quality, taste and texture of food,\" said Sean Cao, electrical engineering manager, FPS Food Process Solutions. \"Maintaining consistent temperature control - and maximizing throughput - is critical in industrial applications.\"\n\nA global leader in food cooling and freezing equipment, FPS Food Process Solutions provides innovative systems designed to meet stringent hygienic demands. Fueled by a strong reputation in the food industry, the privately owned company has experienced double-digit growth in recent years. FPS is headquartered in Richmond, a suburb of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.\n\n** Midstream Challenges - Times Two **\n\nRecently, an Idaho-based food and agribusiness company specializing in restaurant-quality frozen products approached FPS for a solution. Based on the success of its potato product line, the food company planned to expand production capacity at a new facility in Winnipeg.\n\nThe new plant was designed to run two processing lines - one for French fries and one for formed potato products, such as hash browns. FPS was contracted for the freezers on each line.\n\n\"The two products have vastly different processing requirements and require different freezer technologies,\" Cao explained.\n\nA tunnel freezer is appropriate for French fries, which are flash frozen. A spiral freezer is ideal for formed potato products, which must be cooled more slowly. In both cases, the freezing process takes place midstream - between cooking and packaging.\n\n\"Since our freezers are in the middle of the process, they impact both upstream and downstream applications,\" Cao said. \"So machine reliability and uptime are critical - and impact the productivity of the entire line.\"\n\nIn fact, when a freezer goes down, often the entire line must stop.\n\n** Custom Solutions Every Time **\n\nLike all FPS freezers, the solutions for the potato processing facility were custom designed to meet specific application requirements.\n\nFPS built the tunnel freezer for a capacity of 56,000 pounds per hour and the spiral freezer for a capacity of 13,000 pounds per hour.\n\nIn the tunnel freezer, an Individual Quick Frozen (IQF) process drops the temperature of the freshly blanched French fries from 190^0F to 0^0F in about 20 minutes. The IQF process uses a system of refrigerator coils and fans to circulate cold air as the French fries advance through the tunnel on a conveyor.\n\n\"The spiral freezer is based on a similar refrigeration concept but uses a spiral conveyor to transport product - and retain the unique moisture and texture of the hash browns,\" said Cao.\n\nThe cycle time in the spiral freezer is approximately 45 minutes.\n\n** Maintainable Construction. Efficient Control. **\n\nTo maximize cleanability and uptime, FPS minimizes the number of internal components by mounting them outside when possible. In addition, all electric motors can be externally located to improve durability - and reduce the number of internal components to clean.\n\nA maintainable, hygienic design is just one part of the uptime equation. The other is consistent and precise airflow - and an easy-to-use control system. FPS built their new industrial freezers on PlantPAx(R) DCS, a modern distributed control system from Rockwell Automation.\n\n\"Our customer was standardizing on PlantPAx in their new facility,\" said Cao. \"They asked us to use PlantPAx to streamline integration throughout their operations.\"\n\nThe control platform for both freezers features an Allen-Bradley(R) ControlLogix(R) 5570 controller. Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) 753 and 525 AC drives control the fans and conveyors. The HMIs are based on Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM graphic terminals and the systems are integrated on an EtherNet/IPTM network.\n\nVarious RTD sensors are integrated into the system to monitor freezer and product temperature. PID loops are used to adjust refrigeration valves and conveyor speeds to match requirements.\n\nFan control is central to the operation of both freezers - and key to efficiency.\n\n\"In the tunnel freezer, the PowerFlex drives control 22 fans,\" Cao said. \"Precisely matching the fan speed to the process requirements of each recipe helps reduce energy consumption.\"\n\n** A Smarter Path to System Design **\n\nWhile FPS was very familiar with Rockwell Automation control systems, this latest solution represents just the second time the company used PlantPAx DCS for system design.\n\nLessons learned in the first implementation - a large, site-wide project - easily scaled to the two smaller freezer systems.\n\n\"Regardless of project, the foundation for all system programming has already been developed in PlantPAx,\" said Cao. \"In other words, the PLC and HMI coding is predefined - and the Add-On Instructions (AOIs) and global objects make configuration much easier.\"\n\nFPS estimates that the PlantPAx system helped reduce their design time by about 20%.\n\n\"With PlantPAx we streamlined our process - and met our customer's requirements for a consistent system that eases integration, operation and maintenance,\" Cao said.\n\nLearn more about how Rockwell Automation helps improve machine builder performance.\n\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: plantpax\nTAG: plantpax-dcs\n\n",
    "safety-record-success-at-fairfaxs-tamworth-press": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/safety-record-success-at-fairfaxs-tamworth-press\n\nTITLE: Safety Record Success At Fairfax's Tamworth Press\n\nWith the advancement of the digital age, gone are the days where printing presses were required to reside within close proximity to the journalists, who would rush a story down to the print room for inclusion in tomorrow's newspaper.\n\nIt now makes good business sense to invest in new technologies and consolidate print centres to service a broader geographical location.\n\nFairfax's original printing press in Tamworth, New South Wales was installed back in 1997. The press was constructed from second hand equipment from various sites around Australia and was approximately 25-30 years old.\n\nAs a result of restructuring and with the requirement to consolidate a number of regional printing presses, a new greenfield facility was built in Tamworth and existing equipment from regional areas including Wagga, Nowra, and Warrnambool were relocated to the site.\n\nWith a strong focus on health and safety at the site, Fairfax conducted a risk assessment with participation from Goss International and Rockwell Automation.\n\nBased on the findings of the risk assessment, an innovative safety solution was commissioned at the site. This culminated in an enviable safety record for the press that is based on the latest technologies in integrated control and safety.\n\nGuardLogix safety controllers met all the safety and control requirements for the press\n\n*** Driving Safe Print Production ***\n\nIn addition to printing its main paper, The Northern Daily Leader, Tamworth press is also responsible for publishing newspapers for the surrounding regional towns. Each week the print centre goes through 15 to 20 tonnes of newsprint.\n\nJanuary is one of the busier periods with additional print runs needed to meet the demands of Tamworth's country music festival. The team produces around 20,000 to 30,000 copies of the festival guide. To continue to meet these requirements while putting safety first, a risk assessment was conducted to provide insight into ways to improve safety outcomes and productivity at the press.\n\nAccording to David Hedges, plant manager at Tamworth Press, \"As a company, we are very focused on safety. We want our workers to go home in the same condition they arrived to work that day so safety is paramount in everything we do here. We looked at ways to improve procedures and what we could do to improve the safety aspect of the work.\"\n\nAs part of a national move towards increased plant safety, regulations have been introduced which specify various employers' duties for plants under their management and control. These regulations require the employer to undertake the risk assessment process for either new or relocated plants.\n\nThe machine guarding and risk audit identified the required safety category for the guarding. \"Fairfax have rigid safety standards and take safety very seriously so this safety solution went the extra mile to exceed current requirements,\" said Matt Sharkady, general manager at Goss International.\n\n\"Having worked with Rockwell Automation previously, we knew that their control and drive solution would meet these safety requirements. In addition, the fact that they had an experienced, local team that could do all the engineering was another reason that made Rockwell Automation stand out as the most appropriate choice for this project.\n\nIt meant that we were working in a real time interface and their engineering team could visit the site to commission and make sure everything was working well as opposed to working with an overseas group where the time zones would be out of sync,\" he explained.\n\nFor fast troubleshooting, the PanelView graphic terminals display the status of the guards, showing which guards are open and which ones are closed.\n\n*** Integrated Control and Safety ***\n\nKey to the success of the project was the requirement for a completely integrated solution that would provide effective safety, drive and process control for the press.\n\n\"GuardLogix(R) safety controllers met all the safety and control requirements for the press. The control and drive system was configured so that some particular safety guards could not be opened until the press reached a slow speed, while opening a unit guard at the inappropriate time would stop the press to help prevent injuries \" explained Peter Tomazic, senior solutions consultant at Rockwell Automation.\n\nDeviceNetTM provided communications between the Safety IO and GuardLogix to deliver integrated safety, drive and process control. Four PowerFlex(R) DC drives were used to power the press which were linked back to the control system using ControlNetTM communications. There were also more than 110 SiphaTM Sensors that were put on the guards throughout the press.\n\nMore than 110 Sipha Sensors were put on the guards throughout the press\n\n*** For fast troubleshooting, the PanelViewTM graphic terminals display the status of the guards, showing which guards are open and which ones are closed. \"If an adjustment has been made to a part of the press and the guard is left open, we can see from the console exactly which guard was left open. We can then go directly to close that guard so the press can continue to operate as usual,\" explained Hedges.\n\n ***\n\n\"Another feature of the solution is the ability to integrate additional guarding among the machinery. When we decided to add some doors in front of the reel stands to protect the printers from moving rollers, we were able to loop this additional guarding into the existing program really easily which was very beneficial for us,\" he said.\n\n*** Safe Guarded Record ***\n\nThe press contains six print towers, six reel stands with two folders that create the end newspapers. This print line can either be run as two independent presses (each containing three print towers with a folder) or they can be run as one press.\n\n\"To allow for this we introduced zoning into the safety system so that when used as one press, all of the press's safe stops are active but if they are run as two separate presses the safe stop of one press does not control the other. There is also an emergency stop which can stop everything if required,\" said Tomazic.\n\n*** In the design of the safety system, there was no stone left unturned which is why there is not one moving part that anyone can get hold of without having to take a guard off. There are over 150 guards just on the press alone, to keep fingers out and avoid serious injuries.\n\n ***\n\n\"Sometimes guarding can be cumbersome and cause issues with maintenance and production but with this solution there has been no hold up in production or maintenance schedules and it provides the safety and work environment for staff that we were wanting to achieve,\" said Hedges.\n\nThere are over 150 guards on the press alone, to keep fingers out and avoid serious injuries.\n\n*** \"In addition, we have found the working components offer great reliability and on top of that, we have implemented a monthly check list to make sure all the guards are working correctly and operating correctly. Every month we physically disconnect and open the guards on all our guard switches,\" he said.\n\n ***\n\nSince the installation of the press there have been no failures on the guard switches and there have been no injuries or near misses thanks to the high level guarding at the press. This is reflected in the press's safety record, which is the best in the group.\n\n\"We're now up to 2,369 days without lost-time injury so we know that our staff will be able to go home at the end of the day in the same way they came to work each and every day,\" said Hedges.\n\n\u00a0\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to this customer's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nAllen-Bradley, GuardLogix, PowerFlex, Sipha, and PanelView are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\n\nTAG: print-and-publishing\n\n",
    "digital-transformation-manufacturing-operations": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/digital-transformation-manufacturing-operations\n\nTITLE: Digital Transformation in Manufacturing Operations\n\nNo business can afford to sit still. Least of all manufacturers. Only those who stay a step ahead stand a chance. Rockwell Automation has pushed beyond the initial stages of digital transformation to reach a state of continuous improvement-so they can remain on the forefront of whatever comes next.\n\nWe have always been at the forefront of innovation. How many manufacturers can say they've experienced more than a century of continued success? Rockwell Automation can. Established in 1903, what began as the world's first motor control company has grown into a storied technology and manufacturing powerhouse. Through transformative events from the invention of the moving assembly line to the rise of industrial robotics, Rockwell Automation has always remained an industrial leader. Rockwell Automation has thrived for 117 years because they've stayed on the cutting edge for 117 years. Today, Rockwell Automation is building what's next by applying that same mindset of innovation.\n\nRockwell Automation-both a global manufacturer and leading technology provider-is uniquely positioned to drive their own digital transformation. As a manufacturer, about one-third of their 23,000 employees work at 20 global manufacturing plants and manage a product catalog of nearly 400,000 SKUs.\n\nAnd as the world's largest company dedicated to industrial automation and digital transformation, they help companies around the world improve processes, reduce inefficiencies, and increase productivity.\n\n***** Rockwell Automation is well into their own digital transformation *****\n\nGiven their heritage, the Rockwell Automation manufacturing arm embraced digital transformation before it became a buzzword. They started by combining multiple, disparate systems into one enterprise resource planning (ERP) system that could manage many others around the world. In parallel, they rolled out a manufacturing execution system (MES) as its centralized system of record-and spent the next several years going plant by plant to connect factories, processes, and people to a single MES.\n\nThese actions put Rockwell Automation at the forefront of OT/IT convergence-unifying IT and OT systems to provide new opportunities to access, monitor, and capitalize on operational, business, and transactional data across the manufacturing enterprise. This gave them the foundation to standardize workflows and processes across all facilities. Rockwell Automation established a globally standardized approach for connecting their factories around the world and set the stage for the next wave of digital transformation.\n\nThe results were significant. Rockwell Automation lowered their total cost of ownership, reducing inventory days from 120 to 82 and capturing 30% in annual capital avoidance. They have accelerated their time to market, with supply chain deliveries now up to 96% and lead times cut in half. Additionally, the company estimates it has experienced a 4 - 5% annual improvement in productivity.\n\n***** The key to success is continuous improvement *****\n\nAs Rockwell Automation has demonstrated throughout their history, the ability to stay ahead of the curve requires a commitment to continuous improvement. Not only does it require solving for the needs of the present, but also anticipating those of the future. This means finding new ways to continually optimize operations and enable better decision making throughout the workforce-their greatest asset.\n\nAlthough well into their own digital transformation and yielding significant improvements, Rockwell Automation was not content to rest on their laurels. With their factories connected and a single connected system across the globe, Rockwell Automation asked the hard question: what's next?\n\nRockwell Automation wanted to ensure it was realizing the full benefits of their connectivity by driving standardization across operations. To do this, a team of connected enterprise specialists focused on key use cases designed to further optimize factory assets and empower their workforce with digital tools and resources.\n\n***** Rockwell Automation accelerates transformation with FactoryTalk InnovationSuite, powered by PTC *****\n\nRockwell Automation employed FactoryTalk(R) InnovationSuite, powered by PTC, to build and advance to the next stage of their transformation. Across six global facilities, the suite infused edge-to-enterprise analytics, machine learning, internet of things (IoT), and augmented reality (AR) directly into their industrial operations. This powerful suite makes data more accessible, enables more informed business decisions, and facilitates long-term growth and continuous innovation. FactoryTalk InnovationSuite is the most comprehensive and effective way for manufacturers to optimize their people, products, and processes, and to accelerate their industrial transformation.\n\nThe technology on its own has enormous potential- but without specific use cases that can scale to multiple scenarios and facilities, the value can be limited and never hit the double-digit impact Rockwell Automation was looking for. To ensure a successful global rollout, Rockwell Automation identified use cases that would have the greatest benefit to their global operations and employees. By piloting the use cases in each location, they were able to facilitate a digital culture shift and help employees develop the right skillsets. At a high level, these use cases span from intelligent asset optimization to workforce productivity and enterprise operational intelligence.\n\n***** Intelligent asset optimization *****\n\nToo many manufacturers take a reactionary approach to managing production and performance issues. They depend on manual monitoring processes to assess machine health and utilization, or simply don't have the ability to see critical information that could help them optimize operations. The resulting downtime and poor asset utilization are often costly and time consuming to fix. And as machines and operations become more complex, the impacts only become greater.\n\nTo overcome these challenges, the Operations team undertook strategic use cases with the goal of creating an intelligent approach to asset optimization. They leveraged real-time monitoring, diagnostics, and predictive and prescriptive analytics to gain valuable visibility and better understand the health and diagnostics of their machines. Equipped with these powerful monitoring tools, they were able to avoid unplanned downtime and maximize asset utilization. The team implemented three use cases in this area:\n\n***** Throughputs *****\n\nRockwell Automation leveraged powerful real-time monitoring and analytics tools to both increase the quantity of output and decrease the labor cost per unit produced. With detailed data analysis of the production process-specifically around time between units and time per step-Rockwell Automation was able to optimize throughput for a new product in high demand. At one facility, double-digit results include a 33% increase in labor efficiency, a 70% increase in outputs, and a 50% reduction in training time.\n\n***** Predictive maintenance *****\n\nRockwell Automation uses 35 injection molding machines of varying complexity and age, which made it difficult for them to efficiently determine machine status and prevent downtime. Leveraging IoT technology to collect vital, realtime information across legacy machines, they created a unified view of their factory floor, and achieved an 8% improvement in productivity. This enables them to enhance quality control, improve machine uptime, and ensure maintenance needs are met based on machine utilization.\n\n***** Analytics *****\n\nIn order to reduce long production times on ball grid arrays, the team piloted a new machine learning test for good and bad ball grid connections. They created a 3D profile of the paste applied to boards, which would enable them to quickly determine whether there was a bad paste profile. As a result, they were able to detect issues earlier in assembly, reduce time to fix from hours to minutes, provide better quality assurance, and reduce paste related defects by 51%. Through each of these use cases, Rockwell Automation was able to optimize asset efficiency, reduce machine downtime, and increase throughput to satisfy customer demand. And this is just the beginning. \"Now we have data sources connected and identified, and we can create new models to further improve our processes,\" says Lion Moeliono, IT Manager, Global Plant Systems at Rockwell Automation.\n\n**** At one facility, double-digit results include a 33% increase in labor efficiency, a 70% increase in outputs, and a 50% reduction in training time. ****\n\n***** Digital workforce productivity *****\n\nLike many manufacturers, Rockwell Automation understood that managing a digital workforce could be difficult. Without a clear view into machine performance, supervisors often struggled to separate worker issues from machine issues and ensure the best output. Furthermore, as skillsets like wiring rose in demand, the team had no systematic way to ensure employees were properly trained. In combination with high turnover, this posed significant risks to quality and safety. Solving these problems wasn't just about improving the bottom line. The team sought to empower their workforce with digital tools-not only improving productivity but also creating an environment where employees feel valued for their accomplishments, day in and day out. They implemented four targeted use cases to better empower their workforce:\n\n***** Work queue visibility *****\n\nThe lack of visibility into available work queues in highly automated and critical lines and assets often resulted in lines running out of material for processing-causing costly unscheduled line downtimes. By combining data from IT and OT sources and visualizing it together, Rockwell Automation realized a 75% reduction in line starved-condition downtime due to lack of materials, which enabled operators to optimize their work. Now we have data sources connected and identified, and we can create new models to further improve our processes.\" Lion Moeliono IT Manager, Global Plant Systems at Rockwell Automation.\n\n***** Standardized performance reporting *****\n\nThe team needed a clearer way to see the impact of downtimes on hourly performance, so they developed a common KPI dashboard for use across all plants. Combining disparate information from scheduling systems, SAP, MES, and other sources, the configurable and modular dashboard enabled workers to better visualize performance trends, make data-informed decisions and increase labor efficiency by 13%.\n\n***** AR-guided wiring training & quiz *****\n\nEnsuring employees could wire effectively had become an increasing challenge due to turnover. Additionally, there was no objective means to measure success, resulting in risks to quality and safety. Using AR technology to deliver a better training experience in an engaging way, Rockwell Automation was able to train employees and simultaneously measure competency to identify skill gaps.\n\n***** AR-guided standardized work instruction product transfer *****\n\nRelocating plants between Switzerland and Poland required teams to transfer critical and detailed knowledge across countries and languages. The team in Switzerland began recording work instructions using AR technology, breaking down tasks into step-by-step instructions with pictures, video, and voiceover and reduced training time by 30%. In just one day, the operations team in Switzerland built a library of 80 videos and was able to deliver training to the Polish team before the plant was even up and running. Rockwell Automation provided workers with actionable, augmented information they can use to improve productivity, safety, and employee satisfaction-not just on one line, but across the enterprise. \"We're trying to get to where they work with the issue for about five minutes and if they can't resolve it in that time, they escalate to support groups. If they're having trouble, we want them to reach out to support so they can more quickly resolve the issue,\" says Moeliono. Through each use case, Rockwell Automation was able to help connect people with technology to deliver the best results for their employees and customers.\n\n***** Enterprise operational intelligence *****\n\nThe above use cases are only the beginning, as they continue to look for new innovations and ways to infuse intelligence into their operations. Now, they aim to create enterprise-wide operational intelligence to improve performance across all factories-through continuous bottleneck identification, actionable KPIs, loss prioritization, and tracking the value deliverable. For example, because they had standardized workflows and unified OT and IT systems, Rockwell Automation had a blueprint for a connected supply chain-allowing them to track and trace quality issues. These benefits will increase exponentially as they add more data and use cases.\n\n***** Ensuring traceability in the supply chain *****\n\nWhen Rockwell Automation experienced a jump in demand for component parts for electronic assembly and had to procure material from an external source, they quickly discovered that non-conforming parts had been introduced into their supply chain. Leveraging the intelligence from FactoryTalk MES, unified IT and OT systems, and standardized processes, they were able to identify the issue and trace it throughout their supply chain to prevent any more problems in the future. This capability can reduce recalls by 80% or more, in any given situation.\n\nThe quality issue is just one example of how a seemingly narrow use case can scale to global application by leveraging a flexible and intelligent solution. \"We could pivot and avoid problems while not disrupting current production. It made the whole effort so much easier,\" says Brian McCaffrey, Production MES Operations Manager at Rockwell Automation. \"In our business, it saved us a lot of extra effort.\"\n\n**** Rockwell Automation reduced recalls by 80% or more. ****\n\n***** Next steps *****\n\nAs Rockwell Automation continues to optimize operations and increase workforce opportunities, it will rely on its connected systems and flexible technology to accommodate new innovations. As a proven leader in manufacturing, Rockwell Automation is living proof of the business imperative to transform, with evidence across their operations of how technology can support improvements in large and small ways, inspiring people to deliver their best work every day.\n\nLooking forward, Rockwell Automation is building off these recent learnings. They're challenging themselves on how they can drive further improvements for workers, equipment, and processes, with the goal of creating even more customer and employee value.\n\nThey're arming employees with better training by leveraging breakthrough AR technology and providing opportunities for higher-level responsibility as more manual tasks become automated. They're protecting their assets by turning tons of data into improved prediction and prescription capabilities, to manage machine performance and maintenance at a new level of precision.\n\nEvery day, they're learning more about the capabilities of their own technology, only limited by their imaginations and the time it takes to continuously improve and transform, one step at a time.\n\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: plex\n\n",
    "southwest-baking-batch-system-upgrade-expands-process-flexibilit": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/southwest-baking-batch-system-upgrade-expands-process-flexibilit\n\nTITLE: Southwest Baking Batch System Upgrade Expands Process Flexibility\n\n*** Background ***\n\nBread is on the menu of nearly every restaurant. Sandwich makers, for instance, roll through millions of cases of bread each year to keep profits rising.\n\nThe business of bread-making can be complicated.\n\nBehind the scenes, industrial food manufacturers, such as Southwest Baking Company based in Tolleson, Arizona, produce more than 2 million cases of bread annually to keep sandwich makers and other restaurants in business.\n\nThe Southwest Bakery bread-making process begins in raw material receiving, where ingredients like flour, yeast and salt are stored in holding bins until transferred into the batching system.\n\nThe batching system draws the raw materials from holding bins into an industrial mixer where ingredients are combined.\n\nThe mixture then moves into production where the bread product is formed and frozen, before being packaged, palletized and shipped to distribution centers.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nSouthwest Baking was restricted by an outdated, proprietary batch system that only ran one batch every eight minutes. This kept the factory at only 85 to 90 percent capacity, based on the production power of their machinery.\n\nAdditionally, the company was experiencing five to six hours of downtime per month at a cost of thousands per hour. Sometimes a downtime event would last up to a full day or more while a lone programmer tried to fix the problem.\n\n\"When the programmer left the company, knowledge of the system left with him,\" said Robert Wroblewski, plant engineer, Southwest Baking Company. \"Our employees didn't know how to operate, leaving us to wait hours for outside support when issues occurred.\"\n\nThe proprietary platform was not scalable, so Southwest Baking couldn't expand process lines for future growth.\n\n\"Beyond scalability, we'd continuously run into situations when new equipment needed to be added or the procedures in our batch process had changed, causing us valuable time re-programming, starting up and testing before run time,\" said Wroblewski.\n\nIn addition, the company's outdated platform had limited reporting capabilities.\n\nReports were restricted to pulling in data from raw materials receiving. The reports were not consistently collected or accurate.\n\nOperators had to manually gather the data at various intervals in the process, leaving room for human error. The system also could only store a few days of data.\n\nSouthwest Baking required an easily supported batch solution that was sustainable over the long term and could accurately track and report critical process data.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nSouthwest Baking collaborated with ECS Solutions Inc. \u2013 a Recognized System Integrator in the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork\u2122 program \u2013 to help design and implement a replacement for the limited legacy system.\n\nAfter assessing offerings from a number of vendors, Southwest Baking and ECS Solutions chose to standardize on a flexible, batch recipe management system leveraging FactoryTalk\u00ae Batch software from Rockwell Automation. The company upgraded its control system to Allen-Bradley\u00ae ControlLogix\u00ae controllers with an advanced HMI interface and process historian.\n\nWith the new system, we can finally add, change or expand processes as we need,\" said Wroblewski. \"Our improved flexibility and the associated cost savings alone, helped pay for the system in just one year.\"\n\nIn addition, the new system complies with S88 standards, allowing operators to more easily make modifications to batch procedures and changes to controller codes.\n\nEnhancing operator functionality, the updated platform enables operators to perform maintenance and troubleshooting without tapping outside programmers.\n\nIntuitive displays make the system easy to operate and increase insight to the full batch process.\n\nAs part of the new solution, Southwest Baking now has a visualization, analysis and reporting portal, allowing operators to view batch process trends \u2013 such as material usage, balance of ingredients and delivery accuracy \u2013 and easily make adjustments to recipes when needed. The new historian collects nearly 200 data points and can store years of data.\n\n*** Result ***\n\nSouthwest Baking wanted a reliable system with local support to help increase batch consistency across the facility. The company not only achieved this, but exceeded it.\n\nSince implementing the new batch solution, Southwest Baking increased production by 5 percent \u2013 roughly 10 pounds of dough per minute and an additional 400,000 cases of bread per year.\n\nIn addition, the company reduced its cycle time by more than 20 percent, meaning it can run more batches in the same time frame. \"With our old system, we were running eight batches every hour. We now run 10 batches an hour,\" said Wroblewski.\n\nDowntime is virtually a thing of the past. Southwest Baking has reduced downtime from an average of one hour of downtime per event to a couple of minutes of downtime per event.\n\nThe new batch system empowers operators at the plant level to respond to system errors when they arise. \"Our operators are now the first responders at our facility,\" said Wroblewski. \"They understand the software, and have direct insight into the process. In fact, nine times out of 10, they know how to fix the issue themselves \u2013 and if they don't, local support is a phone call away.\"\n\nAdditionally, the improved information and reporting accuracy helps the company maintain consistent recipes and reduce the amount of wasted ingredients.\n\nThe company is no longer limited in flexibility. The scalability of the batch platform allows for additional process lines to be easily integrated and the overall baking process to grow with the company.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Southwest Baking Company's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "oil-spill-remediation": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/oil-spill-remediation\n\nTITLE: Flexible Control. Versatile Water Treatment.\n\nEndpoint Industrial Controls\u00a0delivers turnkey automation and control solutions for a wide range of industries - from oil and gas to renewables to manufacturing.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nA Better Way to Manage Produced Water\u00a0\n\n\n\nCrude oil isn't the only element extracted in the oilfield. Naturally occurring water - or \"produced water\" - is an ever-present byproduct that must be managed in an environmentally compliant way.\n\nWater is also vital to drilling and fracking.\n\n\"Water is a primary ingredient in 'drilling mud,' which is used to equalize pressure and stabilize exposed rocks during the well-drilling process,\" said John Clay, CEO, Endpoint Industrial Controls. \"Of course, water is also used to create fractures, which allows hydrocarbons to more easily flow.\"\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\n\nHighly brackish, untreated produced water is unfit for drilling and fracking operations. And until relatively recently, most was piped to highly regulated salt water disposal (SWD) wells. Oil companies relied on other water sources for production needs.\n\nBut thanks to expanding water treatment capabilities, produced water is increasingly recycled. One produced water midstream company is leading the way. And they called on Endpoint for an agile control system to match their innovative water treatment and recycling technologies. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\n\nEndpoint Industrial Controls delivers turnkey automation and control solutions for a wide range of industries - from oil and gas to renewables to manufacturing. Headquartered in Loveland, Colorado, the company is part of the Rockwell Automation(R) PartnerNetworkTM program.\n\nSystem Complexity and Volume Requirements\n\nEstablished in 2013, Endpoint's customer operates more than a dozen geographically dispersed water recycling facilities and associated pipelines throughout the oil-rich Permian Basin in West Texas and New Mexico. In total, their facilities manage 1.2 million barrels of produced water per day.\n\n\"The company has both permanent facilities and mobile units,\" Clay said. \"The mobile systems might be set up for a couple of months or a few years - and then rotated to another site.\"\n\nDissolved air flotation (DAF) technology is the centerpiece of the system. The influent water stream is pumped into the DAF vessel, where various chemicals including coagulants, flocculants and oxidants treat the water. A pressurized airstream is introduced, creating micro-bubbles in the solution.\n\nLighter particles in the water attach to the bubbles and rise to the surface. Heavier particles sink to the bottom. The particles - mostly hydrocarbons, chemicals and solids - are removed as sludge. The treated effluent is pumped to a clear water well where it is tested for clarity, stored - and pumped to a fracking operation for reuse.\n\nFrom a control standpoint, the system presents two critical challenges.\n\n\"First, these sites aren't all the same - and you might be dealing with one DAF or multiple units,\" Clay explained. \"Second, the system must be responsive enough to manage up to 3000 gallons of water a minute - or 100,000 barrels a day for each DAF on site.\"\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\nAdaptable Control in Remote Locations \u00a0\n\nBecause the water treatment solutions are engineered on a project-by-project basis, Endpoint based their control solution on the agile PlantPAx(R) distributed control system (DCS) from Rockwell Automation.\n\n\"Oftentimes, we encounter changes in instrumentation from jobsite to jobsite,\" Clay said. \"Using the PlantPAx platform, we developed a program that allows for high configurability on an abbreviated timeline.\"\n\nTo achieve the processing speed required, the skidded solution is based on Allen-Bradley(R) CompactLogixTM controllers, PowerFlex(R) AC drives for pump control and PanelViewTM HMIs. In addition to providing monitoring capabilities at the jobsite, Endpoint delivers SCADA integration to enable reporting at company headquarters.\n\nEndpoint collaborates closely with their customer as skids are moved and repurposed.\n\n\"Our customer can make most changes to the control system on their own, through the HMI,\" said Clay. \"But if they need our assistance, we can typically handle programming changes remotely.\" \u00a0\n\nGiven the rugged, desolate locations for most water treatment skids, standard network connectivity is not an option.\n\n\"Many of the sites have no network connectivity, no mobile phone coverage,\" Clay explained. \"Instead, we use a low-orbit satellite service for the access we need to manage end-to-end integration.\"\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\nPutting Agility to the Test\n\nFollowing a pipeline oil spill in December 2022, the flexibility of the DAF-based water treatment system was put to the test. The pipeline dumped more than 500,000 gallons of crude oil when it ruptured near Mill Creek, Kansas.\n\n\"Authorities called on our customer to help remediate impact to Mill Creek,\" Clay said. \"They were able to quickly repurpose one of their existing skids to respond to this request.\"\u00a0\n\nAccording to the EPA, the surface water treatment system effectively treated and discharged up to 4.5 million gallons of water per day - more than 35 million gallons total when the water remediation efforts were completed. Endpoint's customer played an important role in these efforts.\n\nLearn more about OEM Solutions.\n\nTAG: drive-sustainability\n\nTAG: oil-and-gas\n\nTAG: distributed-control-systems\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: plantpax\n\n",
    "llog-improves-reliability--realizes-99-percent-uptime-with-new-o": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/llog-improves-reliability--realizes-99-percent-uptime-with-new-o\n\nTITLE: LLOG Improves Reliability, Realizes 99 Percent Uptime with New Offshore Floating Production System\n\n*** Industry-Leading Schedule ***\n\nPremiere oil and gas exploration company\u00a0LLOG operates in the depths of the Gulf of Mexico off the Louisiana border. Despite the company's relatively small size among oil and gas industry giants, LLOG is the fifth largest operator in the Gulf. The company's success rate of drilling exploratory wells is 70 percent, compared to an industry average of approximately 35 percent.\n\nIn 2012, LLOG desired to achieve production from multiple discoveries in the Mississippi Canyon protraction area as quickly as possible. The company developed a schedule with just three years to build a new, automated floating production system (FPS) in the deep water off the Gulf of Mexico.\n\nAt this time, the company had one successful FPS, \"Who Dat\", producing from nine wells. LLOG studied the underwater landscape, negotiated a final agreement, and began construction of a new FPS to act as a hub in the Gulf of Mexico's Mississippi Canyon - the Delta House Floating Production System.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\n\n*** Short Timeline Presents Unique Challenges ***\n\nWith an industry-leading 36 months to complete design, implementation and drill, LLOG was required to work under an accelerated build schedule. Beginning engineering work prior to oil discovery in the area facilitated the fast schedule. This early engineering was a bold endeavor, but a leap LLOG was willing to take due to the company's higher than average success rate and large prospect inventory. LLOG was also comfortable that the new design could accommodate a wide range of possible oil characteristics.\n\nA typical deepwater approach for new drill FPS's includes oil discovery, identification of well locations, a front-end engineering and design (FEED) study, a bid for production FPS types, then detail design and, only then, can construction begin. This traditional approach typically takes several years before the first drop of oil is produced from a well.\n\nThe unique timeline for the new Delta House FPS was far more compressed.\n\nIn addition to an accelerated timeline, LLOG was also looking to commission, design and implement a completely different process control system than the existing proprietary system deployed on its other FPS, Who Dat.\n\n\"The controls system on Who Dat wasn't easily scalable,\" said Rick Fowler, vice president deepwater projects, LLOG. \"With our new Delta House FPS, we knew we needed a process control system that would be scalable to meet future needs, and help us recover return on investment quickly.\"\n\nIn order to achieve speedy ROI, LLOG required a highly reliable, secure, flexible distributed control system (DCS) that would be easily duplicated for future projects.\n\n*** Modern DCS Achieves Flexibility, Safety, Security Far from Shore ***\n\nWorking with a system integrator, LLOG designed and implemented the new Delta House offshore FPS using a one-size-fits-most approach. Due to the accelerated timeline and the optimistic outlook for similar projects in the future, the company decided to design an FPS that would fit most offshore Gulf of Mexico locations, versus building it specific to one location. This decision helped speed design and implementation time, and also allowed for a flexible FPS design that could be easily repeated elsewhere.\n\nThe company chose to implement a modern, virtualized PlantPAx(R) DCS from Rockwell Automation. The virtualized system improved reliability and expandability with built-in disaster recovery and the ease of provisioning new hardware when needed in hours versus days or weeks. Additionally, because the PlantPAx system is built on open communication protocols, it provided LLOG with a scalable approach that could easily integrate with various OEM process skids deployed across the topsides processing equipment.\n\n\"Our existing Who Dat FPS is running on physical servers. In order to expand, we need to add and integrate another full physical server, a costly and time-consuming process,\" said Fowler. \"With a virtualized PlantPAx system on the Delta House FPS, we can easily expand and add another virtual server in minutes, and at no cost.\"\n\nAs part of the PlantPAx system, LLOG has expanded visualization into its process control operations. Leveraging the Rockwell Automation software suite for production intelligence, the system allows operators to easily capture historical data for tracking trends, monitor the process, and collect and report key data, alarms and events to help make more informed operational and business decisions. The system uses updated grayscale graphics, making it easier for operators to see issues and rationalize alarms.\n\nThe system also allows LLOG to centralize authentication and access control by verifying the identity of each user who attempt to access it. Direct communication through the software allows the system to either grant or deny user requests for increased, built-in security. Additionally, using embedded Cisco technology,\u00a0Allen-Bradley(R) Stratix(R) switches helped LLOG ease network configuration, management and support. Enhanced security features of the switches support system-wide security as part of a defense-in-depth approach.\n\n*** Optimistic Future for Delta House ***\n\nLLOG completed the full Delta House construction, including the DCS design and implementation and extracted first oil in an outstanding three years.\n\nNot only was the timeline and FPS build extraordinary, but process system results since implementation have been equally momentous.\n\n\"The PlantPAx system has helped us realize increased uptime,\" said Fowler. \"In the first year using the system, we averaged an industry-leading 99 percent uptime on the new Delta House FPS.\"\n\nSince first oil extraction in April 2015, the facility has already produced over 60 million barrels of oil equivalents. From inception, the breakeven price for the development was $27 per barrel of oil.\u00a0 Going forward, the breakeven price is below $20.\n\nThe features of the PlantPAx system have also helped the company save valuable time and money. \"When the FPS has an issue, the system is designed to safely shut down operations,\" said Fowler. \"Recently following a nuisance shut-in, with improved reporting and insight into system trends, we were able to get production back up and running in hours, minimizing downtime.\"\n\nThe expandability of the controls system is unmatched. The Delta House FPS began operations with just a few wells. After a year and a half in production, LLOG has been able to simply add new wells as needed. Wells are typically miles away from the FPS, but through PlantPAx standardization, ease of integration and virtualization, incorporating new wells into the controls system is a painless process.\n\nAt the 2017 Offshore Technology Conference, LLOG was awarded the Distinguished Achievement Award for Companies, Organizations and Institutions in recognition of the Delta House project. The Delta House project was also named one of the top five projects in the world according to Offshore magazine.\n\nToday, the Delta House FSP is processing from five fields versus just the three known at the time of construction. By the end of 2018, an additional three fields will be producing.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to LLOG's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nAllen-Bradley, PlantPAx and Stratix are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\n\nTAG: oil-and-gas\n\n",
    "Donga-st-cheonanplant": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/Donga-st-cheonanplant\n\nTITLE: Establishing GMP for specialized Korea pharma company using MES\n\n***** Dong-A ST is a specialized pharmaceutical company that develops ethical drugs (ETC) and supports the oldest pharmaceutical company, Dong-A Group, in Korea. Dong-A ST is now able to verify its global standard manufacturing environment and quality by introducing Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES). In addition, by applying a Warehouse Management System (WMS), Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system (SCADA), and PTC solution, it became possible to automate the manufacturing record system, manage product quality, and realize data integrity business intelligence. *****\n\n***** Seeking Opportunities Beyond Domestic Market *****\n\nDue to a lack of original technologies developed locally in Korea, there were many cases paying royalties for new drugs or widely sold products and brought Korean domestic copyrights from abroad. As for the overseas pharmaceutical companies, they had to manufacture their medicines in a production environment based on international good manufacturing practices (GMP) standards. Korean pharmaceutical companies do not fully comply with global manufacturing environment regulations since their focus are mainly on the Korean domestic market and meeting Korea good manufacturing practice (KGMP) set by the country's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.\n\nHowever, Korean companies that focused on the domestic market have experienced limitations in the domestic market due to several circumstances including a steadily declining population. As such, they seek to enter overseas markets to overcome these limits and grow. One way to enable this is to build a production environment and system that complies with global standards.\n\nGlobal pharmaceutical companies supply pharmaceutical products to countries around the world based on mass production of small items. However, unlike global pharmaceutical companies, Korean pharmaceutical companies are engaged in multi-product productions and produce various products at their manufacturing facilities. This multi-product production method requires a robust and efficient management system to meet quality standards in the manufacturing environment, and there is a requirement to strengthen data integrity for multi-product quality management. To achieve data integrity, MES can help from an IT system perspective to better manage quality requirements. This led Dong-A to start a large-scale project across three years from 2020 to 2022 at its Cheonan plant.\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** Boosting Data Integrity with MES, WMS and SCADA *****\n\nDong-A is the oldest pharmaceutical company in Korea, and Dong-A ST, a subsidiary that produces specialty pharmaceuticals, sought FactoryTalk PharmaSuite, FactoryTalk ProductionCentre and Enterprise Integration Hub (EIhub) to strengthen data integrity considering its expansion into the global market. Pharmaceutical companies must keep manufacturing records as certificates that contain information on all drugs manufactured in production facilities, but the existing manual paper-based method is prone to human errors . Dong-A ST integrated MES (FactoryTalk PharmaSuite, FactoryTalk(R) ProductionCentre and EIhub) and WMS (FactoryTalk Warehouse) to build automatic data capture functions and integrated label applications, through which it is making improvements to increase operational efficiency. The digitization of manufacturing records also makes it easier to review compliance.\n\nWhen a product-related problem occurs after product shipment, MES automatically traces back the recorded data to take appropriate follow-up actions, facilitate the COPA (Computer Operator and Programming Assistant) process, and provide reference materials when corrective action is required. By introducing MES into its production environment, Dong-A ST was able to further strengthen its data integrity.\n\nIn addition, the combination of IT (Information Technology) and OT (Operational technology) by using ThingWorx was applied to make quality control and product maintenance easier by allowing operators to see data in real-time as they work. Advanced analytics and optimization solutions that integrate disparate devices, applications, and data sources increased productivity and improved overall operational efficiency. By connecting smart tools and facilities, workers can more securely access data in real time and monitor it remotely in a timely manner.\n\nWith FactoryTalk Analytics DataView, decision makers can intuitively see factory metrics and conditions, realize business intelligence to make data-driven decisions, and accurately measure KPIs.\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** Fewer Human Errors, Better Outcomes *****\n\nWith Rockwell Automation's MES, WMS, SCADA, and PTC solutions, they enabled Dong-A ST to validate the manufacturing environment and quality, and data sorting and analysis. This helped decision-makers make more immediate business decisions. Through system automation, regulatory reporting and compliance became much easier with fewer human errors. Above all, the successful establishment of GMP global regulations in the company's production environment and system enabled Dong-A ST to carve out a competitive advantage in the fierce global pharmaceutical market.\n\nBuilding on experiences and technology obtained from this project, Rockwell Automation Korea is committed to actively supporting foreign market entry by providing global competitive solutions to manufacturers in various industries as well as the pharmaceutical industry.\n\n\u00a0\n\nTAG: mes-solutions\nTAG: digital-transformation\nTAG: industrial-automation-and-control\n\nTAG: pharmaceutical\nTAG: life-sciences\n\nTAG: factorytalk-productioncentre\n\n",
    "asaleo-care_s-tissue-machine-upgrade-future-proofs-production-": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/asaleo-care_s-tissue-machine-upgrade-future-proofs-production-\n\nTITLE: Asaleo Care's Tissue Machine Upgrade Future-proofs Production\n\nAsaleo Care is a leading personal care and hygiene company that manufactures, markets, distributes and sells essential everyday consumer products across the Feminine Care, Incontinence Care, Baby Care, Consumer Tissue and Professional Hygiene product categories.\n\nThe company's products include Purex, Sorbent, Handee and Tork and are used daily in households and businesses across Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and a number of countries in the Pacific. Asaleo Care has eleven manufacturing and distribution facilities throughout Australia, New Zealand and Fiji.\n\nAsaleo Care is committed to introducing the latest technologies to their manufacturing plants to continue to produce quality products and meet evolving safety standards.\n\nThe manufacturing plant in Kawerau, New Zealand was established in 1955 and to this day is still the only tissue base paper manufacturer in New Zealand. To address obsolescence issues, Asaleo Care called on Rockwell Automation to design, manufacture and commission a control and drive upgrade to their tissue machine that would also incorporate the latest safety technologies.\n\nAsaleo Care produces well known brands including, Purex, Handee, Sorbent and Tork\n\n*** Tissue Making Perfection ***\n\nAsaleo Care has been manufacturing tissue related products since 1952 and is committed to meeting customers' needs. The manufacturing plant in New Zealand produces 50,000 tonnes of tissue related products annually.\u00a0\n\nTo maintain their niche in the midst of intense competitive pressure from imported products, the company decided to upgrade the control and drive system of their tissue machine to incorporate the latest technologies while continuing to meet current safety standards.\n\n*** According to Paul Stevenson, electrical engineer at Asaleo Care, \"We must stay competitive in order to remain in business over the long term and that's a key reason for the upgrade.\"\n\n ***\n\nThe tissue paper making process at Asaleo Care starts with responsibly sourced pulp. The pulp entering the Kawerau site carries a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification. This pulp is blended to slurry, formed pressed, creped and dried. The company is the only known tissue manufacturer that uses geothermal steam, a renewable energy source at Kawerau, for drying the tissue.\n\n*** Driving Production ***\n\nDrive technology has advanced in leaps and bounds providing greater flexibility, productivity and ease of use. The existing drive system at the Kawerau plant was an analogue, direct current system, requiring periodic maintenance and being 30 years old, was also facing obsolescence.\n\n\"Over the years we became familiar with the processes required to maintain the system but we had to replace the brushes quite a lot. One of the things to bear in mind is the risk profile, if it gets to the point that its breaking down every week we couldn't afford the risk of the machine being down for weeks while we are waiting on parts,\" said Stevenson.\n\nThe new system was designed for integrated safety control using Allen-Bradley GuardLogix with safe speed monitoring and safety gates\n\nBy moving to an AC drive system, maintenance requirements were reduced. The system was designed to take into account various factors relating to AC drives system such as excessive electrical noise and motor circulating current. The new system was also designed for integrated safety control using\u00a0Allen-Bradley\u00a0GuardLogix Safety Controllers\u00a0with safe speed monitoring and safety gates.\n\nThe upgrade included new motors and eight new\u00a0Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) Drives\u00a0for the tissue machine line. The Active Front End (AFE) capability provided regenerative braking for energy savings as well providing Harmonic mitigation for all the common bus line drives. By placing two AFE's in parallel, the DC bus capacity reached 2470 Amps, providing power for all the tissue machine's common bus drive system.\n\nAccording to Liam Hayes, project manager at Rockwell Automation, \"We leveraged our application knowledge to engineer a solution that incorporates the latest technologies. The drives also included Safe Speed Monitoring allowing the operators safe access to the machine for maintenance purposes.\"\n\nHigh Speed trending provides accurate information about the drive system and to assist with fault finding by picking up any process changes that may require resolution.\u00a0PanelViewTM Graphic Terminals\u00a0display application status information graphically for the drive and control systems.\n\n\"We are positioning ourselves with this upgrade so we can improve speed and increase productivity. The drives have always posed a limitation. We were looking to future proof the drives and sizing was an important aspect,\" said Roy Ormiston, Paper Machine Operations Manager at Asaleo Care.\n\nPanelView Graphic Terminals display application status information graphically for the drive and control systems\n\nHassle-free Commissioning\n\nThe entire solution was engineered, manufactured and delivered from the Lane Cove Assembly Centre in Sydney, Australia. The Rockwell Automation Global Solutions team have numerous software standards that have been developed over the years to reduce risk by providing the capability for these machines to be configured correctly the first time.\n\n\"To keep downtime to a minimum during commissioning, a full Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) was conducted at Lane Cove, which allowed us to test the equipment prior to installation. The FAT provided the opportunity to get a lot of the 'leg work' done, with the exception of the encoders, so we were confident that commissioning would be hassle free,\" said Project Manager Paul Kirsopp.\n\nThe upgrade included new motors and eight new Allen-Bradley PowerFlex drives for the tissue machine line\n\n\"These machines are not designed to stop and the process does not allow for it in terms of our supply channel so time is always a limitation. We had to keep downtime to a minimum and took advantage of the two week shutdown to complete some additional work at the site,\" he said.\n\nKirsopp added that, \"the cooperative approach by everyone involved in the project allowed for ahead of schedule delivery despite the challenges of working alongside two other major upgrades at the plant.\"\n\nFuture-proofing Production\n\nAs a result of the upgrade diagnostic information is more readily available and the level of support to be able to access, repair and maintain the system is improved. The machine is more reliable and has advanced capabilities for guarding and productivity gains.\n\nKirsopp explained that \"Global Solutions was more than just a drive system specialist, with specific experience in tissue machines and paper machines they have an in depth understanding of the entire machine and how to engineer the drives to meet the specific application requirements.\"\n\n\"The system does not require an enormous amount of technical input and with improved reliability as the primary outcome, the productivity will start coming when we start increasing the speed. In addition, the machine is so much quieter that we had to check that it was still running at times. We are extremely happy with the outcome and the relationship established with the Global Solutions team,\" he said.\n\n\u00a0\n\nAllen-Bradley, GuardLogix, PanelView, PowerFlex, and Rockwell Software are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\n\nTAG: household-and-personal-care\n\n",
    "solutions-in-action--newfoil-machines-limited-": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/solutions-in-action--newfoil-machines-limited-\n\nTITLE: Solutions in Action: Newfoil Machines Limited\n\nFounded in 1982 Newfoil Machines Limited has become world leader in the field of roll fed hot foil label printing and converting machines, and can boast over 1,500 installations in 90 countries worldwide. Primary customers include multiple worldwide label printers, particularly those servicing the wines, spirits and electronics industries.\n\nFrom the launch of the first machine at the 1982 Label Expo exhibition in Birmingham, U.K, the Newfoil range of machines and options has been continuously developed and expanded and is now regarded as the industry standard for high quality finishing and converting. Indeed, Newfoil Machines was the first company to produce self-adhesive hologram labels, launched at the 1986 Drupa exhibition.\n\nTechnological evolution has culminated in the company's Servo range of presses, which deploy the latest development in servo technology to offer an integrated motion and safety control system, which brings together the various dynamic and control elements of the machine into one package. Using an HMI touch-screen control panel, the operator can set-up and optimise the label parameters in a minimum amount of time and store the data for re-use.\n\nAll Newfoil machines are designed and built at the company's 2,000 m2 factory in the United Kingdom, a modern facility equipped with the latest CAD design systems, CNC machine tools and production equipment. In-house production accounts for 95% of the machines engineering content and the advanced Servo control system is supplied by Rockwell Automation a market leader in motion control technology. Having total control of the manufacturing process enables Newfoil Machines to enjoy an unrivalled reputation for reliability and quality.\n\nThe Servo range comprises seven machine variants, with web widths varying from 175 up to 330 mm. Each model deploys electronic servo web feed control and is capable of up to 18,000 cycles per hour in addition to finished label rewind and matrix removal. In operation the machines take blank or pre-printed material on rolls at the infeed and then, via seven steps (re-register, hot stamp, emboss, laminate, die-cut, strip and rewind) deliver finished, self-adhesive labels, foiled and embossed at the outfeed.\n\nAt the heart of the machine is an Allen-Bradley(R) control suite from Rockwell Automation running over an EtherNet/IP network. Primary control is delivered via an Allen-Bradley CompactLogixTM programmable automation controller (PAC), which controls a four- or six-axis servo indexing systems controlled by Allen-Bradley Kinetix(R) 5500 servo drives. Allen-Bradley PowerFlex variable-speed drives complete the motion element, while an Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM Plus HMI provides the operator interface.\n\nAccording to Derrick Evans, Managing Director and Owner of Newfoil Machines: \"Our machines have been designed to produce very high value labels for premium products so we have to have an automation solution that can address our demanding accuracy and quality levels. Rockwell Automation was able to offer us complete support through the critical design and development period with practical solutions to unusual problems.\n\n\"As a result of the integrated Allen-Bradley solution,\" he continues, \"we have reduced our design time, cut our programming efforts and made troubleshooting easier. We are also seeing increased flexibility, which will help us to evolve our machine design with minimal engineering effort.\n\n\"Our customers are seeing easier maintenance and troubleshooting,\" he concludes, \"while also enjoying enhanced personnel and machine safety. Indeed the incorporation of Rockwell Automation products has resulted in much better productivity and a return on investment that has improved by a factor of 80%.\"\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to this customer's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nAllen-Bradley, CompactLogix, and PanelView are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\n\nTAG: print-and-publishing\n\n",
    "sealed-air-sustainability": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/sealed-air-sustainability\n\nTITLE: Sealed Air Commits to Sustainability\n\nSealed Air (SEE) is a global company that designs and produces digital, automated and sustainable packaging solutions that protect essential goods including fresh food, healthcare products, and items shipped through e-commerce. Known for brands like CRYOVAC(R) brand food packaging and BUBBLE WRAP(R) brand packaging, there's a chance when you purchase food at the grocery store or order goods online and have them delivered to your door, they're being kept safe and intact by SEE packaging.\u00a0\n\n***** Watch the Video *****\n\nIn addition to the SEE mission of providing quality packaging solutions, the company is deeply committed to shaping a sustainable future. \"Today, the world has a huge recycling problem,\" says Sergio Pupkin, the company's Chief Growth & Strategy Officer. \"We want to do more to drive a circular economy for packaging.\"\n\nSEE has pledged to \"design or advance 100% of packaging solutions to be recyclable or reusable, eliminate waste by incorporating an average of 50% recycled or renewable content into solutions, and collaborate on advanced recycling technology and infrastructure by 2025.\"\n\nSergio explains that to achieve this mission, the company has invested in research and development that pairs the latest technologies with creative ideas to innovate and build brand new solutions. \"We want to recycle more to drive that circular economy, but the recycling stream for many of our products is still under development. So, we collaborate with different partners to make sure that we help to drive that circularity while still solving the problem of reaching vast audiences with the right products.\"\n\nAt Rockwell Automation, we're proud to join forces with SEE to support the research and development they're doing to enhance sustainability in packaging design. We value SEE's expertise within the markets they serve, their ability to be industry leaders , and their commitment to leaving the world better than we find it.\n\nSergio shares that the admiration is mutual, \"What led us to building the relationship [with Rockwell Automation] over the years is the reliability, the ease of programming, the technical support, the partnership... these Rockwell strengths have helped make us partners over the years.\"\n\nTAG: drive-sustainability\n\nTAG: sustainability\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: household-and-personal-care\nTAG: food-packaging\n\nTAG: plex\n\n",
    "autonomous-decisions-material-handling": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/autonomous-decisions-material-handling\n\nTITLE: Autonomous Decision-making for Material Handling\n\nMaterial handling equipment is a critical part of the mining supply chain. It is essential for the movement, storage, blending and delivery of materials across the mine, and it serves as the link between the mine to the market. While it sounds simple on paper, when it comes to material handling in mining, there are numerous challenges that mining companies face.\n\nMaterial handling in mining in inherently difficult. You're working with big machines that transport large quantities of materials over long distances, meaning a problem upstream will cascade across the site and down the supply chain. And before you know it, you're dealing with backlogs, downtime, spillage and major delays. No mining company is immune to these challenges, but for many, taking variability out of the scenario is key.\n\n***** The trouble with transfer\n\n *****\n\nMaterial transfer is traditionally a complex process. Without a fully automated system in place, operators are overwhelmed with trying to perform several tasks and managing multiple interfaces. With this constant handoff occurring at all stages of the chain, many companies are susceptible to unscheduled process delays, spillage, and a lack of standardization due to operator variability and miscommunication.\n\n***** A day at the train load system (TLO) *****\n\nThe load controller is the focal point for plant operations, which means that during the busiest parts of their day, they will need to resolve multiple challenges simultaneously. The TLO operator can quickly become overwhelmed from all the sources of information that they need to consult. This is where mistakes and delays start piling up.\n\nOne of the most common consequences of being overwhelmed is that equipment is not in the right place as the right time to load a train. This results in delays for the train and the negative impacts are amplified down the supply chain. Operating in such a reactive state offers no ability for predictive indicators to address where an issue may occur before it happens.\n\n***** Moving in the right direction\n\n *****\n\nA major mining company set out to overcome the challenges that exist for the TLO operation. The solution? Decision automation (execution management) for material handling based on FactoryTalk ProductionCentre and Logix Controllers.\n\nOnce implemented, the solution coordinates the resources in the customer's mine and execution management (EM) automates the orchestration of the equipment decision-making process. EM does this by integrating with SAP and/or the site's job management system to automatically convert a job into a list of all the tasks and equipment needed to correctly execute the job.\n\nEM integrates with existing control systems to align the pieces of equipment needed to complete the job. Once the existing control system permissives for the route and equipment are enabled, the stacking/reclaiming job will automatically begin. EM will continuously update the stockpile inventory management system as well as the SAP system on the job progress. Once the job has been completed, EM will automatically relocate the equipment to the correct position for the next job.\n\nThe solution consists of two main components. First, the production manager defines the job number, job quantity and type of material. Second, is the real-time execution management (REM). REM directs the production manager, coordinating the start or completion of a job, measuring material consumptions and material productions. The role of REM is to command and orchestrate the automation system from each area, ensuring that all the operations will successfully complete the job.\n\n***** Maximizing asset ROI\n\n *****\n\nImplementation was easy - execution management (EM) integrates with the existing control system, so all the existing control and safety systems remain in place. Once installed, the benefits of the implementation exceeded the company's expectations. Improvements to conformance scheduling were immediately seen based on a standardization of the most efficient operational processes for the site. The customer also saw a reduction in the workload and dependency on the operators and reduced unscheduled process delays. This solution resulted in an annual saving of $200 M for the company.\n\n**** Recommended for You ****\n\nTAG: mining\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\nTAG: metals\nTAG: cement\n\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: plex\nTAG: factorytalk-productioncentre\n\n",
    "kenmec-emulate3d": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/kenmec-emulate3d\n\nTITLE: Kenmec Mechanical Adopts Emulate3D Visualization in Logistics Applications\n\nKENMEC Mechanical Engineering Co., Ltd. was established in 1976 in Taiwan. It was reformed and reorganized in March 1985. It has more than 15 related companies, seven service bases and nearly 40 patent inventions. It has many years of engineering experience in various processes of the industry. The low cost of engineering equipment and the competitive advantage of the market make the customer's products more competitive in the market.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nIn an era defined by globalization and shifting consumption patterns, logistics systems must be increasingly flexible and intelligent to deliver optimal cost-benefit outcomes for customers. While Kenmec Mechanical is at the forefront of smart logistics innovation, they have recognized that traditional approaches to logistics system design require a significant amount of time for planning transportation stations, conducting affinity analysis and more. Moreover, the challenge of conducting capacity verification before actual implementation often results in mismatched designs or overdesigned systems, which negatively impacts cost control and business reputation.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\nTo address these challenges, Kenmec Mechanical adopted Emulate3DTM, a solution centred on digital twin technology and PLC verification. By harnessing the power of dynamic digital simulation, Emulate3D enables Kenmec Mechanical to identify potential issues in production lines and machine designs within a virtual environment, to further improve efficiency and precision during real-world implementation.\n\n\u00a0\n\n\"By using Emulate3D to simulate the operations of physical warehouses, we can reduce the gap between virtual and physical environments, effectively enhancing communication efficiency on the business side.''\n\nApplications of Emulate3D in warehouse logistics include:\n\n    * Initial planning\n\n      By utilizing digital simulation to create a visualized virtual reality, Emulate3D helps Kenmec Mechanical to establish a complete virtual warehouse and conduct preliminary testing during the planning stage, enhancing project understanding and confidence.\n\n    * Assembly simulation\n\n      The high-fidelity simulation environment enables Kenmec Mechanical to effectively present actual picking and packing involving both machinery and labor. This early identification of potential risks helps to minimize adverse impacts on production capacity, which further reduces risks during actual operations and improves the precision in warehouse setup.\n\n    * Validation testing\n\n      By integrating a programmable logic controller into verification, Kenmec Mechanical can test production lines with greater flexibility. This reduces the time that engineers need to spend on retesting the software on site and allows immediate validation post-completion, which accelerates project timelines.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\nKenmec Mechanical has successfully applied Emulate3D to simulate large-scale project processes in various fields. Compared to previous run testing, Emulate3D has reduced project timelines by approximately 20%. Recent projects include assisting clients in executing logistics system planning in a diverse range of industries such as aviation, e-commerce, and manufacturing.\n\n\u00a0\n\n    *\n\n      * Taoyuan International Airport Terminal 3 project\n\n      * E-commerce, retail, and manufacturing industries\n\nTAG: optimize-production\nTAG: empower-people\n\nTAG: industrial-automation-and-control\nTAG: smart-manufacturing\n\nTAG: factorytalk-emulate-3d\n\n",
    "flexible-manufacturing-helps-food-and-beverage-oem-ramp-up-produ": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/flexible-manufacturing-helps-food-and-beverage-oem-ramp-up-produ\n\nTITLE: Flexible Manufacturing Helps Food and Beverage OEM Ramp Up Production\n\nJust a few short months ago, Clean Works was known mostly throughout the food and beverage industry for its decontamination treatment.\n\nThe process, using ultraviolet light, vaporized hydrogen peroxide, and ozone, kills up to 99.99% of pathogens on fruits and vegetables through innovative waterless technology. The technology has been validated on food-borne pathogens and is also highly effective in killing viruses.\n\nAnd now that technology can be applied to pathogens and viruses on materials and surfaces, including N95 masks and other personal protection equipment (PPE) used by healthcare and essential workers in the fight against COVID-19.\n\nClean Works and its partners relied on advanced and flexible manufacturing technology to pivot production, and quickly ramp up and sustain supply chain and production to meet emerging and significant global needs.\n\nThe result: in just eight weeks Clean Works produced 65 machines. International need continues to drive demand.\n\nAccording to Joe Symons, Clean Works general manager, \"Through the flexibility of our partners, we were able to ramp up our production exponentially. The Rockwell Automation COVID-19 task force sourced materials quickly, in many cases cutting lead times in half. The support of Gerrie Electric, a Rockwell Automation authorized distributor, and our electrical engineering partners at Synchro Engineering, was invaluable. Key members of the team mobilized to provide around-the-clock support, answer questions and address challenges. I could not be more impressed.\"\n\n** Standardizing Machines Improves Efficiency **\n\nThe Clean Works team wanted to standardize on a scalable control solution across its product lineup. A single platform would allow standardization of system components, machine code, as well as simplify support and maintenance of the systems.\n\nRockwell Automation, with Authorized Distributor Gerrie Electric, has been involved with Clean Works since their initial beta machines for sterilizing produce.\u00a0The original design had a mix of components. Together, the team standardized the design and controls, HMI, safety and industrial components in the panels, and continued to add functionality and enhance the machines.\n\n** Increasing Mask Production **\n\nThe result of this work is the automation system for Clean Batch, Clean Flow and Clean Flow Mini systems. The new Clean Flow Mini machine can sanitize 1,200 masks per hour or almost 30,000 per day.\n\nClean Works technology has been certified by Health Canada and validated by the Food and Science Department at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada. For sanitization of PPE and N95 masks, it's been approved for use across Canada.\n\nThe solution needed to physically fit into the small constraints of the control panel, while at the same time offering the control and flexibility for system enhancements as the systems evolved.\n\nUtilizing the Micro800TM control platform allows for a scalable, economic solution. The PanelViewTM 800 operator interface provides machine control, visualization of status and remote control/view of the HMI utilizing the built in VNC server. By remotely connecting to the machine, Clean Works can monitor critical machine data, as well as offer any remote support or system upgrades utilizing the VNC capabilities in the PanelView 800.\n\nAdded Joe, \"With the technical support of Gerrie Electric, we were able to design our equipment around a cost effective and technically potent framework.\"\n\n** Automation's Role In Pandemic Response **\n\n\"Our strong partnership with our distributor and their trusted advisor status with the customer made the flow of information and requirements seamless and effective,\" said Mark Carmount, channel account manager, Rockwell Automation. \"I am incredibly proud of how our team pulled together as one, to do what is right and take all necessary steps to combat this global pandemic.\"\n\nTAG: remote-support\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: life-sciences\n\nTAG: human-machine-interface\nTAG: programmable-controllers\n\n",
    "data-sharing-revolutionises-maintenance-at-hydro-extrusion---com": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/data-sharing-revolutionises-maintenance-at-hydro-extrusion---com\n\nTITLE: Data Sharing Revolutionises Maintenance at Hydro Extrusion & Components Nenzing\n\nIn the modern connected manufacturing landscape, probably the single most important asset an engineer can possess is data. Specifically, real time, informative and pertinent manufacturing data upon which vital operational decisions can be made - quickly enough to have a positive impact on production.\n\nBut, as part of a smart manufacturing operation, the collection of data and the interconnected pathways down which it flows are just half the story. Unless it can be presented to the right people, in the right format at the right time, it loses its effectiveness. So tight control over data distribution is essential.\n\nOn a smaller machine with a single HMI, presenting data is relatively straightforward. But when you consider larger plants with thousands of data points, multiple process steps and a wide range of operators and their associated roles, the task of distributing the right data to the right people takes on a new level of complexity.\n\nThis was an issue faced by Hydro Extrusion & Components Nenzing, part of Hydro, a global supplier of aluminium, products and extrusions, which sums up its activities as \"from cruise ships to LED lights, windows, air conditioners and hundreds of products in between, Hydro's experts help design, extrude and manufacture the parts that shape your world.\"\n\nThe ThinManager solution lets Hydro centralise the management and visualization of operational data and then share it.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nErich Marchart, manufacturing manager at Hydro Extrusion & Components Nenzing, explains: \"The plant in question has three extrusion press lines, with roughly 40,000 m^2 of installed equipment. These lines can handle around 46,000 tonnes of aluminium per year, creating over 30,000 different extruded aluminium profiles, sometimes with as many as 250 different products per day. More product variety demands greater flexibility and agility and in turn this both relies upon and generates more data.\n\n\"The detail, grade and complexity of the profiles we can deliver are continuously increasing,\" he continues, \"and the quality expectation of Hydro itself is growing year by year. The position we have established, means that the maintenance of our plant must be further optimised. Customer expectations in terms of delivery speed and reliability in meeting the specified properties are now driven by new methods. And we want to exploit the possibilities which arise from new technologies - such as sensors, IIoT and miniaturisation - as soon as possible, in order to grow and maintain our market lead.\"\n\nThrough the deployment of new smart technology, Hydro gained access to a wealth of additional operational data, but it realised that it must make access to this data and the insight it provides available to its employees in a mobile and flexible way.\n\nThe plant has three extrusion press lines, with roughly 40,000m2\u00a0of installed equipment.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nHydro has solved the issues relating to data volume and disbursement over a plant of this size by deploying ThinManager(R) technology from Rockwell Automation.\n\nThe ThinManager solution lets Hydro centralise the management and visualization of operational data and then share it with all facets of its manufacturing operations, from control rooms to line-side operators. In addition to streamlining workflows, it also helps reduce interactive hardware operations and maintenance costs.\n\n\"Using the central resource,\" Marchart adds, \"operators and maintenance technicians use mobile devices in the field to enter and receive information, independent of the standard IT infrastructure. The server provides a mirror of the application, giving the operators exactly the information they need, where they need it and when they need it. For example, should a processing variable cause concern, or an alarm is raised, the operators are immediately informed in a format that suits their role, and remedial action is quickly undertaken to prevent any detrimental effect on quality or throughput.\"\n\n*** Results ***\n\n\"The influence of data and its handling on the performance of the system is immense,\" he explains, including:\n\n    * Quality, by being able to directly represent the relevant relationships of measured values. For example, a deviation might indicate component wear, which can be acted on quickly;\n\n    * Efficiency and sustainability by avoiding losses in production, thanks to the reliable and accurate processes and equipment. By keeping a very close eye on all assets, issues are resolved much quicker, resulting in less wastage of time, raw materials and engineering efforts and\n\n    * Safety, because Hydro can reduce the amount of movement in its manufacturing environment tied to employees retrieving information. For example, very often employees must pass other personnel on stairs or narrow paths within the facility.\n\nWhether tablet, smartphone or notebook, the programs can always be used, independently, whether the operator is in the office or not.\u00a0\n\n\"The biggest advantage of ThinManager is that we can display systems of different platforms and layers quickly and easily on one device,\" Marchart elaborates. \"Whether tablet, smartphone or notebook, the programs can always be used, independently, whether the operator is in the office or not. It also interacts with other third-party software packages, including our SAP system.\n\n\"Our primary maintenance aim is centred around reliability engineering and a zero percent failure strategy,\" he adds, \"and we are confident that our production activities will gain huge benefits from this approach.\n\n\"We have had a relationship with Rockwell Automation for over 20 years,\" he concludes, \"and I would not change any decisions we have made since the beginning of this relationship. We are looking to develop the system even further with the addition of an Augmented Reality project, using the fruits of the\u00a0Rockwell Automation and PTC relationship. We are also looking at FactoryTalk Analytics, which will be tested soon alongside a number of other smaller projects centred around digitisation.\"\n\n\nTAG: industrial-networks\n\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\nTAG: metals\nTAG: mining\nTAG: cement\n\nTAG: factorytalk-thinmanager\n\n",
    "modern-hmi-provides-manufacturing-intelligence": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/modern-hmi-provides-manufacturing-intelligence\n\nTITLE: Modern HMI Provides Manufacturing Intelligence\n\n*** Hatching a Food Giant ***\n\nTyson Foods has grown from a pioneer in meat production, to one of the largest producers of meat and poultry in the world.\n\nSince its founding during the Great Depression raising baby chicks, selling animal feed and transporting chickens to market, the company has expanded to include major foods brands like Hillshire Farm, Ball Park and Jimmy Dean.\n\nBeyond its foundations in meat processing, the company also owns other brands of tortilla chips, breadsticks, pizza crusts and more.\u00a0\n\nPrepared foods make up nearly 20 percent of Tyson's annual sales.\n\nThe company manages all aspects of the production process for varieties of meatballs, sausages, bacon and meat products - from cutting and cooking to chilling and packaging.\n\n*** Weekly System Crashes ***\n\nNearly 300 million pounds of classic favorites, such as hot dogs, deli meats and smoked sausages, are produced annually at the Tyson Foods plant in New London, Wisconsin, one of 38 prepared food facilities.\n\nThe operating system that supported the facility's human machine interface (HMI) application was facing obsolescence.\n\nThe plant was relying on old PC hardware, which was, in turn, limiting which software system was used - some hardware was even running programs from the '90s.\n\nThe system was crashing weekly and often required two staffers - one from the operations side and one from IT - to stop what they were doing to get the system back up and running. All the while, production was still in progress.\n\nWhile the system was down, operators lost visibility into production.\n\nThe facility also risked losing reporting data, which offered critical support for meeting U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) compliance parameters.\n\nOnce the system was back up and running, employees had to check production and utility systems, and reboot all applications. The entire process took several hours.\n\n\"The fact that the system was crashing every week was a sure sign that we needed to upgrade,\" said Jonathan Riechert, senior engineer-innovation, Corporate Engineering Group, Tyson Foods.\n\n\"Beyond the USDA reporting issue, we knew that we couldn't keep taking hours out of employees' days to troubleshoot. A new operating system would be both a food safety and maintenance improvement.\"\n\nOperators understood they needed new hardware that could accommodate the software upgrade to give them reliable access to the data they required.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\n\n*** Accessing the Information ***\n\nThe New London facility started by replacing its aging production system with a new control and information system.\n\nThe new solution is based on the Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture(R) system that incorporates both the Logix control platform and FactoryTalk(R) production management software.\n\nThe Logix platform offers scalable, plantwide control through tight integration between the software, controller and I/O modules.\n\nThe team developed the integrated control and information system based on successful solutions implemented at other Tyson facilities to provide the needed visibility and access to actionable data.\n\nThe information system incorporates both visualization and manufacturing intelligence operating on three virtualized servers to provide improved visibility to plant-floor data.\n\nFor the visualization system upgrade, Tyson Foods migrated 250 screens from\u00a0FactoryTalk View32 software to a single FactoryTalk View Site Edition (SE) HMI application.\n\nEngineering installed HMI tags with existing, predefined connections to the programmable logic controllers. This helped confirm tags are consistent with the old system and saved engineering time.\n\nOperators now have real-time, comprehensive visibility into operations, such as tank levels and temperatures.\n\nThe new system includes alarms and events that enable operators to easily see and detect events throughout the facility.\n\nThe FactoryTalk View SE software integrates with WIN-911(R) to automatically trigger alarm notifications remotely via email.\n\nThe manufacturing intelligence solution builds on that plant-floor visibility by providing historical and trending information.\n\nFor this upgrade, operators migrated 1,000 historical tags from the past year over to the FactoryTalk Historian software, which now acts as the central repository for all production data from the control system.\n\nThis historical data, and the information retrieved through the facility's real-time 960 data tags, are aggregated in FactoryTalk VantagePoint(R) enterprise manufacturing intelligence software.\n\nThe program correlates data and offers easy trending and reporting capabilities - a critical improvement for the New London plant.\n\n*** From Insights to Action ***\n\nThe project was completed in just six months.\n\nSince then, system crashes are no longer an issue. Operators no longer have to worry about losing access to USDA reporting data.\n\nReports are easily accessed and downloaded into Excel(R). In addition to helping ease compliance, operators can now pull out specific information and create their own reports.\n\n\"Team members are empowered to create customized, robust reports. They can go into the application, drag and drop, and save whatever information they need. It's so simple,\" said Riechert.\n\nIn addition to helping ease compliance, these expanded reporting and trending capabilities have allowed the facility to save $100,000 in wastewater chemicals.\n\n\"The added visibility allowed us to see where inefficiencies were happening so we could adjust and refine our process,\" said Riechert.\n\nThe alarm and events monitoring capability has helped the company cut maintenance-response time to help increase uptime.\n\nThe added insight can also be used to help improve worker safety.\n\nFor example, event notifications alert operators if employees are entering a certain work cell multiple times per day. Operators can then zero in on the cause, and identify a solution to keep the worker out of that area.\n\nBecause the system is relatively new, operators at the facility have yet to see yield improvements, though they expect any small increases in production to lead to an increase in profits.\n\n\"The FactoryTalk software suite has given us access to valuable information so we can really make use of it,\" said Riechert.\n\n\"You can have all the data in the world, but the reporting and trending tools are what allow us to make it actionable.\"\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Tyson Foods' use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nIntegrated Architecture, FactoryTalk and VantagePoint are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\nWIN-911 is a trademark of WIN911 Software.\n\nExcel is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "mcs-control-systems-delivers-greater-control-and-higher-throughp": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/mcs-control-systems-delivers-greater-control-and-higher-throughp\n\nTITLE: MCS Control Systems Delivers Greater Control and Higher Throughput\n\n*** Background ***\n\nEstablished in 1975 to provide quality system integration service solutions into a wide range of industrial market sectors, MCS Control Systems Ltd experienced rapid growth and has now established a firm reputation for manufacturing quality MCC and PLC solutions, including SCADA, MES and PLC software.\n\nThe company also has an experienced software team, providing expertise in the design and implementation of HMI, SCADA, CIM, MES and specific integration at the top-end of control systems and materials handling, meeting the need for information connectivity between IT and production.\n\nThis combination of expertise means that MCS Control Systems Ltd. is now fully equipped to offer full turnkey systems capabilities, incorporating CDM 2007 Principal Contractor status, for process control system solutions, whilst the individual divisions are able to offer personal, specialist solutions to meet client specific project needs.\n\nIn a recent project involving the upgrade of a joint-council operated waste disposal and energy generation centre in the UK \u2013 which produces 17.7 MW of electrical energy from 245,000 tonnes of waste \u2013 it successfully upgraded a now obsolete control infrastructure to one that leveraged the contemporary performance and flexibility of an Allen-Bradley\u00ae ControlLogix\u00ae programmable automation controller (PAC) and associated automation solutions from Rockwell Automation.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nMCS was tasked with replacing an aging Allen-Bradley PLC-5\u00ae-based control architecture, which controlled two steam turbines and three furnaces, with a more up-to-date solution without changing the footprint of the installation and using the existing cabling and wiring infrastructure.\n\nThe plant's operators were finding that maintenance and repair were becoming difficult and were no longer cost effective; indeed if both primary and secondary PLCs failed all three incinerator units would become disabled.\n\nAccording to Stewart Foster, sales director at MCS Control Systems, the big question is 'do you migrate to a newer solution or replace the entire infrastructure'? \"To replace the entire control platform would have meant major long-term downtime and would require a solution that would need proving and testing prior to installation and commissioning,\" he explains. \"By using the existing infrastructure, it can be a lot cheaper and there are significant advantages for the end customer. All in all it is a better idea and in this case a better solution.\n\nMCS was given a four-day window to perform the changeover, testing and configuration on the common services, this included two of the four days with no power on site as the company had to take all power off line.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nThe solution deployed by MCS Control Systems was centred round a migration programme which would deliver and integrate a new contemporary control architecture supervised by three independent dual redundant ControlLogix PACs.\n\nThe code in the PLCs was converted and the relevant sections for each of the three units were filtered to the three dual redundant ControlLogix systems. The original wiring harnesses were reused with the I/O conversion kit to allow fast and effective changeover without any major disruptions to the existing wiring. This also gave a short 'emergency' fall-back window should any problems arise with the new system.\n\nAlongside the PACs and the Integrated Architecure Builder (IAB) migration tool, the Allen-Bradley based infrastructure also comprised Ethernet modules and various digital and analogue I/O modules, along with a field wiring conversion module. The company also used support of a commercial engineer from Rockwell Automation.\n\nThe new Logix-based system was replaced in three stages: unit 1, unit 2 and then unit 3 along with the common systems. During the first and second stages the old PLC-5 system needed to continue operating the non-migrating units, which required temporary legacy Data Highway + communications to allow the PLC-5 and Logix systems to communicate.\n\nBy using Ethernet as the communication backbone, MCS Control Systems and the end customer have the option to expand the facility even further into the Connected Enterprise. This will allow the collection of real-time performance data, historical data for performance assessments and maintenance schedules and connectivity beyond the facility into enterprise systems that can help manage the equipment even more precisely in line with other assets on site. The use of standard Ethernet within EtherNet/IP\u2122 means that there is very little that needs to be done for these connections to be established; and full security solutions are also available for user control and to prevent unwarranted access.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nAccording to the engineering manager at the waste centre: \"The greatest impact on availability of the plant was on the common services I/O and we managed to maintain the operation of the plant within the timescales that we had set ourselves. Over a four day shutdown, two days without power.\"\n\nFoster concludes: \"The plant's operators now have much more effective programming solution with which they are comfortable; especially with regards to process optimisation. The new solution and integration allowed unitisation of the incinerators and gave greater autonomy of plant operations. They are also seeing significant throughput improvement per burner. We also used a lot of ETAPs on the Ethernet network, for breaking and jointing. The 1783-ETAP modules, gave us the ability to connect single-port devices to a ring or linear topology; we had good help from Rockwell Automation in this respect.\n\n\"My personal relationship with Rockwell Automation spans some 30 to 35 years,\" he concludes, \"and MCS has been a Recognised System Integrator (RcSI) since 1992. We get a lot of benefit from the technical support guys at Rockwell Automation, their technical capabilities are excellent. The pre-sales support is top class and in the core market, Rockwell Automation is very focussed.\"\n\n\nTAG: power-generation\n\n",
    "auto-flexible-manufacture": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/auto-flexible-manufacture\n\nTITLE: Superior Trim Drives Process Innovation with Plex\n\nSuperior Trim is a prominent provider of high-quality interior trim products for the heavy-truck and recreational-vehicle industry.\n\nTyler Johnson is President and Tammy Cooper is IT Systems Manager for Superior Trim, a leading supplier of high-quality interior trim products for the heavy-truck and recreational-vehicle markets. Known for its innovation, quality and service, Superior Trim has won numerous customer and industry awards.\n\nThe company uses more than a dozen processes, including injection molding, thermoforming, 3D compression molding, and water jet cutting at its seven manufacturing plants in Ohio, Tennessee, and Mexico.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\n* Continuously improve and innovate complex, low volume processes\n\n\"The bulk of what we do is high complexity, low volume type of items, such as headliners, floor mats, bunks and curtains. Most of our parts have many options that customers can order,\" Johnson says. \"We try to find ways to innovate and integrate our equipment - automate without having a ton of cost, which is what led us to digital transformation.\"\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\n* Automate and integrate equipment and processes \u00a0\n\nSuperior Trim has used the Plex Smart Manufacturing PlatformTM from Rockwell Automation since 2007 to drive innovation and transformation in their operations and processes. Recently, they used Plex to resolve a floor mat issue.\n\n\"We were producing between 150 to 180 floor mats each day, and the operator had to manually key-in the program to use for each floor mat. Many of the floor mats look essentially the same. They might have just one single cut that's different,\" Cooper explains. Relying solely on a visual inspection could result in errors.\n\n\"We decided to review the process and look for areas we could improve,\" Said Cooper. \"Can we integrate? Can we send a signal to this piece of machinery and get confirmation that we produced the part - that it met quality standards, and is ready to label and ship out the door?\"\n\nThe solution was to create a system that automatically keyed-in the program for the water jet to cut, in a specified sequence. The water jet now pulls from more than 9,000 files automatically using EDI accessed through Plex, ensuring the file is cut properly every time.\u00a0By integrating the water jet cutting and sequencing processes, Superior Trim was able to eliminate the manual entry of cut-file numbers.\n\nFollowing the success of the water jet initiative, Super Trim continued to identify other pieces of equipment and processes that would benefit from automation. One opportunity was to use Plex to implement a fully integrated Lightguide system as part of trim panel assembly.\n\n\"The Lightguide is an augmented reality training tool that lights up the next assembly component an operator should grab, shows them where it goes, and then checks to see that everything's there,\" Johnson says. \"Once the system confirms that the part meets the specifications, the operator 'earns' a printed label for that part.\"\n\nBecause the system is integrated with Plex and reports bin-for-bin production, it automatically holds any parts that don't pass the work-instruction inspection.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\n* Dramatic improvements in quality and employee satisfaction\n\n\"On the lines where we've successfully integrated, the ROI is there without a doubt. Scrap, quality and labor have all improved dramatically,\" Johnson says. \"And it makes operators happier and helps retention, which is huge.\"\n\nWith its automated production recording and inspection capabilities, Superior Trim has reduced employee training times and has increased efficiencies, improved inventory and reduced scrap. Further, annual direct labor costs dropped from 9.0% to 7.8%. All of which have helped position Superior Trim for significant growth.\n\nCooper's advice for other companies looking to improve processes through digital transformation is to start small and include the whole team.\n\n\"What worked for us is we started at three locations and picked one machine in each plant,\" Cooper explains. \"Don't think it can't be done. You can do it, but you have to have the team of people to help you out.\"\n\nLearn more about how Superior Trim used smart manufacturing solutions to improve processes and become the 2023 Plex Transformer Impact Award Winner.\n\nTAG: accelerate-digital-transformation\n\nTAG: automotive-and-tire\n\nTAG: plex-erp\n\n",
    "toyota-engine-plant-cuts-energy-costs--with-new-air-compressor-c": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/toyota-engine-plant-cuts-energy-costs--with-new-air-compressor-c\n\nTITLE: Toyota Engine Plant Cuts Energy Costs With New Air Compressor Controls\n\n*** Hitting the Brakes on Emissions ***\n\nYou've heard of emission-free vehicles. But what about emission-free vehicle production?\n\nThat's the vision of Toyota, one of the world's largest automakers. Its Toyota Environmental 2050 Challenge calls for the company to eliminate CO2 emissions from its global production plants by 2050.\n\nTo meet these ambitious goals, Toyota is taking steps to both reduce its energy usage and move to reusable energy. And as evidenced in the company's Huntsville, Alabama, plant, these efforts are helping Toyota not only shrink its environmental footprint - they're benefitting the bottom line.\n\n\u00a0\n\n*** Inflated Energy Costs ***\n\nThe Huntsville plant makes engines for popular Toyota vehicles like the Tacoma, Tundra and Highlander. Workers at the plant receive engine components that have been cast at other facilities to machine and assemble them into the engines that will go into vehicles at yet other facilities.\n\nThe plant's air compression system is crucial to the production process. Comprised primarily of five large centrifugal air compressors, the system provides air across the 1.2 million-square-foot plant for various machine processes, automation and drying engine components.\n\nCompressed air (CA) systems are energy intensive by nature. The system at the Huntsville plant is no exception; it accounts for 25% of the plant's annual energy costs.\n\nThe legacy controls made the system an even bigger energy user than it needed to be. The aging controls were slow to start up the compressors and didn't allow them to work together as an integrated system and did not have enough CA storage to draw from during high peak air demands.\n\nBecause of these limitations, team members had to keep compressors online more than necessary for most of the day to ensure enough air capacity to ride through short, occasional demand surges in the plant.\n\n\"We need a minimum of 81 PSI for machines to run without stoppage,\" said Eddy Kiggen, a facility specialist at Toyota. \"But because the compressors took so much time to start up, we had to maintain 91 PSI just to make sure we didn't fault out at 81 PSI low CA pressure.\"\n\nThe plant's electrical contract created more challenges. The contract charges more for energy consumed during peak usage hours. When team members needed to start one of the large compressors during these times to keep the plant at capacity, a single machine start-up could increase the plant's electricity bill by 100% of one day's energy charges.\n\n\u00a0\n\n*** Local and Plantwide Upgrades ***\n\nTo help rein in energy costs and support its 2050 energy initiative, Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Alabama (TMMAL) decided to upgrade the plant's air compressor control systems.\n\nFor the job, they turned to IZ Systems and Case Engineering, a machine builder partner in the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork program. The company delivered a two-part solution that included local and plantwide controls.\n\nLocally, Case migrated the controllers on the five large compressors to its AirLogix control solution. The solution is based on the CompactLogix control platform and includes a PanelView Plus 7 operator interface to give workers performance and diagnostics data at each compressor.\n\nAt the plant level, Case used its AirMaster load-sharing solution to create a master air control system. This solution is based on the ControlLogix platform and uses the FactoryTalk View SE software for data collection and visualization. Case worked with IZ Systems who also installed a 5,000 gallon storage tank for boosted CA of 500 PSI to allow the system recovery time without faulting.\n\nA modulating valve delivers air during high air demand periods. This stored air provides a smooth transition when an additional centrifugal machine is required to meet the plant's air demand.\n\n\u00a0\n\n*** Revving Up Savings ***\n\nThe new, more efficient air compressor controls have helped the Huntsville plant reduce annual energy usage by nearly 1 million kilowatt hours per year. This doesn't include the savings realized by avoiding start-ups during peak-usage hours.\n\nAs a result, the plant recovered its investment in the new controls faster than its goal of two years.\n\n\"We've been able to reduce our setpoint for the system from 91 to 85 PSI,\" Kiggen explained. \"That's where the majority of the savings are on this project.\"\n\nThe updated local controls help the compressors run more efficiently than the legacy controls by increasing the throttle capacity from each machine. The new master controller monitors pressure and air flow will start or stop compressors to match demand. It will draw CA from high pressure storage tank while a compressor comes online, ride through demand surges and protect against potential issues.\n\n\"The way it's set up now, we always have enough pressure in the storage tank for any dips or compressor failures,\" Kiggen said. \"Even if the next compressor we try to start fails, we can start yet another compressor and people on the plant floor won't know anything happened.\"\n\nThe new system gives workers trending information to monitor air pressure and flow, energy usage and critical data at each machine, including vibration. And because this information is available in near real time - something team members previously didn't have - it helps to analyze the CA system and assist when troubleshooting.\n\nTeam members can view the information locally at each machine as part of their routine operations monitoring. Toyota and Case Engineering can view it from anywhere using remote access.\n\n\"After electricity, air is the most important utility we have, so we keep a close eye on it,\" Kiggen said. \"I look at the data daily to see how the system is performing and to review its efficiency. I get a text message if we have an issue, like a pressure drop or the storage tank falling below a certain level. We also like having Case connected and let them know of an issue so they can get online to fix the problem right away.\"\n\nToyota is looking at replicating this project elsewhere for similar energy savings while continuing to drive toward zero CO2 emissions.\n\n\"Producing zero CO2 in the process of building a vehicle is a very big task,\" Kiggen said. \"Right now, we're trying to save as much energy as possible before we jump into renewables. And for this plant, these control upgrades are the most successful energy projects we've done in a long time.\"\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Toyota's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\nTAG: energy\nTAG: sustainability\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: automotive-and-tire\n\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: factorytalk-view-studio\n\n",
    "australian-technology-drives-global-mineral-processing-productivity": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/australian-technology-drives-global-mineral-processing-productivity\n\nTITLE: Australian technology drives global mineral processing productivity\n\nThe Magotteaux Mill replicates the plant physical and pulp chemistry properties in a laboratory.\u00a0\n\nThe downturn in commodity prices together with the thinning of high grade resources has emphasised the importance of improving mineral recovery rates and quality for mining operations.\n\nMagotteaux is a global leader in developing process optimisation products and services for high abrasion extraction industries. The company leverages innovative new technologies to help customers improve the quality and quantity of their yields and optimise their total cost of ownership.\n\nMagotteaux is the only supplier offering the full range of grinding media including: cast and forged, low and high chromium, balls/boulpebs/rods and ceramic\u00a0grinding beads. The company prides itself on delivering superior customer service through their technical knowledge and employs specialised process engineers who recommend the most appropriate media, shape, size and alloy for each unique application.\n\nMagotteaux not only specialises in grinding media, but their holistic approach to the customers' process (Chemillurgy(R)) employs a range of innovative patented technologies that assist the operator in real-time monitoring of their process to maximise their metallurgical performance.\n\nMagotteaux designs and manufactures several patented machines for specific industries, with a view to better answer customer needs and optimise their production processes.\n\nThe challenge ahead was to deliver a fully automated device, leveraging the latest technologies to help mining companies improve the productivity and quality of their mineral processing facilities. To develop a solution that could both monitor and optimise mineral processing in real time, Magotteaux collaborated with a leading Australian process control company, Manta Controls.\n\n*** Reliable testing: The Magotteaux Mill(R) reproduces plant conditions in a lab ***\n\nHistorically, forged steel grinding media was considered to be the best available medium but in certain mining applications there is a significant limitation - corrosion appears when it is exposed to water and sulphide minerals. The corrosion products from the grinding media then coat the surface of the minerals that are to be separated which can depress the flotation and leach recoveries of the minerals, and can lead to the plant using more reagents. In such applications, the use of high-chrome grinding media, which inherently has better abrasion and corrosion resistance, reduces the amount of iron hydroxide released into the system, which can therefore reduce reagent consumption and increase recoveries.\n\nMagotteaux has developed a unique know-how to identify the best suited grinding media for each mineral processing circuit. As the company is the sole supplier of all types of grinding media, it can define and offer the best suited medium along with a tailored reagent scheme to allow for maximised recoveries and costs to stay under control.\n\nDr Christopher Greet, Manager Minerals Processing Research, at Magotteaux was tasked with visiting various mines around Australia to develop and apply the know-how and show that the use of high chrome media can reduce the wear rate and produce cleaner surface chemistry, which can then reduce reagent consumption and improve valuable mineral recoveries.\n\nAccording to Greet, \"The Magotteaux Mill(R) was developed to make the chemistry of the product from the lab mill look very much like the chemistry of the plant. It generates a product in the laboratory that has the same physical and pulp chemical properties as an equivalent sample taken from the plant. As such the impact of the choice of the grinding media on the process can be assessed and the best suited solution can be defined.\"\n\nThe Mill was originally manually operated but to improve the reliability of the system, Magotteaux called on Manta Controls to help automate the mill and therefore improve its reliability and reproducibility.\n\nThe PCM provides real time information that helps optimise grade and recovery.\u00a0\n\n\"For easy integration, reliability and cost effectiveness we used the Rockwell Automation midrange Integrated Architecture(R) solution on the mill. We chose this because we had a complete set of industry tools to make the Magotteaux Mill sing, including the CompactLogixTM, PanelViewTM and very soon, the Magotteaux Mill will be using FactoryTalk(R) Historian.\u00a0 These tools provide the same control power that we would use on a mine site but in a scaled down form for this application,\" said John Karageorgos, Managing Director at Manta Controls.\n\nCompactLogix controls both the Magotteaux Mill and PCM, and is capable of running the Manta Cube advanced control system.\u00a0\n\n\"The Magotteaux Mill integrates different devices so there wasn't anything off the shelf that we could use to get them talking to each other. Manta invested the engineering time on the communications for the mill and it is now extremely robust,\" he explained.\n\nCompactLogix provided the control power required for the Mill in a compact and affordable package. It uses the same programming software, network protocol, and information capabilities as all Logix controllers, providing a common development environment for all control disciplines.\n\nThe Mill is a very important tool in Magotteaux's arsenal to show that high chrome is better than forged steel. This led to the development of the Pulp Chemical Monitor (PCM(R)) that provides the capability to actually start measuring the pulp chemistry online and in real time on a mine site.\n\nThe Rockwell Automation midrange Integrated Architecture(R) solution is used on the Magotteaux Mill for easy integration, reliability and cost effectiveness.\u00a0\n\n*** The Pulp Chemical Monitor delivers real time monitoring and optimisation ***\n\nOptimising plant conditions to improve mineral recoveries is an important priority for mineral processing facilities. By understanding how the chemistry and mineralogy are linked, strategies can be developed to overcome variations, which can result in a plant that runs more smoothly, and therefore increases valuable mineral recoveries.\n\nUnderstanding the chemistry of the feed also helps reduce running costs because by analysing the chemistry of the feed, the amount of reagents required can be reduced. In addition to the cost benefits, reducing reagents also has positive flow on effects for the environment and sustainability of the system.\n\nThe PCMTM was developed to provide an online view of the dynamics of the mineral processing plant. By monitoring the chemistry in real time, the process can be optimised and metallurgical performance improved.\n\n\"The ore body is quite variable and the chemistry may change within the hour. In the past we haven't been able to see these new chemistry variables that Magotteaux have developed online and then make an association with what is changing with the minerals,\" said Karageorgos.\n\n\"If the mineral recovery or grade drops you need to understand the dynamics of the chemistry. In the past you had to take a sample, send it to a lab for testing and wait days or weeks for answers but with PCM we can see what is happening within minutes,\" he said.\n\nThe PCM has been tried and tested in mineral processing plants for the past few years. Manta invested the time in engineering the solution to be robust enough to cope with the harsh environments of the processing plants. It can cope with being exposed to slurries and salts as well as the weather elements.\n\n*** Complete control technology ***\n\nManta Controls specialises in implementing the best possible control strategy for a particular piece of equipment or area of the plant. To achieve this for PCM, Manta developed a unique Manta Cube system that utilises advanced control fundamentals.\n\nThe ability of PCM to provide real time information that helps optimise mineral quality and recovery is the result of the complete integration of communication and high-level control functions. To achieve this, Manta Controls leveraged the inherent flexibility and scalability of the Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture platform.\n\n\"We decided to choose the Rockwell Automation control system because it's one of the most widely used systems in the world. This makes installation of PCM easy in any system whether it is a Rockwell Automation site or not, communication is easy either way. Additionally, they provide a lot of knowledge and support about how to optimise the system and the latest new developments,\" said Karageorgos.\n\nLike the Magotteaux Mill, PCM is also controlled by CompactLogix, which has all the functionality of ControlLogix(R) and is also compatible with the advanced control signals generated by the Manta Cube. FactoryTalk View and Historian provide robust and reliable functionality in a single software package. The Historian is used to track and log process data on the machine and is easily integrated with CompactLogix.\n\nAccording to Jonathan Footman, solutions architect at Rockwell Automation, \"Integrated Architecture was the most appropriate choice for this application because it is a scalable solution that offers the convergence of control and information systems, delivering both real-time and historical data and reduced engineering time.\"\n\n*** Australian innovation, global application ***\n\nLeveraging new technologies to develop innovative products that can help mining companies improve productivity and profitability remains key to meeting future challenges. Both the Magotteaux Mill and PCM provide a means that can help improve productivity through improved mineral recovery and quality both in Australian mines and around the world.\n\nBoth machines are manufactured in Adelaide, South Australia to Australian machine standards. They are exported globally and comply with relevant safety standards. By incorporating technologies with inherent flexibility and scalability, the machines can be integrating into a range of mineral processing facilities.\n\n\"We enjoy a mutually beneficial and productive relationship with Magotteaux. At Manta, we ensure that the machines deliver all the parameters required for effective process control and Magotteaux makes sure that the units work well in terms of improving mineral recovery,\" said Karageorgos.\n\nCompany background\n\nRockwell Automation Australia and Rockwell Automation New Zealand are subsidiaries of Rockwell Automation, Inc.-a leading global provider of industrial automation and information solutions that helps manufacturers achieve a competitive advantage in their businesses. The company brings together leading global brands in industrial automation which include Allen-Bradley(R) controls and services and Rockwell Software(R) factory management software. Its broad product mix includes control logic systems, sensors, human-machine interfaces, drive controllers, power devices, and software.\n\n\n\nRockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK), the world's largest company dedicated to industrial automation and information, makes its customers more productive and the world more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., Rockwell Automation employs approximately 22,000 people serving customers in more than 80 countries.\n\nAllen-Bradley, ControlLogix, CompactLogix, FactoryTalk, Integrated Architecture, PanelView, and Rockwell Software are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\nMagotteaux Mill and the Pulp Chemistry Monitor are trademarks of Magotteaux.\n\n\u00a0\n\nMedia contact:\n\nChristine Filippis\n\nTeraze Communications\n\n61 3 8391 0701\n\n\u00a0christine@teraze.com.au\n\n\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\n\n",
    "kari-pstc-control-system": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/kari-pstc-control-system\n\nTITLE: Built stable Control system at PSTC for KSLV-II\n\nEngineers from Rockwell Automation Korea designed and built control systems and developed programs for more reliable engine testing and propulsion systems.\u00a0\n\nAs testing facilities were located a long distance away from the control tower, a control and instrumentation (C&I) room was established to monitor combustion tests remotely. The team from Rockwell Automation introduced an emergency stop system with maintenance services to help deliver greater reliability of the control system by simulating unexpected emergency events and various combustion test situations.\n\nWe also offered pre-test training to the operators in the facility through simulation programs in various modes to help avoid unintentional human errors. \"Rockwell Automation Korea helped us to build and operate highly complex control facilities with multi-mode, high-speed control and remote-control capabilities, and provided us engineering technologies to solve issues quickly and accurately in unusual situations,\" said Kim.\n\nAll of the hard work resulted in the successful third launch of Nuri.\n\nTAG: optimize-production\nTAG: build-resilience\nTAG: accelerate-digital-transformation\n\nTAG: industrial-security\nTAG: digital-transformation\nTAG: industrial-automation-and-control\nTAG: industrial-networks\nTAG: process-solutions\n\nTAG: aerospace\n\nTAG: condition-monitoring\nTAG: industrial-control-products\nTAG: factorytalk-historian\nTAG: factorytalk-assetcentre\n\n",
    "file.sftmp.dir": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/kari-pstc-control-system/_jcr_content/image/file.sftmp.dir\n\n",
    "gunjang-energy-deploys-medium-voltage-drives-solution-to-reduce-": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/gunjang-energy-deploys-medium-voltage-drives-solution-to-reduce-\n\nTITLE: Gunjang Energy Deploys Medium Voltage Drives Solution To Reduce Energy\n\nBackground\n\nGunjang Energy's heat supply facility in Gunsan, Jella-buk-do, Southern Province, provides high-quality processed steam to customers in the Gunsan Regional Industrial Complex, with the goal of supplying affordable heat.\n\nThe company has created a clean industrial complex environment based on a state-of-the-art, highly efficient anti-pollution facility. It significantly contributes to the local economy as well as the nation's community energy supply expansion project.\n\nFor eight years, each customer was able to reduce fuel cost by 36 percent on average compared to using traditional energy sources. The company reduced air pollutants (NOx, Sox, dust) by about 29 percent by integrating more than 20 burners and combustion systems dispersed across multiple customer sites and managing those chimneys as one.\n\nGunjang not only provides affordable steam and much-needed electricity to customers within the industrial complex, but also plays a pivotal role in air pollution prevention within the complex, providing mutual benefits to its customers and the local community.\n\nThe company has established a future-ready heat supply facility and supplies industrial steam to 19 customers in the Gunsan Regional Industrial Complex and one customer in the Chungnam Janghang area. The company sells surplus electricity produced in the facility to the electricity exchange after using electricity to run the cogeneration power plant.\n\nReplacing energy equipment used at customer sites helps those customers increase efficiency, reduce production cost and improve air quality.\n\nAs a responsible corporate and world citizen, the company strives to reduce production costs, mainly through reducing fuel costs. Gunjang also strives to improve environmental management practices and ultimately, through reduced energy usage, also contribute to air quality improvements in the region.\n\nChallenge\n\nGunjang needed to establish consistent cost savings quickly because energy cost were on the rise.\n\nGunjang's preference was a long-term solution to lower energy costs - delivered in a short time frame. Alternatives, like a full migration, were more complicated and time-consuming that the company wanted, so the decision was made to upgrade core products to enhance energy efficiency.\n\nGunjang wanted to achieve a return on investment (ROI) within two years so they could share the positive numbers with other facilities, and encourage energy upgrades in other locations.\n\nAs a result of these changes, Gunjang would be aligned with other similar companies with environmentally friendly strategies regarding energy utilization.\n\nSolution\n\nPreviously, Gunjang used dampers to control airflow. The goal was to create more consistency and efficiency. To maintain the designated temperature and airflow of the boiler, Gunjang installed PowerFlex(R) 7000 medium voltage drives to three existing ID fans. Selecting the drive with the right capacity would allow for continuous and fast control, an important factor in maximizing energy utilization.\n\nAnd, for stability, it was important to completely automate a new fan application without stopping activity in the facility. Installing the three PowerFlex 7000 drives simultaneously created more stable installation and commissioning, and lowered risks.\n\nThe core advantages of this solution include a simple, stable and highly reliable structure \u2013 not many components are required for installation.\n\nA Rockwell Automation authorized distributor, Autocon, completed the commissioning of the drive panel and control systems. Gunjang appreciated the overall project management and local support from the distributor.\n\nResults\n\nAs a result of this solution, Gunjang saved energy which dramatically lowered the overall total cost of ownership, and expected ROI decreased to one year.\n\nGunjang's goal was to achieve a return on investment within two years, and the Rockwell Automation solution cut that time in half. It also resulted in other significant savings: 773.0 won/year, the equivalent of US$682,000 a year.\n\nThe Rockwell Automation medium voltage drive solution will provide an average yearly savings of $1.76 million. Autocon, located close to the Gunjang facility, is readily available to support the installation and any future technical issues.\n\nWith the smooth installation of this project, the cost for energy has been reduced dramatically. \"The solution is possible because of quality products and design from Rockwell Automation, and consistent support from Autocon,\" said Sung Hoon Lim, manager at the Gunjang facility. \"In this area, Rockwell Automation is best known for controllers. They have earned the right to introduce their drive products as viable solutions.\"\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Gunjang Energy's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nTrademark Information:\n\nPowerFle and Rockwell Automation are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\n\nTAG: power-generation\n\n",
    "agropur-gains-30-hours-of-annual-production-time": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/agropur-gains-30-hours-of-annual-production-time\n\nTITLE: Agropur Gains 30 Hours of Annual Production Time\n\n*** A Moo-dern Dairy Industry ***\n\nCheese, butter, yogurt, ice cream, protein shake, and of course milk are the snacks and refreshments that turn a ho-hum meal into something more. Even lactose-free milk options can splash life onto dry cereal. Everybody can find a dairy product to their taste.\n\nAgropur Cooperative works with over 3,367 dairy farmers who rely on 37 facilities across North America. Each year, Agropur transforms over 1.5 billion gallons of milk into numerous dairy products, resulting in $5.9 billion in sales.\n\nThe organization's Don Mills, Ontario facility is its largest and has long been responsible for turning raw ingredients into various types of milk and ice cream mixes. Each day, the facility pasteurizes, processes and packages enough dairy products to fill at least 30 trucks.\n\n*** Udder Lack of Data ***\n\nThroughout its more than 50-year history, the Don Mills facility collected an assortment of industrial technologies. While the various machines and controls kept production running, they could not produce the seamless data necessary to continuously improve operations.\n\n\"Transforming data into information was a completely hands-on process,\" said Headley Hamilton, industrial process manager at Agropur. \"All the requests from operators and managers throughout the year required 2,500 hours of manual, post-shift data entry. And demand was growing. When I considered the future of the facility, I knew we needed modern technology.\"\n\nData collection was not the only problem. Some of the automation technology was nearing obsolescence. Hamilton received calls nearly every day from operators reporting equipment issues or downtime. Rather than focusing on automation improvements, he needed to respond to current production issues.\n\nAnd in case a system ever did crash, Hamilton needed to reboot from the latest backup.\n\nThe only question was: Where was the latest version of the system?\n\n\"With seven maintenance laptops across the facility, there was no way to know whether or not you were rebooting with the most recently modified program. Not only did that take time, but so did calling every contractor to make sure you had their changes,\" said Hamilton. \"Our old system was only backed up once a quarter, which took an additional 48 hours each year. You can't optimize a plant when playing catch-up.\"\n\n*** Cream of the Crop ***\n\nTo drive continuous improvements and not second-guess the data, it became obvious to Hamilton that a standardized, plantwide platform was the solution. Since he was planning for the future, he also wanted a solution that could seamlessly share intelligence and learnings across facilities.\n\n\"We decided to implement an integrated control and information solution from Rockwell Automation, because we saw it as the best solution for modernizing our facility from the receipt of ingredients to the moment end product heads out the door,\" said Hamilton. He worked with a team from Grantek Systems Integration, a Solution Partner in the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM program, to deploy the solution.\n\nThe ground level of the standardized automation platform included the Allen-Bradley(R) family of ControlLogix(R) controllers, PowerFlex(R) drives and PanelViewTM human machine interface (HMI) hardware from Rockwell Automation. Each HMI ran FactoryTalk(R) View Site Edition software from Rockwell Automation on a virtualized server, establishing the standard for all additional software. This created the foundation for converting reams of data into actionable information.\n\nBecause the organization invested in a new control platform as part of the project, supervisors began to ask how they could get the most out of the system. Information was needed that could benchmark production capacity for the process lines.\n\nThe answer to their questions began with overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) data using FactoryTalk Metrics software\u00a0from Rockwell Automation. The solution collected performance data to provide Hamilton and his team with the data they needed to make informed decisions about their operation. If a question arose around whether another processing line was needed to increase capacity or current equipment still had capacity, Hamilton could review actual production data to guide his decision.\n\nEven with valuable data at hand, many users across the facility could not translate it into actionable information. An aggregation and analysis solution was required that could help operators visualize data from the various sources across the facility and provide reports as needed.\n\nBefore deploying the information solution, the Agropur team saw an opportunity to reduce the growing complexity of the new control system and maintain a single version of the system. Agropur installed FactoryTalk AssetCentre software\u00a0from Rockwell Automation to manage automation assets and version control, and keep up-to-date documentation. The seven maintenance laptops spread across the plant were reduced down to one.\n\n\"The initial control and OEE deployments laid the foundation at Don Mills. FactoryTalk VantagePoint(R) software from Rockwell Automation then provided a new level of access to all data from disparate systems across the entire facility,\" said Hamilton. \"The software exposed what occurred on the plant floor to the employees in charge of making continuous improvements.\"\n\nSupervisors were also able to check status updates and see how production was running without taxing an operator's time. For each shift, email reports were automatically sent with updates about the process.\n\n*** Pouring on Continuous Improvements ***\n\nWith a modern system, Hamilton's team could get rid of the 2,500 hours of manual data collection each year. Additionally, 48 hours per year were saved thanks to the ease of managing assets through FactoryTalk AssetCentre software.\n\nWhen the call for trustworthy information was answered, the teams at Agropur jumped on the intelligence for making continuous improvements. For example, supervisors thought that an investment in new hardware would improve the usage of lube for the lines. By creating benchmark reports and estimating the benefit of new hardware, a 30 percent reduction in lube consumption was achieved.\n\n\"Having data at hand becomes the route to insight for any facility, and it's recognized by everyone. 'Information, information, information!' has become the call before decisions are made,\" says Hamilton. \"With FactoryTalk Metrics software, we now have insight into the process so we can make performance improvements. On one filler alone, we've improved efficiency by 25 percent over a three-month period.\"\n\nVisibility was also the key to reducing downtime. Before making investments into equipment for production lines to increase processing, supervisors could identify opportunities for increasing capacity. One discovery was that lunches, breaks and meetings caused more than 33 hours of downtime. Changes to scheduling transformed lost processing time into productivity.\n\nAs employees become more comfortable with using data, Headley wants to make access even easier.\n\n\"Information-based collaboration and decision-making have quickly been adopted, and now we want to take our common platform further. It's all about mobile,\" said Hamilton. \"Exposure to information throughout the facility on mobile devices is the future of real-time manufacturing intelligence.\"\n\nReducing an annual $4 million bill is also in the line of sight. Energy management software from Rockwell Automation is currently in the facility to measure and verify new energy projects. When a future expansion makes analysis of the production energy pattern possible, that bill will be cut by isolating artificial demand and generating preventive maintenance schedules.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Agropur Cooperative's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nAllen-Bradley, ControlLogix, FactoryTalk, PanelView, PartnerNetwork, PowerFlex and VantagePoint are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "brazil-digital-initiative": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/brazil-digital-initiative\n\nTITLE: ABDI Initiative Accelerates Smart Manufacturing\n\nBrazil's MetaInd'ustria initiative has launched two new laboratories that will allow participating companies to access and use advanced manufacturing technologies.\n\nThe MetaInd'ustria initiative was launched with support from both the Brazilian Agency for Industrial Development (ABDI) and SPI Integrac~ao de Sistemas (SPI), one of the country's leading system integrators and a Platinum member of the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\n* Accelerate Digital Transformation and Smart Manufacturing Technology Adoption\n\nABDI serves to increase the competitiveness and productivity of the Brazilian economy by accelerating digital transformation in the manufacturing sector. The Agency's numerous projects promote the adoption of new technologies, business models and industrial policy.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\n* Initiative Provides Immersive On-site and Remote Experiences\n\n\"MetaInd'ustria is an innovative way and our most advanced project to support Brazilian businesses in their journey to smart manufacturing,\" said ABDI's Bruno Jorge, head of smart manufacturing and technology diffusion. \"This is not a grant or information program. We're providing actionable advice and direct access to solutions that will support the implementation of actual digital transformation projects.\"\n\nFor a two-year period, MetaInd'ustria will provide more than 100 companies with free consulting, training and immersive on-site and virtual experiences featuring solutions from more than 30 technology suppliers, including Rockwell Automation.\n\n\"The program gives customers from across all industries - who are running various processes - the opportunity to understand and see how new technologies work together and can help move their operations forward,\" explained SPI's Rafael Schirmer, Information Solutions Director.\n\n\"We're focused on helping participants create the business case, reduce risk and prepare their workforce to implement these solutions,\" added Jorge.\n\n\n\n* Ability to Test Solutions in Labs\n\nParticipants can test technologies, processes and equipment at MetaInd'ustria's two recently opened laboratories in S~ao Caetano do Sul (SP) in Greater S~ao Paulo and S~ao Leopoldo (RS). The labs showcase the latest solutions in robotics and control, augmented and virtual reality, data analytics and artificial intelligence. This includes solutions from Rockwell Automation: ThingWorx IIoT dashboard capabilities, Vuforia(R) augmented reality software, and PlantPAx(R) distributed control system.\n\nLab visitors will be provided with the opportunity to apply and integrate these technologies to collect, visualize and analyze real time data for improved process control, equipment operation and worker safety. Because the labs are connected to ABDI's new data processing center, MetaInd'ustria's participating companies can watch these demonstrations remotely and in real time.\n\n\n\n* Helping companies understand the value of digital transformation\n\nVisiting companies will also be able to pilot these solutions at their own locations.\n\n\"Rockwell Automation and SBI have a created a 'try before you buy' scenario to give companies the opportunity to take these technologies and test them at their own locations,\" Schirmer said. \"Customers can experience the benefits of augmented reality and an IIoT platform - by seeing real-time information from their own devices and equipment. They will see how these technologies can help them understand machine usage, review KPIs and make good decisions.\"\n\nMetaInd'ustria also recently started its first manager training program designed to assist participants in the decision-making process for evaluating and investing in digital transformation solutions. Held at its SP lab, the three-day session introduced managers from a Brazilian pharmaceutical manufacturer to the lab's various technologies. The training helped managers, who represented various departments, identify possible uses to solve their specific operational challenges before they ultimately selected a final project to address with MetaInd'ustria support.\n\nInformation and progress from this and the ensuing Training Track projects will be available as a resource to the entire MetaInd'ustria participant base. Training Track sessions will also be held at MetaInd'ustria's RS lab.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\n* Goals for MetaInd'ustria\n\n\"Our mission is to give Brazilian companies access to the expertise of SPI and the latest technologies from companies like Rockwell Automation. We know that this access and information will help support their journey toward smart manufacturing.\" says Jorge.\n\nThis unique partnership between the public and private sector is an exciting opportunity to drive the adoption of technology and expertise that will transform Brazilian business. We look forward to seeing the results that this program will produce.\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: automotive-and-tire\nTAG: cement\nTAG: chemical\nTAG: household-and-personal-care\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: mining\nTAG: metals\nTAG: pulp-and-paper\n\nTAG: plantpax\nTAG: vuforia\nTAG: thingworx\n\n",
    "rockwell-automation-solutions-help-on-the-predictive-maintenance": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/rockwell-automation-solutions-help-on-the-predictive-maintenance\n\nTITLE: Rockwell Automation solutions help on the predictive maintenance strategy of Acciona Agua\n\nBACKGROUND:\n\nAcciona Agua is a Spanish company, specializing in the design, construction and operation of drinking water treatment facilities, wastewater facilities, tertiary water treatment for reuse and desalination plants by reverse osmosis. In this area, the company manages integral services, from all the stages involved in water supply \u2013 making it suitable for human consumption \u2013 and the subsequent supply to the population, as well as urban and industrial waste water treatment.\n\nThe strategy of Acciona Agua is to keep the presence of the integral water cycle in Spain, Italy and Portugal. The organization has also started an international growth strategy, put into practice through the design and management of a full portfolio of efficient and flagship desalinization and water treatment plants in key areas such as India, Africa, Middle East, Southeast Asia, Australia and Latin America.\n\nCHALLENGE:\n\nOne of the projects is in Morocco, where water resources do not meet the demand. In fact, water availability is about 720 m3/year per person, much lower than the hydric stress threshold of 1,000 m3/year per person. Forecasts for the next years are even worse, since the reduction to 520 m3/year per person. The main cause of this is the inefficient use of water resources in Morocco, increasingly higher levels of water pollution \u2013 mainly on the surface \u2013 and the increase of drinking water demand during the latest years due to population growth, urbanization rate and needs from rural areas, as well as the strong demand from industry, tourism and agriculture.\n\nThe main industry operator and distributor in Morocco is Office National de l'Electricite et de l'Eau (ONEE), which produces 80% of available drinking water. It was ONEE that commissioned Acciona Agua to design, construction and commissioning the Oum Azza Drinking Water Treatment Plant, in Rabat, along with the adjoining Raw Water Pumping Facility and the Power Substation. This treatment plant was built within the framework of a project to enhance the drinking water supply system to the coastal corridor that runs from Rabat to Casablanca, using water from the Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah reservoir.\n\nFor this purpose, Acciona Agua was assisted by Preditec, the engineering division of Grupo \u00c1lava, which specialises in instrumentation for protection, supervision and predictive diagnosis of machinery in industrial plants production reliability T&M, equipment and systems.\n\nPreditec has supplied products and services to more than a thousand customers, with some 300 implementations of predictive plans made in the Iberian Peninsula and nearly 150 installations of continuous monitoring systems. In addition, he has worked on 30 projects outside of Spain in 18 different countries.\n\nAccording to Arturo Burriel, Project Engineer at Preditec: \"Our mission is to help our customers implement predictive strategies for industrial maintenance in order to improve plant reliability, increase safety, boost asset availability, remove unscheduled failures and reduce maintenance costs by means of advice, predictive diagnostics services, training and technology support.\" Preditec has supplied products and services to more than one thousand customers, with about 300 predictive programs implemented in Spain and Portugal, along with 150 continuous monitoring systems.\n\nThe plant is designed to produce a nominal flow of 18,000 m3 / h or 432,000 m3 / day of water fit for human consumption. This water complies with all Moroccan and World Health Organization (WHO) quality requirements, so water pumps providing this service must work seamlessly. \"The project managers wanted the raw water pumps vibration and temperature to be monitored, so if any of them exceeded previously established thresholds, the machinery would be shut down to avoid bigger issues and information on exactly what the problem is could be available to the maintenance engineers,\" comments Burriel. High vibration or temperature levels are indicative of mechanical wear, so it's convenient to shut them down before things get worse. \"Sometimes,\" says Burriel, \"the issue can be solved by shutting it down on time, for example, simply changing bearings; if it is left running, repair costs could be much higher.\"\n\nThese mid-voltage pumps, with a power of 2.7 MW, are critical for the facility since their task is carrying raw water from the Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah reservoir to the Drinking Water Treatment Plant after overcoming a slope of almost 100m along 5 km. In case of failure of the Drinking Water Treatment Plant, it has a raw water tank which allows it to operate for 10 minutes. This requires long downtimes to be avoided as a critical issue for this equipment.\n\nAcciona Agua needed six water pump groups to be monitored, with five vibration measurements and six temperature measurements each. The Preditec proposal comprised two cabinets containing all the instruments and sensors installed to perform predictive maintenance tasks for three water pumps each. The overall solution was based on an Integrated Architecture\u00ae solution from Rockwell Automation.\n\nSOLUTION:\n\nThe cornerstone of the monitoring system installed in each cabinet supplied by Preditec are Allen-Bradley\u00ae CompactLogix\u2122 programmable automation controllers, which integrate safety up to SIL 3.\n\nData is gathered by four Dynamix\u2122 1444 vibration and temperature monitoring modules. These modules measure and monitor a set of critical parameters in the machine with the accuracy, reliability and performance required by industrial standards. They also support Device Level Ring with dual-port EtherNet/IP\u2122 communications and are seamlessly implemented within the Integrated Architecture\u00ae system.\n\nThese are joined by Allen-Bradley POINT I/O\u2122 1734 modules with PT100 input modules and relay outputs in each cabinet. Both comply with safety standards and provide full machinery diagnostics. Burriel states that \"thanks to this combination of components, the system achieves high flexibility to control vibrations and temperatures, as well as triggering relays when necessary.\"\n\nPreditec also used Rockwell Automation's engineering environment, Studio 5000\u00ae, an integrated and scalable development framework that offers multiple capabilities, and allows Acciona Agua's engineers, operators and technicians easy access to data gathered in the Integrated Architecture system, improving its development efficiency, and reducing programming errors.\n\nRESULTS:\n\nBurriel explains: \"With Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture based around CompactLogix, Dynamix 1444 and Point I/O connected through EtherNet/IP, we provided a competitive solution to Acciona, delivering optimal vibration and temperature measurement. This helps the customer to take decisions quickly to protect their machinery properly.\"\n\nAn additional advantage of these systems implemented in Preditec cabinets is that they comply with specific safety standards relating to vibration and temperature. \"This,\" Burriel concludes, \"gives peace of mind to Acciona Agua\", since it \"helps deliver the correct operation of the facility.\"\n\n\nTAG: process-automation-control\n\nTAG: water-wastewater\n\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: sensors-and-switches\nTAG: factorytalk-studio-5000\n\n",
    "achieving-the-seemingly-impossible": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/achieving-the-seemingly-impossible\n\nTITLE: Achieving the Seemingly Impossible\n\nThe Life Sciences industry has been at the forefront of innovation in healthcare in recent years. Even before the world experienced the impacts of the global pandemic, the sector had seen massive growth as health authorities, researchers and innovators seek to find new ways to tackle large-scale health problems.\n\nWhile the sector is still regarded to be in its infancy, many analysts anticipate a steep growth curve with areas such as pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical devices all becoming opportunities for significant scientific progress. To realise the sector's massive potential, organisations delivering important raw materials and ingredients to the field need the ability to scale in line with growing global demand.\n\nOne organisation serving the flourishing sector is Greenfield Global. Working with Rockwell Automation and Alpha Automation, the company achieved an astonishing feat of operationalising a new ethanol production and distribution plant against the arduous backdrop of pandemic-related resistrictions. The plant now serves as the base for Greenfield to meet the demands of its Life Sciences customers in Europe and help its expansion into global markets.\n\n***** Starting with an Ambitious Plan *****\n\nGreenfield Global is a Canadian ethanol producer with global ambitions. Headquartered in Toronto, the company is a leading producer and supplier of raw materials, ingredients and additives for use in the specialty chemicals, distilled spirits and renewable energy sectors. Its products are used across a range of industries, including biomedicine, food and beverage and renewable energy.\n\nAlready operating a tightly integrated network of distillaries in North America, the company wanted to expand its presence into Europe. The new facility would open up new commercial opportunities, with a primary focus on serving the needs of the fast-expanding Life Sciences sector as well as a host of other strategically important sectors in the region.\n\nThe company chose to build its new plant in Portlaoise, Ireland. The plant, which includes a 41,000 square foot facility with 15,000 square feet of warehousing, was created to produce GMP Aqueous Solutions, serving their Global Life Science, Food, Flavour and Fragrance customers. Greenfield chose Ireland primarily to serve the many Life Science customers now manufacturing in Ireland, but also because the company sees Ireland as a natural gateway to the EU market. Furthermore, the CETA agreement has meant Greenfield could connect its North American and EU operations more easily.\n\nThe plant specialises in serving biotech customers, delivering bioprocess solutions, high purity ethanol and IPA products, using high quality USP-grade purified water and WFI generation in the production process. As a sustainability-focused business, the company wanted to ensure a zero waste facility, with materials from the ethanol production processes being used for other purposes such as farming.\n\n***** Building a Network of Partners *****\n\nAs the company set out on development of the new facility in 2019, the priorities included equipping the plant with the latest process and control technologies. As they were building the site from scratch, the company did not have any of the limitations associated with legacy plant infrastructure. Greenfield management understood that to build a plant that could meet today's needs and be ready for future growth, an adaptable and scalable architecture would would be crucial.\n\nIn order to get insight and access to the most cutting-edge solutions, Greenfield worked closely with Alpha Automation & Control and Rockwell Automation. Rockwell technologies had already been used extensively in Greenfield's North American facilities and had proven reliable. As a partner in Rockwell's System Integrator Programme, Alpha had the expertise to compose the correct set of Rockwell technologies and lend valuable integration support to Greenfield. In selecting a Distributed Control System (DCS) that could serve the reliability and scalability Greenfield required, Alpha recommended PlantPAx 5.0 - the latest generation of RA's control technology.\n\n***** An Unexpected Test *****\n\nThe design of the plant started in January 2020 with an ambitious timeline set out for construction, civil engineering, equipment installation and operalisation. In normal circumstances, building a facility of this nature would require around 12 months, but given the strategic importance of the new facility plans were drawn to an accelerated timeline.\u00a0 Then, in March 2020, the world went into global lockdown, meaning the challenges involved in getting the site operational and completed by the target date intensified almost overnight.\u00a0\n\n\u00a0\n\n\"We had around 30 contractors on site the week that the lockdown started. We had to think on our feet about how we could keep the site open and continue our progress, all while maintaining worker safety,\" said Ken Finegan, MD of Greenfield Global.\n\nGiven the urgency of supporting the Life Sciences sector during a crucial period, the original time commitment was maintained and development work was expedited. This required the team to find alternative ways of commissioning control equipment, including utilising remote commissioning and qualification and relying on remote training to get workers up to speed on using the systems.\n\n\"Our approach involved engineers and developers on both sides of the Atlantic working around the clock to get everything up and running.\n\n\"We were able to bring stakeholders in North America into the process to make sure they were involved in critical decisions. It was a huge global effort, including many different departments within Greenfield and across our network,\" Ken added.\n\nThe plant went live in a remarkably short amount of time, going into full production in October 2020 and shipping product by the end of the year. This meant the plant was able to supply raw matierals in response to COVID-19 demands.\n\n***** The Role of Control *****\n\nThe remarkable turnaround involved a great deal of effort across various aspects of development, not least in regard to the plant's control system. The use of Plant Pax 5.0 helped the team to collaborate effectively and work in an agile and responsive way. The system enabled engineers to progress in development work at a fast pace, leveraging existing libraries and templates and enabling quicker documentation processes.\n\n\"When commissioning a new plant, the early stages can be the most crucial. Any bottlenecks in development and testing can have knock on effects that impact the entire project timeline. Using PlantPAx meant development was smoother to complete and review processes were a lot easier,\" said Richard Stapleton, Commercial Director at Alpha Automation & Controls.\n\nThe solution was tested remotely, with multiple engineers in both Ireland and Canada working to a tight delivery schedule. Despite the pressures, FAT testing was completed within the original schedule of four weeks and full testing of the site was done remotely.\n\n\"We were able to hit the ground running because both the hardware and software were familiar to us and we knew how to maximise the use of existing templates and libraries. We were able to provide our customer with a full turnkey solution and go into production without compromising worker safety,\" Richard said.\n\nNow that the plant is fully operational, the system manages a series of processes around different areas of Greenfield's digital plant operations, from managing delivering of ethanol from Connecticut, the distilling and packaging of ethanol products and controlling the processes that contribute to the plant's efficiency and sustainability.\n\n\"We felt confident in recommending PlantPAx to Greenfield because of its modularity and flexibility. Their end users felt comfortable with the simple configuration, intuitive design and comprehensive guides and documentation. We've also been there to provide ongoing support and share our knowledge of the solution,\" Richard added.\n\n***** Exploring New Opportunities *****\n\nThe site has now been operational for nearly a year and the process network underpinning its operations has already proven robust and reliable. With bold plans for its EU operations, Greenfield is already looking ahead to plant expansion.\n\nAccording to Ken Finegan: \"We're anything but a static organisation so we're already looking towards the ways we can deliver new products and better serve our customers. The experience of the past 18 months has highlighted that with a determined spirit we can move fast and get products into the marketplace quicker than ever before\".\n\nFortunately, the company's DCS solution supports this ambitious approach as PlantPAx 5.0 is built for scale. Its integrated features enable the same look and feel to be applied across programmable controllers and for standardisation of the control system platform from plant to plant. Furthermore, the product life cycle of 15 years allows for future growth and scalability to service higher demands, especially for fast-growing sectors such as bio-pharma.\n\nThe control system also enables greater plant optimisation and analysics, which supports the organisation's sustainability goals.\n\n\"Sustainability is core to our business and applies to everything we do. Our plant infrastructure is a key part of that, helping us to manage operation to optimise sustainability. This is important across Greenfield Global and helps our credentials as we seek to make Portlaoise a centre of excellence for low carbon initiatives,\" Ken added.\n\nWhile the global circumstances made getting to the current point more difficult than a normal plant commissioning process, Ken has felt the support of the network that was assembled.\n\n\"The collaboration between Greenfield, Alpha and Rockwell has been conducive to tremendous results. Through our great relationship we were able to work together under challenging circumstances. We've felt well supported throughout the process, including with aftercare support. Importantly, we've been able to give our customers strong guarantees on deliveries, which has helped to set a high standard that we'll continue to work to as we grow,\" Ken concluded.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Greenfield Global's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: process-solutions\n\nTAG: life-sciences\n\nTAG: distributed-control-systems\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: plantpax\n\n",
    "beverage-mes-traceability": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/beverage-mes-traceability\n\nTITLE: Cider Maker Achieves Milestone Results with Plex\n\nNew England-based Downeast Cider is the number one craft cider maker in the United States producing about 125,000 barrels of cider every year. They launched Plex with help from Revolution Group. Founded as Revolution Software in 1995, Revolution Group today serves companies in various industries through its Managed IT and Plex Services divisions.\n\nNew England-based Downeast Cider is the number one craft cider maker in the United States producing about 125,000 barrels of cider a year. Launched in 2011, the cider producer had been using small business tools to run its operations and recognized a need to formalize processes and documentation.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nLimited Technology and Tools to Support Rapid Growth\n\n\"We didn't have real systems. We used about 50 spreadsheets to run our business,\" said Grainger Flint, Director, Supply Chain, Downeast Cider. \"We outgrew those tools and were looking for ERP solutions to help us modernize our information technology,\"\n\nDowneast Cider engaged Revolution Group to support its digital transformation efforts. Revolution Group is an IT and ERP consulting firm that specializes in driving digital transformation at small to medium-sized businesses.\n\n\"All of our customers produce products that have to meet a high level of quality standards. All of them require traceability from the raw material to the finished goods,\" explained Pat Welsh, Director, Manufacturing & ERP Consulting, Revolution Group.\n\n\"Downeast Cider came to us with a classic set of problems that we see over and over with small businesses that have grown quickly. Inventory control was at the center of those challenges,\" Welsh continued. \"If inventory is not accurate and you're not able to trace and track inventory, and particularly in the food and beverage industry, that can cause a ripple effect across the whole organization.\"\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\nPlex MES Positions Cider Maker for Continued Success\n\nWorking with Revolution Group, Downeast Cider implemented the Plex Manufacturing Execution System \"to bring us into the 21st century and set us up for success in the future,\" Flint said.\n\nChange management with rigorous training was a priority for the implementation.\n\n\"We were putting in a system where we had no systems before,\" Flint explained. \"We made sure to invest the right amount of time into training to get the team ready to go live and to understand how the new processes would help make us better.\"\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\nRecord Sales and Double-Digit Cost Savings\n\nAfter a six-month- implementation process, Downeast Cider went live on Plex in April 2023 without having to shut down production.\n\n\"We had great buy-in from both upper management and the operators on the floor,\" Flint said. \"Having a regular system that everyone knows how to use is a significant win. Now we have all our business systems under one roof within Plex.\"\n\n\"The Downeast Cider team embraced implementation. They applied the resources and prioritized the effort at the right level to be successful,\" Welsh added. \"They understood what the long-term value would be not only in each functional area, but also across the organization.\"\n\nJust one month after Plex adoption, Downeast Cider reported its largest sales month ever. Since then, they've reduced inventory carrying costs by 10% and the cost of goods sold by 17%.\n\n\"This is huge, especially for a small business that's trying to grow rapidly,\" Flint said. \"We went from not having lot traceability and not having quality check sheets to now every single step of our process has some history, so we know that each step is being done correctly and we have a quality product.\"\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\nTAG: plex\n\n",
    "utility-improves-cyber-ot": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/utility-improves-cyber-ot\n\nTITLE: Utility Company Improves OT Cybersecurity\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nThe Colonial Pipeline and Oldsmar attacks have sounded the alarm for Critical Infrastructure providers. The need for robust Operational Technology (OT) cybersecurity has never been more evident.\n\nHowever, many operators in this space are still grappling with where to begin their cybersecurity journey. Research shows that only 30% of Critical Infrastructure providers have a cybersecurity plan in place.\n\n\"Managing cyber risk is especially difficult for companies operating in Critical Infrastructure sectors where specific OT cybersecurity and industrial operations expertise are needed for minimized downtime and reduced cybersecurity risk,\" says Kamil Karmali, Sr. Global Manager, OT Cybersecurity Consulting Services for Rockwell Automation.\n\nThe same challenge arose for a North America water and electricity distributor serving approximately 250,000 customers, prompting the need for enhanced OT cybersecurity.\n\nThe utility company, responsible for providing fresh drinking water and electrical distribution, recognized the imperative to upgrade its infrastructure and OT cybersecurity capabilities. The Oldsmar water plant attack underscored the need to fortify network perimeter security, establish secure remote access, and implement robust threat monitoring and detection mechanisms.\n\nLacking internal OT cybersecurity expertise, the company turned to Rockwell Automation for a comprehensive cybersecurity solution that would safeguard its environment, achieving uninterrupted service and public safety.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\nWorking with Rockwell Automation was the logical choice for the utility, thanks to a 20-year relationship built on the foundation of prior automation services. The utility was confident the Rockwell Automation team understood its business operations, infrastructure security, and OT system.\n\nThe utility team also knew, from previous engagements, that Rockwell Automation backs their company's security and architecture expertise with comprehensive capabilities, setting the stage for another successful collaboration.\n\nRockwell Automation delivered a blend of lifecycle management and lifecycle refresh initiatives, with cybersecurity elements baked in from the start.\n\nStep 1: Asset Inventory\n\nFirst, Rockwell Automation initiated a comprehensive audit of the utility's digital assets to assess vulnerabilities and risks. This audit, critical for identifying potential cyber threats, illuminated previously unseen devices on the plant floor, enabling robust protection measures.\n\nStep 2: Security by Network Segmentation\n\nRecognizing the importance of network segmentation, the Rockwell Automation team implemented this critical security technique, dividing the network into subnetworks to control traffic flow and access rights. This step fortified the network's security posture, minimizing the impact of potential cyberattacks.\n\nStep 3: Virtualized Industrial Data Center\n\nNext, upgrading the compute infrastructure was pivotal in enhancing the utility's cybersecurity. Dual Industrial Data Centers (IDCs) with cross-backups and managed support services replaced the single-managed IDC. This upgrade delivered redundancy for process operations and a more dependable compute infrastructure, reducing the risk of downtime.\n\nStep 4: Network Perimeter Security with an IDMZ (Industrial Demilitarized Zone)\n\nTo strengthen network perimeter security and safeguard OT assets from unauthorized access, an Industrial Demilitarized Zone (IDMZ) was deployed. This IDMZ architecture enabled secure remote operations, even during infrastructure disruptions.\n\n\"The dedicated OT virtualized compute infrastructure hosts a stretched IDMZ across two IDCs, to permit a site redundant IDMZ. The utility's leaders were serious about maintaining the uptime of their critical and remote operations, even in the event of a plant disaster,\" says Robert Matear, business development lead for Connected Services at Rockwell Automation.\n\nStep 5: Extra Security Measures\n\nRockwell Automation also enlisted the help of EncompassTM Product Partner Claroty to detect hacking attempts and suspicious network activities. Specifically, the utility company will use Claroty's Continuous Threat Detection (CTD) to monitor OT traffic and pinpoint threats and anomalies across the enterprise.\n\nClaroty Secure Remote Access (SRA) will also be deployed, facilitating Role-based Access Control (RBAC) and privileged access management (PAM) to lock down accounts with elevated access rights.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\nThrough this project, the water utility achieved significant advancements in its cybersecurity posture and operational efficiency:\n\n    * Adoption of global OT Cybersecurity Framework (NIST)\n\n    * Deployment of control measures across NIST Framework\n\n    * Workforce risk reduction through a Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP)\n\n    * Enhanced security, connectivity, and resilience in the OT environment\n\n    * 24/7 remote monitoring, administration, patching, and maintenance\n\n    * Lifecycle management of critical assets to mitigate obsolescence\n\n    * A future-proofed plant network\n\n    * Improved asset protection through real-time tracking and inventory\n\n    * Enhanced operational efficiency by minimizing unplanned downtime\n\nExplore how Rockwell Automation Threat Detection Services and Cybersecurity Solutions can help your organization too.\n\nTAG: optimize-production\nTAG: build-resilience\nTAG: empower-people\n\nTAG: industrial-networks\nTAG: industrial-security\n\nTAG: water-wastewater\nTAG: power-generation\n\n",
    "denmarks-leading-margarine-producer-set-for-a-smooth-future": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/denmarks-leading-margarine-producer-set-for-a-smooth-future\n\nTITLE: Denmark's Leading Margarine Producer Set for a Smooth Future\n\nTime for transformation\n\nA sound reputation can take years to build. It takes consistency, reliability and a commitment to the brand promise to win the trust of customers. For Danish producer Dragsbaek, that reputation has been refined and solidified for more than 100 years. Founded in 1923 in the town of Thisted, the company makes margarine products for both commercial and retail customers in Denmark and internationally. The companies it supplies to include large-scale bakeries, supermarkets and catering businesses, which each rely on dependable product distribution in order to satisfy their own customers.\n\nThe dependability of Dragsbaek's supply is based on the robustness of its manufacturing and distribution operations. The packing machinery in its Thisted factory has been running 24 hours a day for 17 years, producing around 400 tonnes of margarine each week. This gives the company's customers strong confidence their orders will be fulfilled promptly and accurately, which in turn helps them with their own inventory management and planning.\n\nLegacy risks\n\nIn the 17 years since Dragsbaek installed its production systems, a lot has changed. Manufacturers today aspire to become connected enterprises, benefitting from a host of innovations and new capabilities to increase the accuracy, cost efficiency and safety of equipment.\n\nFor the company's production manager Karsten Rokkedahl, it was important that Dragsbaek kept up with the industry and positioned itself for the future of production.\n\nWhile the existing packaging control system had served the business well, Karsten began to notice certain shortcomings. Line operators lacked visibility over the specifics of packaging operations, leading to inefficient use of resources, and the excessive size of the machine meant the factory floor was at times overcrowded which created safety risks. Many of the machine components were becoming outdated too and, in some cases, had been discontinued, making sourcing new parts and conducting thorough maintenance increasingly difficult.\n\n\"At times I was having to go to eBay to source parts - it wasn't sustainable for the long run,\" Karsten said.\n\nRetrofit for Purpose\n\nIn late-2019, Karsten began serious discussions with his systems integrator, Picca Automation, about how the legacy control system could be modernised. Based on the conversations, Karsten was presented with two viable options. The first was to dismantle the existing machine and install a brand new production line. While desirable, this path posed significant costs that would test the factory's budgets.\n\nThe second option proved more attractive. Rather than rip and replace, the company would work with Picca Automation and Rockwell Automation to completely renovate and refit the equipment. Using the existing machine as a basis, the team could add leading-edge components to bring the line up to modern standards, reduce space requirements and create the possibility for ongoing upgrades as new capabilities came to market.\n\nThe agreed approach involved taking the machine offline for several weeks, using a backup machine to continue factory output in the meantime. The main machine was taken to a separate, custom-fitted room where the new parts were installed. The installation involved a new integrated safety PLC with Logix controller, ISA 101 user interface (HMI) panels with intelligent manual operation, 24 new servo drives and CAM programming, new intelligent prescription system, new alarms that help operators and repairers and a built-in electrical installation.\n\nCombined, the refitted machinery offered a total solution for control, safety and data collection in Dragsbaek's packaging procedures, with a significant reduction in overall machine size. The solution also utilises intelligently programmed controls in order to help ensure a minimal need for software support should blockages or other issues emerge.\n\n\"Having a greater degree of control over packaging operations was very important to us when designing the system. We didn't want to jeopardise our existing processes, but, instead, improve them so that we can offer a bulletproof service to our customers. It needed to be reliable, customisable and upgradable so that we can begin to look five or more years into the future,\" Karsten said.\n\nCommencing at the tail-end of 2019, the machine was out of operation for less than two months. The refitted machine went live in January 2020, with an onboarding period for staff to get to grips with the new interfaces and operating procedures.\n\nAccording to Jan Skovsgaard Jorgensen, Project Lead at Picca Automation, taking the machine offline provided the opportunity for extensive testing. \"When we first started scoping the project, the control cabinet was fixed to the factory wall with limited space for the operator working on it. We recommended taking the machine out of the facility so that we could rebuild it and implement the control cabinet directly on to the machine. This approach gave us the space we needed to test components and make sure the solution we provided could offer the high level of reliability and smaller footprint that Dragsbaek required.\"\n\nWhile the refitting project presented some risks, Karsten felt at ease due to the team he had supporting him. \"Both Picca Automation and Rockwell Automation have extensive experience in conducting similar projects, so that gave us firm confidence that the project could be deployed smoothly and with minimised risk,\" he added.\n\nGearing up for the future\n\nMore than six months since the installation was completed, the results have been more than encouraging. Dragsbaek is now able to cut margarine blocks with a far greater degree of precision, reducing the variation between blocks from 30 grams down to just three grams. The company estimates that the new solution is 10 times more effective than before, saving up to 2.1 tonnes of materials on a weekly basis. It is also now able to fulfil orders with greater quality and design control to keep the product fresh and presentable.\n\n\"While many of our customers are themselves businesses, rather than consumers of the margarine, presentation still matters a lot. The fully packed product really gives the impression we want to give to our customers.\"\n\nDragsbaek has also noted improvements in uptime, which the company estimates at 6-8% above previous levels. Staff have also reacted well to the change, and are finding the new features help make their own lives easier. \"The prescription system gives us the opportunity to make changes and small adjustments, which the system then remembers. Before, we wrote it down on a pad. It has been a great help in daily life.\"\n\nFor Karsten, what's even more important is being ready for the future. The equipment, at both a software and hardware level, can be modified and upgraded with far greater ease. Also, the process of replacing parts has improved, with far less risk of essential components being unavailable.\n\n\"It's great to know that we're able to continually improve the machinery to gain new capabilities so we won't fall behind competitors. I also feel relieved that we've massively reduced the risk of unnecessary downtime,\" he added.\n\n\"Securing the future is the biggest gain. At the same time, the update and stability mean that the uptime has also been increased and we have thus had a higher efficiency. The speed of starting up the machine alone has already made us a huge saving.\"\n\nThe priority now is to plan for Industry 4.0 and harness the connectivity and IoT possibilities the new machine enables.\n\n\"Now, we have the opportunity for adjustments and so can make it run better. We could not even make small modifications before. We can now. We have a much more stable machine, uniform products and a higher efficiency. In addition, the machine's hardware is future-proof through restoration with new available standard components for a long service life,\" he concluded.\n\n\"We're ready for all the possibilities that lie ahead.\"\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "with-standardized-process-automation-technologies--kcc-executes-": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/with-standardized-process-automation-technologies--kcc-executes-\n\nTITLE: With Standardized Process Automation Technologies, KCC Executes Eco-Friendly Strategy\n\n*** Background ***\n\nKCC was founded as Kumgang Slate Industry in 1958. In 2000, Kumgang and Koryo Chemical merged to form Kumgang Koryeo Chemical. In 2005, Kumgang Koryeo Chemical changed its name to KCC.\n\nFor over half a century, KCC has been a technology\u00a0innovator in building materials such as glass windows, doors, exterior/interior materials and flooring. They moved into the silicone business, an area ripe for the creation of high-value products in the fields of specialized paints and next-generation precision chemical engineering. In April 2014, KCC was named the No. 1 brand in the windows and doors material segment.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nIn 2015, KCC moved its mineral wool and miton production line to the Kimcheon plant in the southern Korea peninsula. Two primary machines were operating inefficiently, resulting in unplanned downtime and higher maintenance costs. KCC was not able to upgrade the mechanical/electrical components of these machines to increase uptime.\u00a0\n\nIn addition to this challenge, the construction economy was booming in the region, and KCC could not keep up with the demand for glass and other building materials. Meanwhile, increased government regulations required the installation of eco-friendly and unfired materials in high-rise buildings and industrial factories.\n\nGlass wool, a specialty of KCC, is made from sand. This is considered a premier building material since it meets environmental regulations. KCC had been leading the industry in the development and manufacturing of glass wool at its facility in Mumak, the city in the Gangwon Province, in the eastern Korean peninsula.\n\nTo meet increasing market demand and overcome the obstacles at the Mumak plant, KCC decided to expand the glass wool line to the Kimcheon plant. Upgrading to an integrated architecture with one standardized system and supplier, KCC wanted to reduce maintenance and engineering costs, and increase efficiency.\n\nKCC Factory in GimCheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nKCC chose to implement\u00a0PlantPAx(R), the modern DCS from Rockwell Automation. The PlantPAx system combines process and discrete control in one system, and provides redundant control of every phase of the production line.\n\nThe system delivers integrated architecture, leveraging the ControlLogix(R) L7 controller series, motion and electronic operator interface (EOI) products. This combination offered significant benefits compared to a traditional physical infrastructure. The PlantPAx library and pre-configured faceplates increase efficiency in the HMI development phase, and as a result decrease total engineering time and cost.\n\nWith the Rockwell Automation Library of Process Objects, KCC was able to use a more flexible engineering tool that delivered full integration of logic and visualization functions; ultimately resulting in shorter overall engineering times. Competitive pricing for components and software licenses made this an easy choice for KCC.\n\nIn addition to the Process Libraries, KCC deployed a PlantPAx system with FactoryTalk(R) AssetCentre asset management and\u00a0FactoryTalk Historian data visualization to collect and deliver real-time and historic variable in a clear, easy to read format for set up, analysis and customer presentation.\n\nKCC factory.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nSince implementing the PlantPAx system, KCC has increased production efficiency about 20 percent and improved product quality and consistency. The new facility also reduced engineering time from 14 months to 11 months through simultaneous designing and developing programs.\n\nThe PlantPAx system enables operators to control glass wool production processes from their workstations. It also provides advanced monitoring and diagnostic that allows operators to access and monitor instrument readings from a central control location to support preventive maintenance and reduce repair costs.\n\nThis project also paved the way for potential opportunities in other KCC plants.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to this customer's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nControlLogix, FactoryTalk, PlantPAx and Rockwell Automation are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\n\nTAG: chemical\n\n",
    "mining-and-metals-company-digs-for-data-and-increases-production": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/mining-and-metals-company-digs-for-data-and-increases-production\n\nTITLE: Mining and Metals Company Digs for Data and Increases Production Rates\n\n*** Background ***\n\nKnown as the mineral of a thousand uses, bentonite clay is one of nature's most versatile materials. It can adsorb, bind and swell, and has the ability to soften fabrics and be modified through chemical or physical means. Bentonite is pervasive in our everyday lives, such as in the pharmaceutical, skin care and pet care products found in our homes, and is also used in industrial applications, including in drilling materials for oil wells and barrier systems for solid-waste landfills.\n\nOne of the top producers of bentonite in the world runs a plant housing four processing lines that together produced more than 550,000 tons of bentonite in a single year. Production at that plant is continuous, with four crews operating in 12-hour shifts. To keep production running at the highest possible levels, plant operators need real-time data on availability and uptime so they can tackle production issues quickly and continually look for new opportunities to improve processes.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nCommunications between the plant's four crews had been difficult to maintain, making it a challenge to get everyone on the same page during downtime events at the plant. Each crew often had a different perspective on the source of a problem or what actions should be taken to resolve it. As a result, downtime events sometimes manifested into larger, more complex issues or took longer to fix than necessary.\n\nThe company saw an opportunity to streamline the data-collection process and reduce reliance on tribal knowledge during downtime situations. The main objective was to get production up and running more quickly. This would allow for better insights into operations and provide room for constant improvement. To gain better insight into how its machines were performing, the company implemented an automated data-collection system. Unfortunately, the system was inconsistent in identifying the root cause of downtime events and didn't provide the level of information operators needed to help make better-informed production decisions. It proved to be an expensive and ineffective investment. The company still needed a solution to address its unanswered need for real-time data, but now many within the organization were skeptical about implementing another similar solution.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nRather than investing in the full-fledged, enterprise-wide launch of another data-collection system, the company decided to work with Stone Technologies, a Rockwell Automation ParnterNetwork Solution Partner, on a pilot system for one production line at one of its plants. The goal of the pilot was to collect information on the line's bulk-powder process \u2013 including event-based data on when production stopped, started, faulted or went into a different state \u2013 to ensure operators focused on the correct machine problems during downtime events.\n\nStone Technologies implemented an overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) and downtime tracking solution based on FactoryTalk\u00ae Metrics software from Rockwell Automation to monitor plant-floor equipment, and collect real-time and historical data. The software provides plant operators with new capabilities to see how operations perform against goals, and monitors and reports on machine events so they can more quickly resolve downtime issues. When the pilot launched, they used the FactoryTalk Metrics out-of-the-box reporting capabilities and developed customized email notifications to alert operators every time there was a change in the control system's operations. The system also provides valuable reports, such as root-cause analyses, production summaries and downtime summaries. Plant operators are able to examine the reports to look for patterns and make adjustments to their processes.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nFollowing the successful deployment of FactoryTalk Metrics software and customization of the system to the unique needs of the Lovell plant, operators were pleased with the performance of the system and the valuable data it provided, particularly compared to the previous system they had used. As a result, FactoryTalk Metrics software was extended to the plant's three remaining production lines, as well as to two dryers, two screening systems and a geosynthetic clay liner.\n\nFactoryTalk Metrics software allowed the company to focus resources on correcting the problems during downtime. The accuracy rate in solving downtime issues was around 60 percent and is now 95 percent. The new software provides a greater confidence in tackling production issues. Since expanding the program across the plant, asset availability has improved to as high as 94 percent. Maximum achievable capacity has also improved by 30 percent across the plant. The company is also implementing the same project at two additional processing facilities. Extending the solution to the additional sites will give the company expanded capabilities to monitor, analyze and compare machine-performance information across multiple plants at the corporate level.\n\n\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\n\n",
    "bestech-delivers-new-ventilation-on-demand-system-for-undergroun": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/bestech-delivers-new-ventilation-on-demand-system-for-undergroun\n\nTITLE: BESTECH Delivers New Ventilation-on-Demand System for Underground Mine\n\n*** Background ***\n\nWithout ventilation, the air in a mine is filled with dangerous contaminants. Miners may work at depths of a mile or more underground where contaminants such as carbon monoxide, as well as the dust created from the mining cycle exist. Worker safety is essential to any mine's operation and success, but also presents challenges.\n\nMining companies must provide fresh air to the work force to ensure a safe working environment. This airflow is continuously removing and diluting contaminants. The cost of ventilating mines is high and rising even higher as energy prices increase and mines expand in depth. Approximately 50 percent of a typical mine's energy costs are associated with ventilation.\n\nMany hard-rock mines contain dozens of main ventilation fans and hundreds of auxiliary ones. Both types are usually controlled manually and operated continuously at maximum speed, or peak capacity, to keep\n\nair flowing through each part of the mine 24 hours a day. Unfortunately, keeping all those fans running at maximum speeds - even during non-peak demand periods - wastes precious energy.\n\nVentilation-on-Demand (VOD) systems operate according to the production requirements of a mine, automatically adjusting to peak and non-peak demand periods. Air flows can be directed where and when they are needed for more energy-efficient operation. For example, a diesel loader entering a particular area of a mine may require 100 percent air volume, but a drill entering a different area of the mine, or in the same area at a different time, may require only 20 percent air volume. As such, fan speeds can be set so that full performance requirements are met at 5 to 10 percent of full motor speed, which reduces power consumption to 70 to 90 percent, compared to fans running at maximum speed. Lower operating speeds also translate into longer motor life, ultimately reducing maintenance and operating costs.\n\nBESTECH, a leading provider of system automation to the mining industry in Canada, recently created a new approach to help mining companies more efficiently manage their processes, equipment and energy usage in a safe manner. NRG1-ECOTM (Energy Consumption Optimisation) combines hardware and software to manage many pieces of automated equipment in a mine.\n\n\"When combined with a VOD module, mining companies can realize significant energy savings,\" said Paul Lalonde, product developer - Automation, BESTECH. \"The hardware and software system also can dramatically reduce a mine's greenhouse gas emissions, while increasing its productivity and air quality.\"\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nWhen BESTECH developed the NRG1-ECOTM technology, it formed a consortium of industry experts and organisations to establish best practices and standards. The consortium members include organisations such as the Centre for Mining Excellence, and mining giants Vale and Xstrata Nickel.\n\nVale asked BESTECH to tailor a VOD system for its Coleman Mine, which already included some variable frequency drives (VFDs) in its underground equipment. BESTECH engineers faced a new challenge - they needed skid-mounted VFDs that could be easily confi gured and installed on mine fans and seamlessly integrated with the BESTECH NRG1-ECOTM system.\n\nBESTECH and Vale engineers evaluated VFDs from multiple suppliers and selected Rockwell Automation based on the ease of integration into the existing control system and the seamless communication between the controllers, the VFDs and NRG1-ECOTM. System reliability was also a critical issue, as it is for any mine, so that ventilation is available to miners 24/7. The BESTECH engineers found that the Allen-Bradley VFDs from Rockwell Automation were reliable and right for the job.\n\n*** Solutions ***\n\nTo optimise air flow throughout the mine, the Coleman Mine had an existing system of regulators on each mine level with fresh air fans. On one level of the mine, auxiliary fans are controlled by Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 700H 600-volt VFDs on skids underground. The PowerFlex VFDs significantly reduce the energy used during fan operation by precisely regulating motor speed, and maintaining torque levels to match the needs of the load. The VFDs also reduce the mechanical stress on the motors by providing \"soft-start\" capability. After the installation of NRG1-ECOTM, Vale installed Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 7000 medium-voltage VFDs mounted in a portable e-house on the surface of the mine to help reduce energy use and ventilation costs.\n\nThe PowerFlex drives allow operators to vary the speed of fan motors electrically rather than mechanically, allowing greater flexibility. Lacking a drive, the fan motors would run at full speed continuously regardless of varying demands for air flow, resulting in a significant waste of energy.\n\nA series of air-flow meters, air temperature sensors and carbon monoxide detectors also were installed as part of the new system. On one level in the mine, fans, regulators and air-flow sensors are controlled by Allen-Bradley Bulletin 1747 SLC 5/05 programmable logic controllers (PLC) and Allen-Bradley MicroLogix 1400 PLCs from Rockwell Automation. The sensors seamlessly connect with Allen-Bradley CompactLogix L35E programmable automation controllers (PAC) from Rockwell Automation to allow system wide control. The EtherNet/IP network connects fans, regulators and sensors to the controllers to allow seamless communication on a common network infrastructure.\n\nAllen-Bradley Stratix 8000TM, Stratix 6000TM and Stratix 2000TM managed and unmanaged Ethernet switches simplify the deployment of EtherNet/IP in the mine. Stratix 8000 switches use a Cisco Catalyst Operating System, feature set, and user interface to provide a familiar environment for IT professionals. Stratix 6000 switches use a CIP interface to the Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture to help ease deployment of EtherNet/IP in the mine. Stratix 2000 switches do not require confi guration and use simple cable connections for easy connection to the controllers. They also segment the EtherNet/IP network and direct network traffic more efficiently than repeating hubs.\n\nThe switches use configuration screens in the programming software via an add-on profile to ease integration and diagnostics of networked devices. Using FactoryTalk(R) View human-machine interface (HMI) software faceplates as part of the system, operators can view diagnostic data to easily access information about system activity and quickly identify and troubleshoot problems.\n\n\n\nRockwell Software(R) RSLogixTM 5000 programming software minimised system development time and provided a single programming environment for the CompactLogix L35E controllers, soft starters and VFDs. Engineers used Rockwell Software(R) RSLogix 500 programming software to program the MicroLogix 1400 controllers and SLC 5/05 PLCs. The Integrated Architecture from Rockwell Automation provides multidiscipline functionality on a single EtherNet/IP network, which helps converge control, visualisation and decision support throughout the entire mine.\n\nBESTECH engineers also used the Integrated Architecture Accelerator Toolkit from Rockwell Automation to help simplify installation and reduce the overall time to design, develop and deliver the solution. The tools help engineers select components, develop drawings, write code, lay out HMI screens, and troubleshoot and start up machines.\n\nDuring system installation, operators pre-set the default parameters for the air flow regulation system using the FactoryTalk View software in the surface control room. Each entrance into the mine includes its own display to show current air flow, temperature and carbon monoxide levels. This air quality data is readily available and easily visible at each level of the mine to notify workers of potentially dangerous conditions, such as high carbon monoxide levels and/or minimum air flow, before entering.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nAfter implementing the VOD system, the mine has realised greater energy savings than the originally anticipated estimate of 30 percent. The VOD system is also helping the mine reduce its carbon footprint by 1,577 kilograms of carbon monoxide for every kilowatt reduction in energy use. \"Taken all together, these numbers illustrate signifi cant cost savings for the Coleman Mine,\" Lalonde said. \"We expect to see a savings of approximately 1.4 million dollars in energy costs per year, and the VOD system contributes greatly to this overall savings. The VOD system is also helping to save about three million kilowatt hours, or 540 tons of carbon monoxide per year.\"\n\nThe new BESTECH technology is attracting the attention of other mining giants. By working with Rockwell Automation, BESTECH can integrate the NRG1-ECOTM with any mine's existing technology to help save costs without compromising worker safety. The NRG1-ECOTM integrates with the Coleman Mine's tracking system, which helps mine operators detect the location of personnel in an emergency situation through tagging. Tagging also allows mine operators to ramp down or turn off the fans if no one is detected in a certain area of the mine, decreasing energy consumption but also helping keep workers safe. Safety engineers can also use the system to understand the air quality at any given time using real-time data.\n\n\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\n\n",
    "one-of-the-worlds-first-high-availability-wood-gasification-plan": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/one-of-the-worlds-first-high-availability-wood-gasification-plan\n\nTITLE: One of the World's First High-Availability Wood Gasification Plants\n\n***** Background *****\n\nWith the extensive range of products and solutions from Rockwell Automation, customers in the gas production industry benefit from a coherent package that meets their needs... all from a single source. This has been invaluable to Austria's Erwin Schiefer for his wood gasification project. He started out building a plant for his farm's use and now sells plants to other companies too.\n\nThis has been invaluable to Austria's Erwin Schiefer for his wood gasification project. He started out building a plant for his farm's use and now sells plants to other companies too.\n\n***** Challenge *****\n\nThe production of gas from wood burning is a complex process with a number of potential pitfalls. It places heavy demands on the plant control system, which needs to detect and counterbalance any process related deviations right at the outset. A high level of built-in intelligence is also required in the other components deployed in the system. A huge electricity bill prompted Austrian farmer Erwin Schiefer to think about becoming his own energy supplier. Schiefer knew that some natural energy sources were slowly but surely coming to an end, whereas there is still a lot of untapped potential in other sources - such as wood.\n\nAlthough power generation by wood gasification was discovered some 200 years ago, it never really took off as there were always easier or more cost-effective alternatives available. Schiefer says: \"Wood gasification technology is difficult to get right and many companies have failed at it. Although it's relatively easy to produce the gas, ensuring the stability of the system is where the real challenge comes in.\"\n\n***** Solution *****\n\nTogether with Rockwell Automation, Schiefer built a wood gasification plant which - along with producing energy - has attracted a lot of attention abroad. And with 8,300 productive hours of operation per year it's hardly surprising - that's an unusually high level of availability. It's almost 95 per cent of the plant's total capacity and a performance most other wood gasification operators can only dream of. This success prompted Schiefer to think about diversifying his farming business by developing wood gasification plants for other companies.\n\n\"We developed the entire system ourselves, from the reactor down to the last filter for gas cleaning,\" says Schiefer, visibly proud of a system that produces up to 200 kilowatts electrical and up to 400 kilowatts thermal energy per hour. The farmer can more or less leave the combined heat and power plant to get on with its job, thanks to the Allen-Bradley(R) CompactLogixTM system that manages the automation, including the heating technology, wood and maize drying and energy supply to the grid.\n\nAccording to Schiefer, the key to achieving high availability in a wood gasification plant is accurate zone control within the reactor. \"The reactor's ventilation is located in the oxidation zone,\" he explains. \"That's where CompactLogix makes sure that the zone, which is the hottest, does not rise due to variations in materials or humidity. It does that by adjusting the ventilation levels accordingly.\"\n\nHe believes that as long as the ventilation is right and there's perfect coordination between the four reactor zones - drying, pyrolysis (carbonisation), oxidation and reduction - the stability issue can solve itself.\n\n***** Fine-Tuning Makes All the Difference *****\n\nThe system requires precise fine-tuning, which is handled by the Allen-Bradley control system and by the Walking Floor based drying technique, which was developed by Schiefer. \"The higher the humidity of the chopped wood, the more water will evaporate from it, so the dryer is adjusted to move forward more slowly.\" This procedure contributes to better safety and reliability and is so effective that it's being talked about throughout Europe.\n\nIn the meantime, more modular wood gasification power plants in Germany, Italy and Slovakia have been installed. Also, there were very high expectations placed on the technology and with the brand Xylogas(R) found. The advice, support and expertise of Mr. Schiefer is another important aspect for customers, who can rely on his experience and thus save a lot of time and money.\n\nMeanwhile, the Xylogas brand has established itself in the market and is especially known for quality and performance far beyond the borders of Austria. Additional product lines are developed and adapted to the new segment requirements. As there are still millions of people worldwide who have no access to electric power. Xylogas want to develop technology for these areas and so become a global player in the alternate segment.\n\n***** Results *****\n\nA plant in Sterzing/South Tyrol is delivering on its promises: After overall completion 900kW electrical power shall be supplied to the official power grid in Italy. 1570kW of thermal energy to the local grid.\n\nWithin this plant, the order of command is clear - the Allen-Bradley components call the shots. They're headed up by a CompactLogix controller from the 1768 series with a L43 CPU. This manages the flow of material from the silo to the reactor as well as the particle filtering and the drying systems. It also monitors the critical gas cleaning and production processes and fine-tunes all the action based on data provided by 1734 Point I/OTM.\n\nErwin Schiefer is particularly impressed with the Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) 40 and 70 AC drives that manage a variety of pumps, drives and compressors, and with the Factory Talk View Studio visualisation system. He and his team can take a closer look at the system via a secure VPN connection whenever necessary, carrying out remote diagnostics and maintenance via EtherNet/IP. But that's something that is rarely needed, thanks to sophisticated automation technology from Rockwell Automation.\n\n\nTAG: power-generation\n\n",
    "fluorsid-halves-waste-and-reduces-emissions": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/fluorsid-halves-waste-and-reduces-emissions\n\nTITLE: Fluorsid S.p.A. Halves Waste and Reduces Emissions\n\nFounded in 1969 in Sardinia, Italy, Fluorsid S.p.A. plays a crucial role in the fluorine value chain. Its gypsum and anhydrite products are pivotal for many industries, including cement and construction; while the significant volumes of sulfuric acid produced by its plants support other sectors, such as fertilizer production.\n\nLike many companies that rely on naturally sourced raw materials, Fluorsid is committed to sustainability. It has developed and initiated a robust 'Integrated Prevention and Pollution Control' policy, aimed at reducing emissions and waste to promote and maintain sustainable operation and development.\n\nThe company recognized the need for a higher level of autonomous operation to make its production processes more efficient and sustainable. This approach would not only help it meet sustainability goals but would also result in significant financial savings.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nFluorsid's plant in Cagliari produces a variety of products using a range of processing technologies, such as reactors and kilns, all of which must be tightly controlled to ensure product quality, process efficiency and optimized energy consumption.\n\nThe primary challenge with the production processes is the impact of numerous variables, including the naturally varying quality of raw materials, and external actors, all of which can affect process stability and product quality.\u00a0\n\nIn addition to influencing final product quality, these process variables also dictate the volume of the costly raw material consumed and the quality of the anhydrite byproduct, which is a usable commodity itself.\n\n\"Process control was originally achieved using simple PID controllers, which were adjusted by the operators,\" explains Daniele Tocco, plant director at the Fluorsid plant in Cagliari. \"But this was a real challenge because the chemical reactions in our processes are rarely stable, as they are influenced by several factors, including the quality of fluorspar raw material and the quantity of energy put into the process.\n\n\"It is a process that screams out for intelligence and is a great exercise for a Model Predictive Control (MPC) solution, which can monitor the plant behavior and change individual set points, to better control and optimize the process to its true potential every minute.\"\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\nThe MPC solution deployed at the Cagliari plant is the FactoryTalk(R) AnalyticsTM Pavilion8(R) solution from Rockwell Automation.\n\nPavilion8 provides an intelligence layer that sits on top of existing Process Control System, continuously assessing current and predicted operational data. It compares this data with desired results and drives new control targets to reduce process variability, improve performance and boost efficiency - all autonomously and in real time. This is known as closed-loop optimization.\n\nThe kiln-control application was formulated by a specialist team from Rockwell Automation, which included digital data consultants from Kalypso, Rockwell's digital transformation business.\n\n\"The rationale behind the deployment of the MPC solution was to attain optimum consumption of the expensive fluorspar raw material,\" Tocco adds. \"If any is present in the byproduct, it indicates an issue with the reaction process. We knew that the reaction process could be improved and set the target of a reduction in the current levels of 2.9%.\"\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\nTo date the solution has regularly demonstrated huge savings in both raw material usage and energy consumption, resulting in a rapid return on investment (ROI).\n\n\"Since the deployment of the Pavilion8 MPC solution, the amount of fluorspar in the byproduct has fallen to below 1.5%, and sometimes even less than 1.2%,\" Tocco says. \"This means we have halved the losses, resulting in significant savings, considering the scale of our operations and throughput.\n\n\"The improved reaction control also means we are optimizing the consumption of the raw materials from the quarries. Due to the additional line stability and accuracy, we are also saving energy, which is primarily fuel oil. In fact, with Pavilion8 MPC, the key process parameters are now more stable, showing a clear reduction in standard deviation.\n\n\"Finally, as a direct result of the improved reaction control, the quality of the anhydrite/gypsum byproduct is much better. The cement industry can now use more of our synthetic anhydrate instead of quarrying for natural gypsum. We sell about 300,000 tons per year, primarily to cement industries, and with better quality we predict an increase in demand. We have even created a new brand - Gypsos - for our new improved gypsum product.\"\n\nVladimir Obrazcov, director of digital business EMEA, Kalypso, elaborates: \"Energy-and-raw-material-intensive industries will always see significant benefits from the deployment of digitalized control solutions. Even small gains in operational efficiencies soon add up, not only driving plant improvements, but also optimizing raw material use, and cutting overall energy consumption.\"\n\nFuture applications are already being envisaged by Fluorsid for the MPC solution, including its deployment at its facility in Norway. \"This plant uses the same reaction process, but the hardware is very different,\" Tocco concludes. \"It will be a more demanding job as this plant is already at 1.5% without the Pavilion8 MPC. We know it will be tough, but we know there are more savings to be made.\"\n\nYou may also be interested in\n\nTAG: process-solutions\nTAG: industrial-automation-and-control\nTAG: sustainable-solutions\nTAG: smart-manufacturing\n\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\nTAG: chemical\n\n",
    "tacoma-power-restores-fish-migration--generates-power-for-1-700-": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/tacoma-power-restores-fish-migration--generates-power-for-1-700-\n\nTITLE: Tacoma Power Restores Fish Migration, Generates Power for 1,700 Homes\n\n*** Background ***\n\nHydroelectricity is a cornerstone of power generation in the United States. Since the 1880s, engineers have harnessed the power of rushing water to generate electricity, from the iconic Hoover Dam to much smaller hydroelectric projects.\n\nBut in the last few decades, the same people who benefit from hydroelectric power have realized the environmental impact of dams - especially on local fish populations.\n\nSpecies, such as salmon and herring, migrate from the ocean and into rivers to their spawning grounds. Once hatched, juvenile fish migrate back down rivers to live in the ocean. Traditional dams have disrupted this life cycle by blocking the free flow of rivers to the sea.\n\nFederal and state regulators have taken steps to restore these populations by requiring utilities to find innovative ways to help fish circumnavigate dams. Tacoma Power in Washington state is one of these utilities. Owned by the city of Tacoma, the utility provides electricity to over 50 percent of city residents. Ninety percent of that energy is generated by hydroelectric powerhouses on rivers in western Washington.\n\nWhen Tacoma Power's license to produce power for the city was up for renewal, the city needed to create a fish passage around two of its dams to help preserve the local population of endangered steelhead, sockeye and salmon in order to renew its license.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nAt the time, Tacoma Power's Cushman No. 2 Dam upstream of the North Fork Skokomish River was not equipped with hydroelectric generation capabilities on the North Fork of the river. The dam had been in place since 1929 as part of the system keeping water within Lake Cushman, a man-made reservoir.\n\nThe power company added two river outlet valves to the base of the dam in 1992, allowing water to flow from the lake into the riverbed. However, the flow of water through the valves was too strong for fish migration. To provide a gentler passage for the fish, Tacoma Power needed to build a fish-collection facility for both the adult fish headed upstream and the juvenile fish swimming toward the ocean.\n\nThe utility needed to diffuse the water current and saw an opportunity to capture the force of the flow and turn it into hydroelectric power by building a new powerhouse at the base of the dam.\n\nThe powerhouse would need to simulate the natural flow of the river to keep the surrounding area safe from flooding and make fish migration manageable. Similar to other powerhouses Tacoma Power owns and operates, the new Cushman Northfork Powerhouse needed to be completely automated to eliminate the need for on-site staff. Staff would remotely access the dam from the operations center at the Tacoma office.\n\nCustomers would also benefit, because the powerhouse would generate enough renewable energy for 1,700 homes.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nTacoma Power had been using Allen-Bradley(R) ControlLogix(R) programmable automation controllers (PACs) to automate its other seven powerhouses.\n\n\"Our experience with Allen-Bradley controls convinced us to use the same solution for this new project,\" said Ozan Ferrin, generation automation supervisor for Tacoma Power.\n\nFerrin and other Tacoma Power controls engineers designed a completely automated system using four ControlLogix PACs. Two PACs each control one of two 1.8 MW generator units, a third controls the balance of the plant including operation of an existing river outlet valve for flow continuation in the event of a unit trip, and a fourth controls the fish collection equipment and fish hoist system at the base of the dam located just outside of the powerhouse.\n\nWith the new system, the operator controls the powerhouse using a single flow control setpoint for the plant. The balance of plant PAC receives the control set point and automatically issues flow instructions to each of the generator units and the river outlet valve to ramp flow at a regulated rate, mimicking seasonal river flows. DNP cards and Modbus(R) cards from ProSoft Technology, a Rockwell Automation EncompassTM Product Partner and a member of the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM program, interface with sensors, equipment and other systems at the Northfork Powerhouse. They provide seamless Ethernet communication across multiple platforms.\n\nIf one or both of the generators goes offline, the balance of plant controller will immediately open the river outlet valve to make up for the lost flow, keeping water flowing at a uniform rate.\n\nFor the fish collection facility, the Tacoma Power engineering team needed to design a hoist that could move adult fish over the dam and smolt down the side of the dam smoothly. This required drives with precise control.\n\nThat control begins at the base of the dam. As fish swim toward the dam, fully grown fish are captured in a hopper at the fish collection facility and automatically hoisted up the side of the dam on a tram operated by an Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) 700 AC drive. The drive's Allen-Bradley TorqProveTM functionality helps manage control of the hopper when transferring control between the drive and the tram's mechanical brake.\n\nThe hopper lifts the fish to the top of the dam, where they are separated, counted and transported via trucks to Lake Cushman. PowerFlex 70 drives and combination starters are used to operate the fish collection equipment.\n\nOn the other end of the fish lifecycle, juvenile fish swimming toward the ocean are placed into the hopper at the top of the dam and are carried down onto a smolt release cart to release the fish downstream toward the ocean.\n\nTacoma Power control engineers programmed the PowerFlex drives with Allen-Bradley DriveToolsTM SP software and Rockwell Software(R) Studio 5000 Logix DesignerTM programming software. The engineers were able to add the drives directly to the Studio 5000 Logix Designer program as an add-on profile, which helped save programming time by automatically integrating drive parameters into the Studio 5000 Logix Designer application - the same software used to program the ControlLogix controllers.\n\n\"We've tried other control software, and none that met all our controls needs were as easy to use as the Studio 5000 Logix Designer software,\" Ferrin said. \"And since we can use the same software that we used to program our controllers to also program and store our drive parameters, we save on commissioning time and are able to store our drive parameters and controller program in a single file location.\"\n\nThe Tacoma Power team also uses I/O cards from Rockwell Automation to remotely monitor temperature, equipment status and to control equipment from the Tacoma office.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nThe collection facility has restored the fish migration route, and the company is now licensed to generate electricity for the city of Tacoma until 2048.\n\nTacoma Power also met its operation goal for the new powerhouse - generating 3.6 additional megawatts of hydropower.\n\nBecause the powerhouse is completely automated, the company avoided incurring additional operator costs. \"With one push of a button from our control center, we can ramp flow up or down - which is more accurate than doing it manually and saves us the costs of on-site staffing,\" Ferrin said.\n\nThe system also reduces the risk of violating flow requirements set by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The ability to automatically open the backup river outlet valve in case a unit trips helps the utility company meet those compliance standards more effectively.\n\nAnother plus: Because the company added more renewable energy to its portfolio, it now receives renewable energy credits from the state.\n\nTo further boost the fish population, Tacoma Power is building two new hatcheries at the Cushman River Project. The first will raise 2 million sockeye each year, and a second will raise 425,000 young salmon and steelheads. All will be released into Lake Cushman.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Tacoma Power's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\nTAG: power-generation\n\n",
    "horizon-turnkey-solution": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/horizon-turnkey-solution\n\nTITLE: Scalable Business Intelligence Just Got Easier\n\nKeeping the Conversation Going\n\nPowerful digital technologies and information solutions are transforming the industrial landscape, but while major corporations continue their march toward digital transformation at an impressive pace, smaller companies often feel lost in the shuffle.\n\n\"Most of our customers are small or mid-sized companies that immediately shut down the conversation when we mention information solutions,\" said Marcia Pohl, Business Development Leader at Horizon Solutions. \"They value new digital technology, but they think these initiatives are simply beyond their reach financially.\"\n\nHorizon Solutions, a Rexel company and Rockwell Automation Distributor Partner, is determined to change that mindset.\n\n\"Our Business Intelligence Solution-in-a-Box keeps the digital conversation going,\" Pohl said. \"It is designed to give companies a cost-effective way to think big, start small - and scale fast.\"\n\nHow It Works\n\nTo develop the new offering, Horizon Solutions relied on its 100-year history of collaboration with Rockwell Automation and other companies participating in the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM program.\n\n\"We were very familiar with the available technology,\" said Jim Bischoff, Director of Automation at Horizon Solutions. \"We identified best-in-class products, but we knew our customers would struggle to implement an integrated solution on their own.\"\u00a0\n\nPut simply, the Business Intelligence Solution-in-a-Box bundles software and hardware to jumpstart data collection, intelligence gathering, and reporting. The solution features:\n\nSoftware\n\n    * Rockwell Automation FactoryTalk(R) Historian\n\n    * Ocean Data Systems Dream Report\n\nHardware\n\n    * Stratus Technologies ztC Edge Platform\n\nThe plug-and-play system starts small - tracking data and reports generated from 250 FactoryTalk Historian tags. The edge appliance delivers the computing power for analytics and is installed in the control panel. Both the number of tags and generated reports can be scaled as needed.\n\n\u00a0\n\n\"Typically, the solution is easily implemented by a controls engineer - without additional IT infrastructure or capital expense,\" Bischoff explained.\n\n\u00a0\n\nAnd because the solution is virtualized, it can be easily duplicated and repurposed for other applications or locations.\n\nFrom Concept to Pilot\n\nThe first opportunity to use the system presented itself in 2021. A controls engineer at a mid-size food company was challenged to identify the source of downtime and other issues hampering operational efficiency.\n\n\"Our customer knew that equipment monitoring and analytics could deliver insights that would improve operations,\" said Pohl. \"But to secure upper management support, he also knew he had to demonstrate the value of the solution.\"\n\nAfter Horizon Solutions outlined the system's scope, scalability, and affordability, the customer quickly came on board.\n\n\"Basically, he understood he could implement the Business Intelligence Solution-in-a-Box within his control and budget,\" said Pohl.\n\nTo demonstrate value, the customer first applied the solution on a filling line and installed a large screen at the end of the line, which projected operating efficiencies in real time. Management's reaction was almost immediate.\n\n\"Once the management team saw what type of data could be generated, they understood the value,\" Pohl said.\n\nData-Driven Success\n\nWhile the customer originally installed the solution on a discrete filling application to monitor line efficiency, they quickly expanded the system to the process side of their operation.\n\n\"Now, they are capturing and analyzing their chart recorder data for coolers and freezers - and they are adding clean-in-place (CIP) system data,\" Pohl said. \"The information generated by the system has led the company to make many improvements.\"\n\nIn addition, the customer is expanding their use of the Business Intelligence Solution-in-a-Box to a second manufacturing location.\n\nBack at Horizon Solutions, the company continues adapting the offering to a wide range of applications for both end users and system integrators.\u00a0\u00a0\n\n\u00a0\n\n\"While this is a plug-and-play solution, we can accommodate specific application requirements,\" Bischoff said.\n\n\u00a0\n\n\u00a0\n\nThe PartnerNetwork Ecosystem Award\u00a0is given to those partners that embody the spirit of our PartnerNetwork and have collaborated with other partners in our ecosystem to bring a truly innovative and transformative solution to our customer.\n\nFor example, if a customer must capture strictly events-based data, Horizon Solutions can apply FactoryTalk Transaction Manager instead of FactoryTalk Historian. Other software options include Microsoft(R) licensing for companies that do not have a Microsoft site license, FactoryTalk View SE, and ThinManager(R), a Rockwell Automation technology\n\n\"We want it to be the right solution for the application,\" Bischoff said. \"That's the bottom line.\"\n\nTogether with Ocean Data Systems and Stratus Technologies, Horizon Solutions received the Rockwell Automation\u00a0PartnerNetwork Ecosystem Award\u00a0for the Business Intelligence Solution-in-a-Box offering.\n\nLearn more about our\u00a0PartnerNetwork Program.\n\nMicrosoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries.\u00a0\n\n\u00a0\n\n\u00a0\n\nThe PartnerNetwork Ecosystem Award is given to those partners that embody the spirit of our PartnerNetwork and have collaborated with other partners in our ecosystem to bring a truly innovative and transformative solution to our customer.\n\nTAG: accelerate-digital-transformation\n\nTAG: enterprise-operational-intelligence\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\nTAG: distributed-control-systems\nTAG: human-machine-interface\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: industrial-control-products\nTAG: plantpax\n\n",
    "traceability-scale-food": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/traceability-scale-food\n\nTITLE: OWS Foods Gains Traceability, Efficiency & Scale\n\nMeet Christopher Marks, ERP manager at OWS Foods (OWS), a premium foods manufacturer that develops and makes sauces, rubs, blended seasonings, dressings, baking mixes and more. OWS has been a Plex Systems customer since 2015 with three facilities using the smart manufacturing platform.\n\n\"We run operational implementations, change management, and integrations of acquisitions into our ERP systems for full traceability,\" Christopher says.\n\nChristopher MarksERP Manager, OWS Foods\n\n***** Acquisition Expands Manufacturing Capabilities *****\n\nOWS acquired Head Country Bar-B-Q, a maker of barbecue sauces in 2021. The acquisition brought together the two manufacturer's complementary dry and wet capabilities and products.\n\n\"With dry manufacturing we use a split-by-batch operation from our individual control panels with non-fixed sizes, meaning operators can vary the product sizes they pull,\" Christopher explains. \"With our wet facility, we have more of a fixed batch size, meaning we can schedule individual batches. We can go from 5 to 50 batches, all with a fixed set so we can scale our operation and the product effectively.\"\n\nChristopher and his team have taken advantage of Plex System's wide range of solutions to integrate the manufacturing operations.\n\n\"Plex is part of our enterprise PCN (process control network) structure and has done a great job of providing a holistic view of our business from accounting to raw materials, to quality, to SPC check sheets and EDI,\" Christopher says. \"That structure gives us the ability to bolt on an additional manufacturing facility.\"\n\n***** Increased User Adoption and Production Efficiency *****\n\nOWS was able to get the newly acquired facility fully operational within 6 months, including launching batch and lot management tools.\n\n\"We've been fully traceable, from the raw material through finished goods, since January 1,\" Christopher says. \"The biggest benefits have been the total lot traceability throughout the system and the total productivity, efficiencies, and scaling capabilities with the batch management.\"\n\nHe also notes they've had \"great user adoption\" because of the front-end work they did with batch management and how they utilized system. Christopher says little has changed for the operators.\n\n\"It's a similar infrastructure where they're still picking and pulling based on what the system is telling them. But batch management is more about a scheduling optimization than it is picking optimization.\u00a0 The more we can schedule, the more efficiently we can run the lines.\"\n\nHe says it \"was an easy choice\" to use Plex Systems solutions for the acquired facility and \"to add one more piece of software underneath our Plex umbrella. It's worked out great for us.\"\n\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: industrial-automation-and-control\nTAG: mes-solutions\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\nTAG: plex\n\n",
    "acs-dobfar-relies-on-rockwell-automation-technologies": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/acs-dobfar-relies-on-rockwell-automation-technologies\n\nTITLE: ACS Dobfar relies on Rockwell Automation technologies\n\nThe word \"innovation\" generally suggests a disruptive event and a break with the past. But this is not always the case. More and more often in the world of industrial automation, the revamping of existing systems represents an opportunity for advanced technological evolution. Likewise, the analysis of the pre-existing situation of a company serves as the starting point for the design of a new plant. This was the case with the new facility at ACS Dobfar, an Italian chemical-pharmaceutical company that has been developing and producing biotechnological products since 1973.\n\nACS Dobfar manufactures and sells its own line and third-party range of sterile products, specialized medical products, raw materials, and semi-processed products in its 11 factories in Italy and through several subsidiaries located around the world.\n\nThe company employs around 1500 employees in Italy, including 600 at the main site in Tribiano (Milan). \"Our main market is the United States,\" says Silvio Ercoli, Automation Manager of API sites at ACS Dobfar.\n\nFuture-oriented and innovative, the company has recently expanded and modernized its plants by investing heavily in new technologies, including many automation solutions from Rockwell Automation.\n\n***** The role of ThinManager(R) *****\n\nCollaboration with Rockwell Automation began in 2015, when a pilot project aimed at revamping a synthesis department was launched. \"We found that the solution and the technology provided to us, even if not yet available at that time, were valid and interesting in the medium term,\" continues Ercoli. \"So we decided to focus on Rockwell Automation technologies for all new projects, trying to influence our packaging suppliers to use them as well, in order to gain full compatibility with our infrastructures.\"\n\n\"In planning for a new department, we started with the idea of modifying the old client management system by introducing Rockwell Automation technology,\" Ercoli says.\u00a0\n\n\"In our departments we had a very large number of physical clients that grew continually, so we decided to start utilizing virtualization based on Rockwell Automation technology with the implementation of dedicated servers from Stratus Technologies,\" explains Cristian Speranza, Automation & Software Engineer at ACS Dobfar.\n\n\"However, when we looked at the new department, we realized that this continued growth of virtual machines was creating issues. Aging physical clients and operating systems were also a problem. Furthermore, if multiple vendors used the new plant without the ability to integrate them under the same Scada, we risked to use multiple applications,\" continues Speranza.\n\nClient management strategy was therefore revised using ThinManager in order to achieve greater flexibility and be able to integrate all Rockwell Automation applications (including third-party skids) or those from other vendors into the system. The goal was the ability to manage multiple applications on the same client by switching ThinManager pages, and optimizing and simplifying the system to ensure that there were no problems with technology integration and, as a result, to reduce costs.\n\n\"The direction we chose was virtualization,\" says Cristian Speranza. \"To that end, we created a virtual machine architecture with dedicated servers\".\n\nThanks to ThinManager, the handling of physical clients has been eliminated. \"As ThinManager updates its firmware periodically and is always up to date, we are sure of using software that is always secure, and we rely on a single Scada container that allows the department to manage multiple plants, including the water conditioning process, the steam generator, the freeze dryer...,\" adds Speranza. \"This has also allowed us to have different instances of Factory Talk viewable on the same client, an option that is absolutely unattainable with other applications.\"\n\n***** Redundant Virtualization *****\n\nThe new architecture was designed with a focus on redundancy. \"In addition to the physical servers, virtualization is also redundant, with a primary and a secondary Scada server,\" Speranza explains. The same principle has also been applied to the client side, with a primary and a secondary server acting as clients. \"It's very easy to switch between servers, because ThinManager handles the servers that the clients need to connect to, maintaining 100 percent uptime at all times, even during maintenance.\"\n\nACS Dobfar is also planning to test ThinManager on a non-Rockwell Automation system, as the software is platform-agnostic.\n\n\"We have been testing the mobile infrastructure with Scada visualization on smartphones and found that it was not only very simple to use it, but also provided the advantage of having multiple Scadas on the same device, as in the case of the department in question,\" says Ercoli. Future developments will include the integration of cameras in the automation system.\n\n\"One of the goals we would like to achieve is the ability to reach multiple departments via mobile devices with a single application, using ThinManager as a gateway,\" Speranza adds. \"We would then have a ThinManager dedicated to the mobile infrastructure and independent from the one dedicated to production, including a separation of the servers for safety purposes.\"\n\n\"Many features of the system have yet to be tested, but system users are beginning to see the benefits and are asking for new features,\" Ercoli points out. \"We are continuing to improve and grow, with an ongoing evolution of the application.\"\n\n***** Conclusion *****\n\nAll the automation technology used in the department, and in most of the ACS Dobfar plants, is provided by Rockwell Automation - from PLCs and drives to remote I/O - all managed by a high-performance control system. Thanks to Rockwell Automation's modern PlantPAx DCS, it was possible to standardize all the process engineering at all the plants based on a new scalability model that made it possible to integrate all the process skids with the same control and visualization technology.\n\nCollaboration with Rockwell Automation was based on reliability, competent technical and sales support, and innovative solutions. \"We are very satisfied with Rockwell Automation technologies, especially the ease of implementation and the absence of integration problems with other suppliers' technologies,\" Ercoli concludes.\n\nThe resulting benefits have been extensive. For example, by standardizing the use of Rockwell Automation libraries, all areas of the company can communicate in a straightforward manner. There has also been a problem-solving advantage, facilitated through the use of a well-known technology while simultaneously centralizing inventory management at all ACS Dobfar plants.\n\nAnd finally, we recognized that a U.S. supplier such as Rockwell Automation could offer greater assurance for the company's core market.\n\nTAG: process-solutions\n\nTAG: life-sciences\n\nTAG: factorytalk-thinmanager\n\n",
    "nelson-pine-combines-control-and-safety-to-minimise-downtime": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/nelson-pine-combines-control-and-safety-to-minimise-downtime\n\nTITLE: Nelson Pine Combines Control and Safety to Minimise Downtime\n\n*** The Nelson-Marlborough region is one of New Zealand's major forestry areas, with 16 percent of the productive land area planted in production forests. Nelson Pine Industries has the capacity to process one million cubic metres per annum, or 40 percent of the region's annual harvest.\n\n ***\n\nThe company produces GoldenEdge MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard) and NelsonPine LVL (Laminated Veneer Lumber) from radiata pine grown in the plantation forests of Nelson, New Zealand.\n\nNelson Pine Industries has grown to be one of the largest single site producers of MDF in the world, while NelsonPine LVL has gained a niche offering in the construction sector in New Zealand and in offshore markets. It has a reputation for product consistency and quality, sustainable timber resource management, low environmental impact practices and market led research into product and production development.\n\nForest product processing technologies have recently undergone extraordinary advances with improvements being achieved in quality, recovery rates and safety. Nelson Pine is committed to maintaining compliance with evolving safety standards and utilising the latest control and safety technologies. As safety standards continued to advance, it was clear that an upgrade was required at the plant. Nelson Pine called on Rockwell Automation to develop a solution that integrated control and safety while minimising production downtime.\n\n*** Safety First ***\n\nIn a plant that operates 24 hours a day seven days a week, control and safety are of paramount importance. According to Ian Craw, automation engineer at Nelson Pine Industries, \"The plant is aging. To upgrade the chip mill we decided to start at the whole backbone of control to take advantage of advancing technologies and meet current safety standards.\"\n\n6000 tons of Chip ready for processing into Fibre\n\nThe chip mill is a large part of the site where logs are unloaded from trucks for processing. Two pivot cranes and a drum debarker handle 300 tonnes of logs per hour. Control and safety are critically important in the chip mill so the first stage of the upgrade involved replacing the existing PLC-5(R) hardware platform with a GuardLogix(R) Integrated Safety System.\n\nAccording to Sean Doherty, account manager at Rockwell Automation, \"The GuardLogix provides the benefits of the standard ControlLogix(R) systems but also includes safety features that support Category 4/PLe safety applications. The GuardLogix also offers integrated safety, discrete motion, drive and process control.\"\n\n\"Nelson Pine has been particularly innovative in their approach. We often see safety systems bolted on to the control systems that may meet safety requirements but impact other business objectives, such as production rates and downtime. This type of solution was discounted early in discussions with Nelson Pine.\"\n\nTo allow for zone control, the chip mill building was split into two geographical safety zones, using some of the latest safety guard locking switches with RFID technology for controlling and monitoring zones.\n\nThe first safety zone incorporates a large drum debarker, which rotates the logs, removing bark before entering the chipper. Out-dated variable speed drives were replaced with eight, 90kW PowerFlex(R) 753 drives in a master/slave configuration. They receive their speed/torque reference via the DLR and achieve a Stop Category 0, (via safe torque off) to Cat3/PLd.\n\nSafety zone control provides integrated safety that allows plant to be shut down in one zone while the other is in operation\n\n*** \"The integrated safety provided by zone control allows the plant to shut down one zone while the other is still operating as usual, delivering improved production rates. The goal is zero harm but we also wanted to minimise impact to production schedules so we suggested a solution that helps achieve this,\" said Doherty.\n\n ***\n\nThe second safety zone incorporates safe speed monitoring of the main, 1.8MW chipper motor and safe position monitoring of the 11kV motor breaker, to confirm lockout/tagout (LOTO) has been performed, before access is granted into the hazard zone.\n\n\"When upgrading equipment it was a priority to meet current safety standards. We are well on the way to complying with the Machine Safety Standard, EN ISO 13849, with the goal to achieve PLd across most of the site in the coming years,\" said Craw.\n\n*** Connectivity and Visibility ***\n\nAs there are many hundreds of metres between different parts of the site, an EtherNet/IPTM network was used to reduce both the amount of cabling required and the installation times, with fibre running the longest legs.\n\nUtilising Device Level Rings (DLRs) achieved complete integration of the control and safety system, the ring topology provides high availability of the safety network with high resiliency. Various DLRs were run to different parts of the site connecting with field safety devices, bringing the information back to one centralised safety processor that monitors the various processes.\n\n*** \"One of the huge benefits of the solution is being able to have visibility remotely. We use PanelViewTM Plus as the operator interface for fault finding and monitoring equipment out in the field. In our previous system we had to use multiple software systems to try to diagnose an issue, but now both the control and safety code are easily accessed and visible through ControlLogix,\" said Craw.\n\n ***\n\nIn addition to the PowerFlex 753 drives, which are used on site, Nelson Pine is also using the PowerFlex 525 drives with safe torque off and ethernet capabilities, reducing commissioning time and fault finding time.\n\nPowerFlex 753 and 525 drives with safe torque off and device level ring ethernet connectivity to aid commissioning and fault finding\u00a0\n\n*** Plug and Play\n\n ***\n\nAccording to Craw, \"The advantage of using GuardLogix is that you can edit and modify code on the run. Trying to reduce production downtime during commissioning was a key outcome from my point of view because there are several aspects of the plant that run 24 hours a day, seven days a week almost every day of the year.\"\n\n\"Machinery in the chip mill operates 24 hours a day, so once we had GuardLogix up and running, we were able to add hardware and edit safety code on the fly which gave us significant production advantages,\" he said.\n\nNelson Pine also used the Safety Automation Builder tool to facilitate the planning of safety systems to achieve the required safety performance level. This tool leverages the industry's most complete offering of safety products, utilising widely accepted best practices to help companies build a complete safety solution.\n\n\"For years everyone has been saying that system control and integration is going to become more plug and play but now ControlLogix is really bringing it to that level,\" said Craw.\n\n*** Leading the World in Wood Processing ***\n\nNelson Pine Industries has adopted production processes that are both safe and environmentally sound. As a result of the success of the new control and safety solution in the chip mill, Nelson Pine is planning to roll out the solution across the entire plant.\n\n\"Ultimately I have used other safety hardware previously and because they only focus on safety it makes it difficult when you are looking at the bigger picture. Our plant involves a multitude of safety inputs/outputs and a lot of other systems aren't built to that type of scale,\" said Craw.\n\n\"Rockwell Automation have really partnered with us in providing valuable support and application knowledge that has enabled us to retrofit safety into the working plant. We have not only achieved a suitable performance level relatively easily, but also minimised production downtime which is of paramount importance to our plant,\" he said.\n\n\n",
    "automation-technology-helps-to-improve-waste-processing-and-to-p": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/automation-technology-helps-to-improve-waste-processing-and-to-p\n\nTITLE: Automation technology helps to improve waste processing and to protect the environment\n\n***** Walking through history *****\n\nTravelling the last stretch of the Camino de Santiago (Way of St James), from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela, finds you in the rural heart of Galicia (Spain). The route, which is about one hundred kilometers long, is known as the French Way, and is traversed by more than 300,000 pilgrims every year.\n\nThey enjoy nature while walking through oak forests and pastures where rubia gallega and friesian cows graze peacefully. What a great place to breath pure air! Inhabited in the past by Celtic tribes, in the Middle Ages the region became a place of cultural exchange between the Iberian Peninsula and the rest of Europe.\n\nFurther north from this pilgrimage route, surrounded by nature, lies the town of Cerceda, where Valtalia looks after the environment in the region by means of urban waste management and processing, for both yellow and black organic sacks. The facility recycles 500,000 to 550,000 tons of waste per year from more than 2.2 million inhabitants in the region, but first and foremost, it enables Galicia to be a reference worldwide on environmental protection.\n\nFor this purpose, in Cerceda, Valtalia operates a group of waste processing plants. However, these premises are too small for the new strategy scheduled by the managers.\n\n***** Environmental protection *****\n\nThat's the key point: to enable most of the waste in Galicia to be recycled for other usages, thus preserving the environment in the region and protecting landscapes like those seen by the pilgrims along the Camino de Santiago. However, this required the Cerceda premises to be expanded. In order to meet these goals, the owner organization management decided to put into operation a new 15,000 m2 plant in Cerceda to recover materials contained in black sacks.\n\nA public tender was announced for the construction and operation, and the Galician company Valtalia won it, for a period of fifteen years. Valtalia received clear indications about the task at hand, including full automation of the entire process. For the implementation, the company had the support of Asinova, a Galician company that specializes in programming and industrial automation.\n\n\"The goal was to put into operation a facility fitted with more than 500 control units, overseeing conveyors, trommels, crushing and sorting machinery, and more than 150 variable-frequency drives, controlled by industrial communications,\" says Jorge Guinarte, CEO at Asinova.\n\n***** A customized plant *****\n\nThis was a huge challenge, so it was divided into several steps. First, the hardware, software and communications requirements were analyzed; then, IT systems were configured and implemented, followed by PLC and SCADA programming. Following this, Rockwell Automation was chosen as the primary automation provider.\n\nRockwell Automation provided the SCADA system, integrated safety programmable automation controllers (PAC), variable-frequency drives, as well as Ethernet and fiber optic-based industrial communications. \"All plants we were operating were more than fifteen years old, so they required a lot of space in the control room, as well as a large cabling network,\" comments Mart'in Nogueira of Valtalia. \"This project has enabled us to notice that Rockwell Automation Connected Enterprise technologies permit the equipment to be downsized and work wirelessly, while delivering better management of plant operations.\"\n\nAs Nogueira says, since the whole system is wireless and tablets are used to manage the systems, this has been life-changing for the operators, who oversee and control machinery operations. \"Now they can check the machine condition without approaching them for visual inspection. In case the system detects any errors, you can react more quickly and effectively to find problems or to prevent them before they happen,\" says Nogueira. \"The ability to monitor the whole plant in real time makes it possible to react immediately in case of any event, maximizing the performance and efficiency of the facility.\" Furthermore with the network/wireless changes, safety assessments and risk mitigation were made in order to secure all the communications.\n\nWhat about the future? The plan is for the plant to expand depending on future needs. According to Guinarte: \"All these systems have been designed and scaled to cater for and deliver safety, reliability, capacity, and the availability required for 365/24 ongoing operation. The scalable configuration gives us the ability to address any future growth in demand.\"\n\n***** Duplicate the amount of recycled material *****\n\nIn view of the above, each line in this new recycling plant can select and pack 40 tons of waste per hour, and up to 120 tons if necessary. This equates to a capacity of 750,000 to one million tons per year, almost doubling its capacity.\n\nThe recycling process has been optimized too, so the new plant has enabled to quadruple the amount of waste recycled in the facilities, thereby minimizing landfill. In fact, projections state that in 2020 only a 10% of waste will be sent to landfill. This refers to waste that can neither be recycled nor valorized, thereby achieving technical zero spills, one of the main goals of the EU Council regarding waste treatment for 2035 and accomplished by SOGAMA fifteen years early.\n\nTherefore, next year, on occasion of the Jacobean Year, the thousands of pilgrims willing to cover the Camino de Santiago to enter the cathedral by the Puerta Santa - which opens exclusively for this celebration - will enjoy it far more thanks to Valtalia, helping to look after the unique natural landscape.\n\nTrademark Information: FactoryTalk, GuardLogix, Stratix, PowerFlex and Studio 5000 are registered trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\n\nTAG: sustainability\nTAG: waste\nTAG: safety-solutions\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: water-wastewater\n\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: sensors-and-switches\nTAG: factorytalk-studio-5000\n\n",
    "mountain-view-quarries-uses-the-latest-technology-to-boost-produ": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/mountain-view-quarries-uses-the-latest-technology-to-boost-produ\n\nTITLE: Mountain View Quarries Uses the Latest Technology to Boost Productivity of Crushing and Processing Plant\n\nBarro Group\u00a0is a family owned company that focuses on resources, manufacturing and distribution. Since it was established in 1946 it has developed an enviable reputation for excellence in the supply of premixed concrete, quarry products and other construction materials.\n\nThe Group operates quarries and sand pits to extract, sell and distribute quarry products, providing continued supplies of raw materials, advanced premixed concrete manufacture, concrete roofing tiles, quality control laboratory facilities and efficient distribution, all under safe working practices.\n\nSafety is a key priority for Barro Group and as such, the Group's Integrated Corporate Management System is certified to the requirements of AS/NZS ISO 9001:1994.\n\nTo meet increasing consumer demand, the Barro Group sought to develop a new greenfield quarry at Mountain View Quarries in Point Wilson Victoria and requested tenders for the project.\n\nAll four of the electrical tender packages for the new plant were awarded to Gordyn & Palmer. The packages included the Electrical Control System, Electrical Engineering and Switchboards, Electrical Site Installation and Commissioning and High Voltage Design and Installation.\n\nGordyn & Palmer is a wholly owned private company operating since 1978, specialising in industrial plant automation systems, electrical engineering and electrical installations.\n\nThe company's reputation as a 'knowledgeable organisation delivering excellence through innovation' is well known and respected throughout Australia and overseas.\n\nThe challenge ahead was to use the latest technologies to deliver a state of the art crushing and processing plant that sets the benchmark for productivity and reliability.\n\nThe plant is separated into four zones reflective of different plant areas - primary crushing, secondary crushing, wet zone and blending.\n\n***** Intelligent Motor Control Gets Smarter *****\n\nGordyn & Palmer called on their longstanding relationship with Rockwell Automation and NHP Electrical Engineering Products to deliver a turnkey solution for the new 600 tonnes per hour quarry that leveraged the latest technology in networked intelligent motor control.\n\nControlLogix provides high performance control for the quarry\n\nThe solution features ControlLogix(R) controllers and the latest E300TM Electronic Overload Relays, connected over an Ethernet communications network. According to George Boloutis, automation systems manager at Gordyn & Palmer, \"Working together with Rockwell Automation we came up with a solution that helped us put every motor in the plant on the Ethernet network, which simplified the whole process.\"\n\n\"Using Ethernet simplified everything including the design and installation and provided a much neater switchboard. Rockwell Automation is the only supplier that could deliver a completely integrated solution,\" explained Boloutis.\n\nWorking closely with NHP Electrical Engineering Products, the distributor for Rockwell Automation, Gordyn & Palmer were the first in Australia to use the new E300 Electronic Overload Relay.\n\n\"Being one of the early adopters of the E300s proved to be a valuable investment in consideration of the benefits that it would bring to the project. Gordyn & Palmer continue to be on the forefront of the latest technologies to help their customers maximise throughput with minimal downtime,\" explained Nasser Hojok, automation sales supervisor at NHP.\n\nThe E300 relays are the next generation of electronic overloads and feature a modular design, communications options, diagnostic information, simplified wiring and integration into Logix, which makes it the ideal overload for this application.\n\n\"The network capability of the E300s provides built in intelligence that relays extensive diagnostics back into the PLC in terms of motor currents and faults. The real time diagnostics are transformed into actionable insights that allows for preventative maintenance to help minimise downtime of the crushing and processing plant,\" said Rob Campbell, OEM account manager at Rockwell Automation.\n\nThe E300 Overload Relay provides flexibility, reduces engineering time and helps maximize uptime for important motor starter applications.\n\nThis technology enabled motors to be accessed and configured remotely via both the plant network and a web interface replacing the former method of manually testing and configuring.\n\nThis brought a new level of diagnostics and meant that every motor across the site was connected via the plant network.\n\nEven though the E300 was a new product, Boloutis was confident that the benefits it would provide outweigh the risks of the learning curve associated with using new technology.\n\n\"We had complete confidence that Rockwell Automation and NHP would support the solution and we also knew that the E300 would provide the most effective solution for the plant,\" Boloutis says.\n\n***** Making Crushing and Processing Easy *****\n\nThe plant is separated into four zones reflective of different plant areas - primary crushing, secondary crushing, wet zone and blending. Each zone is clearly identified by colour coding and there is an equipment list and flow chart illustrating the zones in each switchroom.\n\nThis means that to perform work or maintenance on a piece of equipment there is a single isolation point for the whole area which results in increased safety and reduced chance of error.\n\nIt also mitigates the need for field isolators and a higher category safety rating as the entire zone is isolated.While one zone is isolated, the other areas of the plant can continue to run.\n\nTo add redundancy and robustness to the E300s, they were strategically grouped in ring networks relating their position in the plant flow using\u00a0StratixTM switches\u00a0to make sure a communication fault to one module would not result in an entire plant shutdown.\n\n\"A key feature of the solution is that the PLCs, switches and the E300s are all part of the Rockwell Automation solution, providing a single programming environment within the Logix software. The plant incorporated 75 E300s which made ease of integration and programming a very important consideration in this project,\" said Boloutis.\n\nSeventy-five E300 Electronic Overload Relays with built in intelligence, relay diagnostic information back to the control system for maximised uptime\n\n\"In addition, we also have the facility to view and edit the system online, which means that we can access the system remotely and securely. The system provides comprehensive reporting because there is concurrent monitoring throughout the plant. We have also installed the infrastructure to implement power monitoring software with maximum demand capping in the future,\" he said.\n\nThe plant is now successfully producing over 600tph of blended aggregate and the finished product is highly functional, robust and boasts a state of the art control system putting it amongst the most advanced quarries in Australia.\n\nThe state of the art crushing and processing plant that sets the benchmark for productivity and reliability\n\n***** Setting the Benchmark *****\n\nBased on the success of the solution, Gordyn & Palmer were awarded a prestigious Excellence Award by the National Electrical and Communications Association (NECA).\n\nAccording to Ivo Rigoni, project engineer at Barro Group, \"It is without reservation that we commend Gordyn & Palmer on a well-planned and managed project from design, supply, installation and safety management. Their experience with the requirements of a modern large scale quarry crushing plant has enabled them to deliver a plant that they should be very proud of. We have no doubt that as the end user, we will continue to appreciate the systems that have been put in place to assist with achieving maximum plant throughput with minimal downtime.\"\n\nThe biggest accomplishment of this project was bringing the latest technology in motor control to the forefront of the quarry industry while still maintaining a simple and intuitive user interface to allow operators to run the plant to its maximum potential.\n\nThe extensive electrical and software development completed in-house by Gordyn & Palmer has resulted in a completely integrated system, which is robust enough to cope with the harsh environment in which it operates.\n\nThe system can be monitored and edited remotely, providing comprehensive real time diagnostics and reporting\n\n\"Gordyn & Palmer should be congratulated on being early adopters of new technologies, they are at the forefront of the latest advances in technology. This project is an excellent example of how a completely integrated intelligent motor control system can deliver flexibility, reliability and maximised uptime,\" said Campbell.\n\n\u00a0\n\nAllen-Bradley, ControlLogix, E300, PanelView, Rockwell Software and Stratix are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\n\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\n\n",
    "smart-saw-line-futureproofs-timber-production-at-akd-softwoods": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/smart-saw-line-futureproofs-timber-production-at-akd-softwoods\n\nTITLE: Smart Saw Line Futureproofs Timber Production at AKD Softwoods\n\nAKD Softwoods\u00a0is an Australian owned and operated integrated forestry and timber processing company with operations in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. The company is proud of its 60 year history - founded in Colac, Victoria in 1955.\n\nThe AKD team is committed to growth through investing in long-term sustainable assets and building strong relationships with customers and suppliers. With continual reinvestment in the business, AKD has a strong focus on plant expansions, plantation growth and employee development.\n\nAKD service the Australian and Asian market, producing a range of products which includes sawn timber that is predominantly kiln dried, dressed, and machine graded for use largely in the construction industry. In addition, high grade by-products such as woodchip, pine bark, sawdust and dry shavings are also generated.\n\nWith an ongoing commitment to growth and productivity, AKD recently commissioned a new saw line that implements the latest safety, processing, automation, scanning and optimisation technologies.\n\nAKD Softwoods is an Australian owned and operated integrated forestry and timber processing company with operations in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.\n\n*** Cutting-edge new saw line ***\n\nAKD is distinctive amongst its key competitors for its reputation as a high quality producer and its vertically integrated operations. \u00a0Locally sourced logs are processed at their Colac green mill.\u00a0 The logs are loaded on conveyors and pass through scanning devices to assess log rotation, grading of timber, board density and fibre stiffness.\u00a0 Each log is then automatically rotated to ensure maximum recovery (optimal usage of each log) prior to passing through the saw line. The sawn timber is then transported from the green mill for kiln drying and further processing, according to the intended end use.\n\nThe existing legacy saw line at AKD was 25 years old and reached its limit in terms of volume throughput. Being a forward thinking company, AKD knew that by investing in new technology, they could future proof the mill as well as improve reliability, throughput and recovery.\n\n\"When we decided to build a new saw line, we visited mills in the US and Europe to see how the latest technologies were being used and the benefits they provide,\" explained Brady Wicks, National Automation and Controls Manager, AKD Softwoods. \"A key priority for the new line was to reduce the amount of electronics on the machine, by housing them in a climate controlled environment to avoid mechanical damage resulting from dust and vibrations on the saw line. After looking at a few different options, we decided to implement a modular saw line with centralized I/O,\" he said.\n\nThe new saw line leverages the latest control, automation, information and safety technologies from Rockwell Automation, using Ethernet communications.\u00a0Allen-Bradley(R)\u00a0GuardLogix(R)\u00a0Programmable Automation Controllers provide integrated control and safety for the saw line and\u00a0PowerFlex(R)\u00a0755\u00a0variable speed drives with safe torque-off meet the challenging drive and safety requirements of the conveyors, band saws, kilns and processing equipment.\u00a0Studio 5000(R)\u00a0software was used for commissioning - minimising complexity and reducing the risk of potential errors.\n\nPowerFlex 755 variable speed drives with safe torque-off meet the challenging drive and safety requirements of the conveyors, band saws, kilns and processing equipment.\n\n*** Smart safety simplifies system ***\n\nDue to the nature of the saw line, safety and guarding was a key priority for the mill. Safety technologies have advanced significantly, improving safety compliance, machinery productivity, and performance. AKD worked with Rockwell Automation and their distributor\u00a0NHP Electrical Engineering Products (NHP) to leverage the latest smart safety solutions at the mill.\n\nThe smart safety solution provides new insight into the mill's operational status\n\nA high level of machine guarding is required at the mill to restrict operator access while the saw line machinery is in operation. The most appropriate choice for this application was the latest\u00a0Guardmaster(R)\u00a0442G Multifunctional Access Box (MAB). The MAB is an integrated access control and guard locking device which provides a complete safeguarding solution for full body access applications. It is TUV certified to PLe performance level and with Ethernet/IP connectivity, hardwiring was not required which made commissioning seamless.\n\n\"Using the new MABs with safety over Ethernet simplified installation and commissioning. It reduced the requirement for additional safety devices and also the risk involved with having to commission multiple hardwired safety devices,\" explained Wicks.\n\nThe MAB is an integrated access control and guard locking device which provides a complete safeguarding solution for full body access applications.\n\nThe smart safety solution at AKD provides new insight into the mill's operational status. By capturing rich diagnostic information, safety and operational data can be used to substantially improve safety compliance and performance. \"The integrated smart safety solution provides all the data needed to create a comprehensive picture of the status of the mill,\" said Matthew Treeby, account manager, Rockwell Automation. \"The whole system at AKD is moving towards a Connected Enterprise, generating safety and operational data to help improve productivity and reduce downtime at the mill.\"\n\n*** Improved Recovery and Productivity ***\n\nThe new saw line at AKD's Colac mill is reaping the rewards offered by greater visibility into the system. Fault-finding time has been reduced significantly - from as long as two hours to now just a couple of seconds - thanks to rich diagnostic information available in real time through the FactoryTalk(R) View Site Edition (SE) HMI. AKD's control is maximised by the ability to access the system remotely.\n\nThanks to rich diagnostic information available in real time through the FactoryTalk View SE HMI, fault finding time has been reduced significantly.\n\nThe maximum processing speed of the saw line has increased significantly by approximately 75 percent - from 37 metres per minute to 160 metres per minute. Prior to the upgrade, the mill was producing approximately 450,000 cubic metres of product and is now capable of increasing yield by 55 percent to approximately one million cubic metres per year.\n\nFor AKD, reducing wastage and increasing recovery of timber from logs was a principal objective of the project. \"Prior to the new system, we were seeing recoveries of around 53 percent, now the mill is benefiting from recoveries of around 61 percent. This represents a significant increase in productivity and profitability for our business,\" said Wicks.\n\n\"The support provided by Rockwell Automation and NHP has been exceptional. If there are any issues they are always willing to help us resolve them. As a result of the success of this project we can continue to provide a high quality product today and for years to come in what has become a very competitive market,\" he concludes.\n\n\u00a0\n\nAllen-Bradley, GuardLogix, Guardmaster, PowerFlex, Rockwell Automation, Rockwell Software and Studio 5000 are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: pulp-and-paper\n\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: factorytalk-view-studio\n\n",
    "beverage-process-control": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/beverage-process-control\n\nTITLE: Sustainability and Compliance for Tequila Industry\n\nAlejandro Mestre Ceciarelli is managing partner and Eduardo Gaytan is a solutions consultant with\u00a0Tecno Productos. The Mexico-based distributor serves several industries, including the food and beverage industry.\n\nIn the tequila sector, where the firm has a long-standing presence, reporting requirements by the US FDA have been a key driver for process standardization and optimization.\n\n\"Tequila is an old industry. They still have a lot of processes that waste water, energy, and time,\" Alejandro explains. \"With the new technologies Rockwell Automation provides, we're focusing on how to provide sustainable processes that enhance productivity with automation.\"\n\nThat includes using Rockwell Automation's\u00a0PlantPAx(R) Distributed Control System\u00a0to upgrade control and\u00a0PanelViewTM Graphic Terminals\u00a0to visualize the entire production process from recipe and batch management through to equipment cleaning.\u00a0\u00a0\n\nWatch the Video\n\nEduardo Gaytan\n\nSolutions Consultant at Tecno Productos\n\nAlejandro Ceciarelli\n\nManaging Partner at Tecno Productos\n\n\"Mind-Blowing\" Results\n\nAlejandro describes the results as \"mind-blowing.\" He goes on to say, \"In some cases, we have reduced water consumption by 75% and we have increased production by 16% in one year just with automation. That's an increase of about 107 million liters of tequila.\"\n\nFurther, and importantly for customers, the solution automatically generates reports that meet the FDA's requirements.\n\nIn addition to facilitating compliance, the increased visibility and data have led to valuable insights and improvement opportunities. \"We know how much time it takes for the entire process. What was the consumption of water, energy and soap? What are the comparisons and where are the deviations?\" he says. \"What we are doing in the industry is changing from reactive production to proactive production.\"\n\nEfficient Use of Resources\n\nBoth Alejandro and Eduardo agree that productivity and sustainability are inherently linked.\n\n\"It's not that difficult,\" Eduardo says. \"We just have to change the way we produce. Bring the industry a better way to use the systems they already have in place so they can use water, energy and all of those important resources more efficiently.\"\n\n\"It's a mixture of technology, engineering, and a new way of thinking about planning and production processes,\" Alejandro adds. \"Good engineering and good automation is what brings the process to the next level. We use the technology from Rockwell Automation and all our partners to increase production and make an economic benefit for the customer.\"\n\nOne that also benefits the environment.\n\nTAG: sustainability\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\nTAG: human-machine-interface\nTAG: plantpax\nTAG: distributed-control-systems\nTAG: programmable-controllers\n\n",
    "ingeteam-marine-fully-equips-marine-giants-in-record-time": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/ingeteam-marine-fully-equips-marine-giants-in-record-time\n\nTITLE: Ingeteam Marine Fully Equips Marine Giants in Record Time\n\nWith the marine industry's growing appreciation of open, off-the-shelf networks and automation infrastructures, it will come as no surprise to learn that many vessel operators and shipbuilders are choosing to adopt control and communication hardware more commonly seen within land-based manufacturing organisations.\n\n\nTAG: \n\n",
    "power-generation-optimize": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/power-generation-optimize\n\nTITLE: Upgraded Biodigester Facility Increases Output\n\nFaith Technologies Inc. is a national leader in engineering, construction, manufacturing and clean energy.\n\nWade Leipold is executive vice president of Faith Technologies Incorporated (FTI), a national leader in engineering, construction, manufacturing and clean energy.\u00a0The firm is a gold-level member of the\u00a0Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM.\u00a0Leipold's responsibilities include FTI's systems integration and automation solutions.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nAntiquated Facility & Inefficient Business Model\n\nOne of FTI's clients operates a biodigester facility in Middleton, Wisconsin that converts cow manure into renewable natural gas. At the time, the facility was burning the natural gas to create electricity.\n\n\"That business model wasn't working very well, and they wanted to change the process to refine the natural gas and inject it right into the natural gas pipeline,\" Leipold said. \"The facility was also antiquated, so they wanted to do some updates. And because it was located 100 miles away, they wanted the ability to access, monitor and troubleshoot remotely as needed.\"\n\nAdditionally, generating and reporting historical data was a problem.\n\n\"Facilities like this one are measured by a CI (carbon intensity) score that indicates the amount of greenhouse gases emitted to produce an amount of energy. The lower the score, the more valuable that gas is,\" Leipold explained. \"They needed a control system that could capture that data, report it and provide a true value for their gas.\"\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\nFacility and System Upgrades\n\nAs part the client's facility and systems upgrade, FTI implemented several FactoryTalk(R) software products.\n\n\"We used FactoryTalk(R) View SE so they could perform the monitoring, FactoryTalk(R) ViewPoint to enable remote access, and then FactoryTalk(R) Historian for collecting data,\" Leipold said. \"Additionally, we updated the controls and some of the drives. Specifically, we did PowerFlex(R) 750 drive upgrades throughout the facility, and then implemented the PlantPAx(R) distributed control system for overall control and data capture.\"\n\nThe client already had Rockwell Automation equipment in place at this facility, which Leipold said made it easy to proceed with the upgrades. Leipold credits the client's initiative to engage FTI early in the planning process as critical to the project's success.\n\n\"We were able to understand their challenges, come up with a plan to mitigate those challenges, and put a specific solution in place,\" Leipold said. \"Then we continued to follow up to make sure they were getting what they needed from the system.\"\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\nIncreased Output & Reduced Downtime\n\nNow with the ability to collect real-time data and remotely access the facility controls, FTI's client can more easily monitor, maintain and resolve issues. They're able to generate the necessary reports. And the local and cloud-based storage provides system resiliency.\n\n\"It was great partnering with Rockwell Automation to develop and implement the solution to support this client,\" Leipold said. \"They have seen a lot of improvements. Overall, their downtime losses are going down month over month, and they're also producing more gas.\"\n\nLiepold estimates the biodigester gained more than 139 therms of gas per day over the past year. One therm is equal to 100,000 BTUs.\n\nVisit our Renewable Energy Page to learn more about how we're helping companies accelerate the energy transition.\n\nTAG: optimize-production\nTAG: drive-sustainability\n\nTAG: power-generation\nTAG: renewable-energy\nTAG: chemical\n\nTAG: factorytalk-historian\nTAG: factorytalk-view-studio\nTAG: plantpax\nTAG: drives-and-motors\n\n",
    "greatech-conveyor-motion": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/greatech-conveyor-motion\n\nTITLE: One Solution Meets Variety of Needs for OEM Partner Greatech\n\nGreatech Technology Berhad is a Malaysia-based leading automation solutions provider involved in the design, development and production of system, machinery and equipment for its customers' manufacturing processes.\u00a0\n\nKho Kee Chen is Business Unit Manager, Instruments & Control, for Greatech Technology Berhad. The Malaysia-based firm is a leading automation solutions provider and system integrator. Their machinery and equipment are installed across the world, including in China, India, Singapore, Vietnam, the US, and Europe. They are a Gold OEM Partner in our PartnerNetworkTM as well.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\n* Flexible System Design\n\nGreatech serves customers in the solar, semiconductor, consumer electronics, e-mobility, and life sciences industries. While customer requirements vary by sector, they all share a common need.\n\n\"Flexibility of system design, especially for EV and solar where they build bigger lines. They require a more distributed panel system, which operates like a distributor center,\" Chen explained. \"However, in the life sciences and semiconductor industries, they're lightweight. Everything is designed to be compact, space saving and efficient in terms of speed.\"\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\n* Independent Cart Technology Provides Customer-Specific Configuration\n\nWhether requirements are large or small, Greatech uses Rockwell Automation's Independent Cart Technology to help develop their customer solutions.\u00a0\n\n\"We find great variety in the Rockwell Automation product portfolio, especially a wide range of motion systems that allow us to design specific configurations to meet customer needs,\" Chen said. \"For example, for semicon and life sciences, we use the MagneMover(R) LITETM product, and for EV, which is heavy-duty, we use QuickStick(R).\"\n\nThe MagneMover is designed to move small-to-medium loads while the QuickStick is for medium-to-high loads. Both are intelligent conveyor systems that feature standard building blocks and modular components for easy assembly and reconfiguration to provide the scalability required to respond to production demands.\u00a0\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\n* Scalability for Growth\n\nChen noted that both motion systems provide the system integrator and its customers with significant benefits.\n\n\"The flexibility of the configuration allows customers to expand when they need it, especially in the EV industry where the demand is dynamically changing. They need to grow fast,\" Chen said. \"The systems are also space saving which allows customers to better utilize their entire production area.\"\n\n\"One of our key life sciences customers was able to reduce 25% of their overall footprint using the MagneMover LITE transport product through multiple complex networks of processes. This brings us additional cost savings in the long run on overall solutions to our customers,\" he added.\u00a0\n\n\n\n* Increased Workforce Productivity\n\nFor Greatech, the ability to use a technology from a single provider has increased the efficiency and productivity of its engineering team.\n\nChen added the single platform also saves time spent training and troubleshooting issues.\n\n\"Using different brands and platforms require new skills and knowledge,\" he said. \"With one platform, the team increases its system mastery rather than having to learn several systems at once.\"\n\n\n\n* Plans to Explore Digital Twin Software\n\nGreatech plans to adopt additional Rockwell Automation technologies to help the firm broaden its expertise and services.\n\n\"We would like to explore more opportunities not only in OT but also expanding our capabilities in IT as well as some of the virtual commissioning solutions like Emulate3DTM that allow us to simulate systems before we build them,\" Chen explained. \"With this digital twin software, we can optimize the process and design to ensure the lines are built and perform as intended for our customers.\"\n\nYou may also be interested in\n\nTAG: optimize-production\nTAG: empower-people\n\nTAG: smart-manufacturing\nTAG: advanced-motion-&-robotics\nTAG: workforce-enablement\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: life-sciences\nTAG: semiconductor\n\nTAG: independent-cart-technology\n\n",
    "uptime-power-monitoring": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/uptime-power-monitoring\n\nTITLE: New Control System Upgrade Unlocks Business Value\n\nMeet Nicholas Anthony Paradiso. He's the director of automation for Concentric Integration, a member of the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM.\n\nThe firm, a systems integrator that serves Houston and Chicago area customers in the water and wastewater industries, prefers to take a consultative approach with its clients. \"Our ideal clients are the ones that love to talk to us and ask us what we think are the best options for them,\" Nicholas explains.\n\nFor one client, the issue was an obsolete control system from a Rockwell Automation competitor. \"They had a very old control system and like most water and wastewater utilities, they hadn't spent much time or money on the system until things started to fail.\"\n\n***** Watch the Video *****\n\n***** Risk: Lack of Spare Parts Leads to Downtime *****\n\nIn this case, it was the processor at the client's main pumping station that failed. This main station feeds all ancillary stations, and when its' processor failed, the entire system was forced into manual mode. Since the system was obsolete, reliable spare parts were very difficult to find. After 6 weeks, an initial part was installed, only to fail two days later.\n\n\"With an older system, there's not much you can do if a part fails. You're kind of sunk,\" Nicholas says. \"And this particular failure was beyond repair.\"\n\n***** The Path Forward *****\n\nTo move forward, Nicholas' team recommended a Rockwell Automation solution that included CompactLogixTM Controllers with PanelViewTM Graphic Terminals for visualization.\n\nOverall, the new system is operating as expected.\n\n\"When we put a system in, we tell our customers while you had a lot of grief with your old system this one is going to be pretty quiet. Not just because it's new, but also because it's smarter. So, if something does go wrong, they know about it right away,\" Nicholas says. \"But nothing has happened. It's a boring place over there right now because everything is working.\"\n\n***** Opportunity: Manage Energy Use *****\n\nAs part of the project, Concentric Integration found an opportunity to help the customer use data to inform business outcomes by adding PowerMonitorTM to measure power use.\n\n\"There are a lot of pumps in their system, and they wanted to know power usage at each site,\" Nicholas explains. \"By putting power meters at each of their pumps, we can trend and pull historical data.\" And because the client was already using Rockwell Automation's FactoryTalk(R) Historian software, \"we can pull data right from the PowerMonitor devices with simple add-on instructions. It was easy to implement.\"\u00a0\u00a0\n\nNow the client is collecting 'tons of data they never had before. The next step is exploring what to do with that data. Future projects will be more analytical, and we'll dive deeper into the energy discussion.\"\n\nTAG: drive-sustainability\n\nTAG: integrated-architecture\nTAG: industrial-automation-and-control\n\nTAG: fresh-water\nTAG: water-wastewater\nTAG: wastewater\n\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: hardware\nTAG: human-machine-interface\nTAG: graphic-terminals\nTAG: energy-monitoring\nTAG: factorytalk-operationsuite\nTAG: software\nTAG: factorytalk-historian\n\n",
    "linkx-systems-ltd--tray-erector": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/linkx-systems-ltd--tray-erector\n\nTITLE: Linkx Systems Ltd. Tray Erector\n\n*** Background ***\n\nLinkx Systems Ltd is one of Europe's leading suppliers of end-of line packaging solutions; covering sectors such as food & drink, pharmaceutical and the pet food industries.\n\nSince its formation, it has established an enviable reputation for quality, service and innovation. Its product portfolio includes tray, case and carton erectors, shrink-wrapping machine systems, case and tray sealers, robotic case loaders, palletisers and custom end-of-line packaging solutions. All are designed and manufactured in its new state-of-the-art facilities in Beccles, United Kingdom.\n\nThe company has a wealth of experience, allowing it to meet customer requirements from both an economic and a technical perspective. Combine this with an excellent technical support and backup package, and customers will find that they are in very good hands.\n\nIn a recent project, Linkx wanted to create an entry level version of one of its popular tray erectors, moving from a servo solution to one that deployed pneumatics. The Allen-BradleyTM CompactLogixTM PAC deployed on the servo version - and the standard architecture for Linkx - was overkill for this application, so Linkx opted instead for a control solution based around an Allen-Bradley Micro-830TM controller.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nAs well as requiring the necessary control features, Linkx also wanted the new solution to match its needs in terms of space constraints. This also meant that it had to replace the existing Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) drive and the Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM HMI.\n\nAccording to Tom Whatling, the service manager at Linkx:\"We wanted same machine with same advantages, we were looking at ways of controlling the pneumatic version for a cost-effective price but with none of the control penalties.\"\n\nIn operation, the machine uses a vacuum head to remove a tray blank from the bottom of a stack. A pneumatic cylinder moves the head up, turns on the vacuum and then moves down again pulling the bottom most stack onto runners, a cylinder then nudges the blank onto rollers at which stage hot melt adhesive is applied during transfer. The runners transfer the board to the plunge area, which sees a plunge cylinder push the blank down through a former where the glue takes and cures, the plunge head then ejects it down on to a discharge conveyor which transports the newly formed tray out of the machine.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nThe brains of the new system, the Micro-800 series PLC uses component HMI to allow direct access to PLC variables. This is coupled to a smaller-footprint Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 525 drive, which also offers safe torque off, which means the power can be left on the inverter, but the inverter discharge circuits are isolated allowing operators to enter the machine's envelope without shutting the power off. A dual input safety relay, coupled to E-Stops and guards on the same unit still allow the machine to meet the machinery safety directive.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nLinkx is now able to market the tray erector at a very attractive price, allowing more of its customers to be able to consider automatic tray erection due to quicker payback. The solution is powerful enough to run the pneumatic technology, but at a more entry-level price.\n\n\"We get the same tray erecting performance as the servo based machine, but at a lower speed and a more attractive entry level price,\" Whatling explains, \"which was our original goal.\n\nThe panel is also much more compact- roughly 25% the size of the servo solution due to the smaller electronic components used. \"We have always found that Rockwell Automation equipment meets our needs, has excellent reliability and is always up to date,\" Whatling concludes, \"it is also well recognized and well received by our customers. In general, when given a choice we will always opt for Rockwell Automation, it is our standard.\"\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: life-sciences\n\n",
    "solutions-in-action-profile--delkor-systems": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/solutions-in-action-profile--delkor-systems\n\nTITLE: Solutions in Action Profile: Delkor Systems\n\nIn the food and beverage industry, the demand for flexible pouch packaging continues to accelerate for products ranging from shredded cheese to microwavable meals. So too does the speed of related packaging equipment.\n\nToday's packagers are challenged to deploy case packing solutions that are both fast enough to keep up with the latest pouch fillers and versatile enough to deliver the range of packing configurations retailers require.\n\nMinnesota-based Delkor Systems is keenly focused on helping packagers meet industry demands with a wide range of automated forming, loading and closing equipment for cases, cartons and trays. The company's latest addition, the Delkor HSP-400, is an innovative high-speed case packaging system for the flexible pouch sector. In development and testing for the past two years, the HSP-400 recently became commercially available and is an attractive option for food, dairy and beverage applications.\n\n\"At Delkor, we have built a reputation for machines that run multiple packaging formats on a single line,\" said Rick Gessler, director of marketing, Delkor Systems. \"With the launch of the HSP-400, we extend this level of flexibility to high-speed pouch packaging.\"\n\nMuch of the legacy case packing equipment on plant floors today was built to either load pouches flat or upright. Very few machines can pack both lay-flat shippers and stand-up displays, and those that can are mechanically complex \u2013 and difficult to changeover from one format to the other. The HSP-400 solves this problem by leveraging linear servo technology and the latest package designs.\n\nIn addition, many big-box supermarkets now specify shelf-ready packaging, which can be quickly converted to displays featuring retail-friendly quantities \u2013 usually five-, six- or eight-pack trays with pouches displayed standing upright.\n\n\"Legacy equipment was typically designed to pack much higher quantities per case,\" Gessler explained. \"Packing smaller quantities means more cases must be packed per minute to stay in step with the filling equipment.\"\n\nMost legacy pouch case packers cannot exceed 20 cases per minute. At 60 cases or 300 pouches per minute, the Delkor HSP-400 is three times faster.\n\nThe HSP-400 achieves this industry-leading speed \u2013 plus exceptional versatility \u2013 beginning on the case-flow side of the equipment. Here, a Delkor Trayfecta\u00ae former creates cartons, flange-seal cases or the innovative (patents pending) Delkor Cabrio Case\u00ae, which easily converts into a retail-ready display.\n\nOn the product infeed, pouches enter the system at a random pitch and pass through a vision system. The vision system scans the pouch to ensure proper orientation and triggers magnetically propelled pockets or \"movers\" on a linear-servo track. These movers advance the pouch to the primary pick station. Once the specified number of pouches arrive at this station, a gantry robot picks and places multiple pouches onto a pattern conveyor. These pouches advance to a secondary gantry robot station where they are placed directly into the cases.\n\n\"While many machines rely on delta robots to pick and place products, our system uses gantry robots with articulating heads,\" Gessler said. \"Where delta robots lack reach, specifically into deep cases, the long stroke of the gantry robot in the HSP-400 allows precise placement and orientation of the pouches \u2013 deep into the cases.\"\n\nBefore exiting the system, the cases move via conveyor to a case closer, which glues and seals the case flaps.\n\nThe machine's control system is based on a Rockwell Automation solution, featuring an Allen-Bradley\u00ae ControlLogix\u00ae controller, which manages all machine and motion functionality. An iTRAK\u00ae independent mover system enables the individual control of the multiple magnetically propelled movers in the collation system, while Allen-Bradley Kinetix\u00ae 6000 servo drives and MP-Series\u2122 servo motors handle the gantry motion. Allen-Bradley PowerFlex\u00ae 525 AC drives control the transport conveyors. Two Allen-Bradley PanelView\u2122 Plus 6 graphic displays allow monitoring from both sides of the machine. The tightly integrated system runs on an EtherNet/IP\u2122 network.\n\nThe beauty of the machine is its speed and simplicity \u2013 and that's thanks to the iTRAK system.\n\n\"When we looked at mechanical collation options, we could not achieve the high-speed motion we required,\" Gessler said. \"Plus, the mechanical complexity was prohibitive from a design and customer maintenance standpoint.\"\n\nThe independent control of the product movers also differentiates the Delkor machine.\n\n\"The iTRAK system allows us to control movers independently at the random infeed and then rapidly advance the pouches to the pick station in controlled groups,\" Gessler continued. \"The speed and independent motion of the iTRAK movers enable us to achieve speeds and precision that are unachievable with conventional collation methods.\"\n\nThanks to a recipe-driven, easy-to-use interface and tool-less change parts, the HSP-400 system can be reconfigured to run flat or upright pouches \u2013 and different pack patterns and/or cases \u2013 in about 10 minutes.\n\n\"We are pleased with the performance and versatility of our equipment and appreciate the support the Rockwell Automation Global OEM Technical Consultants (GOTC) provided throughout the development of this machine,\" Gessler said. \"We look forward to continuing our partnership with Rockwell Automation in the years ahead.\"\n\nAllen-Bradley, ControlLogix, iTRAK, Kinetix, MP-Series, PanelView and PowerFlex are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\nEtherNet/IP is a trademark of ODVA. Cabrio Case and Trayfecta are trademarks of Delkor Systems, Inc.\n\n\nTAG: \n\n",
    "colorant-producer-uses-production-intelligence-to--meet-growing-": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/colorant-producer-uses-production-intelligence-to--meet-growing-\n\nTITLE: Colorant Producer Uses Production Intelligence to Meet Growing Operational Demands\n\nWe may not give much thought to the color of the products we buy. But it has a role to play in everything from brand recognition and helping products stand out on store shelves to keeping workers safe in places like construction zones.\n\nOne American colorant producer creates among the most diverse spectrum of concentrates, master batches and pigment dispersions of any colorant company in the world. The company's 50-year-old plant located on the East Coast of the U.S. specializes in manufacturing colorants for various kinds of plastic products.\n\nOver the years, pressures put on the plant have evolved and grown. For example, customers now require data on material quality so they can confirm the source of any issues that arise with their own products. The various uses for plastics and the spectrum of colors available have also increased. And if that wasn't enough, higher demand led to the plant expanding from four to nine mills in just a few years.\n\nTo manage this growth and greater complexity, the company decided it needed to increase visibility into its plant processes to better understand production, fulfill reporting requirements and decrease troubleshooting time. Now, with new manufacturing intelligence software in place, operators can make better, faster decisions, and troubleshooting times have decreased from days to minutes.\n\n*** Waiting on Data ***\n\nThe plant's production process involves heating raw plastic pellets to a precise temperature and blending the melted material with liquid color concentrates or powder pigments. The resulting colorized plastic is then produced in large slabs and shipped to various customers that convert them into retail products.\n\nTracking the plant's production performance and troubleshooting issues on any of its nine lines could be difficult because data was primarily managed manually. The reporting that was in place was limited to a small number of data points, hindering the ability to satisfy the needs of both internal and external customers.\n\n\"With nine roll mills, they had chart recorders all over,\" said Franc Marmero, manager of manufacturing automation at EZSoft Inc., the systems integrator hired to help upgrade the plant's information hardware and software and a member of the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork. \"Any time they wanted to investigate a problem, they'd have guys sitting on milk crates, digging through boxes of hard copy Excel\u00ae documents. Because the approach was manual, they didn't have clear insight into when a batch started and stopped or when production moved to a new product. By the time they identified process problems, the products had long since left the plant.\"\n\nProduction data existed electronically, but it was stored on an individual operator's computer in a file that wasn't shared across the enterprise. That meant if the same error occurred three months later, operators were once again in reactive troubleshooting mode. Process analysis for continuous improvement, as well as preventive maintenance, was virtually impossible.\n\n\"They would have a set of parameters, such as temperature and kilowatts used,\" Marmero explained. \"But when the customer \u2013 specifically their engineering department \u2013 needed to look at a new data point, there was no easy way to integrate that without writing new code.\"\n\n*** A 'Home Run' Implementation ***\n\nAfter assessing the plant's myriad of information-sharing limitations, EZSoft recommended modernizing with a manufacturing intelligence solution from Rockwell Automation to improve quality control and real-time monitoring. The project started with a pilot phase that could demonstrate results to management.\n\nAs part of the pilot phase, EZSoft implemented the FactoryTalk\u00ae Historian Site Edition (SE) software and one client license of the FactoryTalk VantagePoint\u00ae software. The FactoryTalk Historian software automatically collects real-time, time-series data on performance parameters and archives information about plant activities. This eliminates manual data collection and archives production data for analysis of equipment performance over time.\n\n\"When a batch ends, the system runs an analysis program and stores the data,\" Marmero said. \"It doesn't have to be recreated from scratch every time something arises. The archived data is searchable and filterable, so they don't have to go digging through boxes or files to locate information.\"\n\nThe historian data is then accessible through the FactoryTalk VantagePoint software, which creates simple, custom dashboards to see trends and reports. The software helps build a more\u00a0Connected Enterprise with immediate access into real-time production data in easy-to-read dashboards \u2013 something that had only previously been available in hard-copy reports.\n\n\"Once they saw all the data that FactoryTalk software had to offer, they loved it,\" Marmero said. \"It was a home run.\"\n\nPhase two included implementing the FactoryTalk AssetCentre software. The solution provides automatic version control over hundreds of control system assets, including PLCs, HMI software and terminals, and drives. The maintenance manager can use it to assign access levels for plant employees with different needs, and to monitor equipment performance and condition data for proactive troubleshooting and process analysis.\n\nThe plant also modernized its information visualization with the FactoryTalk VantagePoint EMI software.\n\n\"One of the best things about VantagePoint software is that you can easily pre-configure a report for an entire class of equipment,\" Marmero said. \"You can be pulling data within minutes of receiving a new machine. Just tell it what you want to track, drag it to the screen and push publish \u2013 done.\"\n\nInstead of purchasing physical servers to house the software, the upgraded systems were implemented on two virtual servers.\n\n\"A big part of phase two was making sure the networking was reliable and secure,\" Marmero said. \"IT and upper management are happy knowing that their data is protected by the plant's existing security. Plus, they save time and money using their existing resources.\"\n\nAs an unanticipated bonus, plant employees can now access the minute-by-minute data and reports with a secure online login. By connecting equipment across the enterprise, the plant has the ability to view data remotely from five of its North American facilities.\n\n\"Because it's all web-based, the data doesn't have to reside in one central, physical space,\" Marmero said. \"For example, when there's an issue with a piece of equipment in the Midwest, people in that plant can see the same information as a maintenance manager on the East Coast and discuss together what the problem could be.\"\n\n*** Passed with Flying Colors ***\n\nThe modernization achieved and exceeded all the company's goals for the project. Access to a single infrastructure for enterprise-wide data collection and reporting has proven to be invaluable to the company's operations.\n\nToday, the plant collects real-time data from 1,300 tags and can provide customers with tailored reports on the quality data they need.\n\n\"Plant employees from engineers to maintenance workers are empowered by this set of tools,\" Marmero said. \"They can easily create an ad hoc report for a one-time investigation or add parameters to existing customer reports.\"\n\nThe software has also eliminated the facility's manual data-collection and paper-reporting processes. A company executive can now view data via a FactoryTalk VantagePoint web page to see real-time data for smarter, more accurate decisions. This increases plant productivity and minimizes the chance of user error.\n\nWith these enhanced troubleshooting capabilities, the plant now works proactively to anticipate and prevent production issues from occurring. Errors that used to take days or weeks to resolve can now be addressed remotely in hours or minutes, Marmero said.\n\nThe colorant producer is already planning future deployments in other facilities to expand the connected infrastructure across its enterprise.\n\n\"Initially, all they were looking to do was gather more data on what was happening in their plant,\" Marmero said. \"Today, the FactoryTalk solution serves as much more. It's a totally connected maintenance and quality control tool used every day to manage operations across the enterprise.\"\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to this company's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nFactoryTalk, PartnerNetwork and VantagePoint are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\nExcel is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.\n\n\nTAG: chemical\n\n",
    "digital-twin-maintenance": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/digital-twin-maintenance\n\nTITLE: Digital Twin Technology Improves Maintenance\n\nFrits van Rooiji\n\nOT Manager, IDE Americas\n\nFrits van Rooiji is OT Manager for IDE Americas, part of IDE Technologies, which is a world leader in water treatment solutions and has had a long-standing relationship with Rockwell Automation. IDE develops, engineers, builds and operates advanced water treatment and desalination plants for municipal and industrial customers.\n\nDesalination is an important technology to meet the world's fresh water needs. Most of the planet's water is salted with an average salinity rate too high for drinking, industry or agriculture. Seawater desalination removes salt and dissolved solids and is an alternative and reliable water source to deliver water sustainability.\n\nThe Western Hemisphere's largest desalination plant is in Carlsbad, California run by the San Diego County Water Authority. The award-winning plant uses IDE and Rockwell Automation technologies to help produce 54 million gallons of clean water a day for about 300,000 people.\n\n\"We take the water from the ocean, separate it from the salt, filter it, and add the right minerals to produce excellent drinking water,\" Frits explains.\n\nThe plant uses Reverse Osmosis (RO) Membrane desalination to remove salt and other impurities by transferring water through a series of semi-permeable membranes. But a major challenge for the plant and the desalination industry as a whole is biofouling, which is the fouling of equipment underwater. That includes membrane fouling, which impedes permeability.\n\n\"It's mainly due to seasonal blooms,\" Frits says. \"It shortens the lifespan of membranes and can get quite expensive. It can take plants out for a long period of time, which means you can't produce.\"\n\nWatch the Video\n\nDigital Twin and Artificial Intelligence Technology Leads to Cost Savings\n\nThat's why IDE turned to digital twin technology as an operations and maintenance solution to preserve and increase membrane lifespans.\n\n\"Using 5 years of Carlsbad plant data, we modeled the desalination of the membranes and what was happening related to biofouling. Based on that, we can virtually test various maintenance policies to see what works best for system reliability and cost,\" Frits explains. \"This has resulted in a projected savings for the desalination plant of up to $1.5 million dollars over the next 5 years.\"\u00a0\n\nAutopiloted Control Systems\n\nProcess control at the Carlsbad and other large desalination plants that IDE supports is based on common pressure centers, such as high-pressure pumps and energy recovery.\n\nThese systems are complex, and to manage that complexity, IDE built an autopilot system, in which the operator says, 'These are the parameters I need. This is how much I want to produce. And these are the recoveries that we want to reach for the different phases.'\n\n\"Then the system takes care of it,\" Frits explains. \"The autopilot system frees the operator to focus on quality control instead of hands-on manual operations.\" For many projects, IDE uses the PlantPAx Distributed Control System due to its ability to handle process complexity.\n\nLearn more about other IDE and Rockwell Automation projects.\n\nTAG: integrated-architecture\nTAG: process-solutions\n\nTAG: water-wastewater\n\nTAG: factorytalk-emulate-3d\nTAG: distributed-control-systems\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: human-machine-interface\nTAG: plantpax\n\n",
    "hindalco-digital-transformation": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/hindalco-digital-transformation\n\nTITLE: Digital Transformation at Hindalco Industries\n\nAn industry leader in aluminium and copper, Hindalco Industries Limited is the world's largest aluminium rolling company and one of the biggest producers of primary aluminium in Asia. Its copper smelter is one of the world's largest custom smelters at a single location.\n\nComplexities in existing processes, siloed data within departments, inefficiencies due to labor-intensive processes, and lack of real-time visibility into operations led Jagdish Ramaswamy, Chief Digital Officer, and his core team of experts to find a new way to drive digital transformation at Hindalco.\n\n***** Digital Transformation *****\n\nRegardless of size or scale, the day-to-day challenges faced by heavy industries share commonalities - maintaining productivity, quality, low cost, and a skilled workforce, just to name a few. Embracing digital transformation can reshape operations allowing for more agility and responsiveness.\n\nA solid operational foundation and smart strategies can prepare an organization like Hindalco for better adoption, future integration and ultimately growth.\n\nA solid operational foundation and smart strategies can prepare an organization for better adoption, future integration and ultimately growth.\n\n***** Digital Council and Ambassadors *****\n\nFor Hindalco, it could take days or weeks at some facilities to extract data from OT systems. This increased time to complete any analytics initiative to optimize processes. In turn, this delay in analysis impacted production.\n\nRamaswamy and his leadership team formed a Digital Council, with a few functional experts from across businesses to steer the digital program across the company.\u00a0\n\nThis small but mighty team of 10 wanted to:\n\n    * Create smarter plants by providing real-time visibility into operations and KPIs, and data access without barriers, and use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to improve asset reliability and product quality.\n\n    * Improve supply chain efficiency by optimizing logistics cost through ML and price forecasting models to optimize procurement cost.\n\n    * Develop a digital savvy workforce and delight employees by deploying cutting edge technologies.\u00a0\n\n***** Use Cases Across the Value Chain *****\n\nAs a small steering team, Ramaswamy and his team realized the importance of partnerships, both internal and external, to execute with relentless focus. A full list of use cases was identified across the entire value chain of the business and projects were planned accordingly.\n\nThe Digital Council empowered functional groups and front-line managers to direct specific aspects of the program, including the Manufacturing Center of Excellence (COE), Sourcing and Procurement, Finance, Legal, Information Technology, Quality, Sustainability, Logistics, Sales and Marketing,Supply Chain and Operations, Risk and Compliance, Maintenance and Human Resources.\n\nOne of the most critical success factors for Hindalco's digital transformation was recruiting Digital Ambassadors, early career professionals from across all functions, to help increase the adoption of a digital culture.\n\n***** Digital Education and Immersion *****\n\nOne of the most critical success factors for Hindalco's digital transformation was recruiting more than 75 early career professionals from across all functions, called Digital Ambassadors. Through digital immersion sessions, this team helped to increase adoption of a digital culture. Sessions covered how to use digital transformation to solve problems, use capital approval processes to articulate the reason for investment, and identify and communicate ROI.\n\n\"We started a program called DISHA: Digital Shiksha. Shiksha is a Hindi word for education,\" explained Ramaswamy. \"Our partners helped teach our people how technology works. Over the last 2 years, we have done more than 15 digital immersion session for more than 800 people to spread awareness and educate our users on the value of digital technologies for the business.\"\n\nWorking with a trusted advisor and aligned teams is a significant success factor in digital transformation. Hindalco shared several examples of data-driven improvements and business benefits:\n\n    * Business Case: Coil quality is known only after results are published hours after the sample is taken from the end of the coil.\n\n    * Digital Solution: A Machine Learning model is suggesting optimum levels to operate the process, improving on-time delivery, reducing nonconformance percentage and removing process deviation.\n\n    * Business Case:\u00a0Improve smelter processes to reduce production costs.\n\n    * Digital Solution: Digital twin-based analytical model identifies critical factors that contribute to the efficiency improvement and offers recommendations that already have improved production 1% across hundreds of pots.\n\n***** Process Support and Justification *****\n\nRamaswamy and the team developed concrete processes to measure benefits and offer data for financial justification.\n\n\"The method of justification is done through a process called Capital Approval process that clearly articulates the reason for investment and the ROI,\" he said. \"I consciously drive the benefits with both tangible and intangible aspects as well as measure the cultural change at the grass root level of adoption of digital technologies.\"\u00a0\n\nRamaswamy and the team encouraged ideas and said that the start of projects could come from minimal initial approvals, to encourage a stream of ideas. \"There is no fear of failure because we are encouraging many experiments across the organization, with a 'fail fast and scale fast' approach,\" he said. \"We fund ideas that are aligned with our digital transformation business plan and that build on basic and core process standardization.\"\n\nTAG: accelerate-digital-transformation\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: life-sciences\nTAG: biotechnology\nTAG: medical-device\nTAG: pharmaceutical\n\n",
    "doosan-bobcat-digital-plant": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/doosan-bobcat-digital-plant\n\nTITLE: Doosan Bobcat: A People-powered Digital Plant\n\nNot many companies can say they created an entire industry, but that's what Bobcat Doosan did when it invented the skid-steer loader and spawned the compact equipment industry.\n\nMore than 60 years later, the company has continued to innovate not only in its equipment offerings, but also in the manufacturing operations that produce them. A prime example is the digital transformation journey the company recently embarked on at its manufacturing plant in Dobris, Czech Republic.\n\nThe plant, part of the company's EMEA headquarters, produces more than 12,000 machines annually and employs more than 600 people. Through the initiative, the company wanted to increase production capacity and quality assurance at the plant, as well as eliminate or minimize non-value-added tasks.\n\nAnd while technology would play a key role in the project, the company also knew that another element was essential - its employees.\n\n***** Constructing better insights *****\n\nPrior to the digital initiative, there was a lack of data visibility at the Dobris plant. Many data silos weren't integrated. Operational data was manually collected and put into to excel files. And a lack of dashboards made it hard for plant employees to make data-driven actions.\n\nThis led to challenges like low OEE in the fabrication area, which impacted production capacity.\n\n\"When we started this, everything was paper-based, and all the data was in silos,\" said Hiram Sosa, senior automation manager, Doosan Bobcat. \"So, there was a lot of data availability on hand. One of our missions was to focus on what we call TDK - transfer data into knowledge.\"\n\nTo improve its operations, Sosa and his team wanted to connect plant equipment and devices to eliminate data silos. They also wanted to deploy an Industrial IoT platform to collect and visualize data. This would help plant employees make better decisions, and help reduce the non-value-added time they spent gathering and managing data.\n\n***** A people-powered IIoT deployment *****\n\nA core leadership team with representatives from functions like production, quality, digital automation and supply chain led the implementation. A new digital council was also established to oversee this and all other digital projects, and to provide governance and standardization.\n\nFor its Industrial IoT platform, the team chose the FactoryTalk(R) InnovationSuite, powered by PTC. The solution connects to different plant technologies, and collects, contextualizes and orchestrates data.\n\nImplementation wasn't just a matter of installing the technology and handing it over to plant employees. Instead, the team wanted to make employees a key part of the process.\n\n\"One of the things that we did at the beginning was to put together what we call a techno-day,\" Sosa said.\n\nAs part of this event, employees at all levels were able to see the dashboards and self-serve reporting system, and test new technologies like augmented reality. They were able not only to become familiar with the new technologies, but also ask questions and offer up new ideas to help guide the roadmap for future technology deployments.\n\nWhen it came time to deploy the platform, the team targeted opportunities to optimize production capacity and quality.\n\n**** \"One of the things that we focus on is providing the best quality to our customers and also internally as well,\" Sosa said. \"So, we put in place some of the data captures for the equipment to increase quality assurance.\" ****\n\n***** Initial results *****\n\nThe Dobris plant has already seen the benefits of the digital transformation initiative. More data-driven decision making, and reduced manual data collection and processing, has helped increase productivity and quality assurance. And the fabrication area has been able to increase OEE by 10-15%.\n\n\"For us, this is like a continuous improvement journey,\" Sosa said. \"Once we started, we started looking into more areas. And one of the good things was the people engagement from different departments. They also wanted to benefit and jump on the bandwagon.\"\n\nNext, the team plans to upgrade to a new MES that will also be incorporated with the IoT system and a new PLM system. And outside the plant, Bobcat Doosan expects to roll out the initiative to six other manufacturing sites.\n\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: automotive-and-tire\n\nTAG: factorytalk-innovationsuite\nTAG: plex\n\n",
    "developing-in-house-experts-to-operate-production-controls-syste": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/developing-in-house-experts-to-operate-production-controls-syste\n\nTITLE: Developing In-House Experts to Operate Production Controls System\n\n*** Background ***\n\nLong before the bulldozers arrived at its Michigan plant, one of the world's largest automobile manufacturers mapped out a master plan to begin scrapping the aging control systems and automated machines used to build its vehicles in facilities worldwide.\n\nThe sequential launch of the new manufacturing technologies would mark the first major retooling in more than a decade for many of the manufacturer's plants.\n\nBut the overarching goal was far more strategic: to create a common automation platform\u00a0\u2014 with the most advanced vehicle technologies available \u2013 that would streamline the manufacture of its 21st century cars and trucks.\n\nA sophisticated, fully integrated, controls system architecture would lay the foundation for the manufacturer's leaner factories of the future.\n\nBut realizing the automaker's vision would require far more than replacing its legacy equipment with state-of-the-art automation technologies.\n\nIt would require equipping plant-floor electricians with the knowledge and new skills necessary to operate and troubleshoot the totally transformed control system.\n\n*** Train-the-Trainer Model ***\n\nEmployee\u00a0training has been a cornerstone of the company's culture since its founding just after the turn of the 20th century.\n\nHowever, workforce development had historically been handled within individual plants. When the company brought in third-party trainers, they usually came from equipment manufacturers who focused solely on teaching workers how to operate new, stand-alone technologies.\n\nThis training was often inefficient because it didn't include information about how the new components integrated with other elements in the production system. Because of the magnitude of the control system overhaul, the company needed a totally new curriculum for its electricians. The training also had to be designed to systematically roll out to various plants over several years.\"\n\nThe company's workforce team established three more key tenets for the new electrician training program: 1) It must be customized to the automaker's new controls architecture globally. 2) It had to be sustainable, meaning electricians across plants could use the curriculum for the foreseeable future, with only minor modifications when necessary. 3) The classes had to be conducted in-house to maximize participation and make the most of employees' time.\u00a0\n\nThe group decided the best way to meet those goals was a unique \"train-the-trainer\" model, in which selected electricians would become subject-matter experts on the new equipment, enabling them to train the crew they work with on a daily basis.\n\n\"In each plant, they wanted to develop highly skilled individuals who would teach their co-workers how to operate, maintain and troubleshoot the new system,\" explained said Glenn Goldney, Manager, Global Workforce Solutions at Rockwell Automation. .\n\nThe automaker's workforce team realized they needed outside expertise to develop and deliver the highly specialized controls training.\n\n*** Custom Simulation Workstations ***\n\nIn mid-2009, the automaker invited Rockwell Automation to bid on the electrician training program. The two companies already had a long history of partnership \u2013 Rockwell Automation previously provided workforce solutions at the automaker's various plants. More importantly, much of the company's new production technology came from Rockwell Automation.\n\nThe automaker wanted a comprehensive program that would include training on the company's next-generation production components from other vendors, as well. The company also commissioned a custom simulation workstation that would precisely replicate the entire suite of new controls, and other integrated hardware and software that electricians would operate in the retooled plants.\n\nIn November 2009, the two companies assembled a multifaceted team composed of their top training experts. The group included the skilled-trades technical-training team at one of the automaker's plants in Michigan \u2013 the launch site for the new production technologies.\n\nFor the next six months, the team worked at the plant to develop the control architecture systems integration course to educate electricians about all the new company-specific hardware and software components in its new integrated automation system.\n\nAs the workforce project manager, Rockwell Automation worked with third-party vendors to incorporate content about its technologies into the curriculum. Rockwell Automation also hired instructors with specialized competence in specific aspects of vehicle production, such as the paint process.\n\n\"We weren't experts in all the technology, but we are experts in how to manage large workforce solutions,\" said Goldney. \"Our job was to make sure the electricians could seamlessly take the skills they learned in the classroom and apply them on the plant floor.\"\n\nOnce the course content was nearly complete, the automaker selected a handful of the Michigan plant's most experienced and skilled electricians to form the first train-the-trainer class. Their first lessons were truly hands-on: The electricians worked with the Rockwell Automation team to build four custom simulators.\n\nThe 360-degree workstations \u2013 each about the size of a refrigerator and equipped with wheels for easy transport \u2013 contained all the next-generation hardware components on racks, just as electricians would later see them on the plant floor.\n\n*** New Instructors Take Control ***\n\nThe training team also developed customized lab exercises to correspond directly with the hardware and software configuration of the control simulators.\n\nOnce the simulators were set up, the skilled electricians became full-time students, learning the curriculum for three weeks, led by a Rockwell Automation instructor. Then, each trainer-in-training took turns co-teaching the 120-hour course alongside a Rockwell Automation instructor for 12 weeks. Their students were small groups of fellow electricians. Finally, the instructor trainees taught the course solo, and were evaluated and certified by a Rockwell Automation instructor.\n\nIn total, the trainers-in-training spent 30 weeks immersed in the educational process. The core courses focused on how to operate the new controls system architecture, including an education in industrial Ethernet networking, which formed the backbone of the new system. The trainers also learned \"softer\" skills they'd need to be effective teachers, including tips on topics ranging from public speaking to how to compose a PowerPoint presentation.\n\nThe result: The Michigan plant produced four qualified in-house expert instructors and 36 trained electricians.\n\nBy that time, the old automation equipment had been bulldozed at the Michigan plant to make way for the new technology. Those 36 newly trained electricians were ready to take control of the new equipment. Meanwhile, the freshman class of in-house trainers was teaching the new courses to dozens of their peers at the Michigan plant.\n\n\"As our training role in Michigan was near completion, the automaker's management team gave us our assignment for the next plant,\" said Goldney. \"The same process was replicated at the Kentucky facility and in six additional plants.\u00a0 In conjunction with each plant's leadership, we identify the electricians who will participate, build another set of workstations, and then kick off the train-the-trainer program.\"\u00a0\n\nToday, more than 1,500 electricians have gone through the automaker's new\u00a0training regime at sites across North America, including assembly and stamping plants in three other cities. Electricians from as far away as India have traveled to U.S. plants to become instructors.\n\nWhile 90 percent of the original curriculum is still in use, the electrician training has evolved to include software and hardware updates in the automaker's technology suite. The three-week core course also has been expanded and tailored to suit the differing workforce needs and production demands at various plants.\n\nToday, more than 30 expert trainers have become invaluable resources at the auto giant's plants in the United States, Mexico and Canada.\n\n\"That's more skilled trainers than probably any other company in the world,\" Goldney said. \"And more are on the way,\" \u00a0\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to one automaker's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\nTAG: automotive-and-tire\n\n",
    "medical-device-accuracy": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/medical-device-accuracy\n\nTITLE: Servo-controlled Needle Bender Boosts Precision and Flexibility\n\nInvio Automation designs, implements, and sustains automation for the largest operations in the world. They take pride in partnering with customers to solve big challenge by exploring, testing, and customizing the latest manufacturing technology.\n\n\n\n* The complex manufacturing needs of wearable drug delivery devices\n\nWearable drug delivery devices have transformed the lives of countless patients around the world, freeing them from the burden of daily injections and helping them comply with strict dosing schedules. Designed to be worn on the body, these small platforms incorporate smart features like closed-loop systems and sensors for continuous monitoring and feedback. Unsurprisingly, manufacturing precision is critical, particularly when it comes to producing hypodermic needles.\n\n\"Most cannulas are pretty simple to produce-they're straight needles that are glued into plastic parts. But wearable drug devices often require bent needles, and each device requires a needle of a different shape,\" explains Eric Peterson, Executive VP of Concepts & Solutions at Invio Automation, a producer of comprehensive automation solutions and a gold-level member of the Rockwell Automation(R) PartnerNetworkTM program.\n\nMoreover, the angle of the bend in each needle must be accurate. Slight variations in simple syringe needles do not generally affect performance. That's not the case with wearable drug devices. Their needles, which share a tiny space with objects like pivoting levers, gear wheels, and fluid reservoirs, must be inserted under the skin at the correct depth to achieve the proper flow rate and avoid occlusion. It's an added complexity that medical device manufacturers must address.\n\nSo, when a long-standing customer asked Peterson's opinion about a piece of equipment it wanted to purchase to mass-produce bent hypodermic needles, he expressed concern. \"The equipment was large and expensive and required a separate station for every bend. They wouldn't know they had a good product until they got to the last bend.\"\n\nThis lack of ability to monitor quality at each stage of production posed a significant risk to the production process. Peterson decided to help the customer identify a more viable solution to achieve its goals of reducing production cost per unit and delivering consistent quality and performance. He found inspiration in an unusual place.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\n* Scaling up the bending and assembly of hypodermic needles\n\nThe customer that approached Invio is an award-winning medical device company that develops and manufactures wearable insulin management systems for people with diabetes. Its flagship product attaches to the body and delivers continuous insulin based on the wearer's personal settings.\n\nThe needle inside the wearable device has a complicated shape involving at least 14 bends. It also requires an accuracy of +/-0.005 inches on the first and last bend, while the total tolerance of the needle stock is +/-0.015 inches. Manufacturing these needles is extremely challenging.\n\n\"The technicians were doing all these adjustments to the bends on hard tooling,\" said Peterson. \"They were moving between different pieces of equipment and spending a lot of time tweaking the bending module every time they changed needle lots. Just a one-degree difference in material bounce back required recalibrating all bending stations.\"\n\nCrunch time came when the manufacturer decided to scale up production. Jonathan Poole, VP of Automation Technology and Standards at Invio Automation, explained: \"Manual and semi-automated needle bending techniques can't scale up to mass production levels because they can't precisely form one or more bends repeatedly or efficiently.\"\n\nTo achieve its strategic goals, the customer needed a flexible bending and assembly machine that could automatically modify hypodermic needles into various shapes regardless of their material hardness. A brand new solution was required.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\n* A flexible, programmable machine that forms multiple bends\n\nThe idea to automate the bending process using a programmable system came to Peterson from an unexpected place. \"I was at home watching 'How It's Made',\" he said. \"I saw a company using a bending machine to make baskets from industrial wire. It was a light bulb moment. Long story short, we presented the idea and a prototype to the customer, who was amazed and placed an order there and then.\"\n\nThat prototype eventually became Invio's patented Needle-Bending and Assembly Machine, a unique solution in the market. The apparatus is programmable, allowing it to form one or more bends in a hypodermic needle in various directions and at multiple angles. This flexibility is a crucial advantage, as it allows operators to form different, user-selectable bends via a diagnostic interface and with little or no tooling changes. The flexibility greatly enhances the efficiency and adaptability of the manufacturing process.\n\n\"Our customer was excited about the flexibility and programmability of this machine,\" said Peterson. \"Different needle lots have different hardness properties, so our machine uses an inspection camera to measure the critical dimensions. It then uses vision feedback to adjust the bending parameters in the bending modules automatically. This keeps the needle shape centered on the dimension targets. What's more, it doesn't take up much space. The cell is only 3x6 feet.\" As any customer using a cleanroom space can attest, equipment with a smaller footprint provides a huge cost advantage.\n\n\n\n* Automatic calibration that achieves consistent needle quality\n\nThe vision-guided process and precision part handling aspects of this machine are innovative because the bends on both ends of the needle must be highly accurate for the wearable device to function. A camera mounted in the bending module finds the ends of each needle, and a servo-driven slide positions the needles exactly where the bends are required.\n\n\n\nWhile the tolerance required is +/-0.005 inches, the machine can form bends at a tolerance of +/-0.002 inches, fully compensating for large needle stock tolerance with every needle. This level of precision delivers consistent quality and performance, saving time and effort for operators and giving quality control peace of mind.\n\n\"The operators don't even realize the machine is calibrating itself every time they put in a new lot of material,\" continued Peterson. \"The process is invisible. Now they can produce a needle every nine seconds. They rattle through it. And when the company wants to scale up production, all it needs to do is add more modules.\"\n\nControl for the machine is built on Rockwell Automation CompactLogix(R) Programmable Controllers. The machine is powered by Kinetix(R) Servo Drives & Motors and PowerFlex(R) 525 AC Drives.\n\nSwitched Mode Power Supplies, Fuse Holders, Disconnect & Contactors and Stratix(R) Switches deliver smooth power flow, and Photoelectric Sensors are used to detect the motion of the product as it moves through the machine. Operators interact with the machine using PanelViewTM Graphic Terminalsand Allen-Bradley(R) Push Buttons & Signaling Devices.\n\n\"We knew from the outset that we would get everything we needed from Rockwell Automation thanks to the investment we had already put into the Partnership,\" said Poole.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\n* Improved production efficiency and cleanroom space utilization\n\nOnce Invio had installed the bending and associated assembly machine in the customer's cleanroom, the operators were given a manual and some hands-on training. Within a matter of hours, they were independently using the machine. \"That's a real benefit to manufacturers,\" said Poole. \"They don't need skilled technicians to make adjustments because the machine makes all adjustments itself. They just need operators.\"\n\nSince the installation, the medical device company has seen some impressive results. It avoided the need to buy an overly expensive machine with a ton of support equipment like boxes, belts, dies, lubrication and trays. Instead, it has a compact, modular conveyor system that takes up roughly three times less cleanroom space and requires far less maintenance.\n\nIt also has the flexibility that it needs to handle lot variation and scale up production with the +/-0.005 inches precision its wearable devices demand. The production team can now keep pace with ever-increasing sales targets and changing business goals.\n\n\n\n* Helping medical device manufacturers make good decisions\n\nInvio's expertise in vision-guided processing, precision part handling, and controls engineering, plus its partnership with Rockwell Automation, enabled the design of a unique machine that is perfect for manufacturers of drug delivery systems looking to scale up production, reduce operational costs and increase business resilience.\n\n\"We enjoy helping our customers better understand their challenges and make good decisions,\" said Peterson. \"Thanks to our wealth of experience in automation, we're not afraid to offer alternative solutions if we think there's a better way of doing something.\"\n\nLearn more about Invio Automation.\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: life-sciences\n\nTAG: circuit-and-load-protection\nTAG: drives\nTAG: human-machine-interface\nTAG: motion-control\nTAG: power-supplies\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: sensors-and-switches\nTAG: safety-products\n\n",
    "gold-fields-reduces-control-system-risk-with-new-mining-solution": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/gold-fields-reduces-control-system-risk-with-new-mining-solution\n\nTITLE: Gold Fields Reduces Control System Risk With New Mining Solution\n\n***** Background *****\n\nGold Fields Limited owns and operates 12 gold mines in South Africa, Ghana, Peru and Australia, producing roughly 2.1 million gold equivalent ounces annually. Gold Fields is listed on both the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), and employs roughly 50,000 people globally.\n\nSouth Deep Gold Mine, Gold Field's only operational mine in South Africa, is situated 45 kilometres southwest of Johannesburg and comprised of two shaft systems and a central metallurgical plant.\n\nThis project involving Rockwell Automation falls within Gold Fields' long-term vision: 'To be the global leader in sustainable gold mining,' and is a flagship growth project in South Africa.\n\n***** Challenge *****\n\nThe metallurgical plant at South Deep Mine was upgraded in 2011/2012 to increase its throughput. This involved the addition of a second ball mill circuit, a pebble crushing circuit, an additional thickener, four leach tanks and an extra elution column.\n\nTo better manage reagent, energy and water usage throughout the upgraded plant, while at the same time improve the quality of mine tailings, South Deep Mine needed a complete control and reporting system upgrade that would integrate all existing field systems with the new ore processing systems. This would have to allow for faster, more informed business decisions at a management level, and help the mine meet its long-term sustainability objectives.\n\nGold Fields also needed to reduce the risk of unplanned downtime with a control system that could seamlessly integrate all field devices, plant control, visualisation, reporting and overall performance monitoring into a single, simplified system that could also be expanded in future plant upgrades.\n\nThe metallurgy plant was originally based on Rockwell Automation RSView(R)32 component-based HMI and L62 controllers for process monitoring and control. This required further optimisation: all I/O, interlocks, sequences and other process routines needed to be re-evaluated to eliminate unnecessary complexities throughout the new control system.\n\n***** Solution *****\n\nWith the metallurgical plant running Rockwell Automation technology since 2001, Gold Fields directly commissioned Rockwell Automation to perform the control system upgrades. Rockwell Automation became involved with the new processing system via an EPCM contractor at South Deep Gold Mine. These two projects needed to culminate in a single, fully-integrated control, visualisation and reporting system.\n\n** The Mining Solution Using PlantPAx **\n\nThe mining solution using PlantPAx(R) is based on decades of mining domain expertise which has been formalised into a highly standardised, lifecycle-managed and easily commissioned solution that's capable of reducing control system risks, improving diagnostics and reporting, and reducing system-wide complexities.\n\nA more tailored and cost-effective alternative to a traditional DCS-based (distributed control systems) solution, the PlantPAx provides additional flexibility, managed mining-specific standards and reduced commissioning time and costs. This control system also helps ensure the same, high functional standards of a DCS-based system in terms of standardisation and single-tag databases.\n\n** System-Wide Implementation **\n\nThe solution consists of a PlantPAx controller platform, configured to buffer up to 1,000 time-stamped data entries (plant history, events and alarms) to provide uninterrupted data logging in the event of a network failure.\n\nFor comprehensive visualisation of plant processes, the PlantPAx visualisation software, based on server-client architecture, was built into the system. ViewTools, licenced to PlantPAx, was also incorporated to provide the benefit of direct client access to the controller without the need for a path through the server.\n\nMicrosoft SQL, with built-in reporting services, was installed and configured to log all plant history, events and alarms. The mining solution's licenced software, SQX, was also installed to allow the SQL to be populated directly by the controllers.\n\nRockwell Automation engineers further created unique interfaces to support third-party field devices, such as drives and instrumentation.\n\nThe final changeover was completed in November 2012.\n\n***** Results *****\n\nGold Fields was able to improve plant control, visualisation and reporting capabilities with the mining solution using the PlantPAx system.\n\nStandardisation and comprehensively managed data logging enables the mining solution to provide users with a single, highly accurate status of the plant in real-time.\n\nWith the SQL configured to log history, events and alarms, users are able to follow trends, trace individual entries to specific end users, and keep track of analogue and digital inputs such as flow rates, temperatures and various other inputs from across the plant. All data is time stamped by the PlantPAx controllers, helping to ensure data integrity while allowing entries to be accurately injected into the SQL after a network failure has been corrected. Also, by adding SQX software, the SQL database can be added as I/O to the controllers.\n\nThe PlantPAx software processes signals from instruments and only report the minimum, maximum and average values per reporting period, which minimises the data logged to the database - as opposed to logging every signal from the field device.\n\nAcknowledgement of alarms is user and time-stamped and logged, which protects operators from being reproached for ignoring essential warnings, while at the same time, improving accountability. This improves overall plant safety, especially at South Deep Gold Mine where cyanide alarms and other safety warnings are critical indicators.\n\n** Advanced Reporting\n\n **\n\nA series of reporting services are built into the SQL, which generates and relays comprehensive operation and production reports to management levels for corporate monitoring of key performance indicators (KPIs).\n\nReports include information on the amount of ore processed during each 12-hour shift.\n\nOther figures include a water consumption report generated by a flow meter which totalises hourly flow rates, while MV switchgear reporting provides information on megawatt hours used. KPIs can also be monitored from a web-based page that indicates plant statuses in colours.\n\nThe mining solution using PlantPAx removes unnecessary operational complexity as interlocking descriptions and tags are standardised to be intuitive. This reduction in complexity means that Gold Fields requires fewer highly skilled operators, addressing a common industry problem of applicable skills shortage.\n\n\"Centralising knowledge, refining reporting functionality and improving management across the mine are the main drivers behind this project. This level of plant control will help us improve our reagent consumptions and enhance resource management - including energy, water and skills - and keep us on track to becoming a leader in sustainable mining. One of Gold Fields' main objectives is to use technology and innovation to improve sustainability.\" - Louis Oosthuizen, Unit Manager C&I, Gold Fields (South Deep Gold Mine)\n\n***** Future\n\n *****\n\nRockwell Automation is currently designing an underground ore management system for South Deep Gold Mine for integration with the mining solution.\n\nTo further improve reporting from operator to technician to management levels, Gold Fields plans to change over a series of remaining field devices to the mining solution. Systems to be included into the central control and visualisation system are shaft conveyors, a fridge plant, bulk air coolers, among various others processing systems.\n\n\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\n\n",
    "fastest-growing-yoghurt-company-in-the-u-s--boosts-production": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/fastest-growing-yoghurt-company-in-the-u-s--boosts-production\n\nTITLE: Fastest Growing Yoghurt Company in the U.S. Boosts Production\n\nBackground\n\nWhat began as a quiet vacation to Noosa \u2013 a small, coastal town in Queensland, Australia \u2013 fueled one big idea that turned into the fastest growing yoghurt company in the United States.\n\n\n\nWhile vacationing in Noosa, Koel Thomae fell in love with uniquely decadent, aussie-style yoghurt \u2013 borrowing the common Australian spelling of the word \u2013 produced and sold locally by Paul and Grant Mathewson. Without any entrepreneurial background, Thomae convinced the Mathewson brothers to launch their family recipe for yoghurt in the United States and establish what is now known as Noosa Finest Yoghurt, located in Bellvue, Colorado.\n\n\n\nProducing what is described as indulgent, artisan yoghurt, Noosa officially launched in 2010 focusing on local Colorado consumers. But, the original taste and distinct sweetness of the yoghurt quickly powered growth and drove demand. In less than four years after launching, Noosa has expanded its market and can be found in all 50 states.\n\n\n\nChallenge\n\nWhen it first launched, Noosa produced all of its yoghurt manually \u2013 beginning at the dairy farm. The facility is conveniently located on-site at Morning Fresh Dairy, which allows Noosa to receive fresh raw milk directly from the farm.\n\n\n\nNext steps involved blending cream and manually measuring and metering the signature ingredients \u2013 such as honey and fruit \u2013 into the mixing tank. Operators were challenged with monitoring critical processes, but also had the intensive job of setting up valve transfer paths, dialing-in mixer and pump speeds and adjusting crucial temperature control valves. Not only was each step conducted manually, but all data was tracked, monitored and charted by hand, as well.\n\n\n\nIf something were to go wrong, Noosa would spend hours troubleshooting, and often times employees were only able to hypothesize what the issue could be \u2013 there was no way to track data back and pinpoint where, when, or why the issue occurred. \u201cWe needed a way to track data for our own quality assurance, and also for the different regulatory reports required by the FDA,\u201d explained Wade Groetsch, COO, Noosa Finest Yoghurt.\n\n\n\nNoosa needed a way to track data and monitor the process without increasing human capital. As demand for the yoghurt grew, there was only one option for Noosa to meet production without increasing resources \u2013 the process needed to be automated.\n\n\n\n\u201cWe had no expectations that our product would take off so quickly,\u201d said Groetsch. \u201cWhen we picked up some large retail customers, it became a reality that we needed to expand our facility \u2013 and expand quickly to fulfill orders. The only way we could increase capacity and keep up with demand was to automate. Not only that, but we foresaw demand increasing well into the future, so in order to meet our production goals, we needed a system that would monitor the process, collect data and allow for easy future expansion.\u201d\n\n\n\nSolution\n\nIn 2012, Noosa chose to build an entirely new 25,000- square-foot yoghurt facility located less than 50 meters away from its existing facility. Noosa collaborated with Malisko Engineering \u2013 a Solution Partner within the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork program \u2013 to design and implement a fully-automated control system for yoghurt production, clean-in-place (CIP) and utilities.\n\n\n\nMalisko implemented a PlantPAx process automation system from Rockwell Automation \u2013 a scalable, plantwide control system that helped increase efficiency and access to real-time information.\n\n\n\n\u201cMalisko already had an understanding of the system architecture from past process implementation projects and was able to demonstrate the predefined system library and how the components worked together. Being able to help speed up the development time made PlantPAx our obvious choice,\u201d said Groetsch. \u201cWe wanted a proven solution that would allow for future growth, and we found that in the process system from Rockwell Automation.\u201d\n\n\n\nThe new system leverages EtherNet/IP as its communications backbone to deliver real-time information throughout the facility. The Malisko team deployed the PlantPAx server components on a VMware virtualized host and deployed thin-client technology for the plant floor HMIs. A Microsoft Active Directory domain controller for integrated user security was implemented, incorporating Cisco VPN firewall technology for remote access. This allows plant engineers to remotely troubleshoot and provides the option to deploy various system changes from anywhere with Internet access.\n\n\n\n\u201cOur plant runs 24/7. In the past, when we would get a call at two in the morning where something wasn't operating normally, one of us would have to get out of bed and drive to the plant,\u201d said Groetsch. \u201cNow, with our remote monitoring capabilities, we are able to securely login from home and assess issues off-site.\u201d\n\n\n\nA byproduct of the PlantPAx automation system is a wealth of data. The new system implementation provides manufacturing intelligence solutions, allowing the Noosa staff to easily capture material tracking data, such as raw milk/cream receiving information, critical temperature at specific points in the process, ingredient amounts, batch cycle times, CIP tracking, etc. Data can now be retrieved to investigate process excursions, saving valuable time and money when troubleshooting. Most importantly, employees no longer need to hypothesize.\n\n\n\nThe new system is also readily equipped for future growth. \u201cWe planned ahead during the system sizing phase of the project,\u201d said Dan Malyszko, lead systems engineer, Malisko Engineering. \u201cThe PlantPAx system is the ideal automation platform for a rapidly growing operation given its built-in scalability. As new equipment and process units are needed to support demand, Noosa has the ability to add additional I/O, PAC controllers, and servers without adversely affecting the base PlantPAx characterized architecture.\u201d\n\n\n\nResults\n\n\n\nNoosa's new, fully-automated yoghurt control system was developed and deployed in an unprecedented six months. The company's increased visibility into the production process has improved operations and made the overall yoghurt process more efficient.\n\n\n\n\u201cOur new facility allows us to produce more yoghurt, but also produce it more consistently,\u201d said Groetsch. \u201cOur manual process had many inconsistencies and many times resulted in lost batches of yoghurt. With the PlantPAx system, we've decreased lost batches by 95 percent.\u201d\n\n\n\nSince opening the new facility, Noosa has increased production capacity by 300 percent without the addition of more employees and resources. Filling only one cup of yoghurt at a time when first opening in 2010, the two lines can now fill approximately 100 cups per minute.\n\n\n\nDemand for Noosa's yoghurt continues to grow at a staggering rate \u2013 leveraging the scalability of the PlantPAx solution from Rockwell Automation, the company is currently working on another expansion project.\n\n\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Noosa Finest Yoghurt's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "daqing-refinery-reduces-annual-energy-consumption-by-41-": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/daqing-refinery-reduces-annual-energy-consumption-by-41-\n\nTITLE: Daqing Refinery Reduces Annual Energy Consumption by 41%\n\n*** Background ***\n\nAs one of the top 10 oil refineries in China, the Daqing Refinery Plant, located in Daqing city, Heilongjiang Province, has a gross-annual revenue of over $10 million.\n\nEstablished in 1963, the refinery is a part of the Daqing Petrochemical Corporation, a subsidiary of the biggest petroleum production provider in China; PetroChina Group, with a substantial market share of 50%.\n\nIn terms of volume, the Daqing Refinery produces 600,000 tons per year in gasoline, diesel oil, kerosene, paraffin, and other petroleum products sold throughout China.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nSince China entered the World Trade Organization in 2001, the drive to compete with less expensive imported products has propelled the country's industrial sector to meet new challenges in cost-effectiveness and production efficiency. More than ever, reduced cost production is a critical factor in offering a low selling price to keep a healthy market share.\n\nAt the Daqing Petrochemical Refinery plant, the crude oil pump from a 3,500-ton pressure reduction process line maintains a steady flow rate of 8,000 to 10,600 tons per day of crude oil. The crude oil pump, however, consumed a large amount of electrical energy in the process.\n\nFinding a more efficient pump control method to reduce wasteful energy consumption was a key value driver at the plant in order to stay competitive and to lower prices.\n\nOther issues facing the Daqing plant were maintenance costs and downtime. The existing pump required regular maintenance every 8,000 hours, which led to 2 days of downtime per year with an average economic loss of $16,438 for each lost day. Such continuous maintenance was largely due to the fact that the pump motor ran at full speed regardless of production output levels.\n\nPreviously, engineers at Daqing employed a valve throttle control method to manage the nonstop high speed of the pump motor. With this method, a throttling valve, located at the output of the pump, would be adjusted periodically to meet changing load demands in oil flow rate.\n\nThis system, however, proved to be inefficient as problems of high energy consumption, even at low load demand, as well as wear and tear from the high running speed of the pump, persisted. In addition, the throttling control method created increased pipe pressure, which caused oil to leak and the need to frequently replace seals.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nTo cut back on excessive electric power consumption, a reliable true Medium Voltage (MV) drive solution was essential for the oil pump motor application at the Daqing Refinery.\n\nUsing an\u00a0Allen-Bradley(R) PowerFlex(R) 7000 MV drive with a 6 kV rectifier and a 6 kV inverter that can be easily fabricated with fewer 6.5 kV power devices without output transformer, the Daqing plant had found a simple and reliable solution.\n\nThe PowerFlex 7000 uses Current Source Inverter-Pulse Width Modulation (CSI-PWM) technology to provide a simplified power structure with a lower power device count. The PowerFlex 7000 drive makes this efficiency possible with strong overcurrent protection capabilities that do not require fuses and electronic fusing circuits to protect the power devices, thus, simplifying the complexity of the drives.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nDepending on the market requirements, the Daqing Refinery production output varies between three levels (9,000 tons per day, 9,600 tons per day, and 10,500 tons per day). With the Rockwell Automation solution place, the plant has gone a long way to maintain such significant production numbers while saving money with more efficient energy consumption.\n\nFor a 9,000 ton production output, 426 KW/h were required for oil pump motor operation compared to after the PowerFlex 7000 retrofit power consumption at 250 KW/h. The Daqing Refinery saves 1,533,312 KW/h per year, which reduces their annual energy consumption by 41%.\n\nFor a 9,600 ton production output, 527 KW/h were required for oil pump motor operation compared to after the Powerflex 7000 retrofit power consumption at 370 KW/h, the Daqing Refinery saves 1,370,397 Kwh per year, which reduces their annual energy consumption by 30%.\n\nFor a 10,500 ton production output, 584.8 KW/h were required for oil pump motor operation compared to after the PowerFlex 7000 retrofit power consumption at 400 KW/h, the Daqing Refinery saves 1,609,977 Kwh per year, which reduces their annual energy consumption by 32%.\n\nIn addition, the new solution safeguards the pump motors against over-currents and simplifies the drive systems by eliminating fuses and electronic fusing circuits. $15,000 per year is saved in reduced maintenance costs and decreased downtime.\n\nThe total savings at the Daqing Refinery have resulted in a project return on investment ROI) of 2.5 years. The project was so successful at the Daqing Refinery that after one year of operation, a meeting was held at the site to introduce the PowerFlex 7000 retrofit to all sister plants in Daqing Petrochemical.\n\nHangying Wu, the plant's chief engineer, notes that his faith in the Rockwell Automation solution was right on the money.\n\n\"System reliability is the main criteria for us when selecting products,\" says Wu, \"Allen-Bradley CSIPWM has a wonderful power structure design, which uses module structure, few device components, and strong overcurrent protection capability.\"\n\n\"After careful technical comparison and analysis, we decided to select the Rockwell Automation solution. The good performance of the drive has proven that our decision was correct.\"\n\n\nTAG: oil-and-gas\n\n",
    "food-manufacturing-mes": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/food-manufacturing-mes\n\nTITLE: Teddie Peanut Butter: A Smooth Shift to the Cloud\n\nFounded in 1925 by Armenian immigrant Michael Hintlian, The Leavitt Corporation, doing business as Teddie All Natural Peanut Butter, is now a fourth generation family business producing the leading brand of all natural peanut butter in the Northeast, with global distribution to over 25 countries.\n\nJamie Hintlian is Chief Executive Officer and COO of The Leavitt Corporation, the family-owned and operated business that produces Teddie Peanut Butter and packaged nut products. Hintlian's grandfather, an Armenian immigrant, founded the company in 1925. The iconic New England brand produces 75,000 pounds of peanut butter a day.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\n* Legacy System Limits Global Ambitions\n\n\"We're the number one, all-natural peanut butter in New England and growing nationally. We have an international presence as well,\" Hintlian said. \"We have a lot of ambition for growth, but our systems and technology just weren't positioned for us to achieve our growth objectives.\"\n\nPreviously Teddie Peanut Butter used a custom built, on-premises ERP system. While Hintlian said it served the company well, the system was no longer supported and lacked the functionality to meet the producer's ambitions for productivity and growth.\n\n\"We were looking for greater visibility to all aspects of the business,\" he explained. \"Real-time performance data for what's being made, what's not being made, quality management, shipping, financials - everything.\"\n\nBut, as a company about to mark its 100th anniversary, migrating to a new ERP platform was a major change management concern. Generations of employees work at Teddie Peanut Butter, some of whom have been with the company for decades.\n\n\"Moving to new ways of doing things. Not just new methods, procedures and processes, but the technology itself presented obvious challenges and opportunities,\" Hintlian explained. \"How would line operators and workers who were used to clipboards, checking boxes and writing numbers transition to barcodes, smart scanners, and workstations and be able to operate in a new environment seamlessly?\"\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\n* Pilot Prepares Employees for\u00a0Shift to the Cloud\n\nTeddie Peanut Butter selected Plex ERP and\u00a0Plex MES.\n\n\"Literally every function of the company is now on Plex in the cloud. It runs the entire company, all of our operations - finance, accounting, customer service, sales, marketing, logistics, and quality management,\" Hintlian said. \"We went from an entirely paper-based environment for production and quality control to an entirely paperless environment.\"\n\nTo ease employees through that transition, the company set up a large scale conference room pilot for training all functions.\n\n\"We had a miniature version of the operation. It got people used to the idea of having to scan things and track material in real time,\" Hintlian explained. \"This was one of the big changes. Every time you move something, it has to be accounted for and this was a different mindset from before.\"\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\n* Information at Our Fingertips\n\nEmployees quickly adapted to the new system. \"The transition went remarkably smooth,\" Hintlian said. \"People got it right away.\"\n\nFor example, year-end inventory was completed in a fraction of time than previously and with \"incredible\" accuracy. That was just one of the new system's many benefits.\n\n\"Now we're able to measure real time productivity, line effectiveness and performance. All that information is at our fingertips for analysis, literally by the hour, day or month,\" Hintlian explained. \"We're able to show what's important in terms of performance at the operational, finance and accounting level and from a quality management perspective as well.\"\n\n\n\n* Change and Preparation Mindset Key to Digital Transformation\n\nHintlian offers a few key pieces of advice for other similar sized companies embarking on their digital transformation journey.\n\n\"First, it's not nearly as challenging as you might think but there are a lot of moving parts. Prepare and involve everybody equally, even people you think might be more on the periphery of the operation,\" he said. \"Everybody should appreciate what the environment is, what the to-be world will look like, and also why it's important. Once those concepts are understood, with a mindset towards change and preparedness, implementation should go very smoothly.\"\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: food-packaging\n\nTAG: plex\n\n",
    "embracing-sustainability-through-control-technology": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/embracing-sustainability-through-control-technology\n\nTITLE: Embracing Sustainability through Control Technology\n\nGlobal production of fish and seafood has quadrupled over the past 50 years, with aquaculture - the practice of fish and seafood farming - now outpacing wild catch fishing. Against this backdrop, consumer tastes and preferences for fish products are also changing - desiring not only optimal taste, but also more ethical and sustainable means of production.\n\nTo capture this change in consumer demand, Nova Scotia-based salmon farm Sustainable Blue has pioneered a new method of farming that optimizes the quality and sustainability of the breeding and nurturing process. With the assistance of Fairfield Control Systems, BlueTech Systems and Rockwell Automation, Sustainable Blue has integrated an advanced control solution to improve the water treatment and purity across its network of farms. The company is now focused on scaling its operations to branch into new markets and serve more consumers.\n\nTurning a Sustainable Vision into Reality\n\nThe story of Sustainable Blue began on the other side of the Atlantic, in Plymouth, England. Dr Jeremy Lee, who serves as both technical director of BlueTech and CTO of Sustainable Blue, has had a 25-year career designing recirculation aquaculture systems (RAS), having previously developed the water treatment system used in the popular National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth. In 2008, Dr Lee began an ambitious project to adapt his treatment technology for use in the burgeoning salmon-farming sector.\n\nHaving identified a business opportunity in Eastern Canada, Dr Lee founded Sustainable Blue as an inland farm with the goal of providing a safe and managed environment for the salmon to grow. In this farm, fish would be introduced from the ocean and bred over the course of 12 months, before ultimately being sold to customers including leading supermarkets and restaurants.\n\nWhile land-based farming is an efficient way to breed fish, the practice has conventionally come with certain trade-offs. In normal cases, the fishery needs to maintain interaction between the farm and the open sea for discharge and replenishment. This brings several potential issues.\n\nFirstly, it alters the temperature of the water used in the farm, limiting the control the fishery has over the breeding process. Secondly, it has implications for quality and safety as the water entering may contain diseases or other impurities. Thirdly, it typically influences taste, introducing an 'earthiness' that's the result of geosmin, a compound that is produced within many land-based farming systems that brings with it a distinctive, unpleasant smell.\n\nAs a result, inland farms have found difficulty in consistently providing customers with fresh, clean produce. Dr Lee sought to address this issue by developing a RAS that avoided the need for external water supply, meaning the farm could maintain complete control over water purity and, therefore, the quality of the produce. He composed a team, involving system integrator Fairfield Control Systems, along with Intelligent Motor Control technology from Rockwell Automation, to work on the solution.\n\nAdapting to Limit Risk\n\nFairfield Control Systems, as a central part of the company's character, thrives on risk. The company has built a strong reputation for taking on the types of tasks that other companies would shy away from. They specialize in projects where the cost of failure is high, with a track record that reinforces their credibility in developing systems that won't buckle under pressure.\n\nAccording to Peter McMorrow, Engineering Director at Fairfield Control Systems, this approach to risk helps differentiate the company as a control systems partner. \"In everything we do, we apply our own set of procedures and principles to make sure that risks are mitigated and the cost of failure is minimal. Our customers know they can trust us to think through the worst-case scenarios and plan accordingly.\"\n\nSustainable Blue's project fitted into that category. Across six farms - Red Bank Road (RBR) numbers 1-6 - Sustainable Blue houses more than 1,000 tonnes of fish. If the systems were to fail, the fish would not survive for more than 10 minutes, with the potential cost spiraling into the millions of dollars. The focus, therefore, was on developing a control system that was resilient to pressure and offered the availability to handle extreme situations.\n\n\"As soon as we met with Dr Lee, we knew we could really assist with his project. He wanted to scale the operations, going from farms the size of rooms to those the size of football fields - but such growth would bring complexities. He needed a partner network that could assist him on the process side in the evolution from small scale to mass production. We really bought into the ethos of the farm and wanted to help fulfil the vision,\" McMorrow added.\n\nIn 2016, BlueTech (Sustainable Blue's technology arm) entered into an arrangement with Fairfield Control Systems to commission the water treatment system for RBR 3. The choice of control technology to use was straightforward. Fairfield Control Systems had a relationship with Rockwell Automation that had existed for more than 30 years and is a Silver SI member in the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM, and BlueTech also had a history of using Rockwell equipment. Both companies had strong familiarity with Rockwell's systems and confidence that they would be appropriate for the task of ensuring a standardized and easily maintainable control environment.\n\nNurturing Clean, Healthy Produce\n\nThe control solution the team created serves a crucial function in the farm. Each unit within the facility contains a 100% recirculation RAS, processing 5,000 tonnes of water every hour in total. The process control system provides closed-loop control of many environmental variables for each system, such as the temperature, pH levels, oxygen levels and water pressure. As well as control, the system provides reports of historical data and has an alarm-handling solution to ensure any issues receive prompt response.\n\nDr Lee says that with this infrastructure, the farm can operate on a self-sustaining basis - a unique feature in the industry. \"Fish are very sensitive to their environment. The temperatures in our tanks are held within a tight band that's optimal for fish growth and vitality, which means we can produce fish in half of the time without having to introduce any antibiotics or growth hormones. Furthermore, the system offers us complete transparency, visibility and traceability of the process from end to end, which is ultimately reflected in the purity of the water and the taste of the fish.\"\n\nThe value of the system extends beyond just the quality of the produce; it has been instrumental in consolidating the farm's philosophy.\n\n\"It's been a big benefit for us in terms of morale as our team is passionate about sustainability,\" Dr Lee explained. \"It also helps us to attract customers who care about the welfare of the fish and the impact on the environment - it's a strong marketing platform.\"\n\nNow that the blueprint is in place for a scalable, reliable and high-quality fish farm, Sustainable Blue is taking steps to expand operations, both within Canada and in other markets. The model that's in place provides assurance that this growth won't come at the expense of the environment.\n\n\"Not only is our produce sustainable and ethical, but steps have been taken to make our entire operation more environmentally friendly. We're moving to 100% renewable energy and planning to replicate the model across new sites - the closer the farm is to the end customer, the shorter the supply chain, which has benefits for freshness and environmental consciousness,\" Dr Lee added.\n\nDr Lee recognizes the contribution that the control partners have made in helping him to realize the vision he's been pursuing for nearly 15 years: \"Our farms are process-heavy and, for all our good qualities, humans are not very good at tasks that involve repetition and accuracy, which is the case for managing and modulating a RAS. It quickly became apparent to us that automation was something that we needed early on in our development. We're delighted to have had the benefit of Fairfield Control Systems and Rockwell Automation's expertise to maintain a clean, stunningly clear environment for the fish at all times.\"\n\nTAG: sustainability\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: marine\n\nTAG: distributed-control-systems\nTAG: human-machine-interface\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: plantpax\n\n",
    "pharma-company-saves-more-than--1-million-while-deploying-its-ne": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/pharma-company-saves-more-than--1-million-while-deploying-its-ne\n\nTITLE: Pharma Company Saves More Than $1 Million While Deploying Its New Production Facility\n\nWith an annual production of nearly 1 billion doses of sterile respiratory medicines, one U.S. pharma company had become a specialist in blow-fill-seal manufacturing. This is a continuous process of forming, filling and sealing a liquid-packed container in a sterile area, without human intervention.\n\nRecently, the company decided the time was right to take advantage of new contract opportunities. But to do so, it would need to significantly grow its ability to ramp up production. There was comfortable space for current orders, but production couldn't expand much beyond them.\n\nThe company decided to build a new, state-of-the-art facility. The plant would automate everything from formulation to packaging, even using new technology like laser-guided vehicles that would allow product to go untouched from creation to when it's put on the truck.\n\n*** The Best Laid Plans\u2026 ***\n\nThe company wanted to automate not only production but also documentation for its new facility. The FDA requires that pharma producers maintain documentation on sterile conditions, and the company wanted to go beyond those requirements. Specifically, it wanted an information-enabled facility that would allow production to move toward the implementation of electronic batch records.\n\n\"The most important part of where our facility was going involved data \u2013 the ability to pull and compile information from the first stages of formulation to the packaging area,\" said a senior R&D engineer for the company. \"To get there, we needed to first narrow the scope for the short term to make sure the facility had an information system that collected plantwide data and secured our assets.\"\n\nThe company defined two major goals for the new facility. The first was to provide automated control for the formulation process that led to the blow-fill-seal production area. The second was to collect information from different sources, including utilities and machine data from manufacturing and packaging.\n\nThe strategy was clear, but a major obstacle came in the design stage. The information system that the company planned to deploy across the plant required an additional layer of hardware \u2013 which would more than double the $1.5 million budget.\n\n\"It wasn't an option to add complexity that we would have to manage,\" the engineer said. \"There was also a concern that the system we first evaluated wouldn't be compatible with some of the software used across the organization. People had recommended this system because they used it previously, but when we looked at it more closely, we knew the technology wouldn't work for us.\"\n\n*** A Solution Under Their Nose ***\n\nWhile searching for an alternative information system for the new facility, a discovery was made at the company's existing facility. Specifically, the site had implemented FactoryTalk\u00ae Historian software from Rockwell Automation with new packaging equipment to monitor line efficiency.\n\nThe software worked so well that the company began to consider it as a strong option for its new facility.\n\n\"We discovered the FactoryTalk software utilized aspects of OSIsoft\u00ae PI historian software, which is what the team liked about the first control and information system,\" the engineer said. \"Once we looked into other software from Rockwell Automation, it became apparent that the desired information solutions could be deployed across the facility without any added complexity. The system actually had tools that would greatly simplify our work.\"\n\nThe team selected a PlantPAx\u00ae modern DCS solution for the formulation process. It provides fully integrated control of tank pressure and mixing, and automates the valves on formulation tanks.\n\nThe DCS uses\u00a0FactoryTalk View Site Edition visualization software to give operators a common look and feel for monitoring tank levels, temperatures and pressures across the formulation process. Visualization functionality is also distributed throughout the network to ease troubleshooting for maintenance, and the PlantPAx system's alarms and events allow workers to manage and track activities.\n\nThe team added a change-management application to the PlantPAx system to aid in the transition from manual production at the existing facility to automated production at the new facility. The\u00a0FactoryTalk AssetCentre change-management software serves as a single repository for all the new automation solutions used in the formulation process.\n\nIt stores control, visualization, parameter and configuration files used during deployment and provides an ability to consolidate changes made to automation assets and system activity. The change-management application also records programming changes and uses role-based permissions to minimize risk of human error and lost downtime.\n\nThe new facility also uses the FactoryTalk Historian software, which captures and stores all production information and allows the company to continue working toward electronic batch records. And with a validated plantwide historian database, the facility gains a single source for data from the manufacturing equipment, plant utility systems and the new, automated formulation process. Stored information can then be pulled for reporting purposes, such as providing environmental-monitoring data on clean rooms.\n\n*** A Bright Future ***\n\nThe company was encouraged by the ease of deploying and validating the new technology in the new production facility.\n\nThe advanced information solution provides a single place to compile data from multiple sources, like sterile compounding and filling, packaging, and HVAC systems. It has also laid the foundation for the future electronic batch record. With the ability to pull 50,000 data tags, the company can collect and report data on demand, providing relevant information when it's needed.\n\n\"Combining all relevant data into a single report is what this state-of-the-art facility will achieve, and our current technology is showing us a roadmap,\" the engineer said. \"By reducing the complexity in our automation system and connecting sources of data, we've made the first steps toward pulling together robust data from the entire system.\"\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to this company's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nFactoryTalk and PlantPAX are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\nOSIsoft is a trademark of OSIsoft, LLC.\n\n\nTAG: life-sciences\n\n",
    "ash-grove-cement-improves-reliability--asset-protection": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/ash-grove-cement-improves-reliability--asset-protection\n\nTITLE: Ash Grove Cement Improves Reliability, Asset Protection\n\n*** Background ***\n\nAs an electrical engineer in the motor-intensive, cement-manufacturing industry for more than 30 years, Bob Wright has seen it all: the evolution from DC motors and drives to AC motors and drives technology, improved information access, and increased pressure to reduce motor-related energy consumption.\n\nThe first time he walked through the doors at Ash Grove Cement in Chanute, Kan., in 1975, Wright would have told you it was impossible to use a low voltage AC drive to control a medium voltage AC motor. Times and technology have certainly changed.\n\nWright oversees the electrical operation of Ash Grove's century-old facility, one of the leading cement manufacturer's nine plants. Combined, the plants have an annual production capacity of nearly 9 million tons of cement. Like other companies in the cement industry, Ash Grove faces heightened competition, ever-fluctuating demand and intense pressure to efficiently increase productivity.\n\nTo maximize production, the Chanute plant manufactures cement all day, every day. Nearly 1,000 motors generate a combined 45,000 horsepower, driving the production of five tons of cement per minute.\n\n\"The success or failure of our plant depends on our motors,\" Wright said. \"We need reliable equipment and ongoing maintenance to protect our motors, control production and operate efficiently.\"\n\nTo resolve problems with an unreliable, antiquated motor-control system, Ash Grove invested in an unusual, yet effective, solution \u2013 installing a technologically advanced, low voltage variable frequency AC drive to its existing 2,300-horsepower, medium voltage AC motors. Ash Grove not only updated its drive technology, it modernized its approach to maintaining capital investments. The result so far is an initial savings of $250,000 and 90 percent uptime.\n\n\"Not too long ago, manufacturers had a run-it-until-it-breaks mentality. But now we have the tools to protect capital investments like our motors,\" Wright said.\n\nAsh Grove's previous, unreliable motor control system required constant maintenance.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nAt Ash Grove, motors power everything from the massive, revolving, rock-filled kiln to the grinding of up to 4,500 tons of cement per day. Demand is rising, increasing the need to keep the plant \u2013 and thus, its motors \u2013 up and running. With China devoting cement production to building its own infrastructure, imports of the material have declined, boosting demand for domestic cement.\n\nTo produce the clinker used in the cement-making process, Ash Grove uses limestone mined from on-site quarries, mixes it with other ingredients, and heats the material up to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit in a 150-foot-long rotating kiln. Still piping hot, the clinker, which ranges from marble-sized to three inches in diameter, goes through a cooling process before a mill filled with steel balls grinds it into powdery cement.\n\nWorkers at Ash Grove had trouble when it came time to service these three ball mills each month. For technicians to enter the mill for servicing, they used an antiquated 60-horsepower generator motor to rotate the mill inch-by-inch until it reached an exact position.\n\nThe process of manually positioning equipment, called \"spotting,\" became difficult because technicians had no effective way to accurately apply torque to the medium voltage motor directly from the power system \u2013 the technique used to slowly rotate the mill. \"Along with the problems we had moving the bulky mill to a precise position, the cogging, or abrupt starting and stopping of the motor, can cause mechanical and electrical damage to equipment,\" Wright said.\n\nThe issue interfered with the company's goal of minimizing downtime while maximizing production. \"Each hour we shut down operations to perform routine maintenance or resolve a fault translates to 300 tons of cement that could have been produced,\" Wright explained.\n\nFed up with the frequency and expense of the problem, Wright shared his frustrations with his sales contact at Rockwell Automation, Ash Grove's automation supplier for the rest of the facility.\n\n\"Traditionally, this situation called for a new spotting controller and gear motor or a medium voltage drive,\" Wright said. \"But Rockwell Automation engineers designed an AC drive solution that outperforms the other solutions at a fraction of the cost.\"\n\n*** Solutions ***\n\nAsh Grove replaced the generators that powered the mill spotting with preconfigured, 480-volt, 450-horsepower, AC variable frequency drives from Rockwell Automation. The Allen-Bradley\u00ae AC drives power three existing 4,000-volt, 2,300-horsepower AC motors exclusively during the spotting process to efficiently rotate the ball mill and bring it to a controlled start and stop. To run the mill at full speed, Ash Grove uses a synchronous motor starter, which does not have any speed control.\n\n\"With over 30 years of experience in the cement industry, I consider myself a DC devotee,\" said Wright. \"I never believed AC technology could produce 100 percent torque at zero speed until Rockwell Automation developed an AC motor control solution for a high-torque application.\"\n\nConfigured to replace a generator motor application, the low voltage Allen-Bradley AC drive has the torque control capability to operate at the six hertz required by the ball mill for spotting. The drive can separate and independently control motor flux and torque producing current, allowing it to deliver full torque down to zero speed. These capabilities, coupled with precise motor speed control, allow the AC drive to handle demanding motor control applications, including applications typically reserved for DC motors.\n\nWhen the drive arrived at Ash Grove, it seemed like the design called for a more complicated installation than the norm. As a result, Wright contacted Rockwell Automation for assistance. Rockwell Automation field service engineers provided drive start-up services to help Wright properly program and troubleshoot the drive application without issue.\n\n\"Rockwell Automation engineers helped us commission the drive and get everything up and running within an hour of their arrival,\" Wright recalled. \"This seamless, quick transition helped reduce the time between integration and actual machine operation.\"\n\nBy networking the drive to an existing Allen-Bradley ControlLogix\u00ae programmable automation controller, Ash Grove improved operational performance, receives real-time access to crucial production data, and protects valuable assets through advanced diagnostic and protection capabilities. The integrated approach helps Ash Grove drive bottom-line results across its operation by improving productivity and reducing costs.\n\nNearly 1,000 motors power applications throughout Ash Grove's Chanute, Kan., facility to produce 150 million tons of clinker annually.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nImplementing AC drive technology from Rockwell Automation gave Ash Grove reliable motor control, financial savings and improved asset protection.\n\n\"Maintaining the electrical equipment in a facility that produces cement around the clock and powers operations with nearly 1,000 motors is demanding,\" said Wright. \"The reliability of drive technology not only gives me peace of mind as an electrical engineer, it also leads to increased production and over 90 percent uptime.\"\n\nThe application knowledge of Rockwell Automation engineers, combined with the drive's technological capabilities, helped Ash Grove save money.\n\n\"Besides costing less than half as much as a medium voltage drive, using a low voltage AC drive in this application helps save money on maintenance and energy consumption, and just gets the job done better,\" Wright said.\n\nAsh Grove had initial savings of $250,000 by selecting a low voltage AC drive, and it saves thousands of dollars annually in maintenance. Unlike the previous generator, smooth variable frequency drive technology helps reduce mechanical wear on the equipment, as well as the time and money spent on maintaining the motor. Instead of conducting annual motor maintenance, the new drive will require far less upkeep and rewinding of the motor \u2013 if any at all. The ability to operate AC drives at very low speed for controlled positioning eases the spotting process required for regular ball mill maintenance.\n\n\"We believe in maintaining motors for the long run,\" Wright said. \"It saves us more money to dedicate our efforts toward protecting these motors instead of running them until they break.\"\n\nIn addition to spending less money on motor and gearbox maintenance, and equipment replacement, Ash Grove reduced power consumption.\n\n\"In the past, we ran the generator's motor during the spotting process,\" Wright said. \"Unlike the generator, the variable frequency drive consumes much less electrical power while we service the mills, which resulted in energy savings.\"\n\nTo protect its investment in motor technology, Ash Grove developed an overall maintenance strategy that supplements internal efforts with support from Rockwell Automation as needed.\n\n\"The innovative technique of using a low voltage AC drive to power a medium voltage application proved to be a reliable, cost-effective solution,\" Wright said. \"We plan to collaborate with Rockwell Automation in the future to develop outside-the-box approaches that achieve our goals.\"\n\n\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\n\n",
    "factory-design-success": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/factory-design-success\n\nTITLE: Golden Omega: A Factory Designed for Success\n\nDiego Avil'es is IT Director for Golden Omega, a producer of a high-quality Omega-3 concentrates. The company was the first to build an Omega-3 production facility in Latin America. Its state-of-the-art operations are in Northern Chile, near the South Pacific Ocean and its supply of high-quality fish oil.\n\n\"With that kind of quality raw material, we had to get the right processes in place,\" Diego says. \"Our main goal was to design a factory that would allow us to produce the quantities needed and grow into the future.\"\n\nWatch the video\n\n** \u00a0 **\n\n** Diego Aviles **\n\n** IT Director, Golden Omega **\n\nSole Supplier of Automation\n\nGolden Omega selected Rockwell Automation as its sole supplier of automation and controls.\n\n\"It was a good decision that made things easier and has worked for us in the long term,\" Diego explains. \"When we first started 10 years ago, we had many different control, machine, and area level systems. Then we consolidated all of them into a single Distributed Control System (DCS). The whole package has worked as one solution that's been easy to integrate.\"\n\nAs part of its upgraded DCS, Golden Omega uses FactoryTalk(R) View Site Edition for visualization, Studio 5000 Logix Designer(R) for process and control, FactoryTalk(R)\u00a0Historian as its main data repository, FactoryTalk(R) VantagePoint(R) for analytics, and FactoryTalk(R) AssetCentre for asset management. Additionally, Golden Omega follows CPwE (Converged Plantwide Ethernet) network standards, uses machine virtualization, and has an on-site micro data facility, all of which to reinforce cybersecurity.\n\n\"It's a robust system and having a single source of technology has been a key success factor,\" Diego says. \"Now all of our efforts are focused on our DCS, and we've reduced system-related incidents to a minimum.\"\n\nWorking Differently\n\nHe says one of the biggest changes with the DCS is the ability to monitor and manage production remotely from multiple points in and outside of the plant. It's a capability that was helpful during the pandemic when in-person contact was limited.\n\n\"The way we work now is different. With visibility to the whole plant, we've been able to empower our workforce and improve productivity,\" Diego says, \"They have more control and are able to do more than they could before.\"\n\nGolden Omega has also merged its IT and OT organizations into a single team sharing knowledge, experience and skills to accelerate digital transformation and innovation. Working with Rockwell Automation, the team plans to explore opportunities in predictive maintenance, enhanced analytics, and advanced cybersecurity.\n\nTraining is Essential\n\nDiego says that continuous training has been essential to Golden Omega's digital transformation.\n\n\"Key for our journey was having a strong team and attending Rockwell Automation technical education events,\" he says. \"We learned a lot about the technology that we are using. Don't ever stop learning and training your team.\"\n\nTAG: integrated-architecture\nTAG: network-architectures\n\nTAG: household-and-personal-care\n\nTAG: factorytalk-historian\nTAG: factorytalk-vantagepoint\nTAG: factorytalk-studio-5000-logix-designer\nTAG: factorytalk-assetcentre\nTAG: factorytalk-view-se\n\n",
    "leading-packaging-machine-builder-reduces-machine-engineering-ti": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/leading-packaging-machine-builder-reduces-machine-engineering-ti\n\nTITLE: Leading Packaging Machine Builder Reduces Machine Engineering Time\n\nBosch Packaging\u00a0is a global leader in providing packaging solutions in the food and pharmaceutical segment. Bosch Packaging, Goa, India supplies horizontal form fill and seal machines primarily to the bakery & confectionery industries, and plans to gratify the omnipresent and ever-growing demands from the Indian packaging market through Bosch Packaging's Goa facility with its fully equipped R&D facility, engineering and after-sale support, and sophisticated assembly shop floor to build machines with advanced technology.\n\nAccounting its wide range of products & global expertise, Bosch Packaging, Goa, India serves customers' demands by providing complete line solutions, customized machinery and equipment which includes:\n\n    * Product feeding systems\n\n    * Flow wrapper Lines\n\n    * Collating machinery\n\nWith an extremely proficient engineering team, Bosch Packaging, Goa, India counters its constantly faced challenges, such as making extensive engineering efforts for delivering line solutions and meeting the tight delivery schedules on large projects, to accomplish their set goals.\n\n***** Challenges *****\n\nOften, for their customized line solutions, Bosch Packaging Goa, India is required to design a Product Distribution System (PDS) to feed product into down-stream wrapper lines. The time required to engineer these systems is a significant factor impacting project delivery schedules. The biggest challenge is to have a common engineered solution that can be re-used for various similar projects.\n\nThe challenges imposed due to the variability of customized project demands include:\n\n   1. Variation in line speed\n\n   2. Variation in total number of downstream flow wraps\n\n   3. Variation in each of flow wrap speed and dynamics of flow wrap\n\n   4. Protection of IP while automation applied to PDS solution\n\nFrom similar requirements in the past, addressed by their previous automation solution company, Bosch Packaging, Goa, India found that while the engineering time spent for each project was huge, maintaining consistency in the application code over various projects was also a challenge, and thereby impacted maintainability.\n\nAnother area of concern was the high installation time. This drawback occurred due to the limitation of handling data over higher number of nodes (drives) which existed in the MODBUS communication network.\n\n***** Solution *****\n\nFor one of their customized line solutions, Bosch Packaging, Goa, India worked with Rockwell Automation to deliver the automation system. Application experts (GOTC) from Rockwell Automation carried out detailed discussions & in-depth analyses with the aid of the efficient engineering team of Bosch Packaging. This yielded irrefutably positive results: it revealed the challenges faced in building a PDS and led to a broad definition of a system that Bosch Packaging, Goa, India wished to achieve.\n\nKPIs of control system for PDS:\n\n1. To engineer a configurable solution considering variability & functionality of the following:\n\n    * Main conveyor line speed & number of wrapper lines down the line\n\n    * Down stream wrapper line speeds and interruptions\n\n    * Creating a stand-by at wrapper line\n\n    * Scalability of architecture, based on line speed (VFD-based or motion-based)\n\n2. To encapsulate application code in a template:\n\n    * Creating an application library, with section wise control, where machine builder can configure the code by using key selections\n\n    * Adopting a modular code structure, to ensure code re-usability, while addressing various custom variants\n\n    * Creating application specific function blocks (add-on instructions)\n\n3. To ensure IP protection of application code by using different levels of protection in Studio 5000 Logix Designer(R).\n\n4. To adopt a strong communication network (Ethernet/IP) to leverage the benefits and lay the foundation for the future: Ethernet/IP is an industry standard and a popular choice across industries.\n\nTo achieve the defined objectives, Rockwell Automation proposed a solution based on:\n\n    * CompactLogixTM\u00a0L3 controllers\n\n    * PowerFlex(R) 525 AC Drives, with an embedded Ethernet/IP port and Safe Torque-Off\n\n    * POINT I/OTM\u00a0family of Distributed IOs\n\n    * Stratix(R) Ethernet switches\n\n***** Results *****\n\nRockwell Automation application engineers worked with the Bosch Packaging Goa, India engineering team to deliver a solution which helped address the challenges enumerated by:\n\n    * Adopting an ISA-S88 based modular code, a widely accepted global standard\n\n    * Having leveraged the power of Ethernet/IP network - One network for IO, Drives & HMI\n\n    * Having enhanced diagnostics\n\n    * Reducing the installation & commissioning time and helping faster markets\n\n    * Simplifying the replacement of drive units by automatic configuration parameters from the controller with Auto Drive Recovery (ADR) functionality in PowerFlex 525 drives\n\n    * Protecting their application IP, ease of training & maintaining code consistency\n\nBosch Packaging, Goa, India reduced their engineering time by 50% on an average to deliver the similar projects, apart from greatly simplifying their architecture. Bosch Packaging, Goa, India is also excited as their latest solutions now help to position themselves better for the future, enabling them to deliver The Connected Enterprise(R).\n\nCompactLogix, POINT I/O, PowerFlex, Studio 5000 Logix Designer and Rockwell Automation are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc. Trademarks not belonging to Rockwell Automation are property of their respective companies.\n\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: life-sciences\n\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: programmable-controllers\n\n",
    "pyradia-pilot-coating": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/pyradia-pilot-coating\n\nTITLE: Pilot Coating Line Maximizes Flexibility\n\nManufacturing research often uncovers not only a new product, but also multiple ways to produce it. And in complex web converting applications, testing various substrates and production processes can be a daunting and time-consuming task.\n\nOftentimes, companies have no choice but to interrupt regular production schedules - or wait for an opening - to test new applications in their plants.\n\nBut Pyradia, a custom machine builder headquartered in Quebec, is changing this equation. The company is growing its reputation as a leading supplier of pilot coating lines, which enable companies to test products efficiently on smaller scale equipment.\u00a0\u00a0\n\nRecently, the company put its expertise to the test in a pilot coating line for pressure-sensitive adhesives.\n\n***** Keeping It Versatile - and Compact *****\n\n\"Our customer must test both new materials and various adhesives,\" said David Ross, P. Eng., R&D and engineering manager, Pyradia. \"Because they were in the product development and testing phase, they needed a system that could easily adapt to changing process parameters.\"\n\nSince the customer planned to install the pilot line within their research and development facility, they also had limited floor space. Specifications called for a line measuring 40 feet long, built for a 12-inch web and capable of speeds up to 150 feet per minute.\n\nThe line includes the primary unwind, multimode cartridge coater, three-zone flotation dryer, secondary unwind, laminator and winder. In all, the coater cell can be configured for four coating methods including offset gravure, direct gravure, mayer rod or saturation mode.\n\n\"To maximize flexibility, we designed the pilot line to change over quickly between multiple coating modes,\" Ross said. \"As a result, our customer can test three or four different modes each day.\"\n\n***** Low Tension Challenges *****\n\nPyradia was also charged with supplying equipment that could handle low-strength web material, which introduces system design challenges.\n\nSpeed and tension control are critical in any web converting application. But for such delicate substrates, the pilot line had to operate under extreme low tension - especially when the material was wet due to full saturation. In fact, tension on the 12-inch web is maintained at just a fraction of a pound.\n\n\"The tension control must be sensitive and precise,\" Ross explained. \"If tension peaks, the web will break, and if the equipment loses tension, there will be coating defects.\"\n\n***** Precise Servo Control *****\n\nTo design the pilot coating line, Pyradia leveraged their relationship with Rockwell Automation and local distributor, Lumen.\n\n\"From the start, we worked with our Rockwell Automation team to select the right control components and design the system,\" said Ross. \"We also utilized the capabilities of Integrated Automation Builder (IAB) software, which allowed us to speed our design process.\"\n\nPyradia built a solution based on Allen-Bradley(R) GuardLogix(R) safety controllers, Kinetix(R) 5700 servo drives and VP-Series servo motors, and PowerFlex(R) 525 and 527 AC drives. The system is integrated on an EtherNet/IPTM network and monitored on an Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM graphic terminal.\n\nUsing servo technology proved to be an efficient way to achieve precise, flexible control of the web rollers. From a mechanical standpoint, the servo motors can be easily attached to different rollers when changing the system from one coating mode to another. The control parameters can be quickly adjusted from the machine interface.\n\n\"Servo technology is simply more efficient,\" said Ross. \"For example, Kinetix single cable technology speeds wiring and reduces installation time. And the drive's compact configuration saves panel space.\"\n\n***** Improved Performance with Integrated Safety *****\n\nThe pilot coating line also features an integrated safety solution, using advanced capabilities of the Kinetix servo drives and the GuardLogix controller.\n\n\"With the controller and servos running on the network, we are able to create and modify safety zoning without any rewiring,\" Ross said. \"We also use the Safe Torque Off function in the drive.\"\u00a0\n\nZone control allows specific machine areas to slow down or stop, while others continue to run at normal speed. The Safe Torque Off capability removes rotational power from the motor without powering down the drive. These capabilities help enable workers to safely enter portions of the machine to make equipment adjustments, while the rest of the process continues normally.\n\n\"The integrated safety solution also delivers better information to operators,\" Ross said. \"If a door is open or an E-stop has been activated, the operator can access the diagnostics from the HMI very quickly - and address the issue.\"\n\n***** Speeding Products to Market *****\n\nPyradia's customer credits system flexibility and performance with speeding the development, testing and regulatory approval of their products. And they are looking for even more versatility soon.\n\n\"Our customer recently approached us about adding a fifth coating mode for comma roll coating,\" said Ross. \"We look forward to retrofitting the equipment and enabling that option.\"\n\n\nTAG: machine-and-equipment-builders\nTAG: integrated-architecture\n\nTAG: fiber-and-textiles\n\nTAG: guardlink-techology\nTAG: servo-drives\nTAG: servo-motors\nTAG: graphic-terminals\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: drives-and-motors\n\n",
    "falcon-group-boosts-oee-more-than-160-percent-using-thingworx-iiot-platform": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/falcon-group-boosts-oee-more-than-160-percent-using-thingworx-iiot-platform\n\nTITLE: Falcon Group Boosts OEE More Than 160% Using ThingWorx IIoT Platform\n\nHeadquartered in Dubai, UAE, Falcon Group is an established precision engineering company with more than three decades of experience in the delivery of high-quality services to many industries, including aerospace, space exploration, defense, oil & gas, power and utilities transmission, and industrial manufacturing.\n\nComprising four industrial operations in the UAE and three others in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and Oman, it offers a broad range of capabilities, including precision machining & fabrication; custom tool design; manufacture & refurbishment; and industrial automation solutions.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nFalcon Group is an established precision engineering company based in Dubai, UAE. With four industrial operations in the UAE and three others in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and Oman, it offers a broad range of capabilities, including precision machining & fabrication; custom tool design; manufacture & refurbishment; and industrial automation solutions.\n\nThe specialist precision engineering and fabrication division offers a range of machining capabilities, including CNC (computer numerical control), custom fabrication and welding, gun & BTA deep-hole drilling, coordinate measuring (CMM), cutting (wire, water & laser), prototyping, and 3D printing.\n\nAt the heart of these operations are 16 CNC machines, all of which are essential to the company's machining capabilities, with their utilization defining much of the capacity planning and the critical path of many of the company's projects.\n\nIn a recent performance evaluation, Falcon Group was assessing the purchase of new machines to help it keep pace with customer demand and to support maintenance downtime for those on the critical path, coupled to the fact that peak capacity often saw it subcontracting work to competitors.\n\nHowever, before signing off on any additional machinery, the company undertook a machine-utilization study and discovered that although its CNC assets appeared to be working 24/7, some machines were only operating at 12-15% utilization, a figure that offered significant room for improvement.\n\n\"We used to collect data manually,\" explains Prabhu Badrinathen, CEO, Falcon Group, \"using routing cards and manual timing, but we knew this was not giving us the bigger picture, in real time. Our industry software team explained that we could use software to measure OEE (overall equipment effectiveness) and, having looked at the various software use cases, we quickly realized that different elements of each example would work for us, but no single application example mirrored our needs.\n\n\"We needed a flexible solution that would address our precise requirements, which is when we started discussions with Rockwell's UAE Value Add Distributor Al-Ghandi Electrical and Automation LLC.\"\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\nThis realization that significant efficiency gains were within reach triggered the beginning of a digital transformation that would result in some truly staggering results.\n\nAnd, for the foundation of this transformation, Al-Ghandi - a member of the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM - \u00a0introduced Falcon Group to the ThingWorx IIoT platform, part of the FactoryTalk(R) InnovationSuite, powered by PTC.\n\nFalcon Group's FG Engineering and Maintenance Services LLC rose to the challenge by spearheading the development of the ThingWorx IIoT solution in a region with limited support for such a complex use case.\n\nThe solution used ThingWorx IIoT to connect different devices, including PLCs and sensors, and then collect, collate, store and present all the operational data to the management team at Falcon Group using tailored software dashboards.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\nThe collaborative efforts culminated in the deployment of a robust application that seamlessly integrates with Falcon Group's operations. By harnessing the power of ThingWorx, and the acquisition of precise data, Falcon Group is now able to optimize its operational efficiency.\n\n\"Step One of any improvement journey is accepting you may not be working to the best of your capabilities,\" explained Badrinathen in a recent ROKStudios session. \"All subsequent steps then involve working with your suppliers and integrators as a team - honestly and transparently - to find a remedy.\"\n\nFalcon measured OEE on one machine to create the baseline and then deployed the ThingWorx IIoT Platform to root out and then highlight the pain points and inefficiencies.\n\n\"We very quickly had the machine go from 12-15% utilization up to 38%,\" Badrinathen continues, \"and with further fine tuning, it is now up to 57%. This is a huge growth, and was on just one machine! We have set an ambitious future target of 75% - a growth of more than 365%.\"\u00a0\n\n\"All our partnerships start with truly understanding the issues our customers are facing,\" said Srikrishna Ganesan, CEO, Al Ghandi Electrical & Automation, in the same ROKStudios session. \"We then look to develop solutions rather than simply sell products. We were very happy to have found a platform that delivered not just major additional efficiencies but also significant cost savings.\"\n\nBadrinathen concludes: \"At FG Engineering and Maintenance Services LLC, we don't just meet challenges - we embrace them, turning obstacles into opportunities for growth and innovation. This type of solution is essential to us in many ways. We can only go so far with discounts and other incentives to make our customers happy, after that we need to look at ways of working smarter, which is why we hold hands. We need the experience of system integrators and distributors and their suppliers, so we can then recruit them as a talent and keep them as partners.\"\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: thingworx\n\n",
    "milk-specialties-global-taps-data-to-meet-growing-demand": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/milk-specialties-global-taps-data-to-meet-growing-demand\n\nTITLE: Milk Specialties Global Taps Data to Meet Growing Demand\n\n*** A Dairy Cash Cow ***\n\nThink about dairy and you likely conjure up familiar grocery staples like milk, cheese and butter. But the proteins found in raw dairy product also serve as a key ingredient for a wide range of health and nutrition products.\n\nMilk Specialties Global is a major supplier of these proteins, with 10 manufacturing facilities located throughout the Midwest and in California. The Minnesota-based company processes raw milk and whey into a broad portfolio of ingredients, including milk proteins, whey proteins and specialty proteins.\n\nThese ingredients are then shipped to customers that use them in food and beverage products ranging from coffee creamers and baking goods to processed cheeses and Greek yogurts. They are also a primary ingredient in high-demand, sports-nutrition, weight-loss products, such as protein powders, protein shots and meal-replacement bars. And they are used in a variety of animal-nutrition products, including milk replacers, energy boosters and nutritional supplements.\n\nMilk Specialties has rapidly grown in recent years to keep up with market demand. The company of only about 800 employees is today nearing $1 billion in annual revenue.\n\nTo help meet high demand, the company recently made investments in manufacturing intelligence to achieve real-time analytics and insights into its operations to drive improvements in production processes.\n\n*** Untapped Data, Information Deficiency ***\n\nDespite the tremendous variations that can occur in the raw-ingredient input streams that the company receives, it still must deliver consistent-quality output streams.\n\nFor its human-nutrition products, the raw, dairy-product stream is separated with state-of-the-art membrane technologies\u2013 which allows the isolated proteins to remain in their native state. From there, the stream is sent through a dryer and finally to the packaging line.\n\nIdentifying and improving inefficient processes in these operations was challenging. The facilities' production control systems were data silos, with little ability to track or compare data over time. And the reporting capabilities that were in place were outdated and labor intensive.\n\nFor example, tracking the clean-in-place (CIP) chemical usage involved workers downloading data from a machine into a Microsoft\u00ae Word document and then manually entering that data into a spreadsheet to create a graph. This not only took time, but it also restricted workers' abilities to view data quickly and within multiple contexts to truly understand CIP chemical usage.\n\nWhen the company inherited a legacy, historian-software system with an acquired production facility in Visalia, California, Mike Calva, corporate programmer and analyst for Milk Specialties Global, saw an opportunity to do more with production data. \u00a0\n\n\"The historian was only being used for compliance,\" said Calva. \"It basically worked in the background, and we weren't getting anything out of it from an operations perspective. But we knew the potential was there. We wanted something\u00a0 for \u00a0production that could help us discover the 'art of the possible' in our operations.\"\n\n*** Multifacility Rollout ***\n\nMilk Specialties drew up plans to begin rolling out manufacturing intelligence systems across its three primary, human-nutrition facilities. These included the Visalia location, as well as facilities in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and Mountain Lake, Minnesota.\n\nThey chose the FactoryTalk\u00ae VantagePoint\u00ae EMI enterprise manufacturing intelligence software from Rockwell Automation, which can integrate a great variety of production and business data into a single information-management, analytics and decision-support system. Within Milk Specialties' operations, the software collects, correlates and displays real-time process, business and laboratory data.\n\nThe system was first implemented at the Fond du Lac facility, In the process of rolling out the EMI software a second time at the Visalia facility, the scope grew as users kept discovering new opportunities for using it.\n\n\"An idea for using the software to create in-plant scoreboards came about during the implementation,\" Calva said. \"Our chief operating officer was the driving force behind that. He wanted everyone on the plant floor to have visibility \u2013 to always know if we are winning or losing based on our performance data \u2013 and then have the tools to dig into the issue, investigate the root cause of underperformance and fix it.\"\n\nAt the Visalia facilitiy, tailored scoreboards were placed in three key production areas: separation, filtration, and drying. A fourth scoreboard, displaying plantwide operations, also was placed in the facility's front office.\n\nThe scoreboard in each production area displays plant-summary data, such as throughput, as well as data relevant to workers in that specific location. For example, workers in the separation area can view the fat volume in the skim stream or the temperature in the pasteurizing process, while workers in the dryer area can view evaporation levels and outputs to the bagging line.\n\n*** Justifying Improvements, Empowering People ***\n\n\"In our industry, production is dynamic and commodity-driven,\" said Calva. \"We have to be agile, and that means we need more than data. To be flexible in a dynamic environment and respond quickly to change, we need information.\"\n\nThe EMI software has established a \"system of record\" that produces a consistent set of facts upon which decisions can be made. This has helped justify operational changes and investments that are crucial to helping the company keep up with market demands.\n\nFor instance, process engineers at the Fond du Lac facility wanted to add a new mid-wash process, performing an additional flush between batch runs. The new system showed significant yield improvements following the change. \"I was able to use the system to show engineers and management the impact of their change produced a significant increase in throughput,\" Calva said. \"We are using the same report to measure the efficiency of a costly filter membrane. This has allowed us to stay at peak throughput, without over changing the membrane and adding unnecessary costs. VantagePoint allows us to quantify these policies and initiatives that we decide at an operational level, and then come back after the fact to show how well we're adhering to them.\"\n\nThe software also helped resolve an issue with the dryer in the Visalia plant. After reviewing data on the operators' activities, including seeing down to the level of operators' sequence of actions. The team noticed that operators were not properly starting up and shutting down the equipment in the right sequence. They relayed this information back to the operators, who corrected the issue.\n\nNew analytics from the manufacturing intelligence system also played a vital role in helping the Visalia plant manage its water quality and usage under new California drought regulations. Emergency conservation regulations required state businesses to reduce water usage by 30 percent. Using the manufacturing intelligence system to monitor process metrics, drain flows and water spikes, workers were able to collaborate, using the same information set to keep tabs on water quality and address issues to meet the required reduction, while maintaining quality of waste water.\n\nMeanwhile, the software continues to be put to use in new ways, such as to replace the outdated CIP chemical tracking.\n\n\"We're in the process of building the CIP tracking in the software,\" Calva said. \"This will save us time compared to the manual tracking and allow us to look at data in new ways to optimize our CIP chemical usage. We'll be able to compare system-wide against plant-area chemical usage, or standard against manual-override usage. And we'll be able to drill down to see the exact ounces of chemical used per ton of product produced. This solution is helping drive operations strategy,\" Calva added. \"It's our portal to understanding where we are, how we got there, where we should be and what needs to be done to get there.\"\n\nThe Milk Specialties team is in the process of implementing a manufacturing intelligence system at the Mountain Lake plant. Once the three-facility rollout is complete, they will consider expanding the software to the company's six other specialty and animal-nutrition facilities.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Milk Specialties Global's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nFactoryTalk and VantagePoint are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\nMicrosoft is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "driving-paper-production-at-visys-pulp-and-paper-mill--": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/driving-paper-production-at-visys-pulp-and-paper-mill--\n\nTITLE: Driving Paper Production at Visy's Pulp and Paper Mill\n\nVisy\u00a0is a global leader in the packaging, paper and resource recovery industries, providing high quality, innovative and sustainable packaging products and solutions.\n\nThe company has been leading packaging innovation in Australia for over 60 years and has more than 120 sites across Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and Vietnam and trading offices across Asia, Europe and the USA.\n\nSustainability is a pillar of Visy's business. From the products they make, to resource recovery cycles and the business, including making employees safer, local communities healthier and customers more profitable.\n\nLimiting impact on the environment is one of Visy's key missions. They take responsibility for the entire lifespan of their products - from conception to when they are recycled into something else.\n\nVisy's Pulp and Paper mill in Tumut, New South Wales is the largest integrated pulp and paper mill in Australia and has set new standards in sustainable kraft paper manufacturing and environmental performance - producing high-quality kraft paper\u00a0for both domestic and international markets.\n\nTwo million tonnes of plantation-sourced wood is processed at Tumut each year, meaning that a wood truck arrives at the site every five minutes, each day. The site is one of Australia's largest exporters of containerised manufactured goods and hosts a renewable energy generation facility, producing half of the plants own energy needs. Visy Tumut also operate a closed loop water system, where all mill wastewater is reused for farm irrigation.\n\nIn FY2017-18, Paper Machines 9 (PM9) and 10 (PM10) at VISY Tumut produced over 681,000 tonnes of unbleached kraft paper.\n\nAs a company that is always looking towards the future, Visy took a proactive approach in upgrading legacy drive control equipment on the PM9 winder downstream of the paper machine to avoid any potential for downtime while also future proofing the Tumut plant.\n\n*** Planning and design ***\n\nVisy contracted Rockwell Automation to conduct the planning and design stage of the project. Matthew Barrett, senior project engineer, Rockwell Automation explained that, \"The first step of the project was to perform a Front End Engineering Design (FEED) study. As part of this process we worked closely with Visy to gain a detailed understanding of the engineering requirements for the winder upgrade.\" Upon completion of the FEED, a detailed proposal was prepared and the upgrade commenced.\u00a0\n\nVisy's Tumut plant produces high quality linerboard paper for cardboard boxes. Paper Machine 9 produces a 'jumbo roll' that is 3.2m in diameter by approximately 5.5m wide. This jumbo roll then moves into the winder, which cuts the paper into smaller rolls to suit customer requirements and allows for easy shipping. Each roll coming off the winder is wound with a specific tension profile, to avoid collapse or telescoping.\n\n*** Latest drive technology ***\n\nThe operational requirements of the drive system are very demanding\u00a0- it must be able to rapidly accelerate and decelerate the heavy rolls and maintain web tension and production speed of up to 2500 metres/minute while the diameters of the rolls are changing.\n\nTo achieve consistent roll quality, it is essential to keep the whole winder system stable. Settings on the drives and control system must be finely tuned to ensure that tension fluctuations do not affect the roll structure. To achieve this, coordination of the drives on the winder was crucial. \"If all the drives are not coordinated, the winder is unable to work effectively,\" explained Barrett.\n\nThe latest generation of drives from Rockwell Automation, the\u00a0Allen-Bradley(R) PowerFlex(R) 755TM\u00a0drive system was the best choice for this application. These drives were designed to provide harmonic mitigation, regeneration and common bus solutions that help reduce energy costs, add flexibility and increase productivity.\n\nThe coordinated drive systems reduce energy consumption as they are able to share energy on the bus\u00a0- some drives are motoring while others are regenerating. With a smaller footprint than the legacy system, the drives were able to reduce the space required to house the system.\n\nControl requirements were provided by\u00a0Allen-Bradley GuardLogix(R) controllers\u00a0and all safety devices were upgraded to CAT3, Pld. Further safety upgrades are easily achievable due to the GuardLogix system being installed. Ethernet/IPTM provided secure communications between the controller and drives.\n\nHMI requirements for the winder were delivered by\u00a0FactoryTalk(R) View\u00a0software. The WindPro solution was engineered by Rockwell Automation to help paper manufacturers monitor and control paper roll density and help prevent quality defects, such as wrinkles and tears. It provides real-time winder control and monitoring including recipe management, roll data, general operator interface to the winder, faults, alarms and trending.\n\nBarrett explained that, \"This was one of the first applications in the world that used the new PowerFlex 755TM drives so we worked closely with the product specialists in the US regarding some of the technical aspects of the drives.\"\n\n\"As there was a limited time available for commissioning the new system, we conducted a Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) to provide a complete simulation of the machine. This allowed Visy to see the drive system in operation and we were able to go through all of the functions to make sure it met Visy's requirements,\" he said.\n\nThe installation and commissioning of the system was conducted during the plant's annual shutdown, with no significant issues. In fact, the first roll produced by the winder was sellable quality.\n\n*** Remote access with local service and support ***\n\n\"The new winder drive system is working well and there has been no downtime due to drive system issues. We have remote access to the system which helps with troubleshooting as required,\" said Barrett.\n\n*** Thanks to local service and support from Rockwell Automation, Paper Machine 9 at Visy's Tumut plant can continue to produce high quality kraft paper for Australia and the world. ***\n\n\"The technical support from Rockwell Automation has been great. The new control and drive system for the winder is performing really well and by having remote access to the system, Rockwell Automation is able to continue to provide support as required. The project has been a success for Visy and we are very confident in the Rockwell Automation team,\" said Santiago Vargas, Visy Tumut project engineer.\n\n\u00a0\n\nAllen-Bradley, FactoryTalk, GuardLogix, PowerFlex, Rockwell Automation and Rockwell Software are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\nEtherNet/IP is a trademark of ODVA, Inc.\n\n\n",
    "city-improves-visibility-into-its-water-system-with-production-i": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/city-improves-visibility-into-its-water-system-with-production-i\n\nTITLE: City Improves Visibility into Its Water System With Production Intelligence Software\n\nHow to best disburse water and wastewater has been pondered since the dawn of civilization. Bronze Age societies were able to manage basic sewer networks leading out of the city. Today, the advanced systems that pump and process water and wastewater under our communities are a necessity of everyday life.\n\nIn one major American city, the public works department manages an extensive water system that supplies water to more than 800,000 people. Water in the city and surrounding area flows to 116 pump stations, and those stations feed water and wastewater into 16 processing plants.\n\nThe pump stations are designed to handle a predictable daily flow. But as population density increases, the city's water and wastewater infrastructure becomes increasingly complex and difficult to maintain. An unpredictable event such as a heavy rain or a clogged pump could lead to water exceeding a pump's capacity, resulting in overflows that can be harmful to public health and the environment.\n\nAccess to pump operational data was needed to help workers respond to such events, and to help the department meet its obligations to the EPA.\n\n*** Flushing Out Inefficient Data Access ***\n\nWithout operational data from remote stations, operators couldn't see problems at pump stations until well after operations were interrupted. At the same time, the public works department was tasked under a consent decree issued by the EPA to update its SCADA system with operational data from pump stations.\n\n\"We knew delivering operational data was required, and we already had the capability to measure the amount of an overflow,\" said a supervisor for the public works department. \"We could pull a certain time period from our data logs, and a report could be provided within a few hours.\"\n\nA server housed in a department facility stored 15,000 data points measuring water levels, flow and run time. To provide a report, files were first exported to excel and then manipulated.\n\nStarting in 2011, the department's engineers and contractors turned their attention to another section of their consent decree: creating a flow model of the sewer system. The shift meant that in addition to overflow data, operational reports would be required from the pump stations.\n\n\"One hundred and sixteen pump stations with 15,000 I/O points create a considerable amount of data,\" the supervisor said. \"Some reports could take hours to compile. In some cases, mining the data for specific trends was nearly impossible without pre-configured procedures for processing incoming data.\"\n\nThere was no way to collate the needed data in a coherent, timely manner. The department needed a wastewater solution that could efficiently provide any engineer or contractor reports with timely, relevant information.\n\n*** Building an Information Pipeline ***\n\n\"At project initiation, we set goals that centered on what would offer the most streamlined system for different users,\" the supervisor said. \"A single data repository needed to be in place, different users would need ease of access to data, and it would have to accommodate future expansion and upgrades.\"\n\nThe department selected the\u00a0FactoryTalk software suite from Rockwell Automation to gain access to production intelligence. This solution would allow employees to use one portal to request and pull fixed reports, or generate reports based on their specific needs.\n\nThe decision was encouraged by previous experience with Rockwell Automation\u00a0ControlLogix and\u00a0MicroLogix controllers, which were used at many of the pumps. The integrated control and information system would decrease time spent implementing new software and verify that incoming data was delivered correctly from the controller.\n\nTo calibrate and optimize the manufacturing intelligence solution, the department needed a collaborator that had expertise deploying information solutions for utility companies. It turned to Automated Control Concepts, Inc. (ACC), a Solution Partner within the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork program.\n\nBy implementing FactoryTalk Historian Site Edition software, ACC was able to provide meaningful structure and timestamps to the raw data coming from the pump stations. With storage procedures and indexes for larger data requests, the historian optimized the potential for reporting - even with an ever-growing number of organized I/O points.\n\nTo analyze and report all the incoming data, the department selected the FactoryTalk VantagePoint EMI software. Employees can use the software to dynamically select tags by station and receive automatically generated reports on water level, flow and quality.\n\n\"With new access to the information from our pumps, engineers and contractors can better model water flow, allowing us to verify operational data and develop new flow models,\" the supervisor said.\n\n*** Operating Data Now in Full Flow ***\n\nWith the new software solution in place, the public works department's engineers and contractors have gained the reports they needed to create a flow model of the sewer system. This has helped them meet EPA requirements while saving time required to develop compliance reports.\n\nNow, the department is now looking for ways to further leverage the software.\n\n\"We accomplished our goals set at the outset of this project, which has improved the ability to create flow model for the county that detailed what our wastewater infrastructure could realistically pump,\" the supervisor said. \"The current solution has prepared us for future growth; we're going to virtualize the HMI and historian, and increase the data points in the manufacturing intelligence solution.\u00a0 We'll soon teach county employees how to best use the software in order to have access to exactly what they need, when they need it.\"\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to this organization's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\u00a0\n\nControlLogix, FactoryTalk, Historian, MicroLogix and VantagePoint are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\n\u00a0\n\n\nTAG: water-wastewater\n\n",
    "digital-twin-oem": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/digital-twin-oem\n\nTITLE: Pearson: Best Practices for Digital Twin Software\n\nBrian Patrick is vice president, engineering, for Pearson Packaging Systems, a provider of comprehensive automation solutions and a Gold-level OEM member in the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork. From individual equipment to integrated systems, Pearson Packaging Systems has deployed more than 22,000 machines worldwide.\u00a0\n\nReduce Lead Times with Digital Twin Software\n\nAs part of its lean manufacturing process and effort to reduce lead times, Pearson Packaging Systems uses Emulate3DTM digital twin software from Rockwell Automation to support the design, build, test and commission all of its machines virtually. Prior to using Emulate3D, the company performed these same tasks right on the shop floor where the machines were built.\n\n\"We were looking for ways to have more machine turn. Machines sitting on the floor don't make money. The end customer wants their machine. They want to be able to run it,\" Brian explains. \"Emulate3D gives us the ability to build in the digital world and be ready for the machine when it hits the shop floor. It's all about lead time and doing everything that we can to deliver to the customer on the date expected.\"\n\n***** Watch the Video *****\n\n** \u00a0 **\n\n** Brian Patrick **\n\n** VP of Engineering, Pearson Packaging Systems **\n\n***** Virtual Technology Increasingly a Customer Expectation\u00a0 *****\n\nPearson Packaging Systems has created an expectation shift for packaging industry customers: at least some level of virtual machine design, build, and testing has now become the market expectation.\n\n\"Customer are asking us asking upfront, 'What would you do to solve this problem? How will the upgrade work?' They're concerned about downtime. They don't want us to show up at a site, bring the line down and not be able to bring it up in a very quick turn,\" Brian says. \"We're able to show them our concept first without having a physical machine.\"\n\nPearson Packaging Systems also uses Emulate3D as a service tool that allows them to virtually troubleshoot issues when customers call.\n\n\"We're able to provide immediate support. We load the code from the machines in the field and put it through Emulate3D first, so we have the digital twin in front of us,\" Brian explains. \"Often times we can avoid deploying expensive resources, like engineering, just by being able to see what the customer is seeing at the other end.\"\n\n***** Enhancing Workforce Productivity and Training *****\n\nIn fact, one of Brian's top goals when first evaluating Emulate3D was the desire to keep engineers in the building.\n\n\"We're all working in a resource-constrained environment with labor and supply chain challenges,\" he says. \"Emulate3D allows us to do so much more with our engineers here rather than deploying them to the field.\" \u00a0\n\nThe software has also become a useful training resource for when Pearson Packaging Systems onboards new engineers or transfers them to new product lines.\n\n\"They can review. They can test. They can basically do everything virtually that they need to before actually touching machines,\" Brian says. \"Emulate3D has become an everyday tool we rely on as often as CAD. It's great to see how much our engineers want to use it.\"\n\nTAG: accelerate-digital-transformation\n\nTAG: machine-and-equipment-builders\n\nTAG: food-packaging\nTAG: household-and-personal-care\nTAG: warehouse-fulfillment\n\nTAG: factorytalk-emulate-3d\nTAG: cloud-manufacturing\n\n",
    "claroty-fb": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/claroty-fb\n\nTITLE: F&B Manufacturer Implements Powerful Cybersecurity\n\nWith industry facing an alarming rise in cyberattacks, one leading food and beverage (F&B) manufacturer moved to harness the skills of Rockwell Automation and Claroty to implement a bespoke solution and harden their Operational Technology (OT) and Information Technology (IT) defences.\n\nA recent Threat Intelligence Index report revealed that manufacturing had become the world's most attacked industry - outpacing finance and insurance for the first time in five years. The majority of manufacturers who fall victim to cyberattacks generally experience production stoppages, and with the convergence of IT and OT, the attack surface increases significantly.\n\n\"What is more worrisome is that many manufacturers admit to possessing limited cybersecurity skills within their businesses,\" says Rod Beard, network services lead, Rockwell Automation.\n\nOperating in such an environment with growing risks, a major F&B company sought full end-to-end OT visibility across their sites. One of the company's objectives was to ensure continuous uninterrupted production at their plants in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.\n\n***** Strong local team a distinct benefit *****\n\nThe F&B company already had a well-established long-term relationship with Rockwell Automation. Being able to engage with Rockwell Automation's strong local team gave the client the confidence that the right solution would be recommended.\n\n\"Older technology needed to be modernised to enable better visibility,\" said Beard. \"As the adage goes, 'if you can see it, you can protect it'.\" Rockwell Automation worked with its partner, Claroty, which specialises in assisting organisations secure cyber-physical systems in their environments with purpose-built cybersecurity technology.\n\nClaroty's Continuous Threat Detection (CTD) solution has been implemented across four sites in Australia, with six more scheduled globally over the next few years. It was implemented as a virtual appliance that sniffs network traffic when passing through the OT network. It is currently used to provide visibility of threats within the network, but there are plans to integrate it into the F&B company's wider IT network team for alerting and monitoring.\n\n\"OT systems are particularly vulnerable as they do not run on regular operating systems, lack traditional security tools, and are usually programmed from conventional computers,\" said Alson Huynh, cybersecurity consultant, Rockwell Automation. \"This leaves them open to the risk of attack from malicious entities which can disrupt production - even the slightest manipulation of a sensor could be enough to significantly disrupt production.\"\n\n***** World's best practice security solutions *****\n\nTo help mitigate cybersecurity risks, the solution developed by Rockwell and Claroty, enables the F&B company to adhere to the NIST Framework, which is considered by many to be industry best practice. A US Department of Commerce initiative, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) helps businesses better understand, manage, and reduce their cybersecurity risk to protect their networks and data.\n\n\"The Claroty solution also implements the Mitre ATT&CK (Adversarial Tactics, Techniques, & Common Knowledge) framework,\" said Huynh. \"The framework specifies a comprehensive list of known adversary tactics and techniques to be deployed during a cyberattack.\"\n\nThe robust Mitre ATT&CK system has users from 226 countries contributing real-world observations and helps model cyber adversaries' tactics and techniques - and then shows how best to detect or stop them.\n\n***** Getting it correct from the beginning\n\n *****\n\nRockwell Automation drew on its extensive experience in handling both IT and OT and, as consultants on this project, understood the functionality and system integration aspects. Their expertise was particularly beneficial in this project as the F&B company's OT systems are heavily integrated with their IT systems.\n\nThis skill was useful when reducing alert noise in the system. \"The tuning process can prevent false positive or irrelevant alerts, and effectively tuning the Claroty CTD requires an in-depth understanding of both OT and IT,\" said Huynh. \"We drew on our knowledge of how PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) and SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems interact across the network, as well as interactions with IT services in the cloud such as Azure Active Directory and Windows Defender.\"\n\nAfter the successful implementation, engineers at the F&B client company appreciated the end-to-end visibility and information gathered. Apart from adding value to their operation, wrong connections that were usually undetected, could now be seen and rectified. The system displays all assets on the network and features real-time threat detection.\n\nAfter successfully connecting the F&B company's OT and IT communities, a spokesperson for the client said: \"Rockwell and Claroty are the glue that hold these two departments together.\"\n\nTAG: industrial-security\n\n",
    "idaho-dairy-plantpax": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/idaho-dairy-plantpax\n\nTITLE: Dairy Redefines Efficiency & Sustainability\n\nFor Bill and Susie Millenkamp, success in agribusiness is built on a passion for optimal animal care, cleanliness, strict protocols, staff training - and technology. What began as a calf ranch in the mid-1990s has grown to a vertically integrated business that encompasses the ranch, farm, feedlot and cow-calf operation - and the Idaho Jersey Girls Dairy.\n\n\"At any given time, there are about 36,000 calves at the Jerome, Idaho operation, and at the Idaho Jersey Girls Dairy they are milking approximately 30,000 cows,\" said Mark Harrison, operations manager, Millenkamp Cattle, Inc.\n\n***** Not Your Grandfather's Milking Parlor *****\n\nAs milking operations ramped up in 2015 with the completion of Milk Barn #1, the Millenkamps called on local system integrator, Automation Werx, for network, communication and technology support. Automation Werx is part of the Rockwell Automation(R) System Integrator PartnerNetworkTM.\n\nMilk Barn #1 features two 106-stall rotary milking parlors designed to harvest milk from about 15,000 cows. Each parlor features three robots that provide the pre-milking sanitizing, udder stimulation and post-milking teat sanitizing. The milking operation also includes ventilation, pumping, chilling and clean-in-place (CIP) systems - as well as solutions that offload the milk to tanker trucks.\n\n\"There was a lot of standalone, third-party equipment in Barn #1,\" said Trevor Steffler, co-owner, Automation Werx. \"Our goal was to provide the dairy with an integrated system that would enable their team to monitor equipment from a centralized location.\"\n\nTo meet objectives, Automation Werx delivered a networked supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) solution featuring FactoryTalk(R) View Supervisory Edition (SE) HMI software from Rockwell Automation. \u00a0\n\nWhen the dairy planned to more than double their milking operation five years later, they again called on Automation Werx for a solution.\n\n***** A Unified Solution for Disparate Equipment *****\n\nFor Milk Barn #2, Idaho Jersey Girls installed four 106-stall rotary parlors, with associated robotics and auxiliary systems. Automation Werx was tasked to work with multiple vendors - and deliver a state-of-the-art system that would largely replace third-party controls with a unified Rockwell Automation platform. Minimizing downtime was a critical project objective.\n\n\"We are milking 22 hours a day and are down one hour for equipment sanitizing,\" said Harrison. \"In addition, cattle are creatures of habit and require a consistent milking schedule. We can't afford downtime.\"\n\nAutomation Werx designed an integrated solution built on a PlantPAx(R) distributed control system (DCS). The solution features Allen-Bradley(R) programmable controllers, PowerFlex(R) AC drives, Stratix(R) Ethernet managed switches and FactoryTalk View SE.\n\n\"We've added multiple levels of redundancy at various points in the system,\" said Nick Reichelt, co-owner, Automation Werx. \"For example, we used seven drives on each carousel although only five are required - so there's no interruption for drive maintenance.\"\n\nMost important, PlantPAx DCS delivers data, analytics and insights through easy-to-understand dashboards that enable workers to quickly respond to abnormal situations like alarm logs and unexpected downtime events.\n\n***** Keeping It Sustainable *****\n\nAutomation Werx also aligned control system capabilities with the dairy's sustainability goals.\n\n\"We're farming over 14,000 acres for feed and compost all our manure for fertilizer,\" said Harrison. \"And this is probably the cleanest dairy you'll ever see. We take great pride in that.\"\n\nIdaho Jersey Girls Dairy is also focused on reducing their use of chemicals to clean and sanitize equipment. Chemicals have an environmental impact - and also represent the single largest cost to the dairy. The Automation Werx solution manages all chemical batching - from udder sanitation and cattle foot baths - to the CIP system.\n\n\"The CIP system includes conductivity sensors to measure the level of chemicals in the cleaning solution,\" explained Reichelt. \"To save on chemicals, the system captures the final rinse in the first batch and reuses it for the first wash of the next batch.\"\n\nWater used in the chillers is also recaptured - and reused for floor flushing and other cleaning tasks.\n\n***** Building on Success *****\n\nThe dairy estimates that CIP cleaning solution recapture decreased chemical usage by more than 50 percent, when compared to a conventional barn. And because the batch solution maintains a constant water and chemical temperature, CIP cycle time was reduced by about 30 minutes.\n\n\"When we started to move toward automation, we thought we were going to have to learn 10 different control systems to manage all equipment,\" Harrison said. \"But with the new system, we can monitor everything from a central location - and see exactly where a downtime event has occurred.\"\n\n\"The troubleshooting time you save? I can't even put a number on that.\"\n\n- Mark Harrison, Operations Manager, Millenkamp Cattle, Inc.\n\nAutomation Werx continues its work with Idaho Jersey Girls Dairy - and looks forward to future enhancements that align with the operation's vision.\n\n\"Our goal is to migrate Barn #1 to the PlantPAx system,\" said Steffler. \"Ultimately, we plan to build a unified system incorporating both barns - all controlled and monitored from one central location.\"\n\nLearn more about solutions deployed by our System Integrator Partners.\n\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: process-solutions\nTAG: distributed-control-systems-(plantpax)\nTAG: process-systems\nTAG: sustainability\nTAG: waste\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: dairy\n\nTAG: plantpax\nTAG: plantpax-dcs\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: factorytalk-view-studio\n\n",
    "data-drives-profitability": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/data-drives-profitability\n\nTITLE: ParkOhio Drives Profitability with Real-time Data\n\nParkOhio is a diversified international company providing world-class customers with a supply chain management outsourcing service, capital equipment used on their production lines, and manufactured components used to assemble their products.\n\nMike Gerber is the\u00a0VP, Information Technology for ParkOhio's Assembly Components Group (ACG). ParkOhio is a diversified global provider of supply chain management outsourcing services, production equipment and manufactured components.\n\nThe ACG division is a leading manufacturer of highly engineered components used in cars, agricultural equipment, commercial trucks, forklifts, engines, and industrial equipment.\u00a0The business segment has 19 manufacturing, assembly, and warehouse facilities in the US, Mexico, and China that use Plex ERP, Plex MES\u00a0and\u00a0MES Automation & Orchestration (A&O). Their first Plex installation was in 2009.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\n* Outdated ERP systems and lack of information\n\nFollowing the financial crisis of 2008, ParkOhio found themselves in a challenging situation. They needed to launch four plants, and their contract with their ERP provider was ending. \u00a0\n\n\"We were in dire straits for a new ERP system,\" Gerber said. \"One of the biggest challenges we faced was a shift from a batch environment to a more real-time environment. Before, the information was collected in batches, and it wasn't precise enough to truly understand our costs. Bills of Materials were not updated in the system. But, when you start working in a real-time environment, where the shop floor will shut down if the information is not accurate, you need more precision to enable good business decisions.\"\n\nParkOhio needed a new system that could be deployed across the four globally disparate locations, and one that had the ability to track information to the level of detail required to enable real-time operation.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\n* Error-prone manual processes get automated\n\nWith Plex, the ACG was able to automate tedious paper-based and error-prone processes. The division selected Plex because it was a cloud-based solution that allowed them to bring plants online in a short time frame.\n\n\"We successfully launched our first four plants in six months,\" Gerber explained. \"Because Plex is a cloud-based environment, we didn't have the overhead of infrastructure, so we were able to move very quickly.\"\n\n\n\n* Integrated new acquisitions seamlessly\n\nPlex has been foundational to the division's digital transformation and smart manufacturing strategy. It's also been key to supporting the ACG's rapid acquisition growth.\n\n\"Every time we acquire a new plant, our goal is to implement Plex within six months. It provides us with a common information platform,\" Gerber said. \"The existing management team knows how to interact with Plex and once that's in a new acquisition, they don't have to keep asking the acquired company for information. They know how to get their own answers and with consistent information, they can make better decisions quicker.\"\n\n\n\n* Prioritized change management\n\nThe ACG prioritizes change management for each facility's Plex implementation. They form a core team with members that represent each of the functions at that plant's location.\n\n\"Our goal is to bring as many people along as possible. We train them and have them go through many pilots of the system,\" Gerber explained. \"We try to break their old habits and instill in them that this is real time. They're running production. They can't wait until tomorrow to fix issues.\"\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\n* Reduced unnecessary costs\n\nBetter understanding costs has been a business imperative for the ACG and one of the most significant outcomes of using Plex.\n\n\"We recently completed our last three Plex implementations,\" Gerber said. \"Now that these plants truly understand their costs, we're seeing profitable return as they understand where they must go after improvements - whether it's materials, pricing, labor efficiency gains, etcetera.\"\n\n\n\n* Increased product quality\n\nQuality improvements have been another Plex benefit for the ACG. With the ability to integrate machine data into Plex, the division created a data-driven poka-yoke in its rubber hose vulcanizing process. Vulcanizing is critical to producing high-quality, safe and durable rubber hose. Poka-yoke is a continuous improvement process that helps prevent errors. For this application, the ACG designed the poka-yoke, using an Allen-Bradley(R) PLC, to prevent under-cured rubber from being shipped.\n\n\"Typically, a poka-yoke is in one operation. You put the widget in and it's go or no go,\" Gerber explained. \"But with integration, we can follow a part from one end of the plant to the other and if there's a failed process, it stops the next process from running.\"\n\nVulcanizing process errors are communicated immediately with a quality alert text message and the hose is isolated by the system. Use of the hose in subsequent operations is blocked and shipping is prevented.\u00a0\n\n\n\n* Ability to monitor process metrics\n\nThe division has also used Plex to access real-time process and usage data in its rubber mixing operation, which requires careful attention to ingredients.\n\n\"It's important to monitor oil tank levels, so we created a system that allows buyers to monitor levels remotely and sends alert messages when levels get to a critical reorder point,\" Gerber said. \"Instead of having to go over to a plant to get a manual reading to make sure they don't run out of oil, which would shut down their plants, they can just sit at their desk and check the tank level.\"\n\nThese are just a few of the innovative ways ParkOhio's ACG uses Plex and why it was named Plex's 2023 Industry Leader Impact Award.\n\nYou may also be interested in\n\nTAG: accelerate-digital-transformation\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: automotive-and-tire\n\nTAG: plex-erp\nTAG: plex-mes\nTAG: plex\n\n",
    "ekb-deploys-modern-microbrewery-control-solution-based-on-plantp": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/ekb-deploys-modern-microbrewery-control-solution-based-on-plantp\n\nTITLE: EKB Deploys Modern Microbrewery Control Solution Based On PlantPAx DCS\n\n****** Background ******\n\nUtrecht in The Netherlands has an incredibly long and distinguished history and within its very traditional city centre it boasts multiple pubs and bars. Historically, many of these establishments used to brew their own beers, but as larger companies began to appear, these smaller private breweries could not compete and most closed down.\n\nRealising the importance of traditional small-scale brewing, the city set about re-establishing some smaller microbreweries with the help of the newer larger companies. One such establishment, the Stadskasteel Oudaen caf'e, now brews its own beers on site using an industrial-style process control solution. Sold to its current owner, Peter Elzendoorn, 20 years ago, the process control solution was starting to show its age, with an obsolete controller and cabling, switches and components that were over 20 years old.\n\nThe owner realised that he needed to upgrade the existing semi-automatic control solution, but had a limited budget. By deploying the services of a local university's engineering faculty and EKB, a Rockwell Automation recognised system integrator, the brewery now boasts a state-of-the-art brewing control solution based upon the popular PlantPAx(R) process automation solution from Rockwell Automation.\n\n***** Challenge *****\n\nAs well as the budgetary constraints in this application, brewing is a very precise art, which requires a control solution that can offer accuracy and repeatability in order to create brews that differ very little from each other.\n\nThe owner wanted increased levels of automation too, but delivered by a simple solution that could be operated by the people who worked in the bar; and it had to offer an open architecture to help with future upgrades and the deployment of additional equipment with minimal engineering effort. Adding to this, he needed a system that would record raw material levels and usage, not only for brewing, stock control and reordering, but also to appease the local customs tax office with regards to any duty that need to be paid.\n\n***** Solution *****\n\nAccording to Michiel de Lange, Director at EKB: \"After the decision was made to commence with the project, the first element was to design the new solution. This design work was undertaken by students at the Hogeschool Utrecht University of Applied Science Electrical Engineering as a project, which formed part of a Bachelor degree in industrial automation. Split into three competing groups, the students first visited the brewery to take an inventory and to formulate a functional description of the process, while also examining the electrical diagrams and the design of the existing facility, before determining how it should be renovated. After numerous changes and reworks, the best design was chosen from the three submitted and EKB commenced with the construction of the new control cabinet and the implementation of the PlantPAx solution on an industry-standard process automation controller.\n\n\"The brewery wanted a process control solution that could be based on off-the-shelf controller technology,\" he continues, \"in order to keep the system as simple and future-proof as possible. The owner also wanted the programming to be based on continuous function chart (CFC) programming, to make the operational aspects easy to use and easy to understand. We did not deploy the complete server-based batch engine within PlantPAx, but we did use the controller-based sequencer routines so the users can start, stop and control different sequences within the brewing process, including flush, pump, boil, etc. All of these steps are started manually but then become fully automated and all the recipes are integrated within the process control parameters.\"\n\nAll the beer goes to tap; there is no bottling, so the taxable levels of raw material usage and brewing output had to be very precisely measured. \"The customs office needs to be able to check and verify these amounts,\" de Lange continues, \"so we deployed a raw-materials management system, which precisely measures the materials used during production. We built a SQL database with a .NET front end and integrated it into the PlantPAx solution in such a way that the operator does not have to leave the operator screens and environment to enter parameters or see inventory and raw material levels. Using this interface, they can also book supplies, make stock corrections and automatically book recipes for production based on stock levels. This used to be done in Excel, but now it is all integrated and automated.\"\n\nIn addition to the PlantPAx System EKB deployed Allen-Bradley(R) PowerFlex(R) variable-speed drives are also being used for speed control of the pumps, the mixer and the screen scraper in the filtration tank.\n\n***** Results *****\n\nAs a result of the new electrical control infrastructure and the Rockwell Automation PlantPAx process control solution, the brewery is now fully automated and can boast integrated recipe control. This has resulted in more consistent quality of beer, enhanced information collation and delivery and much simpler reporting.\n\n\"The new system can even be operated by the students who work behind the bar,\" de Lange adds. \"Previously, the brewer needed to know the system inside out. Now, if you know the basics you are OK, you are guided through the whole system. Previously, the operators used to have to set an alarm clock to know when to check or activate certain steps, now it is all automatic.\"\n\nThe quality of the final product is a good indicator of the effectiveness of any solution involved in its manufacture. Proof of this is the fact that when facing competition from over 100 other breweries, Stadskasteel Oudaen won the 35th edition of the PINT Bokbierfestival with its 'Speciaal Bock Oudaen Autumn' brew. According to Maurice, the brewmaster: \"This award is due in part to the new control system delivered by EKB. Better control of the brewing process means that we are now capable of achieving these kinds of successes.\"\n\nOn a final note, the owner also wrote to EKB informing Michiel de Lange and his team that the local tax employee was \"very impressed with the insightful automation solution\" and that it \"gave him a good feeling that we have everything under control\".\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "cyber-remote-access-ot": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/cyber-remote-access-ot\n\nTITLE: Better OT Asset Management Increases Uptime\n\nMany manufacturers fail to update legacy systems and software over the years. This can increase the risk of cyberattacks, create operational inefficiencies that chip away at results, and complicate digital transformation efforts.\n\n\u00a0\n\nChallenge:\n\nThat's the situation a global food and beverage manufacturer found itself in as it began planning a multi-year modernization project. Three main challenges needed to be addressed. One key goal: to streamline the management of its critical OT systems and integrate new assets that had not been consistently implemented with the aging technologies still in use. Without this integration, the company's workforce lacked the skills to consistently manage the OT systems.\n\nCompounding matters, the COVID-19 pandemic stoked demand for food products. The company's business leaders worried that their technology infrastructure could not withstand the increasing traffic, potentially resulting in downtime and loss of revenue.\n\nThe company also needed help implementing secure remote access to help protect against rising cybersecurity incidents as more employees and third parties worked from home. Combined, these factors created an unstable and unreliable technology ecosystem that caused unplanned financial losses. The manufacturer needed help with implementing consistent, reliable management of its OT digital assets to help deliver reliable uptime amidst the challenges.\n\n\u00a0\n\nSolution:\n\nThe company asked Rockwell Automation to deploy managed services to better help protect against cyberattacks, and create a stable and efficient operational environment. Managed Network and Cybersecurity Services help today's manufacturers tackle the challenges of securing networks, equipment, and data that have been previously isolated from IT networks and risk. Outdated equipment and skills gaps are roadblocks for IT/OT convergence and digital transformation. Rockwell Automation Managed Services operated as an extension of the company, taking the guesswork out of cybersecurity and enabling them to focus on other priorities and areas of expertise.\n\nRockwell Automation worked with the company to design an enterprise OT-Managed Support Services program that supported all digital infrastructure equipment. Additional solutions were implemented to enable consistent deployment and support for critical applications, software, and infrastructure, and 24x7 remote monitoring.\n\nRockwell Automation also helped the company deploy 19 OT Industrial Data Centers (IDCs) with a continuous threat detection platform to address cybersecurity risks. And to help protect home-bound workers, secure remote access was deployed at 40 North American sites.\n\n\u00a0\n\nResults:\n\nThe modernized infrastructure and supporting managed services allow this manufacturer to reduce cybersecurity threats to its corporate and OT networks through 24/7 threat monitoring, while minimizing downtime risks. Consistent deployment and integration of technology assets have helped boost system reliability and improve application management and plant uptime. Deployment of secure remote access capabilities helps protect employees, third-party partners and the company's operational infrastructure from cyber risks. Combined, these initiatives have allowed the company to increase operational efficiencies while reducing costs.\n\nTAG: build-resilience\n\nTAG: industrial-security\nTAG: industrial-networks\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: household-and-personal-care\n\n",
    "aluminium-bahrain-b-s-c--migrates-network-and-control-": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/aluminium-bahrain-b-s-c--migrates-network-and-control-\n\nTITLE: Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. Migrates Network and Control\n\nBackground\n\nRockwell Automation Global Solutions engineers from no less than seven different countries have recently worked in partnership to undertake a hugely significant migration project for Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba).\n\nThe Alba Calciner Plant, owned and operated by Alba, is part of one of the largest single-site aluminium smelters in the world; and the first smelter to be set-up in the Middle East. The site comprises two campuses - the aluminium smelter and the Calciner & Marine Terminal.\n\nThe Calciner & Marine Terminal is a highly mechanised and automatic plant, which handles all the important raw materials for Alba such as Alumina, Green Petroleum Coke (GPC) and Liquid Pitch. It also produces as much as 550,000 metric tonnes of Calcined Petroleum Coke (CPC) from Green Petroleum Coke and desalinated water from the sea water.\n\nThe upgrade project, which was established to address obsolescence and downtime issues, saw the complete replacement of an extremely complex and dispersed legacy PLC solution with one deploying contemporary control technology and networks. The solution, which leveraged and exploited the capabilities of the Integrated Architecture(R) system from Rockwell Automation, has now brought the plant right up to date and gives ALBA the scope to expand and enhance its operation much more easily.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nThe Calciner & Marine terminal plays a vital role in supply of raw material to the Alba smelter, as a result, any breakdown could cause major operational issues and prolonged production outage in the Alba smelter.\n\nThe existing outdated control system - older Allen-Bradley(R) PLC5 and SLC 500 PLCs that relied on legacy DH+TM, ControlNetTM and DeviceNetTM network for communication - was difficult to maintain, due to the limitations of the legacy communication network and the unavailability of spares.\n\nThe HMI solution employed Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM 1000 and PanelView 1400e HMIs, which had, by this stage, also become obsolete.\n\nFailures in the overloaded ControlNet network had already caused several trips, causing large production outages in the past. In this regard it was felt that that a technology upgrade was urgently needed in order to provide high availability, better maintainability and improved performance.\n\nThe existing design of the control system was based on all the PLCs communicating using a redundant ControlNet backbone. The addition of any new components required the rescheduling and restart of ControlNet - a fact that also placed severe restrictions on the addition of expansion and modifications.\n\nWith regards to the upgrade, each and every legacy controller was crucial to the plant's operation and ran on its own dedicated (and complicated) network; therefore the engineers had to swap networks on the fly to keep the plant running. These issues were compounded by the sheer scale of the plant and the extremely limited downtime they had to get the plant fully operational, albeit with a new control architecture.\n\nA defined upgrade path was put into place to replace all the PLCs and HMIs and to redesign the communication network by replacing the existing DH+, ControlNet and DeviceNet network with a standard, single EtherNet/IPTM network.\n\nTo keep the costs down, it was decided to utilise the existing ControlNet fibre optic cable for the new Ethernet network. The PLC software also had to be migrated using current engineering standards and best practices.\n\nSince the plant is required to be operational 24/7, obtaining a suitable downtime window for such a large upgrade proved difficult.\n\nAlso, during the transition phase, newly commissioned systems were required to communicate with the existing old system in order to keep the plant operating; this significantly increased the complexity of the upgrade.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nThe first step in the migration programme from the Rockwell Automation Global Solutions engineers was the development of a migration strategy that allowed Alba to quickly and easily migrate 33 systems from PLC-5 and SLC500 controllers to an Integrated Architecture based solution while still maintaining the existing field wiring and physical footprint in Alba's control cabinet. The strategy also had to keep production disruption to a minimum by migrating parts of the plant, while other parts were still in production.\n\nThe next step involved the retro-analysis of the existing PLC programs and the formulation of a detailed design specification (DDS).\n\nThis subsequently lead to the creation and validation of new Global Engineering Modularity (GEMS) programming libraries, which are capable of being supported by any Rockwell Automation engineer in any country.\n\nOnce the groundwork had all been established the migration plan was formulated and included a risk assessment and a cutover strategy as well as a detailed migration schedule.\n\nUnlike many other upgrade projects, which can deploy intuitive migration tools from Rockwell Automation, the engineers in this project could not simply convert the code through Logix; they had to strip out all the original device code and then apply GEMs modules to the PLC 5 structure, but within the Logix platform, while still being able to maintain the familiar operation sequence.\n\nLike the system before, they were able to integrate all the operations and visuals into RSView 32 - essentially allowing the line-side operators to carry on as if nothing had changed within their HMI environment.\n\nThe result was a software infrastructure that was standardised across the entire plant, replacing one that had before been 60% standard and the rest bespoke as new components had been added.\n\nProduct engineering then commenced with application-specific development for the Allen-Bradley ControlLogix(R) programmable automation controllers (PACs) and the newer-model PanelView HMIs, alongside application-specific modifications to RSView.\n\nFactory Acceptance Testing (FAT) was undertaken off site, prior to the commencement of on-site services in Bahrain, which included hardware installation into existing panels, network installation and validation and phased site commissioning; all of which were followed by site acceptance tests (SAT).\n\nAll 33 migrated systems were designed around ControlLogix PACs for redundant and non-redundant configuration, coupled to ControlLogix rack I/O or Flex I/O over the EtherNet/IP network. The network was designed as a resilient EtherNet protocol (REP) EtherNet/IP network, which uses Cisco and Stratix 2000 switches, for the communication between the existing RSView 32 redundant servers; and a Device Level Ring (DLR) EtherNet/IP network, which provides communication between the switches, PACs and the I/O.\n\nIn total the complete installation comprised 80 ControlLogix chassis; 70 Stratix switches; 50 ControlLogix L73 PACs; 500 I/O modules, 1,000 cable and conversion kits components; 70 Ethernet modules and eight PanelView Plus HMIs.\n\nDuring installation, obsolete I/Os were replaced using dedicated migration kits. Existing Flex I/O modules were also replaced, moving from ControlNet to the new EtherNet/IP network.\n\nAll of the existing operator interfaces were replaced by newer PanelView Plus 6 HMIs, which were also directly connected to the EtherNet/IP DLR. FactoryTalk(R) AssetCentre was deployed and configured to provide a secure backup capability for all systems.\n\nThis was a truly international effort and involved specialist Global Solutions engineers from the UK, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany and the Global Engineering Centre in India.\n\nFrom a support perspective, network validation was provided from Portugal and the UK (from the Rockwell Automation Network & Security Group), with FactoryTalk(R) AssetCentre support coming from Germany.\n\nOn-site support was provided by Mark Nellist, a senior site engineer from Rockwell Automation, who was on site, full time, for some 10 to 11 months.\n\nNellist was supported by a large team of engineers including Alan Williams, who as well as providing engineering support also coordinated all of the Global Solutions team members in their various roles.\n\nDue to production scheduling certain migrations had to be grouped together. For the most complex migration phase, nine engineers were onsite to migrate 10 controllers within a 14 day window.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nAccording to Abbas Yousif Ahmed, Superintendent for Process Automation Systems at Alba:\n\n\"The upgrade was successfully carried out by a dedicated Rockwell Automation team, many of whom were stationed at the plant for the duration of the project. As a result, the Calciner & Marine Terminal is now fully equipped with up-to-date technology, control systems and networks. It will not only significantly increase the uptime of the control system but also decrease the response time to provide any further modifications and enhancements as required by operation.\n\n\"The new contemporary solution will also mitigate many of the risks associated with support requirements,\" he continues, \"thanks to its use of open technology. Obsolescence issues will also be tackled by a clearly defined asset management migration path. We also have greater flexibility for expansion thanks to the modularity and flexibility of the solution.\"\n\nUpon discussing the relationship with the Rockwell Automation team, Abbas adds:\n\n\"Several interactions were held between Rockwell Automation and Alba at every stage of the project - design, development and commissioning - with our requirements and suggestions being listened to and taken in. This helped to deliver a solution that seamlessly met our requirements. It wouldn't have been possible without the mutual cooperation and swift support of the Rockwell Automation project team. They also continue to provide off-site support to help ensure the smooth operation of the Calciner & Marine plant.\"\n\nAhmed concludes: \"We want to have real faith in the technology we deploy, with the significantly reduced risk of major problems. We went directly through Rockwell Automation and its Global Solutions team to achieve this. Indeed, we are standardised on Rockwell Automation products for level one and level two. This was the first part of the upgrade, eventually we will cover the whole smelter. From a personal perspective Mark Nellist became part of our team, he was like one of our friends - very much part of our group.\"\n\n\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\n\n",
    "operational-gaps-erp-mes": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/operational-gaps-erp-mes\n\nTITLE: Harvest Food Group Overcomes Operational Gaps with Plex\n\nHarvest Food Group (HFG) is a family-owned business based in Naperville, Illinois. The company leads the food and beverage industry in individually-quick-frozen (IQF) foods, supplying quality fruits, vegetables, grains and more across the globe. With a manufacturing plant based in Chicago, Illinois, HFG also serves as a collaborative co-packing solution and produces private label products for grocers. Additionally, the company created a retail line called Path of Life, which specializes in high quality, frozen side dishes made with clean and simple ingredients.\n\n\n\n* Overcoming Obstacles in Production\n\nIn 1999, Harvest Food Group (HFG) was founded by father and son duo, Philip and Jason Eckert, with only two telephones and a dial-up modem. Since then, HFG has evolved into a leading manufacturer in the food and beverage industry as it strives to create products with clean and thoughtfully sourced ingredients from growers across the world. The HFG portfolio grew to encompass family-owned startups to international suppliers and everything in between, and recognized a gap in its existing, paper-based system. While this framework tracked items produced and the business finances, it was otherwise limited.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\n* Urgent Need for New ERP\n\nOne major issue became clear: HFG's old system required manual confirmation of invoices on the final day of each month. As a result, the team needed to run all reports the night before a new month, forcing HFG to halt production as they carried out this tedious process. In instances where production began too soon, reporting started over from the beginning.\u00a0Additionally, employees in finance were required to stay at the facility until late to oversee invoice completion. This system was not only demanding for the team, but also a strain on business.\n\n\n\nWith so few records stored in their current system, recalls and instances that required historical information left employees scattered, physically searching through boxes of paper files. HFG also had zero plant floor visibility. While they could see when production lines were running, additional details were scarce. There were also significant gaps in data due to manually recorded downtime-this lack of visibility and digitization made Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) a mere dream for the HFG team.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\n* A Smooth Go-Live Across the Company\n\nThe company's overall lack of accountability and data integrity coupled with a desire for a more advanced system that could grow as business evolved led HFG to implement Plex ERP and Plex MES. The original system could no longer meet the company's growing needs, so the HFG team hoped Plex could both fill in the gaps and also drive business forward with additional improvements.\n\nHFG worked alongside a Plex project manager to maintain progress. All employees were granted access to the Plex training environment, which gave them step-by-step implementation instructions. The team also utilized a Gantt chart that illustrated the 16-phase go-live process in detail, broken down both by department and module within Plex. These assets provided a comprehensive view of the expectations and guidelines needed for successful implementation.\n\nInitially, HFG's go-live date was pushed by five months to give the team time to become well-versed and comfortable in Plex before completing the process. Different team members became directly involved as each module was implemented, testing operations and ensuring data accuracy before moving on to the next step. This allowed for a thorough understanding of Plex through each phase of the implementation, solidifying the decision to go live later than planned. The company went live successfully with Plex in August of 2018. They even opted to turn off access to the old system upon completion of the implementation to confirm that all employees were fully on Plex.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\n* Collaborating for Long-Term Success\n\nSince implementing Plex, HFG has seen significant improvements. The most pressing issues were production shutdowns, which occurred once a month for manual invoices and an additional one week per year for full inventory counts.\u00a0With Plex, HFG has not experienced any halts in production. Accounts Receivable (AR) aging has also decreased from 5% to 1.6%, an indicator that the company is now able to collect receivables more efficiently. HFG also now has historical data and real-time production information, allowing the team to be flexible and on top of any shortages or overages. Additionally, HFG has seen cycle count accuracy increase from 6% to 98%, which has drastically improved inventory management and helped to decrease manual labor.\n\nEmployees were hesitant to trust Plex at first, given the unreliable data provided by the previous system. However, over time, their distrust has been alleviated thanks to increased traceability and real-time data in Plex. The team can now see immediate results and have become better aligned with the shared goal of finding new solutions as HFG continues to improve scrap and OEE digitalization.\n\nJenny Crimmins, Senior Business Systems Analyst at HFG sums it up perfectly: \"One of the nice things, which was a surprising result for me, was people's motivation to want to continue to improve. Plex had a huge impact on the work done here and how it was done, and it opened people's eyes to how fast things could be achieved.\"\n\n\n\nLooking ahead, HFG is excited for the future with Plex by their side. Currently, the team is in the process of implementing Plex Quality Management System (QMS), which will assist in the digitization of checklists and ultimately lead to expedited product handling at HFG. The company has exceeded their initial implementation goals and is committed to finding new ways to improve through Plex every day.\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\nTAG: empower-people\n\nTAG: asset-management\nTAG: process-solutions\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\nTAG: plex-erp\nTAG: plex-mes\n\n",
    "legacy-controls-migrated-to-integrated-automation-solution": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/legacy-controls-migrated-to-integrated-automation-solution\n\nTITLE: Legacy Controls Migrated to Integrated Automation Solution\n\n***** Background *****\n\nABN is a leading British manufacturer of monogastric compound feed, providing both products and complementary solutions to the pig and poultry livestock industries. ABN operate 10 mills across the UK and is owned by Associated British Foods, a diversified international food, ingredients and retail group with sales of lb10.2 billion and 97,000 employees in 44 countries.\n\nLike many market leading companies, ABN focuses on operating its facilities as efficiently as possible and automation is an integral part of its plans. Blending, grinding, pressing and bagging processes require precise control to help enforce the stringent ingredients, processing and quality levels demanded by both ABN and its customer base.\n\nThe company recently reviewed its network capabilities and automation products at its Bury St Edmunds plant. The review highlighted that equipment was beginning to show its age - both in terms of performance and obsolescence - and was in need of upgrade and replacement. It called upon Rockwell Automation Recognised System Integrator Datastor Systems Ltd., a privately owned UK software house that specialises in the industrial automation arena, for support. Recognised System Integrators are competent and committed to lead with Rockwell Automation and have a mutually supportive relationship with the Rockwell Automation sales and/or distributors.\n\nFollowing an appraisal of the existing infrastructure, Datastor Systems, which boasts an impressive record of plant modernisation projects in the UK and around the world, recommended a system migration over to a new Integrated Architecture control and network solution based on Allen-Bradley(R) products from Rockwell Automation and running on a modern, state-of-the-art EtherNet/IPTM network.\n\n***** Challenge *****\n\nThe primary challenge faced by Datastor Systems was the development of an efficient and effective migration strategy, which encompassed the phasing of the old system over to the new infrastructure - without too much disruption on the daily production operations at ABN. This meant that the old and new system had to overlap and operate in tandem before the final switchover. A robust and effective migration solution had to be deployed.\n\nWith obsolescence and migration becoming more commonplace as automation solutions undergo constant evolution, Rockwell Automation already had in place a migration solution that has been successfully deployed in multiple industries and countries across the world. This meant that a lot of the hard work could be removed from the project, with just the application-specific demands creating the actual unique challenges.\n\n***** Solution *****\n\nAccording to Bill Wright, Managing Director at Datastor Systems: \"Datastor is seen as the preferred supplier for process control at ABN. We started working with ABN back in 1989 with the deployment of an Allen-Bradley PLC-5(R) solution for ABN's automation needs. Over the years the system successfully provided the control required for the manufacturing processes, but like many older automation products, the PLC-5 was heading for obsolescence, with the possibility of putting ABN at risk in terms of hardware failure.\n\n\"We compiled a document based on a traffic light system,\" he explains, \"that detailed the current state of spares in terms of 'available', 'not available' and 'readily available, but heading into obsolescence'. The completion of this analysis highlighted the need for a new solution and it was at this stage that we spoke with Rockwell Automation and discussed its Logix system and its PLC-5 migration tools.\"\n\nThe large migration at ABN, phased over four weekend shutdowns, comprised the replacement of the core network, multiple controller changes, and the incorporation of a SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) solution that runs on PCs above the new programmable automation controllers (PAC).\n\n\"We decided to utilise the Allen-Bradley 1771-to-1756 IO Swing-arm Conversion System,\" Wright explains. \"This enabled the current PLC-5 I/O to be used, while using the latest Allen-Bradley PACs, thus minimizing the need for new electrical wiring. As a result, it provided a cost saving to the client. You can use the existing swing arm with terminal wiring and use push plugs into new backplane. The changeover time is a lot less as you don't have to rewire, thanks to the reuse of existing terminals and backplanes.\n\n\"Along with the replacement of the PLC-5 controllers,\" Wright continues, \"there were existing SLC-5/04 controllers that had to be brought into the new ControlLogix(R) PAC environment in both the grinding and blending areas. This was achieved using the existing SLC I/O in the plant with 1747-AENTR EtherNet/IPTM adapter modules. These modules provide an Ethernet link back to the main ControlLogix PAC so the SLC I/O could be used as remote I/O.\"\n\nBy using EtherNet/IP as the primary communication protocol, Datastor can offer its customers remote monitoring and maintenance, with the option to connect the machine into its customers' Connected Enterprise. The Connected Enterprise(R), an approach manufacturers are adopting to leverage the use of connected machines, supply chains and customers, allows them to establish manufacturing processes that are data and information rich, supported, secure and future-ready for market demands.\n\nUltimately, a Connected Enterprise approach for manufacturers and their suppliers will create a more competitive, innovative enterprise that can deliver insights to improve productivity, sustainability and economic performance through faster time to market, lower total cost of ownership, improved asset utilisation and enterprise risk management. Other benefits of access to real-time, contextualised information, include minimized downtime, improved technology and process optimisation, greater workforce efficiency and smarter expenditure. Because EtherNet/IP is based on standard, unmodified Ethernet, it means that very little needs to be done for these connections to be established; and full security solutions are also available for user control and to prevent unwarranted access.\n\n***** Results *****\n\nThe Rockwell Automation migration solution saves time and is inherently less prone to the risk associated with a full rewire, such as wrong connections. \"We have migrated other I/O platforms over the years,\" Wright elaborates, \"and the Rockwell Automation system is a huge improvement. This project went live January/February 2015 and so far there have been no issues; it has all worked really well and there is the added comfort factor that the network is now more secure and more robust.\n\n\"We can also now connect remotely thanks to the use of EtherNet/IP,\" Wright explains, \"and the new network is far faster and slicker than the old system's DH+ network. ABN has asked us to provide remote support at all ABN sites thanks to these new networks and we have given them the ability to have their own remote access. Using graphical screens, we can provide diagnostics from the communications level right down to the hardware.\n\nAccording to Lindsay Sharp, Group Engineering Manager at ABN: \"We knew we needed a more up-to-date solution and the Rockwell Automation system, delivered by Datastor Systems, has certainly ticked all the boxes. The new network and controllers are giving us really clear levels of visibility into our processes and infrastructure. The future upgrade path is also less complicated and more straightforward due to the use of open protocols. Remote access for both ourselves and Datastor will also deliver many benefits in terms of reduced costs and downtimes. The whole integrated approach will help us to maintain our quality and control levels so we can keep our customers happy.\"\n\n\"We find the Rockwell Automation team is always very open for discussion and support,\" Wright concludes, \"especially when we are looking for something a little different - they don't push us down a preferred route; instead they listen to our needs. The Rockwell Automation solution was not the cheapest option available, but in the long term there is a definite cost advantage in terms of OEE, asset utilization and overall life costs. We were fortunate that ABN had prior experience of Rockwell Automation products and understood that the initial cost of an installation does not reflect the whole life cost and the fact that ABN has stuck with Rockwell Automation justifies our selection of the hardware for this project.\"\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "toyota-press-shop-transfer-system-enjoys-greater-uptime-": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/toyota-press-shop-transfer-system-enjoys-greater-uptime-\n\nTITLE: Toyota Press Shop Transfer System Enjoys Greater Uptime\n\n***** Background *****\n\nIt was companies like Toyota who originally defined lean and just-in-time manufacturing philosophies, where components and body panels would turn up on the line precisely when needed. Although this is an extremely efficient way of doing things - in terms of time, stock holding and real estate - it does place an enormous burden on downstream processes, as the just in time (JIT) chain is only as strong as its weakest link. JIT, coupled to 24/7 manufacturing, also presents maintenance departments with a real challenge. The only significant downtime available to them is during the two week summer shutdown; so all major engineering projects have to be completed in a very small window prior to full manufacturing starting up again. At Toyota's vehicle plant in Burnaston, Derbyshire, one major engineering project - the refurbishment of AGVs that serviced the presses at the beginning of the production line - was identified as one that could have serious implications in case of a breakdown.\n\nOriginally classified as a refurbishment, a sudden change in manufacturing priorities due to the new Auris and Avensis models immediately elevated it to a critical level...but with a reasonably short window of opportunity. However, thanks to lateral thinking by Rockwell Automation Solution Partner AND Automation, coupled to Toyota's willingness to entertain alternative technologies, the problem was solved quickly and with a Rockwell Automation based solution that offers a far simpler and more effective upgrade path.\n\n***** Challenge *****\n\nThe AGVs travelled back and forth between four different locations, two sides of the press, the stacker and the de-stacker. Stuart Cope, Press Engineer, Press and Weld Division, at Toyota explains: \"The AGV system originally comprised eight vehicles and was subject to a number of upgrades over the years, with units and control systems being removed and updated. Last year we were left with just one remaining serviceable vehicle, but the infrastructure was for eight and was complex and hard to look after; it was becoming a liability. \"As the press was not running all the time it was originally decided that another refurbishment would suffice,\" Cope continues. \"However, an upturn in sales meant that the press would be in far greater demand and indeed a second press would come into operation.\n\nThe refurbishment was replaced by the need for a completely new system... one that had to be developed quickly and then installed within the summer shut down.\" Toyota had to find someone who could provide the new system within the original budget and subsequently contacted multiple AGV/RGV manufacturers along with numerous automation and control specialists. One such specialist was AND Automation, who Toyota had used before. AND Automation came up with the suggestion for a rail-guided system, which not only offered robustness and simplicity but, just as importantly, could be designed and installed on budget and within the restricted time frame. \"AND Automation showed us the company that would be providing the hardware,\" Cope explains. \"We were impressed with the robustness. Everything in a press shop has to be robust as it all gets an absolute hammering.\"\n\n***** Solution *****\n\nTony Brooks, Sales Director at AND Automation, explains the solution his company developed: \"The existing control infrastructure was driven by an Allen-Bradley(R) PLC5(R), which meant that integration of a new contemporary solution from Rockwell Automation would be far simpler. Toyota was also happy with its Allen-Bradley(R) equipment and therefore the learning curve was shallower.\"\n\nThe new control solution deployed to drive the rail guided trolley cars has an Allen-Bradley CompactGuardLogix(R) programmable automation controller (PAC) at its heart. Communications to all primary devices and to various I/O points, including safety and non-safety Point I/OTM, are via EtherNet/IP. Each trolley car has remote controls, I/O, safety I/O and on-board intelligence to look at and react to dumb targets on walls and machines.\n\nThe main panel, which houses the PAC, power distribution and I/O, feeds remote panels which house Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) drives (for positional control), safety I/O and I/O for all three cars. A PowerFlex 753 is used for accurate position control of the main drive, while a PowerFlex 4 is used for the roller bed conveyors on the trolley cars. The drives, which run over EtherNet/IP, also deploy safe torque-off boards. Completing the primary components is an Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM HMI on the door of main panel to provide full diagnostics, set up, configuration and alarms. The safety solution comprises a fence line with multiple entry points. These entry points interface with the safety solutions on other machines and can create multiple, changing zones depending on where the operator enters. The GuardLogix PAC allows Toyota to deploy functional safety, which is programmed rather than hard wired. As a result, clever monitoring of the trolley positions creates multiple dynamic safety zones, giving the customer greater flexibility.\n\n***** Results *****\n\n\"We don't have any other rail-guided solutions apart from this one, so to us it was new. It is doing a superb job. We have had a few minor teething issues mainly down to the older comms method, but AND Automation has been able to mimic the old comms system but on much more up-to-date hardware. The up time is very, very good... far better than the old system.\" Jenny Brosnan, Section Manager, Purchasing Department at Toyota, discusses the project from a purchasing perspective: \"Typically as a business, when we are looking to purchase equipment we work with the production department to develop a specification and then go out to market. This project started this way - we knew we wanted to upgrade or replace. The great thing is that we have the flexibility to accept alternative suggestions; we are open to other ideas. \"When AND Automation came back to us,\" Brosnan continues, \"rather than adhering tightly to the specification we quickly realized that there might be a different technology that could achieve the same result.\n\n\n\nTo us it was refreshing - challenging a tried and tested method. We had no comparison, but commercially it made sense and we wanted the press shop to buy in to the idea. \"We continue to enjoy an open-book relationship with AND Automation,\" she concludes, \"they openly discuss with us how they reached the solution and a meeting with their suppliers eventually led to the creation of a project team. As the project started we needed to refine the new spec - driven by AND Automation, who took purchasing along with them, rather than just being at the start and end.\n\nWe were there all the way through - we could mould decision making process. From a procurement point of view, you often hear of companies who say \"here is an exercise, here is the spec...\" and \"This company has not met the spec therefore they're out.\" We, on the other hand, are happy to entertain alternatives.\"\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Toyota's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\nTAG: automotive-and-tire\n\n",
    "gibotech-creates-worlds-first-sterile-automated-hospital-warehou": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/gibotech-creates-worlds-first-sterile-automated-hospital-warehou\n\nTITLE: Gibotech Creates World's First Sterile Automated Hospital Warehouse\n\n***** Background *****\n\nTracing its roots back to the timber industry, Gibotech A/S is now a specialist in the development, implementation and maintenance of industrial solutions. The company manufactures bespoke, high technology machines and systems, CNC-machinery, automation with and without robots and panel sizing machinery, which are often part of complicated production lines or in single cells.\n\nToday Gibotech A/S addresses all professional sectors of industry and has been focusing on transforming itself from a traditional company, dealing with single machines into a company that makes complete plant and automation solutions.\n\nIn a recent project, the company was involved in the design and development of the world's first fully automated sterile warehouse at a large hospital in Copenhagen in Denmark. Designed to save millions of dollars, the warehouse automates large aspects of the handling and storage of sterile components ready for operations in the hospital's theatres.\n\nThe requirement for a flexible, integrated solution that could liaise with other automation suppliers and the supervisory system, and that could be installed in sterile environments, lead it to call upon the skills, products and services of Rockwell Automation.\n\n***** Challenge *****\n\nAs this type of installation had never been attempted before, Gibotech was working from a clean slate and had to be confident that its choice of automation solution would be flexible enough to cope with regular and significant design changes. It also had to cope with limited space and the demanding requirements of a sterile environment.\n\nIn operation, the system has been designed to remove the significant burden placed on operators in their handling of heavy baskets full of operating theatre 'tools' as they are collected, cleaned, sterilised and then stored ready for subsequent use.\n\nThe warehouse provides 1,900 shelf spaces and 1,800 baskets, all of which are logged using RFID tags. The system was designed to handle over 100 transactions a day with each basket taking five to ten minutes to go through the system. The maximum capacity is based upon processing one cart or trolley (containing nine baskets) per minute.\n\nAfter the components have been manually loaded into the wire mesh trays, they are then cleaned in special washers. The trays are then manually packed with groups of components before being wrapped in special crepe paper that is resistant to the conditions inside an autoclave. Once cleaned and sterilised the parts are manually inspected and segregated into operation-specific batches, according to the needs of the theatre staff and the surgical procedure that will be performed the next day.\n\nThe trays are then loaded into the storage system, which uses bar codes, RFID and datasheets to log type and location. A robot then traverses the storage bays and stores positions the trays on elevators for storage ready for retrieval the next day. When needed, the robot will retrieve the trays and load them into special elevators that take them to where they are needed.\n\n***** Solution *****\n\nAt the heart of the automation solution is an Allen-Bradley Compact GuardLogix programmable automation controller (PAC) connected to a stainless steel Allen-Bradley VersaView Panel PC HMI within the warehouse. By using a GuardLogix-based PAC, Gibotech was able to integrate the automation, safety and motion solution onto a single controller; significantly reducing the wiring complexity of the solution, while also making best possible use of the limited 'real estate' within the confined warehouse.\n\nThe Allen-Bradley Compact GuardLogix PAC is connected to the Safe Off safety devices and ancillary automation equipment, including third-party robot and pneumatic systems, using Point I/O over EtherNet/IP. \"We needed a solution that would communicate with devices from other suppliers,\" explains Lars Vinge at Gibotech. \"With EtherNet/ IP evolving into a robust but open automation standard, we knew we had these capabilities.\"\n\nThe motion solutions comprises 13 Allen-Bradley Kinetix 300 servo drives coupled to Allen-Bradley servo motors, for which Rockwell Automation engineers gave Gibotech help with motor sizing and selection. An Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 40 drive is also used with a motor encoder as a simple servo solution for the cranes. Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 4M drives are also in operation on the motors used to transport the baskets around the warehouse, running over Ethernet and a CANBus adaptor.\n\n***** Results *****\n\nThe whole reason for the development of the automation solution was to remove the burden placed on personnel when it came to repetitive heavy lifting and accurate tray location. It is fair to say that this solution does just that and will become a role model for similar installations across the world.\n\n\"We especially liked the EtherNet/IP-based solution that Rockwell Automation offered,\" explains Vinge. \"Having automation, safety and motion all on one network made integration and distribution of the control architecture a lot simpler.\n\n\"We also liked the technical help and information that Rockwell Automation offered both backwards and forwards during the design and development phase of the project. The delivery assurances were also vital as we were working to a tight lead time.\n\n\"Our goal and the defining parameter of the system is that it should be 97% available,\" Vinge concludes, \"and with the help of Rockwell Automation we are actively pursuing other contracts in Denmark as the health service looks to not only build new hospitals, but also upgrade the ones currently in place. As well as winning local industry awards, the hospital is delighted with the work we have done.\"\n\n\n",
    "gas-conditioning-flare": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/gas-conditioning-flare\n\nTITLE: Nuvoil Converts Oilfield Gas Flares Into Revenue\n\nAscend Automation & Controls provides experienced, seasoned specialists to execute a full range of required products and services for effective and efficient oil and gas solutions. Ascend is a division of CAM Integrated Solutions.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nMaking the Most of Scarce Resources\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\n\nWhenever crude oil is extracted, water, sand and natural gas are part of the mixture. And when large reserves were discovered in the Ixachi field south of Veracruz, Mexico, extracting and transporting the oil was the relatively easy part.\n\nSeparating and shipping the oil via pipeline is always fairly straightforward. Managing the natural gas is another matter.\n\n\"Oil is handled like a liquid and transported by pipeline or truck,\" said Mudar Jamal Eddin, engineering director, Grupo Nuvoil. \"Natural gas must be processed and compressed before it can be transported in commercial pipelines.\"\n\nIf a processing plant is not accessible, producers typically ignite or \"flare\" the natural gas to dispose of it. This practice is both wasteful and raises environmental concerns. Flaring also represents a lost source of revenue for oilfield operators.\n\nTo keep flaring to the minimum and maximize returns, Ixachi operators called on Nuvoil to deliver a gas conditioning plant near the oilfield as quickly as possible. Nuvoil is a leading energy services and solutions provider headquartered in Veracruz.\n\nCompressed Schedule. Complex Process.\u00a0\u00a0\n\nThe scope of work for the gas conditioning plant included engineering, procurement and construction - and operation and maintenance of the completed plant. Located on 32 acres about 10 miles from the well pad, the completed Papan Gas Processing Plant was specified to process 345 million standard cubic feet (345 MMSCFD) of natural gas per day.\n\n\"While the timeline was challenging, we knew we had the capacity to meet our customer's needs,\" Eddin said. \"We had built similar plants in the past - and flare avoidance is our core business.\"\n\nTo meet customer requirements, Nuvoil designed a cryogenic gas processing system. The complexity of the system is difficult to overstate.\n\nAt the wellhead, oil, water, sand and natural gas are separated. The resulting \"sour gas,\" which contains sulfur, enters the Papan Gas Processing Plant at about 200^0F. In the first step, the gas is chilled to 120^0F and residual sand and dirt are separated.\n\nNext, the gas enters the sweetening plant, where sulfur is removed - and then moves to a molecular sieve dehydration system, where humidity is absorbed. In the subsequent chilling process, the gas temperature drops to about -121^0F.\n\n\"Chilling triggers gas condensation,\" Eddin explained. \"As a result, we can remove LPG (propane/butanes) and other hydrocarbons. What remains is almost pure methane and ethane.\"\n\nFinally, the gas is compressed for transport via commercial pipelines.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\nManaging 3000+ Data Points\n\nTo speed implementation of the plant, Nuvoil selected a control system integrator they had successfully worked with in the past, Ascend Automation & Controls.\u00a0Ascend is a division of CAM Integrated Solutions and a member of the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM program.\n\n\"Our company is very familiar with gas conditioning systems,\" said Horacio Tinoco, vice president, Ascend Automation & Controls. \"We developed a control system for Nuvoil about 11 years ago. Of course, the new system enables even more sophisticated and efficient operation.\"\n\nThe Rockwell Automation control platform is based on Allen-Bradley(R) ControlLogix(R) process controllers\u00a0and a FactoryTalk(R) View HMI.\u00a0To ease system monitoring, Nuvoil relies on a video wall in the plant featuring twelve 55-inch displays - and four operator workstations in the control room.\n\nTo manage the process, more than 3,000 instruments are physically connected to the system - and nearly 150 PID loops are included.\u00a0\n\n\"In a complex system like this, the data points multiple rapidly,\" said Tinoco. \"Using data trending, Nuvoil can produce reports to support operations, maintenance or custody transfer.\"\n\nIn addition, Ascend will be adding FactoryTalk Historian software to the system soon.\n\n\"First, we focused on getting the plant up and running,\" Tinoco said. \"Now, we are aiming to provide long-term data storage capabilities so Nuvoil can run analytics for multiple purposes.\"\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\nExceeding Expectations\n\nNuvoil completed the plant in 9 months - and was running at full capacity within 12.4 months. Today, the plant processes about 320,000 cubic feet of gas daily - representing revenue of about US$200,000 each day. \u00a0\n\n\"When oilfield operators flare gas, they are burning resources - and burning money,\" Tinoco said. \"Gas conditioning facilities open up an additional source of revenue.\"\n\nAscend looks forward to a continued partnership with Nuvoil as they continue to optimize plant operations.\n\n\"Currently, we are exploring artificial intelligence (AI) options to enhance efficiency,\" said Eddin. \"We are evaluating our exact needs so we can match it with the products that Rockwell Automation offers - and add those capabilities.\"\n\nLearn more about our PartnerNetwork Program.\n\nTAG: oil-and-gas\n\nTAG: human-machine-interface\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: factorytalk-historian\n\n",
    "training-future-workforce": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/training-future-workforce\n\nTITLE: Using Hands-on Learning to Train Future Workers\n\nTAG: empower-people\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\nTAG: essential-components\n\nTAG: plex\nTAG: drives-and-motors\n\n",
    "qualtech-cip-systems-grow-with-cheesemaker-needs": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/qualtech-cip-systems-grow-with-cheesemaker-needs\n\nTITLE: Qualtech CIP Systems Grow with Cheesemaker Needs\n\nThe almost magical art of transforming raw milk into delectable cheeses is centuries old. But today's intense interest in locally produced and unique offerings is unprecedented. As artisan cheesemakers enter the market or expand production to meet demand, they face multiple manufacturing challenges.\n\n\"We have supported the artisan cheese movement for more than a decade,\" said Marie Gigu`ere, director of marketing, Qualtech. \"Our manufacturing solutions are designed to meet the immediate needs of both large and small producers - and help them grow cost-effectively.\"\n\nIn fact, Qualtech has implemented more than 150 cheese plant expansions during the past 20 years.\n\nHeadquartered in Quebec, Qualtech provides stainless steel equipment, process engineering and turnkey project implementation for a wide range of pharmaceutical, food and dairy applications. The company's extensive expertise in cheese processing technology encompasses the complete manufacturing line - from milk intake through curd transformation and pressing.\n\nQualtech also supplies the Clean-in-Place (CIP) systems that are integral to efficient cheese making. Instead of disassembling process equipment to clean and sanitize it, CIP systems circulate water and chemical solutions throughout the equipment and pipework. Typically, cheesemakers run the CIP system at least once each day - or after a production batch is complete.\n\nTo avoid cross-contamination, each cheese production facility must have at least two CIP systems. One system cleans the equipment that carries the raw milk from the intake to the pasteurizer. The other cleans the equipment that handles the pasteurized product. The pasteurizer's cleaning system is self-contained.\n\nA typical CIP system includes three or four tanks to store the rinse water and alkaline and acid solutions used for cleaning. Pneumatic valves release the solutions into the system based on the prescribed cleaning sequence.\n\n\"Depending on the customer's requirements, we can use different methods to control the chemical concentration of the solutions - and the duration of each cleaning phase in the sequence,\" explained Dominique Roberge, director of engineering, Qualtech.\n\nFor example, a relatively simple CIP system will use a time-based injection process to manage chemical dosing. More sophisticated systems incorporate additional instrumentation and determine proportional dosing based on flow and actual conductivity.\n\n\"The simpler systems are oftentimes most efficient and affordable for our smaller cheese producers,\" said Gigu`ere. \"But as these cheesemakers grow, they often find they must improve resource management.\"\n\nAs plants expand, Qualtech helps customers build on their initial investment and incorporate more precise measurement technology to better control chemical and water consumption - and meet environmental mandates.\n\n\"We also supply CIP systems that include a recovery tank,\" Roberge added. \"These systems allow cheesemakers to recover costly chemical solutions used in the cleaning process.\"\n\nThe scalable Qualtech CIP portfolio is based on an equally scalable Rockwell Automation control and information platform, featuring Allen-Bradley(R) CompactLogixTM controllers. Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) 525 AC drives provide precise, energy-efficient variable speed control of the system's water pumps, while Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM Plus 6 graphic terminals enable local monitoring.\n\nThe pneumatic valves throughout the system are supplied by Festo Corporation, a Rockwell Automation EncompassTM Product Partner.\n\nThe solution is integrated on an EtherNet/IPTM network and includes Allen-Bradley Stratix 2000TM unmanaged Ethernet switches. Ideal for small control networks, the Stratix 2000 switches enable easy integration of the CIP system with the cheese processing equipment throughout a plant.\n\n\"At Qualtech, we know every detail counts - from the initial design of our equipment to the sharpness of our measurement instrumentation to the programming and control system,\" Gigu`ere said. \"We pride ourselves on delivering CIP systems that are cost-effective, efficient - and environmentally responsible.\"\n\nLean more about how Rockwell Automation helps improve machine builder performance.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "data-increase-oee": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/data-increase-oee\n\nTITLE: Integrated, Actionable Data Improves OEE\n\nMeet Robin Cobb. He's a senior project manager for Polytron Inc., a member of the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM. Polytron is a system integrator that develops packaging and process solutions for the food and beverage industry, and other industries. \"We have a smart manufacturing division and an industrial networking and cybersecurity group, which I am head of.\" he says.\n\nOne of Robin's recent client engagements was with a globally recognized beverage producer. The company was looking to improve their OEE numbers (overall equipment effectiveness) but was not in a place where they could replace aging equipment.\u00a0\n\n***** Watch the Video *****\n\n***** Scoping the Problem *****\n\n\"The first thing we did was an audit,\" Robin says. Polytron performed a detailed inventory to better understand what type of data the various pieces of equipment were collecting, and how the data was being stored. From there, \"it was all about connectivity,\" Robin says. Polytron had to find a way to bring all the data together centrally so they could run algorithms and perform analysis to identify opportunities for efficiencies. That was no easy feat - especially since the company operates globally at a large scale.\n\n\"When we started digging into it, we were seeing potential for about a 10% - 15% increase in OEE,\" Robin says. \"That's HUGE for the food and beverage industry,\" he continues, \"and that's the average number we see.\" Robin explains that the expected OEE improvement depends on a customer's current systems and equipment. \"If you have older equipment, there are bigger costs because there's bigger risk. But that's also where you're going to get your bigger bang, bigger payback.\"\n\n***** The Solution *****\n\nKey elements of Polytron's solution for this customer are Studio 5000(R) Design Software, FactoryTalk(R) Historian, FactoryTalk(R) View HMI Software, ThinManager(R) Thin Client Software, and FactoryTalk(R) AssetCentre.\n\n\"Each solution to solve a customer problem is unique. It's great we can mix and match different platforms from Rockwell Automation, and they connect and cross talk.\" Robin says.\n\nRead about other Polytron / Rockwell Automation successes, including how they helped a global snack baker cut downtime by 25% while improving quality by 30%.\u00a0\n\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: integrated-architecture\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: beverage\n\nTAG: factorytalk-designsuite\nTAG: factorytalk-operationsuite\nTAG: factorytalk-studio-5000\nTAG: factorytalk-historian\nTAG: factorytalk-thinmanager\nTAG: factorytalk-assetcentre\n\n",
    "madison-area-technical-college-bridges-skills-gap-for-manufactur": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/madison-area-technical-college-bridges-skills-gap-for-manufactur\n\nTITLE: Madison Area Technical College Bridges Skills Gap for Manufacturers\n\n*** Background ***\n\nFor many people, the word \"manufacturing\" conjures up images of monotonous manual labor in dingy factories. Part of Peter Dettmer's job is correcting that misperception. Dettmer co-chairs the Automated Manufacturing Program at Madison Area Technical College (Madison College).\n\nMadison College is one of 16 technical colleges in Wisconsin, each offering a variety of two-year associate degrees and technical diplomas in fields ranging from nursing and dental hygiene, to welding and plumbing.\n\nLike technical colleges in other states, the Madison College mission is twofold: to provide students with the training necessary to land and keep good-paying jobs, and to meet local employers' needs for qualified and technically skilled workers.\n\nMadison College is one of Wisconsin's largest technical schools because it serves one of the state's most populated and prosperous regions. Madison is not only the state capital \u2013 it's home to the University of Wisconsin's largest campus, and to an expanding number of high-tech and manufacturing companies.\n\n\"Over the last decade, manufacturing has really been growing here,\" Dettmer explained. \"And existing companies have been automating and updating their processes and equipment to stay competitive.\"\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nThat growth \u2013 combined with fast-paced advances in manufacturing technologies \u2013 has spurred demand for skilled manufacturing technicians in Wisconsin. But at the same time, many experienced technicians and industrial maintenance people are retiring.\n\n\"Employers are struggling to find qualified entry-level people to work as technicians,\" Dettmer said. \"One reason is that many younger people haven't known about opportunities in manufacturing. And a lot of them haven't been interested in hearing about them.\"\n\nThe reason: The lingering, old-school image of manufacturing. \"People who aren't working in the manufacturing arena don't really know what manufacturing looks like these days,\" Dettmer said. \"There's still the perception that manufacturing means a dirty, grimy job where you stand at piece of machinery and do the same thing for eight hours every day.\"\n\nDettmer often encountered this misperception \u2013 among both students and parents \u2013 when he joined Madison College five years ago as an instructor. When he joined the Madison College faculty, the college offered students some training with programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and other industrial technology classes.\n\nBut manufacturing leaders in the Madison area wanted more comprehensive training to bridge their growing skills gap. Dettmer and others formed a steering committee to help identify those needs and chart a course for Madison College to meet them.\n\nStarting in 2009, the committee helped the college secure workforce-initiative grants from the state and federal government to expand its industrial class offerings, and purchase and update equipment for hands-on instruction.\n\nDettmer also developed a new two-year associate degree called automated manufacturing systems technology with co-program director Rick Jacobs.\n\n\"Our goal was to allow students \u2013 not only high school graduates, but people who needed retraining or who were underemployed or unemployed \u2013 to start from basically zero knowledge in manufacturing, and learn everything necessary to have a successful career and good income upon graduation,\" Dettmer explained.\n\nAt first, the classes were taught using various course materials, like textbooks, and equipment from different vendors. However, Dettmer and his colleagues \u2013 along with regional manufacturers who sit on the advisory committee that helps oversee the Madison College automation curriculum envisioned a more focused program to meet the hiring needs of employers in the district.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nThrough surveys and direct discussions, Dettmer and his colleagues learned that the majority of local manufacturers were standardized on Rockwell Automation equipment. \"We sought out Rockwell Automation at different trade shows and learned about some of the new products and training materials,\" Dettmer said.\n\n\"We were very interested in the training curriculum because we recognized it could be a great asset for our program.\" Madison College contacted Rockwell Automation, requesting to become part of the company's Educational Support Program.\n\nThe program provides accredited educational institutions and students with economical access to Rockwell Automation hardware, software and training tools. The partnership between Madison College and Rockwell Automation grew with its success. Madison College decided to standardize its automated manufacturing program on Rockwell Automation training curriculum, equipment and workstations.\n\nThe school purchased preconfigured panels full of Rockwell Automation products, such as drives, processors, HMI monitors, and industrial controls. Training workbooks from Rockwell Automation provide\n\nsimulations of real-world scenarios and applications, such as how to set up a conveyor.\n\n\"Rockwell Automation has long working relationships with four-year colleges, but this is the first time we've partnered this closely with a two-year technical college,\" said Scott Feldmann, account manager at Rockwell Automation in the Madison area.\n\n\"We recognized that by working with Madison College, we had an ideal opportunity to help train the workforce that's needed in this area. Education is part of our commitment to the community and our\n\ncommitment to our customers.\" In fulfilling this commitment, Rockwell Automation and Madison College decided to take their partnership one step further.\n\n\"We wanted to make the program more impactful for everybody and attract more students,\" Feldmann explained. The result was the Allen-Bradley\u00ae ControlLogix\u00ae certificate program. Students at Madison College \u2013 including both high school graduates and already employed workers who want to advance their careers \u2013 can earn \"maintainer certificate\" recognition from Rockwell Automation.\n\nAfter successfully completing the automated manufacturing program at Madison College, students who want to acquire their maintainer certificate must take an additional class taught by Rockwell Automation instructors on-site and pass a test to demonstrate their mastery of the material.\n\n\"Having a certificate from a world-leading manufacturer really makes a difference for people who are searching for a job or advancement in their careers,\" Dettmer said.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nThe partnership between Rockwell Automation and Madison College was formalized in August 2013, which means the first students who qualified for the recognition graduated in 2015. Meanwhile, local manufacturers are eagerly interested in the program because they want students well-trained to operate and maintain Rockwell Automation equipment.\n\n\"Many of our students are already interning with local companies. And every single one of those interns has been told, 'When you graduate, we want to hire you on full time',\" Dettmer said. \"We also get inquiries from our local and regional employers on a weekly, if not daily basis. They're desperately seeking graduates with the skills our students are learning.\n\n\"There are close to 1,000 job openings in our region relating to our career offerings,\" Dettmer continued. \"So we expect that most of our students will have their pick of places to work upon graduation.\"\n\nToday, Madison College and Rockwell Automation are collaborating to expand students' automation skills even further. \"We want to get more into the software side, to serve manufacturers' needs for employees who are versed in data collection, HMI development and networked factories,\" Dettmer said.\n\nThere's plenty of room for the automation program to grow. In April 2014, Madison College opened a new wing on campus called the Ingenuity Center. The nearly $40 million center was built using funding approved by voters in the Madison College district.\n\n\"The Ingenuity Center is exclusively focused on advanced manufacturing,\" Dettmer explained. \"We have more classroom space and labs dedicated to our program so we can focus more on PLCs, robotics and the integration of those systems into manufacturing work cells.\"\n\nDettmer and his colleagues also are focused on attracting more students to their program. They visit local high schools, carrying along some of their advanced manufacturing equipment. They demonstrate how it's used on plant floors and discuss career options in manufacturing.\n\nProgram instructors also host student groups at the Ingenuity Center.\n\n\"We want to make potential students realize that manufacturing is growing and alive in Wisconsin,\" Dettmer said. \"And that great career opportunities are out there waiting for them.\"\n\n\u00a0\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Madison Area Technical College's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\nTAG: \n\n",
    "newcrest-mining-mpc": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/newcrest-mining-mpc\n\nTITLE: Newcrest Mining Exceeds Project Targets with MPC\n\nHeadquartered in Melbourne, Australia, Newcrest Mining Limited (OTCMKTS: NCMGY) has five major operating assets producing gold, copper and silver. Newcrest is recognized for excellence in operational efficiency and environmental stewardship.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nAs an industry leader, Newcrest Mining is called to meet the demand for quality products and increased yield, while managing raw material variability, commodity price fluctuations and rising sustainability pressures.\n\nTackling these challenges is difficult, but the objectives are clear-cut. Achieving a mere one percent improvement translates into substantial cost savings and natural resources conservation, driving both economic and environmental benefits.\n\nEric Nettleton, Head of Automation at Newcrest, noted that \"with different DCS and technology systems throughout the business, the company required an open architecture Advanced Process Control (APC) platform to support its Automation strategy.\" Ruchira De Silva, Manager for Process Control & Analytics, explained that to achieve this strategy, \"Newcrest deployed a comprehensive, multi-year Process Control & Analytics (PC&A) upliftment program to underpin its APC work and drive greater efficiency and profitability from its operations.\" The PC&A framework calls for internal capability development to be complemented by strategic external collaboration.\n\nIn this story, we'll take a look at work done across two different sites:\n\n\n\n* Site One: Cadia, New South Wales Australia\n\nNewcrest stakeholders at the Cadia facility in New South Wales, Australia were focused on increasing the stability of the overall process for recovering gold from ore; that is, they sought to decrease the variability in process conditions. By controlling variability and running the processing plant closer to operating constraints, Newcrest stakeholders expected they could increase both throughput and yield.\n\n\n\n* Site Two: Lihir Process Plant in Papua New Guinea\n\nNewcrest stakeholders at the Lihir Process Plant wanted to optimize the flotation process.\n\nMetals go through a multi-stage process to be separated from other compounds in the rocky ore. The ore is crushed and ground into smaller particles, separated by size, while being combined with water and chemical reagents to form a slurry. This slurry is fed into flotation tanks to be agitated with air bubbles that create a foam, or \"froth\" on the surface of the tank. The reagents induce the metal particles to adhere to the bubbles, so they can be skimmed off in a process of recovery and consolidated further for downstream processing.\n\nPoor flotation operation can result in reduced recovery efficiency, low grade quality product, high input disturbances, increased use/cost of reagents and high variability within the process, making it more difficult to control and operate.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\nNewcrest partnered with the Kalypso industrial data science team to explore how Pavilion8(R) MPC technology could be deployed at both sites to achieve key targets.\n\n\n\n* Site One: Cadia, New South Wales Australia\n\nNewcrest asked Kalypso to increase throughput by optimizing the CON2 concentration circuit. The Kalypso MPC team studied 12 months of historical data from the circuit to identify the key process parameters that could be controlled and modified. The Pavilion8 controller was then used to predict how the process would respond to variability and outside disturbances and proactively adjust for desired results.\n\nTo maximize throughput, the Grinding Circuit has to be run as quickly and efficiently as possible against downstream constraints. This means grinding incoming ore down to properly sized particles in as few repetitions of the circuit as possible.\n\nTo ensure the right particle size of the material going into the flotation circuit, the Kalypso team configured the MPC grinding application to adapt to the variation of feed stock and other conditions. To control the density of the slurry in the SAG Mill, the MPC controller had to monitor and adjust multiple variables simultaneously, including SAG mill speed, the feed rate of ore into the SAG mill, and the flow rate of water into the SAG mill, among others.\n\n\n\n* Site Two: Lihir Process Plant in Papua New Guinea\n\nNewcrest stakeholders at Lihir wanted to optimize a flotation circuit for better gold recovery, concentrate grade and lower reagent costs. They asked Kalypso to develop a solution for multi-variable optimization of the flotation circuit, targeting a measurable increase in recovery as an indicator of success.\n\nThe flotation circuit solution development began with monitoring and controlling process parameters to reduce variability and achieve optimization targets. The application provides real-time visibility into process management and controls multiple process parameters simultaneously. Control actions are updated continuously based on actual process observations and Virtual Online Analyzers, while adhering to plant process constraints to meet recovery and grade requirements.\n\nPavilion8 controllers are based on powerful models of the process accounts for multiple variables that affect the process outcome. It acts at a high frequency for efficient and accurate calculation of controller setpoints and predicts internal process and quality parameters.\n\nDisturbances in the flow rate and water balance that might be caused by upstream variables will impact the mass pull capacity of the flotation circuit.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\nThe joint efforts of the Newcrest and Kalypso teams yielded improvements that not only met but often exceeded the set project targets.\n\n\n\n* Site One: Cadia, New South Wales Australia\n\nThe MPC Grinding Circuit Application was designed, implemented and validated in nine months, before transitioning it to the Newcrest team for ongoing operation.\n\nIn the business case defined at project launch, Newcrest and Kalypso identified an agreed increase in throughput as the potential target. Post implementation, the Cadia CON2 Grinding Circuit under MPC is delivering well above this challenging target.\n\nFollowing their success in optimizing the grinding circuit, Newcrest enlisted Kalypso's expertise once again for a subsequent project focused on optimizing the flotation circuit.\n\nJason Nitz, Manager Technology and Innovation at Cadia, indicated that \"This project has given Cadia the confidence it needs to pursue additional process control improvement opportunities at the plant with the combined Kalypso/Rockwell capabilities.\" Jason Cravino, Superintendent PC&A at Cadia, added that the \"Collaboration between Kalypso and site PC&A, Metallurgy and Operations teams has been successful in implementing a control solution that not only stabilized the CON2 grinding circuit, but has also driven an uplift in production tons.\"\n\n\n\n* Site Two: Lihir Process Plant in Papua New Guinea\n\nThe MPC Flotation Circuit application was designed, implemented and validated over a span of 12 months, before being transitioned to the Newcrest team in Lihir for ongoing operation.\n\nIn the business case defined at project launch, Newcrest and Kalypso identified an increase in gold recovery (at flotation) as the potential stretch target. Post implementation, the Lihir Flotation Circuit under MPC is delivering well above this challenging target.\n\nRobert Gordon, Process Plant Operations Manager, stated that \"The implementation of MPC on the Lihir Flotation circuit has delivered significant performance improvement and downstream flowsheet stability. The Lihir Operations, Process Control and Metallurgical teams have worked collaboratively to co-design this MPC solution, building core capability to support our future expanded MPC program.\"\n\nGareth Peachey, Senior Process Engineering Specialist at Lihir noted, \"It was a new technology for Lihir designed to improve on existing regulatory controls and was implemented during Covid restrictions with limited access to resources. Our close collaboration with the Kalypso team enabled us to navigate through these challenges to deliver a successful project that exceeded the challenging performance goals we set.\"\n\n\n\n* Positioned to Grow\n\nNewcrest Mining's investments in model predictive control have strategically positioned them to meet the growing demand for quality product and higher yields. Our work together enabled Newcrest to enhance operational efficiency by managing costs, energy consumption, raw material variability and other constraints while staying true to their commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship.\n\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: mining\n\nTAG: model-predictive-control\n\n",
    "pulp-paper-drive-solution": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/pulp-paper-drive-solution\n\nTITLE: UMaine Modernizes Paper Web Handling Capabilities\n\nThe University of Maine Process Development Center (PDC) creates opportunities for paper manufacturers to research new sustainable products and for students to participate in industry innovation.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nThe University of Maine Process Development Center (PDC) is a globally recognized partner to pulp and paper manufacturers who require access to a test facility for product and process innovation. Forest-fiber packaging is a sustainable alternative to plastics, and researchers at leading packaging and paper manufacturers use the PDC's pilot paper machine and technical services regularly.\n\nWhile most PDC customers are based in North America, European and South American companies pursuing sustainable packaging rely on the PDC as well. The PDC also supports research by UMaine faculty, and engages UMaine students in paid, hands-on-learning experiences.\n\n\n\n* Unscheduled Downtime Increases\n\nLegacy automation systems are increasingly difficult to maintain, and after 35 years, breakdowns of the pilot paper machine's web handling drive system increased. Downtime incidents cost PDC customers up to $20,000 per event, and the loss of income was impacting PDC's operating budget. The unreliability of the pilot paper machine threatened PDC's reputation as a leading center for pulp and paper industry research. The system crashes also disrupted research by UMaine faculty, and student learning.\n\n\"The pilot paper machine is our lifeblood for the university,\" said Colleen Walker, Ph.D., PDC Director. \"The industry is spending a lot of time and money to be here to trial their new products and we've had to send them home because it crashed and we couldn't get started again. We don't have to run 24/7, but it's even more important that when we need to run, we run.\"\n\nWhen the PDC turned to the UMaine Pulp & Paper Foundation for help with upgrading the obsolete coordinated drive system, Packaging Corporation of America (PCA), a Foundation corporate member and longstanding customer of both UMaine PDC and Rockwell Automation, stepped up. The UMaine PDC selected Rockwell Automation as the solution provider and funded this essential modernization.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\nPCA recommended that the Paper Web Handling Coordinated Drive System Solution by Rockwell Automation was the right choice to improve reliability and maximize uptime of the PDC's pilot paper machine. Inclusion of the PremierSystemsTM Toolset and Enhanced TrendPlus on the engineering workstation will give PDC operators enhanced visibility and actionable data through predictive diagnostics and analytics features.\n\n\n\n* Designed for Efficient, Reliable, Sustainable Paper Web Handling\n\nRockwell Automation uses coordinated drive system global solution standards designed for the complexities of paper web handling, from properly closing the nip to correctly building the roll profile. Seamless power and process integration reduces both engineering and commissioning time. Faster time to production and machine reliability, continual advancement and long-term support made the Rockwell Automation solution the right fit for the PDC.\n\n\n\n* Minimizing Downtime, Optimizing Production with Data\n\nPremierSystems simplifies the work of paper machine operations and maintenance in a unified interface. Advanced diagnostic tools reduce troubleshooting time and help operators resolve run issues without additional support. Empowered by data, operators can resolve issues in less time and perform more efficiently.\n\nRockwell Automation predictive diagnostics built into the PowerFlex(R) 755T AC drive series also offer early warnings by providing visibility into critical component life and detecting upcoming equipment failures. These advanced diagnostics can help reduce unscheduled downtime and excessive repair expenses associated with running to failure. Essential documentation and other technical support infrastructure is embedded within PremierSystems, which means operators can make the right decisions independently and with confidence.\n\nEnhanced TrendPlus is also an integral part of the diagnostics solution. The high-speed data acquisition software by iba America, LLC captures data at a 5-millisecond rate, converting everything the controller sees into data that can be analyzed. Rockwell Automation adds value to this trending package by integrating it into the PremierSystems toolset and in the way it is configured specific to the drive system solution.\n\n\n\n* Students Lead Modernization Planning\n\nUMaine engineering students worked with PCA and Rockwell Automation to create the scope of work for the system upgrade. This became the students' capstone project and was used to inform the project proposal and implementation plan.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\nWith implementation of the advanced web handling drive system planned for early 2025, the PDC will once again enjoy reliable pilot paper machine performance for its customers. The premier forest-products research facility will continue to enable innovation by manufacturers, faculty and students.\n\nRockwell Automation will provide full support for the drive systems upgrade, including startup and commissioning. We are pleased to support the UMaine PDC in conjunction with PCA and appreciate the opportunity to help the PDC move toward smart manufacturing.\n\nThe modernization will also give UMaine students the chance to see and train on an advanced automation solution, whether they are interested in the paper industry, sustainable packaging, or the mechanics of manufacturing.\n\n\"The purpose of the PDC is to serve industry, but it's also to get potential students interested in a school that's developing sustainable solutions using forest fiber,\" said Walker. \"Students want a career that's going to solve problems that really matter. This upgrade keeps us relevant and moving in that direction. This modernization will provide industry users with additional information and will demonstrate what is possible today to UMaine students.\"\n\nTAG: empower-people\n\nTAG: packaged-solutions\n\nTAG: pulp-and-paper\n\nTAG: drives\n\n",
    "real-time-data-erp": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/real-time-data-erp\n\nTITLE: ERP Real-Time Data Improves Green Tokai Visibility\n\nFounded in 1988, Green Tokai Co. (GTC) is a subsidiary of Tokai Kogyo Co. based in Aichi, Japan. With production and warehouse facilities in Brookville, OH and Maysville, KY, Green Tokai manufactures automotive components including door and window seals, windshield molding, and more. The company works to consistently exceed customer expectations alongside its quality goals, based on the ISO 9001:2015 quality system. Both GTC plants are ISO 14001:2015 certified.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nGreen Tokai (GTC) began operating in May of 1988. Since then, the global company has expanded to include three additional plants in Brookville, OH and one production facility in Maysville, KY. GTC was operating within a low-tech framework, relying predominantly on two software systems alongside Excel spreadsheets. Shop-floor activities were conducted manually, with clipboards and paper serving as the primary tools for coordinating the company's work centers. Production reporting was also paper-based, leading to delays in data entry within the existing ERP framework.\n\nAdditionally, many GTC work centers lacked PC infrastructure, hindering digital integration and access to real-time data. Despite sporadic usage, the ERP system in place primarily served back-office functions, which resulted in a lack of linkage between master data and operational outputs. GTC also faced several challenges that impacted operations. For example, limited inventory tracking and management capabilities decreased the company's ability to maintain accurate stock levels. The lack of real-time data resulted in operational inefficiencies and impacted timely decision-making. Quality tracking was also fragmented, relying on a combination of customer portals and spreadsheets. Manual documentation of quality checks on paper further complicated analysis and retrieval processes, despite meeting basic requirements.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\n* Choosing Plex\n\nDriven by these challenges, GTC initiated the search for a new ERP system. The company recognized the need for real-time data to enhance visibility and establish a single source of truth across its operations. Moreover, industry trends, including an increase in customer demand for serial traceability and quality tracking, emphasized the urgency for a comprehensive solution.\n\nPlex emerged as the preferred choice for GTC's new ERP system after a recommendation from a customer. Plex's cost structure and endorsement by a significant industry player made it a compelling solution to address the company's challenges.\n\n\n\n* Company-Wide Preparation and Successful Implementation\n\nSuccessful adoption was a top priority for the entire GTC team throughout the implementation process. To enhance awareness, flyers were distributed extensively before the Plex implementation began and regular weekly meetings with department managers were held. Hands-on involvement in configuration, design, and training discussions also allowed Green Tokai team members to grasp the benefits of Plex well before implementation began.\n\nImplementation involved multiple departments and individuals across the organization alongside Plex Implementation Partner, Revolution Group. Initially, a core team of approximately six members spearheaded the implementation process before it was extended across all 13 departments, each with designated primary and secondary super users. These super users were responsible for coordinating departmental activities, conducting training sessions, and ensuring readiness for implementation across all GTC plants.\n\nTeam leaders overseeing various work centers also ensured that their operators received adequate training. Post-implementation, these operators have demonstrated immense resourcefulness, exploring system functionalities beyond their initial training. GTC successfully implemented Plex and went live on June 1, 2023.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\n* Immediate Results and Future Growth\n\nThe adoption of Plex brought about significant improvements to GTC operations. The transition necessitated an upgrade in infrastructure, which led to an increase in PCs on the shop floor. This not only replaced many of the existing paper-based processes, but it also increased general optics for shop floor associates. The utilization of the Plex Control Panel also enabled Green Tokai's operators to access real-time production reporting, enhancing visibility and allowing for the measurement of operational success metrics such as Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE).\n\n\n\nWith Plex, GTC has transitioned to a culture of continuous improvement. Increased visibility and traceability have facilitated enhancements based on real-time data, fostering a more proactive approach to problem-solving and allowing for more timely business decisions. The transition from a manual, paper-based system to Plex has empowered GTC to respond promptly to the needs of its suppliers and customers, enhancing operational agility and overall competitiveness in the market.\n\nAdditionally, Plex facilitated serialization across all inventory levels, enabling better inventory management through intelligent cycle counts and location tracking. GTC now attaches documents to transactions, providing assurance of transaction accuracy.\n\n\"The fact that we have real-time data is only starting to reap benefits in other areas,\" stated Joseph Daniel, General Manager of ERP & Finance at Green Tokai. \"GTC was so used to not having real-time data that we're only now starting to run several subledger reports... to get a better understanding of how to address issues that impact our results.\"\n\nLooking forward, the company plans to continue discovering their new ERP system's full potential. GTC is eager to implement Plex's Maintenance Module and the GTC Quality Division is seeking new ways to phase out paper files and Excel documents every day.\n\nDaniel stated, \"The true benefits of Plex may only become apparent after going live, emphasizing the importance of a long-term vision and diligent testing.\"\n\nThis Case Study is a replicated version, with the original available on the Plex website. To access the original version, please click here.\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: asset-management\n\nTAG: automotive-and-tire\n\nTAG: plex-erp\n\n",
    "redesigned-packaging-hmc": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/redesigned-packaging-hmc\n\nTITLE: HMC Products Improves Medical Test Kit Packaging\n\n***** HMC delivers big savings by transforming medical-test-kit packaging *****\n\nHMC Products has spent more than four decades helping manufacturers create more productive and innovative packaging operations. Today, the company's Pouchmaster form-fill-and-seal machines are used to package food, medical equipment, consumer packaged goods and other products at rates of up to 300 pouches per minute while minimizing costly maintenance and downtime associated with changeover.\n\nRecently, HMC was tasked with helping to create a new, more efficient machine to package in-demand medical test kits. Typically, parts for these test kits are packaged in separate pouches, which are then all placed in a box together. But one HMC customer decided to take another approach: packaging all test-kit parts in a single pouch. Doing so would not only improve production efficiencies, but also create a simpler user experience.\n\nHMC designed a new machine that packages all test-kit components into two compartments of a single pouch. This new packaging solution is saving the customer millions - and has created new possibilities for packaging a wide range of medical test kits.\n\n***** Overcoming production challenges *****\n\nHMC's tailored solutions for its customers begin with an existing HMC platform as the foundation. In this case, it was the Pouchmaster IM 8-10 model.\n\n\"The machine has three servo-driven components: a film feeder, a main shaft and a pouch transfer chain,\" said Jeff Berg, product development manager for HMC. \"That's the basic machine. From there, we customize it to fit customer needs.\"\n\nFor this customer, HMC's machine first needed to convey three test-kit parts above the machine. Then, the machine needed to drop each part rapidly and accurately into its designated pouch compartment via a bowl feeder.\n\nAs part of this work, HMC faced three key challenges.\n\nFirst, HMC had to make sure that the machine only placed one part into each pouch compartment. Second, because the vial contains sensitive chemicals, HMC needed to avoid disturbing them by making sure that the machine handled parts at appropriate speeds. And third, HMC needed to make sure that each pouch compartment was properly sealed.\n\n***** Controlling a delicate process *****\n\nHMC built the pouching machine on an Allen-Bradley(R) L33ERM CompactLogixTM controller. Allen-Bradley Kinetix 5500 servo drives operate the main shaft, pouch transfer chain, and the film feed roll with an Allen Bradley 525 variable-frequency drive (VFD) running the film power web unwinder and the test paddle conveyor. The drive's indexing and speed-monitoring capabilities help synchronize operation between the two components, allowing for accurate part loading.\n\n\"The parts have to drop into the pouches at just the right time and at just the right speed,\" Berg said. \"The VFD achieves this by providing complete control of the machine's accelerations and decelerations. We programmed the machine to count groups of pouches, accelerate the conveyor, count groups of pouches at a slower speed, and then accelerate the conveyor again. This allows the machine operator (or a piece of automated equipment) to swoop up groups of pouches without requiring the operator to perform the counting.\"\n\nThe VFD's speed-management capabilities also help the machine manage careful handling of the chemical vials. For example, if someone stops the machine, the VFD can help prevent the fillers from shaking or moving to help protect the chemicals.\n\nAfter loading parts into the pouches, the machine uses a double-seal bar to seal the pouches. Because production rates can change, the seal bar's heat settings can vary. To help maintain seal integrity at any production rate, HMC incorporated an Allen-Bradley thermocouple module to confirm seal heat.\n\nHMC also stored settings for multiple production runs in the PLC to help make life easier for the customer.\n\n\"They have 15 built-in product recipes that they can pull up and run without changing a thing,\" Berg said.\n\n***** Big savings, smaller machines *****\n\nUpon seeing that the machine could indeed deliver test kits fully contained in a single pouch, HMC's customer quickly upped its order - from two to sixteen machines.\n\nThe four machines that the customer initially deployed helped meet ongoing demand for test kits, producing 45 pouches per minute on 10-hour shifts, five days per week. The efficiencies gained from the machines helped the customer save approximately $2 million in production costs. HMC expects that even greater savings are in store when the remaining 12 machines are deployed.\n\nAnother long-term benefit that the machines will provide is ease of maintenance. The machines are all built the same, making maintenance common across them. HMC also created fault messages for every fault that it could identify to reduce troubleshooting time.\n\n\"When this machine stops, we tell them why and we tell them what the possible fixes are,\" Berg said.\n\nHMC has also helped its customer realize savings by optimizing the machine's footprint after its initial deployment.\n\n\"The first two machines they bought were ready to do anything and everything,\" Berg said. \"But after they perfected the production process, they had some empty stations. We removed these and shortened the machine frame by 5 feet. Those savings can go a long way given how expensive square footage is in many places. It's just another advantage of working with a company that can customize a machine to your specific needs.\"\n\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: integrated-architecture\n\nTAG: household-and-personal-care\nTAG: food-packaging\n\nTAG: safety-drives\nTAG: drives-ac-low-voltage\nTAG: drives\nTAG: drives-ac-medium-voltage\n\n",
    "meeting-high-demand-in-uncertain-times": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/meeting-high-demand-in-uncertain-times\n\nTITLE: Meeting high demand in uncertain times\n\nECONO-PAK is a German company that manufactures carton packaging machines and has been in the industry for more than 35 years. ECONO-PAK has partnered with Rockwell Automation to design and build more efficient, productive, and safe carton-packaging machines. These machines are able to meet the high demand for orders and maintain quick and efficient delivery times, especially during times of global unrest and uncertainty.\u00a0\n\nECONO-PAK is a leading manufacturer of carton packaging machines, with more than 35 years of industry experience. Based near Frankfurt, Germany, they have maintained the feel of a family-run business and are able to offer a personal level of customer service. ECONO-PAK's machines are suitable for a wide range of packaging needs across various industries and can readily be customized to meet specific customer requirements.\n\nIn recent years, ECONO-PAK has partnered with Rockwell Automation to design and build more efficient, productive, and safe carton-packaging machines. These machines were needed to meet the high demand for orders and maintain quick and efficient delivery times, especially during times of global unrest and uncertainty, such as the current crisis of availability. Rockwell Automation was able to support ECONO-PAK in this by ensuring that supplies were provided before they were needed.\n\nAdapting to Uncertain Times\n\nOne major challenge faced by packaging-machine manufacturers in recent years has been the need for agility and flexibility. Given global economic uncertainty and ongoing supply-chain constraints, the ability to quickly pivot production is crucial in today's market. Machine builders are looking for ways to become more adaptable and able to switch between production needs based on demand. This means reducing the time it takes to switch a machine from producing one form of carton to another, as well as simplifying the process.\n\nAccording to Max Schneider, international sales manager at ECONO-PAK, \"We started working with Rockwell Automation around two years ago, with the goal of supporting our customers to digitalize their machinery to become more resilient to uncertainty and to be more proactive in adapting their production to meet market demand. This would require solutions that enabled quick decision-making and seamless machine change-over.\"\n\nThanks to support from Rockwell Automation, ECONO-PAK is now able to provide machines that can meet these challenges through the use of digital twin technology, such as Emulate3DTM. This software allows testing to be simulated through twinning technology, avoiding a trial-and-error approach, and creating a more efficient and cost-effective process that can be trusted to work effectively in the real world.\n\n\"The support we received from Rockwell Automation allowed us to introduce new technology in a way that was seamless for our customers, both in terms of service and technical support,\" Schneider added.\n\nBuilding a Safer Working Environment\n\nSafety is also a top concern when it comes to packaging machines. Workers often have close proximity to the machines, so reducing human interaction and creating a safer working environment is essential. ECONO-PAK has focused on improving safety by facilitating low magazines, which are used to feed the machines with carton material. These low magazines were specifically requested by customers to create a more ergonomic machine and improve carton-forming outputs.\u00a0\n\n\"One of our customers, an ice-cream producer, was looking to increase the size of their cartons while making sure that the change didn't introduce any new risks into their packaging operations. Machines with low magazines improve safety by reducing the loading height of the magazine,\" Schneider added.\n\nECONO-PAK and Rockwell Automation have also emphasized ergonomics in the design and operation of their machines. By lowering the magazines, employees no longer need to climb platforms to load in cartons, as they would with a higher-magazine machine. This, along with greater levels of machine automation and digitalization, allows ECONO-PAK to prioritize employee safety while maintaining productivity.\n\nMaintaining Upkeep by Reducing Downtime\n\nAnother way that Rockwell Automation has supported ECONO-PAK's goals is by enhancing machine maintenance capabilities, particularly through remote maintenance. ECONO-PAK's machines have become \"toolless\", meaning that machine alterations and changes can be made without the need for conventional tools, such as screwdrivers. This not only creates a safer working environment by reducing the need for direct machine interaction, but also allows for problems to be troubleshooted and solved away from the factory floor.\n\n\"Introducing greater remote maintenance capabilities has meant that we can provide our customers with a wide range of benefits, including cost savings, increased efficiency, improved uptime, and enhanced safety by allowing technicians to troubleshoot and repair equipment remotely. These capabilities reduce the need for costly on-site visits and increase productivity and profitability,\" Schneider said.\n\nOver time, ECONO-PAK intends to advance further in this area by offering predictive maintenance capabilities, which will enable customers to realize significant cost savings by proactively servicing machines and avoiding the risk of downtime.\n\nBetter Together\n\nThe partnership between ECONO-PAK and Rockwell Automation has been extremely beneficial for both parties. In addition to the specific expertise, skillsets, and knowledge provided by Rockwell Automation, ECONO-PAK has also been able to take advantage of the PartnerNetworkTM ecosystem. This includes access to a global network of experts and resources, as well as opportunities for collaboration with other leading companies.\n\nAt the foundation of the relationship is a close cultural fit and enthusiasm for joint collaboration. According to Sebastian Cruz Euceda, account manager, OEM Region West at Rockwell Automation, \"The partnership with ECONO-PAK is one based on mutual trust and transparency throughout the whole company. It's only by having such a deep level of partnership that we can reach joint success.\"\n\n\"Our relationship with Rockwell Automation is that of a true partner. It is one that is truly open and collaborative, and it has been this way since the very beginning. This is something very important to us at ECONO-PAK, as our ongoing partnership with Rockwell Automation goes beyond simply fulfilling contractual demands, but to supporting our customers to embrace digitalization and prepare for the future,\" Schneider concluded.\n\nTAG: process-services\n\nTAG: warehouse-fulfillment\n\n",
    "nokta-makina-gets-to-market-faster-with-ia-and-emulate3d": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/nokta-makina-gets-to-market-faster-with-ia-and-emulate3d\n\nTITLE: Nokta Makina gets to market faster with Integrated Architecture and Emulate3D\n\nIn todays' competitive market, machine builders cannot afford to simply keep pace. Instead, they must set the pace and offer features, functionality, and operational outcomes that address and, when possible, surpass all their customers' needs... and more.\n\nA case in point is Nokta Makina, a Turkish packaging and wafer-line machine specialist and member of the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM as a gold-level OEM.\n\nAlthough the company enjoys a prominent position as one of the country's leading machine builders, it knew it could do so much more; not just to streamline and enhance its own in-house capabilities, but also to improve the insights, products, and services it offered its customers.\n\nBased in Istanbul in T\"urkiye, the company explains that it is undergoing a digital transformation, which is dictating this developmental roadmap and evolution relating to machine design and its ability to integrate into its customers' smart factories. A prime outcome is optimized machine and process functionality and capacities, to reduce and remove unnecessary waste and cut operator interventions.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nThe primary challenge the Turkish OEM faced was its multi-vendor approach to its deployment of automation assets. This lack of standardization created issues relating to design, integration, test, and eventual commissioning.\n\nIt also faced additional bottlenecks at the commissioning phase, as it had to wait until its machines had been delivered and installed before full commissioning could take place.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\nNokta Makina's first task was to rationalize its automation technologies. This led to it standardizing on the\u00a0Integrated Architecture(R) system\u00a0from Rockwell Automation, which includes programmable automation controllers, HMIs, I/O, drives, and software that all use the same foundation and talk the same language.\n\nBy adopting this approach, Nokta Makina can design and deploy machine-, line-, and enterprise-level industrial control systems that support scaling and the convergence of control and information data, to deliver smarter technology, enhanced productivity, and a more secure environment.\n\nTo address its commissioning challenges, the technical team at Rockwell Automation suggested the deployment of the Emulate3D digital twin software.\n\nBy creating virtualized models and simulations, that feed off application-specific physics, product, PLC code and process variables, engineers at Nokta Makina are able to undertake significant levels of testing, simulation, problem solving, and automation commissioning, even before any metal has been cut.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\nNokta Makina's decision to standardize on Rockwell Automation platforms for its machine design, development, test, and operation has not only accelerated its digital transformation, but also helps simplify and expedite integration into its customers smart operations, helping them to optimize their own production processes.\n\nIn addition, with so many leading multinational companies and household brands around the world standardizing on Rockwell Automation solutions, doors open for wider market penetration and export potential.\n\nAnd, thanks to the deployment of the Emulate3D software, customers can get a more immersive appreciation of the company's machines, even at the initial sales stage, where design iterations can be assessed, challenges can be addressed much earlier, issues can be solved at a less costly stage of development, and time, effort & budget can be saved.\n\nAccording to Ahmet Yol, technical manager at Nokta Makina:\n\n\"Not only have we shortened our programing time, but we have also seen fewer design issues, which could occur at project stages that are far harder to remedy. We have also been able to increase machine capacity and streamline machine integration, all while making them easier to use.\"\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: human-machine-interface\nTAG: input-or-output-i-or-o-modules\nTAG: factorytalk-emulate-3d\n\n",
    "centralized-agv-control-improves-michelins-operations": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/centralized-agv-control-improves-michelins-operations\n\nTITLE: Centralized AGV control saves energy & improves operations at Michelin\n\nDay or night, come rain or shine, the shuttle vehicles at the Michelin plant in Cuneo come and go non-stop. These six autonomously guided vehicles (AGVs), each the size of a truck and fitted with electric motors, travel non-stop, 24/7, traversing the 1,500 meters that separate the production area and the storage warehouse. They are following loading and unloading instructions issued directly from the Rockwell Automation Level 2 supervision system.\n\nLooking like a giant reproduction of a child's remote-controlled cars, they fascinate anyone walking along the flyover that overlooks the plant. But this is not a giant game; it's an innovative project currently unequalled anywhere in the world - and it has been created for Michelin by Giordano&C. in collaboration with Rockwell Automation. It's an example of excellence in the application of the most advanced technologies, in support of digital transformation and Industry 4.0. Its implementation has allowed Michelin to gain important benefits in terms of sustainability, safety, efficiency and - last but not least - operating costs. The project is highly customizable and, therefore, adaptable for any company that needs to handle large loads outdoors. This project has generated a lot of interest around its duplication at other Michelin production sites, and its implementation at important Italian industrial companies operating in the food & beverage and pharmaceutical sectors is already being evaluated.\n\nAs often happens in these cases, everything started from a specific need expressed by the customer. Michelin, a company that has always been characterized by a strong commitment to innovation and an excellent factory model, wanted to optimize the transportation system and the loading and unloading of finished products at its Cuneo plant. This required the introduction of a new load-handling system that would replace the trucks used to transfer tires from the end of the production area to the logistics center, as well as the driver-operated forklift that physically entered and exited the body of the truck to perform loading and unloading operations.\n\nUnable to use traditional handling systems due to the configuration of the plant, Michelin asked several suppliers to propose alternative solutions. The requirement to operate outdoors and cover a distance of 1,500 meters added complexity even for the most experienced suppliers. It was essential to think outside the box and use the same approach adopted in brown-field plants where you start with whatever is available and make the most of everything at your disposal. This was exactly the way that Giordano&C., an Italian company established in 1924 and today a well-known global system integrator, took on the challenge, unintimidated by the construction work required to create a transit infrastructure for the shuttles and involving Esatroll for the supply of vehicles with specific characteristics. Giordano&C. then turned to Rockwell Automation, a company they have been working with for a long time, supported by the fact that they are a Rockwell Automation OEM Gold Partner. In order to control the shuttles, it was crucial to integrate the AGV system with the level 2 communication system that Rockwell Automation uses as a standard in the Michelin plants.\n\nAt first glance, a simple outsourcing of warehouse logistics managed with AGVs may come to mind. In reality, there are some peculiarities that are not usually found with other similar projects. First of all, the great distance between the production and logistic areas required significant construction work. Unlike an AGV designed for indoor use, these shuttles have mechanical characteristics that make them similar to a truck running on the road and, therefore, are equipped with axles, wheels, chassis, etc. Another element of differentiation is represented by the software, as these vehicles include a navigation system that allows them to operate under any weather conditions. In addition, the navigation control system is connected via Rockwell Automation Level 2 communication, which means that the shuttles function according to the orders they receive directly from the central system. All the control panels of the loading and unloading bays, as well as all the interfaces between the level 2 system of the plant and the fleet, are managed by technologies from Rockwell Automation, and this enables connection between the production and the transportation areas of the factory. Once production is complete, Level 2 communicates that there is material to be loaded at the bay at the end of production area and to be unloaded at another specific bay of the logistics pole, following the rules specified by the customer and integrated by Giordano&C. in the navigation system. Once the operation is complete, information is sent to the Level 2 system so that Michelin always knows the number of pallets in stock.\u00a0\u00a0\n\nBy using advanced digital technologies, Michelin has been able to reduce annual CO2 emissions by 50 tons and, specifically, the choice of using shuttles with electric motors whose batteries are recharged during loading and unloading phases has made it possible to achieve a target of zero emissions.\u00a0 Another feature of interest is the global increase of safety in the workplace, also from the point of view of communications. Wireless gateway technology provided by ProSoft Technology, a Silver Technology Partner of Rockwell Automation, allows the easy and safe transfer of information between the fleet and the Level 2 System, via CIP Safety protocol. Just as interesting is the speed at which production and logistics information can be exchanged thanks to real-time processing and communication with the Rockwell Automation Level 2 system, which allows Michelin to have a global view of production and stock materials at all times.\n\nTAG: accelerate-digital-transformation\nTAG: drive-sustainability\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\nTAG: sustainability\nTAG: energy\n\nTAG: automotive-and-tire\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "jungheinrich-emulate3d": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/jungheinrich-emulate3d\n\nTITLE: Jungheinrich Uses Digital Twin to Drive Smart Logistics\n\nJungheinrich Forklift (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. is part of the Jungheinrich Group from Hamburg, Germany. Since 1953, the brand has been providing forklift handling equipment to customers in the industrial field. It is a leader in industrial vehicles, warehousing technology, and intralogistics.\u00a0\n\nTAG: accelerate-digital-transformation\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\nTAG: smart-manufacturing\n\nTAG: warehouse-fulfillment\n\nTAG: factorytalk-emulate-3d\n\n",
    "cybersecure-it-ot-network": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/cybersecure-it-ot-network\n\nTITLE: A Modernized, Cybersecure IT and OT Network\n\nThe seemingly unstoppable COVID-19 pandemic has upended workplace operations, transformed consumer shopping habits, and crippled global supply chains. Compounding matters is a steep rise in the frequency, severity, and cost of cyberattacks. Consider, for instance, that among the 61% of manufacturers reporting a cyberattack in 2021 in one study, 75% sustained system outages. A side effect of pandemic challenges has been the fast-tracking of digital transformation efforts to meet new challenges like remote work, and the parallel requirement for industrial cybersecurity to help protect newly connected operations and networks.\n\n\u00a0\n\nChallenge:\n\nAs one multinational food and beverage manufacturer discovered, digital transformation and cybersecurity can no longer be viewed as two separate initiatives but must be implemented holistically.\n\nThe company planned to launch a security-centric digitization initiative to take advantage of real-time data generated by its increasingly digital business systems. But it would first need to address the technical deficiencies that had accumulated over the years. The food manufacturer's legacy systems and applications, for example, were incompatible with modern cloud computing and cybersecurity platforms. Its disparate networks and virtual infrastructure couldn't accommodate critical data analytics and artificial intelligence technologies. And inadequate cybersecurity awareness and training programs for employees contributed to a culture of poor security hygiene.\n\n\u00a0\n\nSolution:\n\nThe CPG manufacturer asked Rockwell Automation to help modernize and unify its IT and OT systems, implement automated monitoring and management of the new network, and update cybersecurity capabilities across 44 sites in North America. It did not want to tap into capital expenditure (CapEx) funding to do so, however.\n\nRockwell Automation created and deployed a modern cloud-based solution using our Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) offering. Our team collaborated with the company to design the IaaS network and implement cybersecurity capabilities to include network segmentation, patch management for operating systems, and antivirus solutions. A Rockwell Automation ecosystem partner managed the delivery of hardware for the initiative. All network and compute infrastructure were then migrated to a managed service in OT.\n\nThe company also deployed Rockwell Automation's TechConnect Support and Application Support services to gain access to 24/7 help desk support for applications and infrastructure, and to dispatch on-site field labor for 'hands-on keyboard' support.\n\nWhile service level agreements (SLAs) mandated a response to IaaS alerts in 10 minutes or less, actual response times averaged just 3.5 minutes.\n\n\u00a0\n\nResults:\n\nThis secure digital transformation solution closed large cyber-risk gaps by implementing a modern network infrastructure using Infrastructure-as-a-Service offering, and effective OT patch management - a notoriously complex security requirement to solve - and antivirus safeguards.\n\nUsing the Rockwell Automation's Application Support service, the company improved response time for critical alarms and alerts by 90%, which in turn diminished downtime.\n\nFunding for the initiative came from the company's operating expenditures, which enabled it to fund digital transformation without tapping into CapEx reserves.\n\nThe globally supported, services-ready support model helped address staffing shortages for skilled IT and cybersecurity workers in their newly digital operations and prepared the company for future growth.\n\nTAG: industrial-security\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: household-and-personal-care\n\n",
    "emulate3d-software-cuts-install-commission-time-up-to-50-percent": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/emulate3d-software-cuts-install-commission-time-up-to-50-percent\n\nTITLE: Emulate3D software cuts install and commission time by up to 50%\n\nWhen you combine digital twin solutions with class-leading process simulation and visualization software, and then apply them both to large-scale heat-treatment facilities, metal products still get harder, but the design, install and commissioning gets much easier.\n\nThanks to its deployment of Emulate3DTM software, ECM Technologies, a world leader for the design and manufacture of innovative and modular low-pressure carburizing industrial furnaces, has developed a solution that removes many of the installation and commissioning challenges relating to the development, testing and deployment of large-scale heat treatment plants.\n\nHeat treatment at scale is no small undertaking - especially when we're talking about automotive-industry volumes. A modern heat-treatment facility can take up an entire plant, which is why, coupled to its complexity, it is traditionally subcontracted to companies with established capabilities.\n\nHowever, with lean operating principles, cost controls and just-in-time fabrication and supply in mind, some automotive plants are looking to bring heat-treatment capabilities in house and on site. And, thanks to this marriage of digitalized process control and digital twins, ECM Technologies has made this perfectly feasible, with many of the traditional risks designed out before installation.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nHeat treatment is a complex, multi-stage process with a raft of process variables all of which must be precisely controlled to maintain quality and consistency. ECM's low-pressure carburizing process involves infusing steel parts with carbon to make them more resistant to wear and fatigue. The vacuum process the company has developed allows operators to precisely control the amount of carbon diffused into the metal by controlling multiple variables including the length of each of the stages and the all-important vacuum pressure.\n\nAccording to Christian Dugit-Pinat, automation expert at ECM Technologies: \"There are multiple stages involved. First the parts are washed before heat treatment and hardened in a vacuum thanks to carburizing, which can take anything up to six hours. The parts are then rapidly cooled by gas or oil quenching before tempering and final treatment. All in all, this can equate to about 10 to 13 hours of treatment to create a typical automotive gearbox component.\n\n\"Our electrically powered heat-treatment plants have a muti-chamber design,\" he adds, \"so multiple parts with their respective and often unique heat-treatment 'recipes' can progress through the line in parallel, with between 50 and 80 loads transitioning at any one time. Each of these loads needs to be controlled and managed individually to ensure maximum quality levels.\"\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\nModern automation is more than capable of managing these plants within optimized parameters, but the design, installation and commissioning is another matter, with many issues and enhancements only becoming obvious during the start-up phases.\n\n\"We were commissioned to install one of our ICBP Jumbo vacuum carburizing systems at a large automotive facility in Mexico,\" explains Philippe Reymond, project manager at ECM Technologies. \"We faced a number of additional challenges: not only did we need to get production up and running as soon as possible, but the customer also instructed us to use their software standard, which would require a wholesale rewrite of our existing code. Couple this to the normal timeframes and complexities of an order of this magnitude and we knew we had our work cut out. So, we started to investigate ways to make the project more streamlined and faster to deploy.\"\n\nECM had been looking at digital twin technology as a possible solution to these needs, and this project provided the impetus for the company to actively deploy Emulate3D software from Rockwell Automation.\n\n\"When we had this installation in Mexico in the pipeline, we decided to undertake some simulations using Emulate3D with help of Rockwell Automation engineers,\" Reymond explains. \"This project was huge, and rewriting and testing the PLC code on a built project was completely unrealistic from a timescale perspective, so a virtualized model was the obvious solution.\n\n\"Virtualization offered us some huge advantages,\" he continues, \"one of which was its connectivity with other software. Not only did we need to simulate the mechanical aspects of the design, but we also needed to consider thermodynamics, process physics and various flows, and for this we used MATLAB, which could send results directly back to the digital twin.\"\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\nThrough its use of Emulate3D, ECM Technologies was able to fully simulate, fine tune and finalize much of its PLC code prior to delivery of the line, and estimates that by debugging code in parallel with production - as opposed to linearly, after installation - it can save up to five months in its ICBP Jumbo project lead times.\u00a0\n\n\"We undertook a similar installation seven years ago, without the Rockwell Automation control solutions or its Emulate3D software,\" Reymond adds, \"and even though we used our own software in that one, the project was still incredibly complex. Conversely, this new project was not only delivered on time, but commissioning time was cut by 50% too. Even with the customer's own code, this second project was quicker. There were also fewer onsite meetings, which cut travel to and from North America.\"\n\nECM Technologies has since won another order from the customer and is being asked about other opportunities. \"The customer knew that we had written all of this project's code from scratch,\" Reymond explains, \"and they were suitably impressed with the speed of the installation and commissioning. We are now looking to use Emulate3D on other projects, with three currently under way, and we will definitely deploy digital twins as part of our internal procedures.\u00a0\"By virtualizing our projects, we can also manage more projects concurrently, due to the quality and speed of the outputs and by simply spending less time at a customer's plant,\" he concludes.\n\nNicola Iovine, strategic business developer EMEA, digital design and SaaS, at Rockwell Automation, concludes: \"Emulate3D is becoming a powerhouse in industrial design as more and more companies recognize the huge benefits from the deployment of digital twin technology. This application with ECM Technologies is a real showcase demonstration of what can be achieved and how more streamlined design and commissioning can become. We are looking forward to supporting ECM Technologies as it evolves even further into the digital realm.\"\n\nTAG: build-resilience\n\nTAG: metals\n\nTAG: factorytalk-emulate-3d\n\n",
    "mining-update-electric": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/mining-update-electric\n\nTITLE: Safety is Priority for MCC Replacement Effort\n\nAs part of a large-scale initiative, a global mining company is upgrading the power, automation and controls, including replacing the low voltage (LV) motor control centers (MCCs), at one of its Canadian milling sites. This location processes and refines ore from the company's local mines into a nickel-copper concentrate.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\n* Aging equipment increases risk to personnel and process\n\n\"Not only do we want to modernize the technology, but we want to make it safer for the employees that interact with the equipment,\" said an automation specialist with the company. \"Safety is at the forefront of everything that we do.\"\n\nAfter conducting a risk analysis of its existing MCCs, the mill identified nearly 60 that were deemed a risk due to a combination of equipment age, safety and process criticality.\n\n\n\n\"The risk on legacy gear is inherently higher because it wasn't designed to meet today's safety requirements, especially for arc flash\" explained Curtis Tulloch, operations manager with Walden Electrical, the mining company's longtime Canadian electrical contractor.\n\nAn arc flash is the result of a discharge of electrical energy that can produce high temperatures, bright flashes of light, and loud sounds, and can inflict serious injuries including burns, damaged hearing, and impaired eyesight.\n\n\"Arc flash can harm personnel and damage the MCC and surrounding equipment,\" Tulloch said. \"If you take out one of these older MCCs, you're taking out the entire process and impacting the operation for a significant amount of time.\"\n\nThe mill ranked each of the identified MCCs by risk from highest to lowest to determine their replacement schedule. They started with two LVMCC lineups that were installed by a previous vendor in the early 1970s. These MCCs help run the mill's various pumps, fans, conveyor belts, and other equipment.\n\n\"Our goals were to increase safety, increase reliability and have the data and analytics - a capability we didn't have before - to speed up our troubleshooting process so we can remedy issues faster if there's a failure or something going in on the field,\" the automation specialist said. \"All of which will help us reduce downtime.\"\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\n* Motor Control Centers designed to protect workers\n\nThe mill selected Allen-Bradley(R) CENTERLINE(R) 2100 Motor Control Centers (MCCs) with ArcShieldTM arc-resistant technology. These MCCs are designed to protect workers, reduce arc flash hazards, and mitigate damage by containing arc flashes within the equipment.\n\nRockwell Automation has a history of delivering solutions with unmatched levels of arc flash protection. The CENTERLINE 2100 MCCs feature an expanded range of ArcShield technology for high-current applications, such as those typically used in the mining industry. ArcShield MCCs offer 2.5 times the prior current bus maximum rating for up to 600-volt power applications, up to 3000 amps, and meet the industry's strict safety standards.\n\n\n\n* Extensive pre-planning and execution\n\n\"A lot of work went into the front end to make implementation as successful as possible,\" the automation specialist explained. \"The pre-planning and execution were flawless with Walden, Rockwell Automation and BESTECH (engineering services provider) all working together. Rockwell Automation understood our requirements and the CENTERLINE MCCs integrate seamlessly with our DCS system, which made implementation a lot easier.\"\n\n\"We had a lot of preparations,\" added Walden's Tulloch. \"Even though Rockwell Automation was building these new MCCs for the first time, they were able to meet our shipment date so we could pre-test and pre-commission.\n\n\"Rockwell Automation and their gear are always easy to deal with,\" Tulloch continued. \"We've installed numerous Allen-Bradley MCCs in the past and with our history together, this installation was like putting on a pair of comfortable shoes.\"\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\n* Dramatic decrease in CAL rating\n\nImplementation was completed safely and on time in mid-2023.\n\n\"We've had no issues. We hit our targets, we hit our deadlines, and we hit our commissioning dates,\" the automation specialist said. \"We just had an audit and it passed with flying colors. Most importantly, these MCCs are safer than any we've had to date.\"\n\nThe mill saw a dramatic decrease in the CAL rating required to work with the new MCCs. CAL ratings indicate the amount of personal protection equipment (PPE) employees must wear when they interact with electrical equipment.\n\n\"In the past, the CAL rating to work with this type of equipment was over 40. Now, it's 5 or less,\" the automation specialist explained. \"Our employees can work on these MCCs without the level of PPE that used to be required. Without so much PPE, it's easier for them to come into the switch room and work with the equipment.\"\n\n\n\n* Space saving design & simplified procedures\n\nAdding to that ease is the CENTERLINE 2100 MCC's new space saving design, which reduces lineup size and overall footprint. The automation specialist also noted that the mill has been able to simplify the safety procedures, forms and signatures needed to perform equipment maintenance.\n\n\"We've eliminated the long tedious processes that used to be required,\" he said. \"Preparation to do any kind of maintenance is 100% less because these MCCs have been updated and designed with the electricians in mind who work on the equipment.\"\n\n\n\n* Remote access enhances safety & performance\n\nBecause the MCCs also feature Rockwell Automation IntelliCENTER(R) technology and its built-in EtherNet/IP network, the mill can monitor and diagnose MCC and related component issues remotely. This enhances safety by minimizing the need for employees to approach the equipment and provides access to critical operating data to help reduce downtime.\n\n\"Before we went into troubleshooting with barely any information. Now, for example, we have insight into what's happening in each starter,\" the automation specialist explained. \"We can pull the data to determine what's causing issues, whether it's high amperage, a phase loss or something else, and have the analytics that give us insight before we get out into the field.\"\n\n\n\n* ArcShield is the standard going forward\n\nThe mining company expects to replace another 50 lineups of existing MCCs in its mill, tailing and water operations in this region over the next 10 to 15 years and has specified the Allen-Bradley CENTERLINE 2100 product.\n\n\"ArcShield is our engineering standard here at the mill going forward. We look forward to more replacements in the future and partnering with Rockwell Automation,\" the automation specialist said. \"They've exceeded our expectations. We never have to worry about product quality or reliability. We can focus on our other priorities.\"\n\nTAG: build-resilience\n\nTAG: mining\n\nTAG: motor-control\n\n",
    "digital-machine-insights": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/digital-machine-insights\n\nTITLE: Sani-Matic Customers Improve Cleaning & Compliance\n\nSani-Matic, Inc. is a US-based manufacturer of automated cleaning technology, hygienic component solutions, services, and digital solutions for the food, beverage, personal care, and pharmaceutical industries.\n\nPeter Barrie is Product Management Director for Sani-Matic, which designs and manufactures automated cleaning solutions including Clean-in-Place (CIP) and Clean-Out-of-Place (COP) systems, equipment and components. A member of the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM, Sani-Matic serves food and beverage, personal care, and nutraceutical and pharmaceutical companies.\n\nPeter develops his hygienic design and process technical knowledge through participation in ASME Bioprocessing Equipment (BPE) Committees and 3-A Work Group Member Meetings. He is a Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) and is Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HAACP) certified.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\n* Regulatory demands and manual data collection and reporting\n\n\"These are regulated industries,\" Barrie says. \"Their process equipment must be clean, and they're required to collect and report critical cleaning.\"\n\nTraditionally, many of Sani-Matic's customers collected this data manually and generated paper-based reports with limited automation and data insight.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\nCloud-based software solution\n\nThat's why Sani-Matic developed its SaniTrend(R) Cloud Cleaning Reports(R) (CR) software product in 2020. Built on the ThingWorx IIoT Platform, SaniTrend is an automated, cloud-based solution that allows customers to securely collect, store and report data from any automated CIP or COP system.\n\n\"We initially developed it for our food and beverage audience, but have since launched additional versions,\" Barrie explained. \"We have some customers that just want the basic Cleaning Cycles report, but others are also interested in insights about things such as overall equipment effectiveness.\"\n\nSani-Matic now offers three tiers of SaniTrend Cloud - Essentials, Insights and Insights+. The Essentials tier includes reporting of all critical cleaning data while the Insights and Insights+ versions offer additional features including OEE trends, event logs, and preventative maintenance. All of which increase visibility into systems and operator efficiency.\n\n\"We developed the Insights+ version especially for our pharmaceutical audience. With full traceability, if someone's changed anything on the HMI it's captured in an audit trail,\" Barrie says. \"We also have our Digital Process Recorder offering, which is unique in that it can go with one of our cleaning systems, but it can also be paired with other process equipment.\"\n\nLike the other versions of SaniTrend Cloud, the Digital Process Recorder replaces traditional data collection methods, including paper-based Chart Recorders.\n\n\"These are circular paper charts that collect things like temperature data or process data, and you take that paper, store it and comment on it,\" Barrie explains. \"But paper, as we know, is inefficient - it fades and gets damaged over time. The Digital Process Recorder is a direct replacement for that paper Chart Recorder and an easy starting point for customers who want to try out cloud-based technology but don't know where to begin\".\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\n* Operational insights lead to faster cleaning times and reduced water usage\n\nSani-Matic's digital solutions have allowed the company not only to expand revenue generation streams beyond its systems and equipment business, but also leverage its expertise, improve customer service, and differentiate Sani-Matic from its competitors.\n\n\"With our wealth of knowledge and our ability to remotely access and review customer data, we've gathered valuable insights that have allowed us to provide recommendations on how customers can better use their systems, including how to clean faster,\" Barrie says. \"Because the customer wants to clean as fast as they can and get back to their production processes.\"\n\nSome Sani-Matic customers have reduced clean times by 20% and reduced water use by 50%.\n\n\"All because we have 'virtual boots on the ground' where we can see what's going on with a customer's system and make recommendations quickly,\" Barrie says.\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: life-sciences\n\nTAG: thingworx\n\n",
    "manufacturing-data-alert": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/manufacturing-data-alert\n\nTITLE: Patented Algorithm Maximizes Operator Efficiency\n\nThis story is about us! Rockwell Automation, Inc is a global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation. We connect the imaginations of people with the potential of technology to expand what is humanly possible.\n\nWhat's the upside to having a flat tire? Typically, you're alerted to the problem immediately. A warning light appears on your dashboard, or you feel a difference when you drive. You patch or replace the tire and continue driving without issue. The problem remains isolated to the tire.\n\nThat's not the case with many manufacturing processes. Often, when a piece of tooling begins to wear, operators aren't aware that intervention is needed until a larger interruption in the process occurs. This could mean that additional parts of the line are subject to disruption. Product on the line may be damaged. Production may be halted.\n\nHad operators been able to identify the individual issue earlier, they could've taken action. Instead, the manufacturer incurs downtime, material waste, and lost production.\n\nRockwell Automation, specifically Software Architect Kai Lin, and PBCA Process Engineers Miki Cvijetinovic and Gregory Vance, knew this was a problem for our customers and decided to do something about it. They piloted a solution in the Rockwell Automation manufacturing plant in Twinsburg, Ohio.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nHere's a snapshot of what our electronic assembly operations involves across Rockwell Automation facilities:\n\n    * 4K unique circuit board designs produced per year\n\n    * 9M components placed per day\n\n    * 23M solder joints formed per day\n\n    * 14K panels produced per day\n\nOur Twinsburg location has 8 manufacturing lines. Twinsburg is a large production facility, and like all facilities, there are many processes that could impact production. For our pilot, we chose to focus on the stencil printing process.\n\n\n\n* Understanding the Process\n\nA stencil foil has laser etched apertures, under which a circuit board is mated. Then, a squeegee blade pushes solder paste from the front to the rear of the stencil, filling apertures with solder paste that will deposit and stick to circuit board. At the end of the stroke, the circuit board is transferred and then inspected. The next circuit board is printed in the opposite direction with a different squeegee blade. Each part of this process generates performance data.\n\n\n\n* More Complex Than Meets the Eye\n\nLike any seemingly simple manufacturing process, there are hidden complexities. First, the stencil printing process is complex with many independent variables. This makes it difficult for support staff to detect wear or degrading performance of the stencils and squeegees, especially when that wear is hard to see with the naked eye. Further, the start of the process and long pauses during the process change the effectiveness of paste transfer, making it difficult to analyze the long-term wear of the tooling.\n\nAdditionally, stencils that are thinner or have special coatings have different lifespans, creating even more unpredictability in the wear and tear that happens. And while each step of the process generates performance data, support staff are unable to gather and analyze this vast amount of data-IT, OT, and engineering-in real time.\n\nSupport staff needed a better way to collect and analyze real-time performance data on their equipment and be alerted immediately to any equipment anomalies or damage. This was the perfect use case for our anomaly detection algorithm, the computation of which could be calculated and displayed through FactoryTalk(R) DataMosaixTM seconds after print inspection.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\nOur project engineer and software teams took an algorithmic approach to this challenge. They created a patented anomaly detection algorithm, owned by Rockwell Automation, that monitors the tooling in the stencil printing process and sends performance data to support staff. Then, they implemented notifications on that algorithm so plant personnel could receive immediate alerts on anomalies without having to perform tedious post hoc analysis.\n\n\n\n* Tags and Sensors Needed\n\nFirst, the engineering team added RFID tags to each of our stencils and squeegee blades, along with a sensor to detect the direction in which the gantry was moving. The team collected the data and tied it against the serial numbers of the printed circuit boards that entered machines that were captured by an existing programmable logic controller (PLC). They also tied the data to the corresponding stencil and squeegee to get the performance data about anomalies, defects and solder paste inspection.\n\n\n\n* Elegant Data Collection and Contextualization\n\nNext, we turned to FactoryTalk DataMosaix. FactoryTalk DataMosaix is a SaaS application designed to bring in high volumes of raw data from various sources, contextualize it into one platform, and make it useful for applications used by operations management teams.\n\nWhy was FactoryTalk DataMosaix selected for this project? Typical BI tools didn't provide enough data relationship modeling along with the ability to perform this contextualization in real time. Power BI, for example, required someone to perform the analysis manually.\n\nFor the Twinsburg plant, this analysis was conducted monthly. With FactoryTalk DataMosaix, the analysis could be done in real time, a requirement for plant personnel to be notified of immediate anomalies in performance.\n\nAdditionally, FactoryTalk DataMosaix tracks the entire lifecycle of the squeegee blades and stencils as they move around the plant floor. Typically, when a stencil is used in one line, its data is tracked. When it's brought back and put in another line later, the data that speaks to the stencil's past runtime and performance is not considered, thus increasing the likelihood personnel could miss potential performance issues.\n\nUsing FactoryTalk DataMosaix, we plotted the data on a chart that identified the risk of equipment failure. This analytical method is a \"really elegant way to look at the performance of the line,\" says Kai Lin, Software Architect at Rockwell Automation. \"It really speaks to whether the line is getting better or worse.\"\n\n\n\n* Real-Time Alerts on Teams\n\nFinally, the team built a channel on Microsoft Teams to which anyone at the plant could subscribe and receive real-time notifications of equipment abnormalities or defects. Alerts could have been generated in a variety of ways. Our team chose to use Microsoft Teams because it's the business system the team was already using.\n\nHere's how the process used to work. When the Solder Paste Inspection machine detected an issue with a circuit board, the operator had to manually check or clean it, leading to delays or potential errors in judgment. Today, by monitoring the performance of the tooling equipment-squeegees and stencils-the algorithm triggers alerts for unusually high failure rates of the boards, prompting operators to pause and investigate the issue promptly.\n\nThanks to the implemented solution, operators can quickly identify the equipment causing the failures, whereas previously, the nature of the production environment made it difficult to identify the root of the issue.\n\nNow, it was time to see if the solution worked. The plant went live with the algorithm, FactoryTalk DataMosaix, and Microsoft Teams project in late 2023 and collected data for about 70 days.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\n* Reduction in Failed Inspections\n\nThere were several instances in which the engineering team and plant personnel received a notification about a stencil anomaly or defect and were able to react accordingly. Instead of waiting for failure (or wastefully replacing stencils based on a calendar date), the algorithm gave operators a 30-60-day advance warning of stencil failure. And after replacing or repairing the damaged stencil in each instance, the fail rate improved by 22%.\n\n\n\n* Improved Operator Productivity\n\nAdditionally, machine operators became more productive. Now that the support personnel are alerted to stencil issues before they affected the rest of the production line, and had meaningful data to work with, and operators had fewer distractions and could be more efficient.\n\n\n\n* ROI for Twinsburg and Beyond\n\nAfter a four-month evaluation at our Twinsburg facility, we calculated that the annual labor savings was dramatically higher than the costs, with an ROI of approximately 200%. With additional use cases planned, we feel confident that the FactoryTalk DataMosaix ROI will increase further, justifying this annual expense.\n\n\n\n* Revenue Disruption\n\nFinally, the improved fail rate and maximized productivity correspond to revenue wins. Specifically, this enabled the plant to realize $9M worth of revenue sooner due to less disruption.\n\n\n\n* The Future is Bright...And Productive\n\nWhat does the future hold for the algorithm and FactoryTalk DataMosaix integration? Engineering and software teams are working to deploy it at scale in Twinsburg, as well as our plants in Mequon, Monterrey, and Singapore. We're also looking for other applications of this solution within our own operations.\n\nBecause Rockwell Automation owns the algorithm, the use cases for our customers are truly endless. As Kai Lin says, \"When you think about what the algorithm provides...then really correlating that back to monitoring performance of tooling in the process, I would see a very wide applicability in discrete manufacturing.\"\n\nTAG: build-resilience\n\nTAG: factorytalk-datamosaix\n\n",
    "servo-driven-palletizer-delivers-versatility": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/servo-driven-palletizer-delivers-versatility\n\nTITLE: Servo-Driven Palletizer Delivers Versatility\n\nAcross the packaging industry, speed and flexibility are the watchwords that guide every investment. At the end of the line, palletizers must quickly respond to new marketing trends and retail demands that alter product packaging and pallet configurations.\n\n\"New packaging equipment and methods can dramatically impact downstream processes,\" said Ted Yeigh, director of marketing, Columbia Machine. \"Our goal is to build solutions that can meet the demands of the products our customers are familiar with today - as well as tomorrow's unknown products.\"\n\nA leading supplier of palletizers in North America, Columbia Machine manufactures equipment built to help meet the diverse needs of the food and beverage, personal care, tissue towel, chemical and other industries.\n\nThe company boasts more than 3,500 installations worldwide, and the most complete line of conventional and robotic palletizers available. Columbia Machine recently introduced the FL6200 high-speed palletizer, a floor-level design that combines robotic-like precision with the familiar simplicity of a conventional system.\n\nThe FL6200 can palletize up to 100 cases per minute, depending on layer pattern - and can manage standard and challenging products including shallow unwrapped trays, shrink pads, film-only bundles and more.\n\nOne of the keys to the palletizer's impressive performance and flexibility is the incorporation of servo technology. \"With the extensive use of servos on this machine, we are able to deliver the same type of speed and precise movements that many robotic systems offer - and at a higher rate of speed,\" Yeigh said.\n\nTo build the pallet seamlessly and continuously, servo actuators control both the layer-transfer and load-building hoists, which work in tandem, along with the servo-controlled bi-parting stripping plates. \"The servo technology delivers the accurate, smooth movement you would expect with a robotic system,\" Yeigh explained. \"The palletizer can handle a vast array of package types because it never picks up the product - and isn't constrained by traditional robotic arm and end effector limitations.\"\n\nIn addition, the FL6200 can changeover from one package type or layer pattern to another automatically, based on information received from barcode scanners or other input methods. \"The palletizer features \"zero-time\" changeover,\" Yeigh said. \"The machine can adjust from an unwrapped tray to a shrink bundle to a telescoping lid case to a standard case instantaneously.\"\n\nAnd the palletizer's flexibility also extends beyond package types to its modular construction, which allows for multiple layout configurations to meet site constraints. The future-ready design includes an optional dual-infeed, which can be added to increase capacity when required. An integrated stretch wrapper is also offered as an option.\n\nSafety is a key priority for Columbia Machine and the FL6200 palletizer features an industry-leading safety and guarding package that includes Category 3, Performance Level D safety components. To minimise complexity, the FL6200 is built on a single control architecture featuring an Allen-Bradley(R) CompactLogixTM controller with integrated motion, and Allen-Bradley Kinetix(R) 5700 servo drives and VPL servo motors. The system is integrated on an EtherNet/IPTM network and utilizes an Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM Plus 6 graphic terminal for machine interface functions. This innovative motion control system delivers exceptional precision and repeatability, thanks in part to the built-in \"load observer\" tuning features in the Kinetix servo drives.\n\nDuring commissioning, load observer simplifies the tuning process - and during operation it estimates the mechanical load inertia on the motor and automatically compensates for it in real time. This feature helps maintain accurate, smooth performance regardless of the product being palletized.\n\nFrom an operational and maintenance standpoint, using a common control architecture and network for the complete system offers distinct advantages. \"There is no separate robotic controller or subsystem,\" Yeigh said. \"Our customers have a comfort level with Rockwell Automation technology and this palletizer offers that familiar control environment for the entire machine.\"\n\nOperators will also appreciate the intuitive HMI screens, designed to speed diagnostics and improve overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). The company's Product Manager HMI software is built on the Rockwell Automation platform. \"The analytics and data the Product Manager HMI can deliver are significant,\" Yeigh said. \"Over the years, we incorporated input from customers and collaborated with Rockwell Automation as we developed and perfected that platform. We look forward to our continued relationship.\"\n\nLearn more about how Rockwell Automation helps improve machine builder performance.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: household-and-personal-care\n\n",
    "solutions-in-action--mgs-machine": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/solutions-in-action--mgs-machine\n\nTITLE: Solutions in Action: MGS Machine\n\nWhile consistent packaging quality is a priority for all manufacturers, the stakes are particularly high for the pharmaceutical industry. Arguably, the most regulated consumer products segment, drug companies must continually retool their processes to meet ever more stringent requirements. With additional product identifi cation and tracking mandates soon to go\n\ninto effect, pharmaceutical companies and the contract packagers who serve them must evaluate their equipment for serialization readiness. The new CT200\u2122 continuous motion cartoner from MGS Machine is designed to meet the latest demands facing this market efficiently and cost-effectively.\n\nFounded in 1979 and based in Maple Grove, Minnesota, MGS Machine specializes in secondary packaging and material handling equipment for the life sciences, personal care and cosmetics industries. \"Our CT200 cartoner fi lls a specific packaging niche for common applications in the healthcare segment involving products in bottles, tubes or blisters being loaded into a carton,\" said Richard Bahr, president and CEO,\n\nMGS Machine. \"This machine is dedicated to delivering those products in shelf-ready cartons that meet the latest regulations.\" At the front of the machine, the filled bottles, tubes or blisters enter a product handling module via an infeed conveyor. Literature inserts can also be added to the product buckets at this point. Utilizing a timing screw mechanism, products are paced and then tipped into cartons, which have been erected farther down the line. Next, carton flaps are glued or tucked. Before exiting the machine, required information including serialization code, expiration date, lot and/or 2-D barcoding is imprinted on the end of the carton.\n\nFinally, carton coding is inspected with a vision system, and non-conforming cartons are ejected. The machine is built for speeds up to 200 cartons per minute and meets cGMP guidelines. \"A number of factors make the CT200 cartoner a unique offering,\" explained Bahr. \"First, thanks to a dual-axis servo motor configuration, we are able to achieve continuous\n\nmotion and load three cartons simultaneously.\" In addition, this machine integrates the cartoning function and serialization process within the same machine. \"Many packaging lines use different machines for cartoning, print serialization and final vision inspection,\" said Bahr. \"With the CT200 cartoner, companies can maintain product control in just one machine \u2013 and\n\nsimplify the chain of custody for their product.\" Chain of custody standards guide the \"track and trace\" or audit requirements for regulated products.\n\nThe CT200 cartoner also offers impressive versatility. The product handling module at the front end of the machine is built for either bottle, blister pack or tube applications. Machines can be reconfigured for another application by changing the handling module. \"For example, if a contract packager must change from blister packs to bottles, we can deliver an alternate product handling module,\" Bahr said. \"For a relatively small investment, the module can be applied to the machine onsite \u2013 and the new line can be up and running in a matter of days.\" Changeovers for different runs of the same type of product are recipe driven from the machine's operator interface and tool-less from a mechanical standpoint. The CT200 cartoner is built on a Rockwell Automation control and information platform featuring an Allen-Bradley\u00ae CompactLogix\u2122 controller. For motion synchronization, the controller is tightly integrated with Allen-Bradley Kinetix\u00ae 350 single-axis EtherNet/IP\u2122 servo drives and Allen-Bradley MP-Series\u2122 low inertia servo motors.\n\nAllen-Bradley PowerFlex\u00ae 525 AC drives control the speed of the conveyors, while Allen-Bradley Guardmaster\u00ae safety relays help provide machine and personnel protection. The system is integrated on EtherNet/IP and monitored on an Allen-Bradley 6181 integrated display computer running FactoryTalk\u00ae View Machine Edition (ME) software. Through the integrated display, operators can monitor overall machine functionality, plus the printing and vision systems used for serialization, by simply toggling between screens. \"We were able to build a serialization-friendly machine by integrating the monitoring for all three systems into one operator interface,\" explained Bahr. \"The integrated display from Rockwell Automation was\n\ncritical to the application.\" MGS Machine looks forward to continuing their relationship with Rockwell Automation in subsequent product offerings. \"Rockwell Automation is a market leader when it comes to packaging in the healthcare segment we serve,\" said Bahr. \"When we install Rockwell Automation systems on our machines, we don't have to sell our clients on the control\n\nsystem. They've already been sold.\"\n\nFor more information: MGS Machine Corporation, Phone: 763.425.8808 Email: info@mgsmachine.com\n\n\nTAG: life-sciences\n\n",
    "tata-steel-is-one-step-closer-to-the-connected-enterprise": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/tata-steel-is-one-step-closer-to-the-connected-enterprise\n\nTITLE: Tata Steel is One Step Closer to The Connected Enterprise(R)\n\n*** Background ***\n\nTata Steel's\u00a0limestone quarry and lime kilns, located in Cumbria in the UK, have been producing quicklime and limestone products since 1962.\n\nAt the plant in Shapfell, the company produces high-performance lime products created to meet the requirements of a wide range of applications.\n\nLime products include CE-marked fine lime, other size grades and ground limestone in flexible quantities and at short notice.\n\nIn a recent audit, Tata Steel realised that the control infrastructure managing four of its Maerz lime kilns was at the end of its lifecycle and was effectively obsolete.\n\nAs well as facing potential operational failure risks associated with obsolete hardware, Tata Steel was also seeing increased maintenance costs and diminishing performance levels.\n\nIt had a problem with alarming too, not only in terms of the quantity of alarms, but also with regard to how to effectively manage them.\n\nEasier connectivity to the rest of the plant would also be of huge benefit, allowing Tata Steel to exploit the capabilities of future Connected Enterprise opportunities. As a result, the control system had to be replaced as a matter of urgency.\n\nTata Steel put a tender out for the modernisation project to many of the leading suppliers of automation solutions, including the incumbent supplier.\n\nAfter a rigorous vetting process, it opted for a Rockwell Automation based solution designed and delivered by InControl Systems Ltd., a company that has been providing turnkey solutions for process control, automation and information systems for over 14 years.\n\nTata Steel chose InControl's solution for a number of reasons, one was the cost competitiveness, coupled with greater flexibility and easier connectivity offered by the Rockwell Automation solution, and another was because of InControl's ability to undertake changeovers in incredibly tight windows of opportunity.\n\nThe project entailed the complete replacement of the legacy controllers and SCADA system with a modern solution based on dual redundant\u00a0Allen-Bradley\u00ae ControlLogix\u00ae programmable automation controllers (PAC).\n\nThese would be working in conjunction with FactoryTalk\u00ae View Site Edition (SE) SCADA,\u00a0FactoryTalk\u00ae Historian and FactoryTalk\u00ae VantagePoint\u00ae; with primary data pathways to over 5,000 Allen-Bradley POINT\u2122 I/O nodes, other plant IT systems and remote support gateways being provided by an EtherNet/IP\u2122 network.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nAs well as transferring the control solution over to the new platform, the primary challenge faced was the limited timescale in which it could achieve a successful changeover.\n\nThis timescale was governed by how long the kilns could be switched off before the refractory lining began to degrade \u2013 in this case less than 16 hours.\n\nAny longer and the bill for repair could run into many thousands of pounds.\n\nThe alarm system also had to be addressed, with the creation of a solution guided by EEMUA-191 that could prioritise the alarms and then notify the operators in the most effective way.\n\nIn addition, the operators needed a way to manage the alarms so that they could be postponed in order to cater for the variations in production 'foibles' \u2013 due to the variable mechanics of the raw materials \u2013 and their subsequent self-remedy.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nPrior to the installation of the new contemporary system a fully simulated environment was built and run within the ControlLogix PAC, which mimicked the way the kilns worked, simulating the process conditions off line.\n\nPlantPAx process control system faceplates were also used modified to meet the Tata Steel standards.\n\n\"We then gave this to Tata Steel,\" explains Jan Hemper, Technical Director at InControl, \"to let its engineers run and test the new solution and deliberately create faults to see how it handled the alarms.\n\nTheir feedback then allowed us to fine tune and refine the control system before we put it anywhere near the kilns.\n\n\"This virtual testing using VMware-compliant Rockwell Automation software allows us to do an incredible amount of off-line testing,\" Jan continues, \"but using real-life parameters.\"\n\nVirtual testing is much easier and a lot faster than on-site testing and delivers greater peace of mind to the customer.\n\nIn addition to the refinement, the virtual environment also proved ideal for training, so the engineers at Tata Steel were already up to speed before the hardware was rolled out.\n\nThe virtual environment is highly flexible when it comes to managing issues, too.\n\nInControl could simply delete virtual machines, reimport their templates and then reinstall the Allen-Bradley products back on to the server.\n\nTo address the alarms, a situational-awareness type approach was deployed, with a solution based around a 'dark-desk' philosophy.\n\nTo the operators, the control room screens appear subtle and bland but when something goes wrong it really jumps out.\n\nJan explains: \"When there aren't any alarms, the screens are a symphony of grey. When alarms do appear they will only be apparent in one of four primary colors \u2013 blue, yellow, red and green \u2013 in fact these are the only colors used in the in the operator works stations .\"\n\nThe primary remit for the alarm delivery and management system was to follow EEMUA 191 guidelines, a standard for the design and management of alarm systems.\n\nSince it was first published in 1999, EEMUA 191 has become the globally accepted and leading guide to good practice for all aspects of alarm systems.\n\nThe kilns have radiation-based level transmitters, which are used to gauge the stone level.\n\nThe problem is the stones can back up or bridge and then drop, so the actual level will fluctuate. One alarm that kept appearing with the old system was 'stone level low', which triggered every couple of minutes across all four kilns.\n\n\"When we were translating the software from the original system we looked at the entire state of the alarms, rationalised them and then classified them based on importance,\" Jan explains.\n\n\"We utilized the ability of operators to shelve the alarms too, in effect snoozing or hiding them for a while to give engineers the time to fix any issues.\"\n\nThere are still over 2,800 potential alarms in the system, but the shelving functionality allows the operators to consciously tidy up the alarm screen and prevent the alarm logger being continuously stamped.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nSince the installation, the new control solution has been working as designed and has proven to be a more than capable replacement for the older system.\n\nAlong with the significantly reduced risk of failures, Tata Steel is also seeing many other benefits of a contemporary control solution.\n\nThese include: far more effective data management, thanks to FactoryTalk Historian; the effective collection and collation of real time data, allowing the company to make better informed role-based business decisions; and clearer data presentation and disbursement thanks to FactoryTalk VantagePoint.\n\nThe use of an EtherNet/IP communication backbone has also allowed Tata Steel to exploit the power of The Connected Enterprise(R).\n\nThe new control solution not only connects to the site's ERP system, but also to its quality system, laboratories and its road & rail logistics system.\n\nThe use of an EtherNet/IP-based communication protocol also gives InControl the ability to 'dial in' to the site to remedy any issues without having to undertake costly engineering visits.\n\nJan adds: \"A lot of people are wary of letting you touch their kilns. If you wreck the refractories, it costs thousands to fix.\n\nWe have proved that modern control solutions can be implemented in incredibly short time windows and at a very attractive price point.\n\nWe have now modernised four kilns at Shapfell and are eager to let other Maerz kiln operators know that we now have a standard tried-and-tested solution.\"\n\nAccording to Ian Busby, engineering Manager at Tata Steel's Shapfell plant: \"We needed a solution that would offer us good reliability that could help us replace the older system in stages without disrupting the production.\n\nWe also went for a system that would be supported by readily available spares and one that could deliver remote support. The Rockwell Automation-based solution ticked all the boxes.\n\n\"We are now seeing more real time information,\" Ian concludes, \"so trending is a lot more straightforward.\n\nThe next stage will be to look at increasing efficiencies at the plant, which will be more straightforward thanks to our new data capabilities and the ability to easily add more hardware.\"\n\nAllen-Bradley, ControlLogix, FactoryTalk View Site Edition (SE), FactoryTalk Historian, FactoryTalk VantagePoint, LISTEN. THINK. SOLVE., PlantPAx, POINT I/O and Rockwell Automation are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\nEtherNet/IP is a trademark of ODVA, Inc.\n\nTrademarks not belonging to Rockwell Automation are property of their respective companies.\n\n\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\n\n",
    "metalquimia-deploys-integrated-architecture-for-process-automati": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/metalquimia-deploys-integrated-architecture-for-process-automati\n\nTITLE: Metalquimia Deploys Integrated Architecture for Process Automation\n\n***** Background *****\n\nMetalquimia is a world leader in the technology and manufacturing of turn-key lines for the production of meat products. From the early 1980s, the company, located in Girona, Spain, has focused on innovation and high quality.\n\nThis innovative approach is evident through a number of different patents the company has achieved, such as the first automated hydraulic injector with spray effect or, more recently, the QDS (Quick-Dry-Slice) System, a technology for accelerated dry-curing of sliced meat products. All of this has undoubtedly helped Metalquimia to become a leading company in the meat industry for process innovation.\n\nIn order to automate its products, the company works with Automatismes Girona, S.L. (AUGI), an engineering company specialising in the development and implementation of comprehensive solutions in the field of industrial automation for the upgrade of many kinds of machinery and processes. Thanks to its diversification, AUGI covers a wide variety of industries such food and feed, paper, textile, machinery construction or renewable energies.\n\nA few years ago, AUGI also achieved the Rockwell Automation Solution Partner status. Solution Partners are system integrators that make a commitment to deliver high quality technical solution and customer service, leading with Rockwell Automation technologies. They are often specialised, with application or industry experience complementary to Rockwell Automation and have the ability to deliver across a broad area.\n\n***** Challenge *****\n\nMetalquimia's QDS System is a production process in which, after a prior heating cycle, frozen meat slices undergo a quick tempering drying phase at controlled temperature and humidity. According to Pere Canadell, Automation Manager at Metalquimia: \"It comprises an automated line starting from the frozen product in bar form, which are then sliced, passed through a drier and then placed in packets perfectly stacked and ready for sale.\" This innovative process drastically reduces the total processing times, simplifies production and achieves a significant improvement in energy efficiency.\n\nThe system integrates several components, such as a slicer, transport conveyors, tray loaders, drying tunnels with climate control and packaging machines. AUGI was commissioned to develop automated and integrated control of the whole machine. \"The process involved several complex considerations. On one hand we had to control the drying process very precisely, which requires optimal climate control management,\" explains Canadell.\n\n\"On the other hand,\" he continues, \"product overlapping was also relevant in order to obtain attractive-looking trays and provide traceability, since all trays are identified by an RFID tag.\" This results in a reduction of time and costs, since a large number of items can be read at once and a view line is not required between the tags and the reader.\n\nMultiple axes were also involved via shafts, motors, drives, synchronisms, cams and servo drives for the placement of slices in mosaic patterns. And of course,\" adds Xavier Mir, Process Automation Manager at AUGI, \"all this had to be integrated in order to work seamlessly.\"\n\n***** Solution *****\n\nIn order to address all these considerations, both Metalquimia and AUGI decided to work with Rockwell Automation. The system, using an EtherNet/IPTM network architecture, includes Allen-Bradley(R) ControlLogix(R) programmable automation controllers (PAC) and Allen-Bradley Kinetix(R) 6500 servo drives for motion control, as well as Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) AC drives, distributed Allen-Bradley POINT I/OTM and, for operating interfaces, Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM HMIs and FactoryTalk(R) View Site edition (SE). \"We know these\u00a0 products very well,\" states Mir, \"to integrate communication networks, motion control with shafts, remote peripheries, all with the proper synchronization, it's better to use solutions provided by one recognized company such as Rockwell Automation.\"\n\nAll these solutions work much better in combination, because they enable end users to experience a significant improvement in productivity with higher speeds and flexibility. And with a standardized platform, the system is designed to optimize and improve reliability. Thanks to the implementation of these combined elements, controlling and managing production lines becomes easier and more efficient, with reporting and responding to real-time data contributing to an improved process that helps to avoid failures.\n\n***** Results *****\n\nRockwell Automation solutions have contributed to create an innovative process, unique in the world, whose patent is owned exclusively by Metalquimia. With the added advantage that, thanks to the versatility of the installed components, it can be seamlessly fitted to the production needs. \"I think that we made a good job of implementing the automation solutions into the QDS System,\" states Mir, who expressed satisfaction with the technology support of Rockwell Automation products and the results obtained.\n\nWhat's more, Rockwell Automation solutions and automated equipment help to reduce the overall process time and simplify the production, since a unique line undertakes the distribution of meat slices, automatic ultrafast drying and packaging in trays. The result is a consistent final product for the consumers.This process provides an additional advantage because it removes the necessity for cold storage of meat slices, thus accelerating the meat curing process and freeing space at the plant. The lower process time allows the energy efficiency to be improved as well; in fact, the energy consumption decreases around 30% if compared to conventional drying.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to this customer's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "guissona-food-corporation-automates-its-animal-feed-plant-in-buj": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/guissona-food-corporation-automates-its-animal-feed-plant-in-buj\n\nTITLE: Guissona Food Corporation Automates Its Animal Feed Plant in Bujaraloz\n\n***** Background *****\n\nGuissona is one of Catalonia's leading food companies and has been in business for over fifty years. The company raises livestock and performs its industrial and commercial processes with such thoroughness that the product is able to reach consumers directly, without the need for middlemen.\n\nGuissona is involved in a wide range of activities including: the breeding of poultry and livestock; manufacturing of animal feed; breeding, fattening and slaughtering of animals; processing and preparation of different food products; and the distribution and direct selling of its products in over 400+ Bon`Area stores.\n\nThe goal of Guissona is to improve the productivity of its livestock farms and also cater to the needs of its customers, who have embraced their efficacy and savoir faire. The Company enjoys a strong reputation for producing a variety of safe, high-quality and reasonably priced products for its customers. To strengthen this brand reputation, the corporation boasts cutting-edge facilities and a team of dedicated professionals. As a testament to this recognition, Guissona has been awarded the ISO 9002 certification for its high standards of production, installation and servicing; the ISO 22000 certification for the highest levels of safety of their meat-based products; and the ISO 14001 certification for its environmental management.\n\nFor about fifteen years, Guissona has teamed with Rockwell Automation to incorporate its solutions in various animal feed manufacturing and processing plants. More significantly, in 2009, the organisation opened a facility in Bujaraloz (Zaragoza), which integrates the latest industrial automation technology.\n\n***** Challenge *****\n\nSince its adoption in 1995, the ISA S88 standard has served to guide the implementation of batch-based process control systems in production centres, allowing high levels of flexibility and reusability. When Guissona established its new Bujaraloz factory, it decided to implement the ISA S88 standards across the entire facility-to help reduce the costs, engineering efforts and time-to-market; while improving flexibility and enhancing process quality.\n\n\"The Automation Manager of the Animal Foods department explains: \"This move was a great challenge for us as it was the first time that we had implemented a batch system in our facilities. For that reason, we decided on the Rockwell Automation PlantPAxTM process automation system. This allowed us to fully utilise our installed capacity and increased the flexibility in the way that we could edit recipes, either by the team in charge of formulation or by the software designed for that purpose.\n\n\"Another important challenge,\" he continues, \"was the integration with our ERP system to enable us to correctly send and receive order information-without forgetting \"the importance of materials management and traceability.\"\n\n***** Solution *****\n\nFrom the beginning, Guissona decided to implement the PlantPAx process control solution from Rockwell Automation, which provides high availability, ease of device integration and asset management, batch and sequencing control and improved design and operations productivity.\n\nThrough the use of the PlantPAxTM system, Guissona saw improvements in three areas: production management, materials inventory and historical data. According to the Automation Manager of the Animal Feed Department, \"The first area of improvement was in production management. The new MES application was designed to create production batches from order information from the ERP system and automatically send it to the batch manager.\" He further stated, \"We also decided to improve the performance of our production process to allow us to focus on our materials inventory and provide us with real-time information on stock levels, location and availability. We also generated a batch, consumption and traceability reporting system based on the historical data furnished to us.\u00a0\u00a0 We accomplished this through the PlantPAx system and its batch software\".\n\nThe new process control system, together with the MES application, allow Guissona to monitor the 153 equipment phases established for the plant. In addition, the PlantPAx system was easily integrated to 140 variable-frequency drives, several soft motor starters and 16 weighing systems, each of which includes five scales that assist the variable-frequency drives in controlling the different dosage regimens to be administered to each plant.\n\n***** Results *****\n\nAccording to the Automation Manager: \"The batch system has made it easier for us to upgrade all our resources and transform our facility into a phase-based operation. This has enabled stricter operational control, more efficient workload sharing and more effective planning. Now, everything follows the batch standards, helping administration and subsequent maintenance operations.\"\n\nThus, he continues: \"We saved time programming ControlLogix(R) and execution was made using batch, which controls and manages the different tasks.\n\n\"In addition, by utilising the ISA S88 standards, we have reduced the time to develop and maintain the system and enhanced its performance. It has also given the company greater flexibility in modifying and creating new products in the plant, providing accurate information about materials in stock and production levels, improving batch follow-up and tracking, and enabling the creation of reports on any of its processes.\"\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "asytec_s-smart-seed-packing-machine-delivers-greater-accuracy-an": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/asytec_s-smart-seed-packing-machine-delivers-greater-accuracy-an\n\nTITLE: Asytec's Smart Seed Packing Machine delivers Greater Accuracy and Throughput\n\nAs a result of the growing global population, the demand for grains, oils, and vegetables continues to increase significantly. This, in turn, is a driver for the seed market. In fact, a recent\u00a0industry report estimates the value of the seed market to be USD 59.71 billion in 2018. This is expected to reach USD 90.37 billion in 2024 - a CAGR of 7.9 percent during the forecast period 2019-2024.\n\nTo meet this increased market demand, seed manufacturers are leveraging advances in automation. Addressing the challenging automation and control requirements for seed packing requires specialist knowledge and flexibility to address variations in product and packaging requirements.\n\nBy nature, the variation in product and packaging requirements has restricted the level of automation possible for seed packing. However, manual handling impedes seed manufacturers' production capacity and their ability to meet increasing consumer demands.\n\nAsytec - a South Australian-based automation specialist and machine builder - recognised the market opportunity and undertook the investment to develop a seed packing machine that meets global safety standards and leverages the latest automation technology and to provide a turn-key solution for seed manufacturers.\n\n*** Blueprint for seed packing success ***\n\nAsytec has enjoyed a long-standing relationship with Dematec Automation, a Rockwell Automation Recognised System Integrator, and therefore called on them to assist with the electrical and control system design for the automated seed packer.\n\nPowerFlex 525 Variable Speed Drive with Safe Torque-off provided seamless integration with the Logix environment.\n\nToday's seed manufacturers are challenged to deliver product to meet increased consumer demand while offering the flexibility to facilitate customised packaging to meet specific requirements regarding quantity and seed type. David Hart, CEO at Dematec Automation, knew that the Rockwell Automation's tightly Integrated Architecture solution was ideal for this application.\n\nOperator safety is of paramount importance and the Rockwell Automation programmable safety platform enabled PLd/SIL2 Cat 3 certification to be achieved without adversely impacting on machine productivity. \"The new seed packing machine was designed to automatically pack seeds of many volumes into plastic magazines, minimizing the requirement for manual handling. Therefore, the control and automation of the machine was critical to its operational success,\" explained Hart.\n\nAt the core of the machine is an Allen-Bradley(R) control suite from Rockwell Automation operating over an Ethernet network. Primary control is delivered by the CompactLogixTM programmable automation controller with secondary control and safety provided by Micro800TM controllers. Flexible motor control was delivered by PowerFlex(R) 525 variable speed drives with Safe Torque-off. The PowerFlex drives provided seamless integration with the Logix environment.\n\n\"In addition to the integration and safety features provided by the solution, the flexibility of these products in the machine design helped to reduce engineering time by nearly 20 percent which is an important consideration in any OEM application,\" explained Tim Bubb, managing director, Dematec Automation.\n\nAsytec's seed packing machine delivers greater efficiency and reliability by providing accurate measurement, improvement in throughput and eliminates packing errors.\n\n*** Variability and traceability ***\n\nTraceability continues to present a challenge to the agricultural industry. Manufacturers are required to be able to trace seed information back to their harvest and maintain a reliable record.\n\nAccuracy and traceability of the variety and volume of seeds going into each magazine in each trial batch is absolutely critical to achieving successful outcomes for the plant breeders. As such it is important that the integration between the system software, motion control hardware, and external database is highly accurate and reliable.\n\nThe benefit provided by the latest in intelligent software solutions is that it can eliminate the requirement for manual record keeping. The new seed packing machine utilises FactoryTalk(R) View to help address traceability requirements. Furthermore, FactoryTalk View provides real time visibility and receives data from a custom database that is used by plant breeders in the development of new varieties.\n\n*** Smart seed-packing machine ***\n\nManufacturers can now reap the rewards from Asytec's smart, automated seed packer. It delivers greater efficiency and reliability by providing accurate measurement, improvement in throughput and helps to eliminate packing errors. In fact, the seed packing machine has the capability to pack seeds up to five times faster and with a better standard of variety randomisation.\n\n*** A key distinguishing feature of this machine is its flexibility to pack a range of seed types, using the same equipment. Asytec's seed packing machine provides visual feedback including weight estimates and progress indication with options to override existing seed profiles. The database is dynamically updated as each seed variety is packed.\n\n ***\n\nAsytec's seed packing machine is a clear example of how automation technology can be applied to address variations in product and packaging requirements, helping to minimise human error and interaction. It helps provide seed manufacturers with the competitive edge required to stay ahead of increasing global competition.\n\nThe Seed packing machine can be customized to meet local and global safety standards with Rockwell Automation hardware and software.\n\nThe collaboration between Asytec, Dematec and Rockwell Automation has culminated in an industry leading OEM solution for the seed packing industry. \"We have key clients looking to deploy our Seedpackers at locations around the world, which means I need the performance reliability of Rockwell Automation technology including access to their global service and support network,\" said Brad Nancarrow, managing director at Asytec.\n\nAbout Rockwell Automation\n\nRockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK) is a global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation. We connect the imaginations of people with the potential of technology to expand what is humanly possible, making the world more productive and more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rockwell Automation employs approximately 23,000 problem solvers dedicated to our customers in more than 100 countries. To learn more about how we are bringing The Connected Enterprise(R) to life across industrial enterprises, visit\u00a0www.rockwellautomation.com.\n\nMedia contact:\n\nKolve Byrd\n\nRockwell Automation\n\n1 414 553 4661\n\nKAByrd@ra.rockwell.com\n\nChristine Filippis\n\nTeraze Communications\n\n61 3 8391 0701\n\nchristine@teraze.com.au\n\n\nTAG: safety-solutions\nTAG: remote-support\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: factorytalk-view-studio\n\n",
    "upgrade-control-water": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/upgrade-control-water\n\nTITLE: Lake Chelan Water District Increases Uptime\n\nClayton Anderson is a project manager with RH2 Engineering (RH2) and its wholly owned subsidiary Control Systems NW (CSNW), which specializes in control system design and integration. Together the two companies' licensed electricians and control systems specialists serve the water wastewater industry.\n\n\"We've been in the water wastewater business for about 45 years,\" Clayton says. \"We formed Control Systems NW to provide equipment, integration and startup services primarily designed around Rockwell Automation technologies.\"\n\nCSNW is a member of the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM and has been designated as a Water Wastewater Industry Recognized Systems Integrator. Firms that earn this badge are proven leaders in the sector.\n\n\"Being in the Pacific Northwest where water is so important to the economy, we have become irrigation experts, especially in upgrading aged equipment,\" Clayton explains.\n\nWatch the Video\n\nClayton Anderson\n\nProject Manager, RH2 Engineering\n\nAging Control System and Equipment Issues\n\nThe Lake Chelan Reclamation District (the District), a long-time RH2 client, was struggling with an outdated control system and electrical equipment that was more than 40 years old. Based in Manson, Washington, the District has nine pumping plants.\n\n\"They had some big control system problems. Whenever they had small power bumps, they had to manually restart the system. It would take about six to eight hours,\" Clayton says. \"This an area with very expensive vineyards and fruit trees where a couple of hours without water could lead to costly crop and tree loss.\"\n\nClayton's team upgraded the District's control system with Rockwell Automation CompactLogixTM 5370 Controllers and an improved radio communications network. The team also put a plan in place to avoid manual system restarts after a power bump.\n\n\"We used Studio 5000(R) programming to look at the whole system and restart pump stations without operator intervention,\" Clayton explains. \"That led to a decrease in operator overtime and more uptime for the customer.\" In fact, within the first 2 years of the control system upgrade, the District's overtime dropped by as much as 25%.\n\nSystem and Equipment Upgrades Provides Numerous Benefits\n\nNext, the team upgraded the aging electrical equipment with Rockwell Automation's CENTERLINE(R) Medium Voltage (1500) and Low Voltage (2100) Motor Control Centers.\n\n\"We were able to pre-procure equipment through CNWS. Pre-procuring is a risk that a lot of municipalities want to avoid. So, we try to make it very low risk. Rockwell Automaton really stepped up to help,\" Clayton says. \"We were able to work directly with the factory to design and provide equipment on an accelerated schedule and partner with Rockwell's local distributor to manage spare parts, make sure equipment arrives on time, and everything is seamless.\"\n\nBefore the upgrades, staff had to check the plants daily. Now, upgraded plants require only a weekly check. The district has also been able to reallocate operations and maintenance funding from these plants to other assets.\n\nAdditionally, with the ability to record and access power monitoring data, the team was able to uncover patterns of high power bumps and production schemes that caused plant issues. With those insights, they were able to modify the utilities distribution system to further improved operations.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\n\nTAG: wastewater\n\nTAG: controllogix\nTAG: motor-control-centers-low-voltage\nTAG: motor-control-medium-voltage\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: programmable-controllers\n\n",
    "atlantic-city-energy-provider-reduces-costs-by-15-percent": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/atlantic-city-energy-provider-reduces-costs-by-15-percent\n\nTITLE: Atlantic City Energy Provider Reduces Costs by 15 Percent\n\n*** Background ***\n\nEnergy efficiency is increasingly top-of-mind for utility regulators, who are putting incentives behind their calls for more renewable technologies and sustainable processes. Marina Energy, a wholly owned subsidiary of South Jersey Industries, Owner of the Marina Thermal Facility in Atlantic City, New Jersey. are among those in the utility industry who are seizing this opportunity to optimize their operations.\n\n\n\nWith incentives available under the New Jersey Energy Master Plan, the powers behind the Marina Thermal Facility decided to upgrade its integrated power and energy management systems. Marina Thermal Facility engaged its affiliate, Energenic, who specializes in Combined Heat and Powersystems (CHP) or \"Cogeneration\" to provide a cost effective solution for the Marina Thermal Facility. Energenic is joint venture of DCO Energy LLC and Marina Energy LLC\n\n\n\nThe goal was to implement a Cogeneration system to improve the utility plant's overall efficiency and lessen its reliance on third-party energy sources. Marina Energy also recognized they could gain significant return on investment through increased productivity and profits \u2013 all while advancing their own corporate and the state's sustainability initiatives. Combined Heat and Power or Cogeneration systems are seen as sustainable because they capture some or all of the heat emitted in the electricity production process and use that thermal energy for heating purposes.\n\n\n\nOne of the plant's primary customer is a major casino-hotel complex nearby. The casino-hotel is roughly the size of a small city, with more than 2,700 guest rooms, 11 restaurants, a 35,000-square-foot spa, lounges, bars, shopping and entertainment facilities. On top of that, there are 135,000 square-feet of gaming and 70,000 square-feet of conference space.\n\n\n\nKeeping these spaces filled with satisfied customers requires a well-controlled, reliable heating and cooling system, along with other creature comforts that utilities provide. To ensure the Marina Thermal Facility continues to provide those comforts in the most efficient and cost-effective fashion, its owners enlisted the Global Solutions team of engineers at Rockwell Automation to upgrade the existing control solution, as well as develop and implement a Combined Heat and Power control system which could seamlessly integrate with the existing control system.\n\n\n\n\"We were looking to find a way to reduce our costs of production, and use one fuel source, i.e., natural gas, to make two forms of energy \u2013 electricity and heat for hot water,\" explained Stephen Poniatowicz , Sr Vice President of Marina Energy, which owns the Marina Thermal Facility. \"Achieving this would help us lessen our dependence on buying electricity and natural gas from third parties. As such we turned to our affiliate company Energenic to design, build, own and operate a state of the art Combined Heat and Power Plant.\"\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nThe trick is that Marina's customers, including the casino, use more electricity than heat. So the new control equipment and cogeneration system had to produce the right amount of energy and effectively turn what would have been wasted thermal energy into the right amount of heat.\n\n\n\n\"The biggest challenge was applying the correct technology to meet the needs,\" said Frank DiCola, President of Energenic. \"One size doesn't fit all. We needed to find a cost-effective, efficient solution that would produce enough electricity without producing too much heat \u2013 and also meet state regulatory requirements.\"\n\n\n\nThe control system upgrade also needed to be integrated with the plant's existing system, which featured the Allen-Bradley\u00aeControlLogix\u00ae control system, Allen-Bradley 1756 I/O modules, variable frequency AC drives and motor control centers, all from Rockwell Automation. The single coordinated system provided robust continuous and sequential control, and improved the flow of information. Installed in 2001, the Rockwell Automation integrated system was designed, developed and implemented with future expansion in mind.\n\n*** Solutions ***\n\nTo provide the smoothest possible integration during startup, Rockwell Automation drew upon resources from its Global Solutions team to first test the system in the factory and then at the installation site.\n\n\n\nThankfully, much of the existing system could be leveraged in the upgrade, including the:\n\nAllen-Bradley ControlLogix programmable automation control system, which allows the casino to leverage common development tools, network protocol and an information-enabled architecture.\n\nAllen-Bradley Powermonitor\u2122 3000, which generates a spectrum of power-line information, including real-time power quality data, harmonics analysis, oscillography and active energy.\n\nRockwell Software\u00aeRSEnergyMetrix\u00ae energy management software, which integrates multiple data sources and provides user-friendly information. This software collects and trends data from more than 300 points throughout the plant, delivering critical energy data used to make critical business decisions. The Web-based capabilities of RSEnergyMetrix also allow plant operators to easily share available information with individuals throughout the facility, helping optimize energy consumption, improve productivity and lower energy costs. Rockwell Automation engineers integrated new equipment to take advantage of the inherent efficiencies in the latest advanced technologies and to support the addition of the cogeneration system.\n\n\n\n\"The integration of existing and new technology went very smoothly without disruptions,\" DiCola said.\n\n\n\nAs part of the upgrade, the Rockwell Automation Logix Control Platform system replaced the outdated distributed control system, while leveraging the existing ControlLogix controllers. Because it is based on the Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture\u2122 platform, the control system delivers a unified process, discrete and information solution.\n\n\n\nAs part of the ControlLogix system, Energenic is utilizing the Rockwell Automation Continuous Parametric Monitoring System (CPMS) solution driven by Pavilion8. The software-based emission monitoring system provides real-time analysis of the operating process parameters \u2013 such as temperature, pressure, flow and sorbent injection rate \u2013 that are known to affect the output emissions levels. The real-time information gained from the system can be interfaced with the ControlLogix controller, so Energenic engineers can manage emissions as part of their plant automation strategy and make improvements to the operation to meet operating permit conditions. Engineers also deployed high-performance and flexible Allen-Bradley PowerFlex\u00ae 700 AC variable speed drives for the pumps and cooling tower fans to help ensure the least amount of energy is used to get the desired output.\n\n\n\nTo gain further insight into the process and production, the team added new Rockwell Software applications, including FactoryTalk\u00ae View human-machine interface software for supervisory level monitoring of energy consumption, and FactoryTalkViewPoint, which allows plant personnel to get real-time, plant-floor operations data simply by logging onto an Internet browser. Improving the diagnostic capability of the system helps Energenic identify, isolate, and repair issues quickly and efficiently.\n\n\n\n\"Thanks to the system upgrade, we can access real-time and historical information to get the insight we need to make critical business decisions,\" Poniatowicz said. For example, the improved diagnostics helped them identify a damaged valve in a specific part of the system that was causing a slight dip in system efficiency. \"We were able to isolate it, and fix it,\" DiCola added.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nThe entire project was completed ahead of schedule and on budget, which helped Energenic reap greater state-allocated rewards for achieving energy conservation. Furthermore, Energenic's solution provided costs reductions which exceeded 15 percent of the Marina Thermal annual energy budget.\n\n\n\n\"That's a credit to Rockwell Automation,\" DiCola said. \"The Rockwell Automation team of engineers came up with a solution that was very efficient and cost-effective. From an availability standpoint, it's exceeded our performance goals in terms of operating hours and efficiency. It's one to two percent more efficient than we anticipated, and the operating abilities of what we measure are very high, exceeding 95 percent.\"\n\n\n\nAs Energenic looks ahead to new projects, Rockwell Automation will continue to be a go-to trusted supplier and engineering consultant.\n\n\n\n\"The folks at Rockwell Automation understand what our expectations are, what our thought processes are and what we want to accomplish \u2013 and it's much easier to work with folks like that where you're all aligned and working toward the same outcome,\" DiCola said.\n\n\nTAG: power-generation\n\n",
    "the-factorytalk-batch-solution-by-rockwell-automation-enables-a-migration": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/the-factorytalk-batch-solution-by-rockwell-automation-enables-a-migration\n\nTITLE: The FactoryTalk Batch solution by Rockwell Automation enables a quick and easy migration of a batch management framework\n\nFor those who are not specialists in the pharmaceutical industry, the acronym \"API\" is unlikely to ring a bell. However, this term is widely used in this sector and its manufacturing generates an annual turnover of EUR2 billion in Spain, according to the Spanish Association of Fine Chemicals Manufacturers (AFAQUIM). API is the acronym for \"Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient\". That is the ingredients, substances or active pharmaceutical ingredients that may eventually become a medication.\n\nThe manufacture of these compounds is the core business for companies in the pharmaceutical sector that develop, manufacture, and sell oral- and injectable-non-sterile APIs - patented and generics - for other pharmaceutical companies in regulated markets.\n\nOne such organization had several production facilities, but for its crystallization facility, the company had just introduced spray-drying technology, so the distributed control system (DCS) had to be upgraded. The company had to address two challenges: first, the solution that it was using was obsolete, so it had to implement an updated version; and second, it owned only a few licenses and needed to expand its number to meet the new requirements.\n\nBatch management\n\nAn additional issue was that the updated version of the software did not allow a real migration to the new framework, automatically transferring all stored formulations and physical models. That isn't a big challenge for a small number of formulations but, in this case, it was about a thousand. That's a lot of work, when each of them must be checked, one by one, to confirm that the migration has been made correctly.\n\nAccording to the company's estimations, this checking process could have taken four months - far too long to be feasible - and it would require the summer holidays to implement the migration. Ultimately, this mandatory software upgrade would lead to a production halt and a high added cost.\n\nFortunately, this company had support from its trusted integrator of many years: ACK Logic. The two companies worked together to find a solution and decided not to upgrade to the new tool. Instead, they chose to migrate to Rockwell Automation FactoryTalk Batch. They undertook a feasibility study, in cooperation with Rockwell Automation experts, and determined that this solution was possible within the designated timeframe.\n\nAfter many years of working with ACK Logic, there was a significant degree of trust between them. So, when the integrator assured them that they could complete the project on time, they did not think twice and chose to migrate to the new Rockwell Automation environment.\n\nQuick and accurate\n\nThree weeks in August were enough to finish the project. The reliability of FactoryTalk Batch, with its wide deployment in multiple industries, according to the ISA S-88 batch manufacturing standard, significantly reduced the implementation risks of the new system. FactoryTalk Batch enabled the formulations to be automatically converted and this dramatically reduced the implementation time and the project risks. Furthermore, communications between the new Batch system and the existing control system were solved with minor changes.\n\nFactoryTalk Batch follows the S-88 model, which is the de facto standard for batch systems, and included open communications with control systems through OPC. Just a specific PLI between both systems was required to be programmed to assure the seamless integration of the batch software and the control systems.\n\n\"The formulations content and batch physical model migration don't take a lot of time,\" comments Eduardo M'arquez, Technical Director at ACK Logic. \"The real bulk of the work is in the checking of the FactoryTalk Batch points that operate the phase parameters, states, and commands. These checks are simple, since it is isn't necessary to run the full sequence, but just review whether the parameters are set correctly.\"\n\nIn addition to FactoryTalk Batch version 13, FactoryTalk AssetCentre was also used to implement Audit Trail and enable the conformity to 21 CFR part 11 in the batch system, both during the formulations migration and the plant operation. This software is the perfect companion for applications in regulated frameworks within the FactoryTalk suite.\n\nAdvantages for all relevant parties\n\nThis project has the additional advantage of being fully transparent to the production department. The aim was that, after the summer holidays, the production department wouldn't even notice that the software had been migrated, so they could go on with their daily work as usual.\n\nFactoryTalk Batch provides an efficient, easy-to-use operation interface. The batch controls conform to the S-88 standards that regulates the naming and actions in batch systems. This can be used with a specific application, Batch View, through any web browser, since it has an HTML5 client to access the web. The system is extremely easy to use, and from the point of view of the operations it enabled, accelerated the adjustment to the new tool and reduced the necessary training. As M'arquez states: \"FactoryTalk Batch is very similar to the tool we had installed, so no training time was required.\"\n\nFactoryTalk Batch also delivers additional features that improve the formulation security and management, formulation IP protection, version control or approval flow generation for new formulations by electronic signature. M'arquez summarizes it: \"The Rockwell Automation solution includes some features not delivered by the former software, such as enhancements regarding data integrity and user security system.\"\n\nThus, according to M'arquez, \"The success of this project has been the migration to a FactoryTalk Batch framework while keeping the remaining parameters unchanged, without disruptions on the formulation production and maintenance within a validated framework.\" For the customer, the completion of this project has been - in their own words - a relief. In fact, they have been working seamlessly in the new framework for more than six months now. What is more, they are aware that this can be implemented in other companies facing similar challenges, so they consider that this project can serve as an example to follow in the future.\n\nTAG: life-sciences\n\nTAG: factorytalk-batch\nTAG: factorytalk-view-me\nTAG: factorytalk-view-se\nTAG: factorytalk-view-studio\nTAG: factorytalk-viewpoint\n\n",
    "arkansas-steel-improves-process-with-manufacturing-analytics": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/arkansas-steel-improves-process-with-manufacturing-analytics\n\nTITLE: Arkansas Steel Improves Process With Manufacturing Analytics\n\nArkansas Steel, a major producer of railway tie plates, needed to improve yield and better meet customer's unique recipes.\n\nManual data collection and reporting, however, slowed their ability to make process improvements and was prone to human error. By deploying FactoryTalk VantagePoint EMIsoftware from Rockwell Automation, Arkansas Steel automated the aggregation and reporting of data.\n\nThe productivity tool grew into a continuous improvement platform thanks to the software's manufacturing analytics capabilities. The software has helped increase yield by at least 3 percent. Watch the video above to learn more.\n\n\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\n\n",
    "steel-manufacturer-reduces-energy-consumption--by-3-percent-with": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/steel-manufacturer-reduces-energy-consumption--by-3-percent-with\n\nTITLE: Steel Manufacturer Reduces Energy Consumption by 3 Percent with Energy Management System\n\n*** Steeled for Growth ***\n\nAfter a booming decade, global steel manufacturing contracted sharply in 2008 and 2009 as construction and automobile markets reacted to the global recession. However, one global steel manufacturer was able to reduce its energy costs while continuing to produce high-quality steel, and actually grew throughout the global recession.\n\nThe manufacturer is based in South Asia and today has a production capacity of 18 million tonnes per annum (MTPA). At one of its Asian plants \u2013 which is among the largest steel-manufacturing sites in the world \u2013 the company conducts ore beneficiation, coke making and iron production. The integrated plant separates iron ore from raw taconite and processes coal into coking coal to fuel iron-making furnaces. Then, using hot air to combust coking coal, iron is derived from raw ore and oxygen is added to that iron, turning it into steel.\n\n*** Energy-Management Challenges ***\n\nThe steel manufacturing process creates a high volume of valuable byproduct gases, including methane and ammonium sulfate. Before 2008, the plant produced an average of 7.5 million cubic meters of gas fuel per year. Around 90 percent of this gas was converted into electrical power that was reused by the plant, and around 10 percent was sold.\n\nWhile the plant's continuous steel manufacturing processes and energy inputs were fully monitored, its energy usage monitoring system was not fully integrated with plant operations or automated. With energy costs comprising 40 to 45 percent of the total cost of steel production, a 1 percent reduction in energy consumption could improve the bottom line by 0.45 percent.\n\nThe company's energy-management staff of 225 workers, led by the vice president of energy management, developed an energy management system to gain more insight, but the team needed more data on energy production and use. They also needed certain data sets critical for each role, from plant operator to vice president, and data insights that would show which process variables impact productivity.\n\nThe company also wanted to more efficiently consume fuel. There was accounting for all energy uses, but the company was not fully optimizing them. It wasn't able to identify nonproductive fuel supplies or equipment that could be idled to save fuel.\n\nIn addition, valuable gas byproducts produced in large volumes and consumed at widely fluctuating rates, could not be held in reserve. When gases weren't being used, they were flared to prevent pollution, which also added costs. The steel manufacturer needed to reduce gas flaring down from the 2008 rate of 5 to 6 percent or reduce the gas production.\n\nTo achieve these goals, the company needed one comprehensive, automated controls and information system that could turn the energy-management system into a plantwide energy-scheduling and accounting solution. The automated system would need to easily integrate with 32 existing systems and gather data from 700 parameters across the 10-by-10 kilometer plant area. The company also needed a fast ROI to reduce financial impacts during the global crisis.\n\n*** Better Decisions with Energy Intelligence ***\n\nThe steel manufacturer contacted the automation suppliers of its existing, disparate systems to find one that could provide an energy solution for its entire facility.\n\nIt chose to work with Rockwell Automation because the automation company's Rockwell Software\u00ae energy intelligence solutions were able to integrate most smoothly with existing control and enterprise systems, and connect to the plant's 45 to 50 remote terminal units.\n\nThe steel manufacturer's engineering team first installed\u00a0Logix-based programmable automation controllers (PACs) from Rockwell Automation across the network to aggregate data. With the control foundation in place, the team then implemented an energy intelligence system to better gather, report and analyze that data.\n\nFactoryTalk\u00ae Historian software collects data from across the steel manufacturing system. The system also uses FactoryTalk VantagePoint\u00ae software as an advanced portal to report and analyze data \u2013 turning it into actionable information. The software details pressure, flow and temperature trends to help plant operators better understand what happened in the days and weeks before, and even predict what will happen in the days ahead.\n\nFactoryTalk AssetCentre\u00a0software helps the team control access and manage changes to automation assets. Within the application, operators can view records of which personnel made changes and when, and revert back to previous settings or make additional changes.\n\nThe energy-management system \u2013 leveraging the historian and analytics software \u2013 identifies gaps between energy, generation, transmission and distribution, and guides energy management staff to optimize use. Personnel can see production data and information in real time, including fuel values, and short- and long-term trends. Operators can more effectively control steel production and modify gas production, oxygen levels and other factors. They can track the impact of different types of raw materials on production of both steel and gas byproducts, and use this information to help make sure they purchase the most beneficial raw materials.\n\nThe data gathered within the system is analyzed and included in multiple reports. A gas consumption report alerts operators and plant management to any spikes in fuel consumption. An energy utilization report provides analytics on gas generation; available liquid stocks of argon, nitrogen gas and oxygen; and daily consumption of liquefied petroleum gas. Operators can also pull ad hoc reports via the FactoryTalk VantagePoint portal to provide data to all stakeholders as needed. Each of the reports feeds into the energy-management system.\n\n\"Our energy reports are critical because our operations contain continuous chemical reactions,\" said the steel manufacturer's vice president of energy. \"With the Rockwell Software energy intelligence solution, we can pull reports at any time, any day. We're better prepared to make process changes that immediately impact steel and byproduct production and keep our energy use low.\"\n\n*** Less Consumption and Flaring Drives Savings ***\n\nWith the new energy intelligence system, the company reduced its energy costs by 3 percent annually \u2013 boosting its bottom line by 1.35 percent and reducing electricity consumption by 3 percent. Full ROI was achieved in just six months.\n\nThe company has also reduced its fuel consumption overall by 2 percent. The plant's team has identified wasteful uses of energy and nonproductive fuel supplies. For example, the team began switching rollers to idle when not in use after understanding the energy-use impact of high initial torque in conveying systems that move steel in and out of furnaces.\n\nAdditionally, the steel manufacturing company has reduced gas flaring from 5 to 6 percent, down to 1.5 percent, which means the flaring decreased from 200 gigacalories (or gcal per hour) to 30 gcal per hour. This resulted in an hourly financial savings of USD$3,200.\n\nWith data-supplied analysis of gas generation and consumption, the steel manufacturer learned that the small fluctuations in both cannot be completely managed, so the team began using sinks to dump and withdrawal fuels on short turnarounds. Trend reports alert operators when it's necessary to divert excess gas byproduct to the sink within the next hour, allowing the company to continue optimizing gas consumption and avoid inefficient uses.\n\n\"We've seen significant success using the FactoryTalk solution. More importantly, we've been able to identify what other processes need to be optimized and we're working to improve them,\" said the vice president of energy.\n\nThe team at the plant aims to reduce gas flaring to under 0.5 percent, or 5.45 gcal, for even further savings, and is expanding the energy intelligence system to capture all of the plant's 2,100 parameters. In addition, the steel manufacturer is rolling out similar energy programs at its other locations to truly connect and optimize production across the company.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to this company's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nFactoryTalk, Rockwell Software and VantagePoint are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\n\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\n\n",
    "rocklabs-abm3000-automated-batch-mill": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/rocklabs-abm3000-automated-batch-mill\n\nTITLE: Rocklabs ABM3000 (Automated Batch Mill)\n\n***** Rocklabs ABM3000 (Automated Batch Mill)\u00a0 *****\n\nScott is a world-class builder of advanced automation systems for the appliance, meat processing, mining, materials handling and industrial automation industries.\n\nAs a Rockwell Automation Gold Level OEM Partner, Scott has a strong commitment to developing new technologies and bringing them to market.\n\nRocklabs, a Scott brand, plays a central part in the success of leading organisations in the fields of metals and minerals research, mining and exploration around the world.\u00a0Through the supply of specialised equipment, Scott delivers industry leading sample preparation equipment to mining clients, commercial laboratories and research institutions.\n\nThe latest automated batch milling machine, the ABM3000, incorporates innovative smart technologies to make batch sampling as seamless as possible. It is fully programmable so that each sample can have its own grinding specifications as well as its own wash cycle to ensure no carry-over between samples.\n\n***** Safety and reliability *****\n\nThe ABM3000 can process up to 30 samples per batch, providing labour savings and productivity gains in mining sample preparation. It is compact and easy to maintain. This system can automatically process samples within five minutes, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual processing. The ABM3000 is designed for ease of serviceability and meets machine safety regulations (AS/NZS4024, PLd). Furthermore, Rockwell Automation and Allen-Bradley products are covered by a three-year global warranty, ensuring global support.\n\nScott has production bases in the United States, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, China, Australia and New Zealand, and services customers in 88 countries.\n\n***** Powered by smart technologies *****\n\nThe ABM3000 features the latest smart components from Rockwell Automation. The Allen-Bradley CompactLogixTM integrated safety controller provides integrated control and safety. The controller is connected on Ethernet to the PowerFlex(R)\u00a0525 drives with Safe Torque Off. The PanelViewTM operator interface delivers an intuitive, modern design and provides enhanced Logix integration with Studio 5000(R)\u00a0software.\n\n\"This smart solution provides detailed diagnostics through the PowerFlex drives and CompactLogix controller with all the safety features on the one platform. The HMI provides more information on the system and with it all being connected on Ethernet, you can easily remote diagnose the system if needed,\" said Charl du Plessis, senior controls engineer, Scott.\n\n\"In this day and age, it's becoming more difficult to allow people to open electrical panels but by being able to access the diagnostics for the drives and PLC, there is no need to open the panels. The Ethernet capability of the system provides the ability to set up a drive or PLC remotely. If there are additions or modifications that the customer requests, it is much easier to access remotely and customise a system to their needs, than it has been in the past,\" he said.\n\nThese capabilities allow end-users to futureproof their operations in terms of leveraging the data from the machine and turning it into useful information for analytics. IoT capabilities allow the machine to be integrated into larger systems.\n\n\"The ABM3000 delivers the value proposition of a smart machine with all the diagnostic and remote access capabilities. Given the remoteness of many mine sites and the pandemic restrictions limiting the ability of people to travel to sites, these capabilities make troubleshooting easy and customers more productive,\" said Prasad Nory, industry manager, Rockwell Automation.\n\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: smart-machines\n\nTAG: mining\n\nTAG: drives-and-motors\n\n",
    "yuhan-kimberly-migrates-tissue-plant-to-a-modern-dcs": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/yuhan-kimberly-migrates-tissue-plant-to-a-modern-dcs\n\nTITLE: Yuhan-Kimberly Migrates Tissue Plant to a Modern DCS\n\n*** Background ***\n\nYuhan-Kimberly was established in 1970 as a joint venture between Yuhan-YangHang and American company Kimberly-Clark. Yuhan-Kimberly was the first company to introduce several different personal care products that now are an important part of everyday life in Korea.\n\nOver the years, Yuhan-Kimberly has strived to provide people of all ages with products that help them lead more hygienic and active lives, contributing to the health and well-being of Korean consumers.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nYuhan-Kimberly's Kimcheon plant is Asia's top personal hygiene paper manufacturing facility, producing household supplies including tissue, toilet paper and kitchen towels.\n\nWith the rapidly increasing demand for bathroom paper towels, it was no longer efficient or effective to import raw materials from the U.S. for processing and packaging in the Kimcheon facility.\n\nYuhan-Kimberly needed to produce the raw materials in-house and decided to undertake a project to move the towel machine in the U.S. facility to Kimcheon.\n\nThis would require a major upgrade. Within this production process, Yuhan-Kimberly was running Honeywell's PlantScape, a legacy distributed control system (DCS). Replacement parts were a challenge to find, and it was almost impossible to obtain the updated functions needed to improve efficiency Yuhan-Kimberly wanted, including additional machine safety options and a multi-discipline system that includes a modern process solution plus safety control.\n\nTo complicate the situation, to ensure production targets were met, the migration to a new system would need to be completed quickly, with no downtime.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nYuhan-Kimberly began working towards replacing the legacy control systems at the facility and modernizing the architecture to increase productivity and safety.\n\nThe company wanted an integrated system that would provide full production line and recipe capabilities, solving quality and consistency issues that had been problematic with the legacy DCS. Because of the complexity of the old system it was important that the new installation be user-friendly and simple to use.\n\nYuhan-Kimberly secured bids from Rockwell Automation and other automation suppliers for converting the system, which included controller, human-machine interface (HMI) and machine safety. It also analyzed the applications used on PlantScape, and considered how those applications could be designed, migrated, installed and commissioned on a Rockwell Automation platform.\n\nPlantPAx is based on the Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture system, delivering a unified process and discrete solution. For Yuhan-Kimberly, the process automation platform incorporates control technology, HMI software for visualization into each application; machine safety devices for operators; and communication interface applications to link the systems with EtherNet/IP.\n\nThe new process control system centers on the Allen-Bradley\u00ae ControlLogix\u00ae programmable automation controller (PAC). Unlike traditional controllers, ControlLogix PACs provide multi-disciplined control leveraging development tools, a network protocol and service oriented architecture, making it a fully integrated, scalable control platform that can be used throughout Yuhan-Kimberly's plant.\n\nThe core advantage of this is a reliable, single hardware and software solution that includes an Integrated Architecture-based modern DCS, PlantPAx and machine safety control via a single industrial network: EtherNet/IP.\n\nTo accelerate the migration process, maintain consistency and reduce installation time, the customer relied on the PlantPAx Library of Process Objects. This library is simple and convenient to use and allows operators to minimize system deployment and test time. As a result, this solution improved production efficiency, expedited the start-up process and improved time-to-market.\n\nThe domain expertise of the Rockwell Automation Global Process Technical Consultant (GPTC) team provided training to Chumdan FA, Rockwell Automation Process Solution Integrators (SI) engineers, and also to Yuhan-Kimberly operators, helping them acclimate to the new system and teaching them how to leverage the features. This team led Yuhan-Kimberly through its well-defined and strategic technology migration path.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nThe Rockwell Automation PlantPAx Library of Process Objects shaved two months off of the implementation time, so PlantPAx was installed ahead of the scheduled time. Operators immediately took advantage of easier operating procedures.\n\nFor example, instead of checking the Logic programs one-by-one, a requirement of the legacy system, operators can check and change the operating condition of the machine and safely view the interlock status via the faceplate.\n\nWith the smooth migration completed on the single platform, the cost for the spare parts and training has been reduced dramatically. Additionally, PlantPAx has reduced the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) while satisfying the customer's request for improved machine safety.\n\nThe solution as possible because Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture enables PlantPAx DCS and GuardLogix safety on an EtherNet/IP network.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Yuhan-Kimberly's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\nTAG: household-and-personal-care\n\n",
    "kasa-baggage-handling": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/kasa-baggage-handling\n\nTITLE: Faster BHS Commissioning Takes Off with Kasa\n\nReuniting passengers with their checked bags is routine at any airport. But behind every baggage claim carousel is a complex network of flight schedules, reservation systems and conveying equipment. And a baggage handling system (BHS) that must track, sort and accurately allocate every piece.\n\nKasa Controls & Automation is up to the task. Since 1974, the Kansas-based company has delivered control and automation systems to customers in industries ranging from automotive and paint finishing to grain handling. Kasa also applies its extensive material handling expertise to provide baggage handling solutions - and is building a leadership position in that market.\n\n\"Every project is a new puzzle,\" said Syd Panzer, programming engineering manager, Kasa Controls & Automation. \"We take pride in collaborating closely with our customers to define scope - and design systems that deliver the data they need to solve business challenges.\"\n\n***** Unique Challenges & Requirements *****\n\nNo matter the industry - and whether it's a greenfield or a brownfield project - an aggressive implementation schedule is typically part of the equation for any system integrator.\n\n\"As the controls integrator, we're usually the last team on the job site before production or operation begins,\" said Adam Casada, emulation manager, Kasa Controls & Automation. \"That means our schedule is often at the mercy of several contractors ahead of us, and any delays in their schedule results in compression of ours.\"\n\nBut building a BHS for a new airport terminal or optimizing an existing system introduces additional challenges.\n\nBHS solutions often control miles of conveyor belts and photo eyes - and must integrate with flight scheduling, passenger information, and TSA baggage screening systems. To minimize any disruption in service, building redundancy throughout the Rockwell Automation control system is essential.\n\n\"Typically, we build a redundant control system using Allen-Bradley(R) ControlLogix(R)\u00a0controllers,\" Panzer said. \"Of course, controls testing is also critical.\"\n\nTo help ensure systems will be delivered on time and operate to specification, BHS projects increasingly require controls testing based on emulation software.\n\n***** A Better FAT With Emulate3D Software *****\n\n\"Our entry into the baggage handling market led us to Emulate3DTM software,\" Casada said. \"Our customer required a digital twin to validate the PLC code before coming on site.\"\n\nWith Emulate3D software, Kasa can build an accurate virtual model - or digital twin - of the BHS during the design phase. Modeled equipment is a facsimile of the real equipment, complete with physical and digital parameters such as speed and acceleration, gravity and friction, wiring and IO, and other parameters.\n\nBy connecting the PLC and SCADA control system to the model, and running modeled baggage through it, Kasa can accurately test the controls, long before the real system is available. Emulation also enables Kasa to address multiple scenarios quickly during the Factory Acceptance Test (FAT).\n\n\"Emulation drives the FAT,\" said Panzer. \"The software allows us to mimic exactly what the real system would do - and manipulate the bags within the model according to each task.\"\n\nUsing the software, Kasa also created tools that streamline some testing processes. For example, one test requires a bag to advance to a photo eye faster than anticipated based on conveyor speed. Manipulating the virtual bag with a mouse is one way to execute the test.\n\n\"With Emulate3D, I created an easier way to show a common problem that can happen to bags as they flow through a system,\" explained Alan Pereira, senior controls programmer, Kasa Controls & Automation. \"Usually, you would try to recreate this problem in a simulation software by using your mouse to manipulate a bag - but that is actually time-consuming and not very accurate.\"\n\n\u00a0\"My handling test created in Emulate3D, showed exactly what would happen if this problem would occur - correctly every time,\" Pereira continued. \"This minimized rework and sped up the acceptance process.\"\u00a0\n\n***** Less Time On Site *****\n\nUltimately, the ability to test the controls virtually leads to less time on site - and faster system commissioning overall.\n\n\"Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we conducted a successful FAT over Zoom for a customer,\" said Panzer. \"Emulation gave them so much confidence, we were able to significantly reduce our startup time frame.\"\n\nKasa initially planned to be on site for 4-6 weeks for startup. Instead, the company completed commissioning in 6 days.\n\nBut Integrated Site Acceptance Testing (iSAT) is not a staged event and still comes with surprises. In one instance, the person witnessing a test unexpectedly pressed an E-stop downstream of the testing area, near a conveyor merge point.\n\n\"Our system correctly identified the abnormal condition and quickly recovered,\" said Panzer. \"But you never know exactly what you will face in the iSAT.\"\n\n***** Extending Gains Across Other Industries *****\n\nFor Kasa, the benefits of Emulate3D software are not restricted to baggage handling systems. The company currently uses emulation to streamline system design for other industries - and has found the tool especially beneficial in situations with compressed installation time frames.\n\n\"Emulate3D is a great tool for us. It helps our engineers better understand the system and code - and it bolsters customer confidence,\" said Pereira. \"It's better for the engineers, it's better for the customers - and we save significant time.\"\u00a0\n\nLearn more about our System Integrator Partner Program.\n\nTAG: build-resilience\n\nTAG: machine-and-equipment-builders\n\nTAG: factorytalk-emulate-3d\nTAG: factorytalk-designsuite\n\n",
    "fronterra-digital-transformation": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/fronterra-digital-transformation\n\nTITLE: Fonterra Co-operative Group's Digital Journey\n\nFonterra Co-operative Group, a New Zealand-based multinational dairy co-operative, has a well-known portfolio of brands ranging from Anmum, a milk powder formula for mothers and infants, to Mammoth Supply Co., a lineup of individually bottled protein shakes and coffees.\n\n***** Farm To Table *****\n\nOwned by farmers in New Zealand, Fonterra employs thousands of employees around the world. Together, they collect around 22 billion liters of milk each season for their vast variety of products.\n\nNo matter the end-product, Fonterra's top priority across all brands is trust. Tankers transport raw milk from farms to 100 plants across 26 different manufacturing sites in New Zealand, where the raw milk is processed into bulk liquids.\n\nIngredients and packaging materials for each unique product flow through various processing stages. Finished products are dispersed from distribution centers to customers or shipped to secondary manufacturing sites before finally being distributed to consumers across 140 countries.\u00a0\u00a0\n\n***** Inspiring Trust *****\n\nAs the lead team for Fonterra's strategy, the Automation and Operational Technology (AOT) group needed an innovative and sustainable way to improve processes across manufacturing facilities, find an efficient way to securely deliver trustworthy data from plant floor to enterprise, implement an innovative, sustainable solution that revolutionized data collection and analytics capabilities, and inspire trust across manufacturing and enterprise functions.\u00a0\u00a0\n\nFonterra wanted to improve processes across its manufacturing facilities to make critical operations and business decisions faster.\n\nFonterra needed to meet the growing demands of customers around the world, while ensuring its products were made with the same high quality in each facility. The AOT group knew that the breakthrough solution was in digital transformation and initiated a plan to find an efficient way to securely deliver trustworthy data from the plant floor to the enterprise.\n\nBefore embarking on this multiyear digital transformation journey, Fonterra's manufacturing data was a mixture of paper-based and electronic systems. At times, data could be incomplete or only understood by specific operators. Data could not be easily contextualized or shared with other facilities or the enterprise, and no centralized management process created version control issues.\n\n***** Revolutionizing Data Collection *****\n\nThe team began the journey to implement an innovative, sustainable solution that could revolutionize data collection and analytics capabilities and inspire trust across manufacturing and enterprise functions.\n\nFonterra already used Rockwell Automation solutions to integrate closed loop analytics, manufacturing operations management (MOM), and track and trace solutions into its business. Now the AOT team would also leverage Rockwell Automation strategic alliances with Microsoft and PTC.\n\nBefore the transformation, Fonterra faced many challenges, including:\n\n    * Limited production capacity to meet customer demands, which meant the company might need to invest capital to build more plants\n\n    * A lack of standardization across its global plants\n\n    * Unplanned downtime due to events that were difficult to identify and troubleshoot to a speedy resolution\n\n    * Largely manual data collection and aggregation that lacked reliability, consistency, and context, which impacted the organization's ability to make informed, timely operational and business decisions\n\nFonterra's primary digital transformation goals included increasing OEE as part of continuous improvement across facilities and improving production capacity without the capital expenditure of building more plants. They also wanted to mitigate potential quality issues, reduce unplanned downtime, and democratize data to inform day-to-day operations, forecasting and strategic business decisions.\n\n***** Overcoming Resistance *****\n\nThe initial phase took 3 years to complete and now empowers data-driven insights across more than 10 Fonterra sites. The team met some resistance to the new way of collecting and analyzing data. Accustomed to tracking day-to-day operations and yields using spreadsheets, some worried the automated digital system would misrepresent factors that required human experience to interpret.\n\nThe system proved itself, impressing stakeholders with the accuracy of the information and the ease with which they could now access, analyze, and share it. In practice, stakeholders were spending far less time crunching numbers and far more time using analytics to identify and inspire opportunities. As a result, the initiative reached a cultural turning point as plant managers zeroed in on areas for improvement and responded to errors faster, and executives make more agile decisions.\n\nRockwell Automation, Microsoft and PTC each brought their own best-in-class technologies and expertise and worked together to create a repeatable, scalable, and sustainable solution.\n\n***** Solutions Combines Best of Three Companies *****\n\nThe digital transformation solution included Rockwell Automation control hardware and software, Microsoft cloud data sharing and storage products, and PTC application development platform designed for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). This innovative edge-to-cloud-based solution connects information between plant operations and enterprise business teams at Fonterra through a single, trusted data environment.\n\nThe solution is built on the Rockwell Automation control platform using FactoryTalk(R) Metrics software, which provides OEE data to reveal ways to increase production, reduce costs and increase quality. The OEE data is fed into PTC's ThingWorx application, part of FactoryTalk(R) InnovationSuite, which then delivers calculations to Microsoft's Power BI. This allows Fonterra employees at many levels within the business to visualize and share data across the organization and access it remotely.\n\nThe DX solution met and enabled all of Fonterra's primary goals to keep pace with market demands.\n\nFonterra now leverages Microsoft Power BI for daily production reports and system reviews to identify opportunities for optimization and to mitigate adverse operational events. In addition, Fonterra is in the planning stages of using Microsoft Azure to store data.\n\nThe digital transformation solution met and enabled all of Fonterra's primary goals. The average OEE score for Fonterra's plants has improved 20% and there's no longer a need to invest in building new facilities. While plant operators spend less time collecting and analyzing data, executives are more agile, making data-driven decisions to hold steady or pivot as necessary to keep pace with market demands.\n\n***** Security Checkpoint *****\n\nBefore the solution could be fully implemented, Fonterra's security team conducted a rigorous security and network protocol review and approval process. Rigorous security measures had to be met, including to assign and manage access levels to internal stakeholders, and to thwart potential cybersecurity threats. The solution succeeded in securely connecting the automation floor to the enterprise.\n\nNow, end-to-end from the plant floor through the enterprise, decision makers can access real-time data and analytics to monitor and assess operational effectiveness and business growth opportunities. They can more quickly diagnose and address unplanned events, such as equipment failures, and discern root causes to mitigate similar events, all while standardizing processes, quality and benchmarks across geographies.\n\n***** Co-Innovation *****\n\nThe projects at Fonterra tested the larger co-innovation between Rockwell Automation, Microsoft, and PTC to create a digital transformation solution that could be applied to other use cases in food and beverage, as well as other industries. To date, the companies have co-developed more than 20 use cases.\n\nTAG: accelerate-digital-transformation\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\nTAG: sustainability\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\nTAG: factorytalk-innovationsuite\nTAG: thingworx\nTAG: factorytalk-metrics\n\n",
    "cement-plant-cuts-energy-usage": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/cement-plant-cuts-energy-usage\n\nTITLE: Cement Plant Cuts Energy Usage\n\nCement is one of the most widely used products in the world. But demand is especially unrelenting in China, which leads the world in cement production. Cement is a critical ingredient for infrastructure and housing developments that support the country's increasingly urban population and growing megacities.\n\nWhile consistent demand is good news for Chinese producers, cement is an energy-intensive industry that relies heavily on coal for fuel.\n\n\"Coal is a leading source of greenhouse gases,\" said Alessandro Masiello, manager, Rockwell Automation. \"Chinese cement producers are looking for ways not only to decrease fuel costs, but also to meet environmental regulations.\"\n\nRecently, the country's leading cement producer turned to Rockwell Automation for a better way to optimize their process, decrease fuel consumption - and contain costs. \u00a0\n\nComplex Variables\n\nCement production is a complex process that begins in the raw mill, where limestone and other materials are pulverized and mixed. In the kiln, the raw materials are subjected to high temperatures and transformed to clinker. Clinker is transferred to the finishing mill, where it is ground and mixed with gypsum to produce the final product. \u00a0\n\nWhile cement production expends energy at every step, the kiln is one of the most difficult to optimize.\n\nModern cement plants typically use dry rotary kilns with calciners. The calciner preheats the raw material to about 900^0C (1650^0F). The calcination process is completed in the kiln, which heats the material to about 1200^0C (2200^0F). To achieve these temperatures, fuel is added to the kiln's main burner - and at the calciner level.\n\n\"Because the quality of raw material and the heat value of coal is variable, process conditions in the kiln are constantly changing,\" said Tiger Xiaohu He, cement industry consultant, Rockwell Automation.\n\nIn addition, fans cool the clinker as it leaves the kiln - and the system recirculates the resulting hot air back to the calciner. While the recirculated air improves energy efficiency, it adds another variable to the process.\n\nWhat's more, to maintain product quality, material is periodically tested to ensure the free lime content stays within a 1-2% range. The amount of free lime is directly related to the energy input to the kiln.\n\n***** The Problem with Conventional Control *****\n\n\"The cement company used standard PID loops to control a limited number of variables,\" Tiger Xiaohu He explained. \"But given the high number of variables in a cement plant, PID loops cannot truly optimize the process.\" \u00a0\n\nWhile the cement producer faced similar challenges throughout its extensive network of plants, they chose to focus first on their Yiyang facility.\n\nThe Yiyang plant produced 5000 tons of clinker per day, using about 500 tons of coal. Annually, the plant consumed approximately 165,000 tons of coal at a cost of US$16.5M each year. To reduce coal consumption, the company knew it had to achieve better control of kiln energy usage.\u00a0\n\n\"Temperatures were fluctuating widely in the kiln,\" said Tiger Xiaohu He. \"To control temperatures, operators monitored the process and reacted to any fluctuations manually.\"\n\nFor example, in the main burner, operators monitored thermal cameras - and then adjusted the fuel flow to increase or decrease the temperature. In the calciner, operators changed PID loop temperature setpoints to trigger fuel additions as needed. \u00a0\u00a0\n\n\"Operators were spending 50-70% of their time monitoring and adjusting the temperatures and fuel additions,\" Tiger Xiaohu He said. \"But despite their best efforts, they were unable to improve the thermal efficiency of the system.\" \u00a0\n\n***** More Kiln Stability with MPC *****\n\nTo achieve more stable kiln operation, Rockwell Automation recommended a solution based on Pavilion8, a model predictive control (MPC) software platform.\n\n\"Pavilion8 MPC can be integrated with any pre-existing control system,\" said Jingkun Tang, Pavilion business development manager, Rockwell Automation. \"It improves the process by making predictions about plant outputs - and responding to process input variables and disturbances.\"\n\nPavilion8 MPC leverages supervised machine learning technologies to build robust, dynamic models of multivariable processes. It analyzes historical data and production trends - as well as current process and laboratory data - and takes control to optimize performance. \u00a0\n\nFor example, the software can model and predict the impact recirculating hot air will have on the calciner temperature. And then automatically manipulate coal additions to achieve a high quality product using the ideal amount of fuel.\n\n\"In an application like this, everything is linked,\" said Alessandro Masiello. \"Pavilion8 MPC allows you to better control quality, which allows you to reduce energy - and eventually push more capacity.\"\n\n***** Extending Gains to Mill Operations - and Across the Enterprise *****\n\nFocusing on kiln performance was one way the Yiyang plant optimized coal consumption. But the plant also hoped to reduce energy consumption in another power-intensive process - their mill applications.\n\nBy applying Pavilion8 MPC in both the raw and finishing mills, the plant was able to better control for variables such as raw material inconsistency and clinker grindability - and optimize energy usage.\n\n\"Overall, the solution helped stabilize the kiln and mill operation,\" said Jingkun Tang. \"The more stable system significantly reduced the operator workload - and delivered impressive energy savings.\"\n\nWith Pavilion8 MPC, the Yiyang plant reduced coal and energy consumption in the kiln by up to 2% - and captured additional savings in the mills. The decrease in coal represents annual savings up to US$330K and enabled the plant to reduce two byproducts of coal consumption - carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions.\u00a0\n\n\"The pilot project at the Yiyang plant was highly successful,\" said Jingkun Tang. \"The company has already extended the Pavilion8 MPC solution to five additional plants - with at least five more on the way.\"\n\n\nTAG: process-optimization\nTAG: sustainability\nTAG: energy\n\nTAG: cement\n\nTAG: model-predictive-control\n\n",
    "nestle-automates-end-to-end-production-of-hypoallergenic-baby-fo": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/nestle-automates-end-to-end-production-of-hypoallergenic-baby-fo\n\nTITLE: Nestl'e Automates End-to-End Production of Hypoallergenic Baby Foods\n\n*** Background ***\n\nWith its 650 employees, the Nestl'e factory in Biessenhofen is one of Nestl'e's larger facilities in Germany and is recognised as a competence centre for the production of hypoallergenic baby food. The factory also produces the Alete and Beba brands of cereal pastes, as well as clinical liquid nutrition. Other products made in Biessenhofen include Nescaf'eXpress coffee-based drinks and Thomy sauces.\n\nNestl'e has expanded the factory and more than doubled its production capacity. Rockwell Automation was involved in equipping the new site early on in the project due its excellent reputation and experience in the food manufacturing industry.\n\nRockwell Automation, which already works with Nestl'e on a global level, was selected as the system supplier for the new project. Control cabinets, control systems and AC drives - the company delivered a wide range of Allen-Bradley(R) hardware to automate the new factory.\n\nThe project began in summer 2009 and production started in summer 2011.\n\nThe food industry's production methods are oriented towards market demands, among other factors. The market's central requirements include the ability to react fast to new situations, maintain transparency in increasingly complex production processes, and monitor costs.\n\nThe daily work at Nestl'e Biessenhofen includes carefully selecting raw materials, processing them with the highest levels of precision, and maintaining constant quality control at various stages in the production process. Needless to say, the hygiene and quality control standards go far beyond the standard legal requirements.\n\n*** \u00a0 ***\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nIn Biessenhofen, Nestl'e wanted to introduce a fully integrated solution in a completely new facility and automate it from start to finish.\n\nThe project involved automating the sterile filling and packaging sections as well as the manufacturing area. Producing hypoallergenic baby food is such a complex process that it would be hard to manage without computer-aided process controls operating within very narrow tolerance levels. Every stage of the process has to be managed, monitored and documented.\n\nNestl'e set several strategic and technological goals for the automation project at Biessenhofen. One of these was the optimisation of tolerance levels and the ability to easily reproduce processes. Another was to improve quality assurance, verification and batch traceability. The company also wanted to increase the flexibility of machine and process functions. On the operational level, Nestl'e wanted to minimise losses and night shifts while reducing labour costs and throughput times. The Biessenhofen plant was also tasked with optimising the production surface area, inventory and general monitoring costs.\n\n*** \u00a0 ***\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nNestl'e believed the standardised Ethernet approach was crucial for the installation, as it facilitates the planning and visualisation of the whole production process. Process monitoring is made easier in the I/O network by centralised switches which help to optimise availability and detect any issues before they cause machine failure. The performance and flexibility of the field devices - and their integration - was another reason the Nestl'e project team selected Rockwell Automation. \"Nestl'e has already implemented several projects with Rockwell Automation and Endress+Hauser\" notes Florian Schreyer, Automation Engineer at Nestl'e. \"Both companies have tailored their products and systems to the specific requirements of the food manufacturing industry. Their worldwide availability helps to support systems and applications throughout their lifecycle.\n\nTo support seamless production processes, Rockwell Automation was asked to supply and install control cabinets, 50 Allen-Bradley ControlLogix(R) Programmable Automation Controllers (PACs) with the appropriate switches, and about 150 PowerFlex(R) AC drives (0.75 KW - 315 KW). All the automation technology is based on ControlLogix(R) and includes FieldCare (the plant asset management tool from Endress+Hauser), PowerFlex(R) drives with a safe torque-off feature, Flex/Point I/OTM, Ethernet/IP, Stratix and integrated switching technology.\n\nAn advantage of the Rockwell Automation-based EtherNet/IP solution is that it supports end-to-end processes throughout the production plant and facilitates the integration of the network and field devices into the Rockwell Automation environment. \"Almost as soon as the team at Nestl'e started talking about EtherNet/IP, Endress+Hauser became part of the equation,\" says Manfred Rothen, Sales Manager for Germany at Rockwell Automation. \"The partnership between Endress+Hauser and Rockwell Automation, and the two companies' strategy and product development, made it clear that we were well aligned with the direction Nestl'e wanted to take.\" Endress+Hauser, an Encompass and Alliance partner of Rockwell Automation,had already installed new EtherNet/IP technology at the start of the Biessenhofen project when it implemented its Promass Coriolis flow measurement system, which fit in seamlessly with the planned Rockwell Automation concept.\n\n*** \u00a0 ***\n\n*** Results ***\n\nThe Biessenhofen project, which started in summer 2009 and has production running since summer 2011 has been a success for all involved. Along with the hardware, Rockwell Automation also provided the system design via its Solutions and Services Business and made sure it complied with the highest standards. The company also produced the control cabinets and delivered them, ready for installation, to Nestl'e. This helped save a significant amount of time on hardware commissioning.\n\nThe production staff and managers at Nestl'e have high expectations for sustainable and - especially - trouble-free production, which is exactly the area where Rockwell Automation's strengths lie. The factory benefits from structured and modularised automation technology, facilitating rapid and flexible system extensions. Also, the types of system and technology in Biessenhofen are available and can be used globally, helping to support the system's long-term manageability.\n\nTogether, Rockwell Automation and Endress+Hauser provide a proven, integrated system. \"As a result, the user can analyse real-time data from the production plant in higher-level business systems. This helps customers improve their plant efficiency and transparency - and that translates into real cash savings,\" concludes Dion Bouwer, Product Manager Fieldbus Systems, Endress+Hauser.\n\nThe Nestl'e team's use of industry-standard solutions makes maintenance work and system adjustments much easier. \"We're expecting EtherNet/IP to be future-proof,\" says Florian Schreyer. \"It has delivered the huge benefit of giving us centralised access to most of the information from the plant floor.\"\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Nestl'e's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "solutions-in-action--drake-": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/solutions-in-action--drake-\n\nTITLE: Solutions in Action: Drake\n\nIn the food packaging industry, speed and sanitation are critical. But as food trends evolve worldwide, flexibility is becoming increasingly important. More niche and local products are making their way to store shelves. And demand for new sources of protein is changing global diets. Drake, a leading supplier of loading systems for cylindrical food products including sausage and cheese sticks, is positioned to meet the demands of this new environment. Long recognized for its high-speed 1,800 pieces per minute (ppm) equipment, the company recently introduced a loader designed for 200 to 600 ppm \u2013 and optimal flexibility.\n\nDrake is headquartered in Waynesboro, Virginia, and is a brand of The Middleby Corporation. The company enjoys a 90 percent share of the frankfurter loading market in the United States, and captures more than 80 percent of new sales in the Western Hemisphere. \"Our new LS-600R autoloader is ideal for mid-sized packaging lines,\" said George Reed, vice president of engineering and operations, Drake. \"It features stainless steel, open frame design \u2013 and is an excellent option for lower volume specialty sausage producers or operations that are transitioning from a hand operation to an automatic system.\"\n\nLike the company's other loaders, the LS-600R collates and readies the processed product for final packaging. Typically, the formed and usually cooked product enters a loader's hopper in random fashion. Through a patented sorting mechanism, the machine \"unscrambles\" the product, places it into pack patterns, and finally transfers it to a horizontal form-fill-seal (HFFS) machine. What makes the LS-600R autoloader unique is its robotic loading head.\n\n\"This is the first loader of its type that uses a robotic end effector to pick and place the product into the packaging pockets,\" Reed said. \"Robotic technology enables us to deliver a flexible solution \u2013 in a smaller footprint.\" The FANUC robot arm tracks with a moving infeed conveyor and uses vacuum technology to pick the correct number of sausages. As the robot moves toward the pocket, the end effector groups and separates the franks prior to placing them. FANUC is a Rockwell Automation Encompass\u2122 Product Partner. \"While our mechanical loading heads offer higher speed, this robotic option enables rapid, tool-less changeover,\" said Keith Hopkins, senior control systems engineer, Drake. \"Through the machine's operator interface, users can change from one product to another in a matter of minutes.\" The loader's Rockwell Automation control and information system features an Allen-Bradley\u00ae CompactLogix\u2122 programmable automation controller to manage machine and robotic functionality. Allen-Bradley PowerFlex\u00ae 525 AC drives control the infeed and discharge conveyors.\n\nFor machine guarding, the loader utilizes Allen-Bradley Guardmaster\u00ae safety relays and Allen-Bradley SensaGuard\u2122 non-contact interlock switches. The system is integrated on an EtherNet/IP\u2122 network and monitored on an Allen-Bradley PanelView\u2122 Plus 6 1000 graphic terminal. The system also includes the Allen-Bradley 9300-ENA network address translation (NAT) device. \"This device has streamlined configuration,\" Hopkins explained. \"Previously, we would have to get all IP addresses for the system in advance \u2013 or configure the machine in the field. Now, end users can access our machine configurations through a Web browser and quickly set-up their own equipment.\"\n\nThose packagers transitioning from a manual operation to the new loader can expect impressive results. On a line running 600 ppm, the machine can reduce human intervention by more than 50 percent. As Drake introduces the LS-600R autoloader worldwide, it will continue to rely on Rockwell Automation service and support. \"Our customers around the world are familiar with Rockwell Automation quality \u2013 and I know I can count on the company's global support,\" said Reed. \"At the end of the day, that's really why we choose Rockwell Automation. We can invest in one company \u2013 and deliver the same solution worldwide.\"\n\nFor more information, contact: Drake Company, Phone: +1 540.569.4368\n\nEmail: sales@drakeloader.com\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "mes-forms-strong-foundation-for-digital-transformation": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/mes-forms-strong-foundation-for-digital-transformation\n\nTITLE: MES creates strong foundational nucleus for ongoing digital transformation\n\nRottendorf Pharma is a leading contract manufacturers and developers (CDMO) and has been active for more than 95 years in manufacturing, packaging and development of formulations and analytical processes for solid oral dosage forms for the international pharmaceutical industry.\n\nIt's highly likely that every culture has, at some time or another, used an idiom that extols the importance of a strong foundation. The reason being that it stands the test of time in virtually every aspect of life, from the buildings we live in, through the education we have, and onwards to the success we build.\n\nIn business and industry, it is just as applicable. Be it a strong team, a great idea, or a powerful platform, all of these can provide the support and springboard to grow and prosper. And nowhere is this more readily apparent than in companies that are starting, nurturing, and growing their digital transformations.\n\nOne such company that is already establishing a solid footing is Rottendorf Pharma GmbH. Based in Ennigerloh, Germany, the company is a global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), formulating and fabricating a wide variety of products for a diverse global pharmaceutical customer base.\n\nWith significant expertise in solid-dosage-form production, it operates under the philosophies of Total Process Ownership (TPO) and Total Technological Mastering (TTM), both of which combine to reduce customer management resource requirements and costs and improve supply chains and product quality.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nAs part of a broader ongoing self-improvement journey, the company recently made the decision to update procedures in its central weigh-and-dispense operations. The goal being to create a solid data-based foundation for all subsequent steps in its manufacturing processes.\n\nTo this end it chose to deploy the FactoryTalk(R) PharmaSuite(R) manufacturing execution system (MES) from Rockwell Automation. By introducing consistent and easily accessible weigh-and-dispense data, it has taken a major step in end-to-end electronic batch recording (EBR) across its entire pharma value chain.\n\n\"It's not just about greater accuracy, quality, efficiency, and repeatability,\" explains Arne Groneick, IT application manager at Rottendorf Pharma, \"we must also consider validation. And, due to our geographically dispersed global customer base, it's not just one form of validation. We must take into account widespread, differing, and evolving local, national and international legislation. Therefore, we needed a software platform that comes from the pharma industry. One that is validated by the supplier and is based strongly in legislation. For this reason, the rationale behind our choice of MES software platform had to be robust and all encompassing.\"\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\nFactoryTalk PharmaSuite MES has been developed specifically for the modern demands of the life sciences industry, providing role-based optimization for each lifecycle stage, and driving time to results for all users. Although driven by standardization, its flexibility, open-content architecture, and intelligent upgrade engine means it can grow and scale as its user requires, for both batch and discrete processing.\n\n\"The introduction of the MES solution is the primary foundation of our digitalization project,\" Groneick explains. \"The PharmaSuite platform forms the nucleus and will interact with SAP and our lab-management software. This digital core will then feed information throughout our entire production operations.\"\n\nDescribing the reasoning behind the deployment, Groneick continues: \"In a word, quality. We must ensure that everything that can affect quality is measured and recorded, something that was more labor intensive with our older paper-based, 'four-eyes' approach.\"\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\nPreviously, a report detailing all positions, quantities and batch details would be generated by SAP and printed out. This was then used by the operator to weigh the materials using a scale before they recorded the values from the scales and then asked a colleague to check them - the so-called 'four-eyes approach'.\n\n\"Now we have a direct line of communication between SAP and the MES. All the batch-specific information is given to the MES, which then presents it to the operator using an HMI. The weighing is undertaken using connected scales, scanners and other hardware, and all resulting information is fed back into the MES. It's all digital and more consistent, and only requires two eyes... or fewer in some cases.\n\n\"Single operators also mean greater efficiencies. For example, reviews can be undertaken and achieved faster because the operator does not need to go to every location where a paper record used to exist. In addition to this, our industry also relies heavily on highly trained operatives, so if we can free them up it's a huge advantage. That said, saving money from personnel was never the target of this project. People can be relocated to areas where they add value, this is particularly important for us, as we have grown quickly, and we need our skilled workers doing what they do best.\n\n\"PharmaSuite MES is ideal for our application,\" Groneick concludes. \"For us it's a big plus to say that our production and manufacturing is running on a validated IT system, with the whole process being guided by software. It's on its 10th version, too, so we know there is an industry-proven pedigree; and it is approved by big pharma, with many other major global companies deploying the platform too. Add its clear and concise licensing model into the picture and we can be sure that it's the right software for us.\"\n\nTAG: life-sciences\n\nTAG: factorytalk-pharmasuite\n\n",
    "metal-stamping-erp": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/metal-stamping-erp\n\nTITLE: ERP Provides Metal Stamping Business with Transformative Visibility and Traceability\n\nEstablished in 1917 and a fourth-generation, family-owned business Stanco Metal Products provides metal stamping as their main business and fabrication services in one of their three facilities throughout the United States.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\n* Lack of Visibility and Traceability with Legacy ERP\n\nAs a company established over a century ago, Stanco Metal Products relied on outdated systems to manage their metal stamping and fabrication processes. Their legacy ERP system, which was nearly DOS-based, created a \"dark hole\" of information, as Ketih McLane IT Systems Analyst at Stanco says.\n\nThe lack of real-time visibility hindered the company's ability to track inventory, manage accounts, and schedule jobs efficiently. The process involved manual, paper-based communication, with the office delivering physical job books to production floors for scheduling. In addition, the company had no reliable way to trace parts from production to delivery, creating inefficiencies and limiting the ability to provide quality assurance to customers.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\n* Implementing Plex ERP for Streamlined Operations\n\nTo bring their operations out of the dark and into a modern, data-driven environment, Stanco implemented Plex ERP.\u00a0With the new system, they gained real-time visibility into every aspect of their business, from inventory management to accounts receivable and payable.\n\nPlex allowed their production teams to view schedules in real time, eliminating the need for physical job books. Tool and dye workers could now prepare jobs months in advance, improving production flow. Shipping and receiving also benefitted from the real-time order visibility, enabling them to better prepare for upcoming shipments.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\nThe impact of Plex ERP on Stanco was profound. Scheduling, which used to only extend two weeks in advance, now allows for production planning months ahead. This change streamlined operations across departments, from production to shipping, ensuring that teams were always prepared for upcoming jobs.\n\nOne of the most transformative features of Plex ERP for Stanco was its traceability capabilities. Every part produced now comes with a serial number that can be traced back through the entire production process, all the way to the original material receipt. This provided the traceability their previous system lacked, allowing them to offer their customers complete transparency and quality assurance.\n\nAs McLane says, \"Processes have gotten a lot easier. Next at Stanco is to keep implementing more modules. With Plex, you're never finished. There's always something new to add.\"\n\nTAG: accelerate-digital-transformation\n\nTAG: metals\n\nTAG: plex-erp\n\n",
    "dupont-chooses-plantpax-dcs-to-increase-operational-availability": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/dupont-chooses-plantpax-dcs-to-increase-operational-availability\n\nTITLE: DuPont Chooses PlantPAx DCS to Increase Operational Availability and Flexibility of Control\n\nEleuth`ere du Pont studied chemistry with none other than Lavoisier, and his surname now names what is today one of the largest industrial conglomerates worldwide. The history of\u00a0DuPont is more than 200 years old and began with the manufacture of gunpowder.\n\nThe main industries in which the company operates include agriculture, electronics and communication, industrial biosciences, performance materials, nutrition and health; and protection solutions.\n\nIt was in the division of nutrition and health at the company's plant in the Brazilian city of Esteio, Rio Grande do Sul where a project for modernizing the control system was developed and implemented. This plant, founded in 1958, was the first to manufacture margarine in the country.\n\nThe facility produces isolated soy protein, soy protein concentrate, extruded proteins and lecithin. Protein is an essential functional ingredient in the manufacturing processes of numerous other food companies. DuPont provides protein solutions for major players in two primary markets: meat (which uses it for processed meats) and nutrition (shakes, juices, cereal bars, among others).\n\n***** Motivation and Challenges *****\n\nThe main reason for investing in modernization was the obsolescence of the existing distributed control system (DCS), according to M'arcio Moreira de Barros, project team leader: \"The system had reached the end of its service life and the supplier informed us that he would no longer provide support. This was the main factor that led to the replacement, because between the risk of having an unexpected halt and an extended downtime or investing in the system replacement, we opted for the latter in order to ensure the stability of the operating system.\"\n\nAdditionally, there was no more room to add extensions, the programming/configuration language was proprietary and there was great difficulty in finding a local system integrator. The deadline was among the main challenges faced by Barros and the team working on the project.\n\nThe time to replace the systems was limited to three weeks of scheduled downtime. The plant was controlled by two different systems: a DCS with 1,670 points and PLCs with 408. The logic was highly complex because it was made up of both process and clean-in-place (CIP). Furthermore, the new control system needed to integrate with the existing historical system.\n\nThe system was implemented in 110V AC, but it was prepared for a future migration to 24V DC, with interface relays. \"There were more than 2,000 process control points to be migrated, within a maximum of three weeks, during which the old points would have to be disconnected, the new ones connected, commissioned and tested,\" Barros said.\n\n\"Even with a plant shutdown, we knew there would be a lot of other maintenance, engineering and operation activities taking place in parallel - a lot of people working on different fronts,\" he said.\n\n\"Even so, we were able to assemble and commission the system in two weeks, which gave us a week to put the operator face to face with the new system, simulating the process with water,\" Barros said\n\n***** Critical Item: Choosing a Partner *****\n\nEven as a global supplier to DuPont, the proposal and structure from Rockwell Automation was evaluated side by side with those other vendors due to the complexity and budget constraints of the project. Barros said Rockwell Automation was selected because:\n\n    * The\u00a0PlantPAx DCS system brings together unique features that distinguish it in the market, emphasizing virtualization technology with templates already delivered by the manufacturer, system scalability tools before they are even in operation, scalability, integration flexibility with other systems, remote access and easy and fast deployment\n\n    * Alignment of the project with the plant shutdown schedule\n\n    * Alignment with DuPont's medium- and long-term automation strategy\n\n    * A wide range of services\n\n    * Robustness of hardware and software and modularity of the distributed system\n\n    * Local support and engineering structure\n\n    * Wide network of local integrators\n\n***** Tests and Adjustments *****\n\n\"We have our own simulator, developed internally by DuPont, in which we performed the PAT - Plant Acceptance Test - at the Rockwell Automation plant in Jundia'i, S~ao Paulo. We took the simulator, connected to the DCS controller, performed the interlock, logic, control loop and screen tests, and then used this same simulator to train our operators.\"\n\n\"This simulator has the ability to reproduce various process conditions, including unexpected ones, \"Barros said. \"The operators interacted with the screen as if they were in the process. And the operator's feedback during the operation of the new system in the simulator allowed us to adjust the system before the startup, something that gave us valuable time ahead.\"\n\n***** Results *****\n\n\"Initially, the replacement would eliminate the risks of obsolescence, but we already saw other benefits beyond the operational stability guaranteed by the modernization, including several gains that even I had not expected,\" Barros said.\n\nHe mentioned alarm management as an example. \"Now we can see grayscale screens, which makes them safer as it is easier and faster to spot when you have a red or yellow dot.\" And he also highlighted another benefit: \"As we can see the interlocks that are active on the operating screen itself, this makes it much easier for the operator and maintenance and saves considerable time.\"\n\nThe DCS modernization also provided additional flexibility, including ease of maintenance, ease of adding and adjusting logic, adding input/output points, AutoTune of control loops, description of loops, sequencing, among others.\n\nThe robustness of the system and improved control over maintenance and operating costs were also highlighted by Barros, including improved system monitoring, data acquisition and system history.\n\nIn the face of expressive results and the positive experience working together, DuPont has already planned next steps, such as the migration of other units to the PlantPAx distributed control system, the implementation of advanced control tools (APC), manufacturing execution systems (MES), and intelligent motor control centers (MCCs) over EtherNet/IP.\n\nAllen-Bradley, PlantPAx, PowerFlex, Rockwell Automation and Rockwell Software are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "oem-introduces-alternative-storage-and-retrieval-system-for-urba": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/oem-introduces-alternative-storage-and-retrieval-system-for-urba\n\nTITLE: OEM Introduces Alternative Storage and Retrieval System for Urban Areas\n\n*** Solutions For Tight Spaces ***\n\nWhen space is limited, manufacturers will look for alternative storage systems. This OEM, based in India, specializes in Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (ASRS) and stationary racking for production and warehousing.\n\nCustomers in many diverse industries, including automotive and tire, textile and consumer packaged goods, heavily rely on these types of systems. To meet growing needs, the OEM has the state-of-the-art design, manufacturing and inspection facilities across locations in India.\n\nThe OEM has developed a vertical storage system with tray extractor arrangements operated by a console. With the space constraints in urban areas and facilities, the vertical storage system improves storage ratios and has substantial applications across various industries.\n\nWith this application:\n\n    * Trays are stacked in racks which can move up to two floors (24 meters).\n\n    * An operator keys in the tray number to be retrieved. The retrieval system moves to the respective rack number and retrieves the tray.\n\n    * Once retrieved the tray is brought down and moved on to the table for operator to pick the parts from bins.\n\n    * When the operator wants to pick another tray, the retrieval system put the first tray back in its designated spot, and retrieves the next tray.\n\nWhenever items have to be stored with effective usage of space and retrieved quickly, the vertical storage system provides the optimal, efficient solution:\n\n    * Up to 80% faster retrieval times than normal shelving.\n\n    * Smooth movement of trays for sorting fragile products.\n\n    * Adjustable tray positioning in access opening for ergonomic loading and unloading.\n\n    * Reduce personnel costs by reducing picking time.\n\n*** \u00a0 ***\n\n*** Reduce Total Cost To Design, Develop and Deliver ***\n\nIn this highly competitive machine builder market, this OEM intends to expand as well. First, though, they needed to address issues with the current design of the vertical storage system.\n\nThe solution they had was basic; it did the job. But they were missing customization and the ability to reduce storage and retrieval time, and also technology to improve the machine efficiency.\n\nStorage and retrieval happened from a fixed location so product trays were stored in the same location from where they were retrieved. Since the system was not flexible, users were not optimizing storage space. In addition, the inflexible system resulted in longer storage and retrieval time. There was no opportunity to incorporate advanced features like auto re-arranging mode, empty gap removal between trays, and password protection.\n\n\u00a0\n\nThe OEM\u00a0 must reduce the Total Cost to Design, Develop and Deliver(R)\u00a0machinery to meet customer requirements globally, as well as improve machine efficiency. They also wanted to rely on one partner for all automation requirements and warranty replacements across the world.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\n\n*** \u00a0 ***\n\n*** Complete Solution For Global Customers ***\n\nCompetition for this machine was fierce, as many companies had an element or two that would work in the machine - several at a relatively low price.\n\nInstead of competing on price alone, Rockwell Automation(R) chose to provide an entire package for the solution, which includes\u00a0 serving as a partner rather than a technology supplier. Deep domain knowledge and industry expertise, global support and a unique understanding of specific end-user requirements and customer needs, made this total solution the best option for this OEM.\n\nThe solution includes the 1769\u00a0CompactLogixTM L3x controllers, designed for small to mid-size control applications that don't require motion or safety functionality. These controllers offer integrated serial, EtherNet/IPTM, or ControlNetTM channels; and modular\u00a0DeviceNetTM communications.\n\nThe 1734\u00a0POINT I/OTM is ideal for applications requiring flexibility and low cost of ownership. Granularity of one to eight points allowed this OEM to buy only the I/O needed. The compact design allows easier installation in limited panel space.\n\nPowerFlex(R) 525 AC\u00a0drives feature an innovative, modular design to support fast and easy installation and configuration. This next generation of compact drives offers embedded\u00a0EtherNet/IPTM communications, USB programming, and standard safety features. PowerFlex(R) 525 AC, which offer a power rating of 0.4...22 kW (0.5...30 Hp) with global voltage classes of 100...600V, provide various motor control and flexible mounting options.\n\nPanelViewTM\u00a0Plus 7 graphic terminals offer a wide variety of display sizes and performance versions to simplify configuration.\n\nSafety relays check and monitor a safety system and either allow the machine to start or execute commands to stop the machine. Single-function safety relays are the most economical solution for smaller machines where a dedicated logic device is required to complete the safety function. Modular and configurable monitoring safety relays are preferred where a large and diverse number of safeguarding devices and minimal zone control are required.\n\nPhotoelectric laser sensors accurately detect small targets such as weld nuts and mounting clips. They have a much longer sensing range than sensors that use standard visible red or infrared light. The solution offered enterprise resource planning (EP) connectivity to SAP and other business systems.\n\n*** \u00a0 ***\n\n*** Improved Performance And Lead Time ***\n\nThe solution provided:\n\n    * Light curtain safety for operators placing or retrieving products from the access area.\n\n    * Password protection for access to trays and barcode scanning of product for easier retrieval.\n\nThe solution also:\n\n    * Optimized retrieval time by removing delays between trays.\n\n    * Compressed occupied space with the automatic removal of gaps for better occupancy.\n\n    * Provided multiple access areas in different levels for dual tray parking.\n\n    * Improved machine performance.\n\n    * Reduced development, delivery and commissioning time. This includes testing, installation, troubleshooting, and start-up time.\n\nFor this OEM's end users, once equipment is installed, Rockwell Automation offers the right level of global service and support to reduce warranty costs and improve customer satisfaction through lifecycle support.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to this OEM's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nTrademark Information:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\n\nControlLogix(R), PanelViewTM, POINT I/OTM, PowerFlex(R) 525 AC, Rockwell Automation and Total Cost to Design, Develop and Deliver are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc. Trademarks not belonging to Rockwell Automation are property of their respective companies.\n\n\nTAG: safety-solutions\nTAG: industrial-automation-and-control\n\nTAG: warehouse-fulfillment\n\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: signal-interface\n\n",
    "eliminate-manual-work": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/eliminate-manual-work\n\nTITLE: Strand Products Eliminates Manual Work with Plex ERP\n\nFor more than 50 years, Strand Products, Inc. has specialized in the design and fabrication of high tolerance custom mechanical wire, wire rope, and cable assemblies for diverse and demanding applications.\n\nStrand Products, Inc., a 100% employee-owned company based in Ventura, CA, specializes in the design and fabrication of high-tolerance custom mechanical wire, wire rope, and cable assemblies. A MedTech company serving aerospace, defense, and automotive sectors, Strand Products is committed to innovation and quality. To sustain growth and meet increasing customer demands, Stand Products implemented Plex ERP, transforming their operations from manual and fragmented processes to a fully automated, real-time system.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nStrand Products wasn't new to digitization. In 2004, the company implemented an ERP. However, the system relied on a patchwork of eight different programs, leading to inefficiencies and delays in critical areas such as costing and production tracking. CEO Wes Prunkle explains, \"Before Plex, we were originally paper-based. We had digitization and traceability, but the process was arduous. One had to be a database expert or Excel pivot table expert just to get any kind of meaningful information.\"\n\nThe company faced a few pain points: retroactive data analysis, delayed insights into production costs, and lack of real-time visibility into manufacturing processes. Additionally, their method for generating compliance certification packets-vital for their customers in aerospace, Medtech, and defense-was slow and prone to errors due to the manual work involved. The Strand Products team knew that to grow and maintain high standards, they needed to automate.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\nStrand Products began searching for a modern ERP solution that would provide seamless continuity of information and offer real-time access to data. After evaluating several top competitors, the company selected Plex ERP due to its comprehensive functionality and ability to support diverse industry requirements without the need for costly or labor-intensive add-ons.\n\n\"The implementation far exceeded my expectations,\" says Prunkle. It took \"about six months from our initial discovery to going live, and we haven't looked back.\" Plex ERP allowed Strand Products to transition fully from a paper-based system to a digital platform, providing complete visibility across production and operations.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\nSince implementing Plex ERP, Strand Products has seen remarkable improvements in both operational efficiency and financial performance. For example, the company has seen revenue grow 40% within the first year of implementation and a 7% improvement in gross margin year-over-year in 2024.\n\nOne of the most significant benefits has been the automation of their compliance processes, crucial for meeting customer requirements in the highly regulated fields that they serve. Plex ERP eliminated the need for manual entry and drastically reduced the time spent on preparing certification packets.\n\n\"Plex has allowed us to be more proactive in running our business,\" says Prunkle. \"It's enabled us to realize better financial management and operational execution.\" With real-time visibility into their production floor, Strand Products no longer operates in a \"black box\" as they previously did. Now, they can monitor variances and costs immediately, driving more informed decision-making and improving overall operational efficiency.\n\nLooking forward, Strand Products is well-positioned to continue growing its business while maintaining the high standards of quality and traceability required by its customer base.\n\nYou may also be interested in\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: metals\n\nTAG: plex-erp\n\n",
    "the-connected-enterprise-helps-rockwell-automation-optimize-faci": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/the-connected-enterprise-helps-rockwell-automation-optimize-faci\n\nTITLE: The Connected Enterprise(R) Helps Rockwell Automation Optimize Facilities\n\n*** Background ***\n\nRockwell Automation is the world's largest company dedicated to industrial automation and information solutions. Whether working with a highly recognizable food producer, major oil processor or top automaker, Rockwell Automation helps companies improve processes, reduce inefficiencies and increase productivity.\n\nBehind its support for some of the world's most recognisable manufacturers and industrial operators, however, Rockwell Automation is also a manufacturer. About one-third of the company's 22,500 employees work at its 20 global manufacturing plants and manage a product catalog of nearly 400,000 SKUs. The company's average product has a 20-year life span, and the average order includes 200 line items, with product delivery times ranging from a few days to several months.\n\nRockwell Automation harnessed the power of its own information in a way that could help increase visibility into these complex production environments, support a common manufacturing platform, and enable a restructured supply chain. The best way to accomplish this was to leverage its integrated control and information portfolio to converge its information technologies (IT) and operational technologies (OT) into a single, globe-spanning system. The system would allow an unprecedented level of connectivity, communication and collaboration across all locations.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nSimilar to other manufacturers with large product portfolios and a global manufacturing presence, Rockwell Automation used a wide range of manufacturing processes at its different plants. Each plant also ran its own enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, with none of them talking to each other, while also using custom applications that monitored and analyzed machine data in different ways.\n\nRockwell Automation also wanted to establish a fully connected system that could be used to track and swiftly respond to issues that might occur anywhere in the world. That could include responding to a surge in demand at one facility by ramping up production at another nearby facility or adjusting to a disruption with one supply network partner by working with another.\n\nThe company also sought to reduce the number of applications registered through its business process mapping. The large number of products and parts being produced had led to the existence of hundreds of applications. The wide variation in data and I/O points increased not only the risk of error but also the time needed to understand collected data.\n\n\"The challenges that we faced are shared by many global manufacturers,\" said John Nesi, Vice President of Market Development. \"We knew that an enterprisewide strategy connecting our plants would give us better visibility into our operations, improve performance measuring and comparisons among plants, and support better decision making using good, indisputable data.\"\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nRockwell Automation has been on a decades-long journey to enable better decision making using enterprise data. Driven by a standard and open Ethernet network architecture that utilizes the Internet Protocol, and boosted by key enhancing technologies such as the Internet of Things, The Connected Enterprise(R) is helping the company evolve and advance that pursuit.\n\nThe Connected Enterprise(R) unifies IT and OT systems, providing new opportunities to access, monitor and capitalize on operational, business and transactional data across a manufacturer's enterprise.\n\n\"We developed a five-year plan for the complete restructuring of our facility and supplier networks at the onset of this project,\" Nesi said. \"We also created a mutually agreed-upon playbook from which the plan would be executed, and we put goals in place to ensure we either maintained or improved the quality levels that our customers expected.\"\n\nEstablishing a single connected system across the globe necessitated that Rockwell Automation change its network infrastructure approach. The company decided to implement EtherNet/IPTM, a standard and open network infrastructure that enables secure interoperability between corporate IT networks and industrial applications.\n\nThe company also replaced the many different ERP systems dispersed at its factories around the world with a single ERP system that could easily manage its multiple systems across its global facilities. The new standardized system delivers processes and points of reference for consistently measuring performance across all facilities.\n\nIn tandem with the new ERP system, Rockwell Automation rolled out a new Manufacturing Execution System (MES) to standardize processes across all of its production sites. The company chose to use its own FactoryTalk(R) ProductionCentre(R) software, which uses an extensible work-flow engine and operational model that can grow with operations. The software's high flexibility also fits well with the diverse manufacturing styles needed to produce the company's broad portfolio of products, which include standard, configured-to-order and engineered-to-order products.\n\nRockwell Automation also deployed its FactoryTalk VantagePoint(R) Enterprise Manufacturing Intelligence (EMI) software, which tracks and records data, and can help pinpoint production trends.\n\nThe combined MES and EMI system brings information from hundreds of applications into one centralized location. It gives workers understandable and actionable information that they can use to make improvements, and enables real-time analysis of key performance indicators, such as quality, production performance and work-flow management.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nRockwell Automation is still in the process of deploying The Connected Enterprise(R) to all of its plants, but the company has experienced numerous improvements to date where the new system has been implemented.\n\nThe company has lowered its total cost of ownership, reducing inventory days from 120 to 82 and capturing 30% in annual capital avoidance. It has also accelerated its time-to-market, with supply-chain deliveries now up to 96 percent and lead times cut in half. Additionally, the company estimates it has experienced a 4-5% annual improvement in productivity.\n\nFunneling data into and out of the ERP system via the MES platform has continually reduced issue resolution times and supported leaner operations. As a result, an improvement in output efficiencies was realized, which are critical to any manufacturer's profitability.\n\nThe company has also passed The Connected Enterprise(R) benefits on to its customers. On-time delivery has increased from 82% to 98%, and parts-per-million defects have been cut in half through improved quality.\n\nRockwell Automation plans to roll out the new system to 95% of its facilities in the next two years. Even then, the company will still view The Connected Enterprise(R) as an ongoing effort that will require new goals and a commitment to continuously improve.\n\nThe Connected Enterprise(R) is the industrial revolution of the 21st century. It offers numerous competitive advantages that will be imperative to manufacturers in the coming years, including uncovering new opportunities for improving global production, supporting sustainability efforts and increasing agility.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to the Rockwell Automation use of products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\n",
    "city-of-tacoma-wastewater-treatment-plant-migrates-to-modern-dcs": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/city-of-tacoma-wastewater-treatment-plant-migrates-to-modern-dcs\n\nTITLE: City of Tacoma Wastewater Treatment Plant Migrates to Modern DCS, Gains Crystal Clear View into Operations\n\nWastewater isn't just the water flushed from toilets or drained from bathtubs. It comes in many forms, including rainwater from storms, which can carry chemicals and other substances that could cause harm if used before going through the wastewater treatment process.\u00a0\n\nTacoma, a city south of Seattle in a state known for its year-round rainfall, knows the importance of proper water and wastewater treatment to keep its more than 208,000 residents serviced and safe.\n\nThe City of Tacoma Environmental Services operates out of two wastewater plants, the Central and North End plants, which maintain 48 pump stations along a 650-mile collection system when combined.\n\nThe Central treatment plant was built in 1954 with secondary treatment upgrades completed in 1988 to meet new effluent standards from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In 2006, additional upgrades were implemented to increase the plant's capacity to 139 million gallons per day (MGD).\n\nThe North End treatment plant was built in 1968 and has a capacity of 30 MGD. Major upgrades were completed in the late 80s to meet requirements from the EPA mandate, and secondary treatment upgrades were added to the plant in 1997. Unique from other wastewater facilities, the North End plant is a physical/chemical treatment plant due to its smaller footprint and transfers solids to the Central plant for processing.\n\nBoth plants were operating on decades-old equipment and required upgrades.\n\n\"We were dealing with legacy systems that no longer suited or supported our operations,\" said Chris Roberts, Tacoma Automation Support Team, City of Tacoma Environmental Services. \"It wasn't a 'want' but a 'need' to find a new solution for both the Central and North End plants that would make smoother, more efficient processes possible.\"\n\n*** Putting in the (prep) work ***\n\nThe city collaborated with Carollo Engineers, an environmental engineering firm that specializes in the planning, design and construction of water and wastewater facilities, to help with the technology selection process. The combined team evaluated different solutions' capabilities, support services, associated costs and more. After the extensive selection process, the PlantPAx distributed control system (DCS) from Rockwell Automation came out on top.\n\n\"We wanted a solution and a partner that would offer the hands-on support we needed as a smaller player in the DCS world,\" said Roberts. \"Through our research and evaluation, we found that Rockwell Automation had the local programming and technical support we were looking for with a competitive price point.\"\n\nOnce the technology selection process was completed, the team continued working with Carollo Engineers to prep for system implementation. This included building out system standards, understanding potential unknowns in the aging systems, creating all new P&ID and control narratives and pinpointing exactly how to take the proof of concept to an implementable design at both plants.\n\nAfter a three-year preparation period, the city was ready to implement a fully standardized PlantPAx DCS and production intelligence solution to help increase plant efficiencies, save energy and improve visibility into its operations.\n\n*** Out with the old, in with the new ***\n\nThe flexible, modern DCS provides a plant-wide solution with pre-defined code and faceplates that improve ease of use for operators. The detailed Library of Process Objects with add-on instructions allows for a standard method of operation, decreases engineering deployment time and simplifies integration of non-Rockwell Automation devices.\u00a0\n\n\"Our operations team requested modified, customized graphics to align closer with the grayscale standard but allow for more color to match the existing color schemes of the plants, and because of the flexibility of the PlantPAx system and its object library, we were able to easily do that,\" said Roberts.\n\nHistorian and production intelligence software was implemented to improve the operator's view into key process and performance data. The historian collects and archives valuable data from each plant's equipment and instrumentation, and operators now have automated reporting capabilities and an easy-to-understand view into historical and real-time process trends, such as pumping metrics, and all process operations from the control room.\n\nAs part of the solution, the team implemented 22 new programmable logic controllers along with an Industrial Data Center from Rockwell Automation to help decrease server footprint and improve infrastructure reliability. The Industrial Data Center is a standard pre-configured infrastructure that offers a virtualized environment for testing configuration and software changes without impacting production, which was a must-have for the city. It also bundles technology from leading IT providers and Rockwell Automation Strategic Alliance Partners,\u00a0Cisco and Panduit.\n\nThe implementation process for the full solution began in April 2015 and the cutover was completed in 2017, with only a few additional upgrades planned for pump stations.\n\n*** Seeing clearly and easily \u00a0 ***\n\nAll in all, the modern DCS helped the city see into their process more clearly.\n\nWith the new system, the city is working on implementing a predictive maintenance strategy versus reactive. If an alarm went off or any issues arose with the legacy systems, operators would have to physically go inspect what was happening. Now, they have contextualized data through the process software in the central control room, which decreases troubleshooting time and costs associated with operational delays.\n\nThe number of alarms, ranging in severity from nuisance to critical, improved with the new system. This helps ensure everything runs properly and allows operators to preemptively address any potential issues.\n\n\"Our operators now have more data available to observe, and it's organized in a way that allows them to understand what's happening at any stage of the process,\" said Roberts. \"The standardized language and graphics make it easier to document the process and key data points, as well.\"\n\nEnergy data from the modern DCS feeds information to the energy management team to help identify sources of power savings. Currently this team has identified over $34K of savings each year. This helps the city meet its power-saving goals by better equipping the energy management team to analyze processes and uncover potential efficiencies, such as lowering the pressure setpoint to reduce the number of pumps needed, which therefore saves energy.\n\n\"We're always aiming to identify better, more efficient ways to run our plants, and the modern DCS system we have, now, is helping us do just that,\" said Roberts.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to the City of Tacoma Environmental Services use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nPlantPAx is a trademark of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\n\nTAG: process-automation-control\n\nTAG: water-wastewater\n\nTAG: plantpax\nTAG: plantpax-dcs\n\n",
    "injection-of-manufacturing-intelligence-in-pharma-process-reduce": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/injection-of-manufacturing-intelligence-in-pharma-process-reduce\n\nTITLE: Injection of Manufacturing Intelligence in Pharma Process Reduces Loss\n\n*** Background ***\n\nMany vital medications are in short supply in the United States, a situation that has sparked patient outcry and even congressional hearings. Topping the list of critically needed drugs are liquids that patients receive either by injection or intravenously. In fact, nearly 75 percent of the medications on the federal U.S. Food and Drug Administration's shortage list are liquids, such as chemotherapy drugs, anesthetics and nutritional solutions.\n\nThe FDA and industry experts agree that a big part of the problem is the stringent and often complex process required to protect drug purity during production. In 2010 alone, more than half the batches of injectable drugs produced by pharmaceutical manufacturers were thrown out because of quality issues, such as bacterial contamination and industrial particulate impurities.\n\nThe story of one manufacturer illustrates the seriousness of the situation \u2013 and how companies can use automated technology to help overcome it.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nContamination on the packaging line resulted in double-digit batch losses in one year for this U.S.-based producer of sterile injectables. The problem in the process occurred during the transfer of medication from bulk vessels into individual plastic vials using a blow, fill and seal machine.\n\nTo ensure all the equipment was sterile prior to introducing the medication, the operator manually pressurized the line by opening and closing a series of 20 to 30 valves throughout the process. This eliminated outside air \u2013 and contaminants. But opening a valve out of sequence or at the wrong time could compromise the batch.\n\nHuman error wasn't the only problem. A defective valve seal or instrument coupling could also trigger a loss of pressure and threaten the product's purity. The line also lacked an alarm system to signal potential failures, so plant operators didn't know if they had a bad batch until the end-product was tested.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nSearching for a comprehensive solution, the drug manufacturer tapped Automated Systems Inc. (ASI) to upgrade its control and visualization system. ASI created a system to automatically contain contamination on the line, issue alarms when any process metrics varied outside of preset ranges, and track and record key process data to verify the sterility of each completed batch.\n\nThe solution relied on a manufacturing intelligence strategy based on Rockwell Automation hardware and software. Leveraging a new Allen-Bradley\u00ae ControlLogix\u00ae programmable automation controller, ASI engineers designed a system that predetermines all processing and sequencing steps, including the crucial pressurization procedure.\n\nThe system incorporated FactoryTalk software from Rockwell Automation, including a human-machine interface (HMI) running FactoryTalk\u00ae View Site Edition (SE) software. The HMI shows the real-time state of the system in a sophisticated mimic screen. This screen \u2013 which also can be accessed via a secured web-browser for remote monitoring \u2013 gives operators a detailed overview of the status of every valve across the system, along with pressure and temperature readings.\n\nThis enables the operator to quickly and correctly perform the right operation with optimal awareness of the entire system. FactoryTalk View SE software prompts the operator to perform certain actions and verify variables at each step in the process. In the event of a warning or alarm, the system automatically identifies the potential failure site, isolates the product there and re-sterilizes the line.\n\nFor improved record-keeping and simplified reporting, ASI incorporated FactoryTalk Historian and VantagePoint EMI software into the new system. Together, the applications track and report all critical process parameters and alarms. Now, operators have real-time access to critical production data from automatically generated interfaces, dashboards and reports, so they can defuse any potential production issues before they occur. And business managers can evaluate historical data to make better-informed decisions.\n\nAt the end of each operation cycle, the new system automatically generates a report listing any alarms or conditions affecting sterility. If operators see an anomaly, they can refer to the historical data to pinpoint exactly where the error occurred and quickly work to remedy the situation. Automatically tracking production data also eliminates the need to test each batch at the end of the process.\n\nThe reports are stored in PDF format to provide batch traceability. Plant operators and managers use the historical data for trending and process analysis.\n\nFactoryTalk Historian and VantagePoint EMI software also satisfy regulatory reporting requirements. FactoryTalk Historian acts as a safe records repository that allows the manufacturer to comply with the FDA's electronic records rules. FactoryTalk VantagePoint EMI enables the system to correlate dependable supporting data for the batch record, improving compliance with the agency's current good manufacturing practice regulations.\n\n*** Result ***\n\nSince implementing the new system, the manufacturer hasn't lost a single batch to contamination. Each finished batch is worth more than $250,000, so the investment in the new system quickly paid for itself.\n\nThe company also spends less time and money complying with FDA reporting regulations because the system automatically tracks batch safety.\n\nPatients also benefit, receiving more of the medications they need.\n\n\nTAG: life-sciences\n\n",
    "medimmune-integrates-control-of-cold-chain-distribution-center": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/medimmune-integrates-control-of-cold-chain-distribution-center\n\nTITLE: MedImmune Integrates Control of Cold-Chain Distribution Center\n\n*** Background ***\n\nVaccines are one of the pharmaceutical industry's most perishable products. The shelf-life of biologic agents, such as influenza vaccines, is relatively short even under ideal conditions \u2013 around six months.\n\nMost of these life-saving agents are sensitive to temperature variations.\n\nAny break in the \"cold chain\" could harm their potency and effectiveness in warding off disease. MedImmune \u2013 the global biologics research and development arm of pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca \u2013 operates its single cold-chain distribution facility near Louisville, Kentucky.\n\nFrom there, it annually ships more than 15 million doses of FluMist,\u00ae the first nasal-spray flu vaccine approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).\n\nThe Louisville distribution center is strategically located near major facilities for commercial shipping companies that deliver the vaccine to hospitals, clinics and retail pharmacies.\n\nOne of MedImmune's major customers is the U.S. Department of Defense, which contracts with the company to provide the flu-shot alternative to American military personnel based around the world.\n\nThe distribution center stores the FluMist pallets in two FDA-validated freezer spaces, together totaling 27,000 square feet.\n\nInside each temperature-controlled freezer is space for 1,180 pallets. Each frozen space also contains automated storage-and-retrieval systems that include conveyors, lift tables and robotic cranes, which break down the pallets and cases.\n\nA high-tech, pick-and-pack area is equipped with eight stations where orders are filled in various quantities for various customers.\n\nA large percentage of orders are small parcels delivered in one or two days. They're shipped in passively-cooled containers \u2013 essentially, ice chests containing frozen gel packs to maintain the cold chain until the products reach their destinations.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nThe distribution center facility contained diverse legacy systems, partly because it changed ownership twice before AstraZeneca bought it in 2007.\n\nIn addition, the automation systems were largely siloed. For example, each freezer's ammonia-based refrigeration system operated independently. \"We had eight separate control systems that were loosely connected at best,\" explained Jim Heckmanski, senior manager for global automation at AstraZeneca's Global Operations/Supply Biologics division.\n\n\"The components that were networked were on our public business systems, so when IT would do maintenance on the corporate network, we were subject to interference.\" The lack of a dedicated, unified production network also restricted operators' access to critical data, such as freezer temperatures.\n\nTwo redundant human machine interfaces (HMIs) were the sole source for operational information about the refrigeration systems.\n\nThat limited line of sight and also created safety concerns. \"If the site were to ever experience an accidental ammonia release, everyone would have to evacuate the building,\" said Gary Bilger, distribution analyst at the MedImmune facility.\n\n\"But unless you were standing at one of those terminals, you wouldn't be able to trace the problem, diagnose it and help direct emergency responders.\" Meanwhile, accessing reports about temperature monitoring was cumbersome.\n\nThat information was housed on databases that had to be backed up every six months to avoid overloading the system. \"We have to be able to pull that information quickly, especially in case of an FDA audit,\" Bilger said.\n\n\"We needed a solution to make that data more accessible and easy to interpret.\" As an FDA-licensed and regulated facility, the distribution center also required an automated solution that would segregate good manufacturing practice (GMP) from non-GMP data.\n\nTo further comply with FDA regulations, pharmaceutical operations need reliable equipment and readily available spare parts.\n\nBut with so much dated hardware from so many vendors, complying with those requirements posed a growing challenge for the Louisville facility. \"We needed a state-of-the-art automation strategy to combine our automation islands on a unified common platform,\" Heckmanski said.\n\n\"With plans for the possible addition of another refrigeration system at the Louisville site, MedImmune also needed a robust, expandable infrastructure that could effectively handle the future process needs of the facility.\"\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nMedImmune selected the PlantPAx\u00ae distributed control system from Rockwell Automation \u2013 a scalable, plantwide control system \u2013 to gain fully integrated control over the Louisville center's distribution operations.\n\nThe project was implemented in phases to minimize downtime to the two freezers. MedImmune partnered with Stone Technologies \u2013 a Solution Partner within the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork\u2122 program \u2013 to implement phase one of the new system.\n\nThat included installation of the facility's core control infrastructure, a fully redundant, fiber-optic ring backbone enabled with EtherNet/IP\u2122 connectivity.\n\nDeployment of the freezers' process control network quickly followed, including two new programmable automation controllers for each, and a third dedicated to segregating and archiving GMP data.\n\nAll electronic components associated with the two freezers were replaced.\n\nPhase one also included the creation of a virtual environment using VMware\u00ae to save on space, as well as the high costs that come with purchasing, commissioning and maintaining multiple physical servers.\n\nIn phase two, MedImmune engaged directly with Rockwell Automation to design and implement a new conveyor and control system, and integrate it with the PlantPAx system for plantwide control.\"Each of the conveyors systems had somewhere north of 500 I/O and were not well-documented,\" Heckmanski said.\n\n\"Using their code-transfer tools, the Rockwell Automation design and engineering team was able to extract the existing code with 80 to 85 percent accuracy. They did the minor modifications in their facility and brought the new control system into our distribution center ready to go.\"\n\nPhase three \u2013 addressing the automated storage and retrieval system for each freezer \u2013 is under way. Besides new controllers for the each system, the legacy crane equipment will eventually be replaced with a full complement of Rockwell Automation equipment, including new drives and remote, reset-overload capabilities.\n\n\"With the reset, our operators won't have to go into a minus 25-degree environment to reset a trip. They can just push a button on an HMI,\" Heckmanski said. \"From a safety standpoint, the more information the operator can access outside the freezer, the better.\"\n\n*** Results ***\n\nThe ease of implementing the modern distributed control system helped shave weeks off the original timeline. MedImmune leveraged the Rockwell Automation library of process objects to minimize development and testing time, allowing them to finish phase one six weeks ahead of schedule.\n\nUsing new, industry-hardened VMware templates, MedImmune also reduced the installation of the virtualized environment from two weeks to eight days.\n\n\"We were surprised how much time we save overall,\" Heckmanski said.\n\n\"In particular, reducing the anticipated downtime of the refrigeration system by over 20 percent was huge because the freezers are the most essential element of the facility's operation. The longer they sat at ambient, the longer it would have taken to come back down to the validated temperature.\"\n\nThe PlantPAx platform has provided MedImmune with all the components needed for regulatory compliance in a single, plantwide solution, opposed to the islands of automation previously deployed at the facility.\n\nAvailability of centralized GMP data delivered by the new system helps the company easily pull any required information required for an FDA audit.\n\nIn addition, the facility's process systems now operate with greater efficiency and ease of access for operators and maintenance personnel, though MedImmune is still quantifying those benefits as it moves through phase three of the project and beyond.\n\n\"The seamless integration and compatibility of components with the PlantPAx system will reduce risk when we replace other aging equipment and continue to upgrade the facility,\" Bilger said.\n\n\"Once everything is connected to the system, we can really explore all the bells and whistles. We are really just scratching the surface of what the system will enable us to do.\"\n\n\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to MedImmune's use of Rockwell Automation products and services, in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nAllen-Bradley, Listen. Think. Solve., PartnerNetwork, PlantPAx and Rockwell Software are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc. FluMist is a trademark of MedImmune LLC. VMware is a trademark of VMware Inc. EtherNet/IP is a trademark of ODVA Inc.\n\n\nTAG: life-sciences\n\n",
    "keeping-the-parts-moving-at-ford-plant-in-cologne": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/keeping-the-parts-moving-at-ford-plant-in-cologne\n\nTITLE: Keeping the Parts Moving at Ford Plant in Cologne\n\n*** Background ***\n\nRockwell Automation and a local systems integrator (SI) have recently joined forces to help Ford in Cologne with the relocation and recommissioning of a conveyor-driven storage area, with over 100 conveyors, from an older site into a live production environment.\n\nAs well as the logistical elements of the move, both companies had to work together to change the redundant and unsupported incumbent control infrastructure, replacing it with a contemporary solution comprising the automotive industry's Modular Control Program (MCP) standard running on an Allen-Bradley\u00ae Logix-based architecture.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nRockwell Automation and the SI faced a number of challenges in this application, with the primary issue being time.\n\nLike all lean production environments in the automotive industry, there can be no weak links or bottle necks and the lines this conveyor solution was going to serve were about to ramp up to full production.\n\nThis meant that the relocation and subsequent commissioning was critical to the production line's operation and no delays would be acceptable.\n\nCompounding the time issue was the development of the new control infrastructure, which had to be replaced with a new standards-based solution.\n\nIt was for this reason that the SI \u2013 upon a recommendation from the sponsoring engineer at Ford \u2013 involved engineers from Rockwell Automation, not only for their knowledge of the MCP standard that Ford had requested, but also for their intimate knowledge of the Logix architecture.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nMCP is a standard that was co-developed by Rockwell Automation for the automotive industry, but also has potential in other applications with conveyor installations, such as in the pharmaceutical industry.\n\nIt is a modular programming and control solution that can be modified and tailored to suit specific applications and is currently deployed in a number of applications around the world.\n\nIn some installations it runs complete automotive plants, including facilities management and final assembly.\n\nWith an open and modular architecture it can easily interface with other systems, as well as using existing legacy communication buses.\n\nThanks to the open architecture of the Logix solution, the programmable automation controllers (PAC) are also data agnostic, meaning they can interface with a multitude of third-party devices and networks.\n\nMCP requires a\u00a0Studio 5000\u00ae based PAC Version 16 or higher and is built in the\u00a0FactoryTalk\u00ae View environment.\n\nIn this instance, the new installation is running on an Allen-Bradley ControlLogix\u00ae PAC, which is connected to various\u00a0Allen-Bradley POINT I/O\u2122 modules via EtherNet/IP\u2122. An\u00a0Allen-Bradley PanelView\u2122 Plus graphic terminal provides the feedback and operator interactions.\n\nTwo Rockwell Automation engineers involved in the project programmed the first series of conveyors in the new installation from scratch in just three and a half days \u2013 ramping them up to basic operation and with functional HMIs.\n\nAfter four and a half days the SI's engineers took over and in the space of a single weekend were able to get the installation operating in automatic mode \u2013 and fully commission it.\n\nAccording to Holger Adam, Global Technical Consultant Automotive Industry and Team Lead at Rockwell Automation Germany: \"Rockwell Automation and the local SI worked together incredibly effectively on this solution and we highlighted how two teams of engineers can collaborate on time-critical projects and end up with a flexible, future proof installation that delivers everything the customer asked for.\n\n\"We did a proof of concept at a Ford plant a few years back,\" he continues, \"which was precisely tailored to Ford's needs. It was our knowledge from this installation and the respect we earned that made a big difference.\n\nIndeed, David Green, the sponsoring engineer at Ford in Cologne, was aware of this proof of concept, which is why he put the SI on to us.\n\nThe industry experience of our team was also a huge plus.\n\nThe line is now up and running and has subsequently been extended; and we are also finalising, polishing and wrapping up the code library for future projects, as well as developing templates and training programmes.\"\n\n*** Results ***\n\nAccording to the Project Lead at the SI: \"We have enjoyed great assistance from Rockwell Automation.\n\nTheir engineers are always keen to find solutions to the challenges we present.\n\nFrom a product perspective the price/performance ratio is vital and in this case we know we have a great solution based on Allen-Bradley products.\"\n\nHe agrees with Holger's team ethic. \"We find it very comfortable working together with engineers from Rockwell Automation.\n\nSupport is very good and we really felt that this project was successfully delivered as a team, which I think is excellent.\"\n\nDavid Green, Supervisor Controls and Standards, VOME Body Construction at Ford elaborates: \"Rockwell Automation has been the standard PLC supplier for Ford body shops since the mid-1990s.\n\nWe particularly like the reliability, ease of use and technical support.\"\n\nDiscussing the MCP standard, Green adds: \"MCP makes all our conveyor systems operate in exactly the same way wherever it is introduced.\n\nThis means that we can rotate our personnel and still have the same level of expertise from whomever is in attendance.\n\nIn addition, having a standard means that we can implement any system in a much shorter time period and with the knowledge that it is installed to our requirements.\n\n\"We produce 1,800+ units per day through the conveyor system,\" he continues, \"so any downtime and interfacing with any other system is critical.\n\nRockwell Automation products are understood by our plants and integrators, making this project that much easier to develop.\n\nThe SI was given a very demanding time line so its planning and engineering was of upmost importance.\n\nIt knew that leveraging the assistance and know how of Rockwell Automation was the most effective means to address these timescales and Rockwell Automation stepped up to the mark without any hesitation\u2026 and as a team they met the goal.\n\n\"As MCP is a standard across Ford,\" Green concludes, \"Rockwell Automation is well equipped to give our plant and equipment builders a high level of training on the subject, helping to be sure that all personnel involved are of a level to either operate and/or install and program the equipment without any concerns.\"\n\n\nTAG: automotive-and-tire\n\n",
    "reduce-energy-use": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/reduce-energy-use\n\nTITLE: Case Controls Helps Customers Reduce Energy Costs\n\nCompressed air. Nearly every manufacturer uses it as an energy source. However, we know it's one of the more inefficient sources of energy, with up to 80% of the energy input being lost as heat. What's a manufacturer to do?\n\n***** Watch Video *****\n\nEnter: Case Controls. With over 30 years of experience, Case Controls can come into a plant, look at how it's currently running, and then put together a suite of solutions to help the customer reduce their carbon footprint and find financial savings on energy costs. Lou York, Director at Case Controls explains, \"When you can present them with opportunities to save some energy, reduce carbon footprint, and tie in ROI because you're also saving on energy costs, it's a win-win.\"\n\n***** Partnership to Drive Sustainability *****\n\nCase Controls participates in the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork program as a Gold-level OEM Partner. They deliver their solution using Rockwell Automation products. \"Our customers are pleased when they see are we are using Rockwell products,\" Lou says. \"Rockwell Automation has a large footprint in the industry, and they're well accepted. And, they have all the tools we need to develop and maintain our solutions.\"\n\nLou reflects on how much his company has done for the environment, \"Over the last 30 years, we've reduced a significant amount of energy in large manufacturing plants.\" he says. At Rockwell Automation, we're proud to support the work Case Controls is doing.\n\n***** Results Achieved: Toyota *****\n\nToyota's Huntsville plant makes engines for popular Toyota vehicles like the Tacoma, Tundra, and Highlander. The plant's air compression system is central to their production process. Like many air compression systems, it was very energy intensive. In fact, operating it accounted for 25% of the plant's annual energy costs! Toyota contacted Case Controls and IZ Systems in search of a more energy efficient solution.\n\nThe two companies partnered to deliver a two-part solution that included local and plantwide controls. The results were incredible: the plant is now saving $68,000 in energy costs. Additionally, workers now have access to real-time trending data they can use to keep the system running smoothly. Read more here.\n\nTAG: sustainability\nTAG: energy\nTAG: industrial-energy-management\n\nTAG: automotive-and-tire\n\nTAG: distributed-control-systems\n\n",
    "caterpillar-unearths-data-to-optimize-production": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/caterpillar-unearths-data-to-optimize-production\n\nTITLE: Caterpillar Unearths Data to Optimize Production\n\nCaterpillar equipment imprinted with the iconic \"CAT\" logo is a hallmark on job sites defined by grit and hard work - from building construction sites to rugged and remote mines.\n\nHelping give Caterpillar equipment the durability its users expect is the company's Advanced Component Manufacturing Division. The internal manufacturing group makes transmissions, hydraulic components and other parts for the machine and aftermarket businesses of Caterpillar.\n\nRecently, the division embarked on a project to create not a new part, but rather something less tangible: data-driven insights about its production operations.\n\n***** Shining a light on 'black box' operations *****\n\nAccessing production data would open up new possibilities for the component division.\n\nIts critical manufacturing processes were \"black box\" operations. This meant workers had no data proving that the process and product were actually meeting engineering specifications. The lack of data also resulted in inefficiencies and sub-optimal processes, which ultimately drove rework and other non-value-added costs.\n\n\"Our goal was twofold,\" said Brent Ruth, global ACM ERP CoE Leader, Caterpillar. \"First of all, we wanted to learn how to connect and utilize IIoT devices within our factory environment and get some quick wins. And secondarily, we wanted to gain insight into our actual manufacturing processes to include understanding what is happening in real time to be able to improve and optimize our process and efficiency.\"\n\n***** Starting the journey *****\n\nAn initial proof-of-concept took place over a blistering four weeks before Christmas. The goal? Capture PLC data from critical-constraint machines and present it with graphical analysis to manufacturing engineers, all of which would be done using the FactoryTalk InnovationSuite, powered by PTC.\n\nFor the project, Ruth built a team that brought together deep technical and process expertise, while also leveraging the support of Rockwell Automation and PTC. Team members came from IT and OT backgrounds that historically have had competing priorities. But they were able to work together because they both understood the vision of the project and were involved in executing it.\n\nTo generate and prioritize use cases, the team spent weeks on-site at plants to assess their readiness for digital transformation. They plumbed ERPs, dove deep into master data, and looked at how business was conducted both in the back office and on the shop floor. All this helped the team develop and prioritize digital initiatives that were aligned to business needs and goals.\n\n\"During those initial stages, we took a lot of time to engage our local business and finance people in quantifying the benefits and making sure that we had really good estimates based on industry, and also agreed assumption,\" said Haydn Powell, global supply chain manager, Caterpillar.\n\n***** A watershed moment *****\n\nCreating operational insights and proving that production was indeed meeting engineering specs was a \"watershed moment\" for the component division.\n\nWith access to rich data context that it never had before, the division was able to see all of the non-value-added time in the process. And manufacturing engineers were able to improve and optimize the process quickly. So quickly, in fact, that they reduced overall process time by over 5% on day one.\n\nSeveral hundred thousand dollars of cost were also saved by showing the plant didn't need to add assets or shifts. Capacity was available after all - the division just needed the data to prove it.\n\nMeanwhile, this early success proved to be just the start. The project scope was expanded beyond the critical-constraint machines to include the rest of the plant and other domestic and international plants.\n\n\"This work has been very instrumental in defining our future direction,\" Powell said. \"The initial sprint that we accomplished was done in weeks. And the current activity is continuing, because it's really part of a journey.\"\n\nLearn more about Digital Transformation.\n\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: mining\n\nTAG: factorytalk-innovationsuite\n\n",
    "data-inventory-accuracy": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/data-inventory-accuracy\n\nTITLE: Arrow Fabricated Tubing Gains Inventory Accuracy\n\nMeet Frank Freeman, senior manager of sales and operations planning and manufacturing systems for Arrow Fabricated Tubing. They're a leading North American supplier of copper and aluminum fabricated tubing products including braze assemblies for the HVAC industry.\n\n***** A Need for Integrated Data *****\n\nKnown for its commitment to exceptional design quality, Arrow customers have a strong interest in the supplier's quality data. But until 2015, when Arrow first implemented the Plex Smart Manufacturing PlatformTM, data collection was fragmented including manual notations in spreadsheets and paper tallies.\n\n\"Our customers loved the data that we had, but they wanted it to be integrated,\" Frank explains. \"Plex was the only system that had the ability to integrate quality data, along with the production and other massive amounts of data manufacturing firms collect.\"\n\nArrow not only quickly met customer data requests by using Plex, but they were also able to uncover opportunities to further improve their own operations.\n\n***** Historical Data with Every Keystroke *****\n\n\"Companies today face limited resources. You need to make sure what you're doing is having a significant effect,\" Franks says. \"With Plex, you're collecting historical data with every keystroke, and you can see where you should focus your efforts and resources.\"\n\nBetter inventory management was one of those areas. Losing track of inventory was a problem with Arrow's previous process. Now with Plex, Arrow barcodes all inventory from the time production starts to the time it reaches finished goods.\n\n\"We scan and control material as it moves through the locations in the organization,\" Frank explains. \"We went from not very good inventory accuracy in the finished goods category to well above 98%, touching 99% on a regular basis.\"\n\n***** Strengthening Customer Relationships with Improved Forecasting *****\n\nImproved order and purchase forecasting was another positive outcome with Plex. While several Arrow customers had robust systems, most didn't.\n\n\"With Plex's DemandCaster (supply chain planning), we were able to use the history we collected to help generate a future forecast for certain items -- namely those items for which customers didn't provide forecasts,\" Frank notes. \"That was huge for us to see what the long-term plan was and to plan out raw material flows.\"\n\nFurther, by being able to share forecasts with customers, Arrow has been able to strengthen its customer relationships.\n\n\"It helps being able to share data with a customer about what's happening between us. They see there's an interest in doing the right thing for them. Customers value that particularly these days when it's been tough to be successful and have continuity,\" Frank says. \"If the customer sees you're still focused on them, it makes a big difference.\"\n\n***** Leadership Vision Key to Success *****\n\nLeadership vision and self-reflection have been critical to Arrow's success with Plex.\n\n\"We spent a lot of time trying to find the right partner to develop this solution,\" Frank recalls. \"Then as we developed the implementation process, we spent a significant amount of time studying ourselves -- trying to determine what's the best solution for us and how do we want to look at the business going forward.\"\n\nTAG: accelerate-digital-transformation\n\nTAG: mes-solutions\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: factorytalk-operationsuite\nTAG: plex\nTAG: factorytalk-assetcentre\n\n",
    "united-converting-develops-tissue-industry-converting-solution": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/united-converting-develops-tissue-industry-converting-solution\n\nTITLE: United Converting Develops Tissue Industry Converting Solution\n\n*** Background ***\n\nFounded in 2004 with the aim of developing and manufacturing equipment for the tissue converting industry, United Converting Srl now satisfies the needs of a globalised market with respect to the growing demand for machinery and services capable of meeting modern production requirements.\n\nThe company supplies a complete service, from the design and development of new machinery, to the upgrade and optimisation of existing lines, through paper manufacture and processing, ultimately increasing the final value of the products. Despite still being a young company, it has successfully built and installed a number of converting lines deploying the latest technologies. The company has also developed new converting systems that are patented worldwide.\n\nThanks to the extensive experience of its technicians, it is able to supply an extremely customised engineering service, using the latest technologies available on the market and is able to respond to unique requests for product customisation to enable tissue converters to achieve exact and innovative product specifications.\n\nIn a recent project, a leading US customer needed a new converting line for it production facility. For this application United Converting chose Rockwell Automation as the primary automation supplier in order to develop a machine that would leverage the Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture(R) in addition to exploiting the market-leading position that Rockwell Automation enjoys in the United States.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nUnited Converting required a solution that not only addressed its own design requirements - ease-of-use and simplicity - but would also adapt to different machine formats and sizes. It also needed a solution that would provide pertinent and timely manufacturing data, not only for machine and process parameter optimisation, but also for sharing with a wider connected enterprise.\n\nFor this customer and for future export potential, it also needed an automation supplier well placed in the US market and with in-depth knowledge of both the machine, its operating principles and the unique demands of the tissue industry.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nThe line, based on the United Converting Nexus C line, can be used for kitchen roll or toilet paper and comprises multiple individual modules, which are then interconnected to act as one production solution.\n\nAt the heart of the machine is an Integrated Architecture solution from Rockwell Automation running over an EtherNet/IPTM network. The primary automation control components comprise an Allen-Bradley(R) ControlLogix(R) programmable automation controller (PAC), which works in tandem with an Allen-Bradley GuardLogix(R) controller for the safety infrastructure. The main motion and rotational axes are controlled by both servo and AC motor solutions driven by Allen-Bradley Kinetix(R) 6500 servo drives and Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) variable-speed drives. Completing the control solution is a variety of Allen-Bradley POINT I/OTM modules and an Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM Plus 6 HMI, which delivers the means for operator interaction.\n\nThe first module has three unwinders, which take large paper reels, unwind them and layer them before feeding them into a lamination unit. The three-ply paper structure is then embossed and glued together before a rewinder takes paper off the line and onto a final out roll. This roll is then transferred to a sealing unit where a line of glue is applied to seal the last part of the roll. The three metre long roll then reaches an accumulator, after which a saw is used to cut it into small rolls, which are then sent to a packing line. Next to the primary converting line there is also a machine that makes the cardboard cores for the centre of the rolls.\n\nBy using EtherNet/IP as the primary communication protocol, United Converting has given itself the opportunity to more easily offer its customers remote monitoring and maintenance, while also having the option to connect the machine into its customers Connected Enterprise. The Connected Enterprise(R), an approach manufacturers are adopting to leverage the use of connected machines, supply chains and customers, allows them to establish manufacturing processes that are data/information rich, supported, secure and future ready for market demands.\n\nUltimately, a Connected Enterprise approach for manufacturers and their suppliers will create a more competitive, innovative enterprise that can deliver insights to improve productivity, sustainability and economic performance through faster time to market, lower total cost of ownership, improved asset utilisation and enterprise risk management. Other benefits of access to real-time, contextualised information include minimised downtime, improved technology and process optimisation, greater workforce efficiency and smarter expenditure. Because EtherNet/IP is based on standard, unmodified Ethernet, it means that there is very little that needs to be done for these connections to be established; and full security solutions are also available for user\n\ncontrol and to prevent unwarranted access.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nAccording to Gianluca Giometti, Vice President at United Converting: \"We always look to try and simplify our systems in terms of hardware and software and by using EtherNet/IP and Rockwell Automation hardware and\n\nsoftware we were able to achieve this regarding the initial programming and the subsequent user interactions. We also benefit from the solution's scalability, so we can adapt it for other machines with far less engineering effort.\n\nData exchange was also simplified, as was the ability to share the software development between multiple users simultaneously. EtherNet/IP also delivers a single-network solution for data, motion, safety and I/O and plays a prime role in our big focus on the Connected Enterprise, giving our customers the ability to expand the communication possibilities both within their own factory and for any remote support we can provide from either Italy or from our recently establish US office.\n\n\"The machine is now at the customer site and is performing as expected,\" he concludes. \"From my point of view, the customer service we achieved from Rockwell Automation in Italy was extremely good especially with regards to the engineering team, who, in addition to providing better service than we get from other suppliers, also had a lot of knowledge about our processes.\n\nFinally, thanks to a special I/O card that we developed for the ControlLogix PAC, we were able to significantly enhance one of our patented roll-changeover steps, speeding it up by a factor of four due to the greater precision on offer!\"\n\n\nTAG: pulp-paper\n\n",
    "data-research-development": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/data-research-development\n\nTITLE: Softing Application Speeds Time to Market\n\nSofting Industrial Automation is a world leading provider of industrial communication products and technologies for manufacturing and process automation.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\n* Developing a Sustainable Packing Peanut\n\nRecently, a North American manufacturer was approached with a challenge: develop a packing peanut that will have less impact on the environment. The new packing peanut should use the same manufacturing processes and be produced on the same extrusion equipment. It should also meet the same quality standards as standard packing peanuts.\n\nThe manufacturer knew they would need to conduct hundreds of production runs as they innovated and tested various ideas. For each 'run,' it would be critical to capture detailed information that showed how each iteration performed. Parameters like barrel temperature, screw speed, and feed moisture content can change the test output's bulk density, hardness, and water absorption index. All of these would affect how the final packing peanut would perform in real-life conditions and would need to be tracked.\n\nTo accelerate product development and better capture on-demand production data from each test run, the manufacturer approached Softing Industrial Automation, a member of the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork. Together, they decided to use the tManager Enterprise Application Transaction Module (eATM) to speed time to market. \u00a0\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\n* tManager Improves Data Collection and Analysis\n\nThe tManager eATM\u00a0is an in-chassis module that enables bi-directional data exchange between SQL databases and Rockwell Automation ControlLogix(R) PLCs. The module makes it easy to pull data out of the PLC and place it into an SQL database. Once the data is there, it can be used for anything from reporting and analytics to feeding order processing systems.\n\n\"The purpose of the tManager eATM is to digitally transform a PLC,\" says Deane Horn, Softing's Director of Marketing. \"It evolves from just controlling the process to becoming more self-aware and having context for business decisions. Quality monitoring, track-and-trace, performance monitoring, tracking your KPIs, and downloading recipes are just a few of the applications that the tManager eATM enables by connecting PLC's to business systems. The module enables this without writing code, adding a PC, or needing any OPC protocol translation.\"\n\nAnd that's not all, according to Deane. \"The tManager eATM is bi-directional, which means that it can either read data from SQL and write it to tags in the ControlLogix PLC, or it can read tags from the PLC and write them to the SQL database. The module does this with no impact to PLC performance.\"\n\nFor this project, the manufacturer installed the tManager eATM on the extrusion machine that they would be using to produce the new packing peanuts. Their hope was to capture data from test runs, catalog it, and learn quickly which parameters were successful. This intelligence would enable faster time to market.\n\nThe tManager eATM captured around 90 data points during production runs, including flow rates, temperature zones, and pressures. Upon capturing this data, the module tied the process parameters used during that run to the specific samples. The process data was time-stamped\u00a0important for auditing the individual factors contributing to the results of a particular test run, and for accurately replicating results in future runs.\n\nData capture rate was also an important consideration. If the data capture rate was too low, then the manufacturer might not be able to collect enough useful data. If it was too high, they could find themselves wasting time weeding through unnecessary levels of data. The manufacturer was able to adjust the data capture rate on the tManager eATM so they could zero in on the data that mattered the most.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\n* Speed to Market\n\nThanks to a combination of the manufacturer's unique approach to product development and data capturing and time stamping capabilities from the tManager eATM, the manufacturer was able to successfully identify an optimized material formulation for sustainable packing peanuts. They have since scaled up production of the new packing peanut across four manufacturing plants.\n\nThe manufacturer was so happy with the use of the tManager eATM on this project that they have begun using it to support development work on other projects - testing ideas and production techniques for products like pet food, aquatic feed, and alternative proteins.\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: household-and-personal-care\n\nTAG: programmable-controllers\n\n",
    "plc-enabled-compactor-saves-up-to-70--in-waste-handling-costs-": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/plc-enabled-compactor-saves-up-to-70--in-waste-handling-costs-\n\nTITLE: PLC-Enabled Compactor Saves Up to 70% in Waste Handling Costs\n\nNo matter what the industry - and wherever people work, live or gather - solid waste disposal is part of the equation. And while most aspects of waste handling are done behind the scenes, unsightly refuse containers are a bane to organizations ranging from restaurants and airports to hospitals and nursing homes.\n\nWaste disposal is also a significant expenditure. Employee time dedicated to waste bin monitoring plus hauling and recycling costs add up quickly for establishments of all sizes.\n\n\"Also, waste that is not well managed can pose a significant fire and safety risk,\" said Lane Powell, new business development manager, Harmony Enterprises. \"And depending on the organization, open waste containers encourage employee pilferage as well.\"\n\n\u00a0\n\n*** Scalable Good Looks ***\n\nHarmony Enterprises, a third-generation family business headquartered in Harmony, Minnesota, aims to improve recycling and waste disposal efficiency for its global customer base. The company's product line includes PLC-enabled waste balers and compactors - plus innovations like SmartPack automatic trash compactors, Insite wireless monitoring and SunPak solar options.\n\n\"Keep in mind, our portfolio is also scalable,\" Powell explained. \"We focus on delivering viable, affordable options for a diverse range of requirements.\"\n\nFor example, Indoor Power Packer waste compactors are available in three sizes to address various capacity and footprint requirements. The mid-size 450SS Power Packer is particularly versatile, meeting the needs of casual dining restaurants, hospitality firms, healthcare organizations and more.\n\nSporting a stainless steel cabinet, the 450SS Power Packer is an attractive replacement for open waste containers - and is built for both good looks and durability. But the easy-to-operate system packs impressive performance into its streamlined design.\n\n\u00a0\n\n*** The Magic Inside ***\n\nThe 450SS Indoor Power Packer is built on a Rockwell Automation(R) control platform featuring an\u00a0Allen-Bradley(R) Micro820TM controller and Allen-Bradley push buttons, relays,\u00a0contactors and other industrial components.\n\n\"Simple and efficient operation is key,\" Powell said. \"The Power Packer is designed for indoor use and back-end waste. And most of the 'magic' happens inside the equipment - shielded from accidental view by patrons, visitors or residents.\"\n\nTo begin operation, the employee opens the front loading door and inserts the waste material. After closing the door, the operator selects \"compaction\" via push button. Waste accumulates and is compacted within a cube each time an employee adds material.\n\nThe \"cube full\" indicator light and buzzer are activated when the container has reached capacity. Then, the operator opens the waste cube door, removes the cube using a hydraulic lift cart, and deposits the bagged waste in a dumpster. The cube is replaced, a bag is inserted and the process repeats.\n\n\u00a0\n\n*** Less Waste. Less Cost. ***\n\nThe 450SS Power Packer achieves a 4:1 compaction ratio and 16-second cycle time.\n\n\"In other words, waste is compacted up to 1/25th of the original volume, which impacts hauling costs,\" Powell said. \"And four trips to the dumpster are reduced to one, which frees-up employees for other tasks.\"\u00a0\n\nAccording to Harmony Enterprises, the Power Packer decreases waste handling costs by 40 to 70 percent.\n\n\"One of our customers saved $900 per month on waste hauling costs alone after installing a 450SS Power Packer at their adult nursing facility,\" Powell said. \"They have reduced trash pick-up from twice a week to once a week.\"\n\nEqually important for most customers are other less tangible benefits that result from waste that is kept out of view - including minimizing employee pilferage and improving the overall appearance of the property.\u00a0\n\n\u00a0\n\n*** Streamlined Delivery ***\n\nTo help streamline delivery of the Power Packer system, Harmony Enterprises relies on the local Allen-Bradley distributor, Werner Electric Supply Company.\n\n\"Werner Electric provides the controller and industrial components as a kitted solution we order with one purchase order,\" Powell said. \"The control system is essentially plug and play when it arrives at our shop.\"\n\n\"We have customers in more than 80 countries and do all of our manufacturing here in Harmony,\" Powell continued. \"To produce our products efficiently and cost-effectively, we rely on Rockwell Automation for off-the-shelf availability - and a good price point.\"\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\n\nAllen-Bradley, Micro820, Listen.Think.Solve, Rockwell Automation and Rockwell Software are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\n\u00a0\n\nOther trademarks are the property of their respective companies.\n\n\u00a0\n\n\n",
    "ingrained-it-ot-collaboration-drives-success-at-eli-lilly-and-co": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/ingrained-it-ot-collaboration-drives-success-at-eli-lilly-and-co\n\nTITLE: Ingrained IT/OT collaboration drives success at Eli Lilly and Company\n\nIT/OT collaboration is nothing new for Eli Lilly and Company, a global healthcare leader with products marketed in 120 countries. While many companies are in the midst of breaking down barriers between their IT and OT organizations to create smarter production operations, Eli Lilly and Company started that process more than a decade ago. Today, the company's IT and OT organizations have built a strong partnership to support manufacturing and quality operations with a shared purpose - producing life-saving medicines with \"safety first and quality always.\n\n\u00a0\n\nA decades-long journey\n\nEli Lilly and Company's path to IT/OT convergence began in the 1980s and 1990s. It was during this time that the boundaries of IT and OT started to expand and overlap.\n\nFor example, IT solutions expanded from financial and data processing to address transaction-management requirements on the manufacturing floor. And process automation expanded from proprietary, standalone digital controllers to integrated networks running on IT hardware.\n\nIn the early 2000s, the company's manufacturing operations experienced incidents resulting directly from conflicts, gaps and overlaps between OT and IT domains. These incidents led to issues like production stoppages and cost-overruns for solution deployments\n\nInitially, process automation was moved from the engineering organization to the IT organization. But leadership later realized what matters isn't who reports to who, but rather how they behave.\n\nActions were taken to better define areas of responsibility and implement shared governance. Engineering leaders joined the IT Lead Team, while IT senior directors were aligned with engineering senior directors. IT also assumed responsibility for providing manufacturing network services and server support, while engineering assumed responsibility for areas like process control software and logic.\n\n\"In the last 10 to 15 years, we really have started to partner together, whether it is on lifecycle management projects and upgrades that we're doing, or in identifying new technologies and new places where we want to move forward,\" said Dave Sternasty, vice president of corporate engineering and global health, safety and environment (HSE). \"I would say that the partnership between IT and OT is really strong and is one of the things that we see as a key to our success.\"\n\n\u00a0\n\nThe power of collaboration\n\nEli Lilly and Company has been reaping the benefits of its IT/OT collaboration since the early 2010s. For example, IT and OT collaborated to develop an understanding of industrial cybersecurity risks, a plan to mitigate immediate risks and an ongoing strategy for best-available protection.\n\nThe IT/OT partnership also helps drive the company's global serialization program, which stewards a global solution to provide regulatory-mandated traceability for all final product units. The solution converges IT and OT domains by integrating vision systems, high-speed control, event management systems and ERP systems.\n\n\"We also now are capturing a tremendous amount of data across our supply chain tied to the serialization solution,\" said Karen Harris, vice president and information officer, manufacturing and quality, Eli Lilly and Company. \"And we're really looking at ways to take advantage of that data and turn it into information to make better decisions.\"\n\nThe company is also modernizing its data and analytics architecture. This involves incorporating critical capabilities such as cloud, edge storage and computing, and the industrial IoT.\n\n\"We're really at the crux of shop floor data and the integration of IT/OT information at the shop-floor layer, and being able to turn that data into information to make better decisions whether that be on the shop floor or in our labs,\" Sternasty said.\n\n\u00a0\n\nWhat's next?\n\nEli Lilly and Company expects it will take at least 10 years to fully realize its digital-transformation vision across its major sites. This includes an aspirational goal of having the ability to deliver on the vision of a predictive plant by 2023.\n\nTo help with technology implementations both at the strategic and execution levels, the company engages its core partners like Rockwell Automation, Microsoft and others. It is also putting a focus on hiring and developing workers who are digitally enabled.\n\nAnd of course, continuing to develop and build on the strong partnership between IT and OT will continue to be central to the company's digital transformation.\n\n\"We've had this relationship in place for years,\" Harris said. \"And actually, it aligns with our broader Team Lily approach, where we believe it's the cross-functional teams and cross-functional relationships that really drive success. And it's that teamwork that helps us advance our agenda.\"\n\n\nTAG: life-sciences\n\nTAG: plex\n\n",
    "mallinckrodt-pharmaceuticals-upgrades-control-system": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/mallinckrodt-pharmaceuticals-upgrades-control-system\n\nTITLE: Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals Upgrades Control System\n\n***** Background *****\n\nIf you've ever been hobbled by a broken bone or endured an MRI, you probably experienced the products made by Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals. The $5 billion global company produces specialty pharmaceutical products and diagnostic imaging agents. As the nation's leading supplier of prescription pain medication, Mallinckrodt sells its products to major wholesalers and retail drugstore chains. Its focus on pain control helped transition the company from solely a drug provider to a manufacturer of equipment used to identify the source of the pain.\n\nLocated on the company's 40-acre campus in St. Louis is an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) plant that makes ingredients used for narcotics and other final salable products. The FDA-validated facility is over 145 years old and employs approx. 450 people.\n\nThe plant's control equipment was installed in 1985, and costly to maintain. Mallinckrodt needed to upgrade the aging technology and bring the plant to a common control-system platform. Cost and operational efficiencies were more important than ever since the company went public in 2013 and was now accountable to its shareholders. Ultimately, a control system upgrade meant Mallinckrodt could evolve its business and realize improved uptime.\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** Challenge *****\n\nFor system operators, one of the most challenging aspects of relying on an outdated system was the limited support. Of all engineering employees at the plant, only two understood the programmable logic controller (PLC) technology running the equipment. Service and vendor support was minimized, as was the availability and cost of spare parts. The result? Longer and more costly downtime.\n\n\"Cost avoidance was a huge motivator in updating our system,\" said Don Geers, senior maintenance engineer, Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals. \"The downtime associated with hardware failure was a major concern. We wanted to avoid these issues by putting in a newer control system that's easier to maintain with improved parts availability.\"\n\nThe old technology did not allow maintenance engineers to perform predictive maintenance. The daily production reports would pinpoint problems, but only after they had occurred. With reactive maintenance as their only solution, unplanned and longer downtimes were inevitable.\n\nRealizing the cost of downtime is greater than the cost of change, Mallinckrodt decided to upgrade its control system. Replacing the brains of a manufacturing process in a 24/7/365 facility requires careful planning. The team wanted to limit transitional downtime and make sure the new system would run efficiently - and at full capacity - as soon as it was brought back online.\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** Solution *****\n\nThe team opted for a virtualized architecture. Mallinckrodt decided to complete the upgrade by replacing the legacy PLCs with a PlantPAx(R) distributed control system from Rockwell Automation built on an existing VMware virtualization infrastructure. The virtualized PlantPAx platform enables plant wide multi-discipline control, and eliminated the number of physical servers needed to run the batch and HMI software. This greatly reduced the maintenance required for servers and workstations.\n\nThe system design was completed in two phases to minimize downtime. The first phase - handled by the Mallinckrodt maintenance team, with engineering from Rockwell Automation and local systems integrators Stone Technologies and Syntronix who were involved in developing the programming standards. Once finished, Rockwell Automation completed the documentation and the functional and design specification. Then the team built, tested and validated the programming code. This standard code will be used on the next phase, as well as any new projects being implemented in the facility.\n\nDuring the development phase, Rockwell Automation had a duplicate system in its Cleveland facility to help troubleshoot and finalize the programming before start-up. Mallinckrodt retained that service in order to call on technical support engineers for future assistance should issues or system changes arise.\n\nIn phase two, updates were performed on the functional specifications utilizing the new programming standards. Leveraging the existing production line documentation helped to reduce project risk. It also helped ease the transition to the new system since the plant engineering, quality and validation team members were already familiar with the documentation. This reduced time and cost in system testing and validation.\n\nFactory acceptance testing (FAT) was completed at the Mallinckrodt facility with the help of local system integrators and Rockwell Automation. It took three months to complete the FAT. Then the system was installed in the operating unit where multiple water batches were run to assure all system components operated properly before adding the expensive chemicals used to produce the pharmaceutical and imaging ingredients. Once testing proved successful, Rockwell Automation and Syntronix engineers completed the start-up on site.\n\nAs part of the PlantPAx system, reporting and historian software were implemented for improved production intelligence. The software collects, tracks and records key process data to pinpoint production trends, allowing for proactive maintenance activities. Now equipped with validated, electronic reporting capabilities, Mallinckrodt is better equipped to meet regulatory reporting requirements and streamline overall operations through daily electronic production reports.\n\nIn addition, Mallinckrodt upgraded its HMI operator terminals. New HMI graphics were re-drawn from the legacy HMI at the facility, and consisted of 140 screens of process graphics for the new API line. The goal was to keep the operations interface similar to the existing equipment in the plant so that operators could easily transition to the new system when it came online.\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** Results *****\n\nIn the end, commissioning only required five weeks, minimizing system downtime for the install, thanks in part to smart engineering, migration tools and comprehensive functional testing.\n\n\"The new PlantPAx system has provided greater diagnostic/troubleshooting information into the control system hardware.\" said Geers. \"Having a common platform for control and information has also allowed our maintenance personnel to transition from expensive, reactive maintenance to proactive maintenance that was not possible with the old technology. This will reduce our downtime further as we move forward.\"\n\nThe redundant virtual infrastructure, located in separate buildings, provide an added layer of protection, preventing a catastrophic failure in one location from shutting down the entire system. In addition, a virtualized platform consolidates islands of information. In the event of a system failure on the data center, the Mallinckrodt team will use the backup. They can also run the backup during scheduled maintenance outages, enabling the production line to keep running.\n\nIf a failure occurs, Mallinckrodt estimates that virtualization will save at least eight hours - and as many as 24 hours - to re-start the system and get the line back into service. With three separate facilities involved--one acting as the main power supplier for all other buildings--virtualization provides a quick disaster-recovery option.\n\nFrom a maintenance perspective, the control-system upgrade was deemed a success, but the benefits extend far beyond the maintenance aspect. Mallinckrodt's environmental health and safety (EH&S), plant-floor, production, and leadership teams now have access to continual process data via the PlantPAx process historian. This allows them to more easily meet regulatory reporting requirements, access production information in real-time and initiate action if required.\n\nIn fact, operators and managers across the campus are benefiting from new levels of access to system data. Data from the historian software is accessible to anyone in the facility with Excel(R) spreadsheet software, and can be analyzed from any building on campus. EH&S professionals can now analyze real-time data to help ensure hazardous chemicals are not released into the environment. Operators entering production data on the HMI can now generate an electronic batch record, reducing the risk of error in compliance reports.\n\nDaily production reports provide engineers and managers with correlated process data, collected from batches completed over several days, to quickly identify trends and institute changes to streamline production or to pinpoint potential bottlenecks. This enables Mallinckrodt to predict potential problems, respond faster, and keep consistency and quality high.\n\n\"When Rockwell Automation originally approached us about the upgrade, their team consisted of engineers who work with life sciences customers,\" said Geers. \"Having a dedicated team that understood our pharmaceutical syntax and vocabulary reassured our decision-making team and allowed us to meet an aggressive timeline with minimal disruption and problems.\"\n\nWhile it may have been a maintenance issue that prompted the control system and reporting upgrade, the entire operation has reaped the benefits associated with a better operating system and improved access to production data. Mallinckrodt now has the ability to build tools for all engineering departments and to benefit from a control system infrastructure that empowers the entire team.\n\n\nTAG: life-sciences\n\n",
    "dupont-plant-improves-monthly-revenue-with-new-batch-control-sys": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/dupont-plant-improves-monthly-revenue-with-new-batch-control-sys\n\nTITLE: DuPont Plant Improves Monthly Revenue with New Batch Control System\n\n*** Solvent Plant Scrubs Aging Batch Control Systems ***\n\nThe small but powerful semiconductors in our smartphones and other devices can take several weeks and hundreds of steps to manufacture. During production, cleaning solvents are crucial to maintaining a high level of purity in these small and delicate microelectronics.\n\nDuPont's small-batch production facility in Hayward, California, makes semiconductor cleaning solvents in dozens of varieties. But the batch control systems used in the plant started showing their age in recent years.\n\nThe systems were no longer supported. They were also creating production issues, such as pop-up alerts that frustrated operators and alarms that were difficult to manage. More importantly, a customer audit found that the systems lacked recipe-based automation, which could help improve quality control in the production process.\n\nThe plant was faced with a choice: upgrade the legacy batch control systems, or stay with the status quo and lose thousands in monthly business. The plant moved forward with the upgrade. And in doing so, it did more than improve quality control \u2013 it also helped improve the plant's throughput to create new monthly sales.\n\n*** Old Systems Limit Operations ***\n\nMost of the legacy control systems at the Hayward plant were manually operated. Only the bulk addition of material from a storage tank to a blend tank was automated.\n\nOperators manually added all other materials using a drum-pumping station and solids-conveying station. Operators also set the timing for the materials to blend and circulate through filters, and took product samples. Once the desired product was achieved, operators manually sent it to the filling systems in the packaging area. Here, workers dispensed product into packages that ranged from small 1- and 5-gallon containers to large 200-gallon totes.\n\nThese manual processes introduced the potential for errors. For example, an operator might intend to mix a material for 15 minutes but end up mixing for 18 minutes while they carried out another task. Instances like these created the potential for slight product variations.\n\nThe legacy systems were also at times disruptive to production.\n\n\"The HMI was configured in a way that it generated a pop-up alert every time we opened or closed a valve,\" said Nancy Givens, an automation and process control engineering consultant for DuPont. \"If the operator wanted to open three valves, they'd get three pop-ups. This was frustrating for operators. And it created opportunities for errors. Cluttered interfaces could result in operators opening or closing the wrong valves.\"\n\nAlarms were another issue. The legacy systems used a mix of user-editable and hard-coded alarm setpoints. The hard-coded alarms were difficult to manage, with operators often struggling to locate specific code. The alarms also didn't use modern alarming best practices, such as the ability to assign alarm priorities.\n\nThese issues \u2013 combined with the customer's demand for greater quality control \u2013 necessitated a control-system upgrade.\n\n*** Phase One: Controls Upgrade ***\n\nGivens worked with system-integrator\u00a0TechKnowsion and Rockwell Automation, a DuPont Global Alliance Supplier, to plan and execute the controls upgrade.\n\nThe team carried out the upgrade using a two-phased approach. In the first phase, they replaced the batch system's PLC and HMI with a PlantPAx\u00ae distributed control system (DCS). This involved reverse engineering the legacy PLC's code to determine the requirements for new control code.\n\n\"We didn't want to just duplicate or convert the code,\" Givens said. \"We went back to the functional requirements of the system to significantly clean up and improve the code. We then incorporated that code into our PlantPAx-based process objects library, which we have customized over the years to our specific needs within DuPont.\"\n\nThe control system's new HMI used modern visualization practices to give operators a better viewing experience.\n\n\"The legacy HMI used multiple colors that could create cluttered screens,\" Givens said. \"The new grayscale HMI highlights items in red to alert operators of critical issues. I've done spot checks on the floor since we implemented the new HMI, and our operators always know where to pay attention. They never miss a thing.\"\n\n*** Phase Two: Batch Automation ***\n\nIn phase two, the Rockwell Automation global solutions team worked directly with DuPont to configure and install FactoryTalk\u00ae Batch software to achieve full recipe control and sequential automation.\n\nGivens and her team wanted to follow the ISA S88 standard, which lays out the framework for implementing batch systems. This required that Rockwell Automation first build a physical model of their production equipment and then create a procedural model of the automated production phases. These phases then become \"building blocks\" that can be interchangeably used for different recipes.\n\n\"Phase management features within batch software allowed us to explicitly follow the S88 standard,\" Givens said. \"This saved significant time. The team only had to configure a phase, such as mixing or addition, once. We could then reuse it multiple times. It's much more efficient than creating new code for each recipe.\"\n\nThe team also utilizes the batch software for manual processes, such as sampling and recipe reviews. The software provides manual phases that integrate with automated phases to give users a seamless operating experience between the two. \"We widely use this feature across DuPont,\" Givens said. \"We find it easier and smoother to implement than writing manual-process code in the controller.\"\n\nFinally, the team worked with Rockwell Automation to install the software for tracking materials in the plant's storage tanks. The software replaced the plant's paper-based logging system, which required manual inventory tracking. It also incorporates automatic tank switching.\n\n\"Previously, if a tank ran out of material during an addition phase, operators had to track how much material was added and calculate the remaining amount needed from the tank,\" Givens said. \"Now, the software automatically calculates the remaining amount of material needed, switches tanks, and adds the required amount of material until it reaches the setpoint.\"\n\n*** A Big Boost to the Bottom Line ***\n\nThe new automated system was implemented in one week, all during scheduled downtime.\n\nThe upgrade took the plant from obsolete to fully supported platforms. And the new HMI resolved the pop-up and alarm-management issues that had been frustrating workers.\n\nThe\u00a0Rockwell Automation Library of Process Objects cut design, configuration and deployment time. In fact, Givens estimates the library helped cut programming configuration time by 40 percent. Even today, with the new system up and running, the library continues to provide efficiency savings.\n\n\"The library is helpful for maintenance and troubleshooting,\" Givens said. \"If we want to go in and change a description, we don't have to go into an engineering workstation or programing software. We can do it right in the HMI using the faceplates. Or, if a valve won't open, an operator can open a faceplate and then open an interlock icon to see what's wrong. In the past, workers may have had to configure a screen to see the valve interlocks or sift through paper documents to troubleshoot the issue. Now, the answer is just a couple clicks away.\"\n\nMeanwhile, the batch software took the plant from very limited automation to full batch automation, including automated cleaning processes. This helped the plant achieve the level of quality control that its customer wanted. And after modifying the software to improve coordination between the different production units, the plant saw a significant boost in throughput.\n\n\"Instead of having a single-unit process, we now have a train of multiple units that coordinate with one another,\" Givens said. \"This was to increase production on a sold-out product.\"\n\nThe plant is at work on expanding the project to other areas of the plant. This includes replacing the plant's legacy I/O, putting in an Ethernet network and automating some of the portable tanks that still use manual processes. Givens expects this will only deliver more efficiencies and productivity on top of what the plant has already seen.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to DuPont's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\n\nFactoryTalk and PlantPAx are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\n\nTAG: chemical\n\n",
    "global-chemical-producer-makes-right-choice-in-data-management": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/global-chemical-producer-makes-right-choice-in-data-management\n\nTITLE: Global chemical producer makes the right choice in data management systems\n\nIt's unlikely you've ever stopped to think about how the shirt you bought for your first day of work got its gleaming white sheen. Or, for that matter, the paint on your freshly decorated living room wall. That pristine veneer can be found across a variety of household items, from your cosmetics and sun lotion, through to the paper in your printer and the sugar in your sugarbowl. These small wonders are the result of a little known pigment that's used almost everywhere. It's called titanium dioxide.\n\nNaturally occurring in only a select few parts of the world, the pigment is obtained through a highly specialised extraction and production process. There are only a handful of manufacturing companies with the expertise to do this.\n\nOne such company is Czech Republic-based Precheza. It's a major producer and supplier of inorganic pigments and has been producing titanium dioxide for more than 50 years.\n\nPrecheza exports around 90% of its produce to meet global demand for this essential chemical, while committing to globally recognised standards in the areas of occupational health and safety management systems, quality, environmental protection and energy management. To remain consistent with these standards, Precheza relies on robust data management and analysis processes that drive operational efficiency and plant safety.\n\nCasting the dye\n\nProcess management serves an important purpose in the production of titanium dioxide. Using specialist tools, the operators need visibility to critical elements such as the temperature and pressure at the production facility. This data informs critical decisions that impact everything from the safety of the workers through to the profitability of the plant, so fast and comprehensive access to information is essential.\n\nHaving the right software in place plays a critical role in effective plant management, enabling the capture and analysis of massive volumes of historical data for better present-day decision-making.\n\nIt was clear that to remain competitive, a new solution would be required. Precheza had been using Rockwell Automation control systems and visualisation software in other areas of the business, and so began to consider our solutions for this case too. A major attraction in doing so would be to unify software solutions for automation across the business into one provider, which would allow for greater integration of systems and also entail savings in operating costs.\n\nThis led to exploration of our historicisation system, Factory Talk (FT) Historian SE. Operators were also seeking better reporting tools with enhanced analysis and visualisation. FT Historian provides users with access to historical data for progressive optimisation, for which they typically need to process and analyse several years of data.\n\nPrecheza's IT team used a temporary license to make sure our solution met their needs. Having satisfied its selection criteria, Precheza began working with us to transition from the legacy platform to FT Historian.\n\nRight on schedule\n\nThe implementation itself was a simple process. A schedule of work with deadlines for implementation was created, preceded by a one-year preparatory period, which included clarifying the technical requirements, verifying them at the testing site and agreeing on the terms and conditions of the entire project.\n\nThe installation and configuration process began in August 2018, providing ample time for the installation of client applications, operator training and the transfer of original historical data into the new system. This led up to the production-ready implementation of FT Historian SE in January 2019. A three-month decommissioning period was put in place so that the two systems were operating in parallel, leading to the termination of the legacy platform in March 2019.\n\nThe installation was completed in April 2019 without any downtime incurred in the production facility.\n\nIn with the new\n\nThe biggest challenge faced over the course of the transition was the conversion of five years of data from the previous system into the FT Historian. As the software used in the two systems was incompatible, choosing the right method for converting this data into a new system would be crucial. After several tests, a solution recommended by Rockwell Automation was chosen, but even so, this procedure required manual intervention by Precheza staff and, in particular, verification of the transferred data, which took approximately 20 days of work.\n\nThe systems integrator, Slovak company M - D - J, spol. s r.o., and Precheza's own IT team played important roles in converting the data.\u00a0M - D - J, spol. s r.o. already had extensive experience in the FT Historian solution and led the whole project to a successful end. The company also provided the benefit of its FT Historian know-how and responded flexibly to other requirements that arose during implementation. Also integral to the team was distributor ControlTech Ltd., which ensured the smoothness of supplies and coordination of the business side of the project.\n\nExploring new capabilities\n\nPrecheza now operates an environment predominantly equipped with control and visualisation systems from Rockwell Automation. Its users appreciate the openness of the system and the simplicity of integrating data from various sources, allowing them to manage application requirements in-house without being heavily dependent on our support.\n\nFrom a practical point of view, maintenance of the entire system has been significantly simplified due to the high level of operational performance in the new system. FT Historian SE ensures the availability of production data for users even in the event of a main server failure. It can be serviced during operation without the risk of data loss, which brings the added benefit of saving human resources.\n\nThe greatest benefit for Precheza, however, has been in how it's able to use its data. Operators now have access to a range of features that help them to orchestrate the analysis and visualisation of production processes. This allows the user to gain far deeper insight into the state of production and offers superior reporting capabilities. Precheza staff are already finding that these features allow for better decision-making and optimisation of tasks.\n\nA better view of the processes\n\nThe benefits of the implementation have met Precheza's expectations. It will take several years for the total cost of operation of the new system to become fully apparent, but it's already comparing favourably to that of the previous system. Building on its new data analysis capabilities, Precheza will now focus on deeper user training in advanced manufacturing data analysis so it can explore the full set of capabilities that FT Historian SE offers.\n\nAs a next step, Precheza is planning to adopt more of the Asset Framework capabilities of FT Historian SE. As well as lowering the capex of its data operations, this project will create a framework for analysis of production processes, enabling greater contextualisation of data from individual parts of its operations. Ultimately, this will help to increase the speed and accuracy of data analysis and bring levels of visualisation that wouldn't have been possible in Precheza's previous architecture.\n\nIn other words, the future looks a shade of bright, gleaming white.\n\n\nTAG: process-solutions\n\nTAG: chemical\n\n",
    "grocery-asset-management": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/grocery-asset-management\n\nTITLE: Takeoff Technologies Takes Control of Maintenance\n\nSelling groceries online is a uniquely challenging task. Food spoils quickly. It gets bruised and damaged easily. It needs to be stored at specific temperatures to ensure it stays fresh. All of this, plus the high cost of fulfilling and delivering orders in an industry with low-profit margins, means that selling groceries online has been difficult for grocers - until now.\n\nTakeoff Technologies is a Boston-based startup founded in 2016. The company partners with grocery retailers to fulfill online grocery orders without compromising on price or speed. Their 23 (and counting) micro fulfillment centers (MFCs) are small, automated warehouses stocked full of groceries. When a shopper creates an online order, Takeoff's MFCs automatically begin the order fulfillment process.\n\nTakeoff's strategic retail partners include global, blue-chip grocery companies like Albertsons, Majid Al Futtaim (Carrefour), Woolworths, and Loblaws, to name a few. These partners depend on Takeoff technology to work 24/7, 365 days a year. In other words, system downtime is detrimental. System failures are disruptive not only to Takeoff, but to their clients, and their downstream customers - the grocery shopper - as well. The Takeoff maintenance team must be available with dedicated technicians for each site and ready to stop asset failure before it happens.\n\n\u00a0\n\nTaking control of maintenance from the start\n\nTakeoff launched their global Field Service and Maintenance team on June 1, 2021 to help clients operate and maintain the systems at each Takeoff site. The goal was to help customers keep their promise of just-in-time fulfillment (meaning orders filled less than 30 minutes after they are placed). A major breakdown in Takeoff's system would mean a broken promise, which would jeopardize the shopper's experience.\n\nTo confirm this didn't happen, the Takeoff team decided to take full ownership of maintenance at each facility. They decided to improve each site's reliability and availability, with three main goals:\n\n   1. Reduce hardware failures by doing more preventive maintenance and synchronizing it worldwide.\n\n   2. Improve reaction time by doing more planned work orders (both preventive and corrective maintenance) and develop a set of standard processes, schedules, data, tools, spare parts, and other resources for our technicians to perform their work.\n\n   3. Increase customer satisfaction for the team and retail clients.\n\n\u00a0\n\nSimilar work orders, different time zones\n\nAt project launch, Takeoff had 15 micro fulfillment centers worldwide with plans to expand over the next several months. With technicians spread across the globe, each site was managed differently. Maintaining various sites on different continents, in different time zones, became difficult. On top of that, when technicians appeared on site, there was no guarantee that they would have access to the right tools, information, and processes to complete their work.\n\nIt was critical to confirm the team had access to the same resources, processes, and shared culture - no matter where they were. To do this, they needed the right technology.\n\n\u00a0\n\nChoosing the right CMMS system\n\nWhen searching for the right technology, Takeoff knew they were looking for something specific. They wanted something to help their team react quickly, with little waste. It had to offer enough customization to support their growing business and yet be simple enough to be picked up in a few days without extensive training. And lastly, it had to offer the flexibility to match the team's workflow the company was implementing.\n\nAs Takeoff maintenance technicians used to say: \"The system should work for me and not the other way around.\"\n\nFiix(R) was the answer to that.\n\nWithin a month and a half of making their decision, Takeoff implemented Fiix at 10 of the 15 sites built. By August 2022 they have 18 sites in Fiix out of the 22 built and we will reach 25 out of 26 built by the end of October 2022.\n\n\u00a0\n\nAchieving 99.8% availability\n\nSince adopting Fiix, Takeoff has tripled mean time between failure (MTBF) from 364 hours in 2021 to 1168 hours in 2022. Reliability is up from 63% in 2021 to 83% today, and overall availability is 99.8%. Not to mention that clients can now fulfill orders in under 30 minutes.\n\n\u00a0\n\nBuilding a future of intelligent maintenance\n\nTakeoff's next goal is to use the maintenance data collected to optimize the timing of preventive maintenance work at each site and on each asset. They have already started to do that by putting the runtime of critical parts, like critical motors, into the CMMS. Takeoff uses the data from these assets to adjust PM frequency before parts show signs of wear and tear.\n\n\u00a0\n\nThis piece was written by Giovanni Savoca: Vice President of Engineering, Network & MFC Design at Takeoff Technologies. We'd like to thank Mr. Savoca for allowing us to share his content and the Takeoff Technologies story.\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: warehouse-fulfillment\nTAG: aerospace\n\nTAG: fiix\n\n",
    "meeting-coal-seam-gas-safety-compliance": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/meeting-coal-seam-gas-safety-compliance\n\nTITLE: Meeting Coal Seam Gas Safety Compliance\n\nCoal Seam Gas (CSG) is a naturally occurring methane gas found in most coal seams and is similar to conventional natural gas.\u00a0CSG is extracted from deep below the ground using world-best practice techniques that protect the community and our environment.\n\nAustralia's major coal seam gas resources are found onshore in eastern Australia. Currently the largest known proven reserves are in Queensland's Bowen and Surat basins. Natural gas from coal seams form part of the gas supply used by industry and households for heating and cooking.\n\nThe Australian coal seam gas industry has earned a reputation as a highly regulated industry with best-practice technologies to protect land and water resources.\n\nIn keeping with this, a global energy company recently upgraded their generator safety systems with the latest control and safety technologies to meet stringent compliance requirements.\n\n*** Reducing safety risks ***\n\nCoal seam gas wells release gas through groundwater extraction. The extracted water and gas is diverted to the surface where the water is separated from the gas. The coal seam gas water has a high concentration of salt, it is collected and transferred via pipelines to storage ponds.\n\nThe water is then pumped to water treatment plants where it is further treated prior to being used for agriculture, municipal or industrial applications. The coal seam gas water treatment plant is powered by gas engine generators using methane from the gas fields.\n\nMeeting global safety standards for fire and gas is a key priority for the energy company. As such, they called on PSA Engineering, a Process Safety Partner in the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM program, to upgrade the emergency shutdown and fire and gas system, across their seven generators. Based in Ormeau, Queensland, PSA Engineering provides a wide range of specialist engineering services for both control and safety instrumented systems across a variety of industrial sectors.\n\n\"With a treatment capacity of more than 90,000 cubic meters per day, reducing safety risks was a critical consideration for the water treatment plant. The key driver for the project was to replace a non-compliant SIL2 fire and gas system with one that complied,\" said John Teahan, lead I+E engineer at PSA Engineering responsible for the delivery of a fully compliant OLF-070 SIL 2 F+G Safety Instrumented System.\n\nWith a treatment capacity of more than 90,000 cubic meters per day, reducing safety risks was a critical consideration for the water treatment plant.\n\n*** Advanced Safety System ***\n\nEach of the seven gas generators onsite is housed within an individual enclosure with multiple SIL 2 certified fire and gas sensors to monitor for fire and, or gas events. Sensors operate in 1oo2 voter mode with provision for online sensor testing and fault tolerance provided where 1oo2 degrades to 1oo1. Complete spectrum of sensor diagnostics is designed into AADvance(R) application with direct reporting to the operator via the OPC interfaced SCADA system.\n\nThe system features a series of SIL 2 certified beacons to alert personnel within the generator enclosure and immediate area plus a siren to warn personnel of a potential fire and, or gas event.\n\nThe AADvance fault tolerant control system\u00a0from Rockwell Automation was selected as the most appropriate solution for this application, due to its safety capabilities and value proposition. It is a Safety Instrumented System that provides flexible controller redundancy and could be engineered to integrate with existing systems at the plant.\n\nIn a fire or gas event, the AADvance system provides a fully independent shutdown path to the gas generator units, isolation of fuel gas valves and associated electrical systems.\n\nIf there was a fire or gas event, the generators would need to have a quick and effective emergency shutdown procedure for safety. The AADvance system met this requirement by providing a fully independent shutdown path to the gas generator units, isolation of fuel gas valves and associated electrical systems. The system also immediately triggers the effected generators' beacon and siren system plus the Plant Wide Emergency Siren giving personnel who may be in the area maximum time to evacuate.\n\nTo help make the commissioning process as seamless as possible, detailed FAT testing was conducted and was integrated with the existing plant HMI system. \"When we were ready to commission the system onsite, we didn't have to make any changes thanks to the prior testing. In addition, the control room only offered a confined amount of space but because the AADvance system was so compact we could fit it into a standard panel,\" said Nigel Campbell, field technical lead, PSA Engineering.\n\nFire and gas safety compliance\n\nAs a result of the upgrade, the plant is now compliant with IEC 61511 SIL2 design Fire and Gas Safety Instrument System regulations. Furthermore, the system was designed to meet the strict guidelines of OLF, the Norwegian Oil Industry Association. OLF-070 sets a high safety performance target for fire and gas safety systems designed as per this standard.\n\nRockwell Automation has assisted PSA with comprehensive system training and support for the duration of the project. This collaboration has allowed for the sharing of lessons learned and best practices used on a global scale, which helps to deliver effective solutions to the oil and gas market.\n\n\"As part of our Recognized System Integrator Program with a specific focus on process safety, Rockwell Automation enjoys a longstanding relationship with PSA. We support PSA through our global network of technical support for our process solutions. This support helps to enable execution for defined project deliverables in the oil and gas industry,\" said Wayne Perry, sales manager Queensland, Rockwell Automation.\n\nAbout Rockwell Automation\n\nRockwell Automation Australia and Rockwell Automation New Zealand are subsidiaries of Rockwell Automation, Inc.-a leading global provider of industrial automation and information solutions that helps manufacturers achieve a competitive advantage in their businesses. The company brings together leading global brands in industrial automation which include Allen-Bradley(R) controls and services and Rockwell Software(R) factory management software. Its broad product mix includes control logic systems, sensors, human-machine interfaces, drive controllers, power devices, and software.\n\nRockwell Automation Inc. (NYSE: ROK), is a global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation. We connect the imaginations of people with the potential of technology to expand what is humanly possible, making the world more productive and more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rockwell Automation employs approximately 23,000 problem solvers dedicated to our customers in more than 100 countries. To learn more about how we are bringing The Connected Enterprise(R) to life across industrial enterprises, visit www.rockwellautomation.com\n\nAADvance, Allen-Bradley, PartnerNetwork, Rockwell Automation and Rockwell Software are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\nMedia contact:\n\nChristine Filippis\n\nTeraze Communications\n\n61 3 8391 0701\n\nchristine@teraze.com.au\n\n\nTAG: oil-and-gas\nTAG: water-wastewater\n\n",
    "indias-leading-bearings-manufacturer-takes-digital-transformation-to-the-next-level": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/indias-leading-bearings-manufacturer-takes-digital-transformation-to-the-next-level\n\nTITLE: India's Leading Bearings Manufacturer takes Digital Transformation to the Next Level\n\nNational Engineering Industries Limited (NEI) is India's leading bearings manufacturer and exporter, renowned for excellence in quality and delivery. A symbol of dependability and flexible engineering solutions, NBC Bearings is the brand of National Engineering Industries.\n\nFounded in 1946, the company started manufacturing 30,000 bearings in 19 sizes. Today, it has grown to manufacture more than 200 million bearings each year offered in more than 2300 variants to service customers in over 30 countries across five continents.\n\nWith five manufacturing plants in Jaipur, Newai (Rajasthan), Manesar (Haryana) and Vadodara (Gujarat), NEI is equipped with global manufacturing and world class precision engineering process technology and one of the best research and development centres in the country.\n\nNEI already has next generation technologies such as 3D printing, cobots and robots, automated lines, robotic process automation and mixed reality technology, helping it achieve flexible solutions for its customers.\n\nServicing the automotive, railways and other industrial segments, NBC Bearings is a trusted brand to customers around the world and as such, demand continues to increase for their high-quality products - reaching all corners of the world.\n\nAs a future-ready organization that is always looking ahead to serve its partners better, NEI embarked on a digital transformation journey, achieving outstanding results. It has set its vision to achieve a connected smart factory state for all its manufacturing locations in the next year with multiple roll outs having achieved the desired state at scale at one of its plants in Jaipur.\n\n**** Drivers for digital transformation ****\n\nIt was not only pure numbers but also the zeal to continue as a great place to work for the next generation and becoming an employer of choice that propelled NEI to undertake an end-to-end digital transformation journey.\n\nPrior to digitalisation, manufacturing process and performance data was manually captured on paper and logged into an application by a data entry operator and was available for analysis with a 24 hour- lag. Essentially, the challenge for line managers and supervisors was having to make decisions for the day based on yesterday's data. NEI knew that Industry 4.0 technology would be the answer for this. The need for real time data was imminent as it would allow line supervisors and managers to take immediate action on the problematic area, be it related to quality, maintenance or raw material to avoid potential loss in productivity.\n\nThe connected smart factory aimed to improve the overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) by 2-3 percent. This was a significant stretch given the baseline of operations were already higher than industry standards.\u00a0 In addition, NEI's digital transformation strategy was aiming to help them stay ahead of the competition, with a data driven decision making approach and to change the mindset from being reactive to proactive on the shopfloors - where most of the action is happening.\n\n**** The digital performance management initiative ****\n\nThe vision was to establish a connected, smart factory in the brownfield Jaipur plant and subsequently at all manufacturing locations, that would enable NEI to meet their manufacturing and business requirements both today and into the future.\n\nNEI's President and CEO, Rohit Saboo, has envisioned one Connected Enterprise from demand to dispatch with seamless flow of information across the various systems present in NEI landscape.\u00a0 The high-level strategy for NEI was to create a digital vision to achieve their organisational goals and improve business drivers.\n\nIntegrating control and information across the information technology /operational technology (IT/OT) boundary helps to provide real time insights into the manufacturing process to drive more meaningful business decisions. This digital performance management initiative aimed to create a connected smart plant with integrated information from supply chain for factory scheduling, energy management system, resource allocation and material visibility. This is meticulously supported by digital workplace, product and services to enrich employee and business partner experience at every stage of interaction.\n\n\"Through the enterprise-wide digital program we have developed a digital strategy roadmap that connects the digital initiatives to the organisation's strategic priorities. The full-scale implementation was planned for the ball bearing plant in Jaipur and scheduled over an eight-month period. We were able to reach here after lots of experimentation in the preceding year with many start-ups and ecosystem solution providers,\" said Ashish Ranjan, chief digital officer, NEI.\n\nThis initiative involved connecting more than 300 computer numerical control (CNC) and programmable logic controller (PLC) machines onto the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) network, working on a diverse set of controllers from various makes, models and generations - creating Open Platform Communications United Architecture (OPC UA) data layer and IoT platform deployment to render real time data with reports and dashboards used by various persona in the organisation from the plant floor through to the enterprise.\n\nNEI called on Rockwell Automation as a trusted technology partner for the digitalisation project as a result of the flexibility of the FactoryTalkAE InnovationSuite, powered by PTC and Thingworx Asset Performance Management (APM) platforms.\n\nThingworx APM was selected as the application development and deployment platform - connecting disparate devices, applications and data sources across the enterprise. It provides a single source to collect, aggregate, and enables secure access to industrial operations data. FactoryTalk Analytics^o DataView was selected for NEI's business reporting requirements. This delivered increased visibility into line, shop floor, plant and enterprise performance.\n\n\"FactoryTalk InnovationSuite provides a holistic technology portfolio including IoT, analytics, augmented reality and edge capabilities to support NEI's digital transformation vision. These technologies delivered the required modularity, flexibility and user friendliness to address the immediate techno-functional needs of the digital performance management initiative while helping to ensure the solution is capable of scaling to advanced analytics use cases on the same platform,\" said Samrat Datta, information solutions sales specialist, Rockwell Automation.\n\n**** Smart, connected manufacturing for bearings ****\n\nThis project was one of the largest digital transformation implementations in the bearing industry. More than 300 machines in the brownfield set up were brought onto the IIoT platform and connected in real time per Industry 4.0 norms. Data exchange compatibility for the factory increased from just 16 percent at pre-assessment to now 100 percent at deployment time.\n\n\"NEI and Rockwell Automation have a very close working relationship. The teams are closely integrated at the plant level as well the enterprise level. With regular collaboration, NEI considers Rockwell Automation a trusted partner for its digital manufacturing transformation at Jaipur and eventual implementations at other sites,\" said Ashish.\n\nNow that the Jaipur plant is a connected plant, the benefits it delivers are being experienced. Real time availability of data on user friendly dashboards have made a shift in the mindset of the shopfloor operators. Supervisors and operators can see the operations performance and can make decisions regarding material and resource allocation. The health signals from machines help to avoid any unplanned breakdown by taking pro-active actions.\n\n\"NEI can be congratulated on embarking on a digital transformation journey that has achieved outstanding results using contemporary, flexible and scalable technologies,\"\u00a0said Arvind Kakru, country head end user sales, Rockwell Automation India.\n\nThe nature of solution is such that users have asked for more after experiencing the power of real time data and the Rockwell Automation team is working on enhancing the experience. This would continue for some time as and more and more insights can be derived from the data visibility.\n\n\"Very soon we will integrate all our plants at different geographical locations onto the same platform to establish a one enterprise network with seamless integration of systems all across the enterprise. This will give us the required visibility across plant locations and help us move to a new operating model with connected plants and remote monitoring centres leveraging the strength of NEI across all manufacturing locations,\" concluded Sanjay Binaykya, head of manufacturing, NEI. \u00a0\n\nAbout Rockwell Automation\n\nRockwell Automation Inc. (NYSE: ROK), is a global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation. We connect the imaginations of people with the potential of technology to expand what is humanly possible, making the world more productive and more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rockwell Automation employs approximately 24,000 problem solvers dedicated to our customers in more than 100 countries. To learn more about how we are bringing The Connected Enterprise to life across industrial enterprises, visit www.rockwellautomation.com\n\nAllen-Bradley, FactoryTalk, Rockwell Automation and Rockwell Software are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\n",
    "wa-kaolin": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/wa-kaolin\n\nTITLE: Automation Solution for Kaolin Processing Plant\n\nWA Kaolin is implementing Rockwell Automation's PlantPAx DCS as it ramps up production capacity to 400,000 tpa and beyond\n\nA new kaolin mining operation in Wickepin, Western Australia, is utilising an integrated automation solution to reduce overall costs, improve scheduling, and deliver ongoing benefits to operations.\n\nKaolin, which is becoming increasingly valuable, is a soft white clay that has been surging in demand, with uses in applications including paper and plasterboard, ceramics, fiberglass, paints and coatings, plastics, rubber, pharmaceuticals and medicine, cosmetics, concrete construction materials and agriculture.\n\nWA Kaolin - an ASX-listed mineral exploration, extraction, and processing company - has developed a proprietary dry processing method known as K99, which turns raw material into market-suitable feedstock for global customers.\n\nCombined with the high quality of the ore reserve, the K99 process delivers high-quality ultra-bright kaolin at a lower cost than conventional chemical bleaching and magnetic separation processing.\n\nWA Kaolin has constructed a Stage 1 commercial processing plant on a three-hectare site in Wickepin, about 200 kilometres southeast of Perth, Western Australia. The site has been identified as having a mineral resource estimate of more than 600 million tonnes of extremely high grade, easy access kaolin across its mining and retention tenements, one of the largest known remaining premium primary resources of kaolin in the world.\n\nThere is a strategic plan in place to expand production capacity to exceed 400,000 tons per annum (tpa) after 36 months, so WA Kaolin selected engineering and planning consultancy, Willyung Electrical & Controls Engineering (WECE) to manage the process of steadily scaling up.\n\nWECE analysed the requirements, and selected Rockwell Automation's PlantPAx(R) Distributed Control System (DCS) to provide a single, plant-wide control system, with the flexibility to make better and faster business decisions and a scalable solution for future expansion.\n\n***** Plant-wide control and visualisation reduces risk\n\n *****\n\nRockwell Automation's PlantPAx DCS will monitor and run the facility from a single point of control, providing seamless integration into control and power systems, and outputting data that is easy to analyse.\n\nThe latest version of PlantPAx DCS has been designed to be an integral part of a digital transformation strategy that boosts productivity and profitability, while reducing operational risk.\n\n\"Large projects like the WA Kaolin Wickepin processing plant are complex, and it's easy to come in over-budget or off-schedule if the right automation technology isn't implemented upfront,\" said Raj Singh, channel manager, Rockwell Automation.\n\nBy seamlessly integrating process, power, and information across the plant right from the outset, WA Kaolin was able to achieve a faster time-to-market, and the system can readily be scaled up as production increases.\n\n\"WA Kaolin has taken an intelligent approach by seeking to optimise scheduling and reduce overall costs from the get-go. The cost of a poorly designed control system typically only shows up later in the project, when it's at its most expensive to address. Instead, by engaging Rockwell Automation at the beginning of the project, risk was minimised, and the customer is now looking at cost savings and a reduction in schedule time,\" added Singh.\n\nThe Wickepin plant is currently in production with expansion processes in progress, and by utilising PlantPAx for plant-wide control, WA Kaolin and WECE estimate it will save 20% on costs, and achieve a 15% schedule reduction.\u00a0\n\n***** Faster time-to-market *****\n\nOne of the major benefits of Rockwell Automation's PlantPAx DCS for new facilities is a faster time-to-market, which means plants can begin producing quicker.\n\n\"Having total plant visibility in the planning stage means that from inception to delivery, total time is reduced. After analysing WA Kaolin's robust and ambitious scale-up plans, we determined that Rockwell Automation had the best automation solution for the project and for the future,\" said Chris Bock, managing director and principal electrical engineer, WECE.\n\nWECE is a WA-based specialist supplier of electrical engineering and control systems integration services for industries including agriculture, forestry, food and beverage, materials handling, mining, water, and wastewater.\n\n\"As a system integrator, being able to deliver to the end user in a reduced timeframe is a major win. Rockwell Automation's technology has been instrumental in enabling us to achieve these gains,\" added Bock.\n\nWA Kaolin chief executive officer, Andrew Sorensen, said, \"In late 2022, WA Kaolin successfully commenced production at the Wickepin Kaolin Project in Western Australia following a challenging development timeline. Since then, WA Kaolin has continued to ramp up production to our Stage 1 capacity of 200,000 tonnes of kaolin per annum and commenced planning to increase output at Wickepin towards our Stage 2, 400,000 tonnes per annum target.\"\n\n\"To achieve these milestones, WA Kaolin required a reliable control system for our processing site from Rockwell Automation and Stratus Technologies, which could withstand the conditions of the operating environment. The solution had to be straightforward to deploy as we completed construction of the project and once operational would then require minimal ongoing maintenance to enable maximum efficiency for our team.\"\n\nStratus Technologies delivers simple, protected, and autonomous zero touch computing. Together, Stratus and Rockwell Automation deliver innovative control solutions that deploy quickly, are easily supported by OT personnel, and provide unmatched reliability. Stratus platforms bring modern IT practices including virtualisation, thin clients, and resilient computing to the edge of industrial networks.\n\n\"Working alongside Rockwell Automation and Stratus, Willyung Electrical & Controls Engineering has delivered this solution at the Wickepin Kaolin Project with positive results. Importantly, the control system is a scalable solution and supports WA Kaolin's strategy to rapidly increase capacity from the processing plant without downtime over the coming years,\" added Sorensen.\n\n***** PlantPAx DCS benefits *****\n\nThe PlantPAx system is based on four core principles:\n\n    * Plant-wide Control and Optimisation: The PlantPAx system uses a common automation platform for seamless integration between critical areas of a plant. Benefits include common platforms, seamless information flow, ease of management, and lower total cost of ownership.\n\n    * Scalable and Modular Architecture: A wide range of architecture options for increased flexibility are provided with the PlantPAx system. This means easy integration without replicating data, faster time to market, and scalable system capabilities such as HMI, batch management and data collection.\n\n    * Open, Information-enabled, and Secure: The PlantPAx system is based on open communication standards leveraging EtherNet/IP as its backbone. As a result, secure real-time information is readily available throughout the enterprise for better business decision-making.\n\n    * Flexible Delivery and Support Network: Users can select the optimal implementation and support team based on their needs with a PlantPAx system, with the long-term confidence that the investment is protected with support from Rockwell Automation.\n\n\"PlantPAx is ideal for projects starting small and looking to scale up. The system uses widely accepted modules, and maintenance and customisation are both straightforward tasks. The diagnostic data from PlantPAx can be combined with Rockwell Automation's machine learning algorithms to predict plant issues in advance, and minimise downtime,\" concluded Singh.\n\nTAG: optimize-production\nTAG: accelerate-digital-transformation\n\nTAG: mining\n\nTAG: plantpax\nTAG: plantpax-dcs\nTAG: distributed-control-systems\nTAG: programmable-controllers\n\n",
    "danish-greenfield-water-treatment-plant-deploys-plantpax-dcs": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/danish-greenfield-water-treatment-plant-deploys-plantpax-dcs\n\nTITLE: Danish Greenfield Water-Treatment Plant Deploys PlantPAx DCS\n\n*** Background: ***\n\nIn a recent green field clean water treatment project in Denmark, Danish system integrator\u00a0AB Electric A/S was tasked with developing and installing a comprehensive control and monitoring solution for a facility spread over several sites and locations that are kilometres apart.\n\nThe resulting implementation of a\u00a0PlantPAx(R) Distributed Control System from Rockwell Automation - controlling off-the-shelf process automation products - is set to define the footprint for future installations by AB Electric. This is due to its wider in-depth integration, including safety and access control, the flexibility and scalability of PlantPAx and the free availability of the process library.\n\n*** Challenge: ***\n\nFounded in 1980, AB Electric evolved from a traditional electrical installation company to one that now delivers full electrical, automation and process control solutions - with private and business customers in Denmark and abroad.\n\nIts customer's green field clean water treatment project had no existing application to use as a reference, so the entire control strategy and system had to be developed from scratch. The customer also requested secure real-time communication between several sites/locations, full access control, a fully featured monitoring & control centre and applicable alarming on mobile devices. The solution had to interface with multiple third-party devices too, resulting in a mixture of communication protocols that needed to feed data into the control centre.\n\nThe total amount of consumers in the catchment area for the plant is 2,400, with a daily water usage of some 700 m3. When in operation, raw water is pumped at the main location from a depth of approximately 7 to 12 m and is passed through a filter system to clean out impurities. This filter system comprises four stainless steel tanks, inside of which is a mixture of stones and a very specific sand material customized in accordance to the desired water quality. Elements removed in the filtration process include nitrites, chlorides, fluoride, iron, manganese and ammonia.\n\nFollowing filtration, oxygen is added to initiate a chemical reaction before the water is fed to one of two consumer tanks using two feed lines, each equipped with five pumps, which are operated in accordance to the defined pressure settings in the pressure parameters set on the operator workstations (OWS) of the control centre. The installation has three additional locations, two with only consumer pumping systems - including consumer tanks - and one with raw water and an open-filter system.\n\nThe four locations are connected, but due to height differences in the terrain, it is a matter of calculating which site is most beneficial to use throughout the day based on the cost and volume of water required. The main site could actually supply all consumers by itself, but this may not work out to be the most efficient method during certain demand periods. The way the system is designed helps assure a very high security of supply and the environment also benefits through the use of sustainable energy production due to the deployment of solar panels.\n\n*** Solution: ***\n\nThe primary site is equipped with a PlantPAx distributed control system, which uses the Rockwell Automation Library of Process Objects as well as several distributed I/O modules to provide the overall control of the process. In addition, the solution includes\u00a0Allen-Bradley(R) PowerFlex(R) variable-frequency drives to power the pumps communicating through EtherNet/IPTM. The three other locations deploy controllers in combination with distributed I/O modules to operate pumps driven by third-party inverters.\n\nPrimary site-to-site and site-to-control room communications are handled by Stratix(R) Ethernet switches, with a Stratix Service Router remotely connecting two of the other sites via the Internet. The other site is connected via fibre optics.\n\nRemote alarming functionality for safe delivery of key data to smartphones and SMS was provided using the alarm-notification platform supplied by WIN-911, a Rockwell Automation Encompass Partner.\n\nEverything is visualized on an Operator Workstation using a 55 inch monitor in the control room, using a PlantPAx operator interface with advance diagnostics. The three other sites deploy 19 in stainless steel integrated-display industrial computers. All locations can be operated from the control room.\n\nAs well as deploying a PlantPAx DCS as the overall control solution, AB Electric leveraged the PlantPAx system estimator (included with the Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture Builder) to architect the system. This allowed it \u00a0to reduce risk in the early stages of the project as it selected the hardware and generated bills of material for the controllers, I/O, networks, drives, cabling & wiring, and other devices. The PlantPAx Alarms Builder tool was used to create alarms and event (AE) database-type alarms in the form of an XML file, which can be visualized from the OWS and the site's access control is delivered by high frequency RFID EtherNet/IP Interface\u00a0Blocks, also from Rockwell Automation.\n\n*** Results: ***\n\nAccording to Frank Jorgensen, Project Manager and co-owner of AB Electric: \"The planning and design elements of the project started up very early - almost a year ahead of building up. This is a real dream scenario compared to other project in our world and Rockwell Automation participated in meetings with our end customer almost from the very beginning. Together we were able to demonstrate to the customer the capabilities of a fully integrated Rockwell Automation PlantPAx solution... and our customer didn't compromise, saying it wanted to go for the 'Full Package'.\n\n\"Following this,\" he continues, \"the highly effective co-operation between AB Electric and Rockwell Automation resulted in a much smoother development process. Thanks to this support throughout the entire project, including the services of a Rockwell Automation Global Processes Technical Consultant (GPTC), who helped with the PlantPAx integration, we were able to meet all of the end-customer's requirements in terms of delivery, performance and cost.\n\n\"Our customer now has a robust and stable control system that not only offers great reliability,\" Jorgensen concludes, \"but due to the open and scalable nature of the software, coupled to the ease of integrating off-the-shelf hardware, the possibilities for future expansion and adaptation are extremely promising. From AB Electric's perspective, we now have a well-designed platform, which we can use for other water treatment plants in the future as its design means it will be very easy to up/downscale regarding the amount of components and size of the water treatment plant. From my point of view I would rather sell a Rockwell Automation solution to our customers rather than any other solution. Rockwell Automation has proven to us that it can help us on any project and I don't have to be nervous about support if we really need it.\"\n\n\nTAG: water-wastewater\n\n",
    "standardised-control-environment-for-15-500-km-gas-network": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/standardised-control-environment-for-15-500-km-gas-network\n\nTITLE: Standardised Control Environment for 15,500 km Gas Network\n\n*** Background ***\n\nGasunie is a European gas infrastructure company that provides and manages the transport infrastructure of natural and green gas in the Netherlands and the Northern part of Germany. Founded in 1963 as gas trading company, it is now owned by the Dutch Government and is only responsible for the transportation of gas \u2013 some 120 bcm every year.\n\nThe company operates and maintains a 15,500 km pipeline network along which are numerous stations for the preparation and handling of the gas. These include 22 compressor stations, 19 blending stations, 93 regulating and metering stations, 14 export stations, 1,300 gas delivery stations, two air-separation stations and a number of storage facilities for Liquified Natural Gas (LNG), natural gas and nitrogen.\n\nIn 2013, a decision was made by Gasunie to put out a tender for a new standardised control system for it\u00b4s gas turbine driven compressor fleet in the Netherlands. Based on its engineers' previous experiences with Rockwell Automation and thanks to the openness, flexibility, scalability and connectivity of the Rockwell Automation solution, coupled to Bilfinger Greylogix's in-depth knowledge of the technology and the application, Bilfinger Greylogix was awarded the contract end of 2014 and Allen-Bradley products now form the primary control solution and complete automation layer for the control of gas turbines.\n\nFor the first project step, Bilfinger Greylogix\u00b4s job was to undertake a standardisation exercise. The project includes 50 gas turbines (eight different models built by three different OEMs) at nine locations and will deliver common operating schemas and procedures, in order to remove the ambiguity created by the deployment of multiple control systems.\n\nFollowing the standardisation project, the main revamping projects were initiated in 2016. At the compressor station of Ommen, Bilfinger GreyLogix started the next step to replace six unit control panels (UCP) of two different OEMs, this will last until end of 2017.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nAccording to Klaus Thomas, Team Manager Gas Turbines and Compression at Bilfinger Greylogix: \"The unit control system of a gas turbine needs revamping every 15 to 20 \u00a0years or so, even though the turbines themselves could have an operating life of some 40 years, depending on their working hours.\n\n\"The overall standardization project was instigated to create a common standard for all 50 UCPs,\" he continues. \"There would be a little variation, depending on the turbine technology, but the overall message was 'what can be identical should be identical'. The UCPs really are the heart of the projects and as well as providing normal control and HMI functionality, they also have to reply on so-called special instrumentation for speed and vibration monitoring, which in this field is pretty specific due to the measuring-loop requirements above and beyond those used by other standard instruments. We also had to consider a solution that could handle different communication protocols and one that interfaced with a variety of third party systems.\"\n\n*** Solution ***\n\n\"It was a very long tender period and our proposal was based on a\u00a0Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture\u00ae solution from the beginning,\" Klaus explains, \"and I think this is one of the reasons we were awarded the contract. Gasunie used a lot of OEM systems from other automation vendors, but it already had experience of Allen-Bradley products and really liked the system. The project requirements also closely matched the functionality being offered by the Rockwell Automation solution.\"\n\nPrimary turbine control is delivered by\u00a0Allen-Bradley ControlLogix\u00ae programmable automation controllers (PAC), which communicate with HMI-based control solutions via OPC links. \"The CPU requirements are actually very high,\" Klaus explains, \"but we were fortunate that Rockwell Automation had recently introduced the new ControlLogix 1756-L85E PAC, a more powerful CPU, which is more than up to the job.\"\n\nThe main UCPs comprise two panels, one contains all the Allen-Bradley hardware, and the other contains all the other-vendor equipment like power supplies, terminal blocks, isolating amplifiers, fuses, Zener barriers, etc.\n\nThe safety solution was a primary element of the overall control infrastructure. \"When dealing with natural gas we talk about intrinsic safety,\" Klaus explains, \"which we have to achieve using barriers or dedicated signal processing units that can work to ATEX standards. Additionally, we undertook a HAZOP/SIL to finalise the safety-related requirements of the system. We eventually developed a split solution, comprising a 'normal' CPU (ControlLogix) and a safety CPU (Allen-Bradley GuardLogix\u00ae) which is responsible for all functional safety requirements.\n\nAnother major facet of the project was the so-called special instrumentation. \"At the project's outset, Gasunie originally specified a solution based on an incumbent technology,\" Klaus elaborates, \"but we took the step of defining a system that moved away from this type of black-box technology and instead recommended the deployment of additional Allen-Bradley solutions for the vibration and speed measurements. Some other automation vendors can offer speed measurement, but not the vibration functionality required, another advantage offered by the Rockwell Automation architecture and its\u00a0Allen-Bradley Dynamix\u2122 1444 units. It turns out that we didn't need a dedicated system like the incumbent technology to realise the condition-monitoring capabilities we needed for these turbines, which have a specific time-critical function inside the UCPs and must offer response times of about 20 ms.\"\n\n*** Results ***\n\nThanks to the standardisation exercise and the resulting implementation of the Rockwell Automation-based solutions, Gasunie now deploys a range of integrated solutions all running on a single platform supplied by a single technology vendor. As well as delivering the all-important familiar look and feel across all UCPs, maintenance will be significantly easier and spares stocking will be much more streamlined and efficient. Bilfinger GreyLogix was also awarded a service contract by Gasunie, including i.a. maintenance services, spare part management and provision of detailed Allen-Bradley systems information. The integrated solution is far simpler to scale or expand, too \u2013 although the architecture is likely to remain fixed for years.\n\n\"We saw major benefits of the Allen-Bradley-based special instrumentation,\" explains Klaus, \"The system cost was much lower per channel than the cost of the black-box incumbent. The other solution also required more space in a cabinet with additional wiring. Using this solutions, Gasunie sees data regarding vibration directly in the HMI/PAC, meaning it is instantly useable. Data logging into a database in real-time also allows instant contextualization of data, delivering greater real-time accuracy and for historical comparisons.\"\n\nKlaus then adds his thoughts about the relationship between his team and the Rockwell Automation engineers: \"Each and every colleague of mine who had contact with the Rockwell Automation engineers was very happy, we built a great relationship based on co-operation. It really was perfect!\n\n\"With the standard we now have created for Gasunie, based on Rockwell Automation solutions,\" he concludes, \"we are looking to exploit other markets. We are not only focused on one type of system, we have very wide expertise in many technologies, but this is a great foundation. The Allen-Bradley components helped us create an optimum solution, which will now form the basis of others in the future. Indeed, we are currently thinking about projects at power plants in northern Europe and we are bidding for other revamp projects and all these proposals will be prepared based on Rockwell Automation technology.\"\n\nAllen-Bradley, ControlLogix, Dynamix, Flex Ex, GuardLogix, Integrated Architecture, LISTEN. THINK. SOLVE., and Rockwell Automation are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\nControlNet, DeviceNet and EtherNet/IP are trademarks of ODVA, Inc.\n\nTrademarks not belonging to Rockwell Automation are property of their respective companies.\n\n\nTAG: oil-and-gas\n\n",
    "siasun-emulate3d-digital-twin": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/siasun-emulate3d-digital-twin\n\nTITLE: In-depth application of digital simulation to create a \"virtual debugging\" acceleration engine for intelligent logistics\n\nFounded in 2000, Shenyang SIASUN Robotics Automation Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as \"SIASUN\") is a listed high-tech company that focuses on robotics technology and intelligent manufacturing solutions. With a national-level R&D and innovation team, SIASUN is committed to the path of independent innovation and has been responsible for more than 100 \"industry firsts\" in China's robotics field! As a national robotics industrialization base, SIASUN focuses on intelligent manufacturing and provides fully systematic core support for industrial upgrades, creating a full-industry value chain that integrates independent core technologies, core parts and components, and core products and industry system solutions.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nAt present, proven digital intelligence technologies have arrived and fostered innovation in many industry segments. In the field of robotics and logistics integration, the in-depth application of technologies represented by digital twin simulation has significantly improved the company's efficiency across design, commissioning, and operations.\n\nOver the years, the SIASUN Robotics Automation Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as \"SIASUN Robotics\") has been responsible for many benchmark projects for leading domestic and foreign users in various industries, thanks to its leading mobile robots and intelligent warehousing and logistics solutions. In the critical electrical debugging process, the company takes advantage of Rockwell Automation's Emulate3DTM digital simulation platform, opening the door to \"virtual debugging.\"\n\n\n\n-- Solutions --\n\n*\n\nToday, modern production requires a great deal of automation equipment, while traditional installation and debugging requires mechanical, electrical, automation, and other engineers to work together on-site in the workshop, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive. Not only is this costly, but the lead time is also very long when trying to solve problems that arise during the debugging phase. The challenge faced by many enterprises today is how to verify system design solutions in a simple, intuitive, efficient, and cost-effective manner.\n\nIn the field of logistics integration, most enterprises still use traditional electrical debugging, which is increasingly difficult to meet the market demand for agile response and complex applications. Considering SIASUN Robotics as an example, its previous rubber roll conveyor system utilized a cargo collision prevention solution to ensure the accurate positioning of the cargo with the aid of collision-stop delay. However, due to the irregular structure of the shelves, many complex dynamic geometry and edge impacts interact in the physical world, making it challenging to achieve design goals, and traditional debugging was unable to quickly verify the avoidance and cargo space calculation programs.\n\nFortunately, the in-depth application of digital twin technology in recent years has expanded the scope of traditional mechanical simulation and brought more attention to the \"virtual debugging\" function. Overall, thanks to \"virtual debugging,\" auxiliary design can be completed, and program logic, action interference, and production process can be verified before the equipment is placed at the site. It not only reduces debugging time and cost, but also enables enterprises to identify potential improvement opportunities, making the equipment even better in terms of automation and other functions.\n\nMeanwhile, \"virtual debugging\" has increased the proportion of software usage in the electrical debugging process, which mirrors the current trend of intelligent development, and has become a unique area for SIASUN Robotics to enhance its digital competitiveness.\n\n\u00a0\n\nOutstanding simulation software facilitates breakthroughs in three steps\n\nIn response to the difficulties faced by factories in verifying a large number of non-standard automation system programs, SIASUN Robotics has chosen to work with Rockwell Automation, with the aim to complete its digital and intelligent upgrading with the aid of Emulate3D, the leading electrical simulation software.\n\nDuring the implementation of the project, Rockwell Automation takes a three-step approach to realize virtual debugging efficiently and with high quality:\n\n(1) Real model construction: As is well known, the final result of virtual debugging is directly impacted by the accuracy of the simulation model. Therefore, in the modeling session, for a realistic effect, the project team has built a real mechanical model of the stacker and other systems using Emulate3D based on the dimension settings (length, width, height) and position layout of the shelves.\n\nIt is well known that Emulate3D supports the import and export of many mainstream 3D-format files. The model can also be hierarchically divided based on action attributes and simplified by merging static objects, which provides significant convenience for the customer's future editing.\n\n(2) Action addition: For a better connection with PLC, custom scripts and data interfaces can be created for the imported model by using the QuickLogic graphical language of Emulate3D software. Of these, the output signals at the customer's site mainly involve high- and low-speed switching of the elevator, position control of the stacker, etc., while the input signals involve limit switch feedback of the elevator, position feedback of the stacker, etc.\n\nThanks to Emulate3D's efficient development system and simple operation steps, SIASUN Robotics completes data and logic mapping faster, which also lays a solid foundation for quickly and accurately implementing the virtual debugging function.\n\n(3) Virtual debugging: After the completion of action addition, the project team connects the simulation model created by the software to the PLCs of the conveyor and stacker respectively to simulate the inbound and outbound actions through the interaction between each PLC and the model. Meanwhile, the team further programs human actions by using teach-in points to specify the target positions of walking and arm movements to achieve actions such as walking, carrying goods, and clicking buttons.\n\nThe project is currently in the trial operation phase. With the powerful performance of Emulate3D and Rockwell Automation's professional engineering implementation services, SIASUN Robotics successfully verified its cargo space calculation and avoidance programs on the computer, thereby avoiding irrational dynamic geometry and edge impacts and making on-site debugging more efficient.\n\n\n\n-- Achievements --\n\nEfficient, easy to use, and scalable, empowering the digital leap forward\n\nOver the years, Rockwell's Emulate3D digital simulation software has won the favor of leading companies in industries such as logistics, steel, pharmaceuticals, OEM, and more thanks to its extensive equipment component library, convenient virtual electronic control debugging functionality, leading virtual reality technology, realistic detail representation, and flexible secondary development capabilities.\n\nThanks to the outstanding high-precision models created by Emulate3D, SIASUN Robotics is able to recreate complex real-world dynamic geometry and edge impacts without the use of any physical hardware and efficiently complete testing, debugging, and optimization of the application code. In addition, Emulate3D also supports a variety of mainstream communication protocols and PLCs of various brands. With the built-in library of extensive general tools and equipment components, and general programming languages such as JS and QuickLogic, SIASUN Robotics is able to complete modeling and secondary development more efficiently, saving significant time and effort. For industries such as logistics, which have demanding requirements for delivery cycles, this can unlock the value of \"virtual debugging\" to a greater extent.\n\nAs a leading enterprise in the manufacturing services industry, Rockwell Automation has always been and remains committed to helping Chinese companies embrace the trend of digitalization and further enhance their core competitiveness in overseas markets. Today, based on Emulate3D's powerful digital twin hardware, SIASUN Robots is able to showcase its intelligent warehousing and logistics solutions to more partners and customers in the form of attractive and intuitive 3D animations at large-scale exhibitions at home and abroad, which contributes greatly to building customer trust and improving satisfaction, as well as to expanding the market in the future.\n\nIn the future, with the continuous improvement of the accuracy and speed of digital virtual models, Rockwell Automation will continue to add more features for SIASUN Robotics, including the development and maintenance of 3D real-time monitoring systems, as well as virtual training for operators. At the same time, Rockwell Automation will also empower more enterprises in industry segments with digital and intelligent technologies to help them embrace a future of high-quality development.\n\nTAG: optimize-production\nTAG: empower-people\nTAG: accelerate-digital-transformation\nTAG: drive-sustainability\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: semiconductor\n\nTAG: factorytalk-emulate-3d\n\n",
    "seawater-desalination-plant-operates-at-maximum-efficiency": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/seawater-desalination-plant-operates-at-maximum-efficiency\n\nTITLE: Seawater Desalination Plant Operates at Maximum Efficiency\n\n*** Background ***\n\nWater shortages due to drought are one of the main problems that preoccupy many countries \u2013 Israel in particular. In 2013, the country experienced one of its most severe droughts in decades. Droughts will soon become much less of an issue however, thanks to a huge infrastructure project.\n\nA desalination master plan, launched in the year 2000 by the Water Desalination Administration (WDA), an Israeli Governmental agency, aims to provide some 650 million cubic meters of treated water per annum by the year 2020. The plan involves the construction of large-scale seawater plants along the Mediterranean coast. One such plant is the Soreq Desalination Project, which has been designed to provide for 10% of the country's drinking water consumption and about 20% of its domestic water consumption.\n\nThe Soreq plant, located south of Tel Aviv, offers a capacity of 624,000 m\u00b3/day, which makes it the world's biggest seawater desalination plant. At the heart of its operations is a PlantPAx\u00ae process control system from Rockwell Automation, which leverages a number of advanced process control solutions and peripherals in conjunction with over 11,000 I/O points.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nThe challenge of these installations is to not only produce potable water, but also to produce it efficiently and with as little impact as possible on the environment. The scale of this plant and its mode of operation demand a single control platform that is capable of commanding complicated and diverse process and automation facilities, sometimes from multiple vendors and often with very different demands.\n\nBecause the water industry is highly cost driven, engineering expenses also have to be very tightly managed without sacrificing efficiency. As much engineering effort as possible has to be reusable over many systems; this means code reuse has to be maximised and code writing minimised. As a result, the plant operated by the Soreq Desalination Company (SDL) is not only the largest of its kind in the world, but arguably, it is also one of the most engineering efficient and advanced.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nThe new desalination facility uses seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) to provide water to Israel's national water carrier system. The desalination process sits in the middle of the treatment cycle; it is preceded by filtration and chemical dosing and is followed by re-mineralisation and final disinfection. The plant is comprised of two primary stages for desalination, each with its own instrumentation and control solutions. One stage creates water of the highest level for consumption, while the other creates water of a quality level suitable for industrial and commercial use.\n\nProject development, engineering, programming, configuration and commissioning for the Soreq desalination plant was undertaken by Contel Automation & Control, a company which specialises in the supply of equipment and systems in industrial automation, air conditioning, refrigeration facilities control, building control systems and process control.\n\nThe foundation of the plant's control infrastructure \u2013 the PlantPAx process control system from Rockwell Automation \u2013 oversees some 11,000 I/O points. Contel Automation & Control deployed the PlantPAx process system as its programmable automation controllers offered increased speeds and could cater to multiple communication connections, which removes the need to split controllers. These savings were also realised by the company that undertook the construction of the facility \u2013 fewer controllers means less hardware, which means less wiring and engineering.\n\nThe PlantPAx process control system leverages extensive software packages and process libraries to provide a fully integrated architecture environment. This approach provides efficient and individual control of each of the primary redundant controllers, as well as optimising the software development process due to extensive libraries, add-on instructions for the controllers and process equipment and the ability to share code.\n\nA closed-ring EtherNet/IP\u2122-based communication architecture was adopted, as it offered increased safety and efficiency. If one communication line fails or is damaged, a backup is always available on a different path. Specific Allen-Bradley\u00ae I/O modules were also chosen for their embedded EtherNet/IP capabilities and their resilience to the elevated environmental temperatures. Since most of the equipment is located near the sea, where elevated levels of humidity and salt are present, many of the primary modules were treated with conformal coating.\n\nPlantPAx operator workstations (OWS) provide a fully customised way to communicate with selected process areas and allow direct access to each controller's data points. This approach within a desalination plant system delivers many advantages. First, it streamlines the work of the controllers due to the lack of duplicate settings, allowing high working speeds; second it can considerably reduce errors; and finally it can help to increase reliability and safety at the facility.\n\n\"After a lengthy review process, we chose the process control solution of Rockwell Automation, with its emphasis on a central process control system, which is at the forefront of technology,\" explains Jacky Ben Yaish, Engineering Manager IDE Technologies.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nThe Soreq desalination plant began working at full capacity in October 2013, providing 624,000 m3 of water per day (with preparations for future expansion). The facility immediately set new performance benchmarks for output and costs as a result of its use of advanced membrane desalination technology. Additionally, with the PlantPAx system, SDL was able to reduce engineering and infrastructure investment costs, reduce energy consumption and increase productivity. SDL also took significant steps to reduce the environmental impact both on the land and in the sea.\n\n\"Thanks to the scalable PlantPAx control system from Rockwell Automation, and Contel's involvement in both the planning and implementation stages, we were able to implement the project successfully, without deviation from the budget. The process control system was built using modular object libraries, and was developed with the vision of future needs and upcoming projects of IDE Technologies,\" Jackie Ben Yaish concludes.\n\n\nTAG: water-wastewater\n\n",
    "pioneering-sustainability-in-steel-production": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/pioneering-sustainability-in-steel-production\n\nTITLE: Pioneering Sustainability in Steel Production\n\nEvery industry has a part to play in contributing to carbon reduction and environmental sustainability. The signing of the Paris Agreement in 2015 helped underline this fact and set a clear framework for reaching the ambitious target of net-zero by 2050.\n\nIn heavy industries, such as mining, shipbuilding and steel production, the goal of net-zero carbon is especially important given that the sector is responsible for 22% of global CO2 emissions - often as unavoidable by-products from the conventional means of production within these sectors.\n\nSeemingly unavoidable problems tend to attract creative solutions and global steel producer ArcelorMittal has devised a particularly ingenious one. In collaboration with sustainability company LanzaTech and digitisation partner Rockwell Automation, they have taken significant steps towards setting the industry standard for sustainability in the sector by embracing the circular economy and recycling otherwise harmful by-products into new business opportunities.\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** Confronting Common Problems *****\n\nIt would be a mistake to think that the steel industry lacks the self-awareness to understand the importance of its leadership role in tackling sustainability. The topic has been high on the agenda for many of the sector's executive teams for some time now. In the case of AncelorMittal, it's been a strategic priority for more than a decade.\n\nThe company is a leader in the steelmaking sector. Its operations span 18 different countries and produce around 85 million tonnes of steel each year for a broad list of purposes such as construction and automotive. In recent years the company has been seeking to improve standards around a specific part of its operations - the carbon emanating from its blast furnaces. The furnaces play an important role in the smelting of coal and limestone with iron ore, as hot blast temperatures often reach over a thousand degrees celcius. Across its global operations, the company is continually exploring new methods for improving the sustainability of its operations, either directly through carbon reduction measures or indirectly through enhanced production efficiency.\n\nOne person leading this effort is Wim Van der Stricht, ArcelorMittal's CTO, with specific responsibilities for Technology Strategy, CO2 and Circular Economy. Since becoming CTO in 2013, Wim has been driving sustainability operations at the company's steel plant in Ghent, Belgium, with an overarching goal of reducing carbon emissions across the company's European operations by 30%.\n\n\"For as long as I've been with the company, sustainability has been an important priority. The metals sector is at a turning point and we aim to help set the standard for how steel production can be done in an environmentally sustainable way,\" Wim said.\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** Taking a Novel Approach *****\n\nTo address the blast furnace issue and help lower net carbon emissions, Wim looked for inspiration beyond his own region and found an intriguing approach being trialled in the Asian-Pacific market. LanzaTech, a New Zealand-founded biofuels firm and long-time collaborator of ArcelorMittal, had developed an innovative microbial biomass material that had been shown in clinical trials to turn carbon into bio-ethanol. The company was working with ArcelorMittal's China operations to establish a proof of concept for whether the approach could be applied to steel production in order to create a bio-ethanol product called 'Steelanol'.\n\nAccording to Wim, \"What immediately struck me with LanzaTech's approach was its resourcefulness. We know that carbon is an unavoidable by-product of blast furnace operations, but what if that carbon could be turned into something that doesn't have the same harmful impacts?\"\n\nAfter seeing the effectiveness of the process himself, Wim was convinced this approach could be applied to the company's Ghent operations. He and his team set about designing a system that could reinvent the role of carbon within the plant. In order to get this design right, the team leaned on the domain expertise of its partner network. LanzaTech supported in designing the carbon capture mechanism, while Rockwell Automation advised on and supplied a full automation platform, including drives, process control, networks and visualisation. Together, they laid out a flow where the biomass would be applied to the blast furnace before undergoing treatment in order to produce the bio-ethanol product.\n\n\"The beauty was in the design's simplicity. It gives us a repeatable process for removing carbon from the equation entirely. Our testing showed us that it could be done at scale and with the right economics to make it sustainable as a long-term practice.\"\n\nThe project idea gained approval of the ArcelorMittal executive team, including the CEO, who view it as an important step forward in becoming a sustainability leader. It also attracted the approval at a governmental level, including the backing of the European Investment Bank, which has contributed important funding to this realisation.\n\n\"It's been really encouraging to see such broad buy-in to the project. Both inside ArcelorMittal and externally, people have been amazed at what the process can achieve. This support has really helped us to drive the project forward over the eight years since we first started exploring the opportunity,\" Wim added.\n\n\"We also couldn't have got here without the support from our partners in LanzaTech and Rockwell Automation. Having LanzaTech's guidance on the use of the biomass matierials and Rockwell Automation's team of experts consulting on the plant design and engineering have really helped to shape and direct our efforts.\"\n\nThis sentiment has been echoed by LanzaTech, which has been encouraged to see another inventive use case for its chemical process. According to Babette Pettersen, LanzaTech VP for Europe, \"Our entire business has been built on challenging the status quo. Making real progress in sustainability simply can't be achieved by following past practices - we need a new generation of business leaders who are willing to take the chance on ground breaking technologies and processes. It isn't easy being the pioneer, but we're confident that ArcelorMittal's case will show that it pays to lead.\"\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** Looking Ahead to Net-Zero Carbon *****\n\nCurrently in assembly, the redesigned plant has attracted a total investment of EUR159 million and is due to go into production in 2022, with full capacity expected to be reached by 2023. It is estimated that the operations will produce around 64,000 tonnes of ethanol per year with no discharge to the environment.\n\nOnce live, the project opens up some exciting possibilities for ArcelorMittal. The ethanol-based product is in high demand and is used for all manner of use cases including in the production of disinfectants, cleaning products and plastics. ArcelorMittal will be able to connect into these sectors and others as a supplier, creating a potentially profitable and self-sustaining new business line.\n\n\"The new product will allow us to plug into the circular economy and work with partners who share our ethos. The fact that this project can dramatically cut our carbon emissions while helping to diversify our business model is really a win-win.\"\n\nThe project has also had a further, unexpected benefit. \"It's not only companies with a demand for ethanol that have taken interest in the project - we've had inbound enquiries from multiple prospective employees who want to be part of the change. It just goes to show that bringing greater sustainability into the business acts as a magnet for bright, socially-aware talent,\" Wim added.\n\nArcelorMittal now has plans to use the blueprint and learnings from the Ghent plant to implement the practice into other plants.\n\n\"Our goal is continuous innovation, and sustainability plays an important role in that,\" Wim concluded.\n\nTAG: drive-sustainability\n\nTAG: environmental-solutions\nTAG: energy\nTAG: sustainability\n\nTAG: metals\n\nTAG: distributed-control-systems\nTAG: plantpax\n\n",
    "pacific-coast-terminals-expands-its-exporting-operation": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/pacific-coast-terminals-expands-its-exporting-operation\n\nTITLE: Pacific Coast Terminals Expands its Exporting Operation\n\n*** Connecting Canada's Resources to the World ***\n\nSulfur is a resource so versatile it can be used to make rubber, paint, insecticides \u2013 even medicine. Getting this commodity from Alberta, Canada, where it's a major byproduct of the region's oil-sands mines, to markets around the globe is no small operation. Railcars must travel hundreds of kilometers and pass through the Rocky Mountains before the sulfur can be loaded onto ships bound for China and elsewhere.\n\nOne major player involved in this sizable logistics effort is Pacific Coast Terminals (PCT). The company's shipping terminals near Vancouver, British Columbia, receive more than 36,000 railcars of sulfur in an average year. PCT also handles hundreds of thousands of tons of ethylene glycol and canola oil on an annual basis.\n\nRecently, PCT added a new dry bulk commodity to its operation: potash, a potassium-rich salt mined from underground deposits. Potash is produced in three grades \u2013 industrial, which is white in color, and granular and standard, which are both pink. The two colors of potash cannot come into contact with each other.\n\n\"Adding a new commodity to our operation presented us with the challenge of keeping the elements separate without hurting our productivity,\" said Rod Kenyon, maintenance manager, PCT.\u00a0\n\n*** Adding to the Mix ***\n\nThe process of transporting a dry bulk product like sulfur from a railcar to a shipping vessel involves several steps. When the sulfur first arrives by railcar to PCT, it's moved into a storage bin until its ship arrives. It's then taken to the ship loader and transported from the storage bin onto the vessel through hatch covers. \u00a0\n\nPCT's ship loader, originally built in 1998, is a large machine anchored to a berth, a designated location for stationary vessels that can facilitate the loading or unloading of raw product. To transport the sulfur onto a ship, the ship loader's extended arm, also known as a boom, pivots, rotates and sweeps across the vessel to ensure that weight is distributed accurately and evenly. This process is controlled by an operator in a cab at the end of the boom.\n\nSulfur is delivered through the vessel's hatches straight down a chute connected to the boom. But for potash, a cascade chute is required to slow down the process to avoid damaging the potash. This chute consists of a series of cones and funnels that zigzag down a funnel.\n\n\"We needed to upgrade our ship-loading process and technology to be able to quickly change between the sulfur and potash chutes,\" Kenyon said. \"We also needed to prevent cross contamination between the two types of potash when loading a vessel.\"\u00a0\n\nOne major challenge the company faced as it looked at these updates involved the operator cab. There was no way to efficiently change between the sulfur and potash chutes because the cab was physically in the way.\n\nPCT set out to find a solution that would remove the cab from the boom and, instead, allow operators to control and monitor the process remotely. If the company pulled it off, it would be a first for ship loading in North America.\n\n*** From Cab to Control Room \u00a0 ***\n\nPCT started to investigate options for making the chutes interchangeable and moving the operator from the cab to the control room. To help with the design and implementation, the company turned to Rockwell Automation and enCompass Solutions Group, a Rockwell Automation Recognized System Integrator in the PartnerNetwork program.\n\nWorking together, the team determined the best solution for the chutes was to make the head of the conveyer, or head box, interchangeable. This would allow for easier transition and less cleaning when changing between products, and the entire process of removing, cleaning and replacing the chute would take only 30 minutes.\n\nThe larger challenge was moving the operator into the control room. Operators needed to be able to see around the vessel to prevent moving machine parts from colliding with various objects on the ship \u2013 something they could watch for from the cab. Operators also needed a view into the vessel to know the ship loader's limits and where the chute hangs inside the hatch to avoid colliding with the sides of the opening.\n\nWith help from the operators, PCT added multiple camera views to the ship-loading environment to replicate in-cab views from the control room.\n\nAlready standardized on an Allen-Bradly ControlLogix control system from Rockwell Automation, PCT implemented radar sensors that interface with the controllers and tie into EtherNet/IP. The sensors provide anti-collision detection outside of the vessel, along with a view inside the hatch when loading product.\n\nThe sensors also connect to FactoryTalk View software from Rockwell Automation to relay information to operators. For example, operators can view anti-collision zones to monitor and troubleshoot issues during the ship-loading process. Management also has a view into the process and now knows when a ship is being loaded, the loading rate and which specific hatches are being loaded.\n\n*** Operations in from the Cold ***\n\nWith the old system, an operator would sit in the ship-loader cab for a continuous four hours until they were relieved by another operator. Operators also needed to walk the series of stairs to and from the cab, even during adverse weather conditions. And they were at risk for potential machinery collisions when sitting in the cab.\n\n\"Now, with remote capabilities, our operators can move from one hatch to another, avoiding collisions with confidence, from the comfort and safety of the control room,\" Kenyon said.\u00a0\n\nPCT has experienced greater loading efficiencies. By removing the operator cab at the end of the boom, the weight of the ship loader decreased, allowing PCT to load more product, faster.\n\nFor example, operators could load 5,000 tons of sulfur with the old system. Now they can safely load 6,500 tons. PCT also has reduced the time it takes to load a vessel. Loading 5,000 tons could take up to two hours, and it now takes only one hour. In some instances, an entire eight-hour shift has been eliminated due to the efficiencies gained with the new ship-loader structure and process.\n\nThe new operation has also gained more reliable data. Machine and ship position data, along with the volume of cargo, need to be logged and made available to the client. PCT would traditionally have someone on the vessel manually measure and gather this information. Now, the radar sensors automatically capture and deliver this information to operators and management.\n\n\"The benefits we've seen with this solution, both for our operation and our operators, have been incredible,\" Kenyon said. \"Our next step in this automation journey is toward automated hatch changes.\"\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Pacific Coast Terminals' use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n*** Trademark Information ***\n\nFactoryTalk, ControlLogix and PartnerNetwork are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\nEtherNet/IP is a trademark of ODVA.\n\n\nTAG: remote-support\nTAG: safety-solutions\n\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\nTAG: cement\nTAG: mining\nTAG: metals\n\nTAG: sensors-and-switches\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: factorytalk-view-se\nTAG: factorytalk-view-me\n\n",
    "southwire-digital-transformation": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/southwire-digital-transformation\n\nTITLE: Southwire Makes The Right Connections\n\nSouthwire Company is\u00a0one of North America's largest wire and cable producers, manufacturing building wire and cable, metal-clad cable, utility products, portable and electronic cord products, OEM wire products and engineered products.\n\nEstablished in 1950, Southwire is a multi-billion-dollar, family-owned company operating in a fiercely competitive global industry. The company's success is rooted in hard work, social responsibility and innovation and the belief that sustaining these core values is vital to the company's future.\n\nCompany leaders wanted to digitally transform operations to be generationally sustainable. As a family business, Southwire proudly continues building on their commitment to environmental stewardship and corporate sustainability by prioritizing stakeholder expectations, and supporting the wellbeing of their communities and the environment.\n\n\"Southwire leaders wanted to transform operations to be generationally sustainable.\"\n\n***** Limited Visibility Limits Improvement *****\n\nLack of connected systems at Southwire limited the visibility to production issues, which limited the ability to improve. Nothing was connected, including production lines, business systems or quality devices. There was no Operations Technology (OT) network. The 'before' scenario meant that manufacturing assets were estimated to be sub optimized by 5%.\n\nTeams wanted to get the right information to the right person at the right time to make the right decisions and to make the equipment operator's job less frustrating.\n\n\"Data was there and we needed a way to get to it and then to visualize so that people could see it and understand how to use it,\" explained Jeff Drewberry, Connected Enterprise Director at Southwire.\u00a0\u00a0\n\n\"The lack of connected systems at Southwire limited the visibility to production issues, which limited the ability to improve.\"\n\n***** The Connected Enterprise *****\n\nSmart manufacturing is the gateway to digital transformation. Connected smart devices open new windows of visibility into processes. Data and analytics enable better and faster decision-making. Seamless connectivity spurs new collaboration.\n\nThe Connected Enterprise(R) makes all this possible. It converges plant-level and enterprise networks, and securely connects people, processes, and technologies.\n\nSouthwire decision makers wanted to take advantage of IT/OT convergence to measure and manage productivity in new ways. Data would improve decision-making and machine performance. Integrated automation and information would open the door to new productivity enhancing innovations.\n\n\"Southwire's modernization strategy was about more than equipment upgrades; it was about developing a roadmap that addresses multiple areas of the operation in preparation for technology advances and business changes.\"\n\n***** Starts With Proof-of-Concept *****\n\nThe Connected Enterprise is an ongoing effort for Southwire; it will take a little more than 3 years to connect all of the manufacturing facilities.\n\nThe work began with a proof-of-concept followed by a pilot in two plants. The company's digital transformation champion connected all of Southwire manufacturing for both insulated and bare, wire and cable for power distribution.\n\nAs a result of this early work, Southwire now can provide the correct information to people throughout the process - most importantly to the operators who need it most.\n\nNow, instead of opinions, employees can use data to make decisions. Operators are analyzing quality device settings to make sure that the correct products are being manufactured - every time.\n\n***** Justifying Value *****\n\nJustification for the digital transformation project was based on the cost of the product through material yield, output and scrap reduction. The team demonstrated the value of the initial implementation and pilot based on the cases of providing the correct information at the point of need to drive the decision-making to the lowest level.\n\n***** Asset Modernization *****\n\nSouthwire developed, acquired and shared information about enhancements and improvements through seminars and supplier training to ensure that operators were familiar with the new working models.\n\nDigital transformation adoption within Southwire is driven from the top and is a critical piece of the company's manufacturing asset modernization.\n\nTAG: accelerate-digital-transformation\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\n",
    "powering-a-sustainable-future": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/powering-a-sustainable-future\n\nTITLE: Powering a Sustainable Future\n\nBackground\n\nThe 21st century promises to be a period of enormous geopolitical and economic change. Africa stands at the forefront of that shift. The continent is currently experiencing several parallel transformative forces that can lead to rising prosperity and global influence, including demographic and social change, growing urbanisation and rapid economic growth. The strength of the energy sector is central to the aspiration of capitalising on the continent's bountiful natural resources. Powering Africa's future will require new infrastructure to serve its citizens and help protect its environment and ecology. One project driving this ambition is the Nachtigal hydro power plant in Cameroon. Commissioned by the Nachtigal Hydro Power Company (NHPC), a company joint owned by several entities including global energy company EDF and the Republic of Cameroon, the project is currently under development and due to go into full production in 2024. Once operational, the plant is anticipated to provide 30% of Cameroon's energy demand, amounting to an annual output of three terawatt-hours. To guide the success of this important development, NHPC contracted global hydro leaders GE Hydro Solutions to provide seven 60 MW hydro power units for its plant on the Sanaga river. With the support of global control solutions company Rockwell Automation, GE Hydro Solutionsis working to provide renewable energy generation that reinforces the country's future growth and sustainability.\n\n\u00a0\n\nSupporting Renewables Growth\n\nAfrica has significant potential for future hydro development. Currently, hydro power accounts for 17% of the electricity generation in Africa. This share may potentially increase to more than 23% by 2040, as part of the ongoing effort towards clean energy transition and universal energy access in Africa1. Hydro power is appealing for several reasons, including the flexibility of power generation in adapting to changing energy demands, the low cost per kilowatt hour of power and the ability to make significant reductions in carbon emissions from the use of hydroelectric dams over more conventional energy sources such as coal. Making this vision a reality requires significant investment in infrastructure and a commitment to long- term development. The duration of a large-scale hydro power project is dictated by the civil work operations and the erection of the turbine that generates the hydro power, which can add many years - and significant cost - to the project. It also needs to have the right suppliers on board to make sure the project is executed on time and with respect for safety and compliance. The major company behind NHPC, EDF, is renowned in the hydro sector for its high standards and expectations of the companies it works with. EDF selected GE Hydro Solutions for the provision of the hydro turbines and generators. As one of the world's largest energy production businesses, GE offers a strong record of quality and reliability. It was essential that GE brought to the project a network of service and solutions providers that shared that commitment to quality. A primary component supporting GE's solution is the control system. As the interface used to control the generators and turbines, the control system has to adapt to the life of the project and continue to provide value as the project evolves. The design of a hydro power plant is not set in stone at the project's outset - it evolves through a process of discovery and in response to exogenous forces such as structural changes in the energy network. GE needed a supplier that could deliver high-quality control components to build its GE SmartControlTM hydro power plant control solution, but it also needed a service provider. Hydro is a highly capital-intensive sector and service now plays an ever more important role in distinguishing prospective suppliers. Especially in early stages of the project, it's important to be able to dispatch people rapidly to the site to ensure proper operation. There are also areas such as cybersecurity that will evolve over the project's lifetime, so the supplier needs to be able to evolve solutions in response to change. To this end, GE Hydro Solutions selected Rockwell Automation as its solutions supplier for the Nachtigal project.\n\n\u00a0\n\nA Thriving Relationship\n\nGE Hydro Solutions and Rockwell Automation initially began working together in 2018, based on a complementary service offering and a strong cultural alignment. As the value of the relationship became more apparent, GE made Rockwell Automation its global partner for the SmartControlTM solutions, which precipitated the collaboration on the Nachtigal project 2019. According to Olivier Teller, Global Product Director Service & Controls, GE Hydro Solutions, the selection of the control system was no minor consideration. \"The control system is the customer's interface to their plant. It's something that's used every day that the plant is operational and has significant utility. Quality is important,\" he said. GE Hydro Solutions wanted a supplier that is recognised globally. The company was well aware of EDF's standards and knew that having the right supplier would help to put the customer at ease. \"We wanted a vendor that not only we could trust, but that our customers would feel comfortable in working with,\" Olivier added. While the quality of Rockwell Automation's solutions is well known, it was the strength of the service support from its employees that gave the company an edge in this project. \"Our customers want to feel safe in the knowledge that should any failures emerge, they will be fixed quickly. Rockwell Automation's mix of global footprint and in-depth local knowledge means it's well placed to act in any event and reduce the risk of system failure, which would otherwise have serious consequences.\" The relationship also extends beyond the solutions and services to help meet GE's own corporate values and priorities. \"It's important for us to have a relationship that aligns with our corporate ethics, including in areas of paramount importance such as sustainability and compliance,\" Olivier added.\n\n\u00a0\n\nThe solution\n\nTo meet the specific needs of the Nachtigal project, Rockwell Automation is providing a Distributed Control System that enables GE to operate a wide range of hydro power applications. The solution has been proven across several projects and use cases and promises to deliver the reliability, flexibility and scalability that's needed at Nachtigal. GE Hydro Solutions needed a broad solution as each hydro plant is unique, including differences in factors such as the generator and the setup around turbine, so it needed a control system that can cover big variation. Rockwell Automation has a choice of components of solutions and is able to systematically find a solution within their portfolio. The system controls the whole plant, capitalising on Rockwell Automation's Logix platform to provide application support in a simple and easy-to-use environment. Furthermore, the tight integration between the programming software, controller and I/O modules can help reduce development time, reduce machine wear and lower maintenance requirements, potentially offering significant savings over the course of the plant's lifetime. Additionally, with field support engineers in more than 80 countries and round-the-clock call-center availability, the customer could feel assured that they will be supported when needed. This service component helps make Rockwell Automation stand out in the control and automation market.\n\n\u00a0\n\nWhat the future holds\n\nWith the Nachtigal project due to move into energy production in 2024, GE Hydro Solutions is looking ahead to how the solution will support the plant once live. Crucially, the company has a number of key indicators in place that will help to assess the success of the project and identify areas for ongoing improvement. According to Olivier, there are several things GE Hydro Solutions will be looking for to constitute the success of the relationship in fulfilling the customer's needs. \"Firstly, there the reliability of the solution and availability of spare parts in case of components going down. Secondly, there's the ability to support the enhancement solution over a long period, including responding quickly to any customer requests. The control system could have a 10-15 year lifespan, so Rockwell Automation's support will be critical to successful operation. \"Furthermore, we're looking at how we can jointly adapt the services to support in meeting sustainability and cybersecurity needs in line with evolving industry standards. Above all, it's important for us to be able to instil confidence in our customer that the control system is, and will continue to be, an essential and highly performing part of its infrastructure. \"I believe we're the right companies to be supporting NHPC on this strategically important venture and in meeting these goals we will bring further evidence of the value of the teamwork ecosystem we've brought to the project,\" Olivier concluded.\n\n\u00a0\n\nAdditional Information\n\nwww.rockwellautomation.com\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to GE Hydro Solution's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: energy\nTAG: sustainability\n\nTAG: oil-and-gas\nTAG: power-generation\nTAG: hydroelectric\n\nTAG: distributed-control-systems\n\n",
    "fonterra-deploys-integrated-automation--motor-and-process-contro": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/fonterra-deploys-integrated-automation--motor-and-process-contro\n\nTITLE: Fonterra Deploys Integrated Automation, Motor and Process Controls\n\n*** Background ***\n\nFonterra Co-operative Group Limited is a multinational dairy cooperative, owned by around 10,500 New Zealand farmers. The company is responsible for approximately 30% of the world's dairy exports and with revenues in excess of NZ$19.87 billion, it is New Zealand's largest company and accounts for 25% of the country's total exports.\n\nWith a network of offices, productions sites and technical centres across the globe, it employs some 16,000 people in New Zealand and around the world; collecting 22 billion litres of milk annually in order to make dairy products available to millions of consumers in 140 countries.\n\nThe company recently commissioned a new dairy ingredients plant in Heerenveen, in the north of The Netherlands, which would be used to produce three variants of lactose powder and a range of protein products. This includes whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate and a lipidrich whey protein concentrate as well as several specialty functional whey protein concentrate powders for use in high-value paediatric, maternal, and sports nutrition products.\n\nOfficially opened in July 2015, with His Majesty King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands in attendance, the new plant is built on a 25 hectare site and has been developed in partnership with a leading Dutch cheese manufacturer - where the Fonterra plant processes the whey originating from the other plant's cheese making process. The plant is Fonterra's first wholly owned and operated ingredients plant in Europe. Peak production will see the plant process up to 2.7 million litres of whey per day, with annual production figures of around 25,000 tonnes of lactose and 5,000 tonnes of protein products.\n\nFor the automation and control of the plant, Fonterra had a wide choice of suppliers and system integrators from which to source primary equipment. In New Zealand it uses Allen-Bradley(R) programmable automation controllers (PACs) and SCADA solutions from Rockwell Automation, with motors and motor-control technology from other suppliers. At the Heerenveen development, Fonterra did initially investigate using the same combination of suppliers. However, with an incredibly powerful integration and Connected Enterprise solution proposed by Rockwell Automation and Beenen B.V., a Rockwell Automation Recognised System Integrator, Fonterra opted for a complete wall-to-wall solution of automation, process and motor control based around Allen-Bradley products.\n\nRecognised System Integrators make the commitment to deliver the highest technical solution and customer service, leading with Rockwell Automation technologies. These integrators have a mutually supportive relationship with the Rockwell Automation sales and/or distributors they work with.\n\nUsing this approach Fonterra was able to deploy a completely integrated control solution from a single supplier that also offered effective communication from the shop floor to the top floor. Production data can be captured, collated, and analysed in order to improve processes and Fonterra can share vital manufacturing information with a wide variety of disciplines both inside and outside of the factory.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nThe primary challenge for the new site was the relatively short timescales in which the plant had to be up and running - the first orders were received in February 2014 and the plant needed to be up and running by the end of 2014. Beenen, with support from Rockwell Automation, was instrumental in addressing this challenge in its commitment to meet the 12 month timescale, compared to an industry average of 18 to 24 months.\n\nIn addition to the timescale challenge, Fonterra has its own standards for motor control and faceplates - with interfaces to devices from other providers and competitors. During the project, they were converted to the Rockwell Automation standards by using our process library.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nThe complete integrated solution chosen by Fonterra, comprised multiple elements of the Rockwell Automation product offering, many of which are part of the company's cutting-edge Connected Enterprise offering.\n\nBy using EtherNet/IPTM as the primary communication protocol, Fonterra has given itself the opportunity to move easily into The Connected Enterprise(R), an approach manufacturers are adopting to leverage the use of connected machines, supply chains and customers. Manufacturers are able to establish manufacturing processes that are data / information rich, supported, secure and future ready for market demands.\n\nUltimately, a Connected Enterprise approach for manufacturers will create a more competitive, innovative enterprise that can deliver insights to improve productivity, sustainability and economic performance through faster time to market, lower total cost of ownership, improved asset utilisation and enterprise risk management. Other benefits of access to real-time, contextualised information, include minimised downtime, improved technology and process optimisation, greater workforce efficiency and smarter expenditure. Because EtherNet/IP is based on standard, unmodified Ethernet, it means that there is very little that needs to be done for these connections to be established; and full security solutions are also available for user control and to prevent unwarranted access.\n\nFrom a product perspective, Fonterra has deployed multiple Allen-Bradley ControlLogix programmable automation controllers (PACs), working in conjunction with Allen-Bradley CENTERLINE(R) 2500 motor control centres (MCC), complete with Allen-Bradley E300TM Electronic Overload Relays and more than 250 Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) variable-speed drives, some with dual-Ethernet capabilities. Arranged in 42 cabinet columns, the MCC installation is 50m in length. As well as providing intelligent centralised motor control, the CENTERLINE MCCs also offer advanced energy management capabilities and integration into the Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture - delivering true plug-and-play capabilities.\n\nAccording to Alex van Dalen, the General Manager from Beenen BV: \"Beenen worked very hard to win this project and was initially bidding against two other local system integrators. We go for quality and the best solution, therefore Beenen employed Rockwell Automation to design and develop the MCC solution, while Beenen undertook the remainder of the electrical and automation work based around other Allen-Bradley solutions. We built up a real team ethic with Rockwell Automation and the positive effects of this cooperation was evident in the dealings with Fonterra and, of course, the success of the project.\"\n\nThe software installation is just as impressive: FactoryTalk(R) View offers overall visibility into the processes and interface with the ERP and process-control systems; FactoryTalk(R) Historian is used for collection; and FactoryTalk(R) VantagePoint is used for information, visualisation and dissemination. By making data freely available in an easy-to-read format, when you need it, in the specific format required for each job role; operators and managers are able to make much more informed decisions, much quicker and with greater positive effects on the line optimisation. FactoryTalk(R) AssetCentre gives Fonterra the ability to centrally secure, manage, version control, track and report automation-related asset information across its entire facility. AssetCentre also provides automatic scheduled backups of controllers thus supporting \"disaster recovery\". Rockwell Software(R) CPG Suite(R) delivers value-based applications that can help Fonterra achieve operational excellence, increase supply chain effectiveness, adhere to regulatory compliance guidelines and meet sustainability goals.\n\nCompleting the installation is a number of value-added service offerings, which include a parts-management contract providing critical spare parts, a TechConnect(R) support contract and in-depth training for the Fonterra operatives.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nAccording to Alex van Dalen: \"The Fonterra team was particularly enthusiastic about the benefits of Premier Integration in relation to the motor control offering from Rockwell Automation. They found the diagnostic software very useful to 'see' into the contactor from the MCC and also in the frequently controllers. The Connected Enterprise(R) approach will also allow them to leverage their manufacturing data far more effectively and then share it with all those that need to see both historic and real-time information.\"\n\nHans Berghorst, Operations Director at Fonterra, explains: \"Rockwell Automation is the Fonterra standard in the Netherlands and by deploying a complete Rockwell Automation solution, we only have one supplier instead of two, which also offers benefits in terms of maintenance and spares. We also selected our suppliers based on total cost of ownership (TCO). Rockwell Automation came out well; we not only looked at the CAPEX, but also at the life costs over 10 years and determined that the Rockwell Automation approach developed by Beenen was the best solution. Our engineers are also enjoying the benefits of the integrated approach. The MCC IntelliCENTER(R) solution allows them to do restarts from the HMI in the control room; they don't have to go to the MCC.\"\n\nDiscussing the creation of the new faceplates, Berghorst adds: \"It's a mixture of Fonterra, Beenen and Rockwell Automation engineering. Our plan was always to have a standardised solution and we do have our own in-house libraries that we use as standard within Fonterra, which are all the same worldwide. But of course now that the motor drives are from Rockwell Automation, we jointly developed new faceplates, based on Fonterra's engineering standards.\n\n\"We knew from the start that we wanted to use Allen-Bradley PACs and control solutions. We do a lot of joint development with Rockwell Automation back in New Zealand, so it is easy to copy and paste routines and programmes. In addition, we have specialists in our process control department in New Zealand who know and understand Rockwell Automation solutions very well. Also, from a support point of view, it's always better when you have a standardised solution.\"\n\nDiscussing the five year service contract, Berghorst continues: \"I think within Rockwell Automation there are some very knowledgeable advisors, who know the systems inside out. We also saw very good co-operation from Beenen who undertook most of the direct interactions with Rockwell Automation. \"It is the first time we have built a new facility in Europe,\" Berghorst concludes, \"so it is difficult to compare the performance characteristics compared to other sites and other technology, however, so far we are very satisfied with the performance.\"\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "beingmate-meets-revised-chinese-regulations-and-boosts-productio": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/beingmate-meets-revised-chinese-regulations-and-boosts-productio\n\nTITLE: Beingmate Meets Revised Chinese Regulations and Boosts Production\n\n*** Background ***\n\nA few weeks after the Beijing Olympics in 2008, a massive recall was announced for various types of infant formula. Several producers had knowingly mixed melamine in watered down milk to meet protein requirements and boost profits. Nearly 300,000 children had been sickened. Trust in Chinese-produced infant formula was severely damaged, and consumers opted for foreign brands furthering the industry's decline.\n\nThe Chinese government responded with industry-specific manufacturing requirements, strengthening regulatory supervision over quality control systems and supply chains. More recently, the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) established \"infant formula manufacturer food safety credit files\" for each manufacturer to monitor individual producer's safety records.\n\nThe stakes are high. China has become the largest market in the world for infant formula \u2013 an estimated annual $19 billion industry.\n\nEstablished in 1992,\u00a0Beingmate has emerged as a leader in the Chinese market with $800 million in annual sales and 5,500 employees. As one of the few national brands to have no evidence of contamination, the company remained untarnished by the melamine scandal. As other producers struggled, Beingmate looked to increase production, gain market share and further instill consumer trust in their brand.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nOver the past three years, the CFDA has remained persistent in introducing new quality standards to protect consumers. Revised regulations heightened infant formula producer requirements in nine areas, including product safety control, purchase of raw materials, formula product inspection, manufacturing process and product traceability.\n\nIn this strenuous regulatory environment, Beingmate built a new plant in the city of Anda, China to double production, increasing to 100,000 tons of formula annually. The plant's advanced continuous manufacturing process line can run for more than 20 days without downtime. However, manual data-collection processes slowed the system. Extensive batch records were required for CFDA compliance, and quality checks and record keeping were a bottleneck.\n\n\"Recording product information in the production process is a requirement for our food safety management system and CFDA compliance,\" said Li Guang, chief information officer, Beingmate.\n\nBeingmate also needed to boost production to keep up with demand and increase market share. With compliance efforts getting in the way of optimizing operational effectiveness, the company needed a solution that would centralize and standardize recipe management, improve information integration and produce more timely reports. To accomplish this, Beingmate turned to the Rockwell Software\u00ae CPGSuite\u00ae manufacturing execution system (MES) from Rockwell Automation.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nCPGSuite software integrates with the control system and enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to track, record and share production data in real time. Standardized work flows and standard application library suites for common functions help achieve quality and regulatory compliance.\n\n\"Starting a new production run used to be a time-consuming endeavor,\" said Guang. \"For example, the operators and warehouse staff would be told to release the raw milk into the separation unit at a specific time, manually. With the CPGSuite system, people are alerted of work orders automatically, which coordinates their efforts.\"\n\nThe software integrates quality management and business analytics with paperless shop-floor and repair execution. It uses a work-flow engine and operational model that can grow with any future Beingmate expansion.\n\nOne of the key reasons Beingmate selected CPGSuite is the system's compatibility with the existing mixed-vendor infrastructure on the plant floor. Easy integration increased the connectivity across the control infrastructure of the entire Anda plant. Scattered quality, production, inventory and database systems have been replaced with one system. The integrated system delivers processes and points of reference for consistently measuring performance across the plant. With the help of CPGSuite software, Beingmate is going beyond connecting disparate systems. The company is working toward becoming a more Connected Enterprise, one that can collect and share information across the facility and the enterprise automatically.\n\nSupply-chain management is also an important aspect of CFDA and Beingmate safety and quality efforts. The CPGSuite system allows the company to track and trace raw milk into finished formula in real time. Deviations from performance targets are quickly recognized because production data is captured in context. The underlying problems in operation are now easily identified, proper personnel are alerted, and issues can be quickly fixed. Data is automatically collected along the production process to keep accurate inventory records and meet regulations.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nAs a leader in the Chinese infant formula industry, Beingmate had to set the standard for quality and consumer protection. The Rockwell Software solution has allowed Beingmate not only to meet regulations, but exceed them. \"The CFDA considers our new system the most advanced track-and-trace system in all of China for baby formula,\" said Guang.\n\nThe increased visibility into the system through greater control and business system integration has mitigated production issues. Problems on the line are dealt with as or before they happen because operators are viewing production data in real time. Because recipe management is centralized and standardized, each batch is consistent. Bringing automation to Beingmate helps cut waste, increasing profitability.\n\nAutomated work flows have increased productivity by 3 percent. Preparation and dispatch time is reduced as warehouse workers and operators coordinate their efforts, rather than one waiting on the other.\n\nProductivity is also increased through a reduction in manual data collection and entry. Beingmate has observed a seven percent decrease in labor costs, solely from automated data collection. \"We were able to cut the process of manually collecting and entering data, which also led to better track-and-trace\" said Guang. The larger collection of data connects with the control and business infrastructure assisting in overall plant production.\n\n\"There were a lot of regulations that we had to meet while expanding our plant. Rockwell Automation is helping us be efficient while providing the highest levels of quality,\" said Guang.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Beingmate's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nCPGSuite and Rockwell Software are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "natural-gas-processing-plant-improves-safety--production-by-elim": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/natural-gas-processing-plant-improves-safety--production-by-elim\n\nTITLE: Natural Gas Processing Plant Improves Safety, Production by Eliminating Nuisance Alarms and Capturing Critical Data\n\nNuisance alarms are more than just a pain in the ear. For process industries, they're a leading cause of unplanned downtime. They also pose major safety risks.\n\nThat's because operators must instantly decide how to respond. The failure to correctly address the most critical automation alarms can have catastrophic consequences, as evidenced by high-profile accidents that have heightened public attention on industrial operations worldwide.\n\nOne major North American energy-infrastructure company is investing in highly advanced alarm-management systems as part of its commitment to reduce incidents across its extensive natural gas network.\n\nThe company delivers \"dry\" natural gas to utility customers in several high-populated states. Its \u00a0operations stretch the land and seas of North America, and include midstream gathering, processing plants and tens of thousands of miles of cross-country pipelines.\n\n*** Overwhelmed by Alarms ***\n\nAt one of the company's processing plants, water, impurities and nonmethane hydrocarbons are removed from the natural gas, making it safe for pipelines.\n\nWhen the plant's antiquated alarm system was installed, the \"more-is-better\" approach was the industry norm.\n\n\"One software application could have any number of alarms for no extra money,\" explained a control specialist at the company. \"At this plant, there were 1,500 alarms, many of which weren't needed or were low priority. Plus, there was no clear documentation to help operators find the cause of alarm, often leading to guesswork.\"\n\nFor instance, a pump alarm might mean gas flow was being obstructed \u2013 or maybe the sensor was just malfunctioning. Without accurate information about the true source of the problem, operators and maintenance staff had to spend precious time troubleshooting the situation.\n\nThe company wanted more real-time insight into the plant's complex control systems to allow operators to quickly and precisely adjust critical variables, as well as improve preventive maintenance.\n\n\"Flow levels, pressure, temperature \u2013 too much of anything is not good,\" the control specialist said. \"Operators must be able to accurately manipulate the process to stop any abnormality. We can't afford to rupture a pipe or crater a compressor.\"\n\nThe lack of a single source for historical data prevented operators from seeing previous changes to the system that may have triggered an alarm or event.\n\nThe absence of a central repository also hampered enterprise-level access to information about the plant's operational efficiency, and what gas-processing equipment or process changes could help increase production and safety.\n\nFinally, clear and verifiable hindsight would be crucial in the case of a serious event.\n\n\"Any company that's not gathering historical data in today's high-scrutiny environment is putting themselves in a position where they can get hurt,\" the control specialist said. \"If an event happens, we need documentation to prove what triggered it and the sequence of events. We must be able to show we are running our plant properly, and protecting people and the environment.\"\n\n*** Capturing Operations Data ***\n\nThe company turned to Rockwell Automation to help design, engineer and deploy an alarm-management system for the processing plant to meet its goals.\n\n\"The plant already had an installed base of Rockwell Automation controls, creating the opportunity for seamless integration,\" the control specialist explained. \"Total cost of ownership and long-term support were also big plusses that made Rockwell Automation the best choice for the upgrade.\"\n\nThe first step in the alarm-system upgrade was a comprehensive assessment of the plant's system, including identifying all current alarms. Then a team of corporate engineers, plant control operators, IT staff and Rockwell Automation specialists turned to the rationalization phase. This involved reviewing each alarm to determine if it was necessary and assigning priorities for those that would remain in place.\n\n\"In some cases, we took alarms out, sometimes put them in,\" the control specialist said. \"But the absolute goal was making sure the right alarm is delivered to the operator at the right time and with the right information needed for a correct response.\"\n\nThat goal was met with the installation of a new Allen-Bradley\u00ae ControlLogix\u00ae programmable automation controller (PAC) paired with the FactoryTalk\u00ae View SE HMI software from Rockwell Automation. The highly available supervisory-level HMI software provides comprehensive visualization of the plant's operations.\n\nTo capture vital historical data, the company chose the\u00a0FactoryTalk AssetCentre change-management software from Rockwell Automation. The software is a centralized tool for securing, managing, versioning, tracking and reporting automation-related asset information across the entire operation. With this software, the plant now can track users' actions in detail to review any previous process changes. Equally important, the software connects to the enterprise network, providing executive insight into the operations on a macro level.\n\n*** Informing Better Decisions ***\n\nThe plant team is still in the process of fully implementing the new system. Meanwhile, the number of alarms at the plant has been reduced from 1,500 to around 1,000.\n\nThe plant already is reaping the benefits of getting the right information to the right person at the right time.\n\n\"We've eliminated the bursts of nuisance alarms that were so distracting to operators,\" the control specialist said. \"The new system also gives us all the information we need to determine whether an alarm is critical or lower priority.\"\n\nProduction has improved because operators have a more precise view of processes across the plant. Now, they can quickly and easily adjust gas-processing equipment and parameters for optimum efficiency and safety.\n\n\"If we have two pumps running and we only need one, based on the current flow of gas, we can turn the other one off and save money,\" the control specialist explained. \"If operators see a high-level alarm on a scrubber, they can control the variables needed to normalize production.\"\n\nWith historical information at their fingertips, operators can also see the sequence of events before an alarm occurred to help understand the cause. Corporate engineers can also access that historical data to make better long-term decisions.\n\n\"They can use that data to see how the facility was running six months ago compared to today, and answer questions like, 'Why aren't we making as much money?',\" the control specialist said.\n\n\"The cost savings can be counted in pennies,\" he added. \"But our business is about pennies \u2013 lots of pennies.\"\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to this company's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nAllen-Bradley, ControlLogix, and FactoryTalk, are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\n\nTAG: oil-and-gas\n\n",
    "data-uptime-quality": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/data-uptime-quality\n\nTITLE: Ecolab Uses Data to Improve Uptime and Quality\n\nMeet Peter Bermingham, senior engineering manager with Ecolab, Inc. Ecolab is a leading global provider of water, hygiene, and infection prevention services at nearly three million customer locations in more than 40 industries.\n\n\"For the last 99 years, we've been finding innovative solutions to use science to solve some of the world's biggest challenges, mainly around water, food, health and climate,\" Peter explains.\n\nPeter's role focuses on automation and digital transformation within healthcare, surgical, and manufacturing facilities. That includes implementing new equipment, software, and other technologies that collect and analyze data to improve product quality and identify efficiencies.\n\n***** Watch the Video *****\n\nPeter BerminghamEngineering Manager, Ecolab Inc.\n\n***** Healthcare Facilities Face Several Challenges *****\n\n\"In healthcare facilities, we faced several challenges, including paper-based documentation with millions of handwritten documents generated every year. It's time consuming, leading to a lot of inefficiencies and trapped data,\" he says. \"We also had no real-time visibility into manufacturing facilities. We wanted to be more proactive and get the right information to the right people, at the right time and in the right format.\"\n\nEcolab needed a solution that would take them from 'paper to glass,' automating labor-intensive tasks and creating a fail-safe operating environment. After vetting many options, they selected PTC's ThingWorx Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) Platform. PTC is a Rockwell Automation Strategic Alliance Partner.\n\n***** Connected Data Sources\n\n *****\n\n\"We purchased through Rockwell because we wanted to leverage their OT (operational technology) experience and use that to help us,\" he says. \"We chose ThingWorx IIoT Platform for a few reasons, including we wanted an IoT platform that connects all our different data sources from the manufacturing floor to our ERP systems. We didn't want data to be siloed or inaccessible.\"\n\nAdditionally, Peter describes the ThingWorx IIoT Platform as a \"future proof solution\" that allows Ecolab to scale both the system's functionality and its use at other manufacturing sites. The ability to customize the platform was also a plus.\n\n\"We wanted a modern user interface, centered around the operator, with high-quality data that could be used to make high-quality decisions,\" he says.\n\n***** Real-Time Metrics\n\n *****\n\nWith the ThingWorx IIoT Platform, Ecolab has started to operate facilities in real time, accessing important production and quality metrics and delivering that data to operators, supervisors, and leaders.\n\n\"We've started to uncover some of the hidden issues in our plants, including down times. We understand more about our machine capabilities, spotting data trends, and that's all been hugely beneficial to us,\" Peter says. \"We're improving our processes, as well as our business and our quality.\"\n\nTAG: accelerate-digital-transformation\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: life-sciences\n\n",
    "project-med-con--building-mask-machines-to-fight-covid-19": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/project-med-con--building-mask-machines-to-fight-covid-19\n\nTITLE: Project Med-Con: Building Mask Machines to Fight Covid-19\n\nCoronavirus (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. As a global health pandemic, many countries around the world are struggling with surging coronavirus cases.\n\nHealthcare workers rely on personal protective equipment to protect themselves and their patients from being infected and infecting others.\u00a0\n\nThe World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that severe and mounting disruption to the global supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) - caused by rising demand, panic buying, hoarding and misuse - is putting lives at risk.\u00a0\n\nTo address this, the WHO called on industry and governments to increase manufacturing by 40 percent to meet rising global demand.\u00a0\n\nThe Australian Government recently tasked Australia's only surgical mask manufacturer, Med-Con, to increase production to help meet this demand. With only two of their three original 40-year-old machines operational, they realised that they would urgently need more mask-making machines.\n\nFoodmach, an advanced engineering-to-order business based in Echuca, Victoria, was selected to assist with this project. Aided by the Australian Government, Foodmach was given a 60-day deadline to engineer and build the first of seven life-saving machines in order to meet urgent supply demands, targeting production of 60 million face masks by November 2020, with an ongoing annual capacity of 160 million masks.\n\nMed-Con will increase its production capacity to 160 million masks per year.\u00a0\n\nModelling the machine\n\nThe original machines were designed by Joe Carmody, whose business was a founding partner of Med-Con in 1989. In an industry-first for the time, the machine eliminated the need to hand sew surgical masks from rolls of material, as the machine does the complete job and heat seals the masks, without leaving holes caused by hand sewing.\n\nOver the years, the original machine blueprints had been lost, making it impossible to build new machines. Engineers from the Australian Defence Force were called upon to model the parts and these 3D Models were shared with Foodmach, who then carried out further engineering and re-produced new drawings to facilitate and expedite the manufacturing process.\u00a0 \u00a0\n\n\"While we are replicating an old machine, we are also having to modernise it to current control and safety standards in an incredibly short time frame. The timeline is so compressed that we only have eight weeks to do what would normally take six months,\" explained Earle Roberts, ceo, Foodmach.\n\nEarle Roberts, CEO Foodmach, onsite in Echuca, Victoria.\u00a0\n\nDriving mask production\n\nFoodmach were able to take the original machine mechanics and modernise them to include the latest control and automation technology from Rockwell Automation. The Allen-Bradley(R) Compact GuardLogix(R) controller is at the heart of the machine, controlling the mask production process.\n\nThe Kinetix(R) 5500 Servo Drives integrate seamlessly into the Logix platform for easy configurability, system integration and safety. Together, the PLC and servo drives are key to controlling movement within the machine and keeping the accuracy of the machine's start and stop functions.\n\nThese machines are designed to build the highest quality surgical masks with four layers laminated together for superior protection. The Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) 525 drives with safe torque-off controls the lamination process while operators can monitor production through the machine's PanelViewTM graphic terminals.\n\nAllen-Bradley PanelView graphic terminals provide access to real-time machine information.\n\n\"Rockwell Automation's Integrated Architecture(R) enabled plug and play integration of motion, drives and safety devices, providing the confidence that we could meet the tight timeframe of this project,\" said Daniel Quartel, territory manager, Rockwell Automation.\n\nThe commissioning process of the first mask machine was seamless and certainly quicker than it would have been 40 years ago when the original machines were built. \"The speed of the machine could be increased or decreased for testing and to see where any potential issues are happening, by simply pressing a button on the HMI screen. The machines have infinite speed control thanks to the Rockwell Automation PLC and integrated servo controllers and motors,\" said Peter Marks, director of Capability and Exports, Foodmach.\n\nThe Australian Government tasked Med-Con to increase mask production to meet rising demand resulting from Covid-19.\u00a0\n\nSmart machines join the fight against COVID-19\u00a0\n\n\"The progress with Foodmach has been tremendous, and equally importantly, they are well-woven into supply chains both locally and internationally. Med-Con was originally producing about 50,000 masks per week but now with the new machines, that number will exceed 3 million face masks per week. This is nothing short of extraordinary in terms of the compressed timeframe,\" said Bruno Bello, business advisor, AMTIL - an industry partner to the Australian Government's Entrepreneurs program.\u00a0\u00a0\n\nBuilding seven mask machines within 14 weeks was a challenging task but the success of this project is testament to the power of collaboration and determination to help win the fight against Covid-19. The project involved more than 2000 mechanical design hours for Foodmach, plus another 12000 manufacturing hours to build the machines.\u00a0\n\n\"We were seeking to build the first machine in eight weeks, but we were able to deliver it ahead of schedule in seven weeks. A key part of that was having suppliers such as Rockwell Automation that hold available stocks of parts in Australia and can also expedite getting components in from overseas if required,\" said Earle Roberts.\n\nThere is a very strong fit between the capabilities of Rockwell Automation both in terms of the physical products they provide and also the service and assistance their technical support provide us, making them our choice of supplier for this project,\" added Roberts.\n\nThe first carton of 50, Level 3 surgical masks was recently made on the new machine and it was cause for celebration by all involved. In the coming months, Med-Con will continue to work around the clock to make sure masks are available to frontline workers to help flatten the curve.\n\n\"Prior to the new machines, we were making approximately two million masks per year. All of a sudden now, we are looking at increasing our annual ongoing production to 160 million masks,\" said Steve Csiszar, CEO, Med-Con.\n\nAustralia's mask manufacturing capacity is secured thanks to the innovative work of an exceptional team of engineers, designers and technicians. These smart machines provide the capacity to increase mask production significantly, helping protect frontline workers and their patients in the fight to stem Covid-19.\n\nFoodmach took the original machine mechanics and modernised them with the latest control and automation technology from Rockwell Automation.\u00a0\n\n\n\n* About Rockwell Automation\n\nRockwell Automation Australia and Rockwell Automation New Zealand are subsidiaries of Rockwell Automation, Inc.-a leading global provider of industrial automation and information solutions that helps manufacturers achieve a competitive advantage in their businesses. The company brings together leading global brands in industrial automation which include Allen-Bradley(R) controls and services and Rockwell Software(R) factory management software. Its broad product mix includes control logic systems, sensors, human-machine interfaces, drive controllers, power devices, and software.\n\nRockwell Automation Inc. (NYSE: ROK), is a global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation. We connect the imaginations of people with the potential of technology to expand what is humanly possible, making the world more productive and more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rockwell Automation employs approximately 23,000 problem solvers dedicated to our customers in more than 100 countries. To learn more about how we are bringing The Connected Enterprise(R) to life across industrial enterprises, visit www.rockwellautomation.com\n\nAllen-Bradley, Compact GuardLogix, Integrated Architecture, Kinetix, PanelView, PowerFlex, Rockwell Automation and Rockwell Software are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\n\n\n* Media contact:\n\nChristine Filippis\n\nTeraze Communications\n\n61 3 8391 0701\n\nchristine@teraze.com.au\n\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: machine-and-equipment-builders\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: programmable-controllers\n\n",
    "machine-builder-kliklok-woodman-creates-improved-packaging-solut": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/machine-builder-kliklok-woodman-creates-improved-packaging-solut\n\nTITLE: Machine Builder Kliklok-Woodman Creates Improved Packaging Solution\n\n*** Background ***\n\nThe world of modern food packaging is complex and constantly changing. Consumers increasingly demand packaged products in a variety of different sizes and quantities. This means manufacturers must be ready for changes every day, and their packaging machines need to be flexible and versatile enough to turn out multiple types and sizes of packages. Machines also must operate at high speeds while providing pinpoint accuracy to ensure each product is packaged correctly. Even the slightest error can disrupt the manufacturing line, resulting in wasted materials and machine downtime.\n\n\n\nFood products are packaged in literally hundreds of varieties, sizes and quantities to accommodate a variety of consumers' needs. Packaging items into a carton takes finesse, and even seemingly small details - like making sure the end flaps of each carton are in the right place at exactly the right time - can become major obstacles for manufacturers.\n\n\n\nKliklok-WoodmanTM knows the challenges that food manufacturers face and is constantly looking for ways to improve its machines. The company - with operations in Decatur, Ga., and Bristol, England - has been a leading designer of food-packaging technology for more than 60 years and serves many well-known customers in the bakery, snack food, confectionary, and frozen and prepared food industries. Kliklok-Woodman prides itself on providing reliable, high-performance solutions to meet the demanding quality, throughput and flexibility needs of its customers.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nWith these demands in mind, the engineers at the Kliklok-Woodman plants in the U.K. and the U.S. jointly developed a new packaging machine - the CELOX Endload Cartoner. The machine sits at the end of a production line and fills cartons with packaged foods, and then seals them.\n\n\n\nThe CELOX's superior flexibility and customizability allows fast, easy changeovers for producing multiple products. It can easily be adapted to accommodate new package designs that result from changing consumer demands.\n\n\n\nThe CELOX also is designed with labor efficiency in mind. Its streamlined design requires less training time for employees. And with walk-in access to the carton feeder and the inserter module on the same side of the machine, it only needs one operator.\n\n\n\n\"Our customers spoke, and we listened,\" said Florin Bruda, mechanical engineer, Kliklok-Woodman. \"The CELOX machine has a modular design for quick assembly and advanced motion controls for fast product changeovers.\"\n\n\n\nKliklok-Woodman began delivering the CELOX machine to U.S. manufacturers in 2007. When a major U.S. food manufacturer recently placed an order for the CELOX, engineers at Kliklok-Woodman in Georgia realized a new design option was required to accommodate their special needs.\n\n\n\nAlmost hidden inside each CELOX machine is a flap kicker, a finger-like device that deflects the flaps of each carton outward at the right time to ensure the product is smoothly loaded into the carton. The flap kicker in the original CELOX design was powered by a pneumatic cylinder, which meant it would wear down at a quicker pace than a servo-driven mechanism when used at high speeds. Engineers needed to design a new flap kicker to ensure accuracy and reliability at speeds of up to 325 cartons per minute.\n\n*** Solutions ***\n\nTo help develop the servo-driven flap kicker, the engineers employed Allen-Bradley(R) Motion Analyzer software from Rockwell Automation, which had partnered with Kliklok-Woodman to provide automation solutions for the original CELOX machine. Motion Analyzer is a digital modeling and simulation tool that helps size and select an optimal motion system solution - one that uses the appropriate amount of energy and achieves the specified speed and throughput. Motion Analyzer also reduces the time required to design, develop and deliver a new machine.\n\n\n\n\"It made complete sense to use Motion Analyzer to do the initial motor sizing because the motion of the flap kicker is solely dependent upon the size of the particular carton and the size of its flaps,\" Bruda said. \"I could plug in the specific end-user requirements and quickly test different servo motor sizes to find the right one, avoiding the need to test each option on a physical machine.\"\n\n\n\nThe design engineers have used Dassault Syst`emes SolidWorks, a 3-D CAD mechanical design software, to create cutting-edge mechanical designs for many years. They were delighted to learn that Rockwell Automation formed a strategic partnership with Dassault Syst`emes to link their mechanical, controls and electrical design software packages. SolidWorks integrates with Motion Analyzer through API (application programming interface) calls, which provide a live link between the two software packages.\n\n\n\nThe engineers created motion profiles of the servo-driven flap kicker in Motion Analyzer, and then transferred the profiles to SolidWorks to visualize how the machine moved. SolidWorks then calculated the torque or force required to move the load through its profile, which Motion Analyzer used to size and select motors and drives. The integration between SolidWorks and Motion Analyzer helped the designers quickly simulate a variety of motor options to choose an optimal solution for the specific application, and they didn't need to purchase proprietary software from an outside supplier.\n\n\n\nKliklok-Woodman engineers chose an Allen-Bradley B310P MP-Series TM Food Grade (MPF) servo motor from Rockwell Automation to meet the food manufacturer's high-performance demands in a small space. Additionally, the motor can withstand high-pressure, caustic wash-downs and is more reliable than the pneumatic cylinder.\n\n\n\nThe CELOX integrates the MPF servo motor with other solutions to deliver motion precision, accuracy and reliability. These include Allen-Bradley Kinetix(R) 6000 multi-axis\n\nservo drives to allow easy speed and position adjustments and fast product changeovers. An\n\nAllen-Bradley PanelViewTM Plus 1000 touch-screen operator interface allows employees to monitor machine activity, including status and diagnostics.\n\n\n\nThe machine also uses an Allen-Bradley ControlLogix(R) L61 programmable automation controller. The controller features an integrated platform for motion and machine control and a single programming environment. This integration provides end users with fewer spare parts to maintain.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nBy digitally modeling and prototyping machine designs, mechanical, electrical and control engineers can collaborate earlier in the design phase. In this case, Kliklok-Woodman shortened the design phase of the new CELOX machine by combining electrical and mechanical design into one step. Motion Analyzer helped Bruda size the motor and allowed the mechanical engineer to complete tasks - such as sizing the gear box - simultaneously.\n\n\n\nWith Motion Analyzer and SolidWorks, Kliklok-Woodman estimated it cut design time by a third, compared to using manual calculations and a trial-and-error method for finding the correct motor size. Less design time equated to a shorter delivery window. Using Motion Analyzer also eliminated the material costs the company would have incurred if it had built a new flap kicker to test different motor sizes.\n\n\n\n\"We've been a customer of Rockwell Automation for more than 20 years and continue to take advantage of the company's innovative technologies,\" Bruda said. \"No other major automation supplier provided software of this caliber for motor sizing. With Motion Analyzer software, we can tailor the motor to specific customer requirements without having to rely on an outside company to size the motor with its proprietary software.\"\n\n\n\nIn any industry, the collaboration between mechanical and control engineering facilitated by the Motion Analyzer software helps engineers validate new machine concepts without purchasing or installing real equipment, lowering their Total Cost to Design, Develop and DeliverSM a new machine.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to this customer's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "advanced-analytics-minerals-reduces-energy": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/advanced-analytics-minerals-reduces-energy\n\nTITLE: The Right Ingredient for a Competitive Process\n\n***** Challenge: Produce More Within Energy and Cost Constraints *****\n\nA leading international supplier of high-performance minerals to the polymer and coatings markets wanted to increase production while avoiding costly capital investments.\n\nThe company leverages a wide range of minerals including calcium carbonates, clays, and kaolins to make technical products that are essential for many industries. Its principal markets include construction and building, lawn care and landscaping, paints and coatings, plastics and films, and sealants and adhesives.\n\nThe value of the company's high performance minerals lies in the specialized processes and people they use to transform minerals to add performance. Many of these processes have been developed by and are unique to the company with resulting value-add to their customers.\u00a0\n\nThe company recognized that energy related processes in their plants are major constraints to continuing to provide total customer value. In order to provide more calcium carbonate for its customers, the company identified bottlenecks and looked for ways to improve production efficiencies throughout its complex mineral drying process.\n\n***** Solution:\u00a0Rockwell Automation, The Right Ingredient for a Competitive Process *****\n\nIn researching how to maximize the productivity of existing assets, the company determined that eliminating bottlenecks within the minerals drying process at the site could increase the efficiency of the process and allow for significant production increases.\n\nThey turned to Rockwell Automation to help achieve new levels of operational consistency and stability throughout the drying process, while at the same time reducing energy consumption. The company engaged Rockwell Automation to deploy its Pavilion8(R)-based model predictive control (MPC) industrial analytics solution to one processing line, which consisted of filtration, drying, pulverizing and production classification. Pavilion8 is a modular software platform and the foundation for Rockwell Automation's industry-specific solutions. Leveraging a powerful modeling engine at its core, Pavilion8 includes modules to control, analyze, monitor, visualize, warehouse and integrate that are combined into high-value applications.\n\nOne of the first steps to implementing Rockwell Automation's solution at the site was to set up a system to collect real-time operating data. Rockwell Automation initiated a process study, analyzing the company's data and defining the variables for the controller matrix design. Simultaneously, Rockwell Automation engineers, as part of Rockwell Automation's ValueFirst(R) customer engagement methodology, provided a comprehensive benefits analysis with goals and objectives to support the company's business strategy.\u00a0\n\nArmed with the data they needed, Rockwell Automation engineers created process models, and designed a control application to meet the unique site requirements. The team performed tests to determine the affects of changes in control variables on the system. Once complete, the team implemented the Pavilion8- based dryer control application. Users access the solution through Pavilion8's intuitive, browser-based interface that enables secure anytime, role-based access to operators, process control engineers and plant management.\u00a0\n\n***** Results: A Smoother and More Effective Operation\u00a0\n\n *****\n\nWith the solution installed and commissioned in only 3 months, the company realized a production increase of more than 10 percent. The project exceeded the original business investment targets, delivering a payback well within the stated goals. As a result, the company has been able to better satisfy the growing needs of their customers while enhancing overall efficiency.\u00a0\n\nThe immediate success of the project prompted the company to expand the deployment of the Pavilion8 dryer control application to two adjacent dryers. The company is actively exploring opportunities for additional Rockwell Automation MPC on its other milling, drying and calcining operations in North America and Europe.\n\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: factorytalk-analytics\nTAG: factorytalk-pavillion\n\n",
    "air-windpower-develops-first-prototype-wind-generator": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/air-windpower-develops-first-prototype-wind-generator\n\nTITLE: Air Windpower Develops First Prototype Wind Generator\n\n*** Background ***\n\nAir Windpower is an established company based in Navarra, Spain, which focuses on providing the advantages of wind energy to its customers through the installation of wind generators.\n\nThe company, made up of engineers and professionals with a long experience in the energy industry, started its activities with the construction of an innovative prototype of a state-of-the-art 100kW wind generator placed in Muruarte de Reta, a small town 15 km from the city of Pamplona.\n\nThis machine has been created with a clear objective: maximise reliability and minimise the cost of the energy produced during its operating life.\n\nFrom the start, Air Windpower has worked together with Boreas, a company specialising in renewable energy installations, and devoted to the design of the machine, including the aerodynamic structure of the blades, the development of main components and the interrelation between its elements.\n\nAfter several months of testing and monitoring - submitting the wind generator to all sort of technical analysis in order to verify its operation and reliability - the company has started a new stage within its strategy: the commercial launch of the wind generators, which will be available with two models.\n\nThe first one is suitable for windy environments and will be similar to the prototype; the second will have a bigger rotor diameter and is more suitable for less windy areas.\n\nThe aim of Air Windpower is to gain a market share in the Spanish wind energy market and, at the same time, expand its business to other markets such as the US and the UK.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nThe prototype developed by Air Windpower, a 100 kW wind generator, supplies a nearby quarry on a self-consuming approach, thanks to its latest generation technologies for wind energy generation.\n\nFirst, it has an extremely ruggedised powertrain with load transmission to the tower by means of stationary pieces, a maintenance-free gondola, three hybrid blades made of glass-fibre and carbon with no junctions in order to achieve the maximum efficiency and ruggedness and a permanent magnet multi-polar generator with no multiplying gears. Added to this is the integration of \"full converter back-to-back\" power electronics for maximum energy quality and the ability to operate in isolation.\n\nAll these technical requirements brought Air Windpower to rely on the global electrical solutions company Sumelec Navarra, distributor of Rockwell Automation for 25 years.\n\n\"We have carried out the electrical design of all cabinets, circuitry and cabling implementation, and the integration of Allen-Bradley(R) products,\" states Julio Bustillo, Sales Manager for the Renewable Segment at the company. The company has also provided Air Windpower with the auxiliary panel for the control of the machine.\n\nAs the Bustillo explains, the challenge for Rockwell Automation consisted of \"supplying all the electrical and automatic components in order to manage and monitor the operation of the wind generator with the maximum efficiency and, overall, with no unplanned stops.\" This last feature was critical for Air Windpower.\n\nAs Jos'e Sancho, PhD Industrial Engineer and CTO Boreas NT responsible for developing the project, explains: \"We wanted to install an electrical system with good reliability to help assure good operation of the machine.\" The solution also had to be compliant with European and American security norms UL 508A.\n\nSolution\n\nRockwell Automation's contribution to the prototype has not been just one single solution or product, but several components from the Allen-Bradley range - all of them necessary for the good energy-related operation of the machine.\n\nSome examples are the programmable automation controller, distributed inputs and outputs, power supplies, contactors and pushbuttons. In general terms, all the auxiliary, energy-related material has been supplied by Rockwell Automation.\n\n\"We used all the necessary products supplied by Rockwell Automation for complete monitoring and control of the machine. This way we can send the commands to the power electronics converter to indicate which operating curves needs the wind generator, the rotating speed required depending on the wind, the power to be extracted and other variables we want to manage,\" explains Sancho.\n\nAlong with all these components, the prototype wind generator also uses an Allen-Bradley CompactLogixTM PAC, which is tightly integrated between the programming software, the controller and the I/O modules, reduces the startup time and helping towards efficient and smooth operation.\n\nAll of this is integrated with an Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM Plus HMI, which shows the status machine information in a simple graphical format.\n\n\u00a0\n\nResults\n\n\"From the very moment we finished the mounting of the wind generator and undertook testing, the system has proved to offer the highest availability with excellent levels of energy efficiency and reliability. In fact, we didn't have a single failure or unplanned stop,\" assures Sancho.\n\nCurrently, the wind generator is operating in automatic mode, so in case any fault is detected, an engineer would be informed about the event. However, as Sancho states, \"this hasn't happen so far.\"\n\nHe continues: \"We found in Rockwell Automation a company able to supply an automation and overall control system for the wind generator. They always met our stringent requirements for these kinds of machines.\" Bustillo shares the same opinion: \"Rockwell Automation was always there by our side, offering us all support we needed and collaborating with us on this implementation.\"\n\nThese kinds of wind generators have a great future within the current energy generation landscape, since they give end users the chance to generate part of the energy they consume, thus reducing their energy bill. Sancho concludes, \"It's a trouble-free, maintenance-free machine, with high availability and reliability. In other words, it's rugged and offers a maximum productivity.\"\n\n\u00a0\n\n\nTAG: power-generation\n\n",
    "operational-excellence": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/operational-excellence\n\nTITLE: SPF Boosts Efficiency and Profitability with Plex\n\nSouthern Precision Fabrication (SPF) America, LLC is a fabrication company with over 45 years of experience in copper bus bar and connector production. The company provides both precision components and assemblies to the OEM market from a variety of materials including copper, mild steel, stainless steel, and aluminum. With an unparalleled focus on quality, SPF is committed to being a top supplier of products that exceed customer expectations.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\n* Time for an ERP Upgrade\n\nSPF America, LLC relied on an existing Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system which required an external data retention portal. The setup resulted in several challenges, the majority of which stemmed from a lack of digitization within the company's operational framework. The absence of digitization meant that employees had to download data manually into spreadsheets for analysis, which hindered efficiency and productivity.\n\nAdditionally, SPF lacked full plant floor visibility in their existing ERP system, with employees struggling to access real-time production status and resorting to manual searches. This slowed operations, leading to gaps in communication and inefficiencies in workflow. Another difficulty SPF faced was the ability to obtain meaningful and trustworthy data. The measurement of Cost of Quality through internal scrap, external rejects, and rework was inconsistent, negatively impacting quality recording.\n\nRecognizing the need for a stronger solution, SPF began the search for a new, cloud-based ERP. The company sought a platform capable of improving job scheduling, enhancing operational cost visibility, and consolidating accounting, production control, material management, and record retention functions into a single system. After a rigorous evaluation process involving three potential solutions, SPF selected Plex ERP.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\n* Choosing and Implementing Plex ERP\n\nPlex stood out due to its ability to surpass the needs of SPF, its avoidance of subscription-based pricing models, and the proactive support provided by Plex implementation partners. Additionally, Plex provided comprehensive product demonstrations and connected SPF with an existing customer, which further increased SPF's confidence in the Plex ERP.\n\nThe Plex-SPF relationship began in December of 2021 with training beginning promptly, and by August of 2022, SPF was live on Plex. The success of this 9-month implementation process is attributed to the efforts of the SPF team, Plex, and implementation partner Control+M Solutions.\n\nWith the help of Control+M, SPF developed a diligent implementation approach. They created structure around their plan, utilizing checklists to ensure that no detail was overlooked and conducted weekly team meetings. Four individuals from SPF reviewed existing data necessary for the migration to the ERP. Interactive training sessions provided by Plex helped foster a smooth system transition. Although demanding, this process proved to be highly beneficial.\n\nDespite encountering a few challenges along the way, SPF's implementation journey highlights the importance of planning, communication, and a willingness to adapt. This combination led to the team's successful go-live.\u00a0\u00a0\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\n* Achieving Operational Excellence and More\n\nSince implementing Plex, SPF America has experienced a significant transformation in their daily operations, marked by enhanced visibility and efficiency across all processes. The company now has unprecedented visibility into their shop floor operations, allowing employees to better anticipate and manage potential disruptions. Moreover, SPF has improved control over production costs, a critical aspect for maintaining profitability in the competitive metal forming market.\n\nThrough utilization of IntelliPlex, an integrated data visualization and analytics platform, SPF is now able to automate the tracking of all business processes, providing real-time insights through intuitive dashboards displayed across the shop floor. This increase in available information, including metrics such as on-time delivery (OTD), overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), and scrap, enables daily reviews with shop leads, encouraging continuous improvement and focused attention on KPIs. The access to real-time data has streamlined order expediting processes, leading to increased profitability and agility in response rates to customers.\n\nThroughput has been further optimized with Plex's comprehensive visibility into shop floor operations. Productivity gains have been realized through enhanced monitoring capabilities and reporting functionalities and Plex's accuracy in providing OEE metrics has surpassed the previous system. An additional benefit is SPF's margin growth of over 10%. Despite complexities that arose from SPF's multiple locations and differing go-live dates, the integration process continues, promising further enhancements over time.\n\n\n\n* Employee Empowerment\n\nAdditionally, employee engagement and confidence has increased, driven by monthly meetings to foster understanding and alignment with organizational goals. The streamlined processes and enhanced access to data have empowered employees to embrace change and actively provide input. SPF has also been able to significantly reduce their temporary workforce, shifting from 20 to 3 employees. The company increased sales without increasing headcount.\n\nJoe Brackin, SPF Plant Manager, says, \"Before Plex, our production scheduling had severe limitations and orders were routinely late. We had little visibility of the actual cost of jobs until the entire job was completed. Now, with Plex, our production scheduling is spot on; our OEE is rising, OTD is consistently at 98%, and we can view the job costs at each operation.\"\n\nThis case study is a replicated version, with the original available on the Plex website. To access the original version, please click here.\n\nTAG: accelerate-digital-transformation\nTAG: empower-people\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: asset-management\nTAG: digital-transformation\nTAG: production-operations-management\n\nTAG: metals\n\nTAG: plex-erp\n\n",
    "deyu-lights-up-efficient-and-reliable-battery-production": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/deyu-lights-up-efficient-and-reliable-battery-production\n\nTITLE: Deyu Lights Up Efficient and Reliable Battery Production\n\nShenzhen Deyu Intelligent Equipment Co., Ltd., a high-tech manufacturer of lithium battery winding machines, is dedicated to developing and manufacturing all-in-one winding machines for cylindrical and prismatic batteries.\n\nDeyu is focused on providing lithium battery winding machines with more precise tension control, helping customers achieve higher productivity and lower costs in battery production while enhancing the reliability and energy density of the batteries produced.\n\nDeyu's new-generation all-in-one winding machine for cylindrical lithium batteries comes with the capability of winding cylindrical battery cells and welding battery tabs in a fully-automatic mode. Allen-Bradley CompactLogix\u2122\u00a0control systems and Kinetix\u00ae\u00a0servo drives for motion control from Rockwell Automation make it possible for the new winding machine to achieve full-servo winding and unwinding with high-precision tension control.\n\nWith automation and information technology solutions from Rockwell Automation, the productivity of equipment is improved by about 25%.\n\n\nTAG: \n\n",
    "tier-stamping-mes-data": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/tier-stamping-mes-data\n\nTITLE: Thai Summit Uses Data as a Differentiator\n\nThai Summit has made a name for itself as a leading global supplier in the sheet metal stamping industry. For over 35 years, they have provided their customers with world-class engineering, stamping, and assembly capabilities. With facilities in North America and Asia, Thai Summit is simultaneously serving a global customer base and delivering world-class technology.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nThai Summit is a leader in the sheet metal stamping industry. Their Howell, Michigan facility was the first manufacturing site in North America to productionize automated Visual Inspection systems and introduce remote laser welding. This 1.2 million square foot facility houses assembly bays, tool and die services, warehousing space, and more to help support production in North America. In partnership with customers, Thai Summit's engineers design, manufacture, and regularly inspect their tools to ensure quality and longevity.\n\nWith labor shortages and constraints in manufacturing, Thai Summit needed a solution that could improve their day-to-day processes and help them to contend with industry challenges. After working through the global pandemic and juggling the industry impact of reduced labor availability, Thai Summit needed a way to better track downtime data, locate areas of micro-stoppages, and improve their overall manufacturing processes. Customers require increased visibility and are therefore more involved on the plant floor, asking questions and seeking out answers. Thai Summit saw an opportunity to use data as a differentiator.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\nThe Power of Data\n\nSince their initial implementation of Plex MES in 2017, Thai Summit has evolved their digital transformation efforts by implementing Plex MES Automation and Orchestration (MES A&O). This powerful, no-code tool enables automation of processes and orchestration of complex workflows, avoiding the need for heavy coding and manual data management, improving accuracy, and freeing valuable resource time. This new solution provided Thai Summit with the ability to capture and distribute information to their customers and partners.\n\nThis not only increased overall visibility, but it also strengthened data capture, giving Thai Summit peace of mind, and establishing a system to locate bottlenecks and areas of micro-stoppages with increased efficiency. With the Plex system in place, Thai Summit is now able to meet the needs of customers who have increased reporting requirements, resulting in new work opportunities.\n\nBetter Data Leads to Improved Maintenance Processes\n\n\"We have automated the process from the Plex system to automatically put our work center status into downtime when the equipment knows that we're down,\" said Janice D'Amico, Thai Summit Executive Manager of Business Systems and IT. \"Then we have our team leaders and our operators providing the detailed reason for the downtime.\"\n\nWhile downtime will always exist, the ability to locate it quickly has been a game changer for Thai Summit. Having software available to tell employees when and why their machines are down versus in-person plant floor checks has allowed for more efficient problem-solving. This is not only saving money, but also improving overall quality. Thai Summit can now pinpoint any micro-stoppages in their facilities, identify the equipment causing the downtime, and allocate the right resources to solve the problem. The time between machine failures has also increased, pushing the mean time between failures from 10-20 minutes to 40 minutes. This improvement, amongst others, has brought revenue for the line from $8,000/hour in parts per shift to $12,000/hour in parts per shift.\n\nThai Summit Empowers Employees\n\nThai Summit also prioritizes continuous improvement through employee suggestions and worker empowerment. By collecting input from those working directly with the products and lines, Thai Summit has seen major savings and received over 200 employee suggestions to date.\n\nNot only has this initiative empowered employees to share their ideas but it has also allowed the team to see that their suggestions have an impact and are being used to improve business. Thai Summit has experienced a cost savings of at least $3 million per year as a result of employee suggestions, with significant payouts to employees and teams delivering valuable suggestions.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\nProductivity Abounds\n\nSince their initial implementation of Plex MES in 2017, Thai Summit has evolved their digital transformation efforts. As they work towards becoming pioneers in digital manufacturing, Thai Summit employees have moved away from programs such as Excel and paper-based processes. This shows Thai Summit's commitment to digitization and to its customers. Thai Summit currently has two facilities running the Plex solution.\n\nLess Downtime\n\nPrior to Plex, Thai Summit was experiencing 1.5 hours of downtime during an 8-hour shift on lines in their facility. Since implementing MES A&O, this number has dropped to approximately 20 minutes of downtime per shift, sometimes even less. This equates to nearly an 80 percent decrease in day-to-day downtime.\n\nWith Plex software available to tell Thai Summit when and why downtime is occurring, the need for in-person equipment checks has also decreased. This is not only streamlining the day-today processes but it's also giving employees the opportunity to focus their attention on higher value-added tasks.\n\nDifferentiating with Data\n\nThe automatic tracking available with the system gives Thai Summit team leaders and operators the opportunity to produce detailed reporting daily, further adding to their overall efficiency. With a deeper level of detail when it comes to data reporting to customers, Thai Summit stands out amongst competition.\n\nWith the help of Plex's data collection and Thai Summit's ability to apply the proper resources to the areas that need it, they jumped from 40-50 jobs-per-hour to 85 jobs-per-hour, increasing throughput by 70-112%. They have also included a training coordinator who's now working with IT to provide virtual instruction for operators on the plant floor, improving training processes and minimizing risk of human error. Now, Thai Summit and its employees have their eyes set on the future with plans to take the Plex system to the next level. They will continue to improve machine efficiency, advance maintenance maturity, incorporate new manufacturing technology into their processes, and continue to grow as a leading supplier in the automotive industry.\u00a0\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: automotive-and-tire\n\nTAG: plex\n\n",
    "ncig-implements-a-condition-based-maintenance-solution": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/ncig-implements-a-condition-based-maintenance-solution\n\nTITLE: Newcastle Coal Infrastructure Group (NCIG) implements a condition based maintenance solution\n\nThe Integrated Condition Monitoring (ICM) solution by Rockwell Automation provides 24 hours a day, seven days a week coverage of the coal loading operation to minimise unplanned downtime and help improve overall productivity with minimal onsite personnel\n\nOverview of NCIG Terminal\n\nThe Port of Newcastle is the largest bulk shipping port on the east coast of Australia and the world's leading coal export port. Newcastle Coal Infrastructure Group (NCIG) owns and operates one of Australia's major coal export terminals with proximate rail, storage and shiploading facilities and associated infrastructure.\n\nNCIG's terminal has been operating since 2010 and services coal mines in the Newcastle, Hunter Valley, Gunnedah, Gloucester and Western Coalfields of New South Wales by providing access to port infrastructure to export mainly their thermal and sometimes metallurgical coal production to the world market.\n\nTo meet the requirements of growing exports from the Port of Newcastle, the Terminal was expanded to provide an overall export capacity of 66 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) in June 2013.\u00a0\n\nA key focus of NCIG's operational strategy is to operate continuously, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with the minimum number of staff. To achieve this, the latest integrated control systems were required to provide site wide access to condition monitoring data in a timely manner. The Integrated Architecture(R) platform from Rockwell Automation allows for the seamless integration of vibration and temperature monitoring sensors, providing the capability for NCIG to implement a preventative condition based maintenance strategy.\n\nPredictive Monitoring perfection\n\nThere are three key components of the NCIG terminal; the inbound system, stockyards and outbound system. The inbound system unloads trains and feeds coal into the stockyard area, it incorporates rail sidings and rail balloon loop, dump stations and two inbound sampling stations. There are five stockyards in total with four combined stacker reclaimers. The stockyard provides for stacking coal, then storing the coal before reclaiming the coal to send to the wharf. The outbound system loads coal into vessels and incorporates two buffer bins, two outbound sample stations, two shiploaders and three wharves.\n\nStacker/reclaimer machines in operation on coal stockpile.\u00a0\n\nThe key objective of the condition monitoring solution was to provide an automated system that can help predict system failures and prevent and minimise downtime. According to Scott Liddell, senior electrical engineer at NCIG, \"We load coal into our ships at around 10,500 Tph so every minute that we are down from an unexpected incident results in the loss of approximately 175 tonnes of coal. Each hour of downtime costs a whole train full of coal so we needed a reliable system that could predict any failures before they occurred.\"\n\nThe Rockwell Automation XM(R) Series of Intelligent I/O modules were used to provide real time processing of critical measurements used in assessing the health and predicting the future health of the system.\n\n\u00a0\"The Condition Monitoring system deployed on site uses around 2,200 field sensors to provide an advanced warning if something is about to go wrong, allowing scheduled maintenance to be performed to avoid the costly downtime associated with unplanned stoppages across the whole plant,\" said Gavin Black, Product Manager for CompactLogix, SLC, KNX and ICM at Rockwell Automation.\n\nThe Allen-Bradley accelerometers and temperature sensors are the two main types of field sensors used to measure vibration and temperature. These sensors were wired back into the XM series dynamic measurement module and connected via Ethernet to the ControlLogix(R) automation controller to rapidly transfer information from the field module.\n\nThe Rockwell Automation XM system provides vibration data to the control system in multiple parameters including overall vibration, spike energy and frequency bands. The overall vibration levels provide a general condition of asset health, whilst the spike energy and frequency bands are specific to fundamental frequencies, providing both process and maintenance intelligent advisories when changes occur.\n\nThe XM Series of Intelligent I/O modules from Rockwell Automation allows for the seamless integration of vibration and temperature monitoring sensors\n\n*** Software saves downtime ***\n\nCondition monitoring data is used by the plant SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition) system to display in real time the vibration and temperature levels on all measuring points, as well as trends, and so alert the operator of any significant condition monitoring events that could potentially cause an unplanned stoppage of the plant.\n\nAdditionally, data of vibration levels is stored in the plant Historian and detailed spectral vibration information is captured and stored using the Rockwell Automation Emonitor(R) software which is analysed by Condition Monitoring technicians to detect equipment trending towards failure.\n\n\"The Emonitor software is a key to the success of the predictive monitoring system as it provides the capability for both historical trend analysis as well as real time data viewing. Anything that is picked up as 'out of the ordinary' with real time monitoring of the vibration levels is then referred to the Emonitor system for further investigation,\" said Liddell.\n\nThe terminal has already benefited from the early detection of faults that if ignored, could have resulted in catastrophic failures on numerous occasions. \"The condition monitoring solution identifies at least 10 vibration abnormalities each year that if left unchecked, would cause significant unplanned downtime,\" explained Liddell.\n\nGearbox coupling faults are a common example of a situation where an abnormal vibration frequency has been detected and further investigated. In the example below, a low frequency vibration was detected throughout the Boom Conveyer gearbox that was identified as an output shaft turning speed. The trends of the fault were retrieved and analysed using the Emonitor software, the couplings were removed and tested and the coupling fault detected (a hairline crack).\n\nIn another example, excessive vibration at the frequency of input speed together with harmonics, was detected throughout the gearbox and indicated excessive clearances surrounding the input shaft bearing. This gearbox input shaft looseness fault was verified and repaired before it could result in any unplanned equipment downtime.\n\nSecuring the long term coal loading capacity at the Port of Newcastle\n\n\"The Integrated Control and Conditioning Monitoring is an important part of our everyday monitoring of the plant in real time, it shows us the failures we need to see to minimise any unplanned downtimes,\" said Liddell.\n\nCoal train unloading in operation\u00a0\n\nBy integrating with the terminal's existing networks and controls systems, the condition monitoring system provides an open source of asset reliability and introduces the capability for automated recommendations and actions.\n\n\"The condition monitoring system identifies at least 10 pending failures per year and at an average repair time of 10 hours per incident, the downtime saved is very significant to the business\", said Liddell.\n\nAs testament to the success of the system, NCIG is currently extending the condition monitoring capabilities across the remaining parts of the plant not yet covered by the system. \u00a0\n\nCompany background\n\nRockwell Automation Australia and Rockwell Automation New Zealand are subsidiaries of Rockwell Automation, Inc.-a leading global provider of industrial automation and information solutions that helps manufacturers achieve a competitive advantage in their businesses. The company brings together leading global brands in industrial automation which include Allen-Bradley(R) controls and services and Rockwell Software(R) factory management software. Its broad product mix includes control logic systems, sensors, human-machine interfaces, drive controllers, power devices, and software.\n\n\n\nRockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK), the world's largest company dedicated to industrial automation and information, makes its customers more productive and the world more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., Rockwell Automation employs about 22,500 people serving customers in more than 80 countries.\n\n\u00a0\n\nAllen-Bradley, ControlLogix, Emonitor, DeviceNet, Integrated Architecture, Rockwell Software and XM are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\n\n\nMedia contact:\n\nChristine Filippis\n\nTeraze Communications\n\n61 3 8391 0701\n\nchristine@teraze.com.au\n\n\n",
    "manufacturing-intelligence-increases-accuracy-of-oee-data": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/manufacturing-intelligence-increases-accuracy-of-oee-data\n\nTITLE: Manufacturing Intelligence Increases Accuracy of OEE Data\n\n*** Background ***\n\nDry cement may look like a hodge-podge of soot and gravel when it pours out of the bag, but each package is the result of a carefully calculated process. With more than a dozen possible components \u2013 which can differ based on the aggregate \"recipe\" needed for various construction jobs \u2013 accuracy and precision are key to quality control. In addition, the cement manufacturing process must be closely managed to avoid the huge potential for waste as the various ingredients are weighed, heated, combined and packaged.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nManagement at one leading manufacturer of packaged cement realized they lacked the insight needed for optimal control of their manufacturing processes. To identify and correct inefficiencies, the company wanted to shift from manual collection of batch details and bag weights to an automated system that could track this data, and translate the results into meaningful, real-time reports. Managers also wanted the ability to view process graphics beyond the plant floor, and access the systems remotely via a web-interface on a PC or Apple\u00ae device.\n\nThe company also wanted a solution that would allow managers to maintain and manage recipes in a secure, central database. In the past, data-entry errors sometimes occurred when operators entered ingredient information into the PLC or HMI on the plant floor.\n\n*** Solutions ***\n\nTo achieve these sophisticated manufacturing capabilities, the company turned to Kruse Controls Inc., a control and information systems integrator. Kruse Controls \u2013 a member of the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork\u2122 program \u2013 implemented a manufacturing intelligence solution utilizing the FactoryTalk\u00ae software suite from Rockwell Automation.\n\nFirst, Kruse Controls updated the information architecture to support a thin client environment. After migrating the existing RSView32\u00ae application to FactoryTalk View Site Edition (SE) software, Kruse engineers replaced the PCs on the plant floor \u2013 which sometimes failed because of the harsh environment \u2013 with ACP-enabled managed thin clients. Kruse Controls deployed FactoryTalk View software from a centralized server that can be accessed via the thin clients in the plant. The software interfaces with ACP ThinManager\u00ae, which extends the remote monitoring capability of FactoryTalk View to a PC or Apple device.\n\nThe new HMI shows the real-time system status in a sophisticated mimic screen and gives operators a detailed overview of each part of the process. With no moving parts, no hard drive and no operating system, the thin clients have excellent reliability. They also are easily deployed, require less power than the previous PCs, and support failover.\n\nTo improve ingredient management, Kruse migrated all the recipes into a central SQL database on the terminal server. Middle and upper-level employees can now manage recipes through a secure ASP.net website they access through their existing Windows domain. Audit tables record all recipe changes and reports can be easily generated in a web browser. Kruse also developed a function that allows operators to reassign materials from one bin to another without having to go into the recipe, reducing the opportunity for errors.\n\nFactoryTalk Metrics provides a common platform for capturing information across the company's facilities. The software is configured to monitor each batch including start/end times, ingredient set points and actual amounts batched. The system also tags downtime incidents to a specific piece of equipment to help identify faults.\n\nFactoryTalk Historian software collects and archives historical and real-time data from third-party applications. The cement company uses the software to capture dryer process variables like inlet/outlet temperatures and pressures, and packaging process variables such as bag weights. This information allows managers to further drive efficiency.\n\nThis data is presented in a web browser for easy analysis. The dashboards can be easily configured based on the target audience \u2013 filtered by shift, line and recipe. For example, executives at the corporate office in Charlotte, N.C., can see high-level dashboards about plant operations, plant managers can monitor the process with an hourly-view, and plant-floor supervisors can drill down even more granularly. Dashboards are also displayed on LCD screens in break rooms for plant employees, a direct replacement for the manual performance boards they previously used.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nAfter successfully completing a pilot project at one of the cement company's plants, Kruse rolled out the solution to an additional dry-mix facility.\n\nThe ability to accurately track raw material and bag-weight accuracy \u2013 and assign costs to batching-system inaccuracies \u2013 alerted managers at one site that they were giving away nearly $90,000 a month per line because of variances in raw materials. That site's batching system is targeted for an immediate automation upgrade.\n\nBy removing manual processes, the company now has accurate baselines for each facility, so managers can set attainable improvement goals. They also can stay up-to-date on process metrics from anywhere. For example, the company's director of continuous improvement routinely shadows line HMI on the thin client remotely with his Apple iPad\u00ae, leading to process corrections on multiple occasions.\n\nAccording to the director of process improvements, the company plans to continue the rollout across the rest of the enterprise.\n\n\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\n\n",
    "chobani-uses-the-latest-control-and-automation-technology": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/chobani-uses-the-latest-control-and-automation-technology\n\nTITLE: Chobani Uses the Latest Control and Automation Technology\n\nChobani is a fast growing, dynamic yogurt company that was founded in the United States, with the belief that people have great taste but needed great options. With a mission to make high-quality, great tasting yogurt available to the masses, Chobani decided to spread its wings to Australia.\n\nSince purchasing a local Victorian dairy company in 2011, Chobani also invested in a new greenfield facility to manufacture their yogurt locally alongside the existing manufacturing plant.\n\nWith a strong focus on automation, Chobani called on Metromotion Controls, a leading systems integrator specialising in control and automation systems, to facilitate the design, management and implementation of the new $30 million facility.\n\nIn addition to the new manufacturing plant, Metromotion was also commissioned to implement Chobani standards to automate the existing site. The task at hand was to use the latest technologies from Rockwell Automation to automate both new and existing processes at the plants.\n\n*** Yogurt Production Made Easy ***\n\nWith increasing demand for Chobani yogurt around the world, meeting global supply agreements was a key priority for the company, as failure to do so would result in significant penalties being enforced.\n\nAs such, Metromotion Controls were required to meet strict project timelines so the plant could be up and running quickly and effectively.\n\nChobani has a strong focus on automation and at the time of building the factory required 'on the ground' automation and electrical resources from Metromotion Controls.\n\nThis work involved facilitating the site power upgrade, building services and process power distribution, factory wide automation integration including process, packaging and site services and commissioning and ongoing support both on site and remotely.\n\nYogurt production is fully automated using the latest control and automation technologies from Rockwell Automation.\u00a0\n\nMetromotion Controls has enjoyed a longstanding relationship with Rockwell Automation and NHP Electrical Engineering Products (NHP) and had no hesitation in calling on them to provide the control and automation technologies required at the plant.\n\nAccording to Andrew Sprigg, control systems engineer at Metromotion Controls, \"Rockwell Automation is the automation vendor of choice for Chobani so by having one brand for standardisation; maintenance, service and support is streamlined for the plant.\"\n\n\"The cooperation between Rockwell Automation, NHP, Metromotion and Chobani has worked really well and this good working relationship has helped everything to flow smoothly,\" he said.\n\n*** Driving Production Efficiencies ***\n\nThe yogurt production process is fully automated using the latest control and automation technologies from Rockwell Automation. Ethernet/IPTM is used as the communications protocol with all devices connected via the one network.\n\nThe architecture at the plant has been designed so that five independent\u00a0ControlLogix(R) controllers are used for a specific process role such as raw milk processing, pasteurising, cleaning in place (CIP), fermentation and filling.\n\nEach part of the process is further broken down into modular skids.\u00a0 A control panel with\u00a0FLEXTM I/O communicates the process information back to the ControlLogix controller over Ethernet. This provides the capability for remote access diagnostics of equipment easily over the Ethernet network.\n\nThe motor control utilises\u00a0PowerFlex(R)\u00a0drives from Rockwell Automation that are located in a centralised motor control centre and communicate over the Ethernet network.\n\n\"These control and automation technologies provide access to remote diagnostics and simplified programming. Another feature of the Rockwell Automation solution is that it is very easy to upgrade the existing system using the same architecture and stock that is readily available in Australia,\" explained Sprigg.\n\nThe plant uses Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) drives that are located in a centralised motor control centre and communicate over the Ethernet network.\u00a0\n\nThe new manufacturing plant meets all of Chobani's manufacturing requirements and is achieving operational efficiencies. As the company's product range grows Metromotion Controls has been instrumental in providing automation and process control solutions to meet these changing requirements.\n\n\"Chobani is undergoing new product development work which need new controls and new processes which has been a key focus for us as well maintaining the plant,\" said Sprigg.\n\n*** Online Tools Reduce Engineering Time ***\n\nAs Chobani continues to automate both new and existing processes at the plant, reducing engineering time is imperative. The Rockwell Automation products and services help to make commissioning straightforward and in most cases seamless.\n\n\"Commissioning new equipment and facilitating changeover of existing equipment has been really trouble free which has saved a significant amount of engineering time,\" said Peter Benifer, account manager at NHP.\n\nMinimising downtime is also of critical importance to Chobani because yogurt manufacturing is a continuous process and if the process was to be affected by an unplanned downtime, the whole production process would halt, the plant would need to be cleaned and then restarted.\n\nThe Rockwell Automation solution provides a web interface with diagnostics, which allows operators remote access to the system. This makes it easy to find diagnostic information and identify things that may need attention.\n\n\"The biggest help to Chobani to reduce downtime during the infancy of the plant was the ability for us to quickly gain remote access to any device and find detailed information fast which in turn allowed us to reduce downtime,\" said Sprigg.\n\n*** Spares, Service and Support at Hand ***\n\nTo help keep yogurt production flowing, Chobani has a comprehensive services agreement in place with Rockwell Automation and NHP that is designed to minimise downtime and maximise reliability through effective asset management.\n\nIn addition to this Assurance Agreement, Chobani also has a\u00a0Parts Management Agreement which provides spare parts onsite so that the plant can be up and running again in the event of unscheduled downtime.\n\nMinimising downtime is of critical importance to Chobani.\u00a0\n\n*** Chobani Crafts Real Yogurt ***\n\nIn the words of Hamdi Ulukaya, founder and ceo of Chobani, \"When it's authentic, when it's real, you don't have to say too much about it.\"\n\nThe worldwide demand for Chobani yogurt speaks for itself and now thanks to the new state-of-the art manufacturing plant, the company can meet their mission to make high quality, great tasting yogurt available to the masses in Australia and around the world.\n\n\"We have developed a relationship with both Rockwell Automation and NHP based on the in depth understanding of the needs of the plant, our plant primarily being a facility that uses a 'through process' as opposed to a 'batching process' and this presents some challenges in relation to response time when issues arise that could potentially shut down a production line. We are extremely happy with the way that Merome Dean, services solutions architect at Rockwell Automation supports us in this regard,\" said Roger Forster, reliability manager, Chobani.\n\n*** \u00a0 ***\n\n*** Company Background ***\n\nRockwell Automation Australia and Rockwell Automation New Zealand are subsidiaries of Rockwell Automation, Inc.-a leading global provider of industrial automation and information solutions that helps manufacturers achieve a competitive advantage in their businesses.\n\nThe company brings together leading global brands in industrial automation which include Allen-Bradley(R) controls and services and Rockwell Software(R) factory management software. Its broad product mix includes control logic systems, sensors, human-machine interfaces, drive controllers, power devices, and software.\n\nRockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK), the world's largest company dedicated to industrial automation and information, makes its customers more productive and the world more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., Rockwell Automation employs approximately 22,000 people serving customers in more than 80 countries.\n\nAllen-Bradley, ControlLogix, FLEX I/O, PowerFlex and Rockwell Software are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\nEtherNet/IP is a trademark of ODVA, Inc.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "sleeman-breweries-increases-production-capacity-by-50-percent-in": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/sleeman-breweries-increases-production-capacity-by-50-percent-in\n\nTITLE: Sleeman Breweries Increases Production Capacity by 50 Percent in Two Weeks with Virtualized Process Automation System\n\n*** Taking Advantage of the Boom ***\n\nTen years ago, tourists looking for a taste of the local life in Southern Canada may have asked for one of the region's best wines. Today, it's all about craft beer.\n\nFrom entrepreneurial newcomers to large-scale producers, brewers in Canada are cashing in on the thirst for craft beer. The number of microbreweries - -producing less than 25,000 cases of 24 - has more than doubled in the last seven years.\n\nThe explosion in craft beer popularity had one company -\u00a0Sleeman Breweries - bursting at its production seams. The third-largest brewer in Canada, Sleeman brews and distributes popular beers from lagers to pale ales.\n\nWith a notorious past in bootlegging and a brewing history dating back to 1834, the company has re-emerged as a powerful presence in the craft beer market. Sleeman operates three brewing production facilities located in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia.\n\n*** Modernizing Craft Brewing ***\n\nAn increase in craft beer demand is ideal for a company like Sleeman, but running out of production capacity is not. At its Okanagan Spring Brewery (OSB) in Vernon, British Columbia, the company was struggling to meet market demand for its OSB beers. The management team was looking for ways to increase output beyond the maximum of eight brews per day.\n\nIf unable to increase production capacity at OSB, the company could be faced with the need to build a new facility at a high capital investment cost.\n\nAt the time, Sleeman had engaged third parties to produce enough to meet customer demand - not ideal for managing costs, ensuring consistent quality and flavor, and meeting delivery deadlines.\n\nNot only was the facility limited in its ability to increase production, the existing infrastructure was based on an antiquated, semi-automated control system. Changes to the brewing process - \u00a0including adding new recipes - needed to be made manually, which increased the risk of human error or inconsistencies.\n\nThroughout the production process, operators needed to be at the right place at the right time. If the operator was not on the line to move production forward, brewing would be on hold.\n\nThese constraints limited Sleeman's ability to respond quickly to changes in consumer taste or trends in the industry. The manual approach also hampered access to accurate and timely production metrics needed to fully control the brewing process.\n\nBatch reporting was ad hoc and required operators to input numbers on paper, limiting real-time access to critical information such as pressure and flow rates.\n\n*** Better Control Means Better Brews ***\n\nThe Sleeman team worked with McRae Integration, a Rockwell Automation Recognized System Integrator, to design and implement an integrated process automation system to increase capacity, reduce risk and provide access to real-time production data.\n\nThe Sleeman team was hoping to standardize on one solution across its facilities. A single platform would enable executives to view production metrics and operations data for all facilities from the corporate location.\n\nWith one common platform, in-house mechanics and electricians also could more easily transition from one facility to another and keep parts storage streamlined.\n\n\"A single platform would give us insights across the line and between facilities, so we could build on successes and meet our goals for continuous improvement while continuing to make great beer,\" said Stefan Tobler, brewmaster at OSB. \"We had already standardized on Rockwell Automation equipment at our other facilities, and knew McRae could help us meet our goals with a single platform based on the Rockwell Automation technology.\"\n\nMcRae implemented a phased approach based on the PlantPAx(R) distributed control system (DCS) from Rockwell Automation and McRae's own Meridian BrewSoft and BrewSight software, now FactoryTalk(R) BrewTM.\n\nThe system includes reporting and historian software that collects, tracks and records key process data to pinpoint brew cycle trends, allowing operators to proactively make changes to brews as needed. The Rockwell Automation library of process objects provides predefined controller code and faceplates, and the new system helps Sleeman operators more quickly configure new batches and build recipes.\n\nMcRae customized the solution for brewing applications with its software solutions, which provide operators with complete control of the process through easily operated web interfaces.\n\nAllen-Bradley(R) PowerFlex(R) 525 and PowerFlex 755 drives from Rockwell Automation deliver flexible motor control in the brewing process and help communicate device diagnostics to the control system.\n\nTo complete the implementation, McRae worked with Sleeman's IT team to install VMware(R) virtualized servers. The Sleeman team had implemented redundant servers at its Vernon facility a few years earlier, but found the costs of the equipment and additional storage space difficult to maintain.\n\nThe VMware virtualized servers provided automatic redundancy for production data with enhanced data recovery and expanded data storage. One virtualized server can replace up to four physical backup servers, which greatly decreases the equipment hardware costs.\n\nIt also provides the Sleeman team with the ability to create copies of the virtualized servers to run simulations offline and test production changes before they are made. \u00a0\u00a0\n\n*** Ready for More Beer ***\n\nWithin two weeks of the implementation, Sleeman increased production by 50 percent at its Vernon facility going from eight brews to 12 brews per day.\n\nThe brewing team can now complete all brews on-site without using third-party producers. And they have avoided the cost of a new facility or significant equipment upgrades or additions.\n\nAdditionally, operators have gained more control over the brewing process. With web browser-based recipes, operators can more easily build a new recipe, create a test batch, and store the recipe in the system for additional testing and production.\n\nBrewing managers can simply make process and recipe changes via a web browser interface, without additional personnel.\n\nManagement can check on any production issues leveraging the PlantPAx system's trending capabilities and the BrewSight software's reporting. With exception reporting, the system creates reports to track progress as the brews reach fermentation and emails management if any brew variables deviate.\n\nThe brewing team can take any corrective action needed and reduce downtime, rather than reworking and blending off the brew in small amounts later.\n\nWithin two weeks of the implementation, Sleeman increased production by 50 percent at its Vernon facility going from eight brews to 12 brews per day.\n\n\"Craft brewing involves a lot of small changes in recipes - based on water, incoming malt and other variables - plus adding new recipes,\" said Tobler. \"The PlantPAx system with\u00a0FactoryTalk Brew software allows us to maintain brew quality, while also providing the flexibility we need to quickly respond to changing consumer tastes and market trends.\"\n\nThe software upgrades have kept the brew quality high while increasing production speed. The Vernon facility now has an industry-leading, two-hour brew cycle, with improved consistency in flavor and quality.\n\nThe Sleeman team is not done - they plan to implement the PlantPAx platform throughout the rest of the Vernon facility, including the tank farm and packaging lines. As the standardization across all areas of Sleeman's facilities expands, corporate visibility will improve, allowing the company to more effectively make decisions that will grow their business.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Sleeman Breweries' use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nAllen-Bradley, FactoryTalk Brew, PlantPAx and PowerFlex are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.; VMware is a trademark of VMware Inc.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "semicon-threat-detection": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/semicon-threat-detection\n\nTITLE: Enabling End-to-End OT Visibility for Semiconductor Manufacturer\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\n* Building a secure fab ecosystem\n\nAs an essential component of electronic devices, the semiconductor industry supports much of the global economy. From research, design, to manufacturing, semiconductor fabrication plants (commonly known as fabs) need to be fully operational around the clock so that products are delivered on time. However, as technology progresses, cybercrime has become increasingly prevalent across Operational Technology (OT) systems, disrupting production lines.\n\nIn 2018, a global semiconductor company faced a cyberattack on its OT network, causing millions of dollars of losses in a single day. This prompted the organization to start looking into a cybersecurity managed services solution that had both Information Technology (IT) and OT expertise, to oversee its end-to-end process with more visibility and transparency.\n\nThe company then started an evaluation process, where it found Rockwell Automation to be most suited to deliver to its needs. \"Upon running a proof-of-concept, we found Rockwell Automation to be the solution of choice because of their experience and familiarity with our architecture,\" shares a representative from the company. \"The team was able to point out the possible loopholes in our OT network and had a deep understanding of both OT and IT security.\"\u00a0\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\n* Quick threat detection around the clock\n\nWith the Continuous Threat Detection solution, Rockwell Automation is able to gather and create a copy of the different ports and packages coming through the OT network daily, before dissecting it to see if there are any malicious messages hidden within it. If an abnormality is detected, the system would send a signal to the operators for monitoring. The network behavior is continuously monitored to understand a normal condition baseline, so that the system can detect any exceptional behavior, and send out an alert for closer monitoring. This is done passively, so that it doesn't interfere with the production line.\n\n\"We have a large installed base in this company, with over half of our control system being from Rockwell Automation,\" explains Yen Kai Huang, Solution Consultant at Rockwell Automation. \"This gives us a lot of familiarity with their architecture to quickly identify and pinpoint the source of any unusual activities.\"\n\nBeyond the technical expertise, the Rockwell Automation team is also able to provide the right advice with their deep knowledge and insights. Partnering with Claroty, a cybersecurity software company focusing on the extended Internet of Things (XIoT), Rockwell Automation was able to integrate the company's OT and IT systems for the highest level of cybersecurity across its entire network.\u00a0\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\nNow, the semiconductor company has 13 fabs fully online, with a goal of migrating more of its fabs in the next two years.\u00a0\n\nAfter the migration, Rockwell Automation also provides a complete tuning for each fab.\n\nWith a total of 160 consultancy hours per fab allocated over the next five years, there are plans to run a review session with the management at the company to further address any potential loopholes. \"We plan to review what we discovered and give them the full insight on what is happening in their fabs, before discussing possible next steps into further safeguarding their ecosystem,\" says Nelly Wu, Vertical Account Manager at Rockwell Automation.\n\nTAG: industrial-security\n\nTAG: semiconductor\n\n",
    "church-dwight-ot-cybersecurity": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/church-dwight-ot-cybersecurity\n\nTITLE: Modernize OT Cybersecurity to Mitigate Risk\n\nIndustrial organizations are facing higher risks of OT cyberattacks\u00a0than ever before. As technology advances, threat actors are becoming more sophisticated, and attacks are becoming more damaging. Many manufacturers are searching for the right way to modernize OT security, while minimizing impacts on production operations.\n\nChurch & Dwight, manufacturer of high-quality products and brands such as Arm & HammerTM, OxiCleanTM, ZICAM(R), and Waterpik(R), knows that embracing a modern industrial cybersecurity strategy can safeguard operations. David Ortiz, Chief Information Security Officer at Church & Dwight, knew that leveraging an experienced OT cybersecurity partner, like Rockwell Automation, would be critical for OT cybersecurity success. Our cybersecurity team collaborated with Church & Dwight to identify where to start, how to align solutions with business needs, cultivate organizational buy-in, and execute a uniform OT security strategy across their enterprise.\n\n\u00a0This collaborative process has enhanced Church & Dwight's capabilities to manage OT cybersecurity risk through asset visibility and threat detection. The upfront investment was a proactive step by Church & Dwight to minimize potential risk that could impact the availability of manufacturing operations.\n\nDownload the full case study to see how we have partnered with Church & Dwight on their OT cybersecurity journey from conception and design to implementation and expansion for the future.\u00a0\n\nTAG: industrial-security\n\n",
    "circular-economy-rng": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/circular-economy-rng\n\nTITLE: Turning Landfill Gas into Renewable Natural Gas\n\nKupper Engineering is a member of the Asplundh Infrastructure Group, a leading national alliance of infrastructure services and solutions for utilities, power producers, and energy-intensive customers. Kupper Engineering provides superior, full service professional engineering, engineering support, equipment procurement, and automation controls integration - from planning and design to implementation and commissioning.\n\nFrom food and dairy operations to landfills, Kupper Engineering is helping companies convert waste and related byproducts into renewable natural gas (RNG.) Made from biogas emitted from organic waste, RNG is processed to pipe-line quality standards and used as a substitute for fossil fuels.\n\nKupper, a provider of engineering, controls, and procurement services, was one of the first firms to provide electrical engineering services for RNG production facilities. \u00a0They've supported about 30 RNG projects and have another 30 planned during the next three years. \u00a0These include RNG sourced from landfill gas, and animal and food waste using anaerobic digester systems.\n\n\"Rather than digging natural gas out of the ground, which is 'non-renewable,' we're taking a byproduct of human processes and turning it into a resource for people to use in their everyday lives,\" said Jude Matteo, principal systems integrator, Kupper Engineering.\n\n\"What makes us unique is that as both an engineering and controls firm we understand how all the pieces fit together in these highly specialized projects,\" added William Moss, a Kupper senior project manager. \u00a0\"We're intimately involved from the initial design to implementation and support throughout the life of these sites.\"\n\nAs part of its solutions portfolio, Kupper has relied on Rockwell Automation for more than a decade.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\n* Quality and Control are Paramount\n\nKupper is helping one of North America's largest landfill operators aggressively expand its RNG infrastructure as part of its growth and sustainability strategies.\n\n\"Historically, as trash was buried in landfills it decomposed. This created off gases that smelled, could be extremely dangerous when accumulating, and negatively impacted the environment and ozone,\"\u00a0Matteo explained. \"The original way operators dealt with that was to remove the landfill gas and flare it - just burn it off.\u00a0Now through a series of processes, they can take that gas out of the landfill, clean it, and turn it into what is essentially natural gas.\"\u00a0\n\nThis operator plans to use the RNG generated to help fuel its transportation fleet and then return the remainder to the natural gas pipeline. Process control is paramount as stringent guidelines govern the process of converting landfill gas (LFG) to pipeline, quality gas.\n\n\"Landfill gas typically is 50% methane and then has a large amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) and a smaller amount of trace components. \u00a0The CO2 and trace amounts need to be stripped away so the final product is 98% pure methane,\" said Michael Markham, a Kupper senior project manager. \"There are several processes to go through and each stage may require compression, cooling, heating and filtration.\"\n\nWith dozens of actuators, motors, valves, pumps, and sensors, it's a complex system to design, connect, and control. \u00a0That's why Kupper uses Rockwell Automation products, including ControlLogix(R) and CompactLogixTM control systems, intelligent motor control centers, variable frequency drives and other components in many of its LFG to RNG projects. \u00a0\n\nThese technologies are also key to employee and system safety. \u00a0They help facilities monitor and detect gas leaks, control ventilation, adjust fans, and shut systems down if needed.\u00a0\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\n* Standardized Plant Design and Equipment\n\n\"We were asked to get involved with this client because they wanted to standardize plant design and equipment across various project sizes so they would be safe, reliable and consistent,\" Markham explained.\n\nBetween now and 2026, the client plans to build 20 RNG plants in four sizes ranging from 16,000 to 30,000 square feet. These plants will have the capability to handle between 3,000 and 8,000 standard cubic feet per minute of LFG.\n\n\"These facilities will run fast acting, complex processes with hundreds of components that need to be installed, configured and integrated. \u00a0When we use Rockwell Automation products, it's by far the easiest and quickest way to do it,\" Matteo said. \"Since we know we're going to build more of these plants, we try to template them. The ability to standardize and modularize programming has been straightforward, and we can count on the performance of Rockwell's offerings.\"\n\nAll of which is essential to maximizing production time.\n\n\"Whether it's digester or a landfill, as in the case of this client, they're always making gas that has to be dealt with continuously. \u00a0Any time a plant is not running, they have to do something with the gas and usually that means flaring it,\" Matteo explained. \u00a0\"So, any increase in reliability is hugely beneficial.\"\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\n* Potential Economic and Environmental Benefits\n\nKupper's first standardized LFG to RNG site for this client's current portfolio went online in spring 2023 with about eight more expected in 2024 and the remainder in the years following.\n\nAn average site has the potential to recover and produce more than 780,000 MMBtu per year of RNG. MMBtu is the common metric used to measure heating content and fuel value. That amount equals serving more than 26,000 homes or 676 heavy-duty trucks annually and is the equivalent of more than 5.3 million gallons of diesel fuel. The use of RNG from this sized plant, instead of fossil fuels, has the potential to eliminate more than 50,000 tons per year of greenhouse gas emissions.\n\n\"We're helping this client turn a nuisance gas byproduct into usable energy,\" Markham said. \"Instead of them having to spend capital and annual funds for disposal, they'll produce a viable energy source that's better for the environment and generates a profitable income.\"\u00a0\n\nVisit our Renewable Energy Page to learn more about how we are helping companies accelerate the energy transition.\n\nTAG: drive-sustainability\n\nTAG: power-generation\nTAG: renewable-energy\n\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: motor-control\n\n",
    "shandong-mining-digital-transformation": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/shandong-mining-digital-transformation\n\nTITLE: Predictive Maintenance Transforms Shandong Mining\n\nIn the mining industry, competition is fierce, and the introduction of predictive maintenance technology can effectively improve the competitiveness of enterprises.\n\nLosing critical assets can be devastating, especially in mining. The loss can cause unplanned downtime that can cost billions of dollars per year. To be more proactive in preventing these events, industrial organizations and mining companies are beginning to schedule downtime events by employing advanced technologies and predictive maintenance.\n\nWith predictive maintenance, critical assets are monitored, and data from connected technologies, such as sensors, control systems and smart machines, is analyzed. Leveraging technology like FactoryTalk(R) AnalyticsTM and applying machine learning technology, engineers can identify normal operations and build out data models to help predict, monitor for, and mitigate future failures or issues as part of a preventive maintenance strategy.\n\nUsing a prescriptive analytics solution helps customers achieve business outcomes such as overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) improvement, downtime reduction, and quality or process improvement.\n\n\"With predictive maintenance, critical assets are monitored, and data from connected technologies is analyzed.\"\n\n***** About Shandong Mining *****\n\nShandong Mining maintains a complete industrial chain from exploration, mining, processing, refining and sales of gold products and relevant scientific and technological research and development. To provide an idea of size and scope, with Barrick Gold Corporation, Shandong Mining operates Veladero gold mine, the largest gold mine in Argentina and the second largest in South America.\n\nShandong Mining built an intelligent control Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) cloud platform data center in Optical Valley Software Park, Huangdao District, Qingdao City, Shandong Province.\n\nThrough this center, Shandong Mining wanted to unify hardware, software, network and other resources using cloud computing, big data and mobile technologies. The system would manage the operational data of conveyor equipment, customer information data, and provide full-life management of equipment.\n\nFor this project, Shandong Mining was focused on belt conveyor operation.\n\n***** Digital Transformation: The Time is Now *****\n\nLike other cyclical industries, mining is driven by steady global economic growth and market fundamentals, and also by an increasing demand for materials to support new technologies.\n\nThe industry still faces major operational challenges, including process efficiency and cost control, specifically with equipment maintenance. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\n\nMining companies have come up against these same challenges for decades, but the opportunity for addressing them has expanded with the addition of a new variable: digital transformation.\n\nDigital transformation provides a major opportunity to address some of the greatest challenges in the mining industry. The World Economic Forum projects that digital transformation initiatives will result in more than $320 billion worth of value from 2016 to 2025.\n\nWith the maturity of the IoT - and big data technology - Shandong Mining decided that now was the time to invest in digital transformation. The goal: improve real-time monitoring of equipment, including vibration, temperature, pressure and noise.\n\nEspecially in big industries like mining, oil and gas, uptime of critical assets drives the bottom line. This also includes critical machines in continuous-manufacturing operations. Using preventive maintenance provides customers with the ability to monitor predictions and analyze details without needing to build their own data models or engineer their own solutions.\n\nThe team also focused on data analysis, predictive equipment failure, and additional options for remote service and troubleshooting to make maintenance more intelligent and reliable while lowering costs.\n\n\"With the maturity of the IoT - and big data technology - Shandong Mining decided that now was the time to invest in digital transformation.\"\n\n***** Results *****\n\nWhile investments in smart manufacturing are growing by the billions, many companies are finding they lack the leadership, infrastructure and worker skills to successfully implement digital transformation projects. The problem isn't isolated to heavy industries either: a Gartner study showed that across market segments, 85% of big data projects fail.\n\nEnabling successful initiatives in the mining industry requires the ability to leverage data effectively and then share it with everyone who needs to see both historic and real-time information to predict and help prevent downtime.\n\n\"The value of digital transformation for Shandong Mining is undeniable.\"\n\nThe operation of Shandong Mining's maintenance system is controlled intelligently, and the expected operation and maintenance effect can save 12% of the scheduled maintenance cost and 30% of the maintenance cost, reduce 50% of the mechanical failure time and 70% of the failure rate.\n\nThe value of digital transformation for Shandong Mining is undeniable. Using this experience as a guideline, mining companies undertaking similar initiatives should be intentional and well-planned in their approach, defining the strategy and roadmap, and approach digital transformation as a journey and not one destination.\n\nTAG: optimize-production\nTAG: accelerate-digital-transformation\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\nTAG: industrial-maintenance-and-support\n\nTAG: factorytalk-maintenancesuite\nTAG: factorytalk-innovationsuite\nTAG: factorytalk-analytics\n\n",
    "pipeline-valve-solar-power": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/pipeline-valve-solar-power\n\nTITLE: Pipeline Valve Actuation \"Goes Green\"\n\nOil and gas producers rely on complex networks of pipelines to transport their products. Pipelines typically lead from individual well pads to central gathering sites, which tie-in to larger pipelines - and eventually, processing and distribution facilities.\n\nTo help maintain safe operation, the pipelines include shut-off valves at the tie-ins that can quickly stop the flow if there is an emergency. In crude oil pipelines, the emergency shut-off valves are often actuated by either fuel gas, nitrogen-driven pneumatic systems or hydraulic systems.\n\n\"For environmental reasons, many producers are trying to drastically limit their use of fuel gas and nitrogen to actuate the valves,\" explained John Clay, CEO, Endpoint Industrial Controls. \"And they are also looking for ways to improve operational efficiency.\"\n\nEndpoint Industrial Controls delivers turnkey automation and control solutions for a wide range of industries - from oil and gas to renewables to manufacturing. Headquartered in Loveland, Colorado, the company is part of the Rockwell Automation(R) PartnerNetworkTM program.\n\n***** West Texas Challenge *****\n\nRecently, a leading energy company approached Endpoint for a valve actuation solution that would support their environmental goals - and limit the field work required to maintain their systems in West Texas.\n\nWhile the valves are designed for emergency shutdowns, which happen rarely, they must be tested regularly.\n\n\"Our customer used two methods to actuate their valves,\" said Clay. \"At some sites, they used fuel gas and at others, hydraulics.\"\n\nEach method presented unique challenges. To power gas actuated valves, gas is vented directly from the pipeline into the atmosphere. This method results in hydrocarbon emissions.\n\nThe hydraulically actuated valves require operator intervention each time they are tested. When the valves are tested - or closed - compressed hydraulic energy is released. To reopen the valves, an operator must manually pump the valve until it reaches adequate pressure.\n\nLike many oil and gas producing regions, West Texas is a harsh environment. The company's shut-off valves are in remote locations, many accessible only by traversing treacherous roads.\n\n\"To service the hydraulically actuated valves, operators were driving several hours - often in the middle of the night - on one of the most dangerous roads in the country,\" said Clay. \"Our customer wanted to both improve operator safety and minimize the amount of unproductive windshield time.\"\n\n***** A Singular Solution *****\n\nEndpoint was charged with designing a single solution that would replace both fuel gas and hydraulic valve actuation methods. To meet objectives, the company designed a system based on solar-powered, air compressors to actuate the valves.\n\n\"We provided a full-scope solution - from concept and design to manufacturing and integration,\" said Clay. \"The result is a skidded, off-grid system that can be delivered to our customer's sites - and implemented without modification.\"\n\nThe completely contained skid measures approximately 6 feet x 17 feet (1.8 meters x 5.2 meters) and includes solar panels, battery storage, a 200-gallon compressor tank and related control systems. To install the system, the existing actuators at the sites are removed with the valves in the open position, replaced with compressed air actuators - and attached to the compressor.\n\n\"Because this is a high-availability, safety application, the skid also includes a back-up compressor,\" said Jacob Payne, lead engineer, Endpoint Industrial Controls. \"In addition, the battery storage provides a month of back-up power to mitigate limited solar power generation on cloudy days.\"\n\nThe energy company requested a solution based on a Rockwell Automation(R) architecture to align with their existing installed base. The control system features an Allen-Bradley(R) CompactLogixTM controller and Allen-Bradley POINT I/OTM, running on an EtherNet/IPTM network.\n\n\"Actually, our initial proof-of-concept was applied to a hydraulic system - and we reused the existing CompactLogix controller at the site,\" Payne said.\n\nNetworked POINT I/O captures digital inputs from pressure transmitters, voltage meters and other smart devices. And delivers complete system health status to an integrated Operation Command Center (OCC) in Houston.\n\n***** Information-Enabled Success *****\n\nThe solar-powered system provides more granular feedback than the previous system, eliminates the use of fuel gas and enables remote operation. Personnel can open and close the valves from the OCC hundreds of miles away.\n\n\"From the standpoint of a green solution, the system checks all the boxes,\" said Clay. \"It reduces the energy company's overall carbon footprint - and helps keep operators off the road.\"\u00a0\u00a0\n\n\"While the initial pilot was applied to a hydraulic system, it proved the concept for all applications,\" Clay added. \"Our customer is so confident in the results that they are currently evaluating the skid for offshore applications as well.\"\u00a0\n\nLearn more about solutions delivered by our OEM Partners.\u00a0\n\nTAG: drive-sustainability\n\nTAG: industrial-energy-management\nTAG: sustainability\nTAG: energy\n\nTAG: pipeline-and-transportation-automation\nTAG: oil-and-gas\nTAG: industry\nTAG: rockwell-automation:metadata\n\n",
    "cartoner-fast-changeover": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/cartoner-fast-changeover\n\nTITLE: Cartoner Offers Advanced Technology & Simplicity\n\nFor more than 20 years, customers have relied on CRG Automation's custom engineered systems and machines to package their products. Since its founding in 2000, The Kentucky-based OEM has built an award-winning reputation as an innovator, earning honors from TIME, Fast Company and Inc. Magazines.\u00a0\n\nFor more than 20 years, customers have relied on CRG Automation's custom engineered systems and machines to package their products. Since its founding in 2000, The Kentucky-based OEM has built an award-winning reputation as an innovator, earning honors from TIME, Fast Company and Inc. Magazines.\u00a0\u00a0\n\nAs an OEM member of Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM program, CRG has embedded a number of our latest technologies into its newest custom automation machine: the C-IMC Cartoner. Cartoners place products, such as toothpaste or trash bags, into the retail cartons shoppers find on store shelves.\n\nDuring assembly, cartoners retrieve products from production lines, insert them into cartons formed by the machine, and then fold, tuck or glue the flaps closed. These machines can also label, scan or perform other required tasks before cartons move to the next station, which is typically case packaging.\n\n\"We've been building cartoners for two decades. We're proven and reliable,\" said James DeSmet, CEO at CRG Automation. \"Our new automated cartoner infuses the best of our legacy with modern technology and flexibility. Designed and built by the same professionals behind our other innovations, the C-IMC Cartoner is engineered to meet today's industrial challenges.\"\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nWorkforce Issues and Machine Rigidity Limit Packaging Capabilities\n\nLike many manufacturers, frequent employee turnover and a lack of technical skills are the primary challenges facing CRG's customers. But in today's fast-paced production environments, they no longer have weeks or months to spend training new hires.\n\n\"The labor shortage is real. It's getting harder to find and keep experienced people on the job,\" DeSmet explained. \"What we heard is that customers want a machine that's simple to use, easy to operate, and includes on board training and troubleshooting guidance so technicians can self-diagnose or self-adjust.\"\n\nWith an increasingly inexperienced workforce, machine safety is also critical. \"Safety is always number one. And if new workers are not intrinsically familiar with the factory environment or the specific machinery,\" DeSmet said, \"then it's especially important that the machinery is intrinsically safe.\"\n\nLastly, packaging customers must respond quickly to changing consumer preferences for various product sizes.\n\n\"Companies don't want to buy several different machines to do their packaging,\" explained Kevin Houk, OEM Account Leader, Rockwell Automation. \"They want one machine that goes from trial and travel sized products to family sized products with minimal changeover time.\"\n\nChangeovers for traditional cartoners are mechanically driven. This means operators must shut down machines in order to manually adjust components and settings, which then results in downtime, lost productivity and less output.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\nInherently Safe and Flexible\n\nThe cartoner is also built to enable automated, single-button changeovers. With the machine's preloaded cartoner recipes and ArmorKinetix(R) Distributed Servo Drives, changeovers are quick, accurate and hassle-free. The C-IMC Cartoner handles various rectangular carton sizes.\n\n\"Now with the push of a button the machine will change itself over or direct the operator to the specific dials or adjustments they need to make,\" DeSmet said. \"Lengthy setup times are a thing of the past, which helps our customers increase productivity and output.\"\u00a0\n\nInherently flexible and easy to use, the C-IMC Cartoner also prioritizes the safety of every operator with CompactLogixTM integrated safety control to help ensure a secure and productive manufacturing environment.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\nGenerates and Contextualizes Actionable Information\n\nThe machine is ideal for mid-range production with the capability to process about 60 cartons a minute.\n\n\"The C-IMC Cartoner is truly a smart machine that generates vast amounts of real-time data,\" Houk said. \"With FactoryTalk Optix, customers can contextualize and turn data into actionable information.\n\n\"Optix is different because it offers a broad range of deployment options. Running Optix on a PC-based machine provides customers additional application and IIoT opportunities, including the ability to perform analytics on machine,\" Houk continued. \"Then, depending on how data-ready they are, they can port to the cloud, connect and compare with other machines or facilities, and share and access information from manufacturing execution systems.\"\n\nThe platform also provides secure remote connectivity through FactoryTalk(R) Remote AccessTM allowing CRG to support and service customers, and even proactively alerting them to potential issues.\n\n\"The C-IMC Cartoner is designed to inform, improve and optimize operations,\" DeSmet said. \"It's built to complement and enhance existing production lines while positioning our customers to thrive and grow in their markets.\"\n\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: warehouse-fulfillment\nTAG: household-and-personal-care\n\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: human-machine-interface\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: safety-products\nTAG: input-or-output-i-or-o-modules\nTAG: factorytalk-maintenancesuite\nTAG: factorytalk-operationsuite\n\n",
    "plastics-extruder-mes": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/plastics-extruder-mes\n\nTITLE: Pacur Implements, Real-time Digitized MES\n\nFounded in 1979, Pacur is a leading custom sheet extruder of polyesters and resins for a variety of applications. With an array of products, including polypropylenes, PETG, and sustainable materials, Pacur serves the medical packaging, food packaging, general retail and print market with roll stock and cut-to-size sheets. Pacur prides itself on its ability to create mutually beneficial relationships between customers and suppliers while exceeding quality expectations through the elimination of product defects.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\n* Looking for a Better Way\n\nPacur leadership recognized an opportunity for operational improvement and business enhancement. To make sure their vision came to fruition, Victoria Beltran, Director of Information Systems, was brought to the Pacur team with experience in system implementation and management. Alongside leadership, Beltran saw a need for a real-time, digitized manufacturing execution solution to help Pacur better serve its customer base, meet quality requirements, and support forecasted growth.\n\nWith a custom application on the shop floor, some Pacur employees were hesitant to switch systems and move away from an application that was created with their specific needs in mind. The company looked to move from an on-premise to a cloud-based solution to eliminate heavy IT system support and work within a system that would be continuously updated.\n\nPacur also focused on both scheduling capabilities and comprehensive quality tracking and management when looking for their new solution. They aimed to eliminate the challenges with tracking in-process quality and thereby waste resulting from manual errors and problems caught after the fact. To support compliance with their ISO certification and meet industry standards and guidelines, Pacur needed an easy-to-use, automated quality solution to be the company's single source of truth.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\n* Implementation Success through Change Management\n\nAfter exploring several different systems, alongside a committee made up of primary stakeholders and leadership, Beltran determined that Plex Manufacturing Execution System was not only scalable, but also offered a modern user interface and an experienced network of implementation partners. Plex's comprehensive and cloud-based offering along with a strong focus on digitized quality was the total package for Pacur.\n\nPacur began the implementation process with a steadfast change management plan and the help of their discovery and implementation partner Control+M. Knowing that change can be daunting, they considered that their operations team already had technology in place that they were comfortable using and that executives were cautious about storing company information in the cloud. So, throughout the implementation, Pacur made it a priority to educate employees on the benefits they would see in their day-to-day work as a result of digitization, including process streamlining, real-time inventory management, traceability, and real-time reporting.\n\nTo tackle training on Plex, Pacur started with surveys to determine the level of technology usage that employees were comfortable with. This allowed training to be individualized and crafted to the specific needs of Pacur employees. Ongoing education was a major factor in adoption success. In fact, 72 hours of training were made available and while employees were only required to attend three hours of this training, many took advantage of additional sessions for more support. \"The customized training we developed in working with our stakeholders to ensure we made the most out of the system wouldn't have been possible without the ease of use of Plex\", noted Beltran.\n\nJust before implementation, Pacur's ownership changed, which actually increased support from high-level executives. A positive outlook by the new leadership team on the benefits that would be realized from Plex gave employees an increased sense of security and heightened their confidence in the new possibilities now available to them. \"Pacur was really good at listening,\" commented Patti Nowak, Owner of Control+M Solutions. \"The more you listen and acknowledge people's input, the more they're willing to give input and the better the project is. So, everybody really felt empowered and that was a big factor at the end of their implementation.\"\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\n* Real Benefits, Real ROI\n\nResults achieved were clear after go-live. One initial requirement that Pacur defined was improved access to data. Plex has eliminated information silos, which was a drain on resources who need to communicate across these silos within the organization. Plex's multi-tenant, cloud-based model tracks all information in real time - a critical asset for managing manufacturing - relieving Pacur's issues with data visibility.\n\nPacur also shifted from error-prone paper-based quality data gathering to in-line quality data gathering using digital check sheets, which has accelerated work on the shop floor. Instead of disruptive manual quality checks, employees are able to focus their energy elsewhere and executives trust the data prepared for audits and compliance. Digitizing quality with Plex now helps reduce high costs of compliance, including data collection, re-certs, and re-audits, and the high cost of low quality, such as lost material and rework.\n\nAnother quantifiable outcome, Pacur can now send invoices within one day through an automated process, as opposed to a previous wait of up to two weeks. Eliminating data review individually by Pacur employees, this has improved accounts receivable health with invoices delivered in record time.\n\nPacur has also seen a substantial decrease in their monthly accounting close time, going from fifteen to twenty day closes to five days maximum. This significant improvement was made in only three months.\n\nPlex's cloud-based model and modern interface appeals to the work preferences and skill sets of young professionals coming into manufacturing. Working in Plex makes it easy to onboard new hires rapidly. Beltran stated, \"We spend 45 minutes training people that we onboard in a Plex training session and that's literally all it takes. From the start, we tell people that the hardest thing they're going to do at any time with Plex is log in, which is simple to do. It's very easy to walk them through their process steps and get them going on the floor right away.\"\n\nBeltran made note of how the data gathering process for making critical and strategic decisions that was previously long and tedious is now expedited due to Plex's rapid data extraction capabilities. \"We have made two incredibly big business decisions, capital spend and market exit, based on the data that we've been able to extract from Plex very quickly. Had we decided to even look into that in the past, it would've taken us at least six months to gather the data and then we'd have to analyze it. With Plex, the process now takes only a few weeks.\"\n\n\n\n* Technology Designed for Growth\n\nThe possibilities for Pacur are endless with Plex in their corner. They recognize that with a solid quality and manufacturing processes foundation, the time is ripe to set sights on future improvements. Pacur has already completed one acquisition of a plastics manufacturing company based in France. Growing with Plex into the new facility with their firsthand implementation experience was a major benefit and the implementation process was expedited and seamless.\n\nWith the same software and metrics in both locations, Pacur can look holistically at their business and make critical business decisions faster to support future growth. Beltran shared, \"Now that we understand the amount and quality of data that we can get out of Plex, we really emphasize the importance of the information that's going into Plex so we can drive a higher level of accountability and insight.\"\n\nTAG: accelerate-digital-transformation\n\nTAG: mes-solutions\n\nTAG: chemical\n\nTAG: plex\n\n",
    "anglo-platinum-gains-production-intelligence-": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/anglo-platinum-gains-production-intelligence-\n\nTITLE: Anglo Platinum Gains Production Intelligence\n\n*** Background ***\n\nPlatinum is the rarest of the world's metals. Annually, only about 133 tons of platinum are extracted from earth, compared to around 1,800 tons of gold. Rarity isn't the only reason platinum is prized in the world of fine jewelry. It's also resistant to fading and its malleability helps hold diamonds and other jewels in place.\n\nAnglo Platinum in South Africa is the world's largest platinum producer. A subsidiary of Anglo American, the company processes nearly 40 percent of all newly mined platinum annually. The Anglo Platinum precious metal refinery (PMR) is located near two of the largest platinum mines in the world. The ore processed by the refinery contains more than just platinum. Other \"precious group\" metals (PGMs) include ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium and iridium. The refinery also extracts base metals, such as nickel, copper and zinc.\n\nUses for the platinum produced here extend well beyond jewelry. The precious metal helps catalytic converters strip pollutants from car exhaust gases and is increasingly considered an alternative energy source, using platinum fuel cells to address environmental and energy concerns.\n\nThe refining process is complex because of the variety of metals extracted. Anglo Platinum found its process automation system increasingly difficult to support and too fragmented to handle the refinery's intricate process. So, the company began searching for a solution.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nProcessing PGMs begins by removing ore from either an underground or open pit mine. Anglo Platinum then transfers the ore to one of its concentrated plants where the ore is crushed and floated. From there, it enters the smelting process, which removes unwanted elements from the ore. A converter then transfers the product to the company's magnetic concentrator plant, where base and precious group metals are separated.\n\nOperations were complicated by the 1980s-era legacy control system, which had been compiled by various vendors. The result: a legacy system that required specialized skills to maintain. Such a cobbled system was also hard to upgrade any further.\n\n\"We have both batch and continuous processes occurring in our refinery, so variation was a key consideration when searching for a new solution,\" said Hermanus du Preez, control technology specialist, Anglo Platinum. \"Our system needs to be able to maintain continuous processes and monitor batches \u2013 in other words, it needs to cater to our complexity.\"\n\nThe PMR faced issues with efficiently routing and sharing equipment used for multiple recipes. Operators needed to decide which equipment should be used when and by what process to cater to various recipes, but they were unable to schedule the sharing of equipment in advance, often causing delays.\n\nTo gain a scalable and flexible system, the company decided to move forward with a single vendor. \"We needed to standardize, align with international best practices, and upgrade our system to prepare for the next 10 to 15 years of operation,\" said du Preez.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nThe Anglo Platinum PMR already had a network infrastructure in place using a Rockwell Automation control system. So the company selected a PlantPAx\u00ae process automation system from Rockwell Automation to standardize its control systems with one vendor.\n\nThe PlantPAx system is a modern DCS designed to manage plant-wide automation systems. As a result, Anglo Platinum can use the same automation technology throughout the refinery \u2013 enabling seamless integration, easy access to information, and easy modifications as demand or products change.\n\n\"The PlantPAx solution was an ideal fit,\" du Preez said. \"We were able to put the full, robust system on top of our existing control base, which helped us create standard control modules needed for our processes.\"\n\nCustomization was a critical element of the solution. Working closely together with Rockwell Automation, Anglo Platinum implemented a hybrid process system that caters to batch and continuous processes, and is compliant with ISA-88 standards.\n\nFor example, Anglo Platinum added a \"routing block\" to the refinery's operation that allows operators to effectively schedule and control equipment for equipment sharing. Operators are also able to re-prioritize changes in the queue if needed and can do so online \u2013 a new, time-saving option with the modern DCS system.\n\nBy embedding both the procedural and regulatory control inside, and with the flexibility the system allows to build customized add-on instructions, the PMR now has batch reporting capabilities. These capabilities are delivered using their custom-build batch report AOI.\n\nThis improves the operator's ability to better control the plant by displaying which KPIs \u2014 such as operation and critical phase times, throughput capacity and batch variability \u2014 have been met and where a batch is at each stage on an operator screen. Reports displaying recipe parameters \u2014 those met and those deviated from \u2013 provide operators with access to real-time data allowing for enhanced reliability for recipe execution.\n\nFactoryTalk Historian software taps into information that has been automatically identified, gathered and stored to help operators analyze process-related data. Refinery operators now have visibility into the time it took to validate a sample or for a piece of equipment to become available.\n\n\"Our operators have gained valuable information to help them understand why a certain batch took 20 hours to produce when it was supposed to take 16 hours,\" du Preez said. \"This improved visibility enables us to identify constraints in the refinery's processes that we weren't always aware of before.\"\n\nStricter control is another benefit of the new modern DCS system. Every start and stop during production is reported through the historian software so operators receive a more realistic picture of each process and batch.\n\nFor example, if a batch abnormally deviates from its recipe parameters, the process will go into a safe state. When corrected and re-started, the batch will pick up where it paused by referencing specific KPIs.\n\nPreviously, any disruptions in the process were dependent on human intervention and were not always reported. Even though it is automated, operators still have the flexibility to intervene if needed.\n\nWith the PlantPAx solution, Anglo Platinum managers can develop standard recipe templates and libraries. From a maintenance perspective, this makes it easier to identify areas within the operation that might be experiencing unnecessary trips, faults or other issues.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nOperators have access to reporting across every stage and level of the process so they're able to keep track of recipes in real time and have stricter control during production.\n\n\"We have a more realistic view of operations now,\" du Preez said. \"With additional information and increased visibility, our operators can better understand the process.\"\n\nThe increase in visibility had decreased batch variability. Operators can quickly compare batches and KPIs, and identify if and when a batch is deviating. As they get used to the system and monitor consecutive batches, operators will know how long a certain batch should take and when there is an issue.\n\nThe ISA-88-structured PlantPAx solution has also improved maintenance and troubleshooting, which helps Anglo Platinum comply with strict international process control standards.\n\n\"What the PlantPAx modern DCS system is bringing to the table is flexibility and scalability,\" du Preez said. \"We will always have unique requirements that we need to cater to, and this system gives us the option to meet those and remain compliant.\"\n\n\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\n\n",
    "turatti-sees-increased-productivity-in-its-food-washing-machiner": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/turatti-sees-increased-productivity-in-its-food-washing-machiner\n\nTITLE: Turatti Sees Increased Productivity in its Food Washing Machinery\n\n*** Background ***\n\nConstant investment in R&D and innovation and the highest attention to food quality are the main reasons behind Turatti's ever-growing success in the food industry. The Italian company, based in Cavarzere, near Venice, designs and manufactures machinery and complete processing lines and invests 15 percent its sales income into R&D, while 82 percent of its machines go for export. In addition to its headquarter in Cavarzere, the company has established offices in Yorba Linda, California (US) and in Allonnes, France.\n\n\"We are a family-run company founded in 1869 with a long history of innovation in the agro-industrial field. Today we are able to offer a wide range of processing solutions for canned food, frozen and fresh products, fresh-cut and convenience food,\" explains Alessandro Turatti, Sales Director of Turatti Srl and President of Turatti North America \u2013 representing the fifth-generation of Turatti family.\n\nTuratti manufactures custom solutions for the food industry and works both for food service companies, which refurbish fast-food chain equipment, and for big multi-national end users.\n\n\"Our customers require maximum safety, stable working cycles and smart resource consumption in their processing lines,\" Turatti elaborates. \"Turatti's production is fully oriented to satisfy these requirements, thanks to our cooperation with the best hardware and software machine automation technologies providers.\"\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nTwo years ago a big corporation in the fresh food market asked Turatti to realize a washing and treatment pilot plant for fresh salad. After the first master plan, the customer commissioned Turatti for eight other plants in three different key locations. The eight new Turatti plants started running between 2012 and 2013. \"For this customer we designed and realized a patented continuous-flow washing and treatment system. This revolutionary system utilizes the proven closed pipe flume concept to transport water and fresh salad, which is mainly based on thermal shock (from 60 to 3\u00b0C). This closed flume features full submersion of the product, which means excellent washing and treatment process and minimizes microorganism growth,\" Claudio Gaffarelli, Head of Automation and Software Department of Turatti, explains.\n\nTuratti's customer needed to control water conditions (pH), micro-organism presence and temperature. At the same time, the customer demanded easier and more precise process regulation, to help ensure the best product quality. They needed to perform working speed cycles up to 5 tons/hour. \"In order to help ensure product quality in the lines, we had to design a solution which could avoid any severe fluctuation or sudden variation of level, flow, pressure or temperature conditions. Even minimal temperature variations, in a range of 0.1 or 0.2\u00b0C, could irreparably damage the fresh salad in some steps of the treatment or washing process. Thus, the project required seamless integration of field instruments and valves, which should be managed directly by the automation and control platform,\" Gaffarelli adds. When realizing the washing and treatment plants for fresh salad, Turatti selected the PlantPAx\u2122 Process Automation System from Rockwell Automation.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nThe eight washing and treatment lines for fresh salad commissioned by Turatti's customer feature PlantPAx, integrating process control, safety and connectivity solutions. The PlantPAx system uses an EtherNet/IP network and supports direct management of the field process instrumentation.\n\nThe PlantPAx platform designed by Rockwell Automation for each of the eight Turatti's plants is based on one PlantPAx controller layer with safety functionalities, and four human-machine interfaces (HMI).\n\nThe controller and the HMIs share an EtherNet/IP ring network. Sharing the same ring network are 12 Endress+Hauser Promag 53 flowmeters and four SMC EX260 valves. The flowmeters and valves share another EtherNet/IP star network. Direct communication between measurement instrumentation, HMI and controller is based on the connectivity provided by PlantPAx, including five unmanaged switches, four embedded switches and I/O modules, with dual port Ethernet adapters with standard and safety I/O.\n\nThe system also features 14 variable speed drives. The drives manage conveyor belts, fans and run the 11kW pumps driving water and fresh salad into the closed pipe flumes.\n\nThe PAC manages both safety and process control functionalities. It controls the main washing and treatment steps in the plant, including the heat exchangers functions: salad uploading and submersion in the prewashing zone, salad transport in the warm-washing and cold-washing zones, final unloading and weighing.\n\nTwo HMIs are placed in the warm-washing zone, one is in the cold-washing zone, one is in the maintenance cabinet, while the fifth HMI provides operators with access to overall data history and exchange management. The HMIs integrate FactoryTalk\u00ae View ME software for process parameters monitoring: temperature, pressure, flow and pH values. The HMI solution also provides operators with remote access, process control and machine diagnostics data sharing, thanks to the integrated web browser.\n\n\n\nThe PlantPAx system is entirely programmed with RSLogix\u2122 5000 software. \"We set up the overall Endress+Hauser instrumentation and programmed the safety and control functionalities in the single programming integrated platform from Rockwell Automation,\" Gaffarelli explains.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nPlantPAx made it faster and easier for Turatti to build the eight plants for its customer. \"Thanks to easy-to-use programming software,\" Gaffarelli explains, \"our engineering team minimized not only time spent on I/O, control, safety programming and instrumentation set-up, but also on the plant's installation on site.\"\n\nFurthermore, Turatti also delivered washing and treatment plants with a process control solution based on a single EtherNet/IP backbone for HMI, control, safety, pneumatics and process instrumentation devices. The customer can take advantage of excellent operational safety, the direct link between field devices and the supervisory network and real-time data communication. \"Thanks to the single EtherNet/IP ring network which the PlantPAx system leverages, data communication results are more robust and the risk of signal transmission breaks is minimized; our customer also achieves more seamless integration between control and safety functions,\" Gaffarelli underlines.\n\nThe PlantPAx system features multiple-loop control and main process parameters regulation on Turatti's plants. Turatti's customer is now able to check overall operating costs and throughput quality. With the PlantPAx system, Turatti's customer can rely on one common, sophisticated platform of diagnostics, alarms management and supervision. \"Our customer gained enhanced troubleshooting operations, faster production cycles and a considerable decrease in machine downtime of up to 80 percent,\" Gaffarelli concludes. \"Moreover, thanks to the PlantPAx HMI solution, operators have access to role based information and can visualize it through the user-friendly screen shots displayed in FactoryTalk. Operators can access both technical operating instructions and alarm instructions directly from the HMI panel too. The integrated web browser application also offers improved access to the overall plant data.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "no-power-line--no-problem--": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/no-power-line--no-problem--\n\nTITLE: No Power Line? No Problem.\n\nMuch has changed in the complex and volatile oil and gas market in recent years. But one constant remains critical to profitability. Both producers and midstream companies require accurate and reliable measurement of the quantity and quality of crude oil as it passes from the wellpad to the pipeline.\n\nTypically, companies rely on lease automatic custody transfer (LACT) units. LACT systems consist of a series of pumps, pipes and valves to measure and sample crude oil, as well as govern flow rate, operating pressure and other key parameters.\n\n\"Our LACT systems are installed in some of the harshest and most remote locations in the world,\" said Bryan Lindsey, director of automation, UMC Energy. \"Increasingly, customers are demanding highly specialized products \u2013 and we cater to that.\"\n\nLocated in Joshua, Texas,\u00a0UMC Energy has been serving the oil and gas industry for more than 50 years.\n\nA privately owned company, UMC Energy prides itself on its agility \u2013 and ability to deliver custom, turnkey energy solutions within aggressive time frames.\n\n*** Power Infrastructure Challenges ***\n\n\"For midstream companies, speed is of the essence,\" Lindsey said. \"They want to build their pipeline, sign their customer and start moving oil as quickly as possible.\"\n\nHowever, a midstream company's ability to measure and transfer oil is often hampered by the lack of power available to run the LACT units in remote locations.\n\n\"In many of these areas, there is very little infrastructure,\" said Lindsey. \"And in the U.S., the cost to build a power line averages about $300,000 per mile. Those costs are absorbed by the pipeline operator.\"\n\nFor example, one UMC Energy customer building a pipeline in west Texas and New Mexico required 25 miles of new power line. In addition to the significant costs, the regional utility had a three-year waiting list for construction.\n\n\"The customer couldn't wait that long \u2013 and asked us if we could create a solar-powered LACT unit that could run outside of the power grid,\" said Lindsey.\n\n*** Innovative Solar Hybrid Approach ***\n\nKnowing that the power requirements of the LACT pumps were beyond what a cost-effective array of solar panels and batteries could produce, UMC Energy proposed a hybrid unit.\n\n\"The customer site was a low-producing area, and we were able to determine that the LACT system only had to run about two or three hours per day,\" Lindsey said. \"The remainder of the time, it could be on standby.\"\n\nConnected to the oil tank battery, the LACT unit is fully solar powered in standby mode. The control system monitors the oil levels in the tank. When enough oil has accumulated to run a batch, the system engages a three-cylinder gas engine. The engine runs on scavenge gas, a byproduct of oil outgassing that naturally occurs in the tank.\u00a0\n\nThe gas engine drives the booster pump and is also connected to a three-phase, 480 volt belt-driven generator. The generator connects power to all other parts of the LACT unit that run on regular AC power, including the charge pump and divert valve.\n\n*** Local & Remote Control & Monitoring ***\n\n\"The control system is in charge of the whole operation,\" Lindsey explained. \"The controller monitors the tank levels, starts the engine and the generator \u2013 and reverses the process after the batch is run \u2013 based on system setpoints.\"\n\nA Rockwell Automation\u00ae control system featuring an\u00a0Allen-Bradley\u00ae CompactLogix\u2122 controller and\u00a0Allen-Bradley PanelView\u2122 graphic terminal runs the LACT unit. The PanelView touch screen allows a local operator to monitor the unit on site.\n\nIn addition, a cellular-based remote monitoring device is included in the panel. Using cell phone networks, the remote monitoring device transmits information to the customer's Houston control center. As an alternative, the system can be configured to enable a cloud-based remote monitoring solution.\n\n\"All monitoring information that is available locally at the skid is also available remotely within a full-blown SCADA system,\" said Lindsey. \"The solar power keeps the control and monitoring system running and available 24/7.\"\n\n*** A Cost-Effective Solution ***\n\nCurrently, UMC Energy is installing a similar LACT system for a customer facing infrastructure challenges at lower-producing sites in Oklahoma.\n\n\"If a LACT unit only runs for a portion of the day, our system is a viable, cost-effective alternative,\" said Lindsey. \"All power required to run the unit is available right at the point of consumption.\"\n\nLearn more about how Rockwell Automation helps improve machine builder performance.\n\nAllen-Bradley, CompactLogix, PanelView and Rockwell Automation are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: oil-and-gas\n\nTAG: programmable-controllers\n\n",
    "rockwell-applications-in-marine-and-dredging-and-offshore-industry": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/rockwell-applications-in-marine-and-dredging-and-offshore-industry\n\nTITLE: Rockwell-applications in Marine and Dredging & Offshore Industry\n\nAlewijnse Marine, in collaboration with Rockwell Automation and one of the largest dredging companies in the world, has developed an innovative control concept based on a virtual platform. With this Alewijnse Virtualization & Visualization (AlViVi) platform, all dredging process-related systems on board are centralized and integrated. In addition, the systems can be visualized and operated from all screens on the ship.\n\n\"Control solutions for dredgers and other offshore installations are subject to high demands\", explains Johan van Rikxoort, product manager Dredging & Offshore at Alewijnse. \"The hardware ages faster, because it is continuously exposed to vibrations and salty air. That is why the complete PC infrastructure on board a ship is usually replaced every five years. That's not just a matter of hardware and cabling replacement. Due to the continuous development of operating systems, the user software must also be regularly upgraded and renewed. This periodic replacement is a drastic and time-consuming operation involving dozens of systems. The customer wanted to simplify and speed up the maintenance of the IT systems on board.\"\n\nVirtual server solutions\n\nAlewijnse Marine, which has been working with Rockwell Automation since 1997, presented a concept to the dredging customer at the end of 2017, which the company had already applied in a slightly different form to several industrial customers. The key characteristic of the solution is that the applications and process information are no longer locally on separate PCs on board the vessel but are virtualized on a central server. With the help of 'zero clients', the information and applications are made available to all roles in the work process, anywhere on the ship. The dredging company, which has one of the most modern fleets of dredgers and trailing suction hopper dredgers, was very enthusiastic about the solution. The customer remained intensively involved in the development up to the proof-of-concept test and has now successfully installed the system on several ships.\n\nThe new concept gives crew members easy access to information relevant to them, making work processes on board faster and more efficient. A key component of the concept is Rockwell Automation's ThinManager Content Delivery Software, which replaces costly kvm switches in this solution and makes the information from both the physical and virtual server environments available to users.\n\nDredge Control System\n\nA dredger has a number of specific systems to execute the primary processes. On dredgers, Alewijnse installs Draft and Loading Systems, which continuously measure and regulate loading, draft and hopper volume, and Suction Tube Systems, which calculate, monitor and control the position of the suction tube. These systems are integrated into the Dredge Control System, monitors and controls all dredging equipment and systems. In addition to these process-related functions, power systems, propulsion, and radar and navigation equipment are, of course, of crucial importance on the ship too. By centralizing all critical business information and systems and putting them on a virtual server, local PCs are no longer needed, and the information can be made accessible to every employee at every workplace.\n\nVisualization\n\n\"A new challenge that emerged during the development process was the visualization of the information,\" explains Van Rikxoort. \"Obviously, all information from all systems must be available on the bridge. For most other locations on the vessel, monitoring and controlling specific sub-processes and systems will suffice. It was technically difficult to operate display terminals simultaneously from a central system because the screen information is usually duplicated simultaneously on all monitors in the network. For the AlViVi platform, however, each display should be able to show information independently, while on other monitors multiple applications should be presented simultaneously.\"\n\nTechnical solution\n\nThe concept of the AlViVi platform, as developed by Alewijnse, is quite simple in design. Instead of a series of PCs, each with their own applications, the basis of the new platform is formed by a fault tolerant virtual server. The applications run on it and it also functions as a Virtual Storage Area Network. All parts of the virtual server are duplicated. If one part of the server fails, another part takes over work immediately and without interruption.\n\nIn previous designs, a kvm switch (keyboard, video and mouse) was often chosen for operation, but for this new solution VersaView(R) thin clients and the ThinManager(R) software from Rockwell Automation were used. The content delivery system works with thin clients, which are connected one on one to the virtual server via Ethernet. This solution saves a considerable amount of hardware and cabling and is therefore cheaper to purchase. In principle, all information from the server can be offered at all workplaces, but a system of authorizations determines who has access to which information and who can carry out which activities. A different solution has been chosen for the transmission of the sonar and radar images, since virtualization of these systems is not allowed. Instead, the video output is converted into streaming video and is distributed via ThinManager to the workplaces.\n\nTesting and installation\n\nAlewijnse built and extensively tested the entire installation and infrastructure for the ALViVi platform at the test center in Nijmegen in the Netherlands. \"The concept in itself may be new,\" says IT Team Lead Anton Evens, \"but we only use components that have proven themselves in the offshore and are certified for the respective applications. Once the hardware and platform have been tested, the entire installation is packed and installed on the ship. Because ultimately fewer components must be built in, the installation is much faster compared to a traditional replacement. This delivers significant time and cost savings.\"\n\nAnother big advantage of the new concept is that we work with a hardware-independent template for the configuration of the virtual server. This allows the core to be very flexibly adapted to the specific applications and work processes on a ship. Alewijnse stores a backup of each environment, so that the original configuration can be completely copied to the ship in a few minutes in an emergency. According to Van Rikxoort, this forms the basis for the next step towards a digital twin of each server. Scenarios and events can then be simulated to solve problems or test new applications. This can be an interesting option, as work ships usually do not have dedicated IT people on board.\n\nBenefits\n\nIn addition to the time savings due to the rapid development, construction and installation of the new IT systems, the enormous reduction in hardware is particularly striking. The use of a virtual server and the thin client solution reduces the amount of hardware and cabling by about 75 percent. A half server cabinet is now sufficient on the bridge instead of several 19-inch racks. Although the purchase costs for the hardware are lower, the total construction and installation of the AlViVi platform per ship is initially not much cheaper than with a traditional IT environment.\n\nAccording to Van Rikxoort, the biggest savings lie in the maintenance of the systems. Less hardware obviously requires less maintenance, but since the applications are in fact disconnected from the hardware, hardware components can be replaced without having to shut down the system. When a VersaView zero client is replaced, the new Firmware is automatically downloaded and the new terminal is operational again within a few minutes. Also, the operating systems and applications are no longer dependent on the hardware, so that the software used on the platform does not have to be adjusted with every replacement of the hardware and therefore lasts longer. All software is simply copied to the new hardware environment.\n\n\nTAG: the-connected-enterprise\n\nTAG: marine\n\nTAG: factorytalk-thinmanager\n\n",
    "automazioni-industriali-capitanio-conquers-complexity-and-time": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/automazioni-industriali-capitanio-conquers-complexity-and-time\n\nTITLE: Automazioni Industriali Capitanio Conquers Complexity and Time\n\n*** Background ***\n\nAutomazioni Industriali Capitanio s.r.l. (AIC) is a global system integrator, which designs, manufactures and markets automation systems, primarily for the metals industry.\n\nFor almost forty years it has successfully designed, produced and commissioned industrial automation systems for the management of process automation in the iron and steel industry.\n\nThis success is thanks to its deep expertise in various system typologies, including melt shops, continuous casters, long products rolling mills for bars, wire rods and sections, water treatment plants and dedusting systems.\n\nIt offers a broad range of capabilities based on numerous electrical technologies, including medium-voltage switch gear, medium- and low-voltage transformers, AC & DC drives panels, motor control centres (MCC) and distribution Panels and PLCs and safety PLC automation panels.\n\nIn addition it can also undertake the design, build and installation of main control desks and local control stations, SCADA & OP Systems, CCVE Systems, totally integrated PLC safety systems, electrical erection, commissioning and turn-key electrical projects.\n\nProducts are always tailored to match the precise requirements of customers all over the world.\n\nToday AIC is one of the leading suppliers of electrical & automation solutions for the world's metals industry - long products steel rolling mills in particular - with more than 700 installations in more than 40 different countries - many of which use Rockwell Automation solutions.\n\nThe company's headquarters is in Brescia, Italy and can offer support to its customers all over the world. In addition to its Italian operations, AIC North America Corp, New York, USA and AIC India Ltd., Kolkata, India support the local markets.\n\nIn a recent greenfield rolling mill project in India, it combined its own expertise with the product and domain experience of Rockwell Automation to develop a completely integrated control solution within incredibly tight time constraints.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nThe project was undertaken on behalf of an independent Indian steel producer and comprised the design, build, testing and commissioning of the electrical systems for a long stainless-steel product (bar and wire rod) hot-rollingmill, which would sit alongside existing facilities, including another mill.\n\nAccording to Marco Capitanio, managing director at AIC: \"The Indian customer awarded the order for mechanical element of the project to a Swedish company; while we handled the electrical side - working to the Swedish company's specification and with the input of an Indian consultant.\"\n\nInteraction between all parties continued at all phases of the project, which was broken down into multiple discrete segments - commercial, kick off, engineering (design), engineering (software), manufacturing of the electrical equipment in our Italian workshop, internal testing (including s/w), shipment to India, erection, cold and hot commissioning and finally support and training.\n\nThe mill, developed for stainless and special steel bars, rods and sections, comprised multiple stations, including stands, shears, blocks, finishing lines and cooling beds, all of which required different types of electrical infrastructure, and all ultimately controlled from a number of local command desks and a main command desk.\n\n\"To compound the scale and complexity of the installation,\" Capitanio elaborates, \"was the short timescales in which we had to complete the project.\n\nThis was further complicated by the different working methodologies used by ourselves, the Swedish OEM, the project consultant and the Indian customer.\n\nHowever, as a global company, we are used to dealing with different practices and procedures and took this all in our stride.\"\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nAIC specified, sourced/built and installed all the main and auxiliary motors, all the main and auxiliary AC and DC drives, all PLCs, all main and local control desks, all software for the PLCs and HMIs, the HMI & database system and the networks; while also providing the necessary services towards successful project completion (engineering, commissioning and remote support).\n\nThe equipment supplied by Rockwell Automation was at the heart of this very impressive installation. Four Allen-Bradley(R) ControlLogix(R) 5000 programmable automation controllers provided the primary control for the line, communicating via 3,500 I/O with no less than 42 racks along its entire length.\n\nThe racks housed a variety of modules depending on their position and function, but in total 19 DC Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) drives were used including PowerFlex 2000A standalone regulators (SAR) and control cards.\n\n69 AC Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 755 drives were also used to control the roller tables, shears pinch rolls, laying forming head and the bar and coil handling, along with four FLEXTM soft starters for the pumps.\n\nAllen-Bradley PanelViewTM Plus HMIs were used for some operator panels with FactoryTalk(R) SCADA running on PCs at the various control stations. Two networks were deployed: EtherNet/IPTM for SCADA, HMI and the drives (the drives are in a redundant configuration) and ControlNETTM for the I/O.\n\n\"We use axis control supplied by the ControlLogix PAC to control the start/stop shear and the laying head,\" Capitanio explains, \"and the system is very efficient.\n\nThe performance in terms of tolerance (cutting/positioning) is very good.\n\nThe AIC automation & HMI software also gives the customer integrated management of each area of the plant using just one platform, from the reheating furnace all the way up to the handling of the finished products.\"\n\n*** Results ***\n\n\"Our Indian customer has now got a fully integrated control architecture, which as well as helping during commissioning also allowed them to reach nominal capacity within just a few days of the hot testing,\" exclaims Capitanio.\n\n\"Even though the start up and project time was shorter than market average for India, we achieved all the primary objectives with the projects timeframe.\"\n\nAIC's customer also benefits from remote access. In the first instance an employee was left on site to deal with any issues.\n\n\"We left one guy on site,\" Capitanio explains. \"Now there is no need, we can do it all remotely. Maintenance is also much easier with the Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture(R).\n\n\"We have been working with Rockwell Automation since before 2000,\" Capitanio concludes. \"Since our first project, we have established a great working relationship.\n\nIts people are very flexible and its products are very good, offering the high performance we demand. Problem solving is always quick and easy. In this project we also involved Rockwell Automation good interaction at a local level.\"\n\n\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\n\n",
    "guangzhou-automobile-group-implements-mes": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/guangzhou-automobile-group-implements-mes\n\nTITLE: Guangzhou Automobile Group Implements MES\n\n\nTAG: automotive-and-tire\n\n",
    "using-plantpax--prodesa-cuts-1-000-hours-of-engineering-time-in-": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/using-plantpax--prodesa-cuts-1-000-hours-of-engineering-time-in-\n\nTITLE: Using PlantPAx, Prodesa Cuts 1,000 Hours of Engineering Time in the Development of a Wood Pellet Plant\n\n*** Background ***\n\nProdesa, an engineering company based in Zaragoza (Spain), improves biofuel production technologies with innovative processes by providing comprehensive solutions for solid biofuels production and environmental protection. Prodesa is committed to the development based on knowledge and technology with the aim of contributing solutions that aid in resolving social and environmental problems and improving the quality of life. Its main activities include the design, manufacturing production and supply of turnkey wood pellet plants, biomass dryers, and biomass Combined heat and power (CHP) plants. Prodesa uses the Engineering Procurement Construction + Operation & Maintenance (EPC + O&M) model.\n\n\"Our clients want us to undertake the complete development of a plant. First, we select the best equipment and solutions for the process, then we take care of the integration, configuration, electrical installation, development of the automation, factory acceptance testing (FAT) is then performed and, finally, we carry out the general commissioning of the plant. Using this model, the customer does not have to worry about anything, \"explains Ismael Sanz, who is responsible for facilities at Prodesa.\n\nHe adds: \"This is our differentiating factor for this industry. There are very few companies in the world that undertake the work we do.\" Currently all its production is exported to international markets. For this reason, the company has opened branch offices in the USA, France, Russia, and Malaysia and is currently developing projects in Latvia, Italy and Vietnam\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nRecently, Prodesa faced a huge challenge. A US customer wanted to build a pellet plant capable of producing about 500,000 tons of pellets per year - five times greater than the typical size for these kind of facilities. This project, located in Greenwood, South Carolina, is set to become one of the biggest plant of its kind in the world.\n\nThe plant had to cover the whole pellet production process, which comprises the pre-treatment of the raw material, including debarking, chipping and wood re-chipping; storage, cleaning and dosing; thermal drying, milling, pelletizing, cooling and sieving; and, finally, product railcar loading to be exported to all over the world.\n\n\"In order to implement the equipment required to perform all the processes for this project, we called upon a range of recognized worldwide suppliers, from where we choose the most suitable component based on the specific requirements of the project. All this equipment was then connected in sequence in order to obtain the process results requested by the customer,\" says Ismael Sanz. \"One of the suppliers we selected was Rockwell Automation. Our customer, a highly recognized company, recommended Rockwell Automation, due to its long established presence in the US market and worldwide, the recognition of its quality and its solution's high flexibility,\" he adds.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nThe first thing Rockwell Automation did after seeing the size of the project was evaluate the most suitable architecture to assist Prodesa in the selection of the optimum components, including the deployment of an EtherNet/IPTM network. \"From the beginning, Rockwell Automation led us in all project phases, allowing us to have a clear vision about all the solutions we needed to put into operation in one of the world's biggest pellet production plant,\" recalls Sanz. Prodesa chose to integrate the Rockwell Automation(R) PlantPAx(R) distributed control system, a solution that uses a common platform to integrate all critical process areas of the plant. In this way, it enables plant-wide control for process, discrete, power, information and safety using a single architecture, so disparate control systems are no longer necessary. This results in significant process optimization and a reduction of the total cost of ownership (TCO). It also offers a high scalability, real-time information availability from any part of the plant and safer connectivity based on a robust industrial security concept - covering plant-floor devices all the way up to the enterprise.\n\n\"In addition, connectivity between Operator Stations (OWS), Engineering Stations (EWS) and process controllers per the guidance from design tools and configuration guides made implementation very simple, easy to use and intuitive,\" states Sanz. He adds: \"The PlantPAx system leverages unmodified Ethernet and the safety features are integrated in the controller and distributed across the plant, which reduces cabling.\"\n\nThe system uses predefined blocks - available from the\u00a0\"Rockwell Automation Library of Process Objects\" - which contain a vast array of control modules commonly required for a process application, with an intuitive design that follows industrial standards. The library along with predefined control strategies greatly reduced development time and provided an efficient operating environment that helps you to obtain the optimum performance from the plant's assets.\n\nAnother important aspect of the project architecture is the integration of the security application within the same controller using\u00a0Allen-Bradley GuardLogix(R) safety controllers and SIL3 safety I/O.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nThe use of Rockwell Automation PlantPAx distributed control system was beneficial for Prodesa in multiple aspects. First, it helped to save time during the project design. According to Ismael Sanz: \"The use of this platform reduced the programming time by more than 60%, and the engineering process was reduced by 50% thanks to the use of the library objects developed by Rockwell Automation.\" He adds: \"Regarding the engineering development, we can state that cost reduction is the equivalent of one thousand working hours of our specialists.\"\n\nIn addition, because the PlantPAx system is a configured solution, the use of an existing library reduces the need to review and test similar process sequences. According to Ismael Sanz: \"This has allowed us to save more than 60% in simulation time, and due to the enormous dimensions of the plant, the installation and commissioning of more than 6,000 I/O points was much more straightforward.\"\n\nFurthermore, since Rockwell Automation components are connected through EtherNet/IP, they dramatically simplify the machine's remote management and maintenance - reducing downtime, increasing productivity and optimising energy efficiency.\n\nThe benefits are not just limited to technological and performance aspects, but also in terms of staff training. Although the plant includes equipment and machines from different manufacturers, the PlantPAx distributed control system is the same for all of them, so the operators learn to operate only one solution. \"We could say that, thanks to this platform, we reduced training costs by 25%,\" says Sanz.\n\nIn conclusion, Ismael Sanz states: \"Rockwell Automation has provided us with great support, proportional with the project's magnitude. The use of Rockwell Automation products in the US market will help towards the final success of the project, due to their impressive reliability, worldwide availability and continuous support from this company. In a project of a size like this, to have a technology partner at this level has enabled us to reduce so much of our efforts, so we were able to focus on other aspects of the process.\"\n\nGuardLogix, PlantPAx, and Rockwell Automation are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\nEtherNet/IP is a trademark of ODVA, Inc.\n\n\nTAG: power-generation\n\n",
    "mine-hoist-energy": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/mine-hoist-energy\n\nTITLE: Harnessing the energy-generating potential of mine hoists\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nUnderground mining hoists, or winders, are powerful machines used to raise and lower minerals and materials in a mine shaft.\n\nThey allow efficient vertical transport of materials, which would otherwise require larger machinery and further costs to extract from the mine.\n\nWhile travelling upward, a large amount of power is required, but this is not the case on the way down.\n\nIt's the downward trip that sparked an innovative idea by underground mine hoist specialists, RUC Mining: what if energy generated on the way down could be stored, then used to power the upward journey?\n\nThe sustainability implications and broader contribution to the electric mine of the future were huge - but there was a technically complex and challenging task to figure out first.\n\nRUC electrical manager, Greg Bell, believed this was more than an idea, and began working on how to make it a reality. He and the RUC team chose strategic partners, Rockwell Automation, and Energy Power Systems Australia (EPSA), to create a fully integrated solution that could be rolled out to hoists across the globe.\n\nIn its first application in an Australian mine, RUC installed its RUCShaw 512 single-drum winder, which is powered by 710 kW drives, has a hoist capacity of five metres per second, with 12-tonne line pull, and operates with a design depth of 1,600m.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\n* A Technically Complex Sustainability Solution When hoisting a load up a mine shaft, electric motors consume energy. But when travelling downwards, they have the potential to become generators.\n\n\"Most mine hoists use a brake resistor pack with a cooling fan to deal with the heat generated. But these packs create a single point of failure, and are application-specific, so they need recalculation if a variation in brake power is required,\" explained Bell.\n\n\"Instead, we proposed for the generating power to be supplied back onto the incoming supply bus, to be absorbed by system loads,\" he added.\n\nTo make this solution a reality, Rockwell Automation provided Active-Front-End (AFE) Powerflex(R) 755TR regenerative variable speed drives, low voltage motor control centres, GuardLogix(R) controllers, ThinManager(R) software for application management, FactoryTalk(R) View Site Edition software for a complete real-time overview of HMI operations, network and security services, and product and technical support.\n\nThe battery selected to store regenerative energy was a Cat PGS 1260 Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), supplied by EPSA, which provided added redundancy through its parallel inverter and battery stack architecture.\n\n\"We have one operational project where we have implemented this solution with two hoist drives, and we are looking into incorporating this into future projects. We also see potential for this solution to be rolled out on new and existing mine shafts internationally,\" said Bell.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\n* Sustainability Gains\n\nBy reducing the amount of diesel power generation, significant environmental gains are achievable with the regenerative energy storage solution in place. RUC has estimated that in their initial installation, over a 24-month period, the regenerative energy storage solution will achieve:\n\n    * An estimated reduction in diesel consumption of 1,427 kilolitres (which saves approximately $2 million)\n\n    * A reduction of 3.85 tonnes of CO2 output (that's approximately equal to travelling 12,700km in a petrol car)\n\n    * An approximate 42% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from power generation\n\nRockwell Automation regional director for South Pacific, Anthony Wong, added, \"Sustainability is a key focus for Rockwell, and when RUC came to us with this forward-thinking project, we were enthusiastic to work with them to turn it into a reality, and to help deliver reliability and performance with our hardware and software solutions.\"\n\n\"While this solution was designed and built in Australia, it will be applicable for mines across the world. It's a small but significant step towards a more sustainable mining industry and the dream of fully electric mines. We commend RUC for its ingenuity and vision in conceiving this truly innovative solution,\" he said.\n\n\n\n* Collaboration of technical expertise\n\nNot only was there a complex integration of technologies, but the regenerative storage project involved a lot of industry firsts, so there was no existing template to follow.\n\n\"I can't speak highly enough of the Rockwell technical team - they are some of the best engineers I've worked with. Another major benefit was the Rockwell vendor manuals and technical information. These are first-class documents, and the latest versions are all available online, which was crucial for training the workforce and working remotely. Revision control was taken out of my hands because we were always accessing the latest version,\" he added.\n\nBell also identified several key benefits of the Rockwell hardware used in this project, including:\n\n    * Outstanding drive configurability and parameterisation. RUC was working with approximately 1,500 parameters in a custom, first of its kind solution, so Rockwell's drives delivered the required flexibility\n\n    * Built-in safety with SIL3-capable safe torque off function, which was a performance requirement of the mine operator. (SIL, or Safety Integrity Level, is a rating system that associates safety with the numerical probabilities of hazardous failures (0 being the lowest and 4 being the highest) for continuously operating systems or on-demand systems.)\n\n    * Purpose-built drives. The Rockwell Automation PowerFlex 755TR is specifically built for cranes, hoists, and lifting equipment, which means it has all the features this demanding application requires.\n\n\"In addition to the hardware, Rockwell's software also seamlessly integrated with our control and safety system, and with our historian/data logger for diagnostics and advanced troubleshooting. There was a simple integration between drive and air circuit breaker metering equipment via Rockwell's controller add-on instructions,\" said Bell.\n\n\n\n* Extra benefits, and a promising future\n\nWhile not an initial goal of the regenerative energy storage project, the new solution is delivering \"bump-less\" performance, as well as an additional level of redundancy within the battery.\n\n\"Faults happen when you lose power, and hydraulic braking is aggressive. With the regenerative energy storage solution, we can split the battery with two inverters, so we have an added layer of redundancy. This means if we lose power, the winder does not stop, which delivers smooth, bump-less performance,\" said Bell.\n\n\"Because power goes straight back to the battery with no heat loss, this type of solution could readily be scaled down to any energy application - even something like elevators. We believe this is the only successful gravity kinetic energy storage system using a hoist in the world, and we are proud to be introducing it here in Australia.\n\n\"We have plans to use this technology more widely, because if you think about the electric mine of the future, vertical haulage delivers the most affordable, operable, and achievable solution for transporting material out of the mine. The technology has great export potential, too, so we can showcase Australian innovation on a global scale.\n\nTAG: optimize-production\nTAG: drive-sustainability\n\nTAG: industrial-automation-and-control\n\nTAG: mining\n\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: motor-control\nTAG: factorytalk-operationsuite\n\n",
    "central-states-industrial-sets-new-standard-in-clean-in-place-mo": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/central-states-industrial-sets-new-standard-in-clean-in-place-mo\n\nTITLE: Central States Industrial Sets New Standard in Clean-In-Place Mobility\n\n*** Background ***\n\nCentral States Industrial (CSI)\u00a0is an innovation leader in equipment and services for the food, dairy, beverage, pharmaceutical, and personal care industries. CSI, headquartered in Springfield, Missouri, has more than 160 employees at five facilities across the United States.\n\nCSI distributes a wide range of sanitary processing equipment and installation materials. From fittings, tubing, and hangers to advanced pumping and heat transfer technology, they are prepared to supply whatever their customers need for their process.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nClean-in-place (CIP) is a method of cleaning sanitary process lines, vessels, and equipment commonly used in process plants. The process of CIP involves passing a cleaning fluid across a surface to remove product soils.\n\nManual cleaning prevents consistency and repeatability, regardless of how rigorously it's performed. Automated processes alleviate this type of error and neglect by allowing the computer to perform a set of instructions at specified levels the same way every time.\n\nCSI needed to create a truly automated CIP system for budget-conscious customers, that is able to meet parameters and achieve cleaning requirements while remaining affordable, functional, mobile, and compact.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nThe Compact CIP is an economical, single tank, mobile unit that's more than an industry standard - it's a value-added differentiator. CSI's team of engineers utilized instrumentation from Endress+Hauser and IFM to create this reliable and repeatable system that's mobile and powerful - and is half the price of an average entry-level CIP skid.\n\nCSI relies on Rockwell Automation as an industry leader, and most CSI customers request Rockwell Automation in their specifications.\n\nCSI is leveraging a Compact CIP controls system designed for the modern production plant using Allen-Bradley(R) products, including Micro850 controllers, PowerFlex 525 AC drives, PanelView 800 graphic terminals, and\u00a0Stratix 2000 unmanaged Ethernet switches as standard.\n\nThe CSI team selected easy-to-install Micro850 controllers designed for larger standalone machines and remote automation applications that require flexible communications and I/O capabilities. PanelView 800 graphic terminals offer touch screens with display sizes compatible with small controllers. Featuring high-performance processors and high-resolution displays, the built-in Ethernet and serial communication ports support a variety of networks and offer improved usability with remote monitoring capability.\n\nPowerFlex 525 AC drives feature an innovative, modular design to support fast and easy installation and configuration. The compact drives offer embedded\u00a0EtherNet/IPTM communications, USB programming, and standard safety features.\n\nStratix 2000 unmanaged Ethernet switches are ideal for small control networks. These industrial-grade switches do not require configuration and use simple cable connections for easy connection with Logix-based controllers.\n\nThis Compact CIP solution provides ease of skid integration to The Connected Enterprise(R), connecting to processing plants via Wi-Fi or Ethernet communication and can provide data logging for critical process parameters.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nWith this solution, CSI offers a Compact CIP system with a standard, proven design for nearly instant quoting.\n\n\"This automated CIP solution is ideal for a market that could not afford a full-scale CIP system,\" said Trent Bullock, CSI Process Engineer.\n\nThe accessibility of the equipment allows small businesses to utilize this advanced technology to achieve a clean process and high product quality. Larger companies can use the technology to help prevent allergen crossover - a great safety benefit to their end-users - while also reducing resource and chemical use, and machine footprint.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Central States Industrial's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nAllen-Bradley, LISTEN. THINK. SOLVE., Micro850, PanelView, PowerFlex, Stratix, Rockwell Automation and Rockwell Software are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\nTrademarks not belonging to Rockwell Automation are property of their respective companies.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: life-sciences\n\n",
    "rockwell-automation-hardware-drives-cip-at-baby-formula-plant": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/rockwell-automation-hardware-drives-cip-at-baby-formula-plant\n\nTITLE: Rockwell Automation hardware drives CIP at baby formula plant\n\nRockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK), the world's largest company dedicated to industrial automation and digital transformation, today announced that it has worked closely with Actemium and Milkron to deploy a new future-ready, clean-in-place (CIP) kitchen and architecture at Mead Johnson Nijmegen, a leading baby- and infant-nutrition company.\n\nThe company's existing infrastructure at its plant in the Netherlands was reaching the end of its life, with some components becoming obsolete, so Mead Johnson Nijmegen was looking to replace it with a contemporary solution.\n\nThe plant produces super-premium infant nutrition to supply Greater China, the largest market in the world. As with all foodstuffs, cleanliness and hygiene are paramount, so cleaning guidelines are incredibly strict, resulting in extremely thorough hygiene practices.\n\nAs well as the supply of the control solution, Rockwell Automation's role included hardware engineering, electrical schematics, supply of control panels, and drafting Functional Design Software (FDS), followed by testing, commissioning, and aftercare.\n\nMilkron, part of Krones AG, from Germany, designed the new CIP process according to the user requirement specification (URS), taking into account that these process installations had to integrate seamlessly into the existing production process.\n\nAccording to Pierre Teszner, regional sales vice president, Central Europe, at Rockwell Automation: \"Cleaning procedures - especially those in infant nutrition - must be very precisely controlled, logged, and analyzed. This type of attention to detail can only really be achieved by tightly integrated automation systems controlled by a robust software solution. The company and this plant standardize on Rockwell Automation, so seamless integration with other systems was never going to be an issue.\"\n\nActemium, part of Vinci, and a gold-level System Integrator in the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM in The Netherlands, worked closely and effectively with Rockwell Automation to achieve the desired outcome.\n\nAdriaan van de Ven, client manager at Actemium, explained: \"Any food-based environment attracts special attention with regards to hygiene, so the CIP plant we design and commission has to exhibit specialist mechanical features and operational functionalities, including the deployment of advanced control systems. In this instance, there was also the need for minimal disruption, which was addressed through our deployment of pre-validated library code, which significantly sped up design, install, commissioning and integration.\"\n\nOlaf Drewelowsky, international sales manager from Milkron, added: \"From planning to installation to handover: the focus throughout the entire course of the project was to transform the old CIP to a new CIP according to the latest standards and requirements, with a familiar look and feel for the operators. Another big challenge was the limited downtime available for the switchover to the new CIP system. But this was all made possible thanks to the good teamwork of all involved parties, and the comprehensive preparations prior switch-over and re-commissioning.\"\n\nLevi Pattiasina, project manager at Mead Johnson Nijmegen, concluded: \"Our primary brief was to address obsolescence. There have been some small performance gains, but the goal here was to ensure that our facilities were ready for the future. All the engineering teams worked well together, and we had great support from Milkron and Actemium, from its knowledgeable team of engineers. We are very pleased with the new installation.\"\n\nFind out more about the integrated architecture solutions available from Rockwell Automation here.\n\nAbout Actemium\n\nActemium, part of Vinci Energies, is a powerful worldwide network 100% dedicated to industrial process. Comprised of 400 Business Units located in 42 countries across the world. The brand network is a multi-disciplinary network, able to offer customized multi-technical, multi-site or multi-country services.\n\nActemium's 22,000 experts work to deliver a range of safe and sustainable solutions & services across the entire industrial life cycle. In its day-to-day operations, Actemium builds on its powerful networking system expertise in each process in order to provide turnkey solutions.\n\nAbout Milkron\n\nMilkron, a part of Krones AG, with focus on the dairy and liquid food industry works with its specialized employees on solutions for processing and utilizing valuable raw materials in the best possible way. Milkron is part of the big Krones Processing Group with a network of process engineering companies worldwide and standard components manufacturer for the food industry. From factory planning to designing all components, units and lines, to delivering and installation, to automation and commissioning, Milkron can provide everything you need from a single source. Milkron understands itself as a system integrator who is able to build production lines with own or even third-party equipment to fulfil individual customer requirements.\n\nTAG: integrated-architecture\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "harpak-ulma-empowers-customers-with-smart-machines": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/harpak-ulma-empowers-customers-with-smart-machines\n\nTITLE: Harpak-ULMA Empowers Customers with Smart Machines\n\nFor packaging OEM Harpak-ULMA, digital transformation is about expanding what's possible not only in its own operations but in those of its customers.\n\nThe maker of packaging machines and end-to-end packaging line automation solutions began its digital transformation journey in 2018. The multi-phase, years-long initiative seeks to drive revenue growth and create new business lines for Harpak-ULMA. But it also aims to transform what's possible for customers in the food, medical and industrial markets by empowering them with smart, connected packaging machines.\n\n***** Improving agility *****\n\nFor Harpak-ULMA, digital transformation's value is in its ability to help customers better adapt to market changes.\n\n\"Digital transformation has legs for a reason,\" said Kevin Roach, president, Harpak-ULMA. \"It helps us do more and go faster, by leveraging data to make the traditional barriers to change - that is time, cost and risk - easier to manipulate.\"\n\nThe company launched its digital transformation initiative in October 2018 with a technology roadmap that included four phases.\n\nThe first phase was to establish a smart, connected foundation for customers by migrating to a single, standardized control platform. Harpak-ULMA chose to standardize on Rockwell Automation controls and components. This gave the company an open-architecture foundation for smart, connected machines. Rockwell Automation control solutions also offered pre-integrated compatibility with PTC's innovative IoT software applications, like Vuforia and ThingWorx, that help reimagine how people operate and maintain production assets.\n\nThe second phase involved implementing augmented reality (AR) workflows to help drive productivity.\n\nWith on-demand expertise and visual guidance delivered through AR technology, Harpak-ULMA can support customers from anywhere and introduce new capabilities like virtual factory acceptance tests. Meanwhile, customers can use the technology to reduce operator learning curves and on-boarding times.\n\n***** Creating new insights *****\n\nHarpak-ULMA has made significant progress on phase two, and is now underway on phase three, which involves incorporating more IoT touchpoints. This essentially combines packaging machines with their digital twins to offer enhanced operating experiences and information integration.\n\n\"Expanding the breadth and depth of embedded IoT enables us to integrate with advanced IoT applications that expose detailed machine operations in real time to production staff,\" Roach said.\n\nFor customers, more data means more real-time, contextualized production information is available to both staff and onboard diagnostics.\n\n\"In this stage, we're expanding on AR capabilities to deliver a deeper set of real-time capabilities that will allow staff to have what we call X-ray vision,\" Roach said. \"Exposing the digital twin of a machine is an interactive way to learn more and diagnose better.\"\n\nFor example, if a technician gets an alert about a machine problem, they don't need to shut down the machine, go through lockout/tagout procedures and open the control cabinet to investigate the problem. Instead, they can just use an AR headset, smartphone or tablet to look at a digital twin of the machine and identify the fault.\n\n***** Future predictions *****\n\nThe fourth phase of Harpak-ULMA's digital transformation is to apply machine learning and artificial intelligence to the vast amount of data collected during production. This effort, while still in the planning stage, will allow the company to create new business models by introducing cloud-based predictive maintenance and benchmarking services.\n\n\"This final stage represents an evolutionary step for customers in terms of their OEM relationship,\" Roach said. \"Big data solutions that leverage machine learning and artificial intelligence will make the holy grail of predictive maintenance analytics in our markets attainable.\"\n\nFor customers, predictive maintenance can help them reduce unplanned downtime, as well as restructure legacy maintenance and cost models. And industry wide benchmarking offers them an opportunity to get a new understanding of the effectiveness of their production processes.\n\nOf course, making these concepts a reality in customers' production environments will come with challenges.\n\n\"We'll need to resolve data ownership concerns and work through connectivity issues that arise with predictive maintenance monitoring,\" Roach said. \"But it's not like there's no precedent. If this can be done for aircraft engines, it can be done for a packaging production environment as well.\n\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\nTAG: machine-and-equipment-builders\n\nTAG: warehouse-fulfillment\n\nTAG: factorytalk-innovationsuite\nTAG: thingworx\n\n",
    "quimikao-uses-process-automation-and-virtualization-technologies": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/quimikao-uses-process-automation-and-virtualization-technologies\n\nTITLE: Quimikao Uses Process Automation and Virtualization Technologies\n\n\nTAG: chemical\n\n",
    "safety-inspection-prompts-upgrade-to-aging-cranes-at-bayswater-p": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/safety-inspection-prompts-upgrade-to-aging-cranes-at-bayswater-p\n\nTITLE: Safety Inspection Prompts Upgrade to Aging Cranes at Bayswater Power\n\nMacquarie Generation's Bayswater Power Station in the Upper Hunter Valley area of New South Wales is one of two stations owned and operated by Macquarie Generation.\n\nEach year Macquarie Generation produces approximately 13 percent of the electricity required by people in eastern Australia, making Macquarie Generation one of the country's largest electricity generators.\n\nBayswater's design reflects the progress and improvements in\n\npower generation technology to maximise efficiency and minimise environmental impacts. The most distinctive feature of Bayswater Power Station is the four evaporative cooling towers.\n\nOver recent years Bayswater Power Station has produced approximately 15,000GWhs of electricity a year. This is enough power for 2 million average Australian homes and families.\u00a0\n\nBayswater Power Station's T1 Crane used during Power Station outages to service power generators.\u00a0\n\nMacquarie Generation's Bayswater Power Station in the Upper Hunter Valley area of New South Wales is one of two stations owned and operated by Macquarie Generation.\n\nEach year Macquarie Generation produces approximately 13 percent of the electricity required by people in eastern Australia, making Macquarie Generation one of the country's largest electricity generators.\n\nBayswater's design reflects the progress and improvements in power generation technology to maximise efficiency and minimise environmental impacts. The most distinctive feature of Bayswater Power Station is the four evaporative cooling towers.\n\nOver recent years Bayswater Power Station has produced approximately 15,000GWhs of electricity a year. This is enough power for 2 million average Australian homes and families.\n\nFollowing a mandatory 25-year inspection Macquarie Generation recognised that two of the station's overhead cranes required upgrades to their drive systems to meet current Australian safety standards and to address obsolesce issues.\n\nWith a commitment to the improvement of operation and technology upgrades, BayswaterPower Station called on the expertise of the Rockwell Automation Solutions team to project-manage, design, manufacture, install and commission a solution to meet the Company's requirements.\n\nThe primary role of the cranes is for use during shut downs of the power station's generators. Shutdowns took place once or twice a year depending on what was required when work was suspended.\n\nAccording to Peter Tomazic, Solutions Consultant for Rockwell Automation, \"The primary role of the cranes is to lift equipment in and out as required during outages. When the power station is running normally these cranes generally sit idle.\"\n\n*** A Novel Approach ***\n\nDesigning a cost-effective solution to customise the electrical system to fit through the manholes of the existing crane structures presented some unique challenges that would call on the domain expertise and risk management expertise of Rockwell Automation.\n\nDuring the risk assessment it was found that the cranes' access manholes were not large enough to allow installation of standard gear plates or new control cabinets.\n\n\"We discovered post audit that we would be putting the new solution into a very crammed electric house,\" said Tomazic.\n\nThe crane drive systems are usually pre-installed in cabinets and the existing electrics had all been mounted into the frame of the crane and access into it was much like a ship hole door. It appeared as if when the cranes were originally built there was a bigger opening and the manufacturer had then built around it.\n\n\"As a result of this, we had to cross off an earlier idea to design entirely new cabinets, which would have made the job much easier,\" said Tomazic.\n\n\"Instead we decided to manufacture the insides of the electric drive cabinet in a manner that could be brought into the existing crane electrics and fitted into the existing cabinets once they were gutted.\"\n\nRockwell Automation provided a custom designed and manufactured solution consisting of\u00a0GuardLogix\u00a0and\u00a0PowerFlex DC drives\u00a0mounted on custom-built gear plates for installation in the original crane cabinets.\n\nBayswater Power Station's crane drive system\u00a0\n\nThe Innovative Solution\n\nThe challenges presented in this project required something that was not simply an 'off the shelf' solution. According to Tomazic, \"We are often awarded contracts that require our engineers to 'scratch their heads' a little bit to come up with the best solution.\"\n\n\"Our local engineering team manages many upgrade projects to help reduce the customer's risk, supplying projects on time and within budget,\" Tomazic said\n\nOnce the obstacle of a \"crammed\" electrics house was overcome by Rockwell Automation, Macquarie Generation was able to realise the outcomes it was expecting.\n\nThe crane nameplate which identifies the crane design ratings.\u00a0\n\nThe GuardLogix(R) controllers allowed safety to be integrated into the system, and addressed what was required by current Australian Safety Standards for these applications. The solution also incorporated an innovative data logging capability within the GuardLogix system using the Historian ME module.\n\n\"The cranes' operating data was previously difficult to record with the obsolete analogue system, so to fix that we provided a solution that was capable of logging the operating data of the cranes, which the company required for tracking crane usage,\"saidTomazic.\n\n*** New Life ***\n\nThe key outcome from this project is that it has reinvigorated Bayswater Power Station's two cranes to safely and reliably take the station through many more outages.\n\nAlong with both cranes now adhering to current Australian Safety Standards, the design offers a fault tolerant system that does not compromise the safety of the crane in the event of a single failure.\n\nAccording to SatishBusuapala, Acting Team Leader at Bayswater Power Station, \"The project, awarded to Rockwell Automation in October 2011, took about a year to complete and Macquarie Generation is very pleased with the outcome.\"\n\nThe driver's cabin PanelView Plus operator interface, providing the driver feedback, status and alarm information on the crane.\u00a0\n\n\"The cranes they have been performing well since the upgrade by Rockwell Automation,\" he continued.\n\nRockwell Automation attended to the whole lifecycle of the project from the safety risk assessment, to the design, manufacture and commissioning of the project.\n\n\"We needed to have the cranes certified for them to be at current standards and Rockwell Automation achieved that for the power station. Macquarie Generation would have no hesitation in working with Rockwell Automation again as further upgrades are required,\" concluded Busuapala.\n\n\u00a0\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Macquarie Generation's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\nTAG: power-generation\n\n",
    "water-agency-sustainability-goal-ai-ml": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/water-agency-sustainability-goal-ai-ml\n\nTITLE: Water Agency Tackles Sustainability Goals with AI\n\nThe Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD) serves nearly one million people living and working within 558-square miles in Riverside County California.\u00a0As the state's sixth-largest retail water agency, its mission is to provide, \"safe, reliable, economical and environmentally sustainable water, wastewater and recycled water services.\"\n\n\u00a0\"We strive at all times to produce the highest quality water possible,\" said Matthew Melendrez, P.E. assistant general manager, Operations and Maintenance, \"and to do that as economically as possible for our customers to help keep their costs down.\"\n\nBut a growing population and an expanding service area have put increased demands on the district. Its four reclamation plants currently treat about 48 million gallons of wastewater a day removing impurities.\n\n\"The two main things we're trying to remove are organics and ammonia,\" noted Melendrez. \"If we don't clean those up, they have a large impact on the environment.\"\n\n***** A Challenging and Energy-Intensive Process to Control *****\n\nAeration is a key step in wastewater treatment, and one of the most energy intensive. EMWD plants spend nearly half of their electric bills on dissolved oxygen used to biodegrade waste.\n\n\"The industry has struggled for a long time with aeration control and finding better ways to operate the basins,\" explained Melendrez. \"Process parameters change practically every minute of the day as flow rates and volumes of ammonia and organics fluctuate quickly, making it difficult to program a typical PID setpoint to hit its dissolved oxygen (DO) targets.\"\n\nSetting the target too high requires an increase in electricity to provide unnecessary air. Setting it too low inhibits ammonia oxidation, which then requires disinfection and larger amounts of chlorine.\n\n\"We typically use a simple PID control system that slowly opens and closes the air valves as the DO climbs or dips. Everything is reactive and feedback based, and operators usually intervene daily to make manual adjustments,\" said Melendrez. \"But there's a lag from the time adjustments are made until we see results because the tanks are so large, and conditions continue to change. All of which make it hard for a regular PID to handle and why this is one of the biggest opportunities to improve efficiency.\"\n\nBetter aeration performance would also positively impact downstream processes where the plant could improve disinfection and lower chemical costs.\n\n***** Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Solution *****\n\nEMWD approached Rockwell Automation, one of its longtime technology providers, to develop and test an artificial intelligence (AI) application that learns the current state of aeration operations and with minimal staff intervention, optimally adjusts PID response as conditions change.\n\nTogether with the Rockwell Automation Water Wastewater,\u00a0Solutions & Services and Advanced Analytics teams, EMWD piloted an AI-enabled control system at its San Jacinto Valley reclamation facility, which treats 7 million gallons of water a day. Plant staff installed an Allen-Bradley CompactLogixTM 5480 controller on the existing automation network allowing it to interface with other processes as needed.\n\n\"Since we already use Rockwell Automation for control, this seemed like a good solution that would integrate well with the rest of our system. Installation and implementation were straight forward with some minor programming, and we can potentially deploy the unit and AI for other processes in the future without needing more modules,\" said Melendrez. \"Rockwell Automation made it easy, and all went smoothly working closely as a team.\"\n\nTwo Logix cores connect to the control system while two other processors execute the Rockwell Automation AI software. The AI controls the amount of air fed into the aeration basin by continuously monitoring and updating the PID response. The data is then used to adjust the air valves and the amount of oxygen delivered before the DO deviates too far from the setpoint.\n\n\"Using machine learning, Rockwell Automation data scientists determined wastewater flow and ammonia load have the biggest impact on oxygen performance,\" explained Melendrez. \"They built a model that was quite accurate at predicting the DO demand for any given rate and load, and remotely programmed the AI software.\"\n\nEMWD then ran their classic PID control for one month followed by the AI-enabled control for another month to compare results.\n\n***** Substantial Performance Improvement *****\n\nWith the AI-enabled control, EMWD reduced the amount of air delivered to the aeration basin by as much as 31%. The plant was not only more successful in running the DO closer to its setpoint, but it was also able to lower the DO target. Better DO control also led to improved effluent quality with less ammonia bleed-through, reducing the need for disinfectants.\n\n\"It was exciting to see it go from something that didn't really function and needed humans to take over regularly to something that was fully automated and provided substantial improvement in performance, financial benefits, and reduced our carbon footprint,\" shared Melendrez.\n\nHe estimates the improved DO control will reduce the plant's energy consumption by 960 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity a day for a $42,000 annual savings. Additionally, the ability to lower the DO setpoint will unlock further daily electricity savings of 1,370 kWh, resulting in $60,000 of annual savings.\n\nMyan Bourdon, the Rockwell Automation Water Wastewater account manager for EMWD, is excited about the application's promise for the industry. She said, \"We're eager to explore with EMWD and other water wastewater providers how artificial intelligence and machine learning can improve both the sustainability and productivity of operations.\"\n\nEMWD continues to use the AI-enabled control system and hopes to work with Rockwell Automation to expand its application to the district's other aeration basins. Looking ahead, Melendrez spies another opportunity to apply the AI solution: disinfection.\n\nTAG: drive-sustainability\n\nTAG: sustainability\nTAG: water\n\nTAG: water-wastewater\nTAG: fresh-water\nTAG: wastewater\n\nTAG: hardware\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: small-control-systems\n\n",
    "MES-for-manufacturing": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/MES-for-manufacturing\n\nTITLE: MES and ERP for the Manufacturing Industry\n\nTAG: accelerate-digital-transformation\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\nTAG: mes-solutions\n\nTAG: automotive-and-tire\n\nTAG: plex\n\n",
    "solutions-in-action--roeslein": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/solutions-in-action--roeslein\n\nTITLE: Solutions in Action: Roeslein\n\nA precisely synchronized production line is a beautiful thing to behold. But achieving peak productivity on a complex line comprised of multiple machines, conveyors and systems is no easy task. For more than 20 years, Roeslein & Associates has applied its engineering, fabrication and construction expertise to help customers reach optimal efficiency on their production lines quickly and seamlessly. Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, Roeslein builds unitized, preassembled systems for the container manufacturing, process and energy industries.\n\nThe global company maintains manufacturing operations in Red Bud, Illinois and Shanghai, China. \"Typically, we produce everything from an integration standpoint,\" said Ray Hoelting, electrical engineering manager, Roeslein & Associates. \"We take manufactured equipment from other companies, and we integrate it into our line control system.\" Roeslein offers customers full concept-to-completion project solutions \u2013 and can assume the role of an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) company, general contractor or system integrator, depending on customer requirements. \"Our business model is built around flexibility,\" Hoelting said. \"And our modular approach to specialized plant facilities is our key differentiator.\n\nIn fact, the company's approach to aluminum can manufacturing has made it an industry leader. To turn cold rolled aluminum into beverage-ready cans, the production line includes cupping presses, bodymakers, washers, decorators, inside spray systems, neckers and palletizers. Cans leave the system open and ready for the filler. While typical contractors build a production facility and then outfit it with the equipment onsite, Roeslein premanufactures logical units dedicated to each system in the process. Unitized sections include all process piping, the cable tray, lighting, handrails and conveyors \u2013 and are shipped to the facility pretested and ready for installation. \"The key benefits of our system are speed and agility,\" explained Hoelting. \"Because we can fabricate and test the production line while the factory is being built, we can complete an installation about 50 percent faster than the usual 'stick built' process.\" Fully assembled Roeslein systems churn out up to\n\n3,000 aluminum beverage cans per minute and are generally more than 80 percent efficient within three months of installation.\n\nTo support the company's modular approach, the Roeslein can manufacturing system is built on a Rockwell Automation On-Machine\u2122 architecture, featuring Allen-Bradley\u00ae GuardLogix\u00ae safety controllers and Allen-Bradley ArmorStart\u00ae distributed motor controllers. \"GuardLogix controllers provide us with the safety functionality and flexibility we need to meet global requirements,\" Hoelting explained. \"With the controllers, we can easily add specific safety components that may be required for various systems and geographic regions.\" ArmorStart controllers provide the modulated speed control required throughout the system. Depending on system size, 100 to 150 ArmorStart units are used on each can manufacturing line. \"We rely on ArmorStart controllers to help keep our lines running efficiently,\" Hoelting said. \"Rather than stopping the system if there is a machine issue downstream, we can simply slow it down and still keep producing cans.\"\n\nThe Roeslein system uses the ArmorStart controllers for motor applications under 5 Hp. For the blowers and other higher horsepower applications on the line, Roeslein applies Allen-Bradley PowerFlex\u00ae 525 and 753 AC drives. The system is integrated on EtherNet/IP\u2122 and monitored on Allen-Bradley PanelView\u2122 Plus 6 graphic terminals. \"Using ArmorStart controllers and PowerFlex drives throughout the system significantly reduces energy use,\" Hoelting said. \"In some parts of the world, our customers are paying up to 30 cents per kilowatt hour of electricity. Decreasing energy consumption is key.\" As Roeslein continues to expand its global presence, it will rely on Rockwell Automation for support. \"Rockwell Automation has supported us in all our international endeavors,\" Hoelting said. \"We know we can count on them for any local training or support our customers need to keep their systems running optimally.\"\n\n\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\n\n",
    "xyp-automatic-shrink-label-inserting-machines": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/xyp-automatic-shrink-label-inserting-machines\n\nTITLE: XYP Automatic Shrink Label Inserting Machines\n\nXu Yuan Packaging Technology Co., Ltd., (XYP) is a packaging equipment manufacturer in Taiwan with more than 30 years' experience in producing shrink sleeve machinery, shrink film and shrink label. With a commitment to provide optimum shrink packaging solutions, XYP continually focus on developing new machines to suit a variety of applications and industries.\n\nShrink sleeves are widely used in the food and beverage, personal care, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Each application has unique requirements making it important for manufacturers to develop agile responses to changing consumer requirements.\n\nThe key features of XYP's Shrink Label Inserting Machines help address these challenges, facilitating modular programming, easy changeover and fast, efficient operation.\n\n***** Features *****\n\n    * Stainless steel construction in single structure for easy installation.\n\n    * Modular design for quick changeover\n\n    * Dual HMI touch controller and operations parameter interface for user-friendly operation\n\n    * Adjustable to fit a variety of inserting containers\n\n    * LED display provides access to machine's status quickly and easily\n\n    * Ground sleeve reel system enables safe and easy reel changing\n\n    * High speed splicing system enables reel change without stopping the machine for improved line productivity\n\n    * Standard splicing system with unique sleeve tension adjustment design for accurate sleeve transport\n\n    * Complies with safety regulations\n\n    * Suitable for use in a variety of product types including: round bottles, rectangular bottles, unique curve bottles and customised empty bottles.\n\n***** Benefits *****\n\n    * Fast Changeover time between products\n\n    * Production rate of 200-450 bottles per minute\n\n    * Access to Rockwell Automation Global OEM Technical Consultants\u00a0for service and support\n\n***** Smart Machine Technology *****\n\nXYP's Automatic Shrink Label Inserting Machines incorporate\u00a0smart machine technologies from Rockwell Automation including the Allen-Bradley(R) Micro800(R) Programmable Logic Controller, Kinetix(R) 5100 Servo Drives,\u00a0PanelViewTM 800 Graphic Terminals and the Kinetix(R) TL-SeriesTM Servo Motors.\n\nThe Micro800 programmable logic controller is at the heart of the system providing high level machine control and flexible communications and I/O capabilities. As part of the Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture system(R), the Connected Components Workbench software provides device configuration, controller programming and integration with the HMI - helping to reduce initial machine development time and cost.\n\nThe Kinetix 5100 drives and TLP servo motors deliver cost-effective servo control and supports applications controlled by the Micro800 controller for a range of performance and safety requirements. The integrated Rockwell Automation solution makes troubleshooting and diagnostics fast and efficient, helping manufacturers reduce downtime.\n\nThanks to XYP's Automatic Shrink Labelling Machines manufacturers can now reap the rewards of fast changeover between products and increased production rates for improved productivity and profitability.\n\n\nTAG: remote-support\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: household-and-personal-care\n\nTAG: human-machine-interface\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: programmable-controllers\n\n",
    "quality-response-time": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/quality-response-time\n\nTITLE: Gray Solutions Uses Data to Improve Response Time\n\nMeet Alan Stanfill, Director of Digital Transformation for Gray Solutions, a member of the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM. Gray Solutions is a full-service system integrator serving the food, beverage, and consumer products markets. A leader in automation and process integration, Gray Solutions uses the power of data and information technology to increase system efficiencies, whether it's a simple modification or a new facility.\u00a0\n\n**** Data is Key to Quality Monitoring ****\n\nQuality and traceability were key focus areas in a recent customer project for a manufacturer of disposable wipes. Specifically, the customer needed to be able to track product quality at various stages throughout the manufacturing process. \"If a concern was identified, they needed to be able to go back to find where those quality concerns may have come from and then determine what they need to do about it,\" Alan explains.\n\nOn ingredient required special monitoring: water. \"With it being a wipe product, the [quality of the] water that goes into it is critical,\" Alan says. The customer needed access to live quality data. If water quality was outside of set parameters, they needed to be able to identify the root cause immediately and take corrective action.\n\n**** Expanding Data Access and Ease ****\n\nBecause the manufacturer was a long-time Gray Solutions customer, the system integrator already stored much of the customer's data on its premises. But at the time, only engineering professionals could access the data.\u00a0\u00a0\n\n\"So, we worked with their IT group to create a new version of their data in the cloud that would make it accessible for their lab folks, IT people, and others in the organization to be able to take quicker action on things rather than having offline lab data that was after the fact,\" Alan explains.\n\nUsing Rockwell Automation's FactoryTalk(R)\u00a0Optix\u00a0software, Gray Solutions was able to unlock and collect existing data from Rockwell Automation controllers, move it to the cloud, and with analytics and visualization tools enable their customers to make sense of out of that data.\n\n\"It was a seamless transition of data from the facilities, up to the cloud and out through tools the IT department was already comfortable with,\" Alan says.\n\n**** Improved Response Time ****\n\nThe biggest benefit to the customer? Improved response time.\n\n\"You don't want to continue creating product if there's any kind of an issue. Or when an issue arises, you want to be able to find it and minimize the impact of that to the market,\" Alan explains. Because they no longer had to wait for offline lab data and testing, and because that information was accessible to the people responsible for decision making, they were able to find issues immediately and stop production if needed.\n\nIt no longer took days, even weeks, to spot a problem. Reduced waste was another benefit Alan cited and, \"even more importantly is brand reputation.\" With this new solution in place, the customer has access to the information they need to make better, faster decisions about quality.\u00a0\n\nTAG: build-resilience\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: household-and-personal-care\n\nTAG: factorytalk-operationsuite\nTAG: factorytalk-edge\n\n",
    "circular-communication": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/circular-communication\n\nTITLE: Circular Communication\n\nInterview: Peter Trechow\n\nMaterial lifecycles instead of packaging waste - why is this easier said than done?\n\nMarcus Behrens: To decrease the amount of packaging waste, there is an urgent need for many players to work closely together, along the entire supply and recycling chain. Whilst it is important that packaging materials and their raw components meet the demands of companies that have specific packaging requirements for their products, the materials also need to be functionally compatible with our packaging machines. Thus, there are high expectations to meet the brief on cost, cycle times, as well as the function and quality of the packaging. Later in the chain, there is a reliance on users to dispose of the packaging responsibly so that recycling companies can feed it back into the cycle. As you delve deeper into this topic, more challenges emerge. For example, decades of development have gone into modern packaging products. They have become thinner, more tear-resistant, more efficient and have multiple barrier layers against fats, oxygen, moisture, or UV radiation to protect the goods. These sophisticated products are now set to be replaced by mono-materials, which can be difficult to process, and are often more costly.\u00a0 When specifying sandwich materials which offer a choice of layers, tradeoffs can be made between function and cost. This option is not available with mono-materials, where consistency of quality can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, within batches or even rolls.\n\nSebastian Cruz Euceda: This could result in defective goods and additional cost pressures. Therefore, we have to adapt the drive technology to the material and at the same time plan tolerances for quality fluctuations to ensure stable processes even at top speed. This is just one challenge. Paper behaves differently compared to plastic; sandwich material is different to mono-material. To develop market-ready solutions, all parties involved should ideally have a common understanding of the respective challenges, to collectively achieve an overall increase in machine efficiency.\n\nIn a recent project you replaced plastic packaging with paper packaging - How do you close the gap between changing the material, to reaching a solution ready for series production?\n\nBehrens: In our case, the entire development process took us a period of four years. We replaced transparent plastic tubular bags for kits, with paper bags. Because paper is opaque, a label was needed to indicate which parts were included. To make them easy to grip, we developed a stand-up pouch. Within the process, the paper bags behave quite differently to the original plastic bags. Paper is more likely to tear and should not be bent under any circumstances. These characteristics require soft process control, and, according to customer requirements, only allow a maximum of 15 defects per million bags. To make matters worse, there was only limited space in the plant, for our machine.\n\nWhat role did Rockwell Automation play and when was their support required?\n\nCruz Euceda: We started working together two years ago and since then, have supported HDG in three ways. Technically, it was initially about optimizing the drive technology and automated handling in terms of high cycle speeds and quality requirements: no kinks, chatter marks or tears. We also provided support in addressing sustainability, among other things by highlighting the power consumption based on data, to work out how this can be reduced. And finally, it was about the supply chain. Due to the pandemic and the global chip shortage, it was difficult to provide all components by the deadline. This is where our partnership with our distributor S&D proved its worth, enabling us to build up a warehouse for this project.\n\nThe transition to the Circular Economy would require machines that can process different materials with and without a barrier function. Is that even possible?\n\nBehrens: To a certain extent. Within the project, we developed a heat seal with polymer adhesive and a patent-pending mechanical paper joint, whose tensile strength can rival plastic joints. Purely paper-based solutions are particularly interesting for secondary packaging - individually packaged products for outer packaging. However, our process can also be run with plastic mono material. But there are limits in terms of flexibility. They will hardly process ultra-thin high-tech film and paper webs on one machine. And today we are dealing with materials that stretch by 20 to 30 mm under the influence of heat. Processing them requires sophisticated sensors, actuators, and camera-based quality controls.\u00a0\n\nWhat is the opinion of automation engineers on flexible material and such machine concepts?\n\nCruz Euceda: I'm thinking of the usual 15- to 20-year life cycle of packaging machines. It is still unclear which materials will prevail - and how they will continue to develop. Furthermore, due to the increase in demand for personalized products and packaging, the packaging process is becoming even more complex. For this reason alone, there is a demand for smart, flexible transport solutions within the machine, to enable quick changeovers and thus sustainable innovations within the production process.\u00a0\n\nIs the spirit of communication and cooperation that has been aimed for already noticeable in your practice?\n\nBehrens: We communicate closely with manufacturers of films, paper, and the raw materials they use. And brand manufacturers often bring us on board in the early stages of their projects. When the various players get together, controversial discussions may arise. But that's exactly what moves us forward. It sensitizes us to how many aspects need to be considered for creating an overall sustainable solution and inspires us to broaden our focus and to think about the challenges other players might come across.\u00a0\n\nCruz Euceda: The challenge is too great to be solved alone. It's a matter of bringing together know-how from all the stakeholders involved. As automation specialists, we see transferable best practices across many industries. The importance of transparency has also increased. It's vital that we understand where there is commonality in terms of customer requirements, for example in the food sector, and how best to address the need.\n\nThe EU's Circular Economy Action Plan calls for 70 percent of all packaging to be recycled by 2030. Is this target already reflected in the market?\n\nBehrens: Yes. Some multinationals want to reach this target in 2025 and are converting their processes at full speed already. This is paving the way for smaller suppliers to follow. Almost every inquiry we receive from Europe focuses on recyclability. Conversions of existing plants that we upgrade for the processing of sustainable materials are also very much in demand.\n\nHow important is Rockwell Automation in the transformation of the packaging market?\n\nCruz Euceda: This is a market with great potential, as the issue of sustainability continues to grow as a priority and will therefore have an enormous influence on the entire packaging market. In order to industrially process the new, often not yet fully developed materials, data-based, quality-monitored processes are required, with everything that this entails, from sensors and actuators, to control systems, or cybersecurity. These are topics that we feel comfortable discussing; where we are happy to support our customers with our technical and industrial expertise.\n\nSource:\u00a0VDMA Magazin #01/02 Februar 2023\n\nPhoto: TPG (The Packaging Group)\n\nTAG: sustainability\n\n",
    "cement-optimize-operation": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/cement-optimize-operation\n\nTITLE: Cimento Itamb'e Optimizes Processes with MPC\n\nFor more than 45 years, Cimento Itamb'e has been producing and selling cement to the civil construction sector. Itamb'e cements comply with technical standards and environmental preservation values.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nBrazil-based Cimento Itamb'e has been producing cement for the civil construction sector for more than 45 years. The company wanted to make some improvements to lay the foundation for more growth in the future.\n\nSpecifically, Cimento Itamb'e wanted to standardize operational processes, gain more equipment availability, and use less energy in their manufacturing process. The company turned to Rockwell Automation for help.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\nWe approached the project in two phases. Phase one targeted operation of the kilns. Phase two was focused on optimizing grinding operations.\n\n\n\n* Optimizing Production in Cement Kilns\n\nCement kilns are notoriously difficult to control because they are subject to fuel source variability and uncertainty in raw material characteristics. These variable inputs make it difficult to achieve the precise control needed to optimize energy use, maintain stable operations, and maximize production capacity.\n\nWe worked with Cimento Itamb'e to implement FactoryTalk(R) AnalyticsTM Pavilion8(R) Model Predictive Control (MPC) Technology. Pavilion8 is an intelligence layer on top of automation systems that continuously drives plants to achieve multiple business objectives-cost reductions, decreased emissions, consistent quality and production increases-in real time.\n\nPavilion8 calculates recommended setpoints for process control loops to optimize control performance in real time. It can understand fluctuating input variables and is able to predict and control multiple process parameters in real-time, while continuously updating control actions based on actual process values.\n\nWe were able to use Pavilion8 to optimize Cimento Itamb'e's kiln operations while maintaining clinker quality requirements with minimum fuel consumption and a stable temperature. This phase of the project was completed in late 2022.\n\n\n\n* Reducing Energy in Grinding Operations\n\nCement grinding is a power-intensive process, and cement producers can struggle to grind and crush their product to a consistent size and hardness. Efficiencies may also vary because of changes in operating habits from shift to shift, and because of changes in clinker grindability or grinding aid composition.\n\nMPC technology accounts for process disturbances and other influences to help consistently grind product to a specific size while maximizing capacity, which minimizes energy costs. The technology responds to different feed properties like hardness, particle size, and grade.\n\nWe used Pavilion8 to optimize Cimento Itamb'e's grinding operations. Specifically, we wanted to increase mill uptime and decrease the amount of energy used. This phase of the project was completed in 2023.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\n* Increased Productivity and Reduced Energy Use\n\nCimento Itamb'e saw success with Pavilion8 during both phases of implementation. In phase one, the company experienced:\n\n    * 5% increase in productivity in each of their kilns,\n\n    * 2% reduction in the amount of energy used by the kilns,\n\n    * more stable temperatures,\n\n    * enhanced clinker quality, and\n\n    * fewer risks of cyclone blockages.\n\nThe company saw similar results with their mills in phase two. After implementing Pavilion8, Cimento Itamb'e achieved:\n\n    * 5% reduction in energy usage,\n\n    * increased productivity of 5-10%,\n\n    * fewer disruptions in feeding or stops related to high vibrations, and\n\n    * access to real-time data, which accelerates decision-making.\n\nFor cement producers that are not yet using AI or machine learning, MPC is a logical place to start. It is easy and affordable to implement when the right infrastructure is in place. And it can put a cement plant on the path to more stable production, reduced energy usage and higher throughput in as quickly as a few weeks.\n\nWe deliver Model Predictive Control technology through our consulting arm: Kalypso, a Rockwell Automation Business. In addition to access to the technology, customers also gain access to our team of experts who can help identify the best use cases for implementing Model Predictive Control, set it up, and optimize. Kalypso can even perform a study before a project to estimate ROI and make a business case for the project. Contact the team to learn more.\n\nThis story was featured in the May edition of World Cement magazine.\n\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: cement\n\nTAG: model-predictive-control\n\n",
    "hmi-upgrade-with-virtualization-helps-petroamazonas-reduce-downt": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/hmi-upgrade-with-virtualization-helps-petroamazonas-reduce-downt\n\nTITLE: HMI Upgrade With Virtualization Helps Petroamazonas Reduce Downtime\n\n*** Background ***\n\nPetroamazonas is Ecuador's top oil producer, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the country's national oil production. Following a merger with Petroecuador EP in 2013, the company more than doubled its production rates to its current level of about 355,000 barrels per day.\n\nHeadquartered in Ecuador's capital city of Quito, the company's oil exploration, development and production operations are dispersed into 17 different sites throughout the country. The majority of these sites are located in the jungle-thick Oriente basin region in the Eastern half of Ecuador.\n\nMost of the company's sites were previously operated by an assortment of oil and gas companies. The companies acquired or developed a site, operated it for a short period of time, and then handed it over to Petroamazonas. As a result, the sites largely lacked standardized processes or equipment.\n\nPetroamazonas needed to standardize its systems and processes to improve efficiencies, and simplify repairs and maintenance. To improve connectivity throughout the enterprise, it worked with Rockwell Automation to standardize its HMI infrastructure and virtualize its servers to reduce downtime and equipment expenses.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nPetroamazonas acquired two new production sites, the Eden Yuturi field and the Indillana field, that produced approximately 81,000 barrels of oil per day. When the company assumed ownership, it was apparent the human-machine interface (HMI) infrastructure, which was uniform between the two sites, was outdated and in need of an upgrade or replacement. The HMI software platform was unstable, and the operating system was obsolete, with missing licenses and duplicate serial keys. The physical servers also had exceeded their warranties.\n\n\"The infrastructure was no longer reliable, and this culminated into real problems for our operators at the facilities,\" said Javier Maldonado, a technical application supervisor at Petroamazonas. \"It reached the point where they were reporting issues at the sites on a daily basis. Regular system crashes would require servers to be rebooted because backup servers were not in place, and the 40-minute reboot time led to lengthy shutdowns.\"\n\nThe existing infrastructure also was limited in the information it could provide to plant personnel. Operators didn't have the ability to easily collect and analyze historical data, for example, which could help them identify trends and improve operations at the sites.\n\nIn parallel to all of this, the oil and gas applications at the Eden Yuturi and Indillana fields were growing in size and demand. As a result, the facilities had to be expanded and more tags, alarms, and services were required. This led to an increase in the number of physical data servers at the sites, pushing data centers to near-maximum capacity.\n\nPetroamazonas sought to increase the availability, reliability and maintainability of its HMI infrastructure at the two sites while also optimizing its company resources.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nThe new sites at Eden Yuturi and Indillana already used base hardware from Rockwell Automation, including Allen-Bradley(R) ControlLogix(R) and CompactLogixTM controllers. As a result, Petroamazonas chose to use FactoryTalk(R) View and FactoryTalk Historian software from Rockwell Automation for its performance, visibility and data-management needs because of the software's compatibility and ease of integration with the existing hardware.\n\nThe FactoryTalk View HMI software uses a common look, feel and navigation format to help Petroamazonas decrease development and training times. The software can be used for anything from single-machine applications to enterprise-based, supervisory-level applications, and it provides Petroamazonas personnel with access to real-time and historical data.\n\nRockwell Automation supported the project from its Ecuador office, located in Guayaquil, and also offered a license swap for most of the software that was being replaced.\n\nRather than preparing, testing and deploying the new HMI architecture on the two sites' aging physical infrastructure and further burdening the already-cramped data centers, Maldonado and his team opted for a completely new approach - virtualization. Rockwell Automation with Petroamazonas IT team migrated the HMI platforms from physical to virtual servers for both sites.\n\n\"Virtualization offered attractive backup and data-protection capabilities, and it provided our operations greater flexibility for any future changes,\" Maldonado said. \"We upgraded to a modern DCS, virtualized PlantPAx(R) platform from Rockwell Automation because of the compatibility it offered with the applications we use and because we knew the migration process would be smoother, with a minimal impact to our operations.\"\n\nThe PlantPAx process automation system is built on a standard-based architecture. In virtualized systems, PlantPAx Virtual Image Templates can provide the core PlantPAx system elements as pre-configured, drop-in templates.\n\nTo prepare for the migration, the Petroamazonas IT team cloned the physical servers to virtualized servers at both sites, and new server templates were prepared. The new virtualized infrastructures were assessed for storage size, and redundancy within both architectures was validated. The Eden Yuturi field migrated from eight physical servers to three physical servers and 16 virtual servers. The Indillana field went from seven physical servers to three physical servers and 13 virtual servers.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nThe upgraded HMI infrastructure with virtualization began providing immediate results once implemented at the two sites.\n\n\"Data collection using the FactoryTalk software is now as much as 10 times faster compared to our previous system,\" Maldonado said. \"This HMI system is more stable, more reliable and offers more capabilities than the system we inherited, which will allow us to better monitor our processes and help operators make better decisions in their day-to-day operations. It's also helping us better manage the growing number of tags, which now numbers about 190,000 tags between the two sites.\"\n\nThe virtualized infrastructure has delivered measurable improvements in reduced downtime. The sites no longer experience downtime during maintenance activities, and server reboot time has been cut from 40 minutes to 5 minutes. The decision to use virtual servers instead of physical servers also decreased the company's capital expenditures by 70 percent.\n\nThe amount of time required to implement new servers also has drastically improved. A virtual server can be implemented in about 30 minutes, while a new physical server can take as long as 60 to 70 days.\n\nBased on the results of the projects at the Eden Yuturi and Indillana sites, Petroamazonas decided to analyze the HMI platforms used at its other sites and is in the process of rolling out the same system to 13 additional sites to achieve a fully connected enterprise.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Petroamazonas' use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\nTAG: oil-and-gas\n\n",
    "hospital-saves-energy-with-integrated-architecture": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/hospital-saves-energy-with-integrated-architecture\n\nTITLE: Hospital Saves Energy with Integrated Architecture\n\n*** Background\n\n ***\n\nYork Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust was designed in the 1960s and built in the 1970s and, as such, much of its energy infrastructure is now reaching end of life. This gave the Trust the opportunity to make significant improvements in the way the hospital generates and consumes heat and power.\n\nWith over 8,000 staff, the Trust treats over 700,000 people per year, giving it similar energy requirements to a small town. Indeed, in 2012/13, the Trust had a combined gas and electricity bill of \u00a32.45 million and emitted 13,586 tonnes of CO2.\n\nFollowing a competitive procurement process, the Vital Energi Group was selected to deliver a low-carbon energy solution, with guaranteed carbon and financial savings through its operating companies:\n\n    * Vital Energi Utilities who design, build and operate low carbon based energy solutions for the localised generation, supply and distribution of heat, power and cooling\n\n    * Vital Solutions, who develop and structure long term Energy Performance contracts for hospitals, universities and large commercial and industrial sites\n\n    * Vital Efficienci, who design and deliver energy and carbon reduction solutions by measuring, managing, controlling and implementing solutions to reduce energy consumption\n\nVital Efficienci was tasked with reducing the hospital's energy demand. A challenge made all the more difficult by the fact that the project would go from procurement stage to going live in just 20 months. The money saved by the new infrastructure could then be invested in front-line clinical care, improving services and offering real, tangible benefits to the people of Yorkshire.\n\nVital Efficienci worked with Rockwell Automation to develop a bespoke energy-management and control solution that would help the Trust to both measure and manage its energy consumption, while giving Vital Energi Group real-time remote access into the site for on-going management, balancing and monitoring.\n\n*** Challenge\n\n ***\n\nThe project at York was procured and delivered in conjunction with the Carbon and Energy Fund, a procurement framework created to facilitate and manage complex energy infrastructure upgrades for the NHS and wider public sector. The money invested in CO2 reduction solutions is funded from the savings generated. The Vital Group has a 15-year operation and maintenance contract, which will ensure that savings are achieved every year. When possible it will try to exceed guaranteed savings, and these are then shared between the Trust and the Vital Energi Group.\n\nVital Energi Utilities was responsible for delivering the overall project and Vital Efficienci delivered the complete SCADA solution, alongside the operating principals and philosophies, and optimisation methodology developed for the plant. The control solution is split in two:\n\n    * The BMS \u2013 supplied by a specialist supply partner \u2013 which manages and optimises the downstream energy assets\n\n    * The SCADA system, supplied by Vital Efficienci, which manages and optimises the main energy centre (boiler house), with its two main plant rooms, and uses an Allen-Bradley architecture\n\nAccording to Kenneth Kunz, Technical Director at Vital Efficienci: \"This is a 15-year agreement, so we needed a robust industrial system that can work in a demanding environment and remain stable. It is for this reason that we decided to go with our own SCADA system and based it on proven, open industrial systems, with Rockwell Automation CompactLogix PACs at the heart.\"\n\n*** Solution\n\n ***\n\nThe existing energy system comprised gas-fired steam boilers controlled by an older and now unsupported control architecture. The Trust decided to proceed with the ECS (Energy Control Solution) typically known as SCADA from Vital Efficienci, based primarily on Allen-Bradley Integrated Architecture products.\n\nThe Trust was actually the first client of the new system, and required a complete upgrade and deployment of a new control infrastructure. \"We developed different modules into our ECS system,\" Kenneth explains, \"which are unique to Vital Energi Group. Our solution is very open, unlike other typical BMS systems, which can often be a little more 'black box' like and closed. They are satisfactory for alarming and monitoring, but they are often not optimized for energy centers. We developed new modules to make it unique and make it different to the market.\"\n\nVital Efficienci did the coding in-house and worked together with Rockwell Automation on the design and writing of software for the MBus protocol (communications). Standard industry power meters use MBus communications and, at the time, it was not possible to integrate these meters into the CompactLogix PACs. So the Rockwell Automation Global OEM Technical Consultant (GOTC) and Kenneth wrote new software, which supported the implementation of certain power meters into the overall control system.\"\n\nMBus is not a standard,\" Kenneth explains, \"but I found a serial communications module from ProSoft Technology (a Rockwell Automation Encompass Partner) within the Logix family, so we were able to develop an ASCII driver that would communicate with the MBus protocol. MBus is only really used for heat meters, but these days, more and more heat meters are offering the ability to use Modbus. We used MBus in York, but going forwards we will use Modbus RTU/TCP-IP.\"\n\nThe Vital Efficienci ECS system runs on Allen-Bradley\u00ae CompactLogix\u2122 L33ER & L24ER programmable automation controllers running on a fibre EtherNet/IP\u2122 network served by multiple I/O points and Stratix 5700\u2122 managed Ethernet switches.\n\n\"We need these different interfaces because we have a lot of gas, steam, electrical and heat meters around the energy centre measuring set points,\" Kenneth elaborates. \"These data points allow us to populate a daily CSV file with raw data, which is sent out at midnight to our head office in Blackburn and then stored in the cloud. The data, collected every 30 minutes, is then entered into specialist software so we can see where savings are being made and compare figures against desired set points.\"\n\nLast year Kenneth changed Vital's meter standard in order to gather better quality, more uniform data. \"Now it is all the same, it is much easier to work with on a day-to- day basis. The data collection is based on SQL, a flexible solution which also interfaces to a lot of other systems, and the system has been built based on good standards using products that will be on the market for many years.\n\n\"Above the CompactLogix PACs are a set of full servers that help ensure the whole system we design and deliver is robust, stable and future proof,\" Kenneth explains. \"The ECS Supervisor Server handles the Graphics and the SQL solution, while the ECS Report Server works beside it generating the data. Both are controlled with one screen, one keyboard and one mouse. The servers are also fail safe in case one stops working or we need to shut one down for maintenance.\"\n\nKenneth also believes that Vital Energi Group offer a unique solution compared to typical approaches. \"We have two ways to remotely access the Trust's system, either back access or via a smartphone app. Back access is via a browser using a fixed IP. With this we are able to connect into the Trust's ECS supervisor. It's all encrypted and offers different levels of access and includes an operator interface where our own engineers can change different things such as set points or alarms. App access is more for our engineers, but we can open it to others and our open-source app is very popular and can be downloaded free for Apple or Android.\"\n\nVital Efficienci also developed an alarm management and recording system that is monitored by personnel at Vital and used by its engineers to manage its on-call system. It uses an industrial mobile modem and SIM card (with antenna). Every time an alarm is generated in the Allen-Bradley PAC, it flashes on panel, appears on the ECS supervisor server and is sent to the engineer on duty via SMS, phone call and e-mail. Vital Energi or the Trust can then determine what sort of actions they want and can base the priorities on the severity of the issue.\n\n\"Now the ECS solution has been delivered, installed and proven we are fully prepared to handle a much wider range of projects and applications,\" Kenneth enthuses, \"and not just hospitals \u2013 any large establishment can benefit. We will soon be looking at industrial complexes; our system is flexible and can handle the variety.\"\n\n*** Results\n\n ***\n\nBrian Golding, the Trust's Energy Manager explains: \"We wanted Vital to look at our fundamental aims: reduce our carbon footprint, reduce our energy consumption, enhance our electricity resilience and take the project forward 15 years.\"\n\n\"Brian is suitably impressed with our solution,\" Kenneth elaborates, \"it was delivered and installed within the agreed timescales and has not experienced any issues after one year of operation, and is delivering the level of control and energy savings envisaged in the original design. The system will continue to be developed and with the flexibility and scalability of the Allen-Bradley Integrated Architecture, can be easily deployed on existing systems, such as we have seen in York.\n\n\"Quality is a key driver and we need to have faith in the equipment we deploy\" Kenneth explains. \"We need robust solutions based on high-end materials. We insist on delivering quality on every project we work on, and must therefore use quality inputs to be able to deliver quality outcomes.\n\n\"The support from Rockwell Automation in the UK has been outstanding,\" Kenneth concludes. \"Without the right team around you and the right input from suppliers you cannot achieve goals and have success \u2013 Rockwell Automation is very much part of our team.\"\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Vital Energi Group and York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\nTAG: \n\n",
    "oem-lematic-iiot": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/oem-lematic-iiot\n\nTITLE: LeMatic Extends Value with IIoT Technology\n\nSince 1972, LeMatic has prided itself on delivering not only leading bakery solutions - but outstanding customer service throughout the lifecycle of their equipment.\n\n\"Our specific expertise is in slicing and primary packaging,\" said Richard Kirkland, president, LeMatic. \"While most of our customers today are large, wholesale bakers, we are developing equipment to help the mid-size baker get the job done.\"\n\nFrom headquarters in Jackson, Michigan, the family-owned company supports an installed base extending across more than 40 countries. LeMatic is part of the Rockwell Automation(R) PartnerNetworkTM program.\n\n***** Early Technology Adoption Drives Differentiation *****\n\nLeMatic traces its success to its ability to quickly recognize evolving industry challenges. And to harness the power of new technologies to address customer needs.\n\n\"Historically, LeMatic has been an early adopter of Rockwell Automation solutions,\" said Kirkland. \"We embrace new technology and devote much of our product development to incorporating it into our offerings.\"\n\nOne example: The company now offers remote connectivity on all major equipment to better serve customers.\n\n\"Instead of spending 15 hours on a plane, I completed a 10-minute repair over Ethernet on equipment in Eastern Europe,\" said Chris Wojton, controls engineer, LeMatic. \"We also used remote connectivity and on-machine cameras to commission a bagger line in South America when we were unable to travel due to the pandemic.\"\n\n***** Impactful Proof-of-Concept with Emulate3D Software *****\n\nLeMatic is also incorporating new digital tools into its machine development process.\n\nFor instance, the company recently used Emulate3D(R) digital twin software to guide product design and customer engagement for a new machine, the P7 pattern former.\n\nBuilt on a Rockwell Automation(R) control platform, the P7 is a complex machine designed to arrange single packaged products into larger package configurations. The products enter the machine via conveyor single file and are intercepted on the fly by an overhead robotic gantry system. The system orients the product and releases the grouping to a retractable conveyor, which drops the product onto a tray.\n\n\"With Emulate3D, we used our CAD models to create a simulation and demonstrate machine operation to our customer during proof-of-concept,\" explained Glen Wheaton, electrical engineer, LeMatic. \"We also loaded the machine program into a PC to emulate exactly how product would run online - before any PLCs were purchased.\"\n\n\"The presale demonstrations of machine functionality ultimately led to a five-machine order valued at $1.8 million.\"\n\n***** New Insights. Better Troubleshooting. Faster Training. *****\n\nLeMatic's increasingly sophisticated machines produce a wealth of data. And in recent years, the company has keenly focused on helping customers capture and analyze that data to improve operations.\n\n\"Our goal is to help customers identify trends and use information to proactively address equipment issues,\" Kirkland said. \"Also, when machine data is shared at the corporate level, it can enable equipment and plant comparison - and help determine why something is working at one plant, but not another.\"\n\nTo improve access to useful information, the company is developing Auto iNet, a customized software as a service (SaaS) solution based on the ThingWorx Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) platform. The platform connects disparate data sources - and provides a single source to collect, aggregate and access operational data through intuitive dashboards and analytics. \u00a0\u00a0\n\nLeMatic also aims to digitalize all operation and maintenance manuals and incorporate\u00a0augmented reality (AR) in the SaaS bundle, based on Vuforia(R) AR solutions.\n\n\"Oftentimes, operators stay on the job six months or less,\" said Kirkland. \"Initially, the AR portion of our solution will be used primarily for repetitive training - to relieve supervisors from constantly training new workers.\"\n\nBut the company envisions the AR capabilities to quickly expand beyond training to support operation and maintenance activities.\n\n***** Not Just IIoT-Ready. IIoT-Implemented. *****\n\nFor LeMatic, the adoption of IIoT technology across its portfolio is just one more way the company supports its best-in-class vision.\n\n\"We're serious about IIoT technology,\" Kirkland said. \"We are quickly getting to the day when I can tell a baker our machines aren't just IIoT-ready - they're IIoT-implemented.\"\n\n\u00a0Learn more about solutions delivered by our OEM Partners.\n\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: bakery\n\nTAG: factorytalk-designsuite\nTAG: factorytalk-innovationsuite\nTAG: factorytalk-emulate-3d\nTAG: thingworx\nTAG: vuforia\n\n",
    "hamilton-city-council-meets-compliance-demands-with-system-upgra": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/hamilton-city-council-meets-compliance-demands-with-system-upgra\n\nTITLE: Hamilton City Council Meets Compliance Demands with System Upgrade\n\nWaste Water SCADA Screen\n\nThe Waikato River - the longest river in New Zealand - supplies all of Hamilton city's water supply. Water is treated, distributed, and managed by the Hamilton City Council to ensure that when water reaches consumers, it is free from harmful organisms and meets water supply standards.\n\nHamilton's reticulated water supply system consists of one water treatment plant that provides potable water to eight different reservoirs located around the city through over 1000km of piping. The reticulated (piped) network delivers the water straight to the taps of consumers. Every second of each day, Hamilton City Council produces an average of 2,385 glasses of high quality drinking water to over 51,000 homes and industrial premises.\n\nThe council is also responsible for the operation of the Pukete Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) - Hamilton's only wastewater treatment facility. This plant services a region that has grown rapidly in recent decades to have a population in excess of 150,000. Like the city, the Pukete WWTP is continually developing, in its case to improve operational performance and maintain compliance with a changing government regulatory environment.\n\nLeveraging the FactoryTalk(R) Integrated Production and Performance Suite from Rockwell Automation, Hamilton City Council implemented an upgrade to their supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system at the plant, enhancing the ability of key stakeholders to make informed decisions, improve performance efficiency and meet regulatory compliance.\n\nMeeting Compliance and Productivity Requirements\n\nSafe drinking water, available to everyone, is a fundamental requirement for public health. In 2008, the New Zealand Ministry of Health issued revised drinking water standards.\n\nTo comply with these regulations, it is the responsibility of water treatment facilities to track, save and provide monthly reports on water production, intake and discharge levels.\n\nCrucially, the standards require that Water Treatment Plants retain operating data for 10 years. More than a decade ago Rockwell Automation provided the council with the software suite for its previous supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system. However, the RSView(R) 32 system had become outdated over time and inefficient for compliance with modern-day regulatory requirements set out by the New Zealand Government.\n\nWith its previous SCADA system the council had often recorded data manually before transferring this information into Microsoft(R) Excel(R) spreadsheets for reporting. A faster, more accurate and automated reporting system was needed, and one that could rapidly generate pre-determined reports automatically for sharing with authorised groups.\n\n\"Our previous system was outdated and we required an upgrade to help simplify the process of complying with current water regulations in New Zealand. Not only that, but we identified the potential for improving operational efficiencies at the plant by implementing an integrated system that aims to increase productivity and reduce down-time,\" said Gary Pitcaithly, automation and electrical manager at Hamilton City Council.\n\nA key aim of the upgrade was to deliver a system with the ability to retain 10 years of data in a stable and reliable manner. At the same time, the system would need to provide operational efficiencies compared with the previous operating system, while also maintaining a secure environment only accessible by authorised stakeholders.\n\nTo improve on this process, Hamilton City Council engaged Rockwell Automation to provide the latest versions of the FactoryTalk software suite as the integral element of an upgrade to its system. According to Prasad Nory, industry manager - South Pacific at Rockwell Automation, \"FactoryTalk Historian and FactoryTalk Vantage Point are increasingly becoming standards in the water/wastewater industry - especially with the need for compliance to changing drinking water standards. Also, FactoryTalk Historian ME has been used by some councils in their pump stations to store data locally to take care of communication failures and meet compliance.\"\n\n\"By upgrading to the FactoryTalk suite the key benefits identified by council included: superior reporting for compliance to government regulations, improved system reliability and stability, and reduced risk when contractors are onsite to undertake modifications or further expansions.\"\n\nThe FactoryTalk software suite delivers a real-time exchange of information throughout organisations, a critical element that allows for more informed business decisions, improved responsiveness, increased productivity, reduced costs and ease of compliance with regulations.\n\nImplemented in-house by Pitcaithly, Hamilton City Council upgraded the WWTP's system over six months to include the Factory View (SE), FactoryTalk Historian, FactoryTalk VantagePoint, FactoryTalk AssetCentre and FactoryTalk ViewPoint applications. The Rockwell Automation Customer Support and Maintenance team provided support to the council during the upgrade, particularly for the migration from Historian Classic to FactoryTalk Historian.\n\nThe long-term storage and reporting capabilities required to comply with water standards are provided by FactoryTalk Historian and FactoryTalk VantagePoint. Data is stored in the Historian server for the required 10 year retention period and is easily accessed for analysis and reporting purposes. FactoryTalk VantagePoint is used by the plant to schedule and produce automatically generated reports providing information on periodical water consumption, discharge, intake, water quality and storage levels.\n\nFactoryTalk AssetCentre provides improved contractor control, change management and storage capabilities. Most importantly, the plant is now positioned to efficiently comply with water regulations in New Zealand, including the storage of data and records for 10 years.\n\n*** Delivering Fresh Water and a Clean Environment ***\n\nThe benefits of the new Integrated Architecture(R) solution will help the plant supply fresh drinking water and a clean environment to residents of Hamilton for many years to come. According to Pitcaithly, historical and reporting data is now available more quickly and accurately following implementation of the FactoryTalk suite, as the council had envisioned prior to the upgrade.\n\n\"The upgrade has delivered greater ease of use of our system throughout the WWTP. The new Historian is superior in how it stores data and makes generating information for vital reports a much more efficient task to undertake,\" explains Pitcaithly. \"The Vantage Point software allows us to develop reports at will, whether it is for compliance to water standards or for other needs. These reports can then be published as web-based reports that are available for anyone authorised to view them.\"\n\nAnother key result of the upgrade has been the flexibility it has added for personnel operating the system at the WWTP. \"The FactoryTalk software suite has enabled our team to be more flexible with their time, as we are now able to edit or update reports as we go.\n\nWe now simply store our data directly into Historian and the data spreads directly from the PAC (programmable automation controller) to a human interface. This data is incorporated into spreadsheets for us to interrogate, whether it is on a daily, weekly or monthly basis, to tell us if we've had a breach in turbidity or if chlorine levels aren't what they should be,\" said Pitcaithly.\n\nThe flexibility extends to the ability of system users to remotely access the software from tablet computers or smart phones. \"The team has tablets and smart phones that can basically access FactoryTalk View anywhere in the world - if they are out of the office or on-call the system can be easily accessed and key changes made,\" concludes Pitcaithly.\n\nWith the FactoryTalk software suite delivering new found operational potential for the plant, the council is planning to continue to update and improve its system further in the coming years utilising these capabilities.\n\n\u00a0\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to the Hamilton City Council's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\nTAG: water-wastewater\n\n",
    "cybersecure-acquisitions": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/cybersecure-acquisitions\n\nTITLE: Food Manufacturer Acquires to Grow: Securely\n\nWhile some Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) companies have flourished during COVID-19 - think grocery, food, and health product providers - others have floundered. Yet, all face daunting challenges. Cyberattacks are increasingly commonplace and costly, interconnected OT and IT systems can jeopardize industrial control systems, and evolving public-safety requirements demand agility.\n\nChallenge:\n\nTo overcome these hurdles, one Fortune 500 consumer food manufacturer needed a clear understanding of the cybersecurity vulnerabilities to its OT and IT networks. Complicating matters, the company had acquired dozens of food businesses over the past two decades, each with disparate technology and security ecosystems.\n\nAs a result, the manufacturer lacked a centralized, real-time view into the security of systems across its 46 global manufacturing sites. Achieving transparency would require a standard, risk-based security strategy and unified threat management capabilities.\n\n\n\n* Solution:\n\nCollaborating with the company's head of cybersecurity and working with Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork Partner Claroty, Rockwell Automation designed and deployed centralized threat detection services across 46 global manufacturing sites. This helped establish an organizational-wide baseline of network activity and allowed continuous threat monitoring for unusual activity that could indicate cyberattacks before they occur without disrupting operations. Real-time threat detection solutions allow security teams to have a consistent, accurate, view of what their network looks like and ultimately save thousands of dollars in potential downtime and production loss.\n\nNow, if a breach occurs, a custom workflow helps recover compromised systems and networks. And because employee training is elemental to effective security, a program was implemented to foster an enterprise-wide culture of cybersecurity hygiene.\n\n\n\n* Results:\n\nToday, this food manufacturer currently has centralized and unified threat management systems in place to help minimize cybersecurity risks by expanding visibility from IT into the OT environment, detecting and acting on cyber threats before they become breaches. Employees have new cybersecurity awareness resulting from the enterprise-wide training program.\n\nGoing forward, the company is positioned to implement consistent cybersecurity programs as it continues to grow through future acquisitions.\n\nTAG: build-resilience\n\nTAG: industrial-security\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: household-and-personal-care\n\n",
    "water-conservation-mpc": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/water-conservation-mpc\n\nTITLE: Melbourne Water Achieves Sustainability Goals\n\nMelbourne Water is owned by the Victorian Government. The company manages the major water, sewerage and drainage networks across Greater Melbourne. They also care for 25,000km of rivers and creeks that sustain healthy communities and the environment.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nThe Thomson Reservoir feeds into one of the largest water supply networks in Australia. Operated by Melbourne Water, it is at the core of water supply for the city of Melbourne and the surrounding suburbs. To ensure the Thomson River environment downstream of the dam is protected, the flows in the river must be controlled and optimized so that the correct amount of water is released at all times.\n\nFinding the optimal amount of water to release is complex. If too much water is released the source water is wasted. If too little is released, the environmental conditions downstream of the dam are impacted and Melbourne Water fails to meet its minimum compliance requirements.\n\nMelbourne Water must take into consideration the existing river flow and levels, which are impacted by crop irrigation, rainfall runoff, tributary flow, and evaporation. They must also consider fluctuating customer demand. And, there is a time lag of up to 10 hours from when changes are made to release flows at the dam to when those changes are seen at the farthest compliance point.\n\nThe complexity of the network, paired with factors like lag time and multiple environmental variables made this system a perfect candidate for model predictive control (MPC).\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\nKalypso, a Rockwell Automation Business, worked with Melbourne Water to help control the water leaving the Thomson Reservoir with increased efficiency and precision by implementing FactoryTalk Analytics Pavilion8 model predictive control technology from Rockwell Automation.\n\nWhile the water industry is relatively mature when it comes to automation and system optimization, quality, process variability, outages and downtime are still persistent challenges.\n\nThe complexity of calculations, the duration of focus and the speed and precision required are poorly suited to human capabilities. MPC applies a data science layer on top of existing regulatory controls to continuously monitor and predictively optimize process behavior.\n\nFor Melbourne Water, the MPC system analyzes a set of variables (flows from tributaries, rainfall, evaporation, irrigation consumption, etc.) in real time and continuously, predicting and driving the setpoint adjustments to maintain optimal system function, removing the strain of extended\u00a0observation from conventional operation eliminating the root cause of variability, outages and downtime.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\nUsing the new system, Melbourne Water was able to save 2 billion liters of water annually, conserve energy and reduce strain on the workforce while improving compliance. Melbourne Water has set the bar for autonomous operations and responsible stewardship over a critical natural resource.\n\nTAG: drive-sustainability\n\nTAG: water-wastewater\n\nTAG: model-predictive-control\n\n",
    "flexicon-meets-growing-demand-for-agile-bulk-handling-equipment-": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/flexicon-meets-growing-demand-for-agile-bulk-handling-equipment-\n\nTITLE: Flexicon Meets Growing Demand for Agile Bulk Handling Equipment With Connected Components Workbench Software\n\n***** Background *****\n\nFlexicon Corporation is a world leader in the design and manufacture of bulk handling equipment and custom-engineered and integrated plant-wide systems. Flexicon solutions range from single-use, standalone units, to integrated, plant-wide systems that incorporate the company's systems with systems from other manufacturers.\n\nFlexicon products range from individual equipment to automated systems that source bulk material from interior and exterior plant locations, transport it between process equipment and storage vessels; weigh, blend, and feed it to packaging lines, extruders, molding machines and storage vessels; and load it in railcars and trailers. Flexicon can also custom-engineer automated, plant-wide bulk handling, system and processing systems.\n\nThe Flexicon facility in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA, is the company's world headquarters. Systems, including controls and automation, are designed and built here, as well as in manufacturing facilities in the United Kingdom, South Africa and Australia.\n\nTo meet growing demand for equipment and systems, Flexicon doubled the size of its headquarters production facility and expanded the Controls and Automation team. Thus, Flexicon needed a cost-effective and flexible solution for their standard product line controls.\n\n***** Challenge *****\n\nThe ability to meet the increasingly complex needs of processors is a key differentiator for Flexicon. Larger customers routinely require multiple ingredient blending and batching functionality. Processors of all types and sizes request controls that can be layered so operators have access to basic machine operations, while management can access settings, timers and recipe management.\n\nTime saving functions, including storing and retrieving hundreds of multi-ingredient recipes with a few button presses, are expected as standard. Data must be logged so it can be retrieved and analyzed. Control panels are expected to be intuitive and easy to use, arriving at the facility programmed and ready for installation. And it must be easy to integrate Flexicon-built equipment with non-Flexicon processing systems.\n\nHistorically, equipment commissioning was project-driven and required an automation engineer to program each system. Through a proactive desire to address these challenges together, Flexicon reached out to Rockwell Automation to optimize their processes and remove the barriers, which inhibited them from best serving their customers.\n\n***** Solution *****\n\nFlexicon is leveraging\u00a0Connected Components Workbench software to simplify their standalone machine development through an integrated toolset for controller programming, device configuration and human machine interface integration.\n\nThe Flexicon team selected easy-to-install\u00a0Micro820 and\u00a0Micro850 controllers. The Micro820 controllers are designed for small, standalone machine control and remote automation applications that require flexible communications and I/O capabilities. The Micro850 controller has the same features, but is designed for larger standalone machines.\n\nPanelView 800\u00a0graphic terminals offer keypad touch screens with display sizes compatible with small controllers. Featuring high-performance processors and high-resolution displays, the built-in Ethernet and serial communication ports support a variety of networks, and offer improved usability with remote monitoring capability.\n\n***** Results *****\n\nFlexicon's goal was to use a common toolset with a small footprint to create a flexible solution that accommodates varying options within each product. They achieved this goal via the Connected Components Workbench software. In addition to the concept development and initial recommendation, Rockwell Automation provided Flexicon's team with the training necessary to familiarize them with the versatility and capabilities of the software.\n\nFlexicon was able to architect a configurable program which has significant impact on the time for system deployment. Personnel, may be non-technical, using a microSDTM memory card with the stored program, IP address and base recipe configuration can access a password-secured screen to complete configuration tailored to the end customer's requirements.\n\nSince deployment of the Connected Components Workbench software, Flexicon is now able to focus on proactive, forward looking developments to provide their customers with innovate capabilities, which can be readily deployed on their future and existing install-base.\n\nWith this solution, Flexicon can reduce the time and money spent designing and testing the controls portion of their orders. Now, Flexicon can produce control applications that are both repeatable and reliable, while reducing time to market and engineering costs.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Flexicon's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\nTAG: fiber-and-textiles\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: life-sciences\nTAG: print-and-publishing\n\n",
    "62443-3-3-certification": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/62443-3-3-certification\n\nTITLE: Securing The Connected Enterprise\n\nThis story is about us! Rockwell Automation, Inc is a global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation. We connect the imaginations of people with the potential of technology to expand what is humanly possible, making the world more productive and more sustainable.\n\nWe're proud to announce that our Milwaukee manufacturing facility has recently been named the industry's first IEC 62443-certified industrial operations facility.\n\n\"This certification confirms to customers that when they buy something from us, it is made in a plant that uses secure manufacturing processes,\" says Heath Bewley, Security System Manager, Office of Product Safety & Security. \"It also represents our understanding of the importance of cybersecurity for manufacturing facilities. By achieving this certification, we are not only securing our own manufacturing, but we are demonstrating to customers that we can secure theirs as well.\"\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nCyberattacks on industrial organizations are relentless and increasingly sophisticated. And the ever-evolving compliance landscape can make it hard for organizations to maintain compliance with regulations.\n\nAchieving the IEC 62443-3-3 certification was a team effort and a comprehensive response to the growing number of cyberattacks targeting industrial organizations. The reality for organizations in the industrial space-including our own organization-is \"not if, but when\" a cyberattack will occur.\n\nAlongside Partners like Cisco, Claroty, and Dragos, and through acquisition of Avnet, Oylo & Verve Industrial Protections, we have been providing OT and IT cybersecurity support for industrial organizations for years. We deeply understand the unique challenges of protecting OT environments. And, within our own manufacturing facilities, we face the same challenges as our customers.\n\nRockwell Automation was driven to pursue the IEC 62443-3-3 certification to adapt to the growing threat and compliance landscape for our own safety and for the safety of our customers.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\nLike any industry 'first', the road to IEC 62443-3-3 certification was not a simple one. It required a concerted effort from various teams in Rockwell Automation.\n\nAt first, we were challenged with where to start. We had to address several complexities: flat networks, legacy technologies, and non-standard security procedures. A lesson we learned early on was the importance of connecting the right players within the company: our Chief Information Security Office, Office of Product Safety & Security, Integrated Supply Chain, and Lifecycle Services teams.\n\nPursuing the certification began years ago when we launched a risk assessment to identify gaps in the OT cybersecurity strategy. Bewley says, \"We performed more than a vulnerability assessment. It was a full-plant OT risk assessment.\"\n\nAn effective cyber risk assessment analyzes environmental and operational factors such as infrastructure age and stage, financial and staff resources, downtime costs, impacts to customers or public safety of a breach, cybersecurity attack trends and existing protections. Only after a full assessment has been performed can an informed plan for risk mitigation be developed and implemented.\n\nAfter identifying gaps, we then analyzed the requirements of the IEC 62443-3-3 certification and built out a test plan to figure out how to meet them. We built a test lab to deploy our PlantPAx(R) distributed control system across operations in our Milwaukee facility. PlantPAx 5.0 system architectures are T\"UV certified to the international standard ISA-99/IEC 62443-3-3 which provides guidance on the implementation of an electronically secured system. With this digital twin-esque approach, we gained evidence of the efficacy of our plan to achieve certification.\n\nThis testing environment is active and serves as a valuable tool for helping our customers perform their own testing. They trust our testing environment because they know that Rockwell Automation uses it, too.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\nThe culmination of these efforts resulted in the Rockwell Automation Milwaukee facility becoming the first in the industrial operations space to achieve a plant-wide IEC 62443-3-3 certification, following 62443-2-1. John Schilling, Senior Manager, ISC Security and Risk Management says, \"This certification gives us credibility as an OT security leader, as well as proof that our products, services, and partners can help customers along their own journey.\" He also notes, \"Every plant becomes a showcase of our cyber portfolio and shows our customers that we put into practice what we sell.\"\n\nThe certification has a tangible impact on supply chain operations, too. Bob Buttermore, SVP, Chief Supply Chain Officer says, \"Resilient end-to-end supply chain operations are a key pillar of our strategic framework, and our cybersecurity is a key component. We strive to produce secure products without disruption, deliver orders on time...and generate revenue that our shareholders can count on.\"\n\nLooking ahead, Rockwell Automation isn't stopping with this certification. Bewley says, \"We're not just standing still. We're planning additional security deployments to increase our security capabilities.\"\n\nRockwell Automation cyber and cyber-adjacent teams will continue to work together closely to secure our Connected Enterprise(R) and help customers across the industrial operations industry achieve cyber-secure plants.\n\nTAG: build-resilience\n\nTAG: industrial-security\n\nTAG: plantpax\n\n",
    "cancer-treatment-facility-reduces-patient-time-in-clinic-by-25-p": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/cancer-treatment-facility-reduces-patient-time-in-clinic-by-25-p\n\nTITLE: Cancer Treatment Facility Reduces Patient Time in Clinic by 25 Percent\n\n*** A Noble Cause ***\n\nOne in two men and one in three women will develop cancer in their lifetime. There are many organizations on the frontlines of this battle, hoping to improve that statistic. One battlefront is the long and complex process to move safe and effective cancer drugs to market.\n\nA leading cancer institute brings clinical trials to patients through a network of strategic sites across the U.S and UK. They take on the vital role of providing access to the latest therapies, including Phase 1 trials, for patients facing the disease in the comfort of their communities.\n\n*** The Best Problem ***\n\nRecent breakthroughs in cancer research led to remarkable patient accruals for the drug development unit in Nashville, Tennessee. The clinic was seeing up to 70 patients in a given day, a significant increase from the average 30 patients per day in previous years. This led to longer wait times and crowded waiting areas. Patients enrolled on trials were averaging five hours each visit.\n\n\"The time patients spent in the clinic could be spent at home with their family and friends, enjoying life.\" said Mary, manager of process improvement for the clinic. \"We were seeking a solution to address this increased patient population to ensure that each individual was getting the best care possible as efficiently as possible.\"\n\nData is imperative for the success of a clinical trial. In Phase I clinical trials, for instance, patients have their blood drawn 12 times during the first day they are treated to ensure that safety is closely monitored. The protocol for each study is different, requiring different steps and safety precautions. The problem, however, was that each step requires a varied amount of time. While the steps had been thoroughly documented, the high level processes for each patient had never been timed.\n\nClinic managers recognized the need to improve patients' wait time. The facility staff needed to pinpoint the processes slowing down patient flow.\n\n*** Simulating the Solution ***\n\nThe consultancy firm Adaptive Strategy Management was brought in to vet, propose and implement the best solution to improve patient experience in the clinic. They immediately suggested using Arena Simulation Software. Based on prior experiences with Arena, they knew it would be the best tool to help discover the right solution.\n\nArena accurately forecasts organizational workflows to provide measureable impacts of potential changes before implementing them in real life. The consultant team shadowed staff and patients, documenting each of the clinic's processes to collect the data needed for Arena's base model of the clinic.\n\nDuring the shadowing process, the team found bottlenecks in nearly every step. But with all of the variables in the clinic's workflow and necessary protocols, they didn't know where to start.\n\nFor example, after each patient had their blood drawn, they waited two hours to acquire lab results. If the patient needed treatment, they would either ingest the medication orally as a pill, or as an infusion, which could take anywhere from 10 minutes to 3 hours.\n\nAfter some analysis and observation, it became clear that there were improvements could be made to improve scheduling on the frontend.\n\nAfter two days at the site analyzing clinical processes, the team was able to use Rockwell Software(R) Arena(R) simulation software to develop an accurate model of the clinic's current workflow. The model produced results that were nearly identical to the real world metrics.\n\n\"The engagement with Rockwell Automation was really quick and easy,\" Mary explained. \"They helped us make the model as accurate as possible.\"\n\nThe team then began to build scenarios with different scheduling, staffing, space and blood analyzing technology. The Arena simulation software forecasted a myriad of scenarios and analyzed their impacts to help pinpoint the most optimized solution for the Nashville clinic.\n\n*** Giving Back Time ***\n\nArena enabled staff members to analyze results of alterations to clinical processes before implementing into the system for patients. They could be confident that the results from the simulations would be representative of the results they would see in the clinic.\n\nThe Arena simulations outlined a new scheduling procedure, provided factual support for an increase in staff and building space, and revealed that an investment in a new blood analyzer would drastically decrease wait time for lab results.\n\nThe team implemented the process and procedural changes, and made the recommended investments. After all changes were made, total time in clinic dropped 25 percent. This gave back an estimated 15,000 hours of patient time per year, time that patients could spend being with the people they love - not sitting in a waiting room.\n\nThe clinic is now operating on the new improved schedules, and will apply their operational best practices at other clinics within the network. Arena simulation software met the goals of the clinic, improving the experience for both patients and staff with minimal disruption.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to this study's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nArena and Rockwell Software are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\n\nTAG: life-sciences\n\n",
    "making-vaccine-treatments-safer-and-more-accessible": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/making-vaccine-treatments-safer-and-more-accessible\n\nTITLE: Making vaccine treatments safer and more accessible\n\nVaccines have, understandably, dominated news headlines in recent times, giving the public some insight to the practicalities of developing, distributing and administering life-saving medicines.\n\nFor ProjectBinder, a global company specialising in project management for the automation (OT), IT and network fields with operations in Denmark and Spain, finding a simple and inexpensive solution to frictions in the medicines supply process produced a business opportunity with positive human outcomes. Working with a leading producer of vaccines for critical conditions including polio, ProjectBinder created a mobile traceability device that improves the authenticity and trust of medicines in the field while producing massive cost efficiencies across the supply chain.\n\n***** Supply Chain Risks *****\n\nThe authenticity and trustworthiness of products is largely taken for granted in the western world. Few shoppers of consumer goods or pharmaceuticals in developed markets would suspect tampering or counterfeiting in their purchases.\n\nIn the developing world, however, such issues are a real and common risk. News stories such as the Chinese melamine-laced baby milk scandal of 20081 highlighted the devastating effect that tainted goods can have when they infiltrate the supply chain.\n\nWhen it comes to vital medicines, the risks are even more severe. Counterfeit vaccines account for hundreds of thousands of deaths annually across the globe and cost local governments billions of dollars2. In developing markets where the need is critical and the resources for rigorous inspection are limited, the necessity for verifiably safe medicines is massive.\n\n***** Searching for a Solution *****\n\nOne of ProjectBinder's customers, a leading producer of vaccines, has established a formidable reputation in the Life Sciences industry. A pioneer in medicine development, the company employs a complex global supply operations so that its vaccines can be issued to areas of critical need - in a safe and frictionless way. Producing and distributing polio vaccines to countries in the developing world could encounter a variety of logistical and administrative hurdles, opening up risks such as loss, theft or replacement with potentially hazardous alternatives.\n\nThe vaccine company wanted to improve the way it managed the distribution process, enabling its vaccines to be tracked and verified at every step from its production facilities through to the hospitals, pharmacists and vaccination clinics where it would be administered to patients. This approach is also desirable for the producer's customers, such as hospital administrators, who often need evidence of receipt of goods in order to claim financial support from government bodies.\n\nIn 2019 the vaccine company began investigating potential solutions available in the market and found several significant problems. Firstly, most solutions it examined needed to be integrated with existing serialisation systems, requiring extensive technical work to implement the changes in its own infrastructure, as well as that of its clients. The second issue related to cost, as integrating a traceability solution end to end would involve replacing and upgrading existing systems, with costs typically in the millions of Euros. There were also administrative costs to consider, which would make sending smaller batches of medicines less feasible, potentially pricing some hospitals in poorer countries out of taking delivery of treatments.\n\nFurthermore, the common solutions on the market posed problems from a mobility perspective. The hospitals administering the medicines would need to setup the tracing systems in a stationary location within their facility, which could prove difficult or bureaucratic in practice. As a consequence, the system could not then be taken out to the field, such as for the purpose of administering to remote communities.\n\nThe combination of these factors meant existing solutions were not practical for the company, nor for its customers.\n\n***** Simple, Yet Effective *****\n\nFortunately, the company found a more suitable solution by engaging ProjectBinder. ProjectBinder has deep vertical experience in this area and was able to apply that knowledge in order to come up a unique and creative solution.\n\nProjectBinder designed a portable traceability solution named Black Diamond Mobile Commissioning & Aggregation Tool. Taking the form of a 20 kg suitcase-shaped box, it can be easily transported to wherever it's required at any stage of the supply chain and simply set up without the need to connect to existing serialisation infrastructure. Featuring a scanning device, monitor, control system and label-printer, the solution allows the user to verify the medicine has come from an official source, and acknowledge receipt through a globally accessible, cloud-based data management system called TraceLink.\n\nAccording to Martin Petersen, General Manager at ProjectBinder, Black Diamond filled an important gap in the serialisation market. \"We were challenged to create an agile, flexible and robust method for our customer to commission and decommission product units, ranging from small bundles through to larger cases or pallets. This normally requires a substantial investment in OT infrastructure that would only be economical for large unit quantities, so we had to really think outside the box to overcome some of the evident design, cost and practical usage constraints.\"\n\nThe solution uses leading-edge technologies from Rockwell Automation, for whom ProjectBinder is recognised as a system integrator partner. By using an Allen-Bradley(R) CompactLogixTM 5480 programmable automation controller (PAC), the serialisation component can be integrated together with the PAC logic, offering greater control over the process and increased traceability.\n\n\"We were looking for a control system that could collect data at speed and the 5480 model really delivered. With high-performance control and data throughput, the real-time controller integrates easily with the other components and provides strong reliability,\" Martin added.\n\nAny participant in the supply chain process, including in the procurement, packaging line, shipping and decommissioning phases, can scan the barcode to see what steps have been taken along the chain and quickly identify if there's a risk of tampering in the medicine's delivery. This is important from the perspectives of health and quality and also from a compliance standpoint, ensuring that the distribution aligns with regional and local regulations.\n\nMoreover, the solution has been delivered at a significantly lower cost than alternative solutions. The end user was able to retain its existing IT infrastructure and operate the solution at a separate layer to integrate with its Level 4 and Level 5 systems, allowing implementation to be performed at a fraction of the cost.\n\n***** Rolling Out, Rolling On *****\n\nIn the time since ProjectBinder implemented the solution, the end-user company has now seen significant progress. The solution has been rolled out across multiple sites and used extensively, particularly in hard-to-reach areas where mobility is a valuable feature.\n\nMartin is proud of what's been achieved to date, and hopes that it's only a taste of the variety of potential applications for Black Diamond, especially as today's consumers become more conscious of the need for verifiable product origin and safety.\n\n\"To have a solution we developed be used for the purpose of saving lives and helping healthcare workers, who are providing vital treatments to gain peace of mind in carrying out their work, is immensely satisfying. We are talking to our customer about how Black Diamond can be further scaled and hope to see new use cases for the solution emerge in other sectors too.\"\n\n***** Additional Information *****\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to ProjectBinder's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\u00a0\n\n1 Quartz.com\n\n2 The Guardian\n\nTAG: build-resilience\n\nTAG: life-sciences\n\nTAG: programmable-controllers\n\n",
    "paper-based-speed-and-flexibility-better-support": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/paper-based-speed-and-flexibility-better-support\n\nTITLE: Paper-based speed and flexibility backed by better customer support\n\nOPTIMA packaging group GmbH is a technological leader in the precise dispensing, filling, packaging and handling of high-end liquid and solid products.\n\nSupporting several industry segments, including pharma & biotech, diagnostics, medical products, hygiene, food, cosmetics & beauty care, filtration, chemicals, lifestyle products and energy, it has a mission that simply states: \"We care for people\".\n\nAnd this mantra means that Optima's solutions ensure that valuable and sensitive goods, such as medicines, medical products, foodstuffs and cosmetics, reach people all over the world, safely, reliably and well-protected.\n\nAccording to Dr. Stefan K\"onig, managing director of OPTIMA packaging Group GmbH: \"We are solution providers. We do our best every single day - with great expertise, team spirit and the commitment to solve every new challenge - to satisfy our customers' needs, with applications-specific systems and technologies based on proven platforms. And with our worldwide service network, we maintain these systems throughout their life cycle.\"\n\nOne of the company's key markets is for paper-based hygiene products, which, like many other industries, demands more flexible production and faster changeover for a wider spread of products... all on the same machine.\n\nPackaging flexibility is defined by many things, but at the heart of many machines, the product-feeding system dictates what is fed, where it is fed and how much is fed. According to Oliver Rebstock, managing director of OPTIMA nonwovens GmbH: \"The machines available on the market use fixed-pitch feed systems, which immediately limit the possibilities for packaging agility. Our new OPTIMA HSC high-performance horizontal cartoner, on the other hand, delivers new flexibility in packaging thanks to our deployment of the iTRAK intelligent track system (ITS) from Rockwell Automation.\n\nUsing the iTRAK ITS, Optima is able to offer an almost infinitely flexible product feed pitch, which can be changed immediately without any significant downtime. Rebstock explains: \"This ability to electronically control the pitch means that we can offer machines that can more easily adapt to and handle a far greater range of products and packaging styles - both of which are key drivers for the industries we serve.\n\n\"Not only are our machines faster and more flexible than existing machines in operation,\" Gustav Marwitz, group leader development, adds, \"but we have also streamlined design and commissioning too, using simulation capabilities delivered by Emulate3D virtual commissioning software. This approach allows us to develop and test the process software before the machine is installed. The quality of the process software is also higher, as more tests can be carried out than with a typical live-commissioning cycle. Furthermore, we can also deliver better customer support for machines already installed at the customer's site, as suggestions for improvements can be developed and tested within the simulation model without downtime of the customer's machine.\"\n\nFounded in 1922, the history of Optima is intrinsically linked with three generations of the B\"uhler family. With tradition and consistency comes new initiatives and change; and it is this dynamic and highly productive chemistry that marks Optima's continued success, and what has made its \"100 Years of Future\" possible.\n\nThe adoption and deployment of contemporary technology to improve and streamline customer operations is one reason why the company has such a strong reputation, and its use of products from Rockwell Automation has supported this. \"Rockwell Automation is one of the main automation supplier at Optima Nonwovens,\" concludes Oliver Rebstock. \"Not just for its capabilities, but also due to the fact that most of our customers request its automation solutions too.\"\n\nDiscover how our solutions can underpin your digital transformation\n\nTAG: optimize-production\nTAG: accelerate-digital-transformation\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: life-sciences\nTAG: print-and-publishing\n\n",
    "boral-quarry-invests-in-intelligent-motor-control-solution": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/boral-quarry-invests-in-intelligent-motor-control-solution\n\nTITLE: Boral Quarry Invests in Intelligent Motor Control Solution\n\nBoral\u00a0is a leading provider of construction materials and building products in Australia. Products include cement, aggregates, concrete, asphalt, bricks, roofing, masonry products and timber.\n\nWith an extensive network of concrete, asphalt and manufacturing sites across Australia, Boral's leading position is underpinned by around one billion tonnes of quarry reserves strategically located close to key markets.\n\nBoral's Charlton quarry is located in Victoria, almost half way between Melbourne and Mildura. It is one of the few hard rock quarries in the region with the capability to produce notable volumes. The quarry produces a range of quarry products and supplies product to infrastructure projects in the region.\n\nWith a commitment to delivering high-quality building and construction solutions, Boral Quarries holds Quality Management System Certification to ISO 9001:2015 for its operations.\n\nBoral works to maintain an engaged and reliable workforce and minimise environmental impact. In keeping with this mission, Boral recently invested in an industry leading motor control solution for their Charlton quarry to improve uptime and leverage the longevity and compliance provided by the latest motor control technology.\n\n*** Productivity and Reliability ***\n\nBoral engaged SS Electrics, a progressive electrical contracting business based in Ballarat, Victoria, to implement a solution to modernise the electric equipment at the quarry. \u00a0\n\n\"We have worked with Boral on projects at their other quarries previously and therefore understood the importance of minimising downtime onsite during commissioning. The Rockwell Automation MCC was the most appropriate choice for this application because it is a fully designed and integrated system that is essentially 75 percent commissioned upon arrival. This really helped reduce engineering time and helped meet the tight commissioning timeline for this project,\" explained Chris Nunn, Director, SS Electrics.\n\nThe Allen-Bradley(R)\u00a0CENTERLINE(R) 2500 Motor Control Centers\u00a0(MCCs) offer optimal safety, performance and reliability to help quarries meet their production requirements. Modern motor control solutions need to be able to integrate with existing systems and provide advanced diagnostics capabilities. The CENTERLINE 2500 meets these requirements with premier integration and reduced engineering time.\n\n\"The quarry required a MCC solution that would meet the highest standards and also one that would be cost effective as well as adopting some of the integration benefits,\" explained Matthew Treeby, account manager, Rockwell Automation.\n\nSS Electrics\u00a0worked with Rockwell Automation and their distributor\u00a0NHP Electrical Engineering Products\u00a0to select the smart components which are at the heart of the 12 column MCC including the\u00a0E300TM Electronic Overloads,\u00a0SMCTM Flex soft starters,\u00a0POINT I/OTM modules,\u00a0Guardmaster(R) safety relays,\u00a0Stratix(R) switches,\u00a0ControlLogix(R) control system\u00a0and\u00a0PowerFlex(R) 525\u00a0variable speed drives for the crushers, conveyors and processing equipment.\n\n\"The MCC provides a reliable solution for motor control in Boral's Charlton quarry. The MCC is a 'best of both worlds' solution because it is not only high quality, fully tested and compliant, as would be expected from a global supplier, but the customer was also able to customize the solution to meet their unique requirements because the design and project management is done locally,\" explained Treeby.\n\nThe Allen-Bradley CENTERLINE 2500 Motor Control Centers (MCCs) offer optimal safety, performance and reliability to help quarries meet their production requirements.\n\nIntelligent Software and Safety\n\nWith a strong commitment to employee safety, Boral chose to include ArcShield Technology in the MCC. ArcShield helps to reduce arc flash hazards and provides increased protection against internal electrical arcing faults.\n\nOffering a scalable safety solution, the MCC's Guardmaster safety relays (GSR) addresses both the compliance standards and functional safety requirements for the quarry.\n\nBoral's MCC also features IntelliCENTER(R) technology, which enhances the intelligence of the MCC by using built-in networking to capture information that can be used for predictive maintenance, process monitoring, and advanced diagnostics. Connecting motor control devices over Ethernet allows operators and maintenance to realise the benefits of\u00a0The Connected Enterprise(R) by monitoring and analysing operations from anywhere at any time.\n\n*** Hassle-free Installation and Commissioning ***\n\nTo help reduce engineering time, the MCC was assembled in the Rockwell Automation Shanghai manufacturing plant. Boral and SS Electrics took the opportunity to visit the plant and assess the MCC's capabilities prior to shipping to Australia.\n\nThe smart motor control solution was programmed using Studio 5000(R) software and wiring was connected at SS Electric's factory. This provided the opportunity for further testing and programming, therefore reducing the engineering time required for commissioning on site in Charlton.\n\nBy providing consolidated programming, device and system configuration, operation and maintenance within the Studio 5000 engineering environment, complexity and potential errors can be minimised. In addition, the requirement for onsite engineering work was reduced significantly as the MCC had a complete set of electrical drawings, allowing SS Electric to start the commissioning process from their facility in Ballarat, even before the MCC arrived in Australia. Upon arrival, commissioning was completed at SS Electric's facility where it was pre-built in a portable room prior to being shipped to site. This also allowed the MCC to be customised to meet the site specifications of the quarry.\n\nThe MCC was pre-built in a portable room prior at SS Electric's facility prior to being shipped to site.\n\n*** Improved Uptime and Compliance ***\n\nBoral's Charlton quarry is now benefitting from the new smart motor control solution which provides key diagnostic information that optimises performance with real time access to operation and performance trends. As the quarry moves towards a more Connected Enterprise, this increased visibility into the system and real time diagnostic data can be transformed into actionable and insightful information.\n\nThe new smart motor control solution which provides key diagnostic information that optimises performance with real time access to operation and performance trends.\n\n\"A key focus of the Charlton project was to replace end of life electrical equipment for improved compliance and safety, while minimising any required downtime at the quarry,\" explained Jake McClellan, Asset Manager, Boral Australia. \"This was achieved with the new solution and the help of SS Electrics and Rockwell Automation. It was a very smooth project, and thanks to the increased visibility into the system, fault-finding time has been reduced from hours to minutes and what was previously a very manually controlled process is now completely automated.\"\n\n\"In addition, the plant manager can now monitor production trends and energy consumption in real time, which assists with plant optimisation. With the new MCC, the quarry can confidently service customer demand well into the future. As a result of the success of this project, we have plans to implement similar systems in our other quarries,\" said McClellan.\n\n\u00a0\n\nAllen-Bradley, ArcShield, CENTERLINE, ControlLogix, E300, Guardmaster, IntelliCENTER, Point I/O, PowerFlex, Rockwell Automation, Rockwell Software, SMC, Stratix and Studio 5000 are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\n\nTAG: sustainability\nTAG: energy\nTAG: safety-solutions\n\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\nTAG: cement\n\nTAG: sensors-and-switches\nTAG: relays-and-timers\nTAG: drives-and-motors\n\n",
    "vmi-increases-speed--precision-and-safety-with-servo-technology": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/vmi-increases-speed--precision-and-safety-with-servo-technology\n\nTITLE: VMI Increases Speed, Precision and Safety with Servo Technology\n\n*** Background ***\n\nThe production of car tyres is all about speed, quality and safety. Therefore, in 2009, VMI Holland introduced the MAXX\u00ae, a new line of production machines with which the tyre industry can drastically speed up its return on investment. The MAXX has been warmly received: During 'Tire Tech 2009' trade fair in Hamburg, VMI Holland was honoured with the 'Award for Innovation and Excellence'.\n\nJan Grashuis, Manager Research & Development, and his team at VMI Holland in Epe spent a total of two years developing the initial idea into a working prototype of the MAXX. \"We wanted to take quality to the next level by implementing a new mechatronic machine concept\",\" explains Grashuis. \"Our goal was to achieve maximum improvement in as many areas as possible at the same time. You could say we went back to 'basic engineering'. We also thought long and hard about the basic principles behind the new MAXX line of machines. While designing this new machine concept, we incorporated all the practical experience VMI has amassed throughout the past ten years. As a result, thanks in part to Rockwell Automation, we can now offer a machine in which quality, ergonomics, ease of use, speed, safety and productivity have all been united.\"\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nOne of the most important elements in the production process of an automotive tyre is the Tire Building Machine (TBM). The TBM constructs the tyre as a series of reinforced layers to form the sidewalls and tread.\n\nFed from spools, the components of the tyre are built up in various layers on the drums. In this phase the precision with which the material is fed, its length and the positioning are very important. These variables are monitored by cameras in the TBM. Grashuis explains: \"An important aspect in the production of car tyres is the time it takes to construct each tyre. This has to be as short as possible. Not so long ago, a TBM required 50 to 60 seconds per tyre. The new MAXX TBM does it in just 38 seconds.\n\nDepending in part on variables such as the customer's spool sizes and the number of size changes, the customer can achieve an OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) as high as 80%. The combination of a short cycle time and the increase in OEE leads to a high output. The MAXX is a completely hands-off machine, the operator's main task is to load the spools of material. Many important parameters are recipe controlled, so the accuracy and repeatability is very good.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nThe use of servo drives has played a big role in speeding up the cycle time by controlling linear movement of the drums over the track. Thanks to the linear servo technology, this occurs more quickly and more precisely.\n\nVMI uses 22 servo shafts for all the different movements in the MAXX TBM. The synchronisation of all the various elements is handled by the Allen-Bradley ControlLogix controller with integrated motion modules and Allen-Bradley Kinetix servo drives. Increasing the speed of the process is also important when it comes to fitting the cap strip. Tyre manufacturers want this strip to be affixed with a controlled amount of tension.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nAs a result of the ever higher speed, increasingly stringent demands are placed on the controller. For the Capstrip Tension Controller, the use of Rockwell Automation's technology has proven to be an excellent solution. Ultimately, this has led to a doubling of the speed. While this was originally 4m/s, it was first increased to 6m/s, and in the new machine a speed of 8m/s has been achieved.\n\nThe weld or splice is also made quickly and precisely through the use of servo technology. In the past this step was done manually for some of the components.\n\nThe increase in speed also applies to the application of the pre-assembly and the body plies. In the MAXX these actions are performed in a single movement and the components are applied in rapid succession, one after another. Another procedure that was previously done manually but which is now done by robots is the loading of bead apexes into the machine and the removal of finished tyres. These changes have also had a time-saving benefit and helped improve working conditions for personnel.\n\n*** Safety ***\n\nTo minimise the possibility of an operator becoming caught in the moving parts of the machine, it has undergone a functional risk assessment resulting in installation of appropriate safety equipment. The results of the risk assessment showed that the machine required protection appropriate to EN ISO 13849-1 performance level 'e'.\n\nVarious light curtains, door switches and laser scanners prevent situations in which people could come within range of moving parts of the machine. These safety devices are connected to safety remote I/O modules, type 1791 DS/ES CompactBlock Guard I/O, from Rockwell Automation. Via a network, these I/O modules can then communicate with the GuardLogix controller, a safety PAC that controls and monitors both the safety functions and the 'regular' motion functions in one controller.\n\n\nTAG: tire\n\n",
    "emi-solution-gives-graftech-insight-into-steelmaking": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/emi-solution-gives-graftech-insight-into-steelmaking\n\nTITLE: EMI Solution Gives GrafTech Insight into Steelmaking\n\n*** Melting Metal ***\n\nTurning scrap metal into steel requires temperatures that are hotter than the sun's surface. Modern steelmakers use electric-arc furnaces (EAFs) that reach upward of 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit to melt scrap metal, such as old cars or appliances, into molten steel.\n\nThis recycling process produces 60 percent of the steel made in the United States.\n\nGrafTech, based in Independence, Ohio, is a major manufacturer of graphite electrodes used to generate heat inside of these blazing furnaces. In addition to producing graphite materials, GrafTech also develops hardware and software systems to help manage thermal processes within EAFs.\n\n*** Solving Customer Challenges ***\n\nOne of GrafTech's proprietary products, the ArchiTech\u2122 furnace productivity system, was designed to help GrafTech and its customers monitor EAF data.\n\nThe ArchiTech system is a compact, self-contained product that is easy for customers to install in their EAFs. It collects electrical and programmable logic controller data from EAFs \u2013 approximately 100 data tags per customer \u2013 via Ethernet integration to help operators troubleshoot issues and spot trends.\n\nGrafTech wanted to improve the reporting capabilities of the ArchiTech system to provide additional support for its customer base.\n\nWith better visibility into the EAF, GrafTech could help its customers save time and money associated with furnace maintenance, and electrical inefficiencies.\n\nFor the new system, GrafTech knew its customers were hesitant about storing their information on the GrafTech server for accessibility issues.\n\nIf the server went down due to lost power or interrupted Internet connectivity, customers would lose access to their furnace data.\n\nIn addition, customers were concerned about potential security risks of incoming and outgoing data, and looking for a solution that could easily scale to monitor additional furnaces.\n\n*** Tapping Into EAF Data ***\n\nGrafTech needed a secure, out-of-the-box, scalable solution that provided improved visibility into machine operations. The company partnered with Rockwell Automation to incorporate FactoryTalk\u00ae VantagePoint\u00ae EMI software into GrafTech's newest version of the ArchiTech system.\n\n\"We transitioned to FactoryTalk VantagePoint software using four virtualized servers in the cloud,\" said Andy Messineo, ArchiTech technical development manager, GrafTech. \"Now we have managed backups with 24-hour monitoring and availability.\"\n\nReal-time, server-based alarms notify operators when issues both big and small arise. For example, a voltage drop could affect the electrical balance of the EAF, making the furnace inefficient.\n\nWith FactoryTalk VantagePoint software, GrafTech has improved the trending and real-time reporting capabilities of its ArchiTech system.\n\nFactoryTalk VantagePoint software aggregates EAF information and produces real-time dashboards and reports with situational and historical context to help inform decision-making and provide access to the right information at the right time.\n\n\"Sometimes the problems uncovered by the ArchiTech system end up being the proverbial needle in a haystack,\" said Messineo. \"The system allows customers a level of visibility into operations that they haven't experienced before.\"\n\nOperational data is collected via a Microsoft SMTP server and compiled in a Microsoft SQL Server\u00ae database.\n\nThis allows operators to see alert statistics in real time, as well as overall trend reports that are customizable and dynamic.\n\n*** Increased Visibility, Increased Productivity ***\n\nThe addition of FactoryTalk VantagePoint software into the ArchiTech system has been well-received by GrafTech customers.\n\nThe complex EAF data is easily translated and simplified to offer actionable information, helping reduce and control costs. \"In addition to troubleshooting, customers can also uncover opportunities to increase productivity, eliminate waste and streamline production.\n\nOur customers have reported estimated financial savings from $100,000 to over $1 million annually with the improved reporting provided through the FactoryTalk solution,\" said Messineo.\n\nRemote access to real-time EAF data provides GrafTech engineers the ability to see issues as they happen and to proactively plan for similar furnace issues that could occur in the future.\n\nThe GrafTech team can monitor and analyze data pulled from the ArchiTech system and notify the customer of something they might not see on their own. For example, if technicians see a customer's EAF hydraulic pressure rise out of standard variance, they will contact customer support.\n\nThe support team will then notify the customer to look into it, find the root of the specific problem, and fix it. This enables GrafTech to have additional touchpoints for issues the customer may not have even noticed.\n\nWith 300 current users, GrafTech has been able to simplify and streamline the installation, configuration and visualization of the ArchiTech manufacturing intelligence solution using cloud-based, FactoryTalk VantagePoint.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to GrafTech's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers. Neither GrafTech nor Rockwell assume any liability based on a reader's use of the information contained herein. GrafTech's liability to a user of the ArchiTech Productivity System is expressly limited to the terms of use agreed to between the user and GrafTech.\n\nFactoryTalk and VantagePoint are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\nArchiTech is a trademark of GrafTech.\n\n\nTAG: \n\n",
    "asi-optimizes-data-collection-and-reporting-of-making-medical-de": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/asi-optimizes-data-collection-and-reporting-of-making-medical-de\n\nTITLE: ASI Optimizes Data Collection and Reporting of Making Medical Devices\n\n*** Background ***\n\nTurning human and animal cells into medicine, like insulin and antibiotics,is a complex, sophisticated process. The transformation occurs in mixers, which separate and help extract vital therapeutic materials.\n\nStainless steel equipment has long been an essential aspect of this process, but sterilizing stainless steel effectively requires time-consuming and expensive methods. So, life science and healthcare companies often turn to a more efficient and cost effective solution: single-use bags that are inserted into mixers, used during the process, and then thrown away. The disposable bags eliminate the need to sterilize stainless-steel mixers, reduce the potential of cross-contamination, and greatly decrease turnover time between batches.\n\nASI (Advanced Scientifics Inc.) a leading global producer of single-use systems for biotech, is a major provider of these single-use bags to a variety of life science and healthcare companies. The company wanted to improve its data collection and reporting capabilities on bag runs, improve quality control for customer orders, and provide each customer with accurate and up-to-date information on the status of their order.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nOne of ASI's primary competitive advantages is its ability to quickly customize product to meet any customer needs. To maintain this type of flexibility, operators often need to change the configuration of a line to meet the differing specifications, including the size of the order, type of bag and the customer's deadline. With this wide variety of demands, ASI needed greater visibility into their process to optimize production and provide customers with process and production information on their orders.\n\nFor part of the process, operators still had to record some data manually. ASI not only wanted to completely automate the data collection and reporting process, they also wanted a more granular view of each parameter in real time. This would allow them greater control over the process and greater visibility into alarm conditions to reduce downtime.\n\nSuch transparency is also important for customers. Consistent documentation and accuracy of each run is essential for compliance for life sciences and healthcare companies. So, another goal of ASI's was to be able to produce high-level reports that would provide customers with the insight they needed into the final product.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nASI needed the right software to meet their goals. ASI turned to Automated Control Concepts Inc. (ACC), a Solution Partner of the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork\u2122 program, to design and deliver a solution based on the FactoryTalk\u00ae software from Rockwell Automation.\n\n\"Choosing FactoryTalk software was a simple decision because we knew it would integrate seamlessly with our existing Rockwell Automation hardware, meaning minimal changes and interruptions to the process,\" said Rudy Pavlik, engineering manager, ASI.\n\nFactoryTalk VantagePoint software accesses data from points in a run and allows operators to view various parameters on dashboards in real time, including those once manually collected. ASI can create a deeper-level report for operating managers to track various parameters \u2013 including seal-pressure and temperature, trends and machine status \u2013 to ensure quality control on a bag-to-bag basis.\n\nOperators can also view the status of each machine on the line \u2013 meaning whether it is running, idle or paused \u2013 so they can more accurately predict when an order will be completed and when a new one can start.\n\nFor customers, ASI can readily create a report containing high-level process data \u2013 including temperature, pressure and time \u2013 for each individual part produced.\n\nBy using FactoryTalk Historian Site Edition software, ASI operators can record and track time-series data to pinpoint operating trends. \"By integrating information from individual machines, as well as throughout the line, we can adjust parameters when and where necessary, which improves efficiency throughout the plant,\" Pavlik said.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nASI's increased visibility into the process has made operations more efficient and has improved their competitive status. Customers, some of whom even visit the plant during production, can view the detailed status of their order \u2013 down to the last five bags. \"This level of information gives ASI's customers reassurance and confirms the quality of their product,\" said Michael Blechman, president, ACC.\n\nPavlik said the Rockwell Automation software has already helped reduce downtime, and they are identifying opportunities to leverage new data for better decision making.\n\n\"The life sciences and healthcare industries are constantly evolving, and we evolved with them,\" Pavlik said. \"Our new state-of-the-art reporting capabilities give our customers the confidence they need to fully invest in single-use devices.\"\n\n\nTAG: life-sciences\n\n",
    "thai-biomass-plant-improves-energy-efficiency": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/thai-biomass-plant-improves-energy-efficiency\n\nTITLE: Thai Biomass Plant Improves Energy Efficiency\n\nA Thailand-based biomass plant buillding company with broad expertise in systems integration, engineering, and technical support solutions approached Rockwell Automation for advice and support in their efforts at improving efficiency in their power plants. The company has built 15 biomass plants in Thailand over the last ten years, including a green power plant which is the first plant in Thailand to feature a\u00a0Distributed Control System (DCS).\n\nAt the green power plant, engineers transform waste such as woodchips into energy using technology. In order to do this in the most efficient manner, they wanted to achieve a high level of control, and a continuous and reliable system with no errors. They also wanted to focus on connecting devices within the plant and to set up an automatic daily reporting system with insightful and useful data for their management level employees.\n\n*** Supporting the company on-site ***\n\nThe company approached Rockwell Automation for advice and support on a suite of end-to-end solutions that would help them to achieve their goals.\n\nThe solutions chosen included the 'Process System Estimator' (PSE) design tool, to help to confirm that the bill of materials (BOM) of the distributed control system (DCS) met a high availability characterisation. DCS and the Web Reporting System was installed with on-site support of the Rockwell Automation technical team who travelled to the plant site to help to confirm that all configuration was set up correctly.\n\nThe plant utilises an Integrated Architecture that includes PlantPAx(R), a Process Automation System, Automatic Device Configuration of PowerFlex(R) and the Widget Library of the VantagePoint that created a user-friendly and meaningful web dashboard to display real-time relevant information about the plant.\n\nSome other solutions that were installed include:\n\n    * FactoryTalk(R) Historian to collect critical time-series data for various calculations, estimations, and statistical processes producing information\n\n    * PanelViewTM Plus 7 Panel-mounted operator interface\n\n    * PowerFlex(R) 753 & PowerFlex(R) 525 Variable Speed Drive\n\n    * Stratix(R) 5700 Industrial Managed Ethernet Switch. Managed Network Switch using Cisco(R) leading technology in network\n\n    * EtherNet/IPTM networks to provide seamless plant-wide communications with Device Level Ring (DLR) for I/O\n\n    * Third-party communication interfaces\n\n*** Efficient systems that produce desirable results ***\n\nThe entire system architecture was implemented in under eight months and the project was delivered on time and within the company's budget.\n\nWith these solutions in place, operator control is easier and requires less time to use the DCS library. As a result of eliminating redundant systems to enable a consistent and dependable production structure, the company also enjoyed improved reliability at the plant. Plant employees could easily learn to operate this production system.\n\nAs desired, precise daily operation and trend reports were created and sent to management via email and employees had access to real-time web reporting. On top of providing an extended range of data and diagnostics, the Rockwell Automation real-time Web Reporting System also gave the company access to real-time, historic, and predictive data that meant issues with the production line could be identified before they occurred. This allowed necessary steps to be taken to prevent a slowdown in operations, saving them manpower time and production costs, with the data also being used for business forecasting.\n\n\nTAG: pre-engineered-network-solutions\n\nTAG: power-generation\n\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: plantpax\nTAG: factorytalk-historian\n\n",
    "enaex-reduces-energy-use-at-its-prillex-america-plant": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/enaex-reduces-energy-use-at-its-prillex-america-plant\n\nTITLE: Enaex Reduces Energy Use at Its Prillex Am'erica Plant\n\nFounded in 1920, Enaex, a Chilean company, produces and distributes ammonium nitrate and a full range of explosives and blasting materials serving the mining, utilities and seismic surveying sectors.\n\nIn recent years Enaex (part of the\u00a0Sigdo Koppers groups since 1993) has experienced growth both locally and internationally, increasing the presence of its products in more than 40 countries.\n\nIts Prillex Am'erica production plant implemented a series of PowerFlex(R) 7000 medium voltage AC drives to gain major energy savings for its coolant water flow control.\n\nThe collaboration between Enaex and Rockwell Automation allowed the plant to continue operating fully during project implementation without affecting the production process in any way.\n\nStarting in 2010, when its fourth plant, known as PANNA 4, came on line, Enaex S.A. reached an annual production capacity of 850,000 tons of ammonium nitrate (technical grade), making it the largest production center in the world, with enough output to supply a large part of consumption in Latin America an other countries globally.\n\nThis complex, located in the city of Mejillones (Region II of Chile), is near the largest mining center in South America and close to the Port of Mejillones. Specifically, the Prillex Am'erica plant is situated seven kilometers from Compa~n'ia Portuaria Mejillones S.A., known as Puerto Angamos, which handles the export of ammonium nitrate to more than 40 countries on five continents.\n\nEnaex as a corporation decided to establish a strategic growth plan. Energy efficiency is one of the primary pillars of this strategy. As a result, the company identified an opportunity to save energy in its coolant water flow control by managing the speed of motors that control the pumps in the plant.\n\n\"Energy costs are an important aspect of the cost of each ton produced, so the impact of any energy savings on our production process is always welcome,\" explains Alberto Yagnam Zalaquett, Engineering Superintendent, Enaex.\n\nTo obtain these energy savings, the company installed three Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 7000 medium voltage frequency drives supplied by Rockwell Automation. These systems have 4.16 kV and 1000 hp each.\n\n\"We have been Rockwell Automation customers since 1998. All the medium voltage frequency drives we have in the plant are from Allen-Bradley. We have had good results with this equipment over the years. For that reason and for reasons of standardization, we finally decided to go forward with the project with Rockwell Automation,\" says Yagnam.\n\n*** Optimum Results ***\n\nImplementation of the project was completed in October of 2012, taking advantage of the servicing of Unit 3 (PANNA 3), which was taken out of service for a month. To house the equipment, the company built an electrical room, which cost very little since the size and the Direct-to-Drive technology of the frequency drives drastically reduced the dimensions of the room.\n\n\"In addition, the equipment frame supplied to us at that time for the same power was also smaller in size,\" states Yagnam.\n\nPrior to implementing the system, the Prillex Am'erica plant was unable to control pump motor speed for the coolant water flow control of Unit 3. This procedure was carried out using manual valves, which meant that they operated continuously at nominal speed. This, in turn, meant that the motors were, in practice, consuming nominal power.\n\n\"The power consumed by the coolant system, prior to the modification, was 1 MW, that is, we had two 746 hp motors each connected directly to the line. Afterwards, with the installation of the frequency drives, we were able to reduce consumption by 500 kW while maintaining the same coolant water flows for the process,\" explains Yagnam.\n\nAccording to Yagnam, the economic indicators of the project made this highly attractive.\n\n\"We invested US$1,207,000 and obtained a net present value of US$2,472,000, an IRR of 59% and a payback of 1.7 years. In fact, once in operation, the measured energy savings surpassed the initial project numbers,\" he explains.\n\nAccording to Yagnam, the greatest challenge for the project team was initially to gather everything necessary to execute during the servicing of the unit and, secondly, to complete construction within the month that the service shutdown lasted.\n\n\"Personally, this is an important achievement since not a single ton of product was lost due to the implementation of the project. That is to say, the impact of project implementation on production was zero,\" he states.\n\n*** Rockwell Automation Support ***\n\nThe engineering superintendent at Enaex explains that the company relied constantly on the technical support provided by Rockwell Automation.\n\n\"For example, our standard is to support all control circuits for our frequency drives using UPSs. We were faced with the issue that the equipment came from the factory with the control system powered directly from the line, but after various proposals and conversations with the experts at Rockwell Automation, we were able to find a control system backup solution without losing the guarantee on our equipment,\" Yagnam said.\n\nYagnam states that Rockwell Automation is consistently committed to supporting existing installed equipment and contributing to solutions for new issues that arise over time. \"As for response times, we have already experienced them and I can say that they are within the appropriate range,\" he said.\n\nYagnam qualifies Rockwell Automation's work as total management with consistent support and service before, during and after the project. \"We are planning to work with them on a smaller scale project, which is also related to the installation of low voltage frequency drives for energy savings in airflow control. We hope to have it successfully completed by the end of the year,\" he said.\n\n\nTAG: chemical\n\n",
    "generating-clean-energy-from-organic-waste": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/generating-clean-energy-from-organic-waste\n\nTITLE: Generating clean energy from organic waste\n\nWaste management is a complex issue that can have significant effects on the environment and requires careful consideration. \u00a0Smart new technologies and processes to avoid, reduce and recover waste can help to decrease the amount of waste being sent to landfill.\n\nThe process of anaerobic digestion converts commercial and industrial waste into onsite electricity, heat and clean methane gas. It produces large quantities of biogas, comprising methane and carbon dioxide. The cleaned methane fraction can be stored, pressurised and used to generate onsite power and heat, with surplus fed into the electricity grid, or used to power equipment and vehicles.\n\nAs energy costs continue to rise, more manufacturers are realising the benefits of using anaerobic digestion to create energy for their plants.\n\nWith a strong commitment to its social and environmental responsibilities, a leading manufacturer of high-quality cereal products and ingredients, recently commissioned an Australian energy company to establish an anaerobic digestion plant at their manufacturing plant.\n\nThe plant will generate methane gas from oat husks and will use this fuel in a combined heat and power generator unit to offset in full their existing and future energy requirements with surplus energy exported to the grid.\n\nA scalable solution\n\nAuto Control Systems (ACS), a Rockwell Automation Silver System Integrator, was tasked with developing the automation and control system for the anaerobic digestion plant. Based in Perth, Australia, ACS is a premier provider of industrial automation and control systems, and services in Australia.\n\nAndrew Taylor, engineering manager at ACS, detailed the importance of having a scalable solution for the plant. \"A scalable solution delivers the flexibility to scale up or down depending on their needs. The automation and control solution we developed delivered that flexibility in a scalable, containerised package. After it was built and pre-tested here in Perth, it was transported to the customer site ready for installation,\" he explained.\n\nThe Allen-Bradley(R) CENTERLINE(R) 2500 IEC Low Voltage motor control center (MCC) from Rockwell Automation was at the heart of the solution. With Ethernet connectivity, the CENTERLINE MCC streamlined the pre-testing process and ArcShield technology increased protection against internal electrical arcing faults, providing an extra level of safety.\n\nControl of the plant's processes was provided by the Allen-Bradley CompactLogixTM PLC and the PowerFlex(R) 525 and 753 AC drives deliver the reliability to meet the application requirements of the plant. FactoryTalk(R) View SE delivers an accurate real-time view of the process with alarming via SMS and allowed ACS to utilise the\u00a0PlantPAx(R) libraries to reduce their engineering overheads.\n\n\"A pilot plant was developed for this technology almost 10 years ago and the ongoing reliability of that plant utilising the Rockwell Automation technology is impressive, it's a proven solution. The CENTERLINE MCC was an excellent choice because knowing that the new standard, AS/NZS 61439, would soon be mandated, it was important to make sure the solution met the requirements of this standard,\" said Taylor.\n\nRaj Singh, channel account manager, Rockwell Automation added, \"Our ultimate aim is to help companies reduce the time from inception to market. Leveraging PlantPAx DCS process object libraries helps reduce the overhead required for the automation infrastructure while delivering improved diagnostics and analytics.\u00a0Overall, the system features positively\u00a0impact the lifecycle of the plant operations by ensuring that plant-wide and scalable systems drive productivity,\u00a0improve profitability, and reduce overall risks for operations.\"\n\nTransforming waste into energy\n\nThe anaerobic digestion process starts in the storage tank where waste oat husks are stored prior to being processed. The husks are then injected into the reactor tanks where they are heated, stirred and then cooled. The four main stages of the process are hydrolysis, acidogenesis, acetogenesis and methanogenesis. Each stage digests the matter into smaller parts, ultimately resulting in a mixture of methane, biogas, water and digestate. The raw biogas is then used to generate heat and electricity for the plant with surplus energy being exported to the grid.\n\nThe anaerobic digestion process is continuous and therefore needs to be closely monitored for pH and temperature by the control system. ACS was responsible for the hazardous area accreditation and has full remote access to the plant.\u00a0\n\nPowering oat production\n\nAnaerobic digestion provides many benefits to business, including eliminating transport costs and gate fees for waste disposal; reducing energy costs; the ability to power vehicles and equipment with upgraded biogas; monetising valuable carbon credits under the Australian Government's Clean Energy Futures Scheme and; monetising surplus electricity fed into the grid.\n\nThe anaerobic digestion plant has been successfully commissioned and gas is currently being produced. At the moment this gas is being flared but when fully operational, the manufacturing plant will be generating 1.5MW of electricity and heat which will be used to offset in full the plant's existing energy requirements.\n\nTAG: drive-sustainability\n\nTAG: sustainability\nTAG: energy\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: power-generation\nTAG: renewable-energy\n\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: safety-motor-control\nTAG: plantpax\nTAG: factorytalk-view-studio\n\n",
    "cloud-content-and-connectivity-kept-alive-with-faster-automation": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/cloud-content-and-connectivity-kept-alive-with-faster-automation\n\nTITLE: Cloud content and connectivity kept alive with faster automation\n\nBased in Dundalk, Co. Louth ControlSoft Automation Systems Ltd provides turnkey PLC and SCADA solutions for Process Control requirements and Energy Management for a broad range of industries including Data Center, Marine, Food and Beverages and Pharmaceutical. Its highly experienced team of Engineers has a wealth of knowledge across various fields, giving it cross-discipline capabilities when integrating systems from numerous areas, including networking hardware and database storage with reporting.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nMuch like gas, water and electricity, it would be hard to imagine modern life without the internet and all the services it delivers. In many instances we now simply take it for granted; it's just always there.\n\nIt has such a profound effect on our every-day activities that it is now all-encompassing, influencing all facets of life, from simple text messages, through photo storage and online shopping and onto international business transactions and remote real-time AR simulations in industrial environments.\n\nLike any utility, the internet relies on reliable connections and robust storage solutions. If either of these are found wanting, daily life starts to struggle, and questions start to get asked. Who doesn't shudder when they hear the kids yelling that the Wi-Fi is down?\n\nOne of the ubiquitous benefits the internet has given us is cloud storage. We no longer need terabytes of local hard drives in PCs or in on-site network storage systems. We can take our work, our photos and our engineering schematics anywhere, and share them easily with anyone.\n\nAccording to Statista, the total amount of data created, captured, copied, and consumed globally is forecast to increase rapidly. In 2020 it was 64.2 zettabytes and up to 2025, global data creation is projected to grow to more than 180 zettabytes. This massive growth in data and the proliferation of cloud storage services and providers mean that data farms and data centers are cropping up all over the globe.\u00a0\n\nUnlike gas, water and electricity, which are legislated locally and can face fines from regulators in the event of service interruptions, when data centers fail to deliver, they must face the wrath of their clients and all the resultant contract penalties, PR fallout and loss of goodwill. Indeed, headlines highlighting service interruptions and website blackouts are starting to appear more and more above the fold.\n\nIn the vast majority of cases, multiple levels of redundancy are used to store the data, but the datacenters can still be affected by power fluctuations and interruptions, which must be detected and mitigated in as short a time as possible.\n\nThe issue is that most building management systems (BMS) are not built to deliver the reactivity data centers require, with polling periods of even just a few seconds delivering thousands of data points. The question being, which signal was first, and which one indicates the issue?\u00a0\n\nIt was these performance limitations, coupled to a lack of support resource from other automation suppliers, that prompted a leading global data storage and services company to contact Irish company ControlSoft Automation, asking it to \"dig them out of a hole\".\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\nPurpose:\n\nControlSoft had already built a reputation as a problem solver and over the past decade had developed an Electrical Power Management System (EPMS) which can record the usage of over 500,000 electrical parameters, giving its customers a precise picture relating to the performance of their electrical supply.\n\nAccording to Dermot Carragher, Managing Director at ControlSoft: \"The EPMS system we have developed is effectively a distributed-clock system.\u00a0 Everything is synchronized using precision time protocol (PTP); events are sub-millisecond accurate. A typical traditional BMS system is only accurate to a couple of seconds, so in any two second period it may show multiple events, and you don't know which was the trigger.\n\n\"Our EPMS on the other hand timestamps down to the millisecond across the distributed system,\" he continues, \"so you get the exact sequence of events of what happened and when, which means you can confidently identify the precise issue that may have started a cascade of issues.\"\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\nThe enhanced capabilities of the ControlSoft solution are down to its deployment of Logix programmable automation controllers (PAC), switches and I/O from Rockwell Automation, which have always been designed to operate in the sub-millisecond realm.\n\nCarragher and his team have exploited other capabilities from the Logix-based operating environment too. \"The majority of field devices are pre-programmed within the ControlLogix PAC. This means the end user simply has to just configure the installation by selecting the model and node address of the field device being deployed in the data hall and the application will effectively auto configure them without the need for a PLC programmer. This ability to rapidly scale and roll-out installations is an essential element of our platform and was central to our success with the large datacenter client - who needed a solution really quickly. When deadlines are less stringent, this approach allows for easier, less expeditious mass roll outs.\"\n\nThe openness of the system means it can be adapted for almost all applications. This also addresses many customers' requirements not to be tied to single power-control component suppliers or brands. It also offers remote-access capabilities, which ControlSoft can leverage - when required and with the appropriate client permissions - to perform programming, maintenance, enhancements and upgrades.\n\n\"In this project the timescales were incredibly short,\" Carragher explains. \"The verbal specification from the client could best be described as 'on the fly' and 'very loose', but with the help of the Rockwell Automation commercial engineering team we were able to deploy the first phase, which passed validation and worked out of the box.\n\n\"We were then told that two more installs were required by the end of the month,\" he continues, \"but not to worry, as it was all the same. It wasn't... almost everything was different. The only common components were what we were bringing to the plant. Fortunately, thanks to the scalability of our system and the adaptability of the Rockwell hardware, what should have taken months took just a few days.\n\n\"From a technical perspective we have seen mutual evolution too, with our application highlighting a niche but quite important networking synchronization issue, which the Rockwell Automation engineers fixed with the next patch release.\"\n\n",
    "agl-loy-yang-upgrades-mine-conveyor": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/agl-loy-yang-upgrades-mine-conveyor\n\nTITLE: AGL Loy Yang Upgrades Mine Conveyor\n\n*** Background ***\n\nIn Australia, coal-fired power generation is established as a valuable power source, providing vast quantities of inexpensive and reliable electricity. It accounts for approximately 75 per cent of the country's annual electricity production. Keeping Australia's coal-fired power generation infrastructure online - from the coal mine through to the generating plant and distribution grid - goes some way to ensuring the nation's industrial wheels remain turning.\n\nAs in all production processes, stoppages, breakdowns and unscheduled downtime can be crippling to the power generating process. Such outages can have a devastating effect, impacting both the energy producer's and end-users' bottom lines in a matter of minutes.\n\nAn energy industry stakeholder leading the way in providing industry with an uninterrupted supply of electricity is Victoria's largest energy producer is AGL Loy Yang. Located within the heart of the Latrobe Valley, 165 kilometres east of Melbourne, AGL Loy Yang provides reliable and efficient energy for industry and consumers right across south-eastern Australia.\n\nAs part of the company's ongoing commitment to producing reliable cost efficient energy, AGL Loy Yang has embarked on an upgrade of its four-level open-cut coal mine facility, Loy Yang Mine. The upgrade includes the redesign and progressive changeover of the mine's existing coal transfer conveyor drive systems. To obtain a drive solution capable of withstanding the rugged mine environment while delivering premium around-the-clock performance, AGL Loy Yang enlisted the engineering experience of Rockwell Automation.\n\n*** Coal to Kilowatts ***\n\nWith an annual output of approximately 30 million tonnes of brown coal and four million cubic metres of overburden (soil that overlays the coal seams), AGL Loy Yang Mine is the largest coal-producing mine in the southern hemisphere. The mining process and the transportation of the coal from the bottom of the mine to the power stations is largely automated and features a range of sophisticated mining and materials handling technologies.\n\nHuge electric-powered bucket-wheel dredgers, 50 metres high and 190 metres long, patrol the open-cut mine 'benches', each excavating up to 4,000 tonnes of coal per hour on average. The bucket wheel of each dredger feeds on-board dredger conveyors, which in turn deposit the coal onto main transfer conveyor systems on each level of the mine.\n\nEach transfer conveyor system comprises multiple separate conveyors, each with a belt-width of two metres and a travel speed of 5.2 metres/second (19 km/h). With a combined length in excess of 25kms, the mine's conveying system transfers the freshly mined coal from the mine floor to the surface. The transfer conveyor systems transfer the coal to a raw coal bunker, which has an 80,000-tonne capacity.\n\nThe coal is then transported directly from the bunker (also by conveyor) to two separate power stations located at the 'mouth' of the mine. These are AGL Loy Yang's 2,210MW power station and GDF Suez's Loy Yang B 1,000MW power station.\n\n*** Continuous Conveying ***\n\nProviding a steady flow of coal feedstock to the coal bunker is essential to keeping the power generation process online and producing cost-effective electricity. As the coal bunker only has enough capacity to fuel 20 hours of power generation, the conveying system is under pressure to perform.\n\nThe legacy transfer conveyor drive systems at Loy Yang Mine were based on water-cooled eddy-current coupling (ECC) technology. When first installed many years ago, the ECCs were the ideal drive solution for providing high torque over a wide speed range - perfect for hauling enormous quantities of coal from the bottom of the mine to the surface.\n\nHowever, it had become clear to the AGL Loy Yang Mine engineering team that the legacy drive systems were struggling to move the coal as efficiently as they believed was now possible. Furthermore, the existing Eddy Current Coupling drive systems were becoming increasingly difficult to maintain and the control systems unreliable.\n\n\"The ECCs are an older method of conveyor control and as the mine continued to grow we needed additional power so it was clear that we needed to move towards a more modern system,\" said Robert Collins, electrical superintendent at AGL Loy Yang Mine.\n\n\"The need to keep up with increased power demand provided AGL Loy Yang with the opportunity to implement a drive solution incorporating the latest technology that would work effectively in the mine's rugged environment,\" said Collins.\n\nWith the large number of conveyors on-site, AGL Loy Yang focused on implementing the drive technology in a gradual manner to enable integration with the existing drive systems and control architecture.\n\n*** Compact, Contained and Cooled ***\n\nIn a collaborative effort, Rockwell Automation and the AGL Loy Yang engineering team developed a new drive solution, founded on the Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 7000 medium voltage (MV) AC drive. Featuring 'Direct-to-DriveTM' technology - a technology that helps eliminate the need for isolation transformers on applications with either new or existing motors - the Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 7000 MV AC drive provides space-efficient speed and torque control across a range of demanding drive applications.\n\nThe mine engineering team came up with an idea to equip each conveyor with a fully self-contained, cooled and removable drive package that could be easily installed or uninstalled on any of the mine's conveyors. This provides AGL Loy Yang with a level of portability that improves production flexibility.\n\nAccording to Rockwell Automation engineering team leader, John Dunn, the compact nature of the PowerFlex 7000 drive simplified the development of the portable drive packages.\n\n\"The transformerless configuration of the PowerFlex 7000 meant we were able to help minimise the footprint of the drive package,\" he says. \"The main electrical feature is the load sharing between different drives on each conveyor. We developed a partitioned stainless steel IP65-rated enclosure, equipped with an air-conditioned cooling system, to house each of the 6.6kV PowerFlex drives.\"\n\nThe 'minimal component count' was also a feature of the PowerFlex drive solution, with fewer parts eliminating the number of things that could go wrong.\n\n*** Seamless Integration ***\n\nNine drive packages have been supplied to the Loy Yang Mine site to date. One of the main challenges throughout the upgrade has been integrating Rockwell Automation drive technology with the mine's existing drive technology and control architecture. The first PowerFlex 7000 drive packages interfaced with a PLC5 systems package in the neighbouring switchroom.\n\nControlLogix(R) is, in turn, linked to the mine's supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system, via the mine's existing communications network. Each drive package is equipped with an Allen-Bradley electronic operator interface (EOI) located on the front panel of the drive enclosure.\n\n\"The drives can be interrogated via these EOIs or through the mine's SCADA system,\" says Dunn. \"The locally mounted EOIs make it easier for site personnel to access drive diagnostics without opening the dust-proof enclosures and exposing the drives to the elements.\"\n\nThe Rockwell Automation and AGL Loy Yang engineering team developed a strategy that allowed the new drive packages to seamlessly synchronise with the existing ECC drives.\n\n\"Our long standing relationship with Rockwell Automation means integrating new drives at the mine has become a relatively straightforward project to complete. We have a lot of experience using the drives now, making it a fairly easy, run of the mill upgrade that doesn't take too long,\" said Collins.\n\n*** Proven Working Relationship ***\n\nAccording to Dunn, \"There were key benefits to the level of integration and flexibility achieved at the mine from being involved in this project from its inception and design phase, through to supply and installation.\"\n\nHowever, with upgrades at Loy Yang Mine continuing, there is much work ahead. The AGL Loy Yang team is planning to progressively replace other ECC drives across the mine. \"When the first project with Rockwell Automation happened it was very significant for the mine, but our ongoing working relationship means that the drives have become very seamless to integrate,\" says Collins.\n\nAGL Loy Yang is currently in the process of constructing a new conveyor using PowerFlex drives inside a new switch room. Additionally, the engineering team is designing a new downhill conveyor based on the Rockwell Automation drive solution that will be used for backfilling the mine.\n\n\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\n\n",
    "icelands-leading-chocolatier-moves-to-predictive-maintenance-with-fiix": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/icelands-leading-chocolatier-moves-to-predictive-maintenance-with-fiix\n\nTITLE: Icelandic chocolatier N'oi S'ir'ius moves to predictive maintenance with Fiix CMMS software\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nN'oi S'ir'ius is Iceland's leading chocolatier and confectioner. It is also a much-loved household name in the Nordic nation, producing many of the country's favorite confectionary brands. It makes 2,000 tons of sweets and chocolates every year.\n\nTo meet Iceland's demand for sweet treats, and hit its business goals, the company needed its production lines to run flawlessly, around the clock. But its maintenance staff still monitored its machines manually. This made it difficult to collect reliable data on performance.\n\nBecause of this, the maintenance team often had little warning before a machine suffered performance issues or underwent unplanned downtime. Team members spent much of their time reacting to performance and downtime issues, rather than preventing them.\n\nThis had several undesirable outcomes. Machine downtime sometimes resulted in production slowdowns, which impacted both the company and its customers. Engineers found themselves distracted from the job of preventative maintenance by the need to deal with unplanned and urgent tasks. And the lack of data complicated both the diagnosis of flaws and the accurate planning of future maintenance schedules.\n\nTo help the company meet its goals for business growth, the maintenance team at N'oi S'ir'ius needed a way to continuously gather performance data from its machines and then use that data to move from a reactive to a preventative model of maintenance that would make better use of its engineers' time and improve production-line performance.\n\n\u00a0\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\nThe N'oi S'ir'ius maintenance team chose Fiix(R) CMMS software, from Rockwell Automation. In November 2023, working closely with engineers and consultants from Rockwell, the team installed the computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) on all the company's crucial production-line machines.\n\nUsing the cloud-based Fiix CMMS software, the maintenance team was able to instantly move to continuous data collection on its production-line systems. The team moved from in-person maintenance requests, often via phone call, to automated management of work-orders and service tickets.\n\nWith the platform's asset-management tools, engineers could instantly view, analyze and action real-time and historical performance and other data from their key production-line machines. Through the Fiix graphical user interface (GUI), the company was able to see all of the data for each machine in one place but could also filter the view by variable to quickly home in on the key performance metrics for any specific issue, system or project goal.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\nAfter adopting Fiix CMMS software, the N'oi S'ir'ius maintenance team quickly consolidated its entire job queue in the new platform. This allowed maintenance and operational staff to collaborate on queue management and job prioritization.\n\nSoon, the team reduced the backlog of tickets. Using this freedom, and the data Fiix made available, N'oi S'ir'ius improved operational performance and reduced downtime, and it was also able to move from a reactive to a preventative maintenance model.\n\nThe effect of these changes on production efficiency, staff performance and employee experience were so marked, that within just six months of the initial deployment, Rockwell Automation and N'oi S'ir'ius were working together to network the entire production facility.\n\nWhen this is complete, the chocolatier will move to a data-driven, predictive model of maintenance, helping it to further maximize uptime, cut costs and improve productivity.\n\n\"Now, they concentrate on preventing downtime rather than reacting to it. We have the data we need to prioritize our work intelligently and arrive at solutions faster. Furthermore, the predictive-maintenance project promises further improvements in the future,\"\u00a0said Gudmundur Ingi Einarsson, Technical Manager at N'oi S'ir'ius.\u00a0\n\nTAG: optimize-production\nTAG: empower-people\n\nTAG: industrial-maintenance-and-support\nTAG: industrial-analytics\n\nTAG: prepared-foods\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\nTAG: fiix\n\n",
    "airline-uses-arena-software-to-help-design-self-service-baggage-": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/airline-uses-arena-software-to-help-design-self-service-baggage-\n\nTITLE: Airline Uses Arena Software to Help Design Self-Service Baggage Drop\n\n*** Background ***\n\nAnnually, airlines serve nearly millions of passengers travelling to thousands of destinations across the globe.\n\nThe airline industry has gone through a number of changes in recent decades. From flying the first jet engine in civil operation in 1960 to the first smoke free flights between North America and Europe in 1990, airline service has evolved since the first planes took flight.\n\nIn recent decades, a leading North American airline has built on a history of innovation with the introduction of a number of self-service technologies for the check-in process, which aim to give passengers the freedom to choose their own check-in process and to reduce wait times at airports.\n\nRecently, the airline wanted to further simplify the passenger check-in process with a new self-service baggage drop at an international airport in North America. But before making a change, it needed to understand any impact the new service would have on the passenger experience and assure airport authorities the new service complied with the government's transportation-security regulations. To do this, the airline turned to Rockwell Automation for software to help model and optimize the passenger activity flow for this new service.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nThe airline designed a concept for the self-service baggage drop that leveraged existing infrastructure yet also required new technology.\n\nPassengers would use the airline's existing self-service kiosks to check in for their flight, print boarding passes and print baggage tags. Team members assigned to roam the check-in areas would then use remote scanners to activate the tags. Finally, passengers would place their luggage on an automated baggage-handling system to weigh and scan the baggage, confirm it meets weight and size requirements, and deliver it to handlers via a conveyor system.\n\nBefore the airline could deploy the system, however, it still needed to prove the design concept and identify any refinements necessary to ensure the best customer experience possible, with minimal queues or wait times. Otherwise, passengers might avoid the new service altogether.\n\nThe selected international airport is a full-service airport, annually serving more than 3.6 million passengers. Identifying any issues for this new service up front would be critical to reducing wait times and ensuring passengers could check in as quickly as possible, particularly during peak travel times or as flight schedules change. It also provided an opportunity to free up staff to provide assistance elsewhere when needed.\n\nSome key questions that needed to be answered through modeling and simulation included identifying the appropriate number of baggage-handling machines, understanding passengers' total time in the new system compared to the traditional system and identifying potential areas for bottlenecks. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nWorking with Canada-based business and technology consultant Trellisys Technologies Inc., a member of the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork\u2122 program, the airline decided to use the Rockwell Software\u00ae Arena\u00ae software for modeling and simulation. The discrete event-simulation software models new or existing systems to better understand how they work, and has been used in applications ranging from optimizing manufacturing lines in beverage-production plants to better understanding process flows in hospitals.\n\nThe airline's team had previously used the software to model and optimize baggage flows with the airport operations team.\n\nThe team created a model of the concept design in the software, and then created different scenarios in which they could examine different wait times, such as during peak travel times. Knowing that passengers are less likely to use self-service machines if they're unavailable or have queues, the team adjusted the number of self-service machines based on different scenario outcomes.\n\nThe software produced automated data regarding total wait times for each scenario, but the team also used the software to hand stamp passengers at different points in the process. This allowed them to understand the differences in wait times between various points in the overall process \u2013 from arriving at the kiosk to printing their tag and having it scanned to final acceptance of their luggage at the weigh station. The team could then evaluate variations in process times across multiple scenarios, and compare each scenario's total time against a traditional check-in time.\n\nThe software also visualized the different scenarios through animation. This provided a clear picture for bottlenecks, and was useful for gaining support of other teams.\n\n\"The Arena software is very beneficial for non-analytical people because it allows them to see each of the processes play out or view different what-if scenarios,\" the team's lead said. \"Being able to show people an issue through animation lends more credibility to both the overall project and the solutions that we develop for any disputes.\"\n\n*** Results ***\n\nAfter fine-tuning the new service through modeling and simulation, the airline rolled out the new service as a pilot program. The airline monitored passengers using the new service and tracked their total time in the system, from check-in to baggage drop. Their findings validated the assumptions they made in the software modeling, which led to a full implementation of the service.\n\nWithin two months of fully implementing the system, self-service check-ins at the airport increased 15 percent compared to counter-service check-ins.\n\n\"This new service has reduced queues and shortened wait times, making the check-in process more efficient for all passengers,\" the team's lead said. \"It's also allowed us to be more flexible with our staff during the check-in process. We're now able to more nimbly deploy them, such as helping passengers with special needs, which only further helps improve the overall customer experience.\"\n\nAdditionally, the airline was able to share Arena software data and simulations with the local government to demonstrate the new system's compliance with government transportation regulations.\n\nThe airline now has plans to expand the service following its first successful deployment. The airline already offers baggage tag printing in self-service kiosks at 16 domestic and international airports, and is in the process of rolling out the complete self-service baggage drop option at select airports.\n\nThe airline conducted an additional validation of the service at the airport after it was fully implemented, and will combine those findings with passenger data from other airports to tweak the service to the unique needs of each new airport.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to this use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nArena, PartnerNetwork and Rockwell Software are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\n\nTAG: \n\n",
    "amway-energy-drink-performance-improvement": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/amway-energy-drink-performance-improvement\n\nTITLE: Performance Improvement for Amway's Energy Drink\n\nAmway's XSTM brand of\u00a0energy drinks\u00a0are designed for a healthy, active lifestyle, reflecting the entrepreneurial spirit of the Amway brand.\n\nMarketed as a blast of energy without sugar and carbs, the XS brand is 'positive energy to fuel adventure,' with a blend of premium ingredients, herbs and B vitamins.\n\n***** The Adventure Begins *****\n\nThe market for functional beverages is on the rise, especially those that include vitamin or mineral supplements.\n\nDemand for this energy drink was skyrocketing before the pandemic; trends in energy drink consumption continue to escalate as consumers look for healthier, cleaner and more sustainable products in line with the 'good for me, good for the planet' mantra.\n\nAccording to Rob Dargie, senior electrical engineer, Amway, great adventures start with great energy drinks - one of the reasons Amway's plant in Ada, Michigan, needed to rapidly increase production.\n\nFormerly co-manufactured, decision-makers wanted to bring XS energy drink production inhouse to realize greater production efficiency. The company made a $15 million investment in its 100-acre campus, the cornerstone of the company's ability to boost production and expand in the future. And, with 12 varieties of XS energy drinks to produce, they needed flexible systems that can accommodate different recipes.\n\nOperators now are experiencing the superior quality that comes from a system that makes it \"almost impossible to make a mistake,\" said Dargie.\u00a0\n\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\nTAG: plantpax\nTAG: factorytalk-thinmanager\n\n",
    "biopharmaceuticals-producer-discovers-opportunity-in-obsolescenc": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/biopharmaceuticals-producer-discovers-opportunity-in-obsolescenc\n\nTITLE: Biopharmaceuticals Producer Discovers Opportunity in Obsolescence\n\nAging equipment has the potential to manifest into a multimillion-dollar issue for biopharmaceutical companies if not addressed.\n\nIf the equipment were to experience a failure with no available spare parts, the production of high-value biological products would come to a costly halt and possibly also result in lost batches.\n\nOne biopharmaceutical giant recently needed to address obsolescence in two of its purification skids, and saw it as an opportunity to make some additional operational improvements in the process.\n\n***** Staying Ahead of Obsolescence *****\n\nEach production batch begins with a 1 to 4 milliliter ampule of cells that serves as the powerhouse for creating key proteins in their drugs.\n\nThe ampule undergoes a fermentation process in which it is thawed into a live state and combined with buffer media to promote cell growth and replication.\n\nThrough this process, the ampule of cells can grow to a final volume of as much as 12,000 liters.\n\nOnce the specified desired volume is reached, the batch is sent on to purification operations. Here, cellular debris, unwanted proteins and other elements are removed through a series of different processes.\n\nThe last of these processes is tangential flow filtration (TFF).\n\nTFF is a pressure-driven process that removes the buffer species from the protein. This helps clarify and purify it into a final concentration that meets the drug's target specifications, and then it can be sent on to filling.\n\nThe company has multiple TFF skids for different batch sizes, but it was the two midsize TFF skids that were nearing the end of their service lives.\n\nThe first skid was put into use in 1998, and the second skid was brought in shortly thereafter to meet growing product demand. Both skids had programmable logic controller (PLC), variable frequency drive (VFD) and human machine interface (HMI) components that were either going to be discontinued soon or had already been discontinued.\n\n\"The company knew these systems were getting near the end of their lives and needed to be replaced or upgraded,\" said Tom Brown, project engineer, Banks Integration. \"Based on the overall health of the skid system, it made sense to upgrade the control systems.\"\n\nThe aging equipment represented a production liability of up to $10 million if they were to go down, given the lack of available spare parts and potential downtime.\n\nMore than that, however, they were also generating five to six critical alarms per week due to bad communications between components, resulting in unnecessary downtime.\n\nA lack of diagnostic information made the alarms difficult to troubleshoot and diagnose, sometimes requiring the support of up to 10 employees from the quality, automation and manufacturing science groups to resolve a single alarm.\n\n\"It could be a lot of extra hours for something as simple as a loose wire,\" Brown said.\n\nAdditionally, while the two skids were based on the same design, they were still their own systems. This meant that each skid had its own separate code that had to undergo separate testing for each new production run.\n\n***** Migrating Control Systems *****\n\nThe biopharmaceutical producer worked with Banks Integration Group, a Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM program Solution Partner, to design, engineer and validate the control-system upgrade process based on the PlantPAx(R) modern DCS platform from Rockwell Automation.\n\nThis involved upgrading the legacy skids' PLCs and VFDs to Allen-Bradley(R) ControlLogix(R) 5570 controllers and Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) 525 VFDs.\n\nA single-fault tolerant EtherNet/IPTM network replaced the company's existing Data Highway Plus network for better device-level communications and real-time performance monitoring.\n\nAdditionally, the control systems were integrated into a redundant, client-server SCADA architecture to enable a greater level of access, including remote access.\n\nThe new skid systems use the PlantPAx process objects for life sciences - a library of controller code, display elements and faceplates that are customized for the life sciences industry.\n\nThese predefined elements can help company operators more quickly configure applications to speed up production deployments and shorten cycle times.\n\nThe new systems also use the FactoryTalk(R) Batch software\u00a0from Rockwell Automation, with equipment editor and recipe editor capabilities that enable operators to create models and build individual recipes. The FactoryTalk Batch with PhaseManagerTM capability simplifies phase logic programming and configuration by making it possible to create equipment phases without phase logic interface (PLI) code.\n\n***** New Efficiencies *****\n\nThe upgraded TFF skids have enabled the company to stay ahead of equipment obsolescence and avoid potentially major downtime issues.\n\nMore than that, the upgrades have delivered added operational improvements and business benefits.\n\nThe new control systems support a \"family\" code approach in which the same code can be tested once and installed on both skids.\n\n\"Having two systems that share one set of code essentially cuts the validation costs for the company in half,\" Brown said. \"It's no longer twice the amount of testing processes and twice the amount of paperwork.\"\n\nThe new systems have also significantly cut down the critical alarms resulting from communications issues - from five or six alarms per week to zero in the first two months of operations.\n\nFor any issues that do arise, the new systems give the producer's team greater visibility into the skids for faster resolutions.\n\nFor example, the VFDs on the old systems were not being monitored.\n\nAs a result, operators would re-start a machine rather than sorting through several dozen fault codes to pinpoint the issue. Now, fault codes from the new VFDs are reported back to the PLC and collected in a data historian.\n\n\"With the new system and the device-level ring, it can tell you exactly where a failure is occurring,\" Brown said. \"It probably saved the company a day's worth of troubleshooting in just the first week of implementation.\"\n\nAdditionally, the new network enables information collected at the control-level to flow across the facility.\n\nThis simplifies gaining visibility into how the system is operating, such as by providing Brown and other employees remote-access capabilities to skids even when they're not on the plant floor.\n\n\"The company had very little visibility from the outside before,\" Brown said. \"If they get a call now, it takes two minutes, to remotely access the skid from office or another location. That's highly beneficial just in terms of troubleshooting.\"\n\n\u00a0\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to the biopharmaceutical producer's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nAllen-Bradley, ControlLogix, FactoryTalk, PartnerNetwork, PhaseManager, PlantPAx and PowerFlex are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\nEtherNet/IP is a trademark of ODVA Inc.\n\n\nTAG: life-sciences\n\n",
    "online-wellness-retailer-iherb-doubles-throughput-capacity": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/online-wellness-retailer-iherb-doubles-throughput-capacity\n\nTITLE: Online Wellness Retailer iHerb Doubles Throughput Capacity\n\n*** Background ***\n\nFor all the potential the Internet continues to hold for the future, one use remains a constant \u2013 shopping. U.S. retail e-commerce sales totaled an estimated $305 billion in 2014, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce, an increase of more than 15 percent from 2013. Additionally, retail e-commerce sales accounted for nearly 7 percent of total sales in 2014.\n\nSome retailers struggle to find the right balance between brick-and-mortar locations and online sales. Others opt for an online-only presence. Among those taking the strictly online route is iHerb, which was founded in 1996 to promote benefits of St. John's wort and has expanded its product catalog over the years to include a wider range of natural, health-focused products.\n\nToday, California-based iHerb sells nutritional supplements and wellness products, including bath and beauty, specialty grocery, pet care, aromatherapy and fitness products exclusively online. The company offers 35,000 different products from more than 1,000 brands to customers in more than 150 countries.\n\nUntil recently, all of iHerb's inventory and shipping activities were handled at its lone warehouse in Moreno Valley, California. Amid growing demand, however, the company sought to expand its operations with a new East Coast facility in Hebron, Kentucky. Not only would this help iHerb deliver a growing number of customer orders accurately and on time, it also would provide an opportunity to improve efficiencies in the company's order-fulfillment processes.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nThe 390,000-square-foot iHerb warehouse in Moreno Valley opened in 2010 as the company's first automated facility. The climate-controlled facility achieved Good Manufacturing Practices certification and achieved virtually 100 percent accuracy for the orders being shipped around the world.\n\nStill, iHerb saw opportunities to speed existing operations to get customer orders out the door faster in the new Hebron facility. Specifically, the company wanted to implement an alternative to the existing batch-picking system.\n\nThe system bunches orders into batches rather than individually processing each order, which is more time consuming on a per-order basis compared to a pick-to-order system. The existing system also relies on many manual-labor-intensive processes that could be automated to speed up the order-fulfillment process.\n\n\"As our business grew, it became more pressing to find opportunities to improve efficiencies and speed to market,\" said Kurt Cheek, director of operations at the iHerb Hebron facility. \"A big part of that involved exploring an alternative to the batch-picking system that would help us maximize the number of orders that can be shipped same-day while still achieving very high order accuracy.\"\n\nThe company uses a warehouse management system (WMS) to process orders into batches, direct workers where to find the products, and identify the quantities needed for each batch. The products are hand-placed in totes that are then delivered down conveyors to work cells, where workers use radio-frequency (RF) scanners to scan each product.\n\nA light that corresponds to each product scan identifies which shipping container each product should be placed in, and a \"stop\" light indicates when an order's container is complete. The container is then sent off for sealing, weighing and shipping.\n\niHerb turned to Rockwell Automation OEM Partner Bastian Solutions to help. Working with Bastian Solutions, iHerb sought to design the new Hebron facility with efficiency improvements that could help further automate and speed up these highly accurate but sometimes labor-intensive processes.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\niHerb opted to implement a pick-to-order system at the new Hebron facility in place of the batch-picking system used at the Moreno Valley facility. This new approach would allow products to be picked real time to each customer order.\n\nIt also required close harmonization of all machine and human activities in the warehouse. The correct products for each order must be pulled from the inventory and delivered to packing operators in tandem with the appropriate shipping container. iHerb used two separate but complementary systems to manage this operation.\n\nThe first is a pick-to-order system that contains 10 inventory aisles equipped with robots to locate and pick products for each order. The products are placed in totes and delivered to operators at work cells on 10 corresponding conveyor lines. A put-to-light system guides workers to place products in their designated shipping containers.\n\nThe second is a material-handling system that includes five carton-erecting machines, labeling and weighing machines, sorters, 48 RF scanners, and packing-material dispensers, among other technologies. When an order is inducted into the system, it calls for one of nine box sizes. The carton erector shapes the box, and a conveyor delivers it to the operator in concert with the products retrieved from the pick-to-order system. After the operators place the products in the container, the conveyor sends it on for packing, weighing and shipping.\n\nTwo master control panels containing Allen-Bradley\u00ae L72 ControlLogix\u00ae controllers provide control for the carton-erecting equipment and conveyors, while also interfacing with the pick-to-order system. A remote panel with a third ControlLogix controller provides additional motor control. Operators run the material-handling operations, monitor the conveyor run states and track key metrics, such as the RF scanner read rates, using FactoryTalk\u00ae View HMI software.\n\nThirteen field boxes with Allen-Bradley POINT I/O\u2122 racks are strategically located throughout the facility in areas with high I/O concentrations. The POINT I/O racks allow I/O devices to be wired locally versus bringing the wiring back to one of the two master control panels, making installation easier and reducing the burden of field wiring.\n\nMachine control, I/O and HMI communications all take place on an Ethernet network, along with communications with the host system.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nThe Hebron facility became operational in July 2013. Today, iHerb can process individual orders \u2013 from induction to shipping \u2013 in as little as 15 minutes. Workers can fulfill 15,000 to 20,000 orders \u2013 containing as many as 100,000 individual products \u2013 in one shift. That's double the order capacity of the Moreno Valley facility for a single shift, all while maintaining an accuracy rate of around 99 percent.\n\nThe new system also improved labor efficiency approximately 300 percent compared to the batch-processing system used in the Moreno Valley facility. Each aisle operator can pick as many as 800 items per hour.\n\n\"The order-fulfillment speed, order accuracy and improved efficiencies have made our Hebron facility an absolute success,\" Cheek said. \"Being able to deliver our customers' orders quickly and accurately is our highest priority as an online retailer. This new facility empowers us to do that on a consistent basis and positions us for continued growth in order volumes.\"\n\nThe facility currently operates one outbound shift at the facility, but can easily expand into additional shifts as demand requires. The control architecture is also designed to support additional lines for up to 30 percent additional capacity without the need for additional controllers or programming.\n\nThe control architecture approach also provided efficiencies during the installation and commissioning processes, helping the facility become operational in only four months. For example, a single operator's work station program was created in Rockwell Software Studio 5000 Logix Designer\u2122 software and then replicated for 20 work stations, which all used identical tasks. This eliminated the need to create a program from scratch for each individual station.\n\niHerb is in the process of upgrading its Moreno Valley operations, and is looking to carry over the successes from the Hebron facility into the new Moreno Valley facility. The new facility will be larger and involve more processes, but iHerb plans to use the same pick-to-order approach and the same hardware.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to iHerb's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\nTAG: \n\n",
    "advanced-manufacturing-helps-advanced-assembly-oem-cut-delivery-": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/advanced-manufacturing-helps-advanced-assembly-oem-cut-delivery-\n\nTITLE: Advanced Manufacturing Helps Advanced Assembly OEM Cut Delivery Time in Half\n\nFew manufacturers have escaped the massive disruption of COVID-19. Despite the impact on operations, supply chains and people, companies involved with producing critical protection and medical treatment devices have had to find ways to respond quickly.\n\nThe need for agility and resilience has required manufacturers to think in new ways about how to solve immediate challenge while considering systems that address future opportunities, demand changes and workforce challenges.\n\nIn any disruptive environment, learning what works, and what's possible, creates opportunities for companies to protect operations and support employees during a crisis, and then create a future competitive advantage.\n\nLanco Integrated, a custom design and build company, is a great example of how flexible, advanced manufacturing, and managing complex supply chains, allows a company to pivot manufacturing and stay ahead of rapidly changing global conditions.\n\n** Flexible, Faster Manufacturing **\n\nLanco, a custom design and build company, is accustomed to carefully managing a full pipeline of projects with quick turns. Business disruptions - in this case, a global pandemic - created even tighter timelines.\n\nLanco's end user was developing rapid result kits to test for COVID-19. The faster Lanco could create that machine, the faster that machine could be deployed to potentially save lives.\n\nSigning on to the project would require Lanco to hit new productivity levels, push flexible manufacturing boundaries, and test the supply chain in new ways.\n\nLanco's agile engineering team relied on Rockwell Automation for the machine's control standard because:\n\n    * Proven performance and speed of PLCs improved production speed and output\n\n    * Ability to properly calculate motor size for peak power performance in high force applications to improve efficiency and energy use\n\n    * Product durability reduces unplanned downtime\n\n    * Use of standard products reduces workforce training requirements\n\nLanco has programmed machines with Rockwell Automation(R) software and hardware for more than 30 years - each one a custom creation.\n\nBecause of the tight timeframe, project engineers relied on CompactLogix controllers for many reasons - most importantly, it was the only solution that would allow two programmers to collaborate online and work on a single PLC simultaneously.\n\nAdditionally, due to long history and success with Rockwell Automation, Lanco developed a library of Add-On instructions, a prepared solution for RFID tag reading and writing, and commanding servo motions - reducing project time by as much as 50%.\n\n** Standard Programming Cuts Design Time **\n\nMany project elements contributed to time savings that allowed Lanco to deliver a typical 16-week project in less than eight weeks.\n\nRockwell Automation MP-SeriesTM servo motors with a linear ball screw press actuator provided the form factor with adequate force for the size, with easy mounting. The package design, ensuring that the ball screw and actuator worked together, saved Lanco significant design time.\n\nTo increase simplicity and seamlessly configuration, program and maintain control system devices, Lanco also relied on:\n\n    * Studio 5000 Logix Designer(R) software to manage controllers and design the system with confidence. Software provides a common environment for users programming CompactLogixTM controllers in standard and safety configurations.\n\n    * PanelViewTM Plus 7 graphic terminals to build the application and help simplify configuration. These terminals included Ethernet connectivity and enable users to monitor applications from remote locations.\n\n    * CompactLogixTM 5370 controllers, with higher performance, increased capacity, improved productivity and enhanced security.\n\n    * Kinetix(R) 5500 EtherNet/IP servo drives to minimize machine footprint and simplify system wiring.\n\n    * Standard templates worked together to create a consistent experience for programmers and end users, as many of Lanco's machines have maintained a consistent look and feel for decades.\n\n\"Based on past performance we could make assumptions before we had the solution in hand - I knew what the team was delivering would operate as intended,\" said Chris Burton, controls program manager, Lanco. \"Anything that reduces risk and the learning curve - for our engineers and for our end users - is valuable. This, and the durability and reliability of the solution, gave us the confidence that we could deliver.\"\n\nFor Lanco, the long-time relationship reduced guesswork and rework.\n\n\"Rockwell Automation and Authorized Distributor Horizon managed potential issues to move parts quickly,\" added Nate Passmore, mechanical engineer, Lanco. \"Everyone in the supply chain did their part to reduce lead times. We were working for the greater good, and we applied that focus to everything we did, every day.\"\n\nSee what else Rockwell Automation is doing to support our employees, customers and communities in response to COVID-19.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Lanco's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nTrademark Information:\n\nAllen-Bradley, CompactLogix, Kinetix, MP-Series, PanelView Plus, PowerFlex, Rockwell Automation and Studio 5000 Logix Designer are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\n\nTAG: machine-and-equipment-builders\n\nTAG: life-sciences\n\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: factorytalk-studio-5000\n\n",
    "intelligent-packaging-machine-set-to-revolutionise-ecommerce-log": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/intelligent-packaging-machine-set-to-revolutionise-ecommerce-log\n\nTITLE: Intelligent Packaging Machine Set to Revolutionise eCommerce Logistics\n\n*** Background ***\n\nLinkx Packaging Systems Ltd. has deployed an automation, motion and safety solution from Rockwell Automation in its new Intelligent Box Sizer. The Box Sizer is an innovative machine concept that has the potential to create massive savings for e-commerce companies, especially in terms of packaging waste, packaging costs and haulage costs.\n\nBy adapting random box sizes to more accurately represent the contents, the machine is already prompting significant interest, especially from companies that ship a huge variety of product types and sizes.\n\nLinkx Packaging Systems Ltd. is one of Europe's leading suppliers of end-of-line packaging solutions; covering sectors such as food and drink, eCommerce, pharmaceutical and the pet food industries. Its product portfolio includes tray, case and carton erectors, shrink-wrapping machine systems, case and tray sealers, robotic case loaders, palletisers and custom end-of-line packaging solutions. All are designed and manufactured in its state-of-the-art facility in Beccles, United Kingdom.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nWith online shopping and related eCommerce industries growing by an estimated 20% per annum, packaging and transportation issues - especially those related to waste - are becoming ever more concerning.\n\nThe primary problem is sizing boxes to fit the contents being shipped. Most eCommerce companies carry a large range of standard sizes, but even these cannot cater for every product size and, as a result, supplemental packaging or void fill is often required, such as paper, polystyrene, starch or bubble wrap. The box range is also limited, to a certain degree, by the capabilities of the automation solution deployed to package the products.\n\nTransportation companies are also being lobbied and have realised that in many cases they are shipping a lot of fresh air in the form of the empty spaces in boxes, which results in fewer parcels in each van, truck or aircraft.\n\nSome in the US have moved over to a concept known as volumetric charging, which calculates the postage costs as a function of both weight and package volume. In this instance, for example, a standard 10 kg box might cost EUR20 to post, but an oversized box of the same weight could cost EUR30. It is these additional costs that the e-commerce companies are trying to address with more suitable packaging concepts.\n\nThere are machines available on the market that can create custom boxes, but only in terms of the height of the box - as they work on a common box footprint. This is where the new Linkx Packaging System Ltd.'s Box Sizer is set to have a huge impact.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nThe new Intelligent Random Box Sizer, the result of a recently created patent, leverages an automation, motion and safety infrastructure from Rockwell Automation. The brains behind the automation solution is an Allen-Bradley(R) CompactLogixTM programmable automation controller (PAC), which communicates using EtherNet/IPTM with up to 17 motion axes controlled and driven by Allen-Bradley Kinetix(R) 5500 servo drives. An Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) 525 variable-frequency drive with safe torque-off is also used on the conveyor.\n\nIn development for nearly three years, the machine is a direct result of Linkx Packaging System Ltd. listening to its customers and having a real depth of knowledge of its target market. Specifically designed for eCommerce and online shopping fulfilment, where random, single, multiple, loose or grouped goods need to be packaged automatically for dispatch, the machine can intelligently measure the empty volume of a loaded box and then adjust itself to cut, crease and fold the box to suit the volume of goods within.\n\nAccording to David Hayward, Managing Director of Linkx Systems: \"In operation, the boxes are fed on a servo-controlled carriage into the machine from the initial packaging stage, which has already placed the goods into boxes that closely match their size with regards to their width and length. The boxes are then scanned for their size and sensors determine the maximum height of the contents. This data is then transferred to the next station where an overhead servo-controlled gantry, which moves back and forth in time with the flightpath below, lowers cutters - matched to the corners of the box - to cut the corners to a specific depth, creating the new size-specific closing flaps.\n\n\"The next station,\" he continues, \"employs servo motors to add crease lines at the level of the cuts' depth and a third station folds the flaps prior to taping or gluing. In each case, as the overhead carriages return, they are automatically resizing themselves ready for the next box size. The machine also uses an Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM Plus HMI for operator interaction and information of the equipment.\"\n\nIn addition to the automation infrastructure, the machine has also been designed to conform to the latest safety standards. Operator protection is achieved using a number of Allen-Bradley Guardmaster(R) safety products, while the servos and variable-speed drives deploy Safe Torque-Off, which allows power to be maintained to the drives, but disables the outputs thus eliminating hazardous motion. This Safe Torque-Off functionality allows the machine to be started quickly after a shutdown - without waiting for network to re-initialise, removed unnecessary cycling of the drives helping increase product lifecycle - and so improving machine available uptime.\n\nBy using EtherNet/IP as the primary communication protocol, Linkx Systems has given itself the opportunity to more easily offer its customers remote monitoring and maintenance, while also having the option to connect the machine into its customers Connected Enterprise. The Connected Enterprise(R), an approach manufacturers are adopting to leverage the use of connected machines, supply chains and customers, allows them to establish manufacturing processes that are data / information rich, supported, secure and future ready for market demands.\n\nUltimately, the Connected Enterprise approach for manufactures and their suppliers such as Linkx Packaging System Ltd. will create a more competitive, innovative enterprise that can deliver insights to improve productivity, sustainability and economic performance through faster time to market, lower total cost of ownership, improved asset utilisation and enterprise risk management. Other benefits of access to real-time, contextualised information, include minimised downtime, improved technology and process optimisation, greater workforce efficiency and smarter expenditure. Because EtherNet/IP is based on standard, unmodified Ethernet, it means that there is very little that needs to be done for these connections to be established; and full security solutions are also available for user control and to prevent unwarranted access.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nLinkx Systems is a long time user of Allen-Bradley products from Rockwell Automation and often calls upon the company and it's Global OEM Technical Consultants (GOTC) for help and advice. David Hayward explains: \"Whenever new technology becomes available Stuart Ashmore, our GOTC, comes in to help us and advise us on the right path to take. Stuart is really good and if our guys ever need support they go straight to him.\n\n\"We've worked with Rockwell Automation since Linkx started,\" he concludes, \"and the reasons are the same now as they were then, it's down to the products and the support. Our guys also find the software easy to use and the single-platform approach is far more intuitive compared to the offerings from other automation vendors. We also know that the technology is proven and we see very few faults. Rockwell Automation really is an ideal automation solution supplier.\"\n\n\n",
    "mining-company-gains-14-tonnes-of-gold-from-waste": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/mining-company-gains-14-tonnes-of-gold-from-waste\n\nTITLE: Mining company gains 14 tonnes of gold from waste\n\n***** Going Beyond Milestone Achievements *****\n\nMMC Kazakhaltyn JSC is a gold mining company based in Kazakstan focused on exploration, mining and processing of gold ore, production of gold products, and the processing, storage and sale of gold and other precious metals. It is one of Kazakhstan's oldest gold mining companies, and was founded in 1932. Recently the company reached a milestone of 400 tonnes of gold extracted since its inception, but also wanted to deal with the issue of growing waste.\n\nOver the 85 years, Kazakhaltyn had accumulated more than 25 million tonnes of gold-containing mineral waste on production sites, made up of ores and tailings that were too costly or not feasible for refining. Not only did this mean that mineral waste was continuing to mount, but the opportunity to gain more from it was being missed.\n\nTo maximise yield from this waste, in 2015, Kazakhaltyn launched its production expansion programme, involving the implementation of state-of-the-art beneficiation plants designed to extract additional gold ore from tailings at three of its sites - Zholymbet, Bestobe and Aksu. The first two sites utilised the carbon-in-leach (CIL) process to keep other carbonaceous materials from absorbing the gold, with the output transported to the third plant for the elution and electrowinning processes to extract the gold from its ores, before being melted to obtain the Dor'e bullions. The aim was to process and obtain 14 tonnes of gold Dor'e bullions in three to five years.\n\n***** Building for Success *****\n\nIn order to achieve its ambitious target, Kazakhaltyn needed to ensure its new plants were operating as efficiently as possible with new technologies.\n\nKazakhaltyn required a fully unified and high availability control system and a flexible infrastructure that managed all aspects of automation including; field sensors, power distribution, smart motor control, operator HMI panels, EtherNet/IP network management and Data Historians.\n\n***** Efficiency by Design *****\n\nAs the programme was focused on the typically complex time-intensive task of mining tailings, ensuring that the process was set up to succeed from the outset was of upmost importance for Kazakhaltyn.\n\nSilumin-Vostok LLP, a Recognised System Integrator in the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM programme was selected to deliver the solution, due to its vast experience with similar integration projects. Prior to this, the control system was planned to be designed on equipment from other vendors, but when specificiations were near completion, Rockwell Automation's offering was chosen as the most appropriate solution due to its vast experience in the sector.\n\nSilumin-Vostok deployed Rockwell Automation's Integrated Architecture under a single EtherNet/ IP network so all devices on the network could be configured centrally through ControlLogix 5570 controllers. This not only meant that Kazakhaltyn had visibility of the entire control system environment, but if any unit or part of the architecture needed to be replaced, it could be configured and set up automatically once connected to the network, saving time and resource.\u00a0\n\nRockwell's Software Studio 5000(R) automation system was also used to design, configure, program and maintain the controllers and Silumin-Vostok integrated an Application Code Manager (ACM) tool to streamline workflows, reuse library objects and enable auto content generation. The controllers were also fitted with POINT I/OTM modules.\n\nFurther to this, all devices were organised within four device-level rings (DLR) - each for a particular production area, and there was also a dedicated redundant controller for the elution process at the Aksu plant.\n\nDeviceLogixTM Smart Component Technology and E300 Electronic Overload Relays were included as part of the integration to reduce the risk of motor failure by protecting the motors and providing diagnostics information, as well as define any built-in adaptive logic. PowerFlex 753 and 755 AC Drives were installed to ease programming and configuration, as well as reduce set-up time, training and operation.\n\nFor workers, the connected infrastructure provided the support needed to day-to-day.\n\nKazakhaltyn plants were equipped with new effective process automation systems which could enable further scaling and integration at an enterprise level.\n\nThus, the plant is ready for further improvements on the journey to the Connected Enterprise.\n\n***** Making new milestones *****\n\nAs a result of Rockwell Automation's integrated architecture, Kazakhaltyn achieved its target of extracting 14 tonnes of pure gold within three to five years. With devices on the network configured centrally, the organisation was able to significantly cut down on time spent on manual system changes and maintenance, reduce downtime and spend valuable resource on progressing the programme. This in-turn has also created a more collaborative ethos and environment within the organisation.\n\n\"Investments in the construction of new factories amount to $102.5 million. Technological processes at the new factories are automated and fully fit into the framework of Industry 4.0\", Sergey Shulga, Acting Chief Power Engineer, Kazakhaltyn notes. \"New factories, commissioned in 2018 with ready control systems of the Connected Enterprise, are paving the way for us to digitalise production, taking into account current market requirements.\"\n\nWith Kazakhaltyn's plants now equipped with an effective process automation system, it can be scaled as the enterprise continues to grow and continue to maximise on the opportunity to grow, and produce more gold from the new mines.\n\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\nTAG: remote-support\n\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\nTAG: metals\nTAG: mining\nTAG: cement\n\nTAG: sensors-and-switches\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: factorytalk-studio-5000\n\n",
    "the-foundations-for-a-world-of-colour": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/the-foundations-for-a-world-of-colour\n\nTITLE: The Foundations for a World of Colour\n\nIn general, when choosing a colour for your house or refrigerator, you don't think about what goes into making those colours. But, in many cases, it's more than likely that Synthomer was involved.\n\nSynthomer is an English multinational company, headquartered in London, which has worked in the chemical industry for more than 100 years. It specialises in additives and raw materials for creating coatings, paper, textiles, and health and protection materials. As such, Synthomer offers a wide range of products meeting almost any demand in the global market.\n\nSynthomer, with the recent acquisition of Omnova, works at a global level in more than 40 production facilities, located in Europe, the United States and eastern Asia. It is organised into three divisions, one of which is called \"Specialties\", which focuses on products outside the core acrylics business. The Sant'Albano Stura production facility, in the Piedmont region of Italy, is part of the Specialties division. It produces polyester resins for powder coating, called \"blender\", which is then sold to companies specialising in painting products.\n\nRecently, the Sant'Albano Stura facility underwent a renovation project, modernising several systems controlled by local PLCs. An important goal of this project was to implement a single Distributed Control System (DCS) system for the entire facility. To this end, Synthomer called on the expertise of Rockwell Automation, Progecta - a recognised system integrator - and, later, Stratus Technologies.\n\nA Strong Construction Requires a Strong Foundation\n\nOver time, the Synthomer facility in Piedmont had built up production lines managed by PLC from various suppliers, operating independently from one another. The aim of this modernisation project was to restructure and coordinate control of the system.\n\nSynthomer chose Rockwell Automation and the system integrator Progecta to supply its new system. Over time, it replaced its older PLCs and moved towards Allen-Bradley(R) ControlLogix(R) programmable automation controllers (PAC) At this stage, it hadn't even considered that it was building the perfect foundation to match objectives that would later come from its HQ.\n\nBy 2018, the Sant'Albano Stura site featured a state-of-the-art, fully automated production facility. Raw materials arrive on site and are stored automatically. They are then dosed and processed according to the customer's needs, creating a wide range of products. Further automated systems then take the products, in either 25 kg bags or 900 kg \"big bags\", and store them ready for delivery.\n\nDistributed Process Control\n\nNot long after completing this modernisation, Synthomer decided to move forward from PLC control to a more advanced approach, focused on a distributed control logic process. This decision was intended to standardise corporate policies and align for future prospects. The instructions were for each facility to adopt a DCS approach. However, each site was given the freedom to choose the most appropriate technology based on its existing situation.\n\nAt the Sant'Albano Stura facility, they had already taken on another project to install a new reactor - one of the largest in Europe for these product types - which would allow for a 30% increase in production. So, combining these two initiatives, they decided to focus on DCS using the PlantPAx(R) Distributed Control System - once again, supplied by Rockwell Automation, in collaboration with Progecta.\n\nThe concept was to concentrate management of the entire facility into a single CPU (with suitable redundancies, of course). This would gather data and control more than 2,000 connected devices. As it stood, the plant was run by a handful of different CPUs, each dedicated to a given system - a specific department, heating plant or the like. Having a single CPU would simplify communications among the various systems.\n\nStep by Step\n\nThe PlantPAx DCS was originally set up specifically for the new reactor. This was then evolved by migrating functions from one of the existing PLC systems, one by one. Those systems then became remote I/O nodes for the single CPU. The objective was to arrive at a totally distributed control system in three years - a deadline that allows for non-stop production, except for a short window of opportunity when it closes during the summer.\n\nThree years might seem like a long time, but in fact timing was going to be quite tight. However, having access to the advanced technologies and extensive experience of Rockwell Automation, along with the expertise of Progecta, gave Synthomer the confidence that this could be done.\n\nTo make the most of the plant's summer closure, the wiring was laid down beforehand. They then replaced the ControlNet network and local CPUs with new EtherNet/IP network and tested the converted part of the system.\n\nAdding Fail Safes\n\nThe team also brought in Stratus Technologies, whose task was to add extra redundancy to the infrastructure - providing a fault tolerance of more than 99.999% for all applications. Their response was to provide the ftServer platform - a solution that can respond to the industrial digitisation requirements using fully virtualised applications.\n\nThanks to the ftServer technology, the control applications are always available, removing any risk of downtime or data loss. Furthermore, thanks to the installation of a single server, always-on diagnostics and simple maintenance, management of the ftServer platform doesn't require any specific IT skills. Which means this role can be assigned to the facility maintenance technicians.\n\nAdditional Benefits\n\nWith the introduction of the PlantPAx DCS, with it Process Library, it is now possible for the Process Engineer to intervene directly on a range of parameters, changing functions and managing alarms. Previously, using the old PLC system, that had only been possible through the intervention of a software technician.\n\nSynthomer also discovered another benefit of the DCS approach: the enormous quantity of historical data it generated. This not only helped operators and maintenance technicians, but also provides the figures necessary for corporate analysis reports.\n\nThe ability to record such a vast amount of data, covering every parameter of the operation, allows Synthomer to perform in-depth analyses when problems arise. It also assists in the maintenance of the plant, triggering preventative and diagnostic responses linked to operating hours and the quantities of a single component.\n\nThe staff at the Sant'Albano Stura facility have been very impressed with the results of their modernisation, the installation of the Rockwell Automation technology, and the power of the PlantPAx DCS. And this hasn't gone unnoticed through the rest of the Synthomer facilities. Tasked with their own objectives to centralise their systems, the company's other sites are all considering their own situation and wondering what such a solution could do for them.\n\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\nTAG: process-solutions\n\nTAG: chemical\n\nTAG: distributed-control-systems\nTAG: plantpax-dcs\nTAG: plantpax\n\n",
    "driving-innovation-by-reducing-investment-risk": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/driving-innovation-by-reducing-investment-risk\n\nTITLE: Driving Innovation by Reducing Investment Risk\n\nRisk is an inescapable part of innovation. Pushing the boundaries of what's been done before inevitably leads into areas of uncertainty where the rewards are greater, but with an equally greater chance of failure.\n\nFor FANUC UK, an automated solutions provider based in Coventry in the UK's West Midlands, risk has always been something to be managed rather than feared. In March 2020, one of FANUC's valued customers, a plastic components manufacturer, presented the business with an attractive problem to solve: to deliver massive throughput improvements on the company's long-standing production lines and ready the organisation for a new, more connected era of productivity.\n\nRelishing the opportunity, FANUC UK were given a blank canvas on which to design and integrate a solution that could help deliver these objectives. The company brought in Rockwell Automation as its solutions partners to explore the latest in manufacturing technology.\n\n***** Getting Equipped for Industry 4.0 *****\n\nBeing 'Industry 4.0-ready' is becoming a common aspiration across the manufacturing world as the industry takes massive strides forward in the development and availability of next-generation equipment and connected machinery.\n\nEmbracing the new, however, often means giving up the old. In practice, this can be a tricky problem for industrial decision makers, as replacing established, value-generating assets with newer, less-proven solutions can be a tough sell to internal stakeholders.\n\nFor Oliver Selby, Robotics Business Development Manager at FANUC UK, helping to guide customers through the challenges of transformation and manage potential risks is an important part in fulfilling the company's role as a visionary partner and systems integrator.\u00a0\n\n\"In this particular case, the customer had a production facility with nine separate systems, all using rotary turntable equipment to manufacture its components. The oldest one is 17 years old, so there's been a lot of technical progress in the time since it was installed,\" he said.\n\nThe key issue the business faced related to throughput and maintaining efficient flow of product through the assembly process. The TAKT for the existing turntables is only as fast as the slowest assembly operation, meaning any disruption within the line's many assembly processes could have significant knock-on effects in the number of components produced that day.\u00a0\n\nThe company set FANUC an ambitious target of improving throughput to more than 35 component parts per minute, equating approximately to a 15% yield increase in productivity. Specifically, the customer was looking for ways to enhance data collection in order to gain greater visibility over the components and improve predictive maintenance capabilities. This in turn would improve the reliability of the production cycle in order to give operators the ability to identify and remedy any potential hold-ups as early in the process as possible.\n\nWorking with Rockwell Automation, Oliver saw an opportunity to incorporate a new form of operating equipment into the facility; Independent Cart Technology (ICT). While a relatively nascent technology, ICT uses linear servo drives in order to move goods faster and more efficiently, with a lower risk of disruption. The technology is now being used by some of the world's leading and most innovative companies.\u00a0\n\nTogether, they identified Rockwell Automation's iTRAK 5730 solution as the best-suited candidate for the customer's purposes.\u00a0\n\nIn addition, the control system used would give operators a greater command over the lines by virtue of being able to manage the full production from a single PLC. Using 'smart object' capabilities, the operators would be able to pull millisecond data sets on the quality and quantity of components, send the data to the cloud and analyse it in order to make fast, insightful decisions.\n\nWhile a big departure from his customer's status quo, Oliver was confident the technology could yield the desired results. \"The move to an ICT-based solution was far removed from our customers' existing production methods of using a rotary table. It has allowed a flexibility in the assembly process and most importantly is scalable, allowing operators to easily increase the length and number of carts in response to changing demands,\" he said.\n\n\"The in-built function blocks within the control system allow a speed of integration that only adds value to the complete offer.\"\n\n***** A 'Leap Into the Unknown' *****\n\nWhile he was convinced of the transformational impact ICT would have on production, Oliver didn't want his customers to just take his word for it. He wanted them to see the potential performance benefits themselves. Understanding how the new technology would fare in comparison with existing systems would help not only to put their minds at rest, but would help to generate greater enthusiasm and momentum based on a clearer vision of what's possible.\n\nTo achieve this, Oliver called on Rockwell to provide simulations of the iTRAK throughput and determine that the solution was specified correctly. Using Emulate3D, Rockwell could use virtualised commissioning to show exactly what the new set up would look like, how it could be configured and - most importantly - what throughput capacity would be achievable.\u00a0\n\n\"The support to prove out and de-risk the process challenges we experienced when developing this solution was key in providing confidence both internally and with the end customer. People can see numbers and they can see drawings, but being able to see a virtualised render of the line in operation is another level entirely,\" he added.\n\nTaking an ROI-based approach, Oliver was able to feed into the customers decision making process and directly show the customer that their investment in ICT will lead to the most flexible and efficient way forward using the latest technology. The simulation was key in aligning expectations, releasing the capital funds and moving on to the project's development phase. Oliver believes that the capabilities Rockwell Automation was able to bring played an important role in this.\n\n\"The relationship with Rockwell Automation as we started to develop the solution for our customer was excellent. Engagement with our component suppliers at an early stage is critical to understand the technological developments that can help us win business.\"\n\n***** Flexibility for the Future *****\n\nThe new solution moved into its next phase in June 2021, and FANUC is confident that delivering a holistic solution for their customer will lay the groundwork for ongoing innovation. As the customer's employees adapt to the new system and develop the expanded skill set that comes with digitalisation, the initiative could open the door to further innovation and the adoption of more modern capabilities in the facility.\n\n\"It's a very scalable solution. It's also modular in terms of hardware and modular in terms of software. So it's quite easy to build code within the PLC and then replicate that across other lines. Once you start working this way, it really opens your eyes to what the future of manufacturing will look like,\" he added.\n\n\"With access to Emulate3D, we've added another weapon in our armoury to de-risk our automation provision in the early stages when engaging with customers. We can prove out in each individual process in terms of speed, accuracy and what it's going to deliver to the whole solution. It also allows us to bring virtual environments\u00a0 to our customers' sites using its VR and AR functionality.\"\n\n\"Overall the supplier/customer experience working with Rockwell Automation has been excellent, and should lead too many future collaborations that our customers will benefit from. I can see the relationship with Rockwell Automation becoming stronger and stronger as our respective products become more closely aligned and integrated,\" he concluded.\n\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: integrated-architecture\n\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: factorytalk-studio-5000\n\n",
    "ecologia-to-conquer-contamination-with-rockwell-automation": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/ecologia-to-conquer-contamination-with-rockwell-automation\n\nTITLE: Ecologia to Conquer Contamination with Rockwell Automation\n\n*** Background ***\n\nIn an urgent environmental project, Rockwell Automation\u00ae, Cougar Automation, a recognised System Integrator and WIN-911, an Encompass Partner, will all come together in a solution developed by a leading environmental contractor to address a historic ground water contamination.\n\nGround water contamination is an extremely serious issue and must be dealt with highly effectively to the satisfaction of local environmental standards. Most industrial companies prefer the obvious proactive approach of avoiding contamination in the first instance, but in some cases, accidental discharges are unavoidable and it is in these instances that the specialists have to get involved.\n\nEcologia, based in Sittingbourne, Kent in the UK, is an environmental contractor whose multi-disciplinary workforce provides specialist advice and undertakes environmental site investigation and remediation projects. Its in-house team of scientists, engineers, chemists and geologists has the expertise required to tackle a wide range of its client's environmental needs. It prides itself on providing the most appropriate solution rather than pursuing a more standardised, less effective approach.\n\nAccording to Tom Hayes, Director at Ecologia: \"We deal with multiple projects involving contaminated land and groundwater, the majority of our work is proactive but, as in this case, sometimes reactive. To give you an idea of the type of issues we deal with, a single teaspoon (5ml) of chlorinated degreasing solvent can contaminate more than an Olympic-sized pool of ground water. The thing is, you don't hear about groundwater much, surface water is always in the news, groundwater is not because you can't see it and it is considerably more difficult to deal with.\"\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nThe primary challenge faced by Ecologia was not the complexity of the project, but instead, its geographical scale, location and timescale. It involved land remediation and subsequent treatment at a large petrochemical facility in Italy. The multi-phase system will be in operation for a period of approximately three years to remove volatile hydrocarbon contamination in shallow soils and groundwater at the site.\n\nHayes explains: \"The actual technology and know-how behind the project is available to us through our significant in-house expertise, the primary issue we face is the upkeep and monitoring of the facility over such a long timescale. In most instances, this would require one or two full time engineers to remain on site for the entire project duration. It is for this reason that we have been investigating remote automation and telemetry solutions, which releases us from the UK meaning we can export our capabilities and hardware and operate it remotely. In the past you would always have to set up a local office. With good telemetry you don't have to do that \u2013 we can do it all from our headquarters in Kent.\n\n\"Once we get to this level,\" Hayes continues, \"we can put our equipment anywhere on the planet and still get regular and timely access to performance data and predictive maintenance information. We are seeing a significant uptake in the deployment of our services, as many multinational companies prefer to work with British, Dutch or US environmental contractors.\"\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nThe project is based upon three identical stand alone systems \u2013 at strategic locations on the site \u2013 comprising an ATEX-rated HMI running Rockwell Automation FactoryTalk\u00ae View SE HMI, Allen-Bradley\u00ae CompactLogix\u2122 programmable automation controllers (PAC) and remote access/alarm annunciation via 3G/GPRS modems and WIN-911 SMS software.\n\nEach unit is controlled by a sophisticated ATEX compliant telemetry system developed and tested in house that will allow the equipment to be fully monitored remotely without the need for staff to visit a hazardous part of the site.\"The units are undertaking vacuum extraction of contaminated ground water and liquid oil in a very inaccessible part of the site,\" Hayes explains. \"The contaminating oil is actually spread out on top of ground water to a thickness of 0.5m and will take between two and three years to successfully remove.\n\n\"With the hardware we have in place from Rockwell Automation and collaborators we can monitor and change the process remotely,\" Hayes elaborates. \"We can see what extraction is going on in each individual well and make decisions on the running parameters. Previously we would have to go to site, annually and monitor/change the PLCs, typically over a three day period; we can now do this in less than an hour from Kent.\"\n\nThe units themselves are 20ft shipping containers, housing high-power pumps the size of a small car. In addition to the pumps, the cabinets have over 40 other components, most of which are monitored by the CompactLogix PAC. Parameters captured include flow rate, temperature, ground water levels, pipe pressures, total fluids (liquid and gas) and the concentration of contaminant in gasses.\n\n\"In this instance,\" Hayes explains, \"the PAC is being used to flag for failures or maintenance related actions such as filter changes; it is purely a process information conduit as opposed to being a process controller. It does have some control function such as those we might see in an emergency, where it can shut down the entire system if, for example, we get contaminated gasses in the stack or if the vacuum pressure is too high.\n\nCougar Automation acted as a consultant with this project and as well as identifying, selecting, proposing and supplying the control system architecture for this project, apart from the ATEX-rated HMI, it also bought the Ecologia engineers up to speed on the various technologies. Simon Pape from Cougar Automation expands: \"Cougar trained the Ecologia guys on the Rockwell Automation Logix5000 development software for the CompactLogix PACs and on ViewStudio for the FactoryTalk View HMI. We also trained them on WIN-911 and in setting up the remote access, VPN tunnels and the 3G/GPRS/GSM failback on the modems.\"\n\nOnce the treatment units were placed on site in Italy, WIN-911/SMS software was installed as part of the Rockwell Automation system to monitor the operations of each unit. WIN-911/SMS allows Ecologia to monitor the control units remotely and implements a smart notification system with mobile management capabilities and intelligent escalation should a situation such as a valve leak or temperature spike occur.\n\n\"The use of WIN-911 software allows the treatment equipment to be fully monitored remotely without the need for staff to visit a hazardous part of the site,\" said Robert Brooker, CEO of WIN-911 Software. \"Should an alert be raised, WIN-911's built-in decision tree structure recognizes the situation and escalates it until action is taken by the appropriate parties. The early notification provided by WIN-911 helps Ecologia assess and manage any concerns with the treatment units.\"\n\n*** Results ***\n\n\"Being an environmental contractor, it is vital that we get our own green credentials in order,\" Hayes explains. \"The ability to interrogate the units from our HQ in Kent means that not only are we reducing energy in terms of travel and subsistence, but we are also saving costs for the same reasons. Because we can read the data and make decisions in minutes we are also saving time, making the entire solution more sustainable from a business viewpoint as well.\"\n\n\nTAG: water-wastewater\n\n",
    "increased-production-closedloop-predictive-analytics": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/increased-production-closedloop-predictive-analytics\n\nTITLE: Dairy Manufacturing Plant\n\n***** Challenge: Reduce Energy Use and Increase Throughput for Resource Efficiency *****\n\nA Northern European dairy producer, and large cooperative owned by more than 8,000 milk producers, is a major dairy industry player. Founded more than a century ago, this company continually works to minimize the environmental impact of its operations and efficiently use its resources.\n\nThe facility highlighted is a key supplier of milk-based ingredients to global food and beverage producers. It is one of six production facilities that the company owns and operates. The site processes 500,000 tons of milk per year - producing over 63,000 tons of whey protein concentrate, over 14,000 tons of caseinate, 600 tons of hydrolyzed protein and over 1,000 tons of milk mineral.\n\nManagement wanted their caseinate--a milk protein used in making plastics, adhesives and some types of cheese and other food products-- production lines to operate more efficiently and consistently.\n\nThe dairy producer was challenged with controlling the drying process producing caseinate powder to consistently meet government regulations. Since powder couldn't be sold if not dried to the minimum requirement, the company was forced to run its dryers slower to meet standards and avoid waste.\n\nThese issues consumed substantial energy and affected product throughput. Therefore, optimizing the drying process controls became a primary focus for the company.\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** Solution: Closed-loop Moisture Control Predictive Model to Infer Powder Moisture *****\n\nThe customer wanted a solution that would increase each line's capacity, while maintaining product quality and reducing energy usage. After considering competing solutions, the customer worked with Rockwell Automation to improve the overall efficiency of its dryers on the caseinate production lines.\n\nThe three dryers and other factors of the process that impacted moisture levels were evaluated. Using the Rockwell Automation FactoryTalk(R) AnalyticsTM Pavilion8(R) closed-loop predictive and prescriptive capabilities, process control could be tightened to help achieve consistent moisture levels, thereby optimizing line capacity and resource consumption.\n\nThe Rockwell Automation team recommended a closed-loop, moisture-control application to manage product moisture. The solution was designed, developed, and deployed based on its Pavilion8(R) platform.\n\nThe solution used Rockwell Automation models to provide in-line, inferential powder moisture (quality) measurements in real time. By using this sensor data throughout the line, model-based closed-loop controls could respond in a predictive fashion, significantly reducing moisture variability, raising dryer throughput, and reducing the energy needed to dry the casein.\n\n***** Results: Rockwell Automation Delivers Increased Capacity, Reduced Costs *****\n\nThe results of the Pavilion8(R) solution at the facility's caseinate lines (3 x spray towers) were beyond expectations. The customer achieved up to a 42% reduction in quality variability and a 0.12%-0.38% increase in average moisture content. In addition, they also achieved a 6-15.8% increase in production throughput.\n\nThereafter, the Northern European milk producer successfully deployed a total of 19 Pavilion8(R) closed-loop solutions throughout its ingredient plants.\n\n\u00a0\n\n\"Rockwell Automation's knowledge and model-based process control tools give us exactly the competitive edge we need to maintain productivity and profitability in this difficult economy,\" said the dairy producer's technology manager. \"Rockwell Automation delivers what they promise.\"\n\n\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: industrial-analytics\n\nTAG: dairy\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\nTAG: factorytalk-analytics\n\n",
    "reduce-cycle-time-production-chemical": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/reduce-cycle-time-production-chemical\n\nTITLE: Reduce Cycle Time to Production\n\n***** Challenge: Maximize Production and Profit Across the Entire Manufacturing Lifecycle *****\n\nOperating in many countries, the chemical manufacturer is one of the largest integrated energy companies in the world. The Polyethylene business unit is a leading producer of polyethylene with a full range of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) products for the packaging, agricultural, consumer goods, and construction sectors.\n\nUnlike traditional, large-scale petrochemical manufacturers that focus on a single product, polymer manufacturers produce many products over a wide range of conditions. Operating a polymer reactor to meet these varying specifications is a complex, non-linear control problem. As a result, operations must focus not only on maintaining the quality of each product during \"at-grade\" conditions, but also on transitioning from one grade to the next in the most time- and cost-efficient manner. To maximize production and profit across the entire production lifecycle, manufacturers must continuously control the many variables that influence product quality and production rate.\n\nThe customer's European unit makes a wide range of product grades and produces hundreds of thousands of kilotons of linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) per year, using its propriety process to produce the chemical. The customer needed a way to meet specific production targets, including increasing LLDPE production, reducing off-spec material, and reducing transition times between grades.\n\n***** Solution: Making the Grade with FactoryTalk(R) AnalyticsTM Pavilion8(R) *****\n\nThe company learned about the Rockwell Automation advanced process control (APC) solutions during a technical exchange meeting and was impressed with the company's proven expertise in the polymer industry. Concluding that Rockwell Automation Solutions could help the\u00a0company achieve its quality and production goals, the company implemented the Rockwell Automation Pavilion8(R) solution.\n\nPavilion8(R) combines steady-state optimization with model\u00a0predictive closed loop control to reduce product variability and transition times, improve reactor stability, and maximize raw material efficiency.\n\nThe customer's specific needs for the software included controlling the gas phase composition in the reactor and managing and controlling instantaneous reactor product quality and transitions between grades. Pavilion8(R) creates online predictive models that augment hardware instruments\u00a0and laboratory analyses to provide real-time estimates of process and product conditions. These virtual instruments provide the feedback and predictive process information needed to keep production on track and help prevent process upsets, identifying problems and providing\u00a0answers quickly--without the time and expense of additional lab\u00a0analyses. The customer's specific requirements were\u00a0to monitor main quality variables such as Melt Flow Index (MFI) and density from actual reactor data.\n\n***** Results: Real Benefits, Real Savings-within Months *****\n\nThe first Rockwell Automation Solution was installed, implemented, tested, and commissioned at the customer site within 8 months. Rockwell Automation provided most of the engineering expertise with the support of customer personnel, who were trained during project execution.\n\nThe benefits of Pavilion8(R) - including significant improvements in production levels, reduced disturbances, reduced reactor variance, and transition time savings-were quickly apparent to the customer. The customer also reduced the variability of product properties by 50 percent because of implementing Rockwell Automation software. \"From this\u00a0we could operate closer to our hardware constraints, resulting in higher throughput,\" said a customer representative. The software also\u00a0decreased transition times by up to 50 percent (depending on the LLDPE grade produced), increased production by seven percent, and increased efficiencies in monomer and catalyst use.\n\nKey Benefits:\n\nReduced variability of polymer properties by 50%\n\nReduced transition times by 25-50%\n\nIncreased production by 7%\n\nIncreased efficiencies in monomer and catalyst use\n\nAccording to the customer representative, the project was a success and delivered additional benefits, which enhanced the profitability of the plant by increasing the range of options.\n\nBased on the success of the project, Rockwell Automation and the customer formed a strategic alliance\u00a0to deploy Rockwell Automation advanced process control solutions in customer's polyethylene facilities, its joint venture organizations, and\u00a0its licensees worldwide. In the first two years of the alliance, the customer and its affiliated organizations have successfully deployed 14\u00a0projects with Rockwell Automation.\n\n\nTAG: industrial-analytics\n\nTAG: mining\n\nTAG: factorytalk-analytics\n\n",
    "sudbury-nickel-mine-achieves-optimal-levels-of-productivity": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/sudbury-nickel-mine-achieves-optimal-levels-of-productivity\n\nTITLE: Sudbury Nickel Mine Achieves Optimal Levels of Productivity\n\nBackground\n\nThe mineral-rich Sudbury basin, located in northern Ontario, Canada, boasts extensive deposits of nickel, copper, platinum, palladium and gold. Since 1929, this region has boasted an extensive network of mines, mills and smelters. In 2003, the primary mining company in the region solidified plans to expand its operations in the northeast edge of the basin. Development of the US $840-million greenfield project began in 2004. Built for an annual capacity of 1.25 million tonne of nickel, copper and platinum-group ores, the new underground mine was slated to begin production by 2011.\n\n\n\nChallenge\n\nHistorically, the mining industry is particularly vulnerable to fluctuations in the global commodities market. In fact, when prices plummet, mining companies often find that marginally efficient operations are no longer profitable and choose to suspend extraction until the market rebounds. To justify the development of the project, the Sudbury mine's leadership stipulated that the new operation incorporate advanced technologies to enable efficient \u2013and thereby profitable \u2013 operation in virtually any commodities market. The mine's operators chose Hatch, an engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) firm, to develop the project. Headquartered in Ontario, Hatch is a global engineering company that has served the mining and metals industry for more than 50 years. \u201cFrom the onset, the end user had a vision to develop an innovative, future-ready mine,\u201d said Josh Lilley, lead engineer, Hatch. \u201cTo do so, the company knew it had to exploit the full potential of automation throughout the mining process \u2013 both above ground and at depths 1,700 meters below the surface.\u201d In particular, the company hoped to incorporate the latest automation and communication capabilities to optimize productivity, improve process variability \u2013 and capture the advantages of mobile technology.\n\n\n\nFrom a systems and process control perspective, the scope of the project was extensive and included: a realtime data management infrastructure; RFID equipment and personnel tracking; the ventilation on demand (VOD) system; automated mine hoisting; and remote static and mobile equipment controls. While each specific application presented unique challenges, energy and resource utilization was a common concern throughout the mine. In specifying a control system, Hatch required an integrated solution that could address a wide range of control applications. \u201cKeep in mind, a mine is also a continuous construction site,\u201d said Lilley. \u201cThe selected control solution had to incorporate flexibility to adjust to these constant changes cost-effectively.\u201d\n\n\n\nSolution\n\nAfter evaluating a number of control systems, the Hatch team recommended a mine-wide Rockwell Automation solution based on the Integrated Architecture\u00ae system.\n\n\n\n\u201cIt was clear that a Rockwell Automation control solution would match the technology vision for the mine,\u201d said Lilley. \u201cRockwell Automation offers a consistent, integrated system that would optimize discrete and power control \u2013 as well as process applications.\u201d\n\n\n\nThe backbone for the solution is the communication infrastructure, which consists of a redundant, single mode EtherNet/IP\u2122 network. Via both wired and Wi-Fi transmission, this IT infrastructure handles all surface and underground communication \u2013 and enables high-level process and business data sharing on a common, centrally managed architecture.\n\n\n\n\u201cWe designed our solution based on thin client architecture,\u201d Lilley said. \u201cRockwell Automation could support all applications throughout the mine within this cost-effective environment and allow us to create a real-time data management infrastructure.\u201d\n\n\n\nRockwell Automation control systems were deployed throughout all areas of the mine. The integrated supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) solution includes Allen-Bradley\u00ae ControlLogix\u00ae programmable automation controllers (PACs), low voltage and medium voltage Allen-Bradley PowerFlex\u00ae variable frequency drives, Allen-Bradley E3 Plus\u2122 solid-state overload relays, FactoryTalk\u00ae View Site Edition (SE) supervisory HMI software and Allen-Bradley PanelView\u2122 Plus graphic terminals.\n\n\n\nAll mining operations require an extensive control infrastructure. To streamline development, the Hatch- Rockwell Automation team designed a standard, DeviceNet\u2122 configuration for all underground substations and employed a modular approach. \"Actually, we worked with Hatch to design \u2018portable control centers,'\u201d explained Bob DaPrat, account manager, Rockwell Automation. \u201cBy designing control capabilities in various blocks related to specific functions, we were able to minimize some of the infrastructure requirements.\u201d\n\n\n\nBuilt to withstand underground conditions, the portable substations were delivered as modular systems. Sling or fork-lift ready, the skidded systems could be moved to provide needed power control as construction progressed throughout the mine \u2013 while leaving control for essential functions (e.g. lighting) in place.\n\n\n\nTo ensure a standard control and visualization environment throughout the operation, Hatch worked closely with an embedded Rockwell Automation engineer to deploy standard function blocks/add-on instructions (AOIs) and faceplates. \u201cThe project's goal was to deliver an HMI system based on the best practices of the industry,\u201d said Lilley. \u201cFactoryTalk software allowed us to achieve that goal and provides the end user with seamless systems monitoring and control of mine processes.\u201d In addition, a third-party remote equipment tracking system was integrated into the SCADA solution.\n\n\n\nResults\n\nThe project was commissioned on schedule and below budget in 2011 \u2013 and has been meeting productivity goals ever since.\n\n\n\n\u201cThe end user planned to create a technology benchmark for future mine development,\u201d said Lilley. \u201cThis project allowed us to achieve their goal.\u201d\n\n\n\nThe Rockwell Automation control solution provides an integrated view into the entire mining process \u2013 both above ground and below. And the state-of-the-art power control technologies implemented throughout the mine have been instrumental in helping the mine achieve energy efficient operation.\n\n\n\nIn addition, the modular control substations have continued to prove valuable as mine development expands at the site.\n\n\n\n\"The modular substation approach is something we plan to leverage in future mine developments as well,\u201d said Lilley. \u201cThese flexible, pre-built systems allow us to achieve underground control quickly \u2013 and cost-effectively expand capabilities as needed.\u201d\n\n\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\n\n",
    "optimize-material-handle": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/optimize-material-handle\n\nTITLE: Multiplex Technology Optimizes Material Handling\n\nFounded in 1989, TEC Engineering is a leader in automated bulk handling solutions for the plastics and packaging industries. The Mexico-based firm has equipment installed in more than 700 client facilities around the world.\n\nMaura Minardi is CEO of TEC Engineering, a leader in automated bulk handling solutions for the plastics and packaging industries. Founded in 1989, TEC has equipment installed in more than 700 client facilities around the world. The Mexico-based firm is a gold-level member of the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM program.\n\n\"We're focused on increasing our client's throughput and efficiency with innovative, highly automated solutions,\" Minardi says. \"This includes our new multiplexing application, which optimizes material transport by allowing customers to use a single master conveying line for material transport.\"\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\n**** Improve Material Handling Processes While Reducing Costs ****\n\nTraditionally, materials are delivered from the warehouse to dedicated conveying lines that then feed materials to a production line. With the average facility having several production lines, each line must be 'fed' separately.\n\n\"Our clients were interested in a solution that not only streamlined the process but also reduced forklift movement and human handling,\" Minardi explains.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\n**** Rethinking Material Transport ****\n\nTEC's multiplex solution differs from traditional conveying offerings because it uses only one trunk line conveyor to transport materials to multiple production lines.\n\n\"It's ideal for large packaging and plastics manufacturing clients with various formats, products and production lines,\" Minardi says.\n\nThe multiplexing solution uses several Rockwell Automation products, including CompactLogixTM 5380 Programmable Controllers; PowerFlex(R) 525 AC Drives, and Studio 5000 Logix Designer(R) application.\n\n\"Rockwell Automation has been involved in all of our research and product development for multiplexing,\" Minardi explained. \"Their technologies are user-friendly, drive system connectivity and communication, and provide scalability for line expansion.\"\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\n**** Labor and Operations Savings; Line Efficiency ****\n\nBecause only one master conveyor is needed, TEC's multiplex operation reduces the amount of equipment and floorspace needed.\n\n\"That means reduced installation time and reduced operation and maintenance costs,\" Minardi said. \"The system also improves line efficiency and reduces downtime with automatic notifications that determine how much material each line needs to receive.\"\n\nSeveral large multinational packaging companies report that after implementing the TEC multiplex solution, they reduced labor for staging, production and forklift operations by as much as 80%. TEC estimates that's about a $500,000 annual savings per facility and that the multiplex solution's average return on investment is 18 months.\n\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: household-and-personal-care\nTAG: warehouse-fulfillment\nTAG: life-sciences\n\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: human-machine-interface\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: factorytalk-studio-5000\n\n",
    "digital-product-testing-accuride": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/digital-product-testing-accuride\n\nTITLE: Accuride Enhances Product Validation and Testing\n\nMeet Devin Burke. He's director of Applications and Development for Accuride Corporation, a Michigan-based manufacturer whose product quality innovations and safety standards are among the highest in its industry.\u00a0 Accuride produces steel and aluminum wheels and components for large commercial trucks.\n\n\"Because the market is so competitive, we differentiate ourselves through warranties and high-quality products,\" Devin says. \"That makes product testing very important.\" Which is why Accuride decided in 2015 to pursue ISO-17025 certification for its four testing and validation centers. The accreditation is \"the industry standard, the highest-level certification for testing facilities.\"\n\n***** Watch the Video *****\n\nBut Accuride's existing testing system offered limited data and processes. So as a Plex customer for almost 10 years, Devin and his colleagues had high expectations when they started to look for new testing center software. \"It was all just kind of bland. There wasn't anything comparable to what we knew Plex could do on the plant floor. We really wished we had the Plex equivalent for testing.\"\n\nThat's when the team started to re-think what encompasses manufacturing. \"The more we had implemented Plex and had seen the power and versatility of the MES (manufacturing execution system) product overall, the more we realized that product testing and validation is part of manufacturing and production. It's an extension of engineering and continuous quality control.\"\n\nWith an expanded view of what's possible, Accuride used Plex's multi-tenant model to provide each of its test labs with their own specialized routings and non-standard manufacturing processes. All without impacting plant operations but still providing integration and visibility. That innovative application and reimagined approach is why Plex named Accuride its 2022 Product or Technology Innovator Award winner.\n\nAside from the Plex implementation helping Accuride achieve and sustain ISO-17025 certification, the company has seen other benefits, \"including the overall data quality,\" Devin notes. \"We're able to see, track and record when overall testing process defects occur. So, we can do more in depth analysis than we ever could with our other system.\"\n\nAnd as a cloud-based solution with an easy setup process, Accuride used Plex to establish new testing and validation centers at recently acquired locations in Germany and France during the pandemic. \"We were able to implement those test facilities remotely with no onsite presence or expertise. The fact we were able to do that and that it all went smoothly just speaks volumes to the intuitiveness of the product.\"\n\nWatch Devin's full interview and learn more about how Accuride used Plex to enhance product validation and testing.\n\nTAG: build-resilience\n\nTAG: mes-solutions\n\nTAG: automotive-and-tire\n\nTAG: factorytalk-operationsuite\nTAG: plex\n\n",
    "chery-intelligent-factory": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/chery-intelligent-factory\n\nTITLE: Chery Automobile builds an intelligent factory\n\nChery Automobile Co., Ltd. is a globalized automobile brand located in China. Founded in 1997, Chery has R&D centers across the world and a team of more than 5,500 employees devoted to innovation. More than 11 million consumers worldwide own a Chery vehicle.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nSignificant changes are coming to the 140-year-old automotive industry. Battery technology and charging infrastructure continue to evolve, and traditional automobile manufacturers are under growing pressure to enter the EV market. Simultaneously, consumers are increasingly expecting the ability to customize a vehicle to make it best suit their needs. The competition in the industry is fierce.\n\nIn response to these challenges, automobile manufacturers are launching new models faster and faster, shortening time to market, strictly controlling manufacturing costs, and adding the ability to customize products. These changes require more advanced automobile manufacturing technology, which is turning into a competitive advantage itself.\n\nChery Automobile, a leading manufacturer of Chinese automobiles, has brought to life its \"Digital Chery\" strategy in the past few years by building two intelligent and connected super factories in Anhui, China. As Cherry's products grow smarter, so do its manufacturing operations.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\nIn the era of change, manufacturing technology is a competitive advantage\n\nChery Automobile knew that the key to achieving connectivity and operational visibility was aggregating and contextualizing data from traditionally siloed areas of the business. From the OT side, they needed visibility to equipment, control and monitoring data. From the IT side, they needed visibility to MES and ERP information.\n\nAutomobile manufacturing involves tens of thousands of parts. Assembly and production processes are complicated, robots are used in many places, and customized special equipment is often required to enable automated production. Collecting and aggregating data from all these sources can be a challenge. Chery wanted a platform that had Kepware industrial connection software. The platform had to have built-in drivers to make connectivity to devices simple. It also had to support common protocols like OPC UA, MQTT, REST, EFM, ODBC or SNMP.\n\nAfter conducting much research, Chery Automobile chose the Rockwell Automation FactoryTalk(R) InnovationSuite Internet of Things platform.\n\nFactoryTalk InnovationSuite Enables Intelligent, Connected Super Factory\n\nToday, FactoryTalk InnovationSuite aggregates and contextualizes data from disparate devices, applications, and data sources across Chery's super factory. It provides a single source of truth where maintenance technicians can securely access data from plant field devices and operators can access data from the production line.\n\nFor Chery, it was also important that FactoryTalk InnovationSuite could connect to Andon - the visual display management tool the company uses to issue alerts and trigger events when operations are outside of expected parameters.\n\nIt was also important to Chery that FactoryTalk InnovationSuite was able to connect to the factory's energy management system. By establishing this connection, Chery is now able to track energy consumption for each piece of production equipment and run analytics on this data to optimize future operations.\n\nTo better connect production with operations, Chery also decided to implement FactoryTalk(R) ProductionCentre(R), which enhanced the capabilities of the factory's original MES system.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\nTechnology and expertise connect to produce results\n\nFor this project, Rockwell Automation acted as the general contractor, providing Chery with consultation, project research, system blueprint design, functional design of the target system, and full life-cycle services such as project implementation, system development, online commissioning, and acceptance.\n\nLess than 3 months after implementing the dual-platform architecture of FactoryTalk InnovationSuite and FactoryTalk ProductionCentre, the production tempo at the super factory has increased by 30%, with a brand-new vehicle rolling off the assembly line every minute.\n\nFuel vehicles and electric vehicles are produced together on the same line. This increases production capacity by 10% and brings agility to product customization.\n\nCompletely automatic production allows Chery to stay on target with their aggressive goals of zero product anomalies, zero work-in-progress inventory, low energy consumption, and zero emissions.\n\nIn addition to production benefits, going paperless and increasing operational visibility has reduced Chery's labor costs by more than 30%.\n\nIn this factory, digitalization has made mass customization a reality. FactoryTalk InnovationSuite played a central role, allowing the industrial Internet to truly empower the automotive industry to move towards high-quality development. Chery Automobile's intelligent super factory, built on FactoryTalk InnovationSuite, has created a benchmark for smart manufacturing in the entire automobile industry.\n\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: automotive-and-tire\n\nTAG: software\n\n",
    "auto-tier-supplier-mes": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/auto-tier-supplier-mes\n\nTITLE: Clips & Clamps Gains Real-Time Data Visibility\n\nClips & Clamps Industries (CCI) was founded in 1954 on Fitzpatrick Street in Detroit, Michigan. Since then the company has been supplying reliable metal stampings, s-clips, brackets, washers, wire forms, welded products, and assemblies to OEM and Tier 1 customers.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nThere's a reason Plymouth, Michigan-based automotive metal former Clips & Clamps Industries (CCI) has survived in this tumultuous industry since 1954. The company has continuously worked to improve efficiencies and utilize the most advanced technologies in all areas of its operations.\n\nIts information systems are no exception. Facing the need for upgrades of several of the separate systems it used for ERP, gage controls, human resources, and other functions, CCI decided that maintaining and paying for regular upgrades to separate systems was not the most efficient use of its IT and financial resources.\n\nIn addition, management recognized that the lack of integration among these various systems forced the workforce to invest time in duplicate data entry, manual reconciliation of data and reports, and other inefficiencies.\n\nTo address these challenges, CCI implemented a new, completely integrated manufacturing cloud ERP solution. The single system replaced six separate systems that CCI had used previously, along with the many additional functions.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\n* Integrated System Improves Efficiency\n\nToday, CCI has a consolidated view of the world through which all employees access the same information. They view critical information through dashboards in real time and are able to access and print real-time reports while filtering out data as needed.\n\nThe Plex Manufacturing Cloud has been the ideal all-in-one solution for CCI. It combines the capabilities of enterprise resource planning (ERP), manufacturing execution systems (MES), quality management, customer relationship management (CRM), shop floor integration, and much more. The system enables the company to more effectively and efficiently manage virtually every aspect of operations including bills of material, purchasing, receiving, inventory, quality, planning and scheduling, shipping, EDI, engineering change tracking, financials, and human resources.\n\nToday, CCI employees leverage single points of data entry without having to maintain interfaces, avoiding duplication and replication. For instance, the employee list used for time and attendance is the same one used to track who produced which part. And the same list used to complete quality checklists is the one used for strategic plan action items and related functions.\n\nBecause the Plex Manufacturing Cloud is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution in the cloud, all of CCI's data is securely housed and maintained offsite by Plex Systems, the developers of the system. The metal former avoids costly servers, hardware, and energy costs. There's no need for internal IT maintenance, and CCI rests assured that their data is housed in a highly secure environment with back-up\u00a0servers and industry-leading disaster recovery levels. In addition, enhancements are made to the software on a real-time basis at no additional cost to users. There are never new versions to install.\n\n\n\n* Immediate ROI\n\nAt the time CCI launched Plex Cloud ERP, the company had been facing imminent upgrades to several of its existing systems. The company was able to avoid these costs entirely.\n\n\"With Plex, everything is visual and logical, and all employees can get to the screens, reports and data they need within just a few clicks.\"\n\n- Jeff Aznavorian, Vice President and General Manager.\n\n\n\n* Ease of Use\n\nAccording to Aznavorian, Plex's user interface was also a big selling point for the system. With visual menu options and simple navigation, the system is intuitive for everyone-particularly employees working on the shop floor.\n\n\"With our previous systems, employees had to use codes to access menus and various pages, and this made things very confusing,\" said Aznavorian.\n\n\"Because the system is so intuitive, on-the-floor training was quick and highly effective. The implementation didn't disrupt our business, and employees in all departments are now able to access and use information to perform their jobs effectively.\"\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\n* Improved Tooling Maintenance\n\nNot only does the Plex Manufacturing Cloud meet CCI's needs for its core operations, it has also brought improvements in some unexpected areas. Tooling maintenance is a case in point. CCI's previous ERP solution did not track tooling use for maintenance purposes. To identify when maintenance was due, employees had to use pencil and paper to record the numbers of \"hits\" per tool. The Plex Manufacturing Cloud completely eliminates the need for this tedious, manual work.\n\nThe system automatically records the number of hits made per tool, per part, on an ongoing, real-time basis, and this drives a highly efficient and effective preventive maintenance schedule.\n\nAlso, if a machine goes down, Plex automatically notifies the CCI user and records the downtime. Users do not have to do this manually.\n\n\"Most of the tooling and maintenance systems I've seen before are cycle based,\" noted Aznavorian.\n\n\n\n* Easy Auditing and Financial Reporting\n\nBecause data in the Plex Manufacturing Cloud is easily accessible and always in real time, CCI no longer has to invest time preparing for audits. All required data is easily available and accessible.\n\n\"All we have to do is throw the information up on a screen,\" explains Aznavorian. \"Auditors never even have to leave the conference room to view all the reports and gather all the data they need. Of course, they are very happy not to have to walk around the plant and sift through files in order to do their jobs.\"\n\nThe fact that all data entered into Plex is instantaneously accessible for use by other departments has made it simple for everyone to pull reports that provide them with precisely what they need.\n\n\"Our controller is our biggest cheerleader, and not just because the system is saving us so much money. He recently showed me a Pareto pie chart he developed in just a few minutes to analyze our scrap numbers. This was the kind of thing he would have had to invest hours in before to create manually. When your controller is your biggest fan, you know you're doing something right,\" said Aznavorian.\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: automotive-and-tire\n\nTAG: plex\n\n",
    "smart-autonomous-crane": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/smart-autonomous-crane\n\nTITLE: Shenzhou Machinery Builds Smart Unmanned Cranes\n\nShangdong Shenzhou Machinery Co. Ltd, has been manufacturing and servicing industrial cranes since 1989. Its products have been widely used in equipment manufacturing, paper making, energy and electric power, automobiles and ships, metal processing, aerospace, and steel manufacturing, among other fields.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nModernizing Crane Operations\n\nThe crane is one of the oldest and most important pieces of equipment in industrial production and logistics. Traditional control of overhead cranes is performed manually. Heavy loads and manual operation can lead to safety issues for personnel or equipment. This type of operation is also inefficient.\n\nUpgrading crane control to be intelligent and unmanned has the potential to accelerate digital transformation across the heavy industries.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\n***** Optimizing Productivity and Safety with Crane Automation *****\n\nShenzhou Machinery approached Rockwell Automation with a goal of developing a solution for operating overhead cranes that was unmanned and intelligent. The solution had to provide safety, reliability, and productivity for the customers who would be using it - and had to include features like anti-sway, skew control (floating control), precise positioning, and user-friendly operator controls. While initially targeted at material warehouses and waste disposal, Shenzhou wanted a solution that could be applied anywhere overhead cranes are used.\n\nRockwell Automation developed a Smart Overhead Crane System solution based on Allen-Bradley(R) CompactLogixTM controllers, PowerFlex(R) 755T drives, PanelViewTM Plus 7 enhanced operator interfaces (HMI), encoders, sensors, and wireless network.\n\nThe Allen-Bradley CompactLogix controllers serve as the crane's \"brain,\" and provide efficient, integrated logic control and motion control.\n\nThe PowerFlex 755TR drive controls both crane position and speed. Built-in anti-sway capabilities improve safety and efficiency by reducing the swinging of a moving load. TorqProve Control helps verify control of a load in lifting applications. In addition, the drive has regenerative capabilities, which allow stored energy to be transferred back to the incoming power supply line - reducing energy consumption. Finally, the drive has a built-in preventive maintenance function that can identify maintenance issues and alert maintenance staff before downtime occurs. This function monitors operating temperature, voltage, and current, while calculating the remaining service life of key components.\n\nReal-time data gathered from the encoders and sensors is transmitted wirelessly via EtherNet IP and made visible to operators. This information can be used to identify issues and implement fixes quickly.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\nA Smarter, More Efficient Generation of Industrial Cranes\n\nThe smart overhead crane system supports manual control mode, remote control mode by HMI touch screen, simulation mode, and autonomous control mode with the warehouse management system. Onsite operators are no longer positioned below the cranes. Now, they sit safely in a remote control room to monitor crane operation - reducing the possibility of personnel pinch points to zero.\n\nThe autonomous crane solution can complete material loading, collection, intelligent storage, material discharge, and preparations for storage and taking without human intervention - freeing up operators to attend to more critical matters and increasing daily dispatch capability by 10 - 30%.\n\nCrane operation is optimized with the PowerFlex 755TR anti-sway technology. The solution delivers position accuracy +/- 3mm. Reduced sway and optimized control improve overall crane efficiency by 5 - 10%.\n\nEnergy use is reduced with built-in regenerative capabilities.\n\nAnd perhaps most importantly, the system can be easily integrated into manufacturing systems or warehouse automation systems.\n\nHe Wei, Chairman of Shandong Shenzhou Machinery Co. Ltd., spoke highly of the results. \"Rockwell Automation's digital solutions have met our needs and greatly helped us develop an intelligent unmanned crane. We will continue to work with Rockwell Automation in the future to apply our successful experience and solutions to a wider range of products. Such an approach aims to speed up digitalization and intellectualization, and further enhance our core competitive advantage.\"\n\nLearn more about the Rockwell Automation Smart Overhead Crane Solution here.\n\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: metals\nTAG: mining\nTAG: pulp-and-paper\n\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: human-machine-interface\nTAG: programmable-controllers\n\n",
    "revolutionary-liquid-filling-machine-combines-repeatability---ac": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/revolutionary-liquid-filling-machine-combines-repeatability---ac\n\nTITLE: Revolutionary Liquid Filling Machine Combines Repeatability & Accuracy\n\nLiquid Pack has been designing, manufacturing and servicing a wide range of liquid fillers and packaging equipment for over 25 years. Based in Melbourne, Australia, the company services the food and chemical industries. Liquid Pack exceeds customers' requirements by providing custom made, cost effective solutions for every application.\n\nAll equipment that Liquid Pack manufacturers are a result of years of learning, accompanied by high quality service and are proudly Australian made. The company continues to invest in cutting edge technologies in engineering and developing innovative solutions for liquid filling applications.\n\nAs part of Liquid Pack's commitment to design and manufacture equipment to meet requirements for a wide range of liquid filling applications, the company worked with Rockwell Automation and NHP Electrical Engineering Products (NHP) to design and manufacture a revolutionary new filling machine with uncompromised precision and accuracy.\n\n*** Blueprint for an Industry-first Filling Machine ***\n\nWith more than three decades of experience engineering and developing cutting edge technologies for liquid filling applications, Liquid Pack was well credentialed to design a new filling machine that would be suitable for a variety of applications requiring repeatability, accuracy and efficiency.\n\nAccording to Russell Jones, managing director at Liquid Pack, \"We have had a long association with NHP, going back more than 20 years and they have provided excellent service and support. We chose to use a Rockwell Automation solution because it provided seamless communications between all products used in the machine. This was achieved with one single Ethernet network which reduced the overall machine wiring resulting in a reduction in machine build times. At Liquid Pack we are increasing our reliance on Rockwell Automation, recently using their safety services team to perform a machine risk assessment on the filling machine.\"\n\nThe liquid filling machine was designed to fill a range of containers from five to 20 litres. It fills from the bottom to the top of the container to avoid foaming, thereby providing a more accurate measurement. In addition, the machine fills by weight, instead of by volume, which further helps with consistency and reduces wastage.\n\nOnce the design phase was complete, the next stage in development was to configure the hardware and software to build the machine to the design specifications.\n\nSide image of the twin head filling machine and robotic cell\n\n*** Repeatability and Accuracy ***\n\nAccording to Rob Campbell, OEM account manager at Rockwell Automation, \"The design for this filling machine was carefully planned to give endusers a high level of repeatability and consistency for a variety of applications including food and beverage, chemicals or even petrol and diesel.\"\n\nThe machine leveraged the inherent flexibility provided by the Allen-Bradley(R) mid-range Integrated Architecture(R) system. The\u00a0CompactLogixTM controllers\u00a0use a common control engine with a common development environment using\u00a0Logix5000TM software, which significantly reduces the time required to design, develop and deliver the solution.\n\nAs systems become more connected and complex, the time and effort needed to design, configure and maintain machinery and equipment is coming under greater scrutiny, especially as systems become more connected and complex.\n\nMain control panel containing Allen-Bradley CompactLogix, PowerFlex drives, and Kinetix motion controller\n\nImproved integration between the automation controller and system devices is providing new time and cost saving opportunities. Programming controllers, configuring devices and managing maintenance activities within a single software environment can achieve this integration.\n\nThe advanced motion control for Liquid Pack's filling machine is delivered by the\u00a0Kinetix(R) Servo drives\u00a0which communicate directly with the controller.\u00a0Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) drives\u00a0also have embedded Ethernet/IPTM communications. \"The Ethernet connectivity between the controller, HMI, servos and drives reduces wiring, panel space and commissioning,\" explained Campbell.\n\nFrom L-R, Jarrod Grech, NHP; Russell Jones, Liquid Pack; Rob Campbell, Rockwell Automation\n\nThe filling head is servo driven as opposed to pneumatically driven which provides repeatability and improves the accuracy of the filling machine. Pneumatic filling heads are subject to variations caused by air pressure, humidity, altitude and temperature but because servos are electrically driven, they provide consistent and repeatable positional accuracy.\n\nAccording to Jarrod Grech, NHP, \"The innovative design of Liquid Pack's filling machine allows for controlled repeatability of filling with accuracy to plus or minus only one millilitre.\"\n\nThis solution enabled the filler to take product directly from the tank farm rather than a surge tank. Additionally, it is a more reliable measurement in regards to accuracy and repeatability, the Servo Motor is a critical component in achieving this. The Add-On profiles (AOP) available in Logix for the Kinetix Servos and PowerFlex drives reduced development time and made integration very simple.\n\n\"We have had some great results on the containers with repeatability and the Servo Movement is a big benefit,\" explained Russell Jones.\n\n*** More Filling, Less Downtime ***\n\nWhen it comes to high volume filling, reducing downtime is a key priority. The Liquid Pack filling machine can detect if there is no container under the filling head or if the container is incorrectly positioned by means of current feedback from the servo controller. This helps prevent damage to the filling heads that are very expensive and also avoids any spillage, both of which would cause significant downtime to rectify.\n\nThe filling machine can be monitored in real time through remote connectivity and with a large range of local stock at hand and resources around Australia, Rockwell Automation and NHP are well placed to provide technical support to help minimise downtime.\n\n\u00a0\n\nAllen-Bradley, CompactLogix, Integrated Architecture, Kinetix, Logix5000, PanelView, PowerFlex and Rockwell Software are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\n\nTAG: chemical\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "insols-wind-tunnel-improves-building-safety": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/insols-wind-tunnel-improves-building-safety\n\nTITLE: Insol's Wind Tunnel Reduces Risk and Improves Safety for the Building Industry\n\nAs either a purpose to stand out of the crowd or blend in with the surroundings, architectural facades are one of a building's most important exterior elements.\n\nSmart new technologies and materials can help boost energy efficiency. Facades can help to reduce heat loss in cooler climates or maintain cooler temperatures inside buildings in warmer climates.\u00a0\n\nDesigns and materials are continuing to push the boundaries of what is possible. This presents a number of important considerations for architects and facade engineers alike\n\nAn area of contention is how building facades will react to weather patterns, especially wind. Wind causes a number of issues such as the unwanted production of sound or the physical degeneration of the facade.\u00a0 In more extreme cases, sudden failure of facade elements at considerable height is likely to have catastrophic consequences.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\n\nIn addition, there are issues around liability that are not directly covered by the building code or design specifications. Therefore, given the inherent safety and functional considerations, testing facades for structural integrity and wind noise provides the best possible scenario.\n\nTo make this testing possible, Insol - a New Zealand based family business specialising in the manufacturing and installation of highly customised and complex facades for commercial construction - decided to build a wind tunnel to test architectural facades. This testing is key to help improve risk mitigation and safety.\n\n**** Engineering the wind tunnel ****\n\nEngineering one of the largest wind tunnels in the Southern Hemisphere was a significant undertaking. As such, Insol called on EIS Group, a Rockwell Automation Recognized System Integrator, for their expertise in automation and process control.\n\nEIS Group was tasked with the concept engineering, control and drive system selection, deployment and support. \"A project like this requires out of the box thinking and some smart engineering,\" said Dean Addie, general manager, EIS Group. \"We knew that the Rockwell Automation control and drive systems would meet the requirements for the wind tunnel and worked closely with NHP and Rockwell Automation to deliver the best available solution.\"\n\nThe Allen-Bradley(R) CompactLogixTM controller provides high performance and integration of safety, motion and drive capabilities in one controller. High-level motor control for each of the four fans in the wind tunnel is provided by the PowerFlex(R) 755 AC variable speed drives. As the wind tunnel is not connected to the electrical grid, there are four generators powering each of the drives.\n\n\"There are a number of considerations when connecting drives to generators in relation to harmonics, so by using the Rockwell Automation harmonic modeller software we were able to monitor the harmonics of the generator back into the drives to make sure it was working well,\" said David Kendall, channel account manager, Rockwell Automation.\n\n\"The collaboration with EIS was critical to the success of the project. There was a real strength in the relationships and their full capability of design, engineering, deployment and support meant that all aspects of the project were focused on in detail,\" he added.\n\n**** Gale-force wind on demand ****\n\n\"There are design parameters around how you would design pressures on a building surface but when it comes to seeing how things will act under actual wind-load - that is something you will not find in a textbook,\" said Greg Simmons, ceo, Insol.\n\nThere is no real specific guidance about how to consider the loading on some of these very complex architectural features. If an architect was to design a facade screening system for a hotel, for example, and under heavy wind conditions a significant amount of noise is generated, that would interfere with hotel guests' comforts and impact their ability to sleep.\u00a0\n\nIssues caused by wind can be felt both physically and financially. Whether the issue is unwanted noise, physical degradation of the facade or even a potentially catastrophic failure, it is best practise for safety and risk mitigation, to conduct the most thorough testing possible. Insol's wind tunnel makes this possible.\n\nThe wind tunnel is a high power, open jet, short tunnel design and configuration, specifically developed to allow for one-to-one scale building facade testing in its 3-metre diameter turntable. It is able to generate flow velocities of up to 200km/hour. The tunnel has full variable speed control over the four centrifugal fans, maximum control of wind speeds allows for low-speed acoustic testing as well as high speed structural tests.\u00a0\n\n**** Next generation facades\u00a0 ****\n\nArchitectural facades are becoming increasingly customised and unique. They are pushing the boundaries of what is possible with advancements in new materials, designs and technologies. This makes thorough scientific testing of the impacts of wind on building structures imperative as in extreme cases, the consequences of product failure can be fatal.\u00a0\n\nRegulating authorities continue to request more information on terms of testing and calculations for many building structures including facades, roofing products and solar panels. To aid this, Insol's wind tunnel is available for hire to the building industry. This testing provides an effective risk assessment which in turn helps address insurance and council permit requirements.\n\nUndertaking an innovative and novel project such as a wind tunnel is never easy but thanks to open communication, teamwork and technical expertise, Insol's wind tunnel has achieved its goal of increased risk mitigation and safety.\n\n\"It is hard to find a better working relationship. EIS have an extensive capability in house and are able to adapt to the requirements of the project. Furthermore, the support that EIS received from Rockwell Automation was remarkable, making the collaboration between all companies involved critical to the success of the project,\" said Simmons.\n\nAbout Rockwell Automation\n\nRockwell Automation Australia and Rockwell Automation New Zealand are subsidiaries of Rockwell Automation, Inc.-a leading global provider of industrial automation and information solutions that helps manufacturers achieve a competitive advantage in their businesses. The company brings together leading global brands in industrial automation which include Allen-Bradley(R) controls and services and Rockwell Software(R) factory management software. Its broad product mix includes control logic systems, sensors, human-machine interfaces, drive controllers, power devices, and software.\n\nRockwell Automation Inc. (NYSE: ROK), is a global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation. We connect the imaginations of people with the potential of technology to expand what is humanly possible, making the world more productive and more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rockwell Automation employs approximately 24,000\u00a0 problem solvers dedicated to our customers in more than 100 countries. To learn more about how we are bringing the Connected Enterprise to life across industrial enterprises, visit www.rockwellautomation.com\n\nAllen-Bradley, CompactLogix, PowerFlex, Rockwell Automation and Rockwell Software are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\nMedia contact:\n\nChristine Filippis\n\nTeraze Communications\n\n61 3 8391 0701\n\nchristine@teraze.com.au\n\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: integrated-architecture\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: automotive-and-tire\n\nTAG: thingworx\nTAG: factorytalk-analytics\n\n",
    "securing-structural-steel-production": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/securing-structural-steel-production\n\nTITLE: Liberty Primary Steel Secures the Reliability of Structural Steel Production\n\nAustralia has one of the most dynamic steel industries in the world, producing approximately 5.3 million tons of steel annually of which about 1.6 million tons is structural steel.\n\nStructural\u00a0steel\u00a0is one of the most commonly used materials in commercial and\u00a0industrial construction\u00a0due to its strength and sustainability.\n\nThe Liberty\u00a0Primary Steel\u00a0Whyalla Steelworks\u00a0is located at Whyalla, South Australia, approximately 400 kilometres north-west of Adelaide.\u00a0It is an integrated steelworks facility with a production capacity of approximately 1.2Mtpa of steel using a Blast Furnace Steelmaking process.\n\nApproximately 65 percent of the steel produced is transferred by rail in billet form to domestic and international markets, and the remaining steel is converted into finished products in the form of structural steel and rails through the Whyalla Structural Mill.\u00a0\n\nWith a strong commitment to securing steel supplies for the construction industry, Liberty Primary Steel Whyalla engaged Alliance Automation, a Rockwell Automation Recognized System Integrator, to upgrade a main section of plant machinery - the E&S Straightener.\n\n*** No time for downtime ***\n\nCommonly used in construction, straight steel beams form the foundation for commercial, industrial and residential buildings. Therefore, supplying straight steel beams of varying sizes is a key priority for Liberty Primary Steel Whyalla.\n\nAt the heart of the steel straightening process is the E&S Straightener machine which was first installed in 1988 with the primary function of straightening steel beams. More recently, the straightening machine was experiencing reliability issues resulting in downtime and loss of productivity at the plant.\n\nAlliance Automation designed a control- and drive-system upgrade to\u00a0mitigate the risk of extended production outages at the Liberty Primary Steel Whyalla Steelworks due to issues with the obsolete automation system of the straightener machine. Rockwell Automation was also engaged to help with product selection and drive system engineering.\n\n\"The straightener is a critical piece of equipment at the Whyalla plant, with approximately 70 percent of products going through the machine for straightening,\" explained Barry Gardner, senior engineering project manager, Alliance Automation.\n\n\"The obsolete DC motors on the straightener machine were requiring significant maintenance every week to remove dust and scale resulting in production downtime. Given the significant costs involved in purchasing a new DC motor, a decision was made to move to an AC drive system which offers improved reliability and reduced maintenance costs,\" he said.\n\n*** New control and drive system ***\n\nMotor and drive technology has advanced significantly over time, now offering more flexibility and higher performance than ever before. Rockwell Automation and Alliance Automation worked closely with Liberty Primary Steel to gain a detailed understanding of the straightener machine to identify the most appropriate solution for the upgrade.\n\nThe straightener machine contains four individually driven rolls and as the steel bar enters the machine it moves through the first roller and then moves through the remaining three rollers sequentially. Given the load sharing and safety requirements of the machine, the Allen-BradleyAE PowerFlexAE 755 drives with Safe Torque Off over Ethernet were selected as the most appropriate choice for this application.\n\n\"Drive control was critical to the success of the project so a significant amount of research was undertaken to select the most appropriate motor and drive sizes,\" explained Peter Tomazic, business development manager, Rockwell Automation.\n\nAllen-Bradley GuardLogixAE programmable automation controller provided high level control for the straightener machine with POINT Guard I/OTM module used in combination with the PowerFlex 755 Integrated-Safety Safe Torque-Off card suitable for achieving safety integrity levels up to SIL3 (AS 62061) and an emergency-controlled stop (as per AS 60204) to allow a fast and safe stop of all moving equipment. A PanelViewTM Plus 7 Graphic Terminal and FactoryTalk(R) View Machine Edition provided the operator interface, delivering ease of integration and improved diagnostics.\n\n\"The drive system application knowledge, together with the service and support provided by the Global Solutions team at Rockwell Automation was a key contributor to the success of the project. It was a truly collaborative working relationship with skill set sharing between both Alliance Automation and Rockwell Automation,\" said Gardner.\n\nThe new system was tested offsite to help ease the commissioning process. Pre-testing and careful planning helped to ensure the system was up and running ahead of schedule. The first beam went through the E&S machine very smoothly, thanks to the robustness and well-proven Rockwell Automation Drive Systems code for load sharing applications. Commissioning was a very quick process and involved one day for unloaded motor tests and one day with products. Production resumed on the third day under monitoring by a Rockwell Automation engineer.\n\n*** Securing structural steel supply ***\n\nThe collaboration between Liberty Primary Steel, Alliance Automation and Rockwell Automation has helped to significantly improve both the reliability and productivity of the straightener machine at the Whyalla plant.\n\n\"The collaboration with Rockwell Automation gave Liberty a lot of confidence that we had a workable solution right out of the box.\u00a0This confidence was realised with the project progressing through integration and commissioning with minimal issues and a smooth transition to operation,\" said Andrew Harding, project manager, Liberty Primary Steel.\u00a0\n\n\"Similarly, Alliance brought a significant level of expertise and plant knowledge to the table, by providing strong oversight during the installation and integration activities. The combination of the two entities working with the Liberty team delivered a successful project within an aggressive 'shutdown' schedule where the end date could not be exceeded,\" he said.\n\nThe new system has the ability to increase production capacity by 40 percent based on reliable higher speeds. In addition, the straightener machine's lifecycle has been optimized to offer greater machine performance and reduced operational risk, while improved fault finding has helped reduce downtime at the plant.\n\nAbout Rockwell Automation\n\nRockwell Automation Australia and Rockwell Automation New Zealand are subsidiaries of Rockwell Automation, Inc.-a leading global provider of industrial automation and information solutions that helps manufacturers achieve a competitive advantage in their businesses. The company brings together leading global brands in industrial automation which include Allen-Bradley(R) controls and services and Rockwell Software(R) factory management software. Its broad product mix includes control logic systems, sensors, human-machine interfaces, drive controllers, power devices, and software.\n\nRockwell Automation Inc. (NYSE: ROK), is a global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation. We connect the imaginations of people with the potential of technology to expand what is humanly possible, making the world more productive and more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rockwell Automation employs approximately 23,500 problem solvers dedicated to our customers in more than 100 countries. To learn more about how we are bringing The Connected Enterprise to life across industrial enterprises, visit www.rockwellautomation.com\n\nAllen-Bradley, FactoryTalk, GuardLogix, PanelView, POINT Guard I/O, PowerFlex, Rockwell Automation and Rockwell Software are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\n\n\nMedia contact:\n\nChristine Filippis\n\nTeraze Communications\n\n61 3 8391 0701\n\nchristine@teraze.com.au\n\n\nTAG: integrated-architecture\nTAG: motor-control\n\nTAG: metals\n\nTAG: motor-control\nTAG: drives-and-motors\n\n",
    "brewing-ai-accuracy": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/brewing-ai-accuracy\n\nTITLE: Brewer Increases Production with Volumetric Filler\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nWhile beer remains the most widely consumed alcoholic beverage in the world, market share has declined as the choice of both alcoholic and nonalcoholic options has grown. Meanwhile, like most businesses, brewers large and small have faced inflationary and supply challenges.\n\nFlexibility, precision, and eliminating product waste is essential for brewers to manage these issues, including responding to changing consumer tastes and packaging preferences while generating new sales and revenue opportunities. To help meet these needs, TechniBlendTM\u00a0launched a new volumetric can filler and seaming system, the\u00a0ProFill V series.\u00a0The Wisconsin-based OEM is a recognized leader in several industries including the beverage and brewing sectors.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\n* Artificial Intelligence Delivers Precise Production and Eliminates Waste\n\nWith TechniBlend's new system, brewers can accelerate production with run speeds between 100 to 600 cans a minute while achieving precise and consistent filling volumes. The ProFill V triples the level of filling accuracy compared to mechanical fillers enabling brewers to maintain volume within a half percent of their set point.\n\n\"Tighter volume control and improved accuracy reduces product waste. More product goes into the cans and less down the drain,\" says TechniBlend's Jon Breidenbach, manager-Filling Systems. \"The system's embedded artificial intelligence (AI) technology detects and autocorrects volumes outside the set point range as error correction algorithms monitor and optimize each filling valve's performance.\"\n\nThat precision and reduced waste is especially important as an increasing number of breweries pursue co-packing contracts in which they fill and package products for other brew and beverage customers.\n\n\n\n* Rockwell Automation Technologies are \"The Brains of the System\"\n\nTechniBlend, which is an OEM member of Rockwell Automation's PartnerNetworkTM, developed the ProFill V system with a number of Rockwell Automation technologies.\n\n\u00a0\"We lean toward Rockwell for its ease of use and feature rich products. They've been a very strong partner,\" Breidenbach says. \"A lot of our customers are already using equipment with Rockwell components so when we use Rockwell in our machines it makes it easier to pair them up and talk to other equipment across the processing line.\"\n\nThe ProFill V series features Rockwell Automation's Micro850(R) programmable logic controllers (PLC), which Breidenbach describes as, \"the brains of the system controlling how much and automatically correcting volume with the AI logic we've programmed into those PLCs.\"\n\nSafety is also a major element with Rockwell Automation Compact GuardLogix(R)\u00a05380 controllers\u00a0and Compact I/OTM modules. TechniBlend plans to use the ProFill V as a test bed for integrated safety control and how it could be expanded to its other offerings.\n\n\"We're constantly reviewing our beverage filling equipment and how we can provide a safer solution for packing line operators,\" Breidenbach says. \"The ProFill V has dedicated safety logic and interlocks that we've implemented across the board to help prevent any unexpected operation and injury. This is one of the safest machines we've developed.\"\u00a0\n\n\n\n* Local Brewer First to Install\n\nA local craft brewing company based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was the first customer to use the ProFill V system. The brewery produces beers, seltzers, and canned waters for distribution in several midwestern states.\n\n\"This brewer wanted to increase production but had an older filler that ran a bit slower, so they were looking to upgrade to a more advanced system. They're also getting into the co-packing market which gives them the opportunity to use the new filler to bring in more revenue,\" explains Breidenbach. \"What makes this brewery a great first customer is their variety of products, which allows us to demonstrate the system's flexibility and versatility.\"\n\nThe ProFill V is designed to fill cans in multiple sizes with a wide array of beverages and liquids. Quickly and easily, operators can make recipe-based changeovers with the system's intuitive HMI technologies from Rockwell Automation, including PanelViewTM 5000 Graphic Terminals.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\n* More Throughput; Less Manual Interaction\n\nTechniBlend intentionally targeted a local customer for ProFill V's first installation so service professionals could be onsite to provide extensive training and support during and after commissioning.\n\n\"We saw it as a learning opportunity for us both. The entire set up process was very smooth,\" Breidenbach says. \"The brewery has been able set speed and volume points based on the product running and just hit go. And with the system's AI, it's been pretty hands off for them so they can free up guys on the packing line to focus on pack out and get more product out the door.\"\n\nSince the brewer installed the ProFill V in spring 2023, it's been able to increase run speed, record more consistent fill volumes, and increase throughput.\n\n\n\n* Increasing Automation and Ease of Use\n\nLooking ahead at the \"next round\" of automation for the brewery, TechniBlend plans to focus on can heights.\u00a0 Currently, the brewer uses the ProFill V for 12 and 16 ounce cans but is exploring adding 19.2 ounce cans in the future. But, adjusting can heights remains a manual process in which operators raise the filler bolt to allow the cans to fit.\n\n\"We're developing some equipment and programming logic to make that more of an automatic process so they can enter can height on the HMI and the machine would raise whatever is necessary to get up to that point,\" explains Breidenbach. \"This will make it even more hands off for their crew and easier for adjustments.\"\n\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: integrated-architecture\nTAG: process-optimization\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\nTAG: circuit-and-load-protection\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: human-machine-interface\nTAG: input-or-output-i-or-o-modules\nTAG: motor-control\nTAG: power-supplies\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: push-buttons-and-signaling-devices\nTAG: factorytalk-view-studio\n\n",
    "nickel-producer-ft-pav8": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/nickel-producer-ft-pav8\n\nTITLE: Nickel producer enhances ore calcination\n\nSoci'et'e Le Nickel (SLN), part of the Eramet Group, is the world's largest producer of ferronickel.\n\nCharacterized by the ability to resist corrosion at high temperatures and its usefulness as an alloying element, nickel plays a critical role in a host of industry sectors ranging from aerospace and chemical to electrical and automotive.\n\nSoci'et'e Le Nickel (SLN), part of the Eramet Group, is the world's largest producer of ferronickel. The 140-year-old company also produces manganese, lithium, and titanium which are critical for the manufacturing of batteries, paint pigments, and wind turbines among other products.\n\nProcessing ores is a complex activity requiring the stable control of the rotary furnaces' temperature profile and automating operations across different operating ranges. Feed ore introduced into the rotary kiln undergoes calcination as it travels through the length of the furnace. If the calcined product is not at a high enough temperature, product quality is compromised.\n\nHeat is distributed across the furnace with air being supplied for combustion to occur. If there's too much air supplied, more fuel needs to be burned to maintain the same product temperature, thus decreasing energy efficiency. Excess oxygen must be minimized to a safe level to reduce operating costs and greenhouse gases.\n\n\n\n* Legacy System Lags SLN was using an expert system, an existing fuzzy logic controller, designed to automate the operation of the furnace. However, the company faced several challenges with the legacy system, particularly with varying ore content and variable heating values leading to temperature spikes and frequent electrical trips. Trips were being caused by high product temperature, which compromises both the quality of the product, and the integrity of the equipment.\n\n\"The fuzzy logic was unable to reduce fuel fast enough to prevent trips from occurring and when in manual operation, the operators were not able to react quickly enough,\" explained Leslie Hii, one of Rockwell Automation's advanced process control engineers responsible for delivering the SLN project.\n\n\"Maintaining the required furnace temperature can be complex and challenging given the number of variables that need to be managed. Fuel type can be oil, coal, or a mixture of the two - each with their unique thermal characteristics. Moreover, the rate of feeding material impacts the furnace temperature and needs to be carefully managed,\" said Hii.\n\n\n\n* Adding an Intelligence Layer The expert system can only be turned on when the furnace is operating normally and in the event of any instability, the operators turn it off and take control. The expert system also rated poorly in terms of user friendliness and ease of maintenance, both factors contributing to low system uptime.\n\nTo rectify the situation, SLN upgraded to Rockwell Automation's\u00a0 FactoryTalk(R) AnalyticsTM Pavilion8(R). This model predictive control (MPC) solution offers an intelligence layer that sits on top of automation systems and continuously assesses current and predicted operational data. It then compares this data to desired results, and drives new control targets to reduce process variability, improve performance, and boost efficiency - all autonomously and in real time.\n\n\"Using a MPC solution is an ideal example of how Rockwell Automation is using artificial intelligence to drive better operational results by making use of available data. In this project, we also used machine learning, process knowledge, and data to develop kiln models tailored to SLN's operations,\" said Hii.\n\nThe initial phase of the enhanced solution was successfully completed in just 13 months in contrast to the years it took to implement the expert system. It has already been implemented in five rotary furnaces at SLN's facility. Operators now have the option to minimise\u00a0the usage of high value fuel oil while maximizing lower value pulverized coal during mixed mode operation.\n\n\n\n* Investment Pays Off \"The MPC application can handle significant variability on ore feed and heating values and prevents trips from occurring, allowing the furnace to stay in operation at a higher rate,\" said Mickael Montarello, process control manager, SLN. \"The calcined product temperature error was reduced by 6% and the furnace temperature profile variability reduced by 16.1%.\"\n\nSLN is reaping the benefits of this investment. \"The average uptime of Rockwell's MPC is 83 percent compared with 70 percent with the earlier expert system,\" said Montarello. \"The new solution allows the furnace to stay in operation for longer.\n\n\"Users appreciate the tool's user-friendliness and flexibility. In the event of a problem with one element of the process, operators can easily intervene on the element in question, while allowing the MPC to continue controlling the other manipulated variables.\n\n\"Thanks to this tool, new opportunities for optimising control and management are opening up, which were not possible with the old fuzzy logic controller. Our target for 2024 is to achieve a 90% utilisation rate,\" concluded Montarello.\n\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: industrial-analytics\n\nTAG: mining\n\nTAG: factorytalk-analytics\n\n",
    "pioneering-the-future-of-tire-manufacturing": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/pioneering-the-future-of-tire-manufacturing\n\nTITLE: Pioneering the Future of Tire Manufacturing\n\nPrometeon Tyre Group manufactures and sells tires especially for industry, transport of goods and passengers, and AGRO and OTR applications.\n\nOfficially established in 2017 as a spin-off from the industrial division of Pirelli Tyre, Prometeon starts its path producing and selling PIRELLI branded tires.\n\nNowadays, the company is progressively developing a multi-brand and multi-product approach, widening its technological expertise.\n\nThe tire manufacturing industry is undergoing a significant transformation. The relationship between Prometeon Tyre Group (PTG) and Rockwell Automation exemplifies the power of collaboration in spearheading industrial innovation. This alliance, grounded in a mutual commitment to technological excellence and sustainability, aims to set new industry standards and shape the future of global tire manufacturing.\n\nFounded in 2017, Prometeon Tyre Group is embracing a new digital strategy. The company is transitioning to a more sophisticated, standardized, and technologically advanced framework. This change reflects a strategic move to harmonize operations across different regions while enhancing productivity and labor efficiency.\n\nCentral to the collaboration with Rockwell Automation is the goal to harness integrated Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), Quality Management Systems (QMS) and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. This initiative represents a fundamental shift, modernizing manufacturing processes across multiple sites in Italy, T\"urkiye, Egypt, and Brazil. Addressing evolving challenges in tire manufacturing, such as operational efficiency, environmental sustainability, and smarter, data-driven practices, the collaboration marks an important milestone for both companies.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\n* Transforming the Manufacturing Landscape through Digitalization\n\nConfronted with challenges from their internally built legacy systems, Prometeon Tyre Group recognized the significant opportunity that comes from a digital transformation. The existing processes and custom solutions were constraining their operational capabilities and adaptability. The need for an operational framework that brought transparency and consistency across its global network of facilities necessitated a strategic overhaul in digital infrastructure.\n\nKey Challenges:\n\n    *\n\n      * Overcoming legacy systems and customization risks\n\n    * The inherited, highly customized MES solution posed the risk of low standardization, outdated technology, and limited integration with enterprise software.\n\n\n\n* Operational inefficiency and compliance issues\n\nThe existing systems lacked the agility needed for modern manufacturing, making compliance with industry standards and regulations increasingly difficult and affecting market competitiveness.\n\n\n\n* Addressing global integration challenges\n\nAs a global business, Prometeon Tyre Group needed a scalable solution that could integrate seamlessly with various enterprise platforms, including ERP and PLM, for cohesive global operations.\n\n\n\n* Limited data visibility and asset utilization\n\nWithout a robust digital framework, Prometeon Tyre Group struggled to gain real-time operational insights, leading to underutilized assets and missed optimization opportunities.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\n* Working with a Strategic Digital Partner to get Results\n\nIn response to these challenges, Prometeon Tyre Group sought a partnership capable of delivering a comprehensive digital solution, addressing their immediate needs while paving the way for future technological advancements. The solution required global scalability, integration, and the ability to drive significant improvements in operational efficiency, compliance, and decision-making.\n\nRockwell Automation, with its global presence, deep tire industry knowledge, and visionary approach, emerged as the ideal partner. This collaboration aims to further enhance Prometeon Tyre Group operations, supporting them on their path towards even greater efficiency.\n\nRecognizing each other's strengths, Rockwell Automation and Prometeon Tyre Group began working together in 2022 to support a new digital strategy. Rockwell Automation provided a comprehensive vision for manufacturing digitalization. The primary goal of this collaboration was to support Prometeon Tyre Group, enhancing their processes through the implementation of Rockwell Automation's digital manufacturing solutions. This would be achieved by iteratively replacing existing systems with advanced solutions that could ensure higher efficiency, standardization, and integration across global sites.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\n* A Manufacturing Efficiency Breakthrough\n\nThe collaboration with Rockwell Automation introduced a comprehensive digital fabric across Prometeon's operations. The cornerstone of this collaboration was the deployment of Rockwell Automation's FactoryTalk(R) ProductionCentre(R) platform, enriched with PTC ThingWorx and the PLEX Quality Management System (QMS), integrated with ERP software. This ecosystem was instrumental in achieving a harmonized, scalable, and interconnected IT/OT solution, setting new benchmarks in manufacturing digitalization.\n\nSolutions and Outcomes:\n\nComprehensive MES Integration: Utilizing Rockwell Automation's industry-ready MES, Prometeon Tyre Group achieved unprecedented standardization and compliance across its major plants. This integration will lead to enhanced asset utilization and productivity.\n\nSeamless Enterprise Software Integration: The new solution allowed for easy deployment and smooth integration with existing enterprise software and PLM, ensuring efficient information flow and enhanced reporting capabilities for informed decision-making and operational efficiency.\n\nImproved Data Visibility and Operational Efficiency: The advanced systems will provide Prometeon Tyre Group with unparalleled data visibility, optimizing efficiency across key areas including operations, labor efficiency, productivity, and sustainability.\n\n\n\n* Improving Quality, Compliance and Sustainability Through Collaborative Innovation\n\nThe solutions implemented through this collaboration highlight the impact of digital transformation on efficiency, quality, and sustainable growth. As Prometeon Tyre Group continues to leverage these innovative solutions, the company is positioned to pursue its ambitions to become a leader in technological and operational excellence in the global tire manufacturing sector.\n\nThe relationship underscores the importance of quality improvement and compliance in manufacturing. By implementing an integrated set of solutions, Prometeon Tyre Group can achieve full compliance and standardization across its plants, enhancing product quality and operational efficiency.\n\nAnother core priority is sustainability. Historically confronted with environmental concerns, particularly in waste management, the tire industry is now shifting towards more sustainable practices. The collaboration involves developing technologies that enhance industrial efficiency while minimizing environmental impact. This includes proactive measures to minimize scrap, enhance energy efficiency, and adopt circular production methodologies, including the innovative repurposing of waste materials.\n\n\n\n\n\n* Embracing Innovation, Leading the Future\n\nThe collaboration between Rockwell Automation and Prometeon Tyre Group demonstrates the transformative power of digitalization in manufacturing. Marked by the implementation of a comprehensive IT/OT manufacturing digitalization framework, the relationship has been pivotal in shifting from manual processes to a more efficient, data-driven operational model.\n\nThe results so far have included improvements in critical areas such as coordinated decision-making, labor efficiency, operational efficiency, scrap reduction, and compliance cost reduction. These successes highlight the effectiveness of cloud-based solutions, scalability, integrated workflows, and multilingual support, creating a strong foundation for harmonized operations across multiple sites.\n\nTogether, Rockwell Automation and Prometeon Tyre Group represent a commitment to sustainable development and operational excellence. Both organizations remain dedicated to leveraging their combined strengths, expertise, and innovative spirit to drive further advancements in the tire manufacturing industry.\n\nTAG: optimize-production\nTAG: digital-transformation\nTAG: empower-people\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\nTAG: digital-thread\nTAG: industrial-analytics\n\nTAG: automotive-and-tire\n\nTAG: plex-mes\nTAG: plex-quality-management\nTAG: factorytalk-productioncentre\nTAG: thingworx\n\n",
    "leading-medical-device-manufacturer-goes-paperless": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/leading-medical-device-manufacturer-goes-paperless\n\nTITLE: Leading Medical Device Manufacturer Goes Paperless\n\n***** Challenge *****\n\nA leading medical manufacturer serving the growing demographic of aging baby boomers needed to rapidly expand production capacity to keep up with growing demand. With limited space in its facility to add new lines, the company needed to focus on improving cycle time and yield. To improve cycle times, company leaders wanted to gather more data about its process to establish ideal operating parameters. To address yield while operating under tight regulations and reporting requirements, the company needed to reduce or eliminate losses and shipment delays caused by reporting or quality issues. Upgrades were made to production control and reporting systems to add capacity, improve quality and simplify regulatory reporting.\n\nThe device manufacturer worked with Rockwell Automation Solution Partner Automated Control Concepts, Inc. (ACC) to develop a manufacturing intelligence strategy that eases the collection of data necessary to generate the FDA-required Device History Record for each lot and unit they produce. In addition, electronically available data has helped the customer gain visibility and traceability, driving process improvements. As part of this approach, ACC designed an information system based on the FactoryTalk software suite from Rockwell Automation and ACC's own proprietary software, processRecords(R).\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** Solution *****\n\nThe FactoryTalk suite provides a standard platform for security and communications - with each application gathering data directly from the manufacturing and testing control system. The system can be easily expanded to incorporate data from additional machines, lines or areas of production, as necessary.\n\nSpecifically, FactoryTalk Historian software collects and archives historical and real-time manufacturing and testing data from third-party applications. To visualize the runtime data, ACC deployed FactoryTalk View software. Built-in write and security capabilities in FactoryTalk View software allowed the company to gather signatures verifying metrics gathered by the control system needed for compliance reasons. Authorized users simply provide an electronic signature directly through their control screen.\n\nProduction data gathered by the FactoryTalk applications is automatically gathered by the processRecords software and combined with manual entries required for FDA compliance. The software then automatically and securely compiles an electronic device history record for each medical device that tracks development.\n\nThe system also produces reports used throughout the day by the manufacturing and testing team to compare lot metrics to previous results to ensure quality. FactoryTalk VantagePoint EMI software aggregates information from all other FactoryTalk and processRecords applications and produces real-time dashboards and reports with unique situational and historical context for different users.\n\nThe analytics provided by the system have empowered the production team to bring process improvement recommendations to business management. Because their guidance is rooted in real metrics, production staff has taken a greater role in directing research and development (R&D) activities. For example, input from the production team has already caused the R&D team to hold-off on purchasing a new furnace system while they narrow down optimal furnace requirements with the manufacturing intelligence data and analysis provided by the new system.\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** Results *****\n\nSince the initial installation, the company has extended the manufacturing intelligence strategy from production to its extensive testing process. It's also worked with ACC to install large LCD screens though out the plant floor to help managers clearly see the status of operations across the plant, where physical visibility is limited. Alarms and inconsistencies are clear and immediately noticeable, so if action is required, managers can quickly pull up the same screen through their local human-machine interface (HMI) to enact a change or optimize a process.\n\nWith actions taken based on manufacturing intelligence, the device manufacturer has tightened up the heat and run-time tolerances in its furnaces. Use of the new system has helped operators attain five percent increase in equipment efficiency through better equipment utilization. In addition, enforced workflow provided by the software's proactive alerts has increased productivity by 20 percent, while plant floor staffing has remained the same.\n\n\nTAG: life-sciences\n\n",
    "data-informs-decisions": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/data-informs-decisions\n\nTITLE: Real-time Data Aids Decision Making\n\nC'esar Arriaga is IT manager for IMDHER B\"uhler, a family-owned OEM that's a leader in the Mexican animal nutrition market. For more than 40 years, IMDHER B\"uhler has designed, commissioned, and serviced automation systems and plants that produce safe and healthy feeds for a variety of animals, including pets and animals in agriculture and aquaculture.\u00a0\n\nAs a Silver OEM member of the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM, IMDHER B\"uhler serves customers in Mexico and Latin America and has built more than 100 plants.\n\nWatch the Video\n\n**** \u00a0 ****\n\n**** C'esar Arriaga ****\n\n**** IT Manager,\u00a0IMDHER B\"uhler ****\n\nAccess to Data Improves Decision Making\n\n\"Increasingly, a challenge our customers are facing is the systematization of information from the large amount of data generated during manufacturing processes. We must organize and deliver this information to decision makers,\" Arriaga says. \"For our solution, we're using various tools from Rockwell Automation.\"\n\nThese include CompactLogixTM controllers and Studio 5000 View Designer(R) software combined with PowerFlex(R) drives, IntelliCENTER(R) software, and FactoryTalk(R)\u00a0View software.\n\n\"With this technology, operators can monitor information in real time and add value to the decision-making process,\" Arriaga explains.\n\nEnergy Monitoring Drives Sustainability\n\nTo further drive process efficiency, quality, and sustainability, the OEM is working with Rockwell Automation to add PowerMonitorTM energy monitoring capabilities to its solution.\n\n\"By enabling customers to monitor energy use by specific processes and making that information available in the cloud for historical consultation, we're helping customers both optimize and make their processes more sustainable,\" Arriaga says.\n\nIMDHER B\"uhler is also using the variety of training and educational resources that Rockwell Automation offers to increase its expertise in this and other smart manufacturing technologies.\n\n\"With these implementations and the improved systemization of data, our clients have reduced their production times while saving energy,\" he adds. \"When you have the information, you make better decisions and have better processes. You need the data.\"\n\nTAG: integrated-architecture\nTAG: industrial-automation-and-control\nTAG: sustainability\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: household-and-personal-care\n\nTAG: motor-control-centers-low-voltage\nTAG: drives-ac-low-voltage\nTAG: factorytalk-view-studio\nTAG: controllogix\nTAG: factorytalk-studio-5000-logix-designer\nTAG: intellicenter\nTAG: distributed-control-systems\nTAG: human-machine-interface\nTAG: industrial-control-products\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: plantpax\n\n",
    "olive-oil-company-improves-its-production": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/olive-oil-company-improves-its-production\n\nTITLE: Olive oil company improves its production capabilities\n\nAndalusia's green gold\n\nLocated in Southern Spain, the region of Andalusia stands out thanks to its huge cultural and historical legacy, beaches, and amiable people. It also famous for its gastronomy and, above all, for producing more olive oil than any other region in the world.\n\nIn the Eastern Mountains of the province of Granada, in the town of Benal'ua de las Villas, lies the San Sebasti'an - Conde de Benal'ua Cooperative, a company founded in 1954. It currently has about 1,500 members, and produces and sells olive oil, with trademarks such as Amarga y Pica, Conde de Benal'ua, and Olivar del Sur.\n\nSince its foundation, the company has striven to increase the quality of the whole production process chain that makes oil from olives. In fact, the company owns about 50 control stations distributed across 14,000 productive hectares, along with a careful treatment and fertilizer procedure. Once the product enters its facilities, this care and attention to detail remain, with the additional benefit of being able to process more than 34 million kilograms of harvested olives - that's about 8.5 million liters of oil production.\n\nThis is made possible by the company's oil mill, which comprises three areas: a reception facility, where olives are brought to be cleaned and put into hoppers; an extraction area, where olives are transformed into oil; and a cellar to store the final product before being delivered to the cooperative members.\n\nInformation silos\n\nTo manage these three areas, the oil mill had an automation system based on control sections, developed with proprietary tools by industry integrators that supply specific solutions to automate oil plants. \"The challenge is that they are \"isolated, not fully integrated systems, which weren't designed to provide high availability or guard against short electric breakdowns,\" explains Marisa Garc'ia, Production Manager of the Conde de Benal'ua plant. \"That led to unscheduled downtimes and faults in our highly valued equipment.\"\n\nThe company started to search for alternate technology solutions able to provide a higher degree of robustness. \"We decided to contact recognized companies with proven experience in other industries, presumably more advanced than the oil sector. These companies should have standard, open technologies that would allow us to improve production control in our facilities,\" states Garc'ia.\n\nThe selected integrator was Ansotec, a company founded by Luis Alberto Guzm'an in 2007. Ansotec specializes in digital transformation solutions for the industry, including all kinds of automation and control processes, mainly for the food, chemical and, pharmaceutical industry.\n\nReport and deployment\n\nThe first decision made by Ansotec, according to Guzm'an, was to \"start a plant digitization report, including a project to be executed in two steps.\" This is confirmed by Garc'ia of Conde de Benal'ua: \"Along with Ansotec, we carried out a systems audit and the created the layout of an automation and digitization plan that would enable us to implement a comprehensive digitization of the plant in two or three years.\"\n\nFor that purpose, the Ansotec proposal for Conde de Benal'ua consisted of basing the whole process on Rockwell Automation equipment, systems, and automation technology. Ansotec is a Rockwell Automation certified integrator.\n\nThe first stage included the automation of the extraction room, where olives are transformed into oil. Here, the ThinManager(R) visualization platform and the PlantPAxTM Distributed Control System (DCS) were implemented to effectively manage the plant process core. Preliminary works were also made to integrate the Microsoft(R) (Dynamics NAV) ERP system used by the company.\n\nThe second stage spanned the whole ThinManager platform to the rest of the plant, and the PlantPAx system was implemented in other areas - the olive reception yards and cellar. At the same time, the production management solution developed by Ansotec, and named \"Almazara Conectada 4.0\" - Connected Oil Mill 4.0 - was implemented to control all process and plant management. Several types of devices were integrated in the solution by means of EtherNet/IPTM networks: tablets, smartphones, RFID readers, and cameras.\n\nThe Connected Oil Mill 4.0 allows \"all data to be integrated,\" states Guzm'an. \"With this tool, any devices and equipment we chose comply to standards from recognized manufacturers, such as Rockwell Automation. We gather and store all the information, which can be displayed in several ways to be analyzed later.\"\n\nWith the aim of managing all this data, Ansotec supplied control panels based on Business Intelligence. \"Data visualization makes it easy to check the evolution of the production process - idle and operational machines, production output by shift, etc. Metrics can be checked instantly to improve the business decision-making process,\" comments Guzm'an. This is confirmed by Garc'ia of Conde de Benal'ua: \"The integration of all data generated by the control system ensures access to information in real time, as well as the production and control track of our business. All this with the premise of keeping a friendly system for our staff.\"\n\nBenefits\n\nDigitization provides additional benefits to the Conde de Benal'ua oil mill. \"The solution deployed by Ansotec has enabled us to significantly improve the overall availability of our facilities, as well as suppress bottlenecks, and therefore increase production and machinery efficiency,\" says Garc'ia.\n\nIn this way, the oil company has eliminated isolated control sections and now the whole plant is supported by an integrated system under a unique unified framework for process control and production management. At the same time, says Garc'ia, \"downtimes have been reduced and now we rely on a historization system, with alarms that allow us to analyze production trends. Our infrastructure provides a remote 24/7 support system with our partner Ansotec during the harvest season, and that ensures the ongoing operation at our facilities.\"\n\nFrom the management point of view, the company can check production reports via web or app from smartphones, accessing control panels to monitor production, as well as a \"seamless integration of labs, olive reception, extraction rooms, cellar, all synchronized in real time to our ERP system,\" explains Garc'ia.\n\nIn short, as Guzm'an of Ansotec states: \"This system provides robustness, particularly to the olive oil industry, where companies usually rely on partial, not integrated solutions.\" In addition to this, he adds: \"Production capacity can be increased with no need to invest in new production lines, and information is provided to enhance the management decision-making process.\"\n\nFrom Conde de Benal'ua there is optimism about the business performance enabled by this solution. \"We think that our brands will grow thanks to this investment. The high technology supplied by manufacturers such as Rockwell Automation is going to foster our business in an industry that address growing cost pressures, the need to improve quality, and comply with many regulations,\" adds Garc'ia.\n\nBut it's not only providers who benefit from the information efficiency and process costs with the Connected Oil Mill 4.0 solution. It is also good for the whole industry, since the project has gained wide attention, which in turn, according to Guzm'an, \"places the company at the forefront of digital transformation in the oil industry.\"\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "columbia-pipeline-group-reaches-99-5-percent-reliability": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/columbia-pipeline-group-reaches-99-5-percent-reliability\n\nTITLE: Columbia Pipeline Group Reaches 99.5 Percent Reliability\n\nBackground\n\nChanges to the oil and gas industry in the United States have put pressure on transmission companies to optimize their systems, add flexibility and respond more quickly to a fluctuating industry landscape. While many companies in the industry have been struggling to change, others have been more forward-thinking in applying new technologies.\n\nColumbia Pipeline Group (CPG) recently modernized its operational environment by implementing a modern distributed control system to improve reliability, gain better insight into its production data, and ease maintenance.\n\nThe company saved approximately $2.3 million from reduced maintenance costs in one year, showing that gas transmission companies can reach over 99 percent reliability while running at 100 percent capacity.\n\nChallenge\n\nCPG runs nearly 15,000 miles of natural gas pipelines from the Gulf Coast to the Northeast, serving customers in 16 states.\n\nBefore 2009, the transmission company left 20 percent capacity available in case of horsepower unit failures. When the company increased production to 100 percent capacity in 2009, it needed to gain reliability using other methods to ensure production wouldn't come to a stop and negatively impact contractual obligations.\n\nThe company had to either add more pipelines or increase the horsepower redundancy at its compressor stations.\n\nThe company also needed to gain better insight into production data and manage the long-term costs to more effectively maintain the system. The existing disparate and homegrown control systems had been increasingly difficult and costly to maintain.\n\nCPG used an in-house SCADA system that only one person knew how to support, and replacement parts were becoming difficult to find. Existing suppliers didn't have good training programs for new maintenance staff, and current employees were retiring - taking their system expertise with them.\n\nIn addition, the existing systems didn't provide the information management needed to proactively optimize operations or easily integrate with the corporate-level data warehouse.\n\nThe lack of a secure user access and authentication system also put information security at risk.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nThe existing system wasn't sustainable and the cost for adding additional pipeline was prohibitive. CPG management evaluated the company's long-term needs and developed a five-year plan to modernize the control system across its pipelines.\n\nThe team decided to standardize on one system across all of its pipelines to improve reliability through added redundancy, enable information sharing between stations and up to executive offices, and simplify long-term maintenance. CPG set a goal of reaching 100 percent reliability - at 100 percent capacity - by the end of the five years.\n\nAfter a thorough review of options, the CPG engineering team decided to standardize on a virtualized PlantPAx(R) distributed control system from Rockwell Automation. The high-availability, modern DCS would share more information across facilities and up to the executive level, enable remote access and improve security.\n\n\"We were planning to modernize our entire control system across 16 states and didn't want to be managing multiple points of contact at the same time,\" said Brian Sloan, automation and electrical engineering manager for Columbia Pipeline Group.\n\n\"Working directly with one contact at Rockwell Automation throughout the entire process has made a complex project easier to tackle.\"\n\nThe CPG team installed redundant horsepower at strategic points across the footprint to meet the required pressure for reliable transmission.\n\nProgrammable automation controllers (PACs) control engine functions. Operators manage individual engine operation via redundant human-machine interfaces, and all engine PACs connect to the main compressor station control panel.\n\nAllen-Bradley(R) technology is used throughout the facilities. CENTERLINE(R) motor control centers (MCCs) with IntelliCENTER(R) technology support the auxiliary functions of the compressor station and engine units.\n\nThe networked MCCs easily integrate with controllers in the existing system. Motor control components within the MCCs include PowerFlex(R) AC drives, SMCTM Flex soft starters, PowerMonitorTM 5000 energy monitors, and E3 PlusTM electronic overload relays.\n\nWhen designing the distributed control system, the CPG team realized each station would require more servers than physically possible to handle all applications needed for security, data analytics and system management.\n\nThe team decided to implement virtualized servers using the PlantPAx selection guide and best practices for adopting a virtualized automation system.\n\nThe Rockwell Automation team deployed high-availability, virtualized servers from its EncompassTM Product Partner, Stratus Technologies.\n\nThe Stratus servers reduced the physical space of the hardware, eliminated the need to procure hardware for each new application, and reduced the likelihood of downtime due to hardware errors.\n\nEach virtualized server runs multiple Rockwell Software(R) FactoryTalk(R) applications including Historian, View Machine Edition, View Site Edition, AssetCentre and ViewPoint software.\n\nViewPoint software allows CPG operators to access the HMI applications from any location through a Web browser, enabling them to make real-time decisions about any issues that arise. Combined with historian software, the visualization capabilities of the system enable monitoring, reporting and data recording for immediate and future access.\n\nIn addition, the historian platform tightly integrates with the corporate-level OSIsoft PI data warehouse system - further increasing operations data visibility and availability.\n\nThe information-enabled system runs on EtherNet/IPTM, allowing data to flow easily from engines to the main control panel, the MCCs to the PACs, one compressor station to another, and stations up to executive offices.\n\nAllen-Bradley StratixTM industrial Ethernet switches manage the secure, real-time information sharing.\n\nThe CPG engineering team implemented the AssetCentre software to help manage changes and control user access in the field.\n\nThe CPG team set authentication parameters within the AssetCentre software to manage rights and capabilities each user is granted when using other FactoryTalk applications.\n\nThe AssetCentre application also tracks and records user actions for increased security and future reference.\n\nBecause the system is information-enabled, the CPG Enterprise Analytics team can develop reports on station operations to improve predictive maintenance.\n\nWhen replacement parts are needed, the engineering team can easily purchase them off-the-shelf from local suppliers.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nBy early 2015, the CPG team reached 99.5 percent reliability.\n\nWorking with one point of contact at Rockwell Automation, they implemented the virtualized control system to 40 compressor stations and plan to roll out the redundancy upgrades to 52 more stations.\n\nThe team can use the same system to design any new compressor stations, and expects the enterprise-wide system to run for at least 10 years before additional upgrades are needed.\n\nWith the system's added redundancy, the company is able to meet contractual obligations and improve beyond that, making business changes based on specific data.\n\n\"We're making more educated decisions based on real-time and historical operations data that we can access anywhere, including from our headquarters,\" said Sloan.\n\n\"We've been able to significantly improve company profitability as a result.\"\n\nBased on new insights into engine operations, the CPG engineering team conducts more active and ongoing preventive maintenance - and it's yielding results quickly.\n\nThe company saved approximately $2.3 million from reduced maintenance costs and downtime in 2014.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Columbia Pipeline Group's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nAllen-Bradley, CENTERLINE, E3 Plus, Encompass, FactoryTalk, IntelliCENTER, PartnerNetwork, PlantPAx, PowerFlex, PowerMonitor, Rockwell Software, SMC and Stratix are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\nEtherNet/IP is a trademark of ODVA Inc.\n\n\nTAG: oil-and-gas\n\n",
    "total-e-p-overcomes-obsolescence-issues-with-a-trusted-solution": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/total-e-p-overcomes-obsolescence-issues-with-a-trusted-solution\n\nTITLE: TOTAL E&P Overcomes Obsolescence Issues With a Trusted Solution\n\n*** Background ***\n\nTOTAL E&P UK Limited is one of the main oil and gas operators on the UK continental shelf, where it continues to invest heavily.\n\nEmploying around 750 staff at its Aberdeen headquarters, the company's portfolio includes operatorship of the Alwyn Area fields, the high pressure/high temperature Elgin and Franklin fields and the St Fergus Gas Terminal, together with a number of non-operated fields.\n\nThe North Alwyn complex, located on the UK continental shelf 440km northeast of Aberdeen, commenced production in 1987.\n\nThe Dunbar platform located 22km to the south of the North Alwyn complex exports oil and gas to North Alwyn via a multi-phase pipeline, which commenced production in 1994.\n\nDunbar is a minimum-facilities platform with minimal process facilities, a drilling derrick and living quarters. Electrical power is supplied from the North Alwyn generators via two submarine cables.\n\nAlwyn Area produces approximately 100,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.\n\nDue to a number of obsolescence issues, Total E&P UK Ltd. called upon Rockwell Automation to supply engineers, components and support for a number of systems upgrade across the two platforms, with the majority of the work taking place on the Dunbar facility.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nThe upgrade encompassed a number of systems: the emergency shutdown (ESD) system, the fire and gas (F&G) safety system, the Process Control System (PCS) System and the vibration-monitoring systems.\n\nThe primary challenge faced by the engineers was the delivery of an upgraded control and safety system with minimal disruption to operations and, critically, they had to carry out all upgrade activities in a safe manner.\n\nThey also had limited windows in which to complete the work, with just two opportunities to do the upgrades.\n\nThe first was during a planned shutdown period - normally two or three weeks in the summer period, and the second was through concurrent replacement of running components and infrastructure elements prior to the shutdown.\n\nOverall, the main objectives were to replace system components to overcome spurious trips and major obsolescence issues, while having spares available until at least 2020, provide the facility for future remote operation of Dunbar from North Alwyn, implement a cost-effective upgrade with minimal risk to production and, of vital importance, complete the upgrade with no risk to the safety of the platform, personnel or the environment.\n\nSatisfaction of this final objective was considered a great success in the overall project, with the engineers from Rockwell Automation being nominated for a Health & Safety award.\n\n*** Solutions ***\n\nThe strategy for the upgrade comprised a number of individual, but not mutually exclusive steps. The PCS System was upgraded prior to the shutdown, being installed in tandem with the existing system to maintain production capacity.\n\nThe F&G system was also upgraded prior to the shutdown and the ESD solution was upgraded during the shutdown in parallel with the other new systems being bought on line.\n\nRockwell Automation was assigned as EPC contractor with responsibilities for placing orders with all equipment vendors, completion of all detailed engineering, organising control and shipment of all materials to site, supervision of vendor site installation and commissioning activities and management of the sub-contractors.\n\nRockwell Automation upgraded the ESD and F&G systems with a single Trusted triple modular redundant (TMR) ESD controller and a single Trusted TMR F&G controller.\n\nTrusted is a fault-tolerant control and safety system that is designed to meet the most stringent international safety standards, helping towards the integrity of a control system that could - if it failed - compromise process profitability.\n\nIt has triplicated processing paths (slices) within each module, along with high levels of diagnostics and voting between the paths - thus producing a fault tolerant architecture with excellent reliability.\n\nUnlike non-TMR control systems, Trusted gives virtually 100 percent uptime, without compromise to the safety integrity of the system.\n\nIt is approved to TUV AK6, the highest possible rating for programmable safety systems and also carries approvals for NFPA72 and Gosstandart of Russia.\n\nThe existing system comprised an ICS 2000, a legacy safety system from Rockwell Automation.\n\nThe Dunbar system Upgrade (DSU) replaced the processor and output sub-system with the Trusted processors and engineers were also able to do controlled online (maintaining production) migration of the upgrade by doing a large amount of planning and risk assessment beforehand.\n\nAccording to Wullie Nicolson, EDS Principal Engineer at Rockwell Automation: \"The work comprised destructing one half of the old dual ICS2000, and constructing the new Trusted in that space, then configuring the input subsystem so the input data was available on both the old and new systems concurrently; this way engineers could verify the processing logic and output states before transferring outputs to the new system.\n\nThere was then a controlled migration of the outputs from the old to the new.\n\n\"The key to the success,\" he continues, \"was maintaining the flow of information between the TOTAL operations personnel and ourselves. This way the operators always knew what had been migrated and which of the systems was controlling each piece of equipment. The relationship between ourselves and TOTAL was excellent and made a big difference!\"\n\n*** Results ***\n\n\"One of the most important aspects from TOTAL's perspective was safety,\" explains Derek Thomson E&I Projects Manager, TOTAL E&P. \"We base many of our operational statistics on safety and I am pleased to say that this projects was exceptional in these terms. The engineers from Rockwell Automation arrived on the platform and integrated into a safety culture right away.\"\n\nOne of the potential features of the new installation will be the ability to control elements of Dunbar from Alwyn.\n\nThe legacy system was designed to incorporate this feature, but it was never used, however it is envisioned that it may be put to use in the future.\n\n\"The primary drive was down to reliability, \"Thomson explains, \"we are now into phase two of the upgrade project with Rockwell Automation, reinforcing the strong bond we have. It also demonstrates how pleased we have been to be working with them.\"\n\nConcluding, Adam Howard, EPC Operations Manager at Rockwell Automation explains: \"We won this project against incredibly strong competition from incumbent suppliers. I like to think that it was our mix of skills, combined with positive and proactive approach and the introduction of an innovative risk/reward approach were the key factors in winning the business.\"\n\n\nTAG: oil-and-gas\n\n",
    "smart-machine-helps-ease-safety-compliance-and-improve-productio": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/smart-machine-helps-ease-safety-compliance-and-improve-productio\n\nTITLE: Smart Machine Helps Ease Safety Compliance and Improve Production\n\n*** Solutions in Action ***\n\nYalong was founded in 1983 in China based in Wenzhou city as a national high-tech enterprise. Known as an industry leader in China as dedicated educational/training equipment supplier, it serves various China Educational Institutions including 10,000+ technical Schools, vocational Schools and universities & colleges.\n\nIt provides not only integrated solutions but also consulting services, curriculum development, high-end training, online education and other personnel trainings to the customers in various industries.\n\nYalong creates smart machines and equipment that allow users to better leverage the most powerful element available to improve their production: their own real-time data.\n\nSmart machines like the YL1805B gearbox assembly machine deliver:\n\n    * Unprecedented access to real-time data that can be turned into actionable information. Granular data can be logged and analyzed to help employees make better decisions and ultimately optimize equipment and manufacturing processes; and improve operational efficiency, quality and output.\n\n    * Greater connectivity via an open, standard network architecture - such as EtherNet/IP - enabling real-time collaboration and data sharing upstream and downstream, and across the enterprise.\n\n\u00a0\n\n*** Smart Machine Delivers Real-Time Data ***\n\nThe YL1805B gearbox assembly machine demonstrates the capabilities a smart machine with an integrated safety system.\n\nIt utilizes FactoryTalk(R) View SE and\u00a0PanelViewTM Plus graphic terminals to display real-time status of the safety system, including E-stops, light curtain, scanner and door switches. The FactoryTalk(R) Metrics system collects and reports on machine performance, safety events and safety reason codes. It shows performance data including OEE with machine working time, number of assembled gear boxes a day/per hour, and quality. It also produces a downtime report with a summary of events (idle, faults and safety); and a daily safety occurrence report.\n\n\u00a0\n\n*** Smart Safety Tools Ease Compliance ***\n\nNow, users have a single tool suite to help manage, document and confirm compliance throughout the entire safety development. The Safety Lifecycle Toolkit from Rockwell Automation gives engineers one environment to complete the entire machine safety lifecycle, as defined in standards ISO 12100, ISO 13849 and ANSI B11:0.\n\nThese tools guide engineers through the steps of the machinery safety lifecycle within one environment, providing documentation to show compliance with international standards. Users can select all elements of an individual safety function, including input, logic and output devices, and will receive SISTEMA (Safety Integrity Software Tool for Evaluation of Machine Applications) calculation files to confirm performance-level requirements are met.\n\nThe toolkit includes a new version of the\u00a0Safety Automation Builder software tool from Rockwell Automation. This is integrated with two other tools - the RASWin software tool from SolidSafe and\u00a0Connected Components Accelerator Toolkit (CCAT) from Rockwell Automation. The integration of the RASWin risk-assessment software allows users with a Rockwell Automation subscription to conduct a risk assessment; define functional specifications; and complete safety-system validation within the toolkit. This helps ease the compliance process because documentation is thorough, consistent and standardized from one project to the next.\n\nBased on the results of the machine safety risk assessment and safety standard ISO 13849, this smart machine meets Category 3/PLd for integrated safety. In addition, the Safety Lifecycle Toolkits and safety assessment ultimately helps end users ease safety compliance and reduce costs.\n\n\u00a0\n\n*** Machinery Safety Functions ***\n\nProtecting people and productivity with integrated safety solutions, the YL1805B gearbox assembly machine includes additional machinery safety functions:\n\n    * Emergency Stop (E-stop): The E-stop immediately halts the movement of the machine and conveyor.\n\n    * GuardShieldTM Micro400 Safety Light Curtain: Provides additional entry-exit protection and stops machine movement. When the light curtain is reset, the safety loop automatically resets.\n\n    * 440G-LZ Guard Locking Safety Switch: When the door is open, the output signal controls the arm and conveyor.\n\n    * SafeZoneTM Safety Laser Scanner: Compact devices monitor personnel approaching the machine. When people leave the protection area, the safety circuit resets automatically.\n\n    * Compact GuardLogix(R) 5370 Safety Controller: Part of the Integrated Architecture(R) system, these controllers include integrated safety and help to ensure that safety performance meets globally accepted standards (Category 3/ISO 13849-1).\n\n    * Smart sensor with IO-Link Technology: Integrates sensors into our Connected Enterprise, providing the controller with diagnostics, and detailed and accurate machine health status to improve uptime.\n\nAllen-Bradley, FactoryTalk, GuardSield, GuardLogix, Integrated Architecture, PanelView, Rockwell Automation and SafeZone are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\n\n\nEtherNet/IP is a trademark of ODVA, Inc. Trademarks not belonging to Rockwell Automation are the property of their respective companies.\n\n\n",
    "greenfield-facility-power": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/greenfield-facility-power\n\nTITLE: New Wheat Protein Facility Increases US Supply\n\nAmber Wave produces premium vital wheat gluten, wheat-based ethanol, and other important coproducts. Its greenfield facility was launched with help from Kice Industries. Founded in 1946,\u00a0Kice Industries\u00a0is a fourth generation, family-owned business that specializes in air systems, automation and engineering services.\n\nSyed Ashraf is vice president of automation for Kice Industries. The system integrator is a member of the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM and specializes in air systems, automation and engineering services for the grain, plastics, food, feed, wood and minerals industries.\n\n\"If you had breakfast this morning, it probably ran through our system,\" said Ashraf. \"Whenever grain moves from point A to point B, there is likely a Kice solution involved.\"\n\nThat includes gluten production at the new Amber Wave wheat protein facility in Kansas. The state-of-the-art facility is the largest of its kind in North America.\n\nCurrently, over 80% of the vital wheat gluten used in the United States is imported. The new Amber Wave facility will dramatically increase the domestically produced supply of the ingredient.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\n* Uptime Critical\n\nAmber Wave's facility uses the latest in world-class automation, technology and equipment from leading providers in milling, wheat protein extraction, and renewable biofuels.\n\n\"The plant produces 2.75 million pounds of flour a day that goes to an extraction facility,\" Ashraf explained. \"Extraction separates the gluten from the starch. The starch then goes to an ethanol plant and the gluten goes for sale.\"\n\nIt's a power-intensive process that required a large-scale system design, engineering and deployment effort from Kice.\n\n\"Uptime was critical,\" Ashraf said. \"The customer told us uptime was extremely important and on-time delivery was a must.\"\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\n* Resilient and Robust System with Smart Motor Control and HMI\n\nIn less than two years, Kice delivered a system that includes 650 Rockwell Automation Motor Control Centers with IntelliCENTER(R)\u00a0technology, 200 PowerFlex(R) Variable Frequency Drives, ControlLogix(R) programmable control, and networking solutions featuring Allen-Bradley(R) Stratix(R) Industrial Ethernet Switches.\n\n\"We incorporated REP (Resilient Ethernet Protocol) and PRP (Parallel Redundancy Protocol) to make sure we have a resilient, redundant and robust system,\" Ashraf said. \"Additionally, we used FactoryTalk(R) View Site Edition technology to create what we call 'Smart HMI.' It's a hub of information plant operators need, including electrical drawings.\"\n\n\n\n* Virtual Testing Keeps Project on Track\n\nSix months before startup, Kice configured a simulated environment of the system.\n\n\"With a project of this size and complexity, it was imperative we created a simulation environment so the customer could get a look and feel for how they would use the system,\" Ashraf explained. \"We did several simulations so they could see how they system starts up, runs and shuts down. We had buy-in from the customer from the beginning of the project to the end.\"\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\n* Projects Concludes on Time\n\nThe Amber Wave facility went live in late 2023. Ashraf credits the Rockwell Automation intelligent motor control center technology with helping them efficiently deploy and start up the system on time.\n\n\"IntelliCENTER(R) provides critical pieces of information that help Amber Wave run a modern and advanced facility with thousands of data points. With this data, they can analyze and optimize operation.\" Ashraf said. \"That's a win-win for us both. We have an happy customer.\"\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: power-generation\n\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: motor-control\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: sensors-and-switches\nTAG: factorytalk-view-studio\nTAG: factorytalk-view-se\n\n",
    "kendrick-reduces-scrap-plex-mes": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/kendrick-reduces-scrap-plex-mes\n\nTITLE: Kendrick Plastics Reduces Scrap with Plex MES\n\nMeet David! David Chupp is the IT Manager at Kendrick Plastics. Kendrick Plastics is a plastic interior trim supplier for the automotive industry. Next time you're sitting in the driver's seat of your car - look around! See all those interior trim pieces? Kendrick produces these types of parts using injection molding processes, welding, painting technology, and assembly operations.\n\nDavid's job is to manage the company's overall technology strategy as well as their implementation of new, innovative solutions. It's a large scope of work. David originally approached Plex Systems to get help tearing down data silos across areas of the plant and addressing what he calls, 'stale data'.\n\n\"Before transitioning to Plex, some of our data was as much as 24 hours old. Imagine: it's raining outside, and you have to wait 24 hours for someone to tell you it's raining. You're going to walk outside no umbrella... data visibility is so important.\"\n\nDavid's goal was to reduce what the company was spending on controllable costs. Specifically, David was looking to reduce scrap. He knew that even the slightest shift in equipment function or the smallest variation in a process could cause quality issues that required product to be scrapped. With Plex Systems, David hoped to gain a more real-time view into equipment and process performance so the team could quickly identify and fix any issues that might impact quality.\n\nKendrick Plastics implemented the Plex Manufacturing Execution System, and also built an application layer on top to meet its specific business needs, in about seven months, with very little production disruption. And the results were awesome. David goes on to say:\n\n\"Just having that data accessibility and visibility to what is actually occurring allowed us to significantly reduce our scrap!\"\n\nThis wasn't the only result Kendrick Plastics achieved. Check out the full video to hear more from David, including his advice for other companies looking to use data to improve the way their they do business. And read more about the great work Kendrick Plastics is doing here.\n\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\nTAG: mes-solutions\n\nTAG: automotive-and-tire\n\nTAG: factorytalk-operationsuite\nTAG: plex\n\n",
    "powell-in-line-mixing": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/powell-in-line-mixing\n\nTITLE: Take the \"Batch\" Out of Chemical Mixing & Blending\n\nProduct differentiation is the name of the game for today's chemical producers. Companies that once offered simple products that were fairly indistinguishable from their competitors - like household bleach - now produce a dizzying array of mixtures.\n\nThese more complex products have placed new demands on chemical mixing and blending systems.\n\n\"Initially, the systems were very basic and typically just diluted a stronger strength chemical,\" said Brent Hardman, CEO, Powell. \"The systems have evolved over time and now must mix multiple chemicals for recipes that include fragrances, surfactants and other substances.\"\n\nSpecializing in custom built, skid-mounted processing equipment, Powell has been helping chemical producers meet contemporary challenges since 1964. Today, Powell equipment is found in more than 40 countries - and produces 80% of the sodium hypochlorite (bleach) made in North America. The Michigan-based company is also well recognized for its chemical blending and dilution systems.\n\n***** Batch System Challenges *****\n\nMixing and blending systems form the centerpiece of the chemical production process. At the front end, systems are connected to raw material sources. The system output is distributed to filling or packaging systems - or becomes a feed commodity for a subsequent process.\n\nBatch processing equipment has been the standard for chemical mixing and blending for decades. Batch systems perform a sequence of steps on a defined volume of material. After the batch is complete, the system must be stopped and thoroughly cleaned before executing the next batch.\n\nAs recipes have become more complex - and changeover more frequent - the shortfalls of existing batch systems have come to light.\n\n\"With a batch system, there is a lot of downtime for changeover,\" Hardman said. \"And because the system is based on total tank volume, there can be significant raw material waste in the end.\"\n\nTo address these challenges, more Powell customers are converting existing batch processes to in-line, continuous systems.\n\n***** Better Processing Efficiency *****\n\nPowell Multi-Stream In-Line Mixing and Blending skids are continuous systems that can simultaneously mix multiple streams of liquid raw materials with the accuracy required to produce a wide variety of products.\n\nThe turnkey, skid-mounted systems require minimal floor space - and are delivered programmed and ready for installation.\n\n\"Over the years, we've acquired significant engineering expertise that enables us to customize each system to meet very precise product specifications,\" Hardman explained. \"The result is a repeatable final product - and less raw material loss than in a batch system.\"\n\nThe in-line system uses volumetric flowmeters and other tools to automatically measure each material stream on a continuous basis. The system maintains the ratio of each material to the whole, aligned with recipe requirements.\n\nThe control system continuously monitors the process and is programmed to instantly auto-adjust stream flow rates if there is a process irregularity. Static mixers continuously blend the material streams to create a homogenous substance.\n\n\"With in-line mixing and blending, we can more easily transition from one recipe to the next,\" Hardman said. \"And because large tanks aren't involved, we minimize the time and volume of water required for cleaning.\"\n\nPowell systems also include in-line clean-in-place (CIP) functionality. In most cases, the CIP feature is automated and included as part of the recipe for a particular mixture.\n\n***** Future-Ready Control System *****\n\nRegardless of application, the Powell solutions are based on the Rockwell Automation PlantPAx(R) distributed control system (DCS). Depending on complexity, the system runs on either an Allen-Bradley(R) ControlLogix(R) or CompactLogixTM programmable controller. The systems are integrated on an EtherNet/IPTM network and for HMI, typically include Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM graphic terminals or VersaView(R) thin clients.\n\nThe company first engaged with Rockwell Automation when they transitioned their systems from relay logic to PLCs in the mid-1980s. Since that time, Powell has continually migrated to new technology to meet customer needs.\n\n\"One of the biggest benefits we have received from the Rockwell Automation platform is the flexibility for future changes,\" said Hardman. \"The backbone of our control system allows us to easily add new capabilities with minimal cost to our clients.\"\n\nCurrently, the company is exploring the addition of more digital technologies to their systems.\n\n\"That's the wave of the future,\" said Hardman. \"Whether it's data analytics, remote monitoring or artificial intelligence, we continually look for cost-effective ways to help improve our services to our clients.\"\n\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: chemical\nTAG: power-generation\n\nTAG: distributed-control-systems\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: plantpax\n\n",
    "barry-callebaut-improves-material-use-with-manufacturing-intelli": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/barry-callebaut-improves-material-use-with-manufacturing-intelli\n\nTITLE: Barry Callebaut Improves Material Use with Manufacturing Intelligence\n\nBarry Callebaut, a global leader in chocolate production, turned to FactoryTalk(R) Metrics software to track OEE and provide an ingredient-tracking dashboard to notify operators of product losses as they occurred.\n\nThe facility turned material losses into a net gain.\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "pulsar-deploys-factorytalk-software-for-oee-measurement-solution": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/pulsar-deploys-factorytalk-software-for-oee-measurement-solution\n\nTITLE: Pulsar Deploys FactoryTalk Software for OEE Measurement Solution\n\n*** Background\n\n ***\n\nPulsar Srl, founded in 1989, is based in Castelmaggiore, near Bologna, in the heart of the \"packaging valley\" of Europe.\n\nIts primary activities are based around the engineering, production and creation of conveying and transportation solutions. It also produces specialised automatic machinery for use in the tissue sector, including feeding, packaging and sorting for rolls and packages of toilet paper and paper towel, machinery for processing and packaging folded paper products and product movement units.\n\nIn just a few years, Pulsar has built more than 230 systems and eighteen complete plants for major tissue manufacturers.\n\nIts continuous studies on the improvement of production line management has led it to create ideal hardware and software combinations that can manage and optimise entire lines integrating machinery with transport systems.\n\nThe company's innovative 'Layout Simulator' software can design new systems by comparing process machinery present on the market and then simulating its productive capacity.\n\nTo this end, users can see various options aimed at specific production needs in real time and then evaluate the true value of their investment.\n\nIn a more recent development, Pulsar has developed the 'Reds Platinum System' a platform for SCADA systems \u2013 specifically designed for the measurement of Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) in the tissue converting industry \u2013 which uses various elements of the FactoryTalk\u00ae Software suite from Rockwell Automation.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nAccording to Angelo Bertini, General Manager at Pulsar: \"The measurement of production line efficiencies in the manufacture of consumer goods is a major factor towards increasing competitiveness.\n\nThe tissue industry does not escape this logic; so the provision of a platform dedicated to the converting industries will give users a facilitated approach to measuring these all-important OEE figures.\"\n\nThese measured variables, upon which the efficiency figures are calculated, include basic machine availability, product quality compared to overall production volumes, machine downtimes and transition times, either between production runs or, indeed between events such as unplanned downtime and stoppages.\n\nAccording to Bertini: \"The primary issue faced by the tissue industry is the niche nature of its operations; with limited manufacturers and limited machine and service suppliers. If companies in this industry want to implement efficiency platforms, they have to ask for the services of industry experts and then apply standard platforms in order to gradually develop the structure of the data collection and analysis required. These experts then, in turn, have to be told by the manufacturer which parameters are to be monitored, where they are generated and how to record them.\n\n\"The process of creating such a platform,\" he continues, \"requires a series of cross-functional skills which are rarely in place within the software houses that normally develop these types of platforms, especially the bespoke skills and knowledge relating to the unique facets of the tissue industry. In addition to IT and data analysis skills, the developers also require knowledge about process, automation and IT infrastructures. Besides the identification of the data to be monitored, one also has to identify the availability of this data along the line, the methods of extraction and the subsequent communication to the analytics platform.\"\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nCombining its knowledge and expertise in the tissue production process, automation and regarding the different machines and equipment currently being used in these lines, Pulsar has developed a dedicated OEE measurement platform for monitoring tissue converting lines, leaving the integrator only simple adaptations for specific applications.\n\nThe 'Reds Platinum System' is structured in such a way that it can take into account the process steps to be controlled, the machines involved and the parameters that must be collected and monitored for the calculation of the OEE of the lines.\n\nDeveloped using FactoryTalk View, FactoryTalk Metrics, FactoryTalk VantagePoint\u00ae EMI and FactoryTalk Transaction Manager software from Rockwell Automation, the 'Reds Platinum System' has benefited from this choice of software for multiple reasons. \"In the first instance, Rockwell Automation is a brand leader in the field of industrial automation, Bertini explains.\n\n\"We also appreciate the worldwide presence of the company and the support possibilities no matter where we are. Of particular importance is the fact that all of the FactoryTalk software platforms we are using have been specially developed for each of their individual purposes: FactoryTalk View for HMI development, FactoryTalk Metrics for OEE measurement, FactoryTalk VantagePoint for information delivery and reporting and FactoryTalk Transaction Manager for transaction integration and management.\"\n\nPulsar also sees the benefits of hardware and software being tightly integrated.\n\n\"We have seen much easier integration of the supervision platform with the automation components from Rockwell Automation, with no need for conversion cards or translation software,\" Bertini explains. \"The ability to access the partnerships that Rockwell Automation has developed, with companies such as Cisco, for instance, is incredibly attractive when it comes to the configuration of communications systems and security protocols; or with its other partners for jobs such as the network realisation and implementation or service.\"\n\n*** Results ***\n\nBy developing and deploying a system based on the FactoryTalk suite from Rockwell Automation, Pulsar has created an extremely attractive platform for business improvement.\n\nThe use of FactoryTalk software and its very tight integration with Allen-Bradley control products means that the solution is easier to install and can start delivering data very quickly after deployment. The system is capable of interrogating hardware from other vendors, but this requires additional hardware and software for communication, which ultimately increases complexity and costs.\n\n\"Within this development,\" Bertini adds, \"we have defined a strategy in the area of smart machines and tools and we have already seen dramatic developments occurring within the realms of the IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things). We strongly believe in this evolution, which is why we have developed this system. With the help of Rockwell Automation and its commitment to the Connected Enterprise, we see the collection of data and subsequent interrogation and disbursement of information as the norm rather than a luxury.\n\n\"Another reason we went with Rockwell Automation,\" Bertini concludes, \"is that in Italy, we found a group of professionals with whom we subsequently became friends. We had complete support, including tools and technology 'loans' for application development. We get great support from Rockwell Automation in Italy and in the EU and now we are heading into the USA. Their approach differs compared to other suppliers, in that they are really willing to support development of projects. They don't just make the tools available, they also offer significant levels of help, which is not something I can say for some of their competitors.\"\n\n\nTAG: household-and-personal-care\n\n",
    "oem-insights-data": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/oem-insights-data\n\nTITLE: Can Your OEM Help You Set KPIs?\n\nScott Ruhe is President and CEO of JC Ford, Co., an OEM that provides a wide range of tortilla and tortilla chip production equipment.\n\nIn just 1 hour, JC Ford's energy-efficient lines can produce as many as 7000 dozen tortillas, 4000 pounds of tortilla chips, and 4000 dozen taco shells or tostadas. They build their equipment with quality materials and the latest technologies, all designed to meet the industry's highest standards.\n\nScott Ruhe\n\nPresident and CEO, JC Ford, Co\n\nInsights to Improve Decision Making and Product Quality\n\nAs part of a new capability, JC Ford has developed an application built on the\u00a0PTC ThingWorx Industrial Internet of Things Platform\u00a0to help customers access operating data for improved decision making and product quality. PTC is a Rockwell Automation\u00a0Strategic Alliance Partner.\n\n\"As an equipment supplier, we have the luxury to walk into facilities and see what some companies are doing better than others and learn from those environments,\" Scott says. \"Now, with this application, we're giving our customers the same capability with a dashboard that provides a vision of how their line is performing both in their individual operation and how it compares to industry standards.\"\n\nThe application allows customers to monitor and measure yield outcomes based on raw materials use, including corn, oil and moisture, and then determine how grain quality, seasonal changes, efficiencies, and other factors are impacting those yields. They can also monitor energy and labor usage.\n\n\"Customers can start first with an individual line, examine the overall numbers, put the KPIs for each data piece, and determine the standard for that line. They can see how it's performing from their office or phone,\" Scott explains. \"Then, let's say they have 7 or 15 lines across the U.S., they can create standards for each location, monitor their efficiencies, and hold everyone accountable.\"\n\nWith increased data access, customers can better manage resource consumption and lower materials costs while maintaining product quality. Further, with advancements in energy monitoring technologies, these customers can meet growing consumer and regulatory demands for more sustainable operations by uncovering opportunities to reduce energy needs and related carbon impacts.\n\nBetter Service and Support\n\nManufacturers won't be the only ones that benefit from the ability to monitor line and machine performance. JC Ford will too. Most of the OEM's business, about 80%, is from repeat customers.\n\n\"That's mainly driven by after purchase support. Now, with the data dashboards and remote access to our systems, we can provide customers with even better service and guidance, and at the end of day, reduce their downtime,\" Scott says. \"Additionally, the information we acquire from customer yields and efficiencies will help us improve our equipment. Everybody benefits.\"\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\nTAG: thingworx\n\n",
    "solutions-in-action--c-m-conveyor": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/solutions-in-action--c-m-conveyor\n\nTITLE: Solutions in Action: C&M Conveyor\n\nIn the corrugated box, folding carton and printing industries, minimizing product waste and ensuring efficient material handling are critical. For more than 30 years, C&M Conveyor has helped companies meet these objectives with innovative industrial engineering and conveyor systems design. The company's product line now features new products including plastic belt transfers, load tiering devices, and sheet stripping equipment as well as industry proven automatic chain transfers, strapper consoles, moveable machine infeeds and transfer cars.\n\nMore than a product supplier, C&M Conveyor provides system integration and support services \u2013 as well as precision-engineered system solutions, including their Computer Inventory Management Systems (CIMS). Built to integrate with C&M conveyors and other equipment throughouta corrugated box plant, the company's CIMS is designed to completely automate the material handling process along various transfer lines \u2013 and deliver material as needed to the finishing machines throughout a plant.\n\nRecently, the company released an updated CIMS \u2013 based on a Rockwell Automation control system. The computer inventory management system (CIMS) from C&M Conveyor. Allen-Bradley CompactLogix Programmable Automation Controller Allen-Bradley PanelView Plus 6 Graphic Terminal Allen-Bradley ControlLogix Programmable Automation Controller \"Our initial systems were developed more than a decade ago and utilized PC-based control. While advanced for their time, these systems were subject to commercial software upgrades and related issues,\" said Rob Recker, director of electrical engineering, C&M Conveyor. \"The new CIMS is built on an industrially-hardened control platform.\" For years, C&M Conveyor had used Allen-Bradley\u00ae CompactLogix\u2122 controllers to run their conveyor system equipment. Extending the Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture\u00ae to the automated CIMS was a logical choice.\n\nWorking with Rockwell Automation application experts, C&M Conveyor developed a roadmap for the new system. \"While each CIMS requires confi guration to meet the end user's requirements, the core program is defined and proven,\" Recker said. \"Teaming with Rockwell Automation, we were able to use off -the-shelf hardware to design a customizable system.\" Powered by Allen-Bradley ControlLogix\u00ae programmable automation controllers (PACs), the CIMS integrates with the CompactLogix-controlled conveyors on the plant floor \u2013 as well as the plant's scheduling system. The CIMS is monitored on Allen-Bradley PanelView\u2122 Plus 6 graphic terminals, running FactoryTalk\u00ae View supervisory HMI software. \"Basically, the plant's schedule dictates how much corrugation must be made into boxes during any given time,\" Recker explained. \"Using sophisticated algorithms, the ControlLogix controller manages the plant's inventory in storage (WIP) and on the conveyor lines \u2013 and ensures material is delivered to the infeed of the finishing machine as required. The plant-wide coordination of material delivery helps prevent any bottlenecks throughout the system. In addition, the automated, conveyor-based system minimizes the need for forklifts, pallet jacks or other manual intervention, which can be inefficient and result in material damage and waste.\n\n\"Our CIMS also provides customers with flexibility,\" said George Davies, director of mechanical engineering, C&M Conveyor. \"The user can run the system in various modes \u2013 from completely automatic to semi-automatic.\" \"Maintaining the same architecture throughout the system has proved to be a significant advantage for C&M Conveyor and our end users,\" Recker added. \"The integration and communication are seamless.\" With numerous systems successfully installed, C&M Conveyor plans to handle future application development solely in house. \"That was the plan from the beginning,\" said Recker. \"We co-developed the initial system with Rockwell Automation with the intention of maintaining the software once development was complete. At the same time, we know we can count on Rockwell Automation for support or training if the need arises.\"\n\nFor more information, contact: Tom Brentlinger, Sales & Marketing C&M Conveyor, Inc.\n\nPhone: 812.849.5647, Ext. 238\n\nEmail: tbrentlinger@cmconveyor.com\n\n\nTAG: pulp-paper\n\n",
    "bwm-cuts-line-side-trayfeeder-cycle-time-by-more-than-25-": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/bwm-cuts-line-side-trayfeeder-cycle-time-by-more-than-25-\n\nTITLE: bwm Cuts Line-Side Trayfeeder Cycle Time By More Than 25%\n\n*** Background ***\n\nFounded as Bremer Werkzeug- und Maschinenbau GmbH (bwm) in 1961, and now integrated into Hueck Industrie Holding KG, bwm has been planning, designing and implementing assembly technology for leading manufacturers across the globe for more than 50 years. Its customers come from all branches of industry and create unique assembly challenges to which bwm finds successful solutions.\n\nSignificant experience as a supplier to the automotive, electronics, electrical engineering, telecommunication, gauging and testing fields means that bwm can offer high innovation potential and a marketoriented approach to its customers' requirements.\n\nIn industries such as consumer healthcare and automotive, there is an increasing demand for compact tray logistics solutions, for the supply and removal of components to production cells or lines. This led to the development of an autonomous delivery system, the bwm Trayfeeder. It is now used across the world in many industries and applications; primarily for the sorted feeding of fragile parts and components to help assure a safe assembly.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nWith regular orders coming from around the globe, bwm was looking to make improvements to the machine in terms of lower design and development costs, faster cycle times and greater market acceptance. It also wanted a single supplier for the automation solution and turned to Rockwell Automation to deliver a fully integrated motion concept that matched its needs.\n\nThe bwm Trayfeeder has to adaptable to many applications and products, using trays metal or plastic trays to deliver work pieces and assembly components at the correct time in the desired orientation, quantity and quality of the given assembly position.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nIn operation, the tray or charge carriers are loaded with assembly components and, depending on the application, they are then transported via a short conveyor belt before being individually released and proceeding to an unloading stack or station where they are positioned over a horizontal axle. A robot then removes the trays one at a time, as required, and transfers them onto the assembly line.\n\nOnce the parts have been used, the empty carriers are removed from the line and are stacked into a return stack ready for removal. Separate positions for the removal of parts and the support exchange help ensure that the work area of the robot remains uninfluenced by the actual exchange.\n\nAvailable in three variants (360, 540 and 800 mm width) the tray feeder is a very versatile machine and can quickly adapt to new products. The machine can handle construction units up to a total weight of 20 kg and trays up to 400 mm (length), 600 mm (width) and 70 mm (height). With the capacity to handle carrier systems of different bwm can helps its users to adapt their Trayfeeders to their exact, optimum requirements.\"\n\nWe have been using control technology from Rockwell Automation, since 2011,\" explains Andreas Hahn, sales and project management for BWM. \"And we decided to deploy it on the Trayfeeder because Rockwell Automation was able to implement our requirements quickly and easily. We also intend to develop and grow new markets and with its global acceptance, Rockwell Automation was an obvious choice from a business perspective too.\"\n\nIn order to achieve the goals set by bwm, Rockwell Automation proposed an integrated automation solution composed of commercially available products. At the heart of the system is an Allen-Bradley(R) L18ERM CompactLogixTM programmable automation controller (PAC), which coordinates two Allen-Bradley Kinetix(R) servo drives in real time. These control two Allen-Bradley VPL series servo motors wired by single cable. An Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM Plus 600 HMI for visualization and Stratix 2000TM Ethernet switch for communications complete the integrated automation solution. In addition to the supply of products and components, Rockwell Automation also provided the services of a Global OEM Technical Consultant (GOTC) - an application specialist - for a complete software conversion and a Project Manager to coordinate the process to take care of quality for all deliverables.\n\nThanks to the integrated architecture concept running on an EtherNet/IPTM-based single network infrastructure the PAC is able to control the two servo axes in real time and deliver significant cycle time improvements, lowering it from 20 seconds to 14. A six second saving may not sound like a lot, but when considered cumulatively and in relation to other faster-cycling equipment in a production environment, the advantages of quicker component delivery really begin to stack up. The transfer motion is also smoother, with less jerking and pendulum-type movements. This helps to protect the mechanical structure and integrity of the machine.\n\nBy using Ethernet as the communication backbone, bwm has the option to expand the machine even further into the Connected Enterprise (IoT). This will allow it to offer a broad range of additional value-add functions to its customers, including the collection of real-time performance data, historical data for performance assessments and maintenance schedules and connectivity beyond the shop floor into enterprise systems that can help manage the equipment even more precisely in line with other assets on site. The use of standard Ethernet within EtherNet/IP means that there is very little that needs to be done for these connections to be established; and full security solutions are also available for user control and to prevent unwarranted access.\n\n*** Results ***\n\n\"The automation solution we have deployed from Rockwell Automation,\" Hahn elaborates, \"is cost effective, delivers a lower total cost of ownership and helps enable faster commissioning and the single-cable technology used by the Kinetix 5500 speeds installation. As it is now, with Rockwell Automation products on board, we can also target new customers outside of Europe, thanks to the greater acceptance of Allen-Bradley technology.\"\n\n\"We are happy dealing with Rockwell Automation,\" Hahn concludes, \"and a testament to our good relationship is that we have already begun our next activities with the company. The feedback and support is very good and the commercial relationship in terms of support and marketing has been very professional.\"\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to this customer's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\nTAG: fiber-and-textiles\n\n",
    "dcs-increases-production": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/dcs-increases-production\n\nTITLE: PlantPAx DCS Helps Country Maid Ramp Up Production\n\nMeet Ray Berning, an automation manager with Interstates. They're a global provider of electrical, automation, and operational technology solutions and were recently designated a Rockwell Automation\u00a0Platinum System Integrator partner.\n\nCountry Maid, Inc. a manufacturer of seasonal and specialty bakery items, is a long-time Interstates client. Facing growing product demand, Country Maid wanted to increase production and efficiency without having to expand their facility.\n\n\"To start, we took more of a consulting role,\" Ray says. \"We talked through their process, walked through the facility, met with their engineering team and discussed how we thought we could increase production and what would work best.\n\n\"While they had the needed equipment, there was no automation. It was all standalone islands of mixers, additions and other stuff. Initially they talked about building some larger mixers but that would create a problem because they'd have to increase their building size.\"\u00a0\u00a0\n\n***** Watch the Video\n\n *****\n\nRay BerningAutomation Manager, Interstates\n\n***** Increased Production and Improved Product Quality *****\n\nInstead, Interstates and County Maid implemented a digital transformation solution that included Rockwell Automation's PlantPAx(R)\u00a0distributed control system,\u00a0FactoryTalk(R) Batch and FactoryTalk(R) Historian software offerings.\n\n\"We were able to keep the same mixers and add a second line without adding any additional labor,\" Ray notes. He estimates automating production \"reduced mixing time by about 23% which allowed those mixers to feed the additional line. We also increased line feed by 14%, doubling their output.\"\n\nAdditionally, the new system provided visibility to valuable data critical to product quality. For example, inside and outside temperatures impact texture and consistency when using ingredients such as dill and flour.\n\n\"With some of the reporting features, we're able to see how temperature affects product,\" Ray says. Since the project's initial implementation, the bakery manufacturer has automated more of their ingredient feeds allowing them to set and better control the impact of changing temperatures.\u00a0\n\n***** ERP Integration Adds Further Benefits\n\n *****\n\nInterstates also integrated the new production system with Country Maid's ERP system. Now, \"when distributors enter orders, the ERP systems adds those orders to the batch list so when operators come in everything they need to do is already set up,\" Ray says. \"They just hit start.\"\n\nThe integrated system also tracks raw material usage and automatically orders new amounts when needed.\n\nRay describes Country Maid as a \"very forward thinking\" manufacturer. \"They've worked with us on some testing and software beta releases, and we recently finished up the Plant Pax 5.0 Upgrade with them.\"\n\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: process-solutions\nTAG: process-systems\nTAG: distributed-control-systems-(plantpax)\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\nTAG: distributed-control-systems\nTAG: factorytalk-historian\nTAG: factorytalk-batch\nTAG: plantpax\n\n",
    "hydro-tasmania-develops-an-advanced-utility-grade-hybrid-energy-": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/hydro-tasmania-develops-an-advanced-utility-grade-hybrid-energy-\n\nTITLE: Hydro Tasmania Develops an Advanced Utility Grade Hybrid Energy Solution\n\nLocated off Tasmania's north-east Coast, Flinders Island is about 60 kilometers from north to south and 37 kilometers from east to west, with a total land area of more than 1,300 square kilometers.\n\nUntil recently, Flinders Island was heavily reliant on expensive diesel fuel to supply its electricity. It was supplied by the 3 megawatt (MW) power station, serving 6.7 gigawatt hours of annual customer demand, peaking at 1.3MW.\n\nHydro Tasmania, with the support of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, developed the Flinders Island \"Hydro Energy Hub\" - a hybrid system capable of displacing 60 percent, on average, of the annual diesel fuel used to generate electricity on Flinders Island. This system is also capable of \"diesel-off\" operation, providing 100 percent renewable penetration when conditions allow.\n\nWith expertise in delivering world leading solutions to reduce diesel generation costs in remote and off grid power systems, Hydro Tasmania offers proprietary integration technology coupled with high quality market source equipment, to provide an optimised renewable energy solution.\n\nAs part of this project, Hydro Tasmania developed a number of proprietary technologies that are both scalable and modular, to minimise engineering time and costs.\n\n***** Scalable and Modular Renewable Energy *****\n\nAccording to Ray Massie, Manager Hybrid Energy Solutions, Hydro Tasmania, \"the key to a secure and reliable hybrid system are the enablers supporting the renewable generators to maximise their contribution while maintaining security of supply.\"\n\n\"The scalable and modular units plug into existing diesel stations to form the core of the new hybrid power system. The Flinders Island project involved the integration of new renewable generation into the existing power system to help ensure secure and reliable power supply,\" he explained.\n\nEach enabler system has been provided with local HMI for local access so operators can manage monitoring, diagnostics and set point entry.\n\nHydro Tasmania constructed a single 900kw wind turbine and 200kw solar array. The enabling system includes a 750kw/300kwh battery, a fly wheel and synchronous condenser, and 1.5MW dynamic resistors, which is transported and housed in scalable modular containerised units designed by Hydro Tasmania.\n\n***** Keeping the Power Station Under Control *****\n\n\"For the control requirements, we chose Rockwell Automation products for all the systems because of the consistency, reliability, availability and ease of integration. This includes timely delivery support by the local Rockwell Automation Authorised Distributor, NHP Electrical Engineering (NHP),\" Massie said.\n\nNHP\u00a0prides itself on providing custom solutions tailored to customers needs, supported by expert service.\n\nThe power station control system was founded on proprietary PLC code developed in-house by Hydro Tasmania and run on the Rockwell Automation system architecture, which provided seamless integration of control and communication equipment with fast and reliable delivery of data.\n\nThe system is based on distributed control with a main supervisory control that manages all distributed enablers and power generating equipment.\n\nHydro Tasmania developed a number of proprietary technologies that are both scalable and modular to minimise engineering time and costs.\n\n\"We chose the\u00a0Allen-Bradley(R) CompactLogixTM\u00a0for the distributed control of the solar, battery, flywheel and switchgear because it helped to lower the cost, minimised space and IO, whereas the dynamic resistor enabler used\u00a0ControlLogix(R)\u00a0due to the large program and number of IOs,\" he explained.\n\nThe main hybrid power system controller that manages all distributed enablers and power generators works to ensure reliable power and maximum diesel fuel savings. Due to the complexity of managing continuous variability in renewable energy sources and customer load, the main controller is capable of the demanding task of ensuring renewable resources are maximised and optimised.\n\nControlLogix control systems have the inherent speed to respond to these challenges and also has the capability for decision making to provide reliable and quality power supply to the grid.\n\nThe ControlLogix(R) processor was selected due to its speed, reliability and ability to provide seamless integration of control and communication equipment.\n\n\"Another challenge that had to be addressed involved receiving electrical data in real time in order respond to demand variability. The\u00a0Allen-Bradley PowerMonitorTM 5000\u00a0provided a great response time to achieve these results,\" said Massie.\n\nThe main control screen gives operators a real time summary of power system performance.\n\n***** Plant Visibility and Remote Monitoring *****\n\nDuring the commissioning of the project, there were some components that did not communicate with the\u00a0Ethernet/IP network and therefore ProSoft gateways were selected to allow for better integration. ProSoft, a Rockwell Automation Encompass Partner, provides products that are designed specifically to deliver non-core network connectivity for the Rockwell Automation architecture.\n\nThe backbone of the network was based on Stratix(R) switches, providing reliability and integrity to the network for transferring data securely across the power station.\n\nTo provide visibility to operators, three\u00a0FactoryTalk(R) View SE stations were used - two in the power station and one in the control container in the hybrid enablers' area, located 50 meters away from the power station main building.\n\n\"Each enabler system has been provided with local HMI using\u00a0PanelViewTM Plus for local access so operators can manage monitoring, diagnostics and set point entry.\u00a0Studio 5000(R) and FactoryTalk(R) View Studio provided a common platform for programming all the controllers HMI with the convenience of using the same data structure and reusable tools,\" Massie said.\n\nThe power station can be monitored remotely using FactoryTalk ViewPoint HMI, providing real time information of the status and important parameters. Operators also have access to power station alarms when offsite and for remote sites visibility via phone or email to help ensure timely attention to alarms.\n\nFactoryTalk Historian\u00a0provides historical data for optimising the system and commercial decision making. The system also provides operators quick access to historic data, enabling them to generate a quick report of parameters for analysis and diagnosis.\n\n\"We leveraged the capabilities of Rockwell Automation\u00a0TechConnect support who were prompt to answer our queries and when we had any issues they assisted us to resolve it professionally,\" said Massie.\n\n***** Reliable Renewable Energy *****\n\nThe Flinders Island project was successfully commissioned and in operation on October 2017 and was officially launched by Grant Every-Burns, Chairman of Hydro Tasmania in December 2017.\n\nThe Flinders Island Hydro Energy Hub is a showcase for innovation and achievement, dramatically reducing the island's traditional dependence on diesel generation. At the time of the launch the power station achieved more than 92 continuous hours of 100 percent renewable generation, a world record for a megawatt scale non-hydropower system.\n\nTo date the system has achieved over 2000 hours of accumulated 100 percent renewable \"Diesel-Off\" operation with an average renewable energy penetration of 57 percent.\n\n\u00a0\n\nAllen-Bradley, ControlLogix, FactoryTalk, PanelView, Rockwell Software and Stratix are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\n\nTAG: sustainability\nTAG: energy\n\nTAG: power-generation\n\n",
    "kia-motor-slovakia-reduces-safety-downtime-by-up-to-70-": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/kia-motor-slovakia-reduces-safety-downtime-by-up-to-70-\n\nTITLE: Kia Motor Slovakia Reduces Safety Downtime By Up to 70%\n\nBackground\n\nKia Motors Corporation (KMC) was founded in 1944 and is Korea's oldest manufacturer of motor vehicles. As part of the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group, Kia aims to become one of the world's premier automotive brands. To increase the market share not only in Europe but also worldwide, KMC built its first-ever European facility in Zilina, in Slovakia, and started production in December 2006 with capacity of 300,000 units a year.\n\n\n\nKia Motor Slovakia (KMS) produced two models, the Kia cee'd and Kia Sportage in 2009. The Kia cee'd model represented more than 80% of the total production. New SUV models, the brand new Sportage and the Hyundai ix35, were added to the production portfolio in 2010, so KMS currently produces three models.\n\nSUV models represented more than 50% of all production in 2010. KMS produced 229,505 automobiles in 2010.\n\n\n\nChallenge\n\nLike other automotive companies, optimising manufacturing processes became more important than ever before, to maximise efficiency and productivity. And KMS required an integrated solution where information and devices are connected seamlessly to each other.\n\n\n\nKMS's Body Shop was operating with CompactLogix connected with ControlLogix and its Body Complete (BC) Line was assembling all moving parts, with manual handling by 20 workers. But frequent breakdowns not only decreased productivity, but also sometimes caused the entire line at KMS to stop production.\n\n\n\nThe BC Line was configured with SICK safety relays and was guarded with SICK safety scanners and relays. The safety relays had complicated wiring and long conductor routing from the safety device to the relay in the main cabinet, without having a by-pass function from the scanners.\n\n\n\nThe safety circuits or the safety devices caused a lot of small line stops and it was often difficult to identify the reason or the location of the failure while also taking a long time for replacement. Future line stops were always anticipated due to the long and complicated safety wiring circuit.\n\n\n\nRelay-based safety controls have a long history of helping prevent hazardous encounters between worker and machine. Safety devices such as scanners and emergency stop push buttons connected by safety relays have been the method of choice to protect machine operators.\n\n\n\nBut Relays can offer limited fault diagnostics and are difficult to adapt as applications change because of the hardwiring they require. For these reasons, and considering the critical situation, an alternative integrated safety solution offering status visualisation and higher reliability and flexibility than the incumbent relay system was required at KMS.\n\n\n\nSolution\n\nSeeking a solution to meet its needs for an integrated safety solution with visualisation and increased reliability, KMS turned to Rockwell Automation \u2013 a trusted supplier for many of its operations from the commencement of the plant's production.\n\n\n\nRockwell Automation proposed a safety system that comprised safety-related programmable controllers and a network. Safety controller, instead of traditional safety relays, helps customers to create both lean and quick adaptable manufacturing processes that help keep operators safe.\n\n\n\nRockwell Automation offered its Allen-Bradley GuardLogix safety controller, which expands on standard Allen-Bradley ControlLogix processors with safety firmware and a safety processor. Remote safety I/O modules were added and connected to the EtherNet I/P network and visualisation of safety conditions, alarms, emergency events and programming of control system and visualisation was developed for the existing Allen-Bradley PanelView Plus panel. All jobs, including programming and installation, were provided from Rockwell Automation Customer Support and Maintenance (CSM) team.\n\n\n\nAllen-Bradley GuardLogix brings together the benefit of a Logix platform \u2013 common programming environment, common networks and common control engine \u2013 with integrated safety control in an easy-to-use environment while providing Safety Integrity Level (SIL) 3 control. By deploying Allen-Bradley ControlLogix processor, GuardLogix users can benefit from common programming software, controller and I/O to help reduce development time and application cost.\n\n\n\nIn traditional designs, if a person entered the cell or if one device failed during production, the entire line stopped. KMS had to check each area and its devices to discover the problem. It was difficult to identify the failure and KMS was unable to figure out which safety button was pushed. The entire line was stopped until the failure was identified and solved.\n\n\n\nWith the new design, the line was divided into five zones. Each zone had a cabinet with Safety Point I/O only with 2-3m wiring. Each Safety Point I/O was connected to Allen-Bradley GuardLogix with EtherNet I/P using RSLogix 5000. Each scanner had a by-pass function with the possibility of light signalling and switching.\n\nNow, when the line is interrupted, only the relevant zone is stopped, signalling the location. The operator can also easily communicate with each zone with visualisation through EtherNet I/P. The failure can be easily identified and quickly recovered while other zones remain operational.\n\n\n\nResults\n\nKMS considers the Rockwell Automation solution a complete success. By converting to a Safety PLC from a relay-based solution, KMS now has a flexible line with excellent reliability. The flexible platform reduces maintenance and troubleshooting, while helping to secure safety as required. KMS now plans to expand and apply the integrated safety concept to other lines in the body and press shops.\n\n\"With the ability to identify the failure and solve problems quickly, we have dramatically increased productivity by reducing up to 70% of the safety breakdown time,\" said Ondrey Vasek, Maintenance Manager in Body, KMS . \"And most of all, the line is easy to maintain and made my life easier.\" One of the targets in KMS is to improve efficiency of existing safety lines. As part its next step, KMS is now considering plans to adapt a similar solution in other lines. And Rockwell Automation's integrated safety solution with GuardLogix will more than likely be considered as the standard platform within KMS.\n\n\nTAG: automotive-and-tire\n\n",
    "solutions-in-action--techniblend": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/solutions-in-action--techniblend\n\nTITLE: Solutions in Action: TechniBlend\n\nSpeed and precision are the watchwords for beverage producers worldwide. To meet consumer demands, today's bottlers must focus not only on consistent product quality, but rapid system changeovers as well. The TB-200 Series carbonated beverage processing system from TechniBlend is designed to meet industry challenges head-on by optimizing a critical part of the operation.\n\nWisconsin-based TechniBlend designs and manufactures engineered process systems and solutions for the world's leading food and beverage, consumer products, chemical, and liquid processing companies. For the carbonated beverage sector specifically, the company provides high quality inline carbonation, deaeration and blending options. \u201cOur TB-200 system is designed to help carbonated beverage manufacturers achieve the efficiency and flexibility they need to address today's challenges,\u201d said Derek Deubel, president, TechniBlend. Typically installed between the syrup blending room and the can or bottle filler in a carbonated beverage plant, the TB-200 deaerates the process water, utilizing a resource-efficient membrane deaeration process. Next, it precisely blends the incoming flavor syrup and water, cools and carbonates the blended product, and finally sends it to the filling machine at production speeds of about 175 gallons per minute.\n\nThe system offers true \u201cvariable speed blending\u201d and maintains in-spec blending, carbonation and product temperature across a wide range of flow rates. To adjust for syrup variations, the system utilizes a Coriolis mass flow meter to measure syrup density and Brix (sugar content) value. \u201cThe TB-200 delivers high product quality and yield in a small footprint,\u201d Deubel explained. \u201cIt is also designed to change over very rapidly and automatically. Fifteen years\n\nago, a soft drink production line changed flavors two or three times a day. Now, up to ten daily flavor changes are the norm.\u201d\n\nIn standard implementations, the TB-200 system can achieve changeovers in seven minutes or less. Even faster changeover is enabled by the company's innovative Clean in Place (CIP) technology, which is used to clean processing equipment at key times between product runs. The TechniBlend CIP On-Demand\u2122 system is integrated into the TB-200 skid. \u201cMany CIP systems are located at a distance from the processing equipment,\u201d explained Peter Schultz, manager of controls and automation engineering, TechniBlend. \u201cWhen the cleaning process is initiated, the processing equipment as well as the piping to it must be heated. Steam must be introduced regularly to maintain temperature.\u201d\n\nThe onboard CIP On-Demand system reduces this cycle loop \u2013 and decreases cycle times by up to 50 percent, significantly reducing chemical, water and energy consumption. \u201cThe functionality of our TB-200 system is dependent on the automation equipment installed,\u201d said Schultz. \u201cFrom a control standpoint, the programmable controllers, variable frequency drives and Coriolis mass flow meters are critical.\u201d TechniBlend utilizes a Rockwell Automation solution, featuring Allen-Bradley\u00ae CompactLogix\u2122 controllers and Allen-Bradley PowerFlex\u00ae 525 AC drives for process and power control, integrated on an EtherNet/IP\u2122 network. The system incorporates Proline Promass F100 Coriolis flow meters from Rockwell Automation strategic alliance partner Endress+Hauser and valve manifolds from Rockwell Automation Encompass\u2122 partner Festo. FactoryTalk\u00ae View supervisory edition (SE) HMI software monitors the system.\n\n\u201cBecause Rockwell Automation maintains an alliance with Endress+Hauser, we are able to capture significant time-savings during machine development,\u201d said Schultz. \u201cThe CompactLogix controller's Studio 5000\u00ae software includes an add-on profile for the flow meters \u2013 no separate programming package is required. As a result, I can set up a meter on EtherNet/IP in about one minute.\u201d EtherNet/IP connectivity also enables TechniBlend to provide remote monitoring services for their end users. TechniBlend continues to focus on innovation that combines the latest technology in fluid handling and process measurement instrumentation with process control solutions from Rockwell Automation. \u201cBringing all these elements together in a system allows us to deliver best-in-class product quality \u2013 and extraordinary production efficiency, flexibility and sustainability,\u201d Deubel said.\n\nFor more information, contact: TechniBlend, Inc. Phone: 262.484.4090 Email: contact@techniblend.com\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "solutions-in-action--inco-engineering": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/solutions-in-action--inco-engineering\n\nTITLE: Solutions in Action: INCO Engineering\n\nIron ore, gold, coal, potash and other metals and minerals have been important resources since prehistoric times. But the methods of mining those resources have drastically improved. Today, mining companies use hoisting equipment to quickly move materials and personnel from underground to the surface - typically between a half mile to a mile deep.\n\nAs technological capabilities grow, mining companies look to become even more productive and competitive globally. They want to run hoists continuously without stopping for unplanned maintenance, and increase the load size brought up by the hoists. However, safety and reliability are a major concern. A hoist's skip can move up to 60 feet per second and needs to stop within a predetermined position without causing any issues.\n\nModern hoists today can operate without any supervision or operators. Operators can monitor the automatic operations from an on-site control cabin. However, more companies now see the value of remotely monitoring operations.\n\nINCO Engineering designs and builds modern mining hoists and complete systems for vertical and inclined transport in mines, based on the rich tradition of CKD Prague established in 1874. The Prague-based company designs customized equipment for customers around the globe - including in Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkey and India - and is growing in the U.S. and Canada. Customers' targeted resources include coal, iron ore, uranium, copper, potash, silver and gold.\n\nINCO's hoists are technologically advanced behemoths, reaching up to two stories high. INCO works closely with customers to design and build the hoists to mine requirements. While the hoist specifics may change from customer to customer, the biggest constant is the need for safety and reliability. INCO builds layers of control redundancy into each hoist system to help minimize the risk of downtime.\n\nA global network with Rockwell Automation provides customers with access to the latest automation products and global services. The company uses Allen-Bradley(R) PowerFlex(R) 750 AC drives and high-voltage PowerFlex 7000 drives, as well as the PowerFlex 7000 active front-end rectifier for powerful speed control.\n\nAn Allen-Bradley CompactLogixTM 1769-L33ER programmable automation controller features an integrated platform for control and motion execution, communicates over an Ethernet network, and can be configured in a single programming environment. This provides INCO's customers with fewer spare parts to maintain, while the control platform's openness helps to ease integration with third-party components.\n\nThe control system supports a device-level ring network topology, helping users maintain communications if a fault occurs. Cabling is reduced due to an application of distributed inputs and outputs. An Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM Plus 6 human-machine interface provides a user-friendly interface between the machine and operator monitoring the hoisting process.\n\nIn addition, INCO developed and offers Transdatic, an advanced remote-monitoring system. The system continuously monitors conditions of selected equipment, and data is securely transferred to INCO's central service center. If an issue occurs, INCO staff can notify customers immediately - reducing the customers' maintenance costs. Staff can also analyze the most frequent faults, and help customers make equipment and process adjustments to prevent further occurrences. The Transdatic system can be implemented with hoists anywhere in the world from the service center in the Czech Republic.\n\nAs part of the OEM Partner program with Rockwell Automation, INCO has reached new markets and customers in the mining industry. The INCO staff utilizes Rockwell Automation services for global equipment maintenance and support.\n\n\"As we've expanded from building hoist equipment to providing services to maintain them, our collaboration with Rockwell Automation has grown,\" said Dr. Jan Houdek, CEO and co-owner of INCO Engineering. \"No matter how remotely located our customers, we know we can rely on Rockwell Automation. And in turn, our customers know they can put their trust in us to keep their operations safe, reliable and productive.\"\n\n\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\n\n",
    "automatismes-girona-deploys-device-level-ring--dlr--technology": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/automatismes-girona-deploys-device-level-ring--dlr--technology\n\nTITLE: Automatismes Girona Deploys Device Level Ring (DLR) Technology\n\n***** Background *****\n\nSince 1983, Automatismes Girona (AUGI) has developed and implemented complete solutions in the field of industrial automation in order to upgrade any kind of machinery and process. Thanks to its diversification, it covers a wide variety of industries such as food and feed, chemical and pharmaceuticals, plastics, healthcare, water treatment and renewable energy.\n\nThe company has two relevant certifications, which verifies its professional qualifications. First, the quality management standard ISO 9001, which credits the good practice on all projects. Second, the company is a Rockwell Automation Solution Partner, which means it demonstrates the highest level of commitment to Rockwell Automation technologies and relationships; is an industry leader; and has differentiated services or solutions that complement or extend those of Rockwell Automation.\n\nThis recognition is precisely why dozens of customers around the world trust AUGI; with one example being PROAN (PROTEINA ANIMAL, S.A. de C.V.), a Mexican feed manufacturer dedicated to the production of eggs, pork and dairy milk, which decided to automate its entire factory with the help of AUGI and Rockwell Automation.\n\n***** Challenge *****\n\nThanks to its experience, AUGI has automated production processes for all kind of factories and industries, including animal feed. However, this project had some distinctive features. First, it was a seven-storey factory with a very high production rate of around 300 metric Tons per hour.\n\nSecond, as explains Xavier Mir, Process Automation Manager at AUGI: \"The customer had a lot of machinery distributed along the facility that needed to be connected to the central system more effectively with better security and availability for communications.\"\n\nFinally, the whole process had to be automated, from the arrival of trucks with raw material such as cereals, vitamins, minerals and additives; to dosing and mixing, according to the relevant formulae and receipts; processing with mills to make flour; pelletizers and auxiliary machines to obtain the final product; transport to bulk storage silos; and shipping of finished product in trucks.\n\n***** Solution *****\n\nThe managers at the Mexican company chose an innovative solution: A Rockwell Automation EtherNet/ IPTM Device-Level Ring (DLR) topology architecture. \"Usually we carry out these implementations with other communication networks, on a more basic system.\n\nHowever, in this case, since it was a high-throughput factory, we committed to this architecture because it offers higher security,\" explains Mir. In fact, the company implemented three DLR rings for distributed I/O boxes throughout the facilities, so, \"if one of the segments fails for some reason, information can flow using an alternate route and the operation of the factory continues. The system is much faster and more fault-tolerant,\" he elaborates.\n\nBesides the deployment of this infrastructure, the company counted on other Rockwell Automation products for this project, such as Allen-Bradley(R) ControlLogix processors, Allen-Bradley POINT I/OTM, Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) frequency converters, Allen-Bradley VersaView(R) integrated-display computers and several SCADA stations.\n\nAll of this was complemented with a proprietary .NET application developed in VisualBasic by AUGI. This application is integrated in the existing Rockwell Automation technology and eases the management of relevant parameters for the factory, like the control of receipts, formulae, versions, stocks, production records, orders, shipping, batch numbers, traceability, etc. \"We created this application specifically for compound feed mills, and it is getting excellent results,\" Mir explains.\n\n***** Results *****\n\nAccording to Mir: \"The device-level ring technology provides high speeds and security to communication networks; meanwhile, the ControlLogix L70 processors are able to manage the whole factory program in much less time than earlier versions.\" Furthermore, continues Mir: \"The remote periphery allows us to implement data-gathering cabinets along the machines and then, via communication networks, transmit this data to the processor without the need to use cables for each signal.\" In short, thanks to this implementation production times and costs have been reduced and the quality of the technology infrastructures in the factory has been increased and, in case of system failure, production no longer needs to be stopped.\n\nAUGI is starting to implement this system in other industries. As Mir explains: \"The Rockwell Automation Device-level ring infrastructure is perfectly valid for other customers who have an Ethernet network and need high security and high availability.\"\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to this customer's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "gram-equipment-creates-agile--flexible--multi-axis-packaging-sol": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/gram-equipment-creates-agile--flexible--multi-axis-packaging-sol\n\nTITLE: Gram Equipment Creates Agile, Flexible, Multi-Axis Packaging Solution\n\n***** Background *****\n\nLocated in the south of Denmark, Gram Equipment is one of the world's leading manufacturers of equipment for the industrial production of ice cream; a position strengthened by the merger of Gram Equipment and WCB Ice Cream in 2014.\n\nWith more than 300 employees worldwide and offices in Denmark and the USA, the company delivers complete, tailor-made production lines to ice cream producers and other food-processing firms looking for flexible integrated solutions.\n\nThese specially designed solutions cover applications from individual assembly lines all the way up to complete production plants and comprise equipment for moulding, extrusion, filling, wrapping and packing as well as freezers, ingredient feeders and remanufacturing and upgrade kits. Product formats handled include stick ice, cone, sandwich, bulk and cup and dessert/cake.\n\nWith more of its customers looking to deploy increasingly agile and more flexible storage, production and packaging solutions, Gram Equipment is always looking for ways to enhance and evolve its product range, to help these customers keep up with the very latest production demands from industry and product demands from consumers.\n\nOne such machine designed to offer flexibility and agility is the company's GCS. The newest addition to its line-up of automated packing solutions, the GCS uses flex picker robots to deliver products into cartons with astonishing flexibility and speed. At the heart of this new machine is an Allen-Bradley(R) automation, motion and safety solution from Rockwell Automation.\n\nGram Equipment is a member of the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM program as an OEM Program Participant. Members of the Rockwell Automation OEM Program demonstrate a commitment to offer high-quality, innovative machines and equipment that help manufacturers improve business agility, optimise productivity, and increase business performance. Through the use of Rockwell Automation products, technology and industry expertise, these PartnerNetwork members also help end users achieve sustainability and safety-compliance objectives.\n\n***** Challenge *****\n\nThe GCS machine has been developed specifically for the packaging of ice creams. In operation it takes individually wrapped ice creams fed on a conveyor from a preceding Gram production machine and then places a predefined number and pattern (colour/flavour mix) into cardboard boxes.\n\nThe automation solution has to control a number of features, including the automatic balancing of different product flavours, simultaneous production of different multi-flavour packs, simultaneous production of different pack patterns and easy changeover between different pack/carton sizes and pattern formats, with minimal intervention. All of which has to be done at a speed that does not cause a bottleneck to up and downstream processes.\n\nPacking formats can include one flavour/two layer, two flavour/two layer, four flavour/single layer, four flavour/two layer and vertically or horizontally interleaved products of different flavours.\n\nThis type of product/packaging variety and speed demands extremely tight integration of all facets of the automation and motion infrastructure, as well as effective interoperability with the safety system, other automation assets within the line and the enterprise solution at the plant.\n\n***** Solution *****\n\nAccording to Anders G. Torbensen, Vice President Sales & Marketing at Gram Equipment: \"This machine has been designed to integrate as effectively as possible with other Gram Equipment machines in production lines, so we made the decision to develop an automation and motion solution based on Allen-Bradley products. We saw many advantages to having the same control system as those on the rest of line, especially in terms of operational integration, spares and maintenance.\"\n\nThe GCS has an Allen-Bradley ControlLogix(R) programmable automation controller (PAC) at the core of the control solution. Depending on how many robots the GCS system is equipped with (two or four), the number of controlled axes varies, but the biggest GCS system has 31 Allen-Bradley Kinetix(R) 5700 servo-drive-controlled axes and six Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) 525 variable-frequency drive-controlled axes.\n\nThree servo drives are used for each delta robot (XYZ movement) with an additional drive used to rotate the tool. Two servo drives are used for the carton carrier, two for the carton outlet and two for the box stop. Four servo drives provide the product movement on the pocket conveyor, another four are used for the product infeed and four for the pullnose (product drop). The six PowerFlex variable-frequency drives are used for carton infeed and product receiving.\n\nCompleting the control infrastructure is a safety solution running on EtherNet/IPTM that leverages Guard ControlLogix with Allen-Bradley Safety POINT I/OTM, which can be placed locally where it's needed to achieve maximum flexibility and modularity in production lines. Both the PowerFlex and Kinetix drives also communicate over EtherNet/IP and leverage CIP SafetyTM functionality. Safety data is transmitted using the same wires and IP addresses as the motion and control data, an infrastructure which helps to reduce overall system wiring.\n\n***** Results *****\n\nAs a result of its industry knowledge, technical expertise and in-depth machine design capabilities coupled to the deployment of an advanced automation, motion and safety solution from Rockwell Automation, Gram equipment has developed a high-performance machine capable of processing up to 660 products per minute with up to four different product flavours in each layer.\n\nCapable of handling stick, bars and sandwich formats, the line design is flexible enough to fit existing production facilities and its small footprint efficiently exploits limited and valuable plant real estate.\n\nGram Equipment is a Rockwell Automation OEM Partner. \"The most important advantage we have with respect to our partner status is access to relevant specialists within the Rockwell Automation organisation,\" explains Torbensen. \"Access to special training is also important, and we have certainly used this in the past. We enjoy a good experience working with Rockwell Automation and its export support is essential; indeed its global support has certainly enabled us to create a competitive advantage. We also enjoy positive cooperation with the Rockwell Automation specialists during programming and product development.\"\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "pavilion8-chemical": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/pavilion8-chemical\n\nTITLE: Pavilion8 empowers the polymer industry and sets a lean production model\n\nPolymers have a profound impact on the way that we live our daily lives. From various kinds of consumer packaging, like soda bottles, plastic bags, and food containers, to auto tires and manufactured industrial parts, countless polymer products enrich the world we live in. There is no doubt that rapid global development of over the last 30 years has ushered in a \"golden age\" for the polymer production industry, with major growth in the production and usage of polyethylene and polypropylene.\n\nAs is true in many process industries, polymerization reaction processes and procedures are complicated. Facing continuously changing business demands, rising costs of raw materials, and more intense domestic and overseas competition, many enterprises cannot meet the requirements of safe, stable, and efficient production of polymers based on current process control systems.\n\nAdvanced plants also have hidden production problems\n\nLarge-scale production environments can be daunting and complex, but they also offer opportunities to gain efficiency and improve processes with leading technology. For example, one polymer industry leader in China operates a state-of-the-art manufacturing site for polyethylene, polypropylene, styrene, butadiene, and other mainstream polymer products. One of their primary enterprise goals is to become a model of green chemistry and sustainable development in China. As a technology-driven chemical enterprise, its polymer production equipment uses the world's newest process technologies (Hostalen ACP polyethylene and Spherizone polypropylene technologies), setting high operational and technical thresholds.\n\nHowever, the reality of production can be more complicated and fraught with problems than one may expect. Since equipment needs frequent adjustment and young operators lack operational experience, there are often fluctuations in product quality. In order to enhance the core competitiveness of the enterprise, the customer sought to improve the stability of technological parameters and reduce parameter fluctuations, raising the overall standard of their capabilities.\n\nFurthermore, for a major chemical production base in which various kinds of products are manufactured, the efficiency of grade transition is a key contributor to product quality, increases in production, and long-term operational stability of equipment. Traditional grade transitions involve complicated personnel coordination, which not only relies on manual changes and the tuning of grade parameters, but also production volume fluctuations, equipment adaptation, product form changes, and other potential uncertainties, all leading to difficulties in realizing cost reduction and increasing productivity.\n\nPavilion8 software contributes to great leaps in operational efficiency\n\nIn recent years, with the continuous evolution and development of modern control systems, various kinds of advanced control policies, methods, and technologies have been applied in the petrochemical industry. Compared with classic PID control, the advanced control system (APC) system centers on multivariable predictive control and features unparalleled advantages, including more powerful adaptability, robustness, and prediction features. Therefore, it is an effective tool for chemical enterprises to realize untapped potential and achieve operational excellence through increased efficiency, stabilized production equipment, and optimized product quality.\n\nIn the case of the example Chinese enterprise, the variety of prospective technology and the industry position of the company makes them careful about choosing technology partners. After a series of in-depth research studies and investigations, the customer chose Rockwell Automation's\u00a0process modeling, advanced control, and optimization software platform - Pavilion8, offering process calculations, non-linear and multivariable advanced control technologies based on its original mechanism model and statistical model to address their problems.\n\nIn terms of the implementation of basic functions, Pavilion8 software is based on a service-oriented architecture (SOA), which can easily be integrated with the current customer processes and plant infrastructures. It cannot only analyze, evaluate, and tune many PID loops; its embedded controller performance index calculations can facilitate the dynamic evaluation and long-term monitoring of the operational effects of an advanced control system for customers, guaranteeing more stable operation of assets.\n\nWith a built-in database, Pavilion8 software can model the historical actions and control curves of the controller, enabling the customer to process fault analysis quickly. Based on the unique mixed nonlinear model, the system can enable control of the whole process for polymers and whole device edge control, which effectively delivers prediction accuracy and stability of product quality. By virtue of unique Extrapolated Gain Constrained Neural Networks (EGCNN), the system can also guarantee accuracy of models beyond normal production and operation conditions, by contributing to a huge leap forward in operational efficiency.\n\nTo address the lack of operational experience among the operations staff, Pavilion8 software displays real-time trends on the web-based graphical interface, which aids operators in data-driven decision-making. Thanks to the online programming and editing functions of Pavilion8 models, customers can customize the optimized objective functions, which can be especially important for petrochemical production featuring complicated processes and process coupling. In the same respect, Pavilion8 software can also help to reduce the consumption of supplemental materials and energy to maximize the yield. These are the key points of differentiated value when using the Pavilion8 solution compared with other APC solutions.\n\nA role model for the lean production of polymers\n\nToday, the customer successfully implemented APC retrofitting on two sets of polymer equipment. After the project was operational, with the help of the Pavilion8 nonlinear controller and automatic grade transition software, operators only need to click on the menu and the controller can automatically start and end grade transitions as defined, while automatically recovering all grade parameters and control parameters (such as the MI, density, temperature, partial pressure of ethylene, etc.) without the need of manual changes and tuning. This not only ensures the consistency of grade transitions, shortening the transition time, but also greatly reduces labor intensity and solves untimely and unstable labor adjustment issues and other problems.\n\nFurthermore, Rockwell Automation is known by its partners for powerful project implementation capabilities, software products and solutions, professional acumen, and business communication. The comprehensive training, commissioning, and delivery services make put customers at ease. With the success of this project, the customer plans to migrate the solutions to other polymers and chemical devices at a future date.\n\nRockwell Automation has accumulated rich experience in the field of polymers, which has led to success in this project, just as with many previous projects. As early as 1995, Rockwell Automation had successfully implemented an APC project with early-model polymer equipment and has upgraded more than 160 advanced control systems, more than 200 polymerization reactors in total to-date, which cover almost every known kind of polymerization technique and catalyst type. The leading polymer APC solution provided by Rockwell Automation also plays a key role in the production plants of many leading polymer enterprises.\n\nThe solution for APC systems can not only use a nonlinear model to control the polymerization reactors of different grades of products, but also implement the advanced control of squeezing granulators and polymer bins, providing multiple levels of insurance for product quality, yield, and conversion rate. According to statistics, the implementation of similar projects can improve KPIs as follows:\n\n    * Reduce fluctuations of equipment by 30-50%\n\n    * Reduce fluctuations of product quality by 30-70%\n\n    * Increase yield by 2-8%\n\n    * Decrease average grade transition time by 20-50%\n\n    * Decrease off-grade products by 2-5%\n\n    * Availability is greater than 95%\n\nAs one of the largest production-capacity petrochemical plants in China, the successful implementation and deployment of the APC solutions for the customer is a point of pride for Rockwell Automation as a service and technology provider. With powerful technical advantages and rich project experience, Rockwell Automation is equipped to help customers look to the future, empowering their digital transformation journey and giving increased visibility and control to petrochemical customers through digital and intelligent solutions.\n\nRecommended for You\n\nTAG: optimize-production\nTAG: accelerate-digital-transformation\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\nTAG: smart-manufacturing\n\nTAG: chemical\n\nTAG: advanced-process-control\nTAG: distributed-control-systems\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: plantpax\n\n",
    "mining-energy-innovation": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/mining-energy-innovation\n\nTITLE: ReThink Milling Innovates Toward Zero-waste Mining\n\nGillian Holcraft is an innovation manager with the Canadian Mining Innovation Council (CMIC). The consortium of operators and innovators was formed to reduce the mining industry's environmental footprint by 50% by 2027 with a focus on energy, water and waste.\n\nMining consumes up to 6% of the world's energy with 50% used to grind material into smaller particles, a process called comminution. Yet, it's been more than two decades since the last advance in grinding equipment. That's about to change as CMIC members are on a quest to ReThink Mining.\n\nWatch the Video\n\n**** \u00a0 ****\n\n**** Gillian Holcraft ****\n\n**** Innovation Manager at CMIC & CEO of ReThink Milling ****\n\nVoice of Customer Drives Innovation\n\n\"The mining industry is known to be very conservative. We're bringing the industry together to co-develop disruptive technology that could never be developed by a single company,\" Gillian says. Council members provide \"technology experts and insights. They're telling us what the market wants to adopt something that's completely new and different.\"\n\nThrough the CMIC, the voice of the customer is driving industry innovation.\n\n\"When you're working together as a team, innovation happens at the speed of trust,\" Gillian says. \"You talk about real issues and what it will take to bring in technology and actually end up using it.\"\n\nRevolutionary New Grinding Technology\n\nThe CMIC has several exciting projects underway including the development of the Conjugated Anvil Hammer Mill (CAHM) and MonoRoll Platform. Together, these two machines have the potential to reduce energy consumption by 65% compared to the current comminution process. Another benefit is this revolutionary new technology will eliminate the need for secondary crushing mills, equipment and related transportation.\n\n\"Because we're not using conventional steel balls as grinding media, we won't have to produce and ship them. That's a huge Scope 3 type of (carbon emission) reduction,\" Gillian explains. \"Not only are we going to reduce energy consumption, but we'll ultimately simplify flow sheets and make the whole grinding process less costly.\"\n\nData Collection Key to Commercialization\n\nInitial machine testing has shown promising results for the patented CAHM and MonoRoll Platform. The project features several Rockwell Automation technologies including ControlLogix(R) programmable controllers, PowerFlex(R) variable speed drives, PanelViewTM visualization software, and FactoryTalk(R)\u00a0Historian software for data collection.\n\n\"We need to collect data to show not just that we can break rocks efficiently, but also how the machine is working so we can develop that next generation machine,\" Gillian says. \"Rockwell Automation's technical team has been instrumental in helping us get the required data so we can build the next commercial unit.\"\n\nTo commercialize and identify mine demonstration sites for the CAHM and MonoRoll Platform, the CMIC has formed ReThink Milling Inc. They hope to install and start CAHM demo testing in 2023 and secure the MonoRoll site in 2024.\n\nLearn more about the work ReThink Milling (whose members include over a dozen industry leaders, including Rockwell Automation) are doing to drive innovation in the mining industry here.\n\nTAG: sustainability\nTAG: integrated-architecture\nTAG: industrial-networks\n\nTAG: mining\n\nTAG: controllogix\nTAG: factorytalk-historian\nTAG: drives-ac-low-voltage\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: human-machine-interface\nTAG: industrial-control-products\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: sensors-and-switches\nTAG: safety-products\n\n",
    "predictive-maintenance": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/predictive-maintenance\n\nTITLE: CMMS Transforms Maintenance for UK Tire Manufacturer\n\nDunlop Aircraft Tyres is headquartered in England with additional retread and after-market service facilities located in America and China. Dunlop designs, makes and retreads world class aircraft tires for many popular narrow bodied, wide bodied, regional and military aircraft from manufacturers including Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier and Embraer.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\n* Challenge: Overcoming Reactive Maintenance\n\nLike many other manufacturing teams, leading UK tire manufacturer Dunlop Aircraft Tyres started its maintenance journey rooted in reactive methods, which is not a reliable or effective way to keep a manufacturing facility running. They were constrained by a lack of on-site engineers, which meant doubling the workload of the engineers who were on-site.\n\nAdditionally, maintenance data was stored in an in-house database built on Microsoft Access. The database had no capabilities for scheduling or planning maintenance work, and those tasks would be done on paper and Excel.\n\nThis slowed operations tremendously, making it even harder to escape the daily firefighting that comes with a reactive strategy. If Dunlop Aircraft Tyres Plant and Controls Engineer Michael Thomas wanted to improve production, he knew this maintenance management process would not suffice.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\n* Choosing Fiix\n\nLongevity was a key factor in choosing software. Fiix was a newly acquired software company under the Rockwell Automation brand. Since Dunlop's plant floor equipment is mostly controlled by\u00a0Rockwell Automation PLCs, the established trust in the brand made Fiix an easy sell.\n\nIn terms of software needs, Dunlop was looking for a system that could view machine history and historical work order data. Lastly, their engineers needed to be able to login and access their work from a phone or tablet from anywhere in the facility.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\n* Day-to-day use of Fiix CMMS\n\nThe impact of switching to Fiix CMMS was pretty quick for the team. \"We saw improvements within the first few months,\" Michael says. For example, the use of the CMMS includes producing daily reports for plant managers who previously had to create the reports manually. \"There has been a tremendous time savings,\" says Michael.\n\nCreated daily, the reports generated using the analytics tool are key to tracking things like Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF), which is reported on in weekly maintenance meetings.\n\nOther benefits of implementing Fiix CMMS included:\n\n    * Better time management: by eliminating paper and Excel and improving access to machine data, the team wasted less time finding answers and more time-solving problems.\n\n    * Enhanced decision-making: access to daily and weekly reports facilitated better decision-making.\n\n    * Improved data quality: quality of data was free from human error, aiding in more accurate scheduling and resource allocation.\n\n\n\n* Added Solution: Fiix Asset Risk Predictor\n\nAfter about a year of using the Fiix CMMS, Michael heard about this new predictive maintenance tool, Fiix Asset Risk Predictor (ARP). Michael felt that ARP would be worth the effort of testing because it could predict and report when an asset is at risk of failure.\n\nWith the power of both a CMMS and a predictive maintenance tool in place, root cause analysis of past failures could be performed by quickly cross-checking with the other systems they use to record temperature and pressure.\n\nThey've also set up the system to prepare automatic work orders based on individual asset risk thresholds. When a predetermined number of 'amber alerts' occur over a short period of time, the system will push out an automatic work order using Fiix(R) Asset Risk Predictors, Prescriptive Maintenance feature. \"Using risk scores has been really helpful,\" says Michael.\n\n\n\n* A match made in heaven: Fiix CMMS and Asset Risk Predictor\n\nWhile Dunlop Tyres is taking time to build out the usage of Fiix ARP across the rest of their assets, the good news is that they haven't seen any full-blown failures yet and will continue to look for other opportunities to utilize its features. Moving forward, the facility aims to continue leveraging technology to optimize maintenance operations, affirming the significant role of digital tools in industrial maintenance management.\n\nThis case study is a replicated version, with the original available on the Fiix website. To access the original version, please click here.\n\nTAG: accelerate-digital-transformation\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: asset-management\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: automotive-and-tire\nTAG: aerospace\n\nTAG: fiix\n\n",
    "oil-giant-improves-cybersecurity--lowers-manpower-costs": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/oil-giant-improves-cybersecurity--lowers-manpower-costs\n\nTITLE: Oil Giant Improves Cybersecurity, Lowers Manpower Costs\n\n*** Background ***\n\nForests of wooden derricks sprang up in a rural California valley when oil was discovered there in 1899. Today, those towering structures are gone, replaced by the more familiar low pump jacks, plus steam-injection systems necessary to coax the crude from the earth. Most of the valley's \"black gold\" is heavy crude, and its viscosity much like molasses.\n\nIn 2013, a major California petroleum producer pumped 177,000 barrels per day from the valley. The company's California business unit comprises six separate oil fields.\n\nThe typical well site includes steam generators - essentially huge, high-volume, high-pressure boilers - used to apply the pressure and heat necessary to force heavy crude above ground.\n\nSome sites incorporate cogeneration systems, which use natural gas turbine/generator sets to produce electricity that supports site operations. Cogeneration in the California valley produces enough energy to supply the power needs of over 1.5 million homes.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nSuch complex processes and so much capital equipment demand a huge number of control assets. The company's operations oil-field process control network (PCN) utilizes around 2,800 control devices distributed among the six oil fields.\n\nFor years, the quantity of devices, diversity of its valley operations, geographic distance between them and absence of an effective technology had complicated the company's effort to create a comprehensive system for identifying, tagging and monitoring all its control devices.\n\n\"They had a manual database of this type of information, but it was incomplete,\" said Joe Zaccaria, reliability program manager, Rockwell Automation. The oil and gas company has a large installed base of Rockwell Automation control devices, as well as equipment from multiple other vendors.\n\n\"The oil company had spent a lot of time and money putting people in the field to document part numbers, quantities, etc.,\" Zaccaria explained. \"But this manual collection method couldn't keep up with such a large and dynamic PCN installation, which includes several generations of mission-critical assets.\"\n\nThe manual collection process itself carried risks for the company. Employees in the field could encounter hazards ranging from rattlesnakes to desert environmental conditions to the potential for exposure to hydrogen sulfate gas (H2S).\n\nConcerns about a newer and potentially more devastating threat - a cybersecurity attack - loomed even larger.\n\nThe tipping point came in late 2011. A corporate SCADA audit identified cybersecurity risks related to the lack of reliable control-asset data keeping by the valley business unit. The audit was prompted by a new, companywide, cybersecurity policy based on the ISA99 standard for industrial control systems.\n\n\"Until the early 2000s, control systems and devices were essentially immune to cyberattacks for a number of reasons,\" Zaccaria said. \"One, the networks weren't as open. And two, there were few hackers. Now, plenty of them are looking for industrial vulnerabilities, especially where they can cause considerable collateral damage.\"\n\nOutsiders weren't the only potential threat. Numerous system components were missing and considered stolen from control cabinets across the valley.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nThe oil giant's California business unit turned to Rockwell Automation for a technological solution to centralize information gathering and continuously monitor the company's assets. Rockwell Automation was already piloting a new Logix-based application that would do exactly that.\n\n\"Over the course of several months, we went through discussions with their IT department, their SCADA department and other key decision makers,\" Zaccaria said. \"They all agreed our new approach was the best method because it was safe and secure, and applies to Allen-Bradley(R) and third-party devices.\"\n\nAt the heart of the Rockwell Automation solution is an innovative software-as-a-service technology. The new diagnostic reliability (DR) system automatically identifies, interrogates and monitors control hardware by continuously scanning the PCN network.\n\nProprietary code encrypted into the Allen-Bradley SoftLogixTM 5800 controller directs the DR system to locate and tag every device on the PCN - including programmable logix controllers and everything connected to them in the rack and subcomponents - using native industrial protocols to talk to each device.\n\nThe DR system also retrieves detailed information about each piece of equipment, including but not limited to the part number, series version, serial number and firmware version.\n\nThe system exports all that information to a structured Microsoft SQL Server(R), and displays it to the end user utilizing FactoryTalk(R) VantagePoint(R) software from Rockwell Automation. This provides the oil company with the most essential tool for maintaining a cybersecurity strategy around a master inventory of all the devices on the PCN.\n\nThe availability of a comprehensive and accurate control asset master inventory is essential to the effective creation and sustainability of a PCN cybersecurity strategy.\n\nUsing\u00a0FactoryTalk View SE HMI software, the DR system also takes a deep dive into each asset to understand its status, health and parameter changes.\n\nThe Rockwell Automation team has continuously added more tracking capabilities to the DR system, including scans for security vulnerabilities.\n\nFor example, the system continuously checks the key switch status on processers. When a key switch is open, a hacker could potentially change the programming - an attack that could cause downtime and production losses or, at worst, create safety and environmental hazards.\n\nThe DR system also reports if a device was moved from one location to another - or if it goes missing.\n\nIf the DR system shows that a device that was formerly on the network is gone, the system produces an exception report. Company personnel receive this report and follow up to see if the device has been removed or if it's some type of failure or fault.\n\nAn exception report is just one of many created in the FactoryTalk VantagePoint software, based on information culled from the DR system. The VantagePoint software provides context to the data with Web-based dashboards, allowing different users to view actionable information important to their roles.\n\nIn addition to the key switch status reporting, maintenance personnel can see if the processor has a low battery and dispatch a field employee to replace the battery before a failure occurs. The DR system data also is used to produce monthly scorecards detailing the PCN's overall performance and reports on network anomalies.\n\nTwo Rockwell Automation field-service engineers work on-site at one of the oil producer's California campuses, helping the company's team troubleshoot and correct issues identified by the DR system, as well as build out its capabilities.\n\n\"We're embedded with the customer to continuously develop more decision-support tools,\" said Ray Spangler, field service engineer, Rockwell Automation. \"The DR system is expanding as we explore, identify and implement new ways to use it.\"\n\nOne example: The company implemented a yearlong maintenance contract with the Rockwell Automation team to manage, monitor and modify the system as needed.\n\nThe Rockwell Automation team is currently developing an asset-management and life-cycle extension plan that will help identify repairable equipment, enable the migration of obsolete devices, and identify out-of-date firmware.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nThe PCN compliance program continues to evolve based on new objectives that are prioritized and incorporated into the service program, expanding the DR system's capability.\n\nThe oil company's business unit is already in full compliance with the new corporate cybersecurity policy based on the ISA99 standard for industrial control systems.\n\nBy moving from a manual database to automated real-time data collection, the company can also now perform proactive maintenance. This is helping lower the cost of manpower in the field and yield more barrels of oil per day.\n\nWhile it is too soon to calculate the full potential of the DR system, one anecdote provides a hint. Recently, the DR system identified a fault on one oil-well processor.\n\n\"They were losing about 15 barrels a day because that well wasn't pumping,\" Spangler said. \"But the DR system pinpointed it, and the company got someone out there to fix it.\"\n\nThe oil giant is so impressed by the preliminary results that it's considering using the DR system as a corporate standard.\n\nIn fall 2013, the company's chairman reviewed the project when it was just in its infancy. \"His comment to the team was, 'How fast can we take this global?'\" said Matthew Hermans, global product business manager, Reliability Services, Rockwell Automation.\n\nSoon after, Rockwell Automation experts were asked to conduct a presentation explaining the DR system to the company's global SCADA management team. Rockwell Automation is now collaborating with the company to install the DR system internationally.\n\n\"Different people in different industries have spent tens of thousands of hours trying to figure out how to automatically convert this kind of information into operational intelligence,\" Hermans said. \"Today, our customer is using data derived from the DR system to help overcome long-standing business obstacles in a matter of days, if not hours.\"\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to this customer's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\nTAG: oil-and-gas\n\nTAG: factorytalk-vantagepoint\n\n",
    "smart-devices-for-smart-steel-production": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/smart-devices-for-smart-steel-production\n\nTITLE: Smart Devices for Smart Steel Production\n\nSmart manufacturing is the gateway to digital transformation. Connected smart devices open new windows of visibility into processes. Data and analytics enable better and faster decision-making. Seamless connectivity spurs new collaboration.\n\nCompanies that recognize these benefits are positioning themselves to be successful in the long term. By making smart investments in The Connected Enterprise(R) today, companies are converging plant-level and enterprise networks, securely connecting people, processes and technologies.\n\nOne of those companies is a metals manufacturer. Comprised of multiple divisions, this producer is both a supplier of raw materials as well as a manufacturer of finished parts for a variety of consumer and industrial applications. They melt, roll and process steel but, at the core, this customer is a service business committed to investing in the people and technologies that add value to their customers' products.\n\nWhile the individual divisions all serve the metals industry, each division has unique operating requirements and customer demands. This producer understood the importance of keeping up with modern technology and the opportunities associated with data driven operations. Digital transformation was a departure from traditional methods being used across the divisions within their operations, but the potential opportunity cost was too much to forego. The challenge would be to identify solutions that could be shared across the unique divisions yet deliver distinct results.\n\n\u00a0\n\n*** Laying the Groundwork ***\n\nThe metals manufacturer selected Rockwell Automation as their vendor of choice to pursue their digital transformation objectives. While the benefits of investments to digital transformation can be tremendous, the potential risks associated cause many manufacturing companies to tread lightly. As many as 85% of big data projects fail due to a number of factors. The top three being license to operate, the uncertain future of the current workforce and lack of buy-in companywide. Anticipating these challenges and more, the metals manufacturer selected Rockwell Automation because of their reputation in the industry and expert approach to digital transformation.\n\nCareful to deliver an implementable solution, it was important to develop a plan that provided the customer with a singular strategy that allowed for strategic differences within the different divisions. Operational assessments were conducted with core stakeholder teams to develop a strategic roadmap. The C-suite, finance, operations, engineering and IT teams were consulted to deliver a solution that offered transparent similarities and differences across the divisions and aligned with corporate and individual needs. It was also important that these key stakeholders realized the benefits of digital transformation and were fully on board to achieve long-term success.\n\n\u00a0\n\n*** The Approach ***\n\nBy leveraging Rockwell Automation's established Connected Enterprise framework, assessments were taken across the enterprise to develop recommendations, form a business case and establish a roadmap. To accomplish this, several steps were taken:\n\n    * Evaluation: Existing strategies and infrastructure of the organization were examined. A deep dive was taken to analyze IT/OT, information and networks as they currently stood. Each division of the company was found to be in a different stage of their own digital investments.\n\n    * Assessment: Multiple division visits and workshops with diverse client stakeholders took place to assess potential gaps and roadblocks that could prohibit a successful digital transformation. On a divisional basis, an understanding of where each division was on their own journey and what they required to be successful were measured.\n\n    * Identification: Opportunities for business benefits and improved device connectivity across divisions were quantified and a plan was put in place to address these target areas with digital transformation. These targets were set to meet goals corporation-wide while taking into account where each entity stood separately.\n\nA clear plan, developed around the organization's goals, was laid out. Each identified piece of digital transformation was chosen because of its ability to solve an identified business challenge - it had a clear business case supporting it. They were also prioritized by the capability to scale up organization-wide. While each division had its own unique requirements and objectives, the solutions identified had to fit with the greater goals of the metals manufacturer.\n\n\u00a0\n\n*** Identified Solutions ***\n\nThe results of the assessment across the individual divisions identified a set of tangible savings through digital transformation. Labor productivity improvements of 8%, tooling cost reductions by 10% while cutting down on scrap by 13%. Additional downtime reductions of 12%, saving time and money where it's most frequently lost.\n\nDigital solutions included the modernization of current automation pieces in the plant to allow for data access and connectivity across machinery. Edge analytics software was proposed to fulfill the need for monitoring and analyzing streaming process data for real-time anomaly detection. In addition, a variety of process improvements were identified. These included augmented reality to access mobile data and for operator performance improvement, device analytics to alert to abnormalities and offer real-time device status, and model predictive control to optimize the melt process and energy usage. From a corporate perspective, a center of excellence was proposed that would allow the divisions to share their digital results with each other and provide a backbone for continued adaptation and success.\n\nSeveral of the divisions have proceeded to implement the core of these new solutions with Rockwell Automation and its partners. With these updates, the metals manufacturer is positioning itself for long-term success and is prepared for the next phases of implementation and digital updates. Working together with Rockwell Automation, the customer has already seen significant improvements leading to optimized production, reduced downtime and money saved.\n\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\nTAG: metals\nTAG: mining\nTAG: cement\n\n",
    "country-maid-gains-production-intelligence-to-meet-growing-deman": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/country-maid-gains-production-intelligence-to-meet-growing-deman\n\nTITLE: Country Maid Gains Production Intelligence to Meet Growing Demand\n\n***** Background *****\n\nJust as they have been for the past two decades, workers at Country Maid still braid their distinctive pastries by hand for fundraising groups across America. But that's the only part of the process that remains manual.\n\nKen and Marlene Banwart, the couple who founded Country Maid in 1991, began making pastries in their basement for the local farmers market. The baked goods quickly became a local hit. That's when the Banwarts realized their pastries could have wider appeal. They began freezing the raw pastries and creating new varieties, ranging from tart apple to cream cheese fillings, to be sold to nonprofi ts and school groups for fundraising activities.\n\nThe pastries are popular because they have a homemade taste and warmth. People let the frozen dough rise over night, put it into the oven to bake, and then enjoy it. Not surprisingly, the process for turning the ingredients into these tasty pastries is far more complicated.\n\nIn 2012, Country Maid decided to invest in an automated facility to respond to consumer demand for the Butter Braid(R) pastries. Inside the Iowa facility of the now 100 percent employee owned company, ingredients like dry milk, flour and sugar are stored in multiple holding bins and are transferred into an industrial mixer where they're combined with water. The mixture then goes into a rotary dough feeder that transfers it down a conveying line. Much like a rolling pin, a machine then spreads and layers the dough, which is then topped with butter and filling. Just before it is moved to the freezer, a worker puts the final touch on the 12-layered pastry, intertwining the top layers to create the signature look of the Butter Braid pastries.\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** Challenges *****\n\nPrior to their upgrade, workers were far more involved in the production process - from hand batching and scaling every pastry to cutting open each bag of flour to pour into the mixer. Operators also collected and reported basic production data manually, leaving room for human error and inconsistency. This fully manual process was also time and labor intensive.\n\nBy adding automation to this process, Country Maid wanted to gain advanced data collection capabilities to ensure each batch would retain the same high-level quality as the last. They also wanted to improve overall operational effi ciencies throughout the facility.\n\nCountry Maid had to add an additional line to help meet demand. They had two options when it came to designing the mix room. They could either replace their mixer with a larger one, which would require expanding their facility to accommodate its size, or they could install a smaller new mixer with the new additional automated line.\n\n\"We found that if we automated a new larger mixer, we could reduce the size of the mixer and avoid having to expand the facility. This option was less expensive and would achieve the same goal,\" said Marc Banwart, systems integration specialist, Country Maid. \"We knew the change would help us meet growing production requirements and give us access to data that would allow us to make better operating decisions.\"\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** Solution *****\n\nAlong with the new second line, Country Maid wanted to automate the existing line. They did their research and decided on a PlantPAx(R) process automation system from Rockwell Automation as the core system for the two lines. Country Maid sought guidance and expertise from a third party to install and implement the solution, and partneredwith Interstates Control Systems, Inc. - a Solution Partner of the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM program.\n\nThe PlantPAx system is a plantwide control system with built-in scalability that off ers the production insight that Country Maid needed. The system includes a visualization, analysis and reporting portal, along with a process historian. This allows operators to view production trends, such as the balance of ingredients, and make adjustments to recipe rations.\n\nAs part of the PlantPAx system, FactoryTalk(R) VantagePoint EMI software was implemented to track and record data to pinpoint production trends. The software collects information from disparate sources throughout the production line so operators can view data on dashboards in real time on a variety of role-based dashboards. Operators use this data as a discovery and analysis tool, strategizing improvements for each batch based on various parameters, like temperature and dough consistency.\n\nFor example, Country Maid faced issues with consistent dough development and didn't know why. With VantagePoint software, operators were able to locate the source of the problem: the plant's flour silos located outside the building can be problematic due to climate changes. Operators can now monitor each batch based on the changing temperature conditions within the holding bins. The system also provides a view into parameters that could affect production. \"Operators can view how long downtime lasts, and when and where it occurs on a linea,\"said Raymond Berning, lead control systems developer, Interstates Control Systems, Inc. \"This level of insight tightens control of production.\"\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** Results *****\n\nCountry Maid wanted to gain quality data and tighter control on processes, and be able to make better decisions based on data from each batch. They achieved this and more.The facility doubled product output, achieving one of the company's main goals. They also saw a 14 percent line-speed increase and a reduced mix time of 23 percent. After implementing the PlantPAx process system, Country Maid had a wealth of information available to them, beyond how much water or sugar was added to a batch. Operators now know when to adjust parameters for a batch, and they know why adjustments need to be made. It's no longer an assumption or a guess.\n\n\"The same operator has become more productive with the automated process,\" Banwart said. \"We can quickly determine if an adjustment needs to be made on a batch, and we make it.\" By choosing to implement one highly automated mixer instead of a larger one and modifying the facility, Country Maid saved $120,000 on equipment and avoided extensive production downtime. They're also able to utilize labor more efficiently because of the new datacollection capabilities, reducing batch labor by over $45,000 per year.\n\nThe process solution improved reporting capabilities and production efficiencies beyond what Country Maid had anticipated. For now, the only part that their production process cannot handle is the hand-braiding component for each pastry - a task no machine has been able to duplicate with as much precision as a worker's hands.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "hillshire-brands-uses-manufacturing-intelligence": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/hillshire-brands-uses-manufacturing-intelligence\n\nTITLE: Hillshire Brands Uses Manufacturing Intelligence\n\n*** Background ***\n\nAmericans consumed almost 450 million pounds of breakfast sausage and ham in 2012, equating to nearly $1.5 billion in sales for sausage producers. While it might be true that most people don't want to see the production process behind this hearty centerpiece of breakfast, this growing consumer base certainly wants to know there are keen-eyed, well-informed operators on the plant floor ensuring the integrity and quality of the product.\n\nThe Jimmy Dean brand, part of the Hillshire Brands portfolio, sells more refrigerated breakfast sausage than the next top four producers combined. To maintain such a leading position, the company must not only offer a consistently high-quality and uniform product, but must do everything possible to keep costs low and throughput high, maintaining a competitive price point among competition eager to cut into its market share.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nThe Hillshire Brands facility in Newbern, Tenn. produces more than 150 million pounds of sausage annually. The Jimmy Dean one-pound, fresh sausage rolls, affectionately called \"chubs,\" account for more than two-thirds of this production total. The facility dedicates eleven machines to grinding, seasoning, filling and packing chubs of more than 300 different SKUs. Plastic-wrapped sausage chubs are sold by the pound, so getting just the right amount of sausage in each roll is crucial. At the end of each line, a check weigher assesses and removes chubs outside the acceptable weight variance. Off-weight chubs are manually sliced open and checked for any contaminates. The sausage is either put back into the system or trashed, both costly options.\n\nBecause its product is priced per package, any amount of meat included beyond the required weight results in lost revenue for the company. At the same time, if a chub is underweight, customer satisfaction is at risk, as customers are not getting what they pay for. Additionally, the Federal Meat Inspection Act requires that packages of meat products bear an accurate statement of the quantity of their contents in terms of weight, measure or numerical count. Every state in the country has similar or additional regulations. If a weights-and-measures inspection finds packages mislabeled, the food cannot be sold and fines can be incurred, all of which is damaging both to a company's reputation and the bottom line.\n\nOperators at the Newbern plant were experiencing unacceptable variances in chub weight, giving away and throwing out too much product. Unfortunately, at the time, operators did not have access to enough control-system data to understand the actual amount or cause of giveaway.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nPlant engineers at Newbern saw an opportunity to reduce weight variance if they could better understand the cause of the problem, so they brought their problem to corporate engineering for help. Jon Riechert, a senior project engineer for Hillshire Brands at the corporate level, had already led the implementation of a manufacturing intelligence strategy and information system at plants in Florence, Ala. and Kansas City, Kansas. After listening to concerns from his engineers in Tennessee, Riechert brought in a team from Grantek Systems Integration to implement a manufacturing intelligence strategy in Newbern.\n\nGrantek worked with the Hillshire Brands control, quality and maintenance engineers to understand the behavior the team wanted to drive with a manufacturing intelligence strategy. For the plant team, a better understanding of finished product weight was the top priority. However, additional data points throughout the process line were also necessary to understand how weight fluctuations were occurring.\n\nGrantek worked with Riechert and his team to implement a manufacturing intelligence solution based on the FactoryTalk(R) software suite. The software integrates directly with the Logix control platform from Rockwell Automation to access real-time production data. Hillshire Brands had previously standardized on the Logix control platform across all of its facilities, which simplified integration of the information software to the plant-floor control system.\n\nIn addition, the Newbern plant was already running on a single industrial network, EtherNet/IPTM, which greatly simplified data collection. The team connected the 11 chub-line machines to two new on-site servers running FactoryTalk Historian software via EtherNet/IP. This allowed the team to collect data over longer-term periods for trend viewing and compare performance across machines. During a shift, if one machine is producing chubs of greater variance, the operators can look at past data and see just when the issue began. If all other machines are functioning properly and under capacity, perhaps production will move until the issue is resolved.\n\nGrantek then installed FactoryTalk VantagePoint software to aggregate information from multiple data sources - the controller, historian and SQL server. Gathering data into one centralized dashboard provides easy access to real-time data and key performance indicators via any Internet browser. The FactoryTalk VantagePoint server is located in the Newbern plant. But as a web-based reporting platform, it is accessible to both corporate and Newbern personnel.\n\nThe Newbern plant engineers, those interacting with the data on a daily basis, worked with Grantek to design the system dashboards. \"The Newbern team had full control over what they wanted to see on the FactoryTalk VantagePoint dashboards,\" said Riechert. \"I've worked with this software enough to understand that there are almost infinite possibilities of what it can show visually. It's very flexible, but the local team has to like it or they won't use it.\"\n\n*** Results ***\n\n\"Before we implemented this system, operators could only see how many bad apples were produced,\" Riechert said. \"Now operators can see weight fluctuations along the line, the exact giveaways on finished chubs, machine downtime, OEE and even meat temperature.\"\n\nArmed with this information, Newbern engineers are close to a yield improvement of 0.10 percent within six weeks of rolling out the new system. This translates into savings of 105,000 chubs per year and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cost of goods sold.\n\n\"The control engineering team is certainly much happier,\" added Riechert. \"Now that they can see the weight of each chub as it goes through the line, they were able to track some variance to a specific filler and make a fix to reduce some our giveaway right off the bat. But our quality assurance folks might be even happier. They were the ones that were doing all the weight checks. Instead of extrapolating giveaways based on hand samples taken several times a day, they now have constant, real-time insight into the weight of each chub, each batch and each shipment.\"\n\nThough the yield improvement of 0.10 percent was all the company needed to justify ROI on the project, Hillshire Brands expects their new information solution to reduce giveaway another several tenths of a percent, increasing yield by up to 0.50 percent, or more than half a million pounds of sausage.\n\n\"Beyond meeting, and potentially exceeding our project goals, it's important to our company that this solution is flexible enough to grow not only with production changes, but with our engineer's changing perspective,\" said Riechert. \"The FactoryTalk system provides the data our operators need to understand what to pay attention to, and where problems are occurring. Once they start to see the high-level patterns that were previously impossible to collect or see manually, they can determine exact causality and what changes we can make to improve the system. After a few months, they start to ask for more tags, dashboards and reports. We are currently considering adding energy-use metrics to the system at several plants. The information is empowering and they want more.\"\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "virtual-system-testing": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/virtual-system-testing\n\nTITLE: QCA Uses Virtual Testing to Reduce Downtime\n\nQCA Systems Ltd. has been providing Industrial Electrical, Automation, and IT services to clients in various industries for over 30 years. Operating with the support of approximately 80 engineers, designers, drafters, technicians, specialists, managers, and administration staff, QCA is able to deliver cost effective, efficient solutions, supporting a wide variety of products.\n\nMeet Terris Onyema, a systems engineer with QCA Systems. The company is a member of the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM and specializes in bulk materials handling. QCA provides automation solutions to a variety of industrial manufacturers in the Pacific Northwest, including ports, mining and other infrastructure-related projects. Neptune Bulk Terminals, a global shipper of potash and coal is a QCA client based in Vancouver, Canada.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\n\"Neptune Bulk Terminals came to us, first, to improve throughput by almost threefold,\" Terris explains. \"And because they're such a major player, its critical for them to minimize downtown and to keep equipment running while upgrades and new equipment commissioning are underway.\" That's right. The customer wanted to improve throughput by three times but have limited downtime as they performed upgrades. What a challenge!\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\n* Early Engagement Helps Create Alignment\n\nQCA was engaged at the start of the project, a decision Terris says contributed to its success.\n\n\"It was great to come in early to lay out an overview of what this is and what we were going to do,\" he said. \"First, we sat down with the vendors to implement interfacing standards across the site to make an overall idea of what was going to happen,\" Terris says. Next, they defined \"operational philosophies\" which provided guidelines for how equipment should run on its own and within the system. \"This provides a good way for anyone who's in electrical design, automation, or information systems to be able to work on their systems individually as well as having sure that everyone was on board with what we were trying to achieve.\"\n\n\n\n* Virtual Testing Prior to Commissioning\n\nBecause QCA was involved early, they were able to begin equipment and system testing before commissioning even began. \"We did in-house factory and off-site testing that we showed to the client before any of the major commissioning sessions were done,\" Terris explains. \"This proved to the customer and to us how efficiently the commissioning process was going to go and how the system was going to run once everything was up and running.\"\n\nIn addition to streamlining the commissioning process, the upfront equipment and system testing meant that install and site testing could be completed quickly, with little disruption to regularly scheduled production.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\n* Ahead of Schedule and Under Budget\n\nThe proactive approach resulted in the project being finished early and within budget. \"Neptune has bridged and even surpassed their tonnage goals with high equipment availability,\" Terris says.\n\nNext up for QCA and Neptune is moving from reactive to predictive and preventive maintenance using Rockwell Automation's FactoryTalk(R) InnovationSuite.\n\n\"We're creating virtual models of the equipment with anomaly engines that track and monitor anomalies and can predict when equipment could have a possible failure,\" he explains. \"It's great to have all these Rockwell Automation tools available to help reach and even surpass our clients' goals.\"\n\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: mining\nTAG: marine\n\nTAG: thingworx\n\n",
    "process-automation-system-streamlines-production-": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/process-automation-system-streamlines-production-\n\nTITLE: Process Automation System Streamlines Production\n\n**** Background\n\n ****\n\nThe recent boom in the number of mobile devices - such as laptops, tablets and smartphones - has led to a renewed look at the suppliers of the essential components that make them function. For example, LCD screen images and speaker technology are enabled by rare earth elements mined from below the earth's surface.\n\nMany of these elements are imported from China. A recent push from the United States government has opened the door for increased domestic supply of rare earth minerals.\n\nIn response to this opportunity, a leading global manufacturer of rare earth and metal products acquired a facility in California with the goal of converting it to a state-of-the-art mining and processing operation. The massive $1 billion project spanned 14 buildings at this location and required standardizing on a common control system across each facility.\n\nAt the facility, ore is mined from one of the world's largest and richest rare earth mineral deposits. Once mined, the ore is crushed, milled and concentrated on-site. It is then put through chemical processing to remove any impurities. Heavy and light rare earth minerals are then concentrated, processed and separated either at Mountain Pass or another downstream facility.\n\nOther on-site facilities include heat and power plants, and a chloralkali facility that takes wastewater produced and turns it back into chemical re-agents used in the separation process. In addition, a paste tailings plant removes water from non-rare earth tailings. The water is then recycled, and the tailings are converted into low-moisture material to prevent the elements from being released to the environment.\n\nThe upgraded facility mines and processes rare earth minerals that are used in smartphones, electric cars, wind turbines, and defense guidance system magnets, as well as countless other products.\n\n**** Challenge ****\n\nThe challenge was to engineer, procure and construct a homogenous sitewide process control system across 14 disparate process buildings being designed by eight separate process engineering firms.\n\nThe company wanted a homogenous platform solution with an automation master plan that each engineering firm could follow throughout implementation to ensure success. The plan needed to define the system migration process, as well as the standards for hardware, software, IT infrastructure, panels, security, instrumentation and wiring.\n\n**** Solution ****\n\nThermo Systems LLC, a Solution Partner in the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM program, was selected to create the automation master plan and lead implementation in collaboration with the other engineering firms. Thermo Systems created a team of 25 on-site engineers, including Rockwell Automation engineers, as well as engineers from partner system integrators. Divided into teams of five, these engineers were available 24/7 throughout the project.\n\nThe Thermo Systems master plan was based on the implementation of a process control system from Rockwell Automation, leveraging Allen Bradley(R) ControlLogix(R) controllers.\n\n\"The new system allowed us to build the individual area process cells, commission them, and then add them to the process ring as it was built,\" said David Musto, president and CEO, Thermo Systems. \"We also used a combination of redundant and nonredundant systems for skid vendor applications.\"\n\nIn order to increase visibility into all aspects of ore processing and refining, Thermo Systems standardized monitoring on 74 remote, human machine interface (HMI) terminals where operators receive diagnostics and updates in real time.\n\n\"We avoided development of traditional control rooms, instead putting operations at the plant floor level\" said Musto. \"The HMIs were the perfect solution and allowed operators to move around the facility rather than being tethered to a control room.\"\n\nThe solution integrates variable frequency drives and hundreds of constant speed motors operating on standard I/O architecture and faceplates.\n\nSpeed of deployment and ease of maintenance were the driving factors in the system design. The mining company and Thermo Systems selected a single end-to-end Rockwell Automation solution, by fully integrating skid-mounted, plant-floor and electrical manufacturing systems on a common platform.\n\nThe automation master plan also issued standards for the system's remote I/O for optimal device connectivity. Multiple layers of redundancy on power supplies and communication networks were designed to prevent system downtime on the 22,500 hardwired I/O connection points.\n\nRedundant Cisco core-level switches were also placed in strategic locations on a redundant fiber ring into the single process control system.\n\n**** Results ****\n\nThe control system offered multiple benefits to the mining company once implemented.\n\n\"The success of this project can be attributed to three key elements: the plan, the products and the people,\" said Musto. \"We created the master plan using Rockwell Automation solutions that we knew would deliver the results we needed. We also leveraged key partnerships with Rockwell Automation that ensured easy implementation and reliable support.\"\n\nThe single, homogenous platform reduced implementation expenses and the amount of training needed for the company's limited staff. It is now completely maintainable by the staff, further reducing maintenance costs.\n\nThe solution allows the mining company the flexibility to expand operations in the future and select service providers that fit their needs, rather than being limited to a select number of system integrators.\n\nThe project achieved aggressive schedule milestones by leveraging the Rockwell Automation partnership, and the entire project was completed within the original time frame.\n\nIn order to optimize throughput and meet production goals, the company has developed ongoing process enhancement goals, and Thermo Systems is working with the company to execute ongoing system updates as needed.\n\n\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\n\n",
    "energy-saving-copper-mine": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/energy-saving-copper-mine\n\nTITLE: Sustainability Critical for Resolution Copper\n\nThe Resolution Copper Project is operated by Resolution Copper Mining, a limited liability company owned 55 percent by Resolution Copper Company (a Rio Tinto PLC subsidiary) and 45 percent by BHP Copper Inc. (a BHP PLC subsidiary).\n\nEdgar Cossio is a Senior Electrical Engineer with Rio Tinto. The firm is a global mining leader and, together with BHP Copper Inc., a partner in Resolution Copper Mining. The joint venture operates the Resolution Copper Project, a proposed underground mine 60 miles east of Phoenix, Arizona at the former Magma Mine site.\n\nThe ore deposit lies nearly 7,000 feet below the earth's surface and represents one of the most significant untapped copper deposits today. Once fully operational, the mine will have the potential to supply nearly 25% of US copper demand.\n\n\"With everybody jumping on the EV (electrical vehicle) and electrification bandwagon, it is paramount for this project to get going as copper is one of the most critical minerals used,\" Cossio explained. \"Demand will continue to increase.\"\n\nEVs use four times more copper than conventional vehicles. The Resolution Copper Project has enough copper to manufacture almost 220 million EVs, or about half the global supply, by 2040. But at 1.3 miles underground, getting to that copper safely and sustainably is the top priority for Resolution Copper.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nVentilation, Temperature and Water Control Essential to Worker and Equipment Safety\n\nIn an underground mine, temperature and humidity can naturally be very high. Mining companies must find ways to maintain good working conditions that are safe for employees and safe for equipment to operate reliably.\n\nFurther, as workers gain access to mining areas, water must be removed from the bedrock, treated and monitored, a process known as dewatering.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\nShaft Renovation and System Upgrades Reduce Risk and Minimize Environmental Impacts\n\nResolution Copper has been addressing these challenges as it prepares the mine site for future operations. The firm renovated two of the mine's shafts, sinking them so they're now among the deepest in the U.S. Additionally, they connected the two shafts, which improves both underground ventilation and employee safety by providing additional ways to enter and exit the mine.\n\nFurther, and as part of its sustainability commitment to reduce energy use, Resolution Copper has also started to upgrade its ventilation system including its chilling equipment.\n\n\"The biggest thing we did was look at our control system. How can we automate this, make it more sustainable and environmentally friendly by implementing new\u00a0technologies, such as replacing self-starter drives with VFDs for our chillers?\" Cossio said.\n\nThe company installed PowerFlex(R) Variable Frequency Drives and adjusted the concentration of glycol used in its cooling systems. Glycol is an antifreeze ingredient that impacts system performance and efficiency. Ventilation upgrades will continue as mine development progresses.\n\nFor water removal, Resolution Copper implemented a multiple stage de-watering system that can pump out water at a rate of 600 to 700 gallons per minute. The water goes through a series of stations at various depths and then to an onsite water treatment plant before it's ultimately recycled as potable water or diverted to an irrigation district where farmers use it for crops and cattle. Resolution Copper selected Rockwell Automation's PlantPAx(R)\u00a0Distributed Control System to manage this complex process.\n\n\"Because of the criticality of our de-watering system, especially with all the assets underground, PlantPAx seemed like the right solution to set us up for success in the future,\" Cossio explained. \"Right now, projects are in the development stages. PlantPAx gives us the necessary backbone and reliability to ensure the mine is set up correctly for the future. With process control from start to finish, it will help us protect employees and equipment while reducing downtime and increasing reliability.\"\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\nSubstantial Energy Savings and Increased System Efficiency\n\nMeanwhile, by switching to VFDs as part of its initial ventilation and chilling system upgrades, Resolution Copper has seen a 5% increase in system efficiency and a 10% decrease in utility costs.\n\n\"With self-starters you didn't have any way to control the speed, even with the process control network, so typically a motor wheel will draw more amperage in the startup,\" Cossio said. \"With VFDs, we're able to mitigate how much electricity is being pulled in the initial upsurge cycle, which is a lot less electricity.\"\n\nThat energy reduction equals about $1 million a year, a \"substantial savings\" that Resolution Copper plans to allocate toward other sustainability initiatives.\n\n\"It's paramount for this project to be environmentally conscious,\" Cossio explained. \"Our partnership with Rockwell Automation is key to that success, especially with all the upcoming technologies and everything else we're trying to implement.\"\n\nTAG: drive-sustainability\n\nTAG: mining\n\nTAG: plantpax\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: drives-and-motors\n\n",
    "laem-system-creates-a-converting-machine-for-the-food-industry": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/laem-system-creates-a-converting-machine-for-the-food-industry\n\nTITLE: Laem System Creates A Converting Machine for the Food Industry\n\n*** Background ***\n\nLaem System, a leading Italian manufacturer of slitter rewinders and converting machinery, has been in operation for over 40 years. Characterised by dynamism and a strong commitment to innovation, the company is constantly looking for solutions that will allow it to achieve improvements in terms of both growth and customer satisfaction. Indeed, each slitter, rewinder and all of its other machines are designed to meet the highest functionality, reliability and quality standards.\n\nWell positioned in the European market, Laem System is also present in North America, Australia and South Africa, and is looking to strengthen its presence in these markets. To reach this goal and to respond to the specific needs of North American customers, Laem System approached Rockwell Automation to help create a slitter rewinder machine that, considering the size, type of treated materials and process of double folding, had never been attempted in the company's history.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nThe main objective was to operate a system of double folding with varied materials, the size and type of which represent a challenge in themselves. At the same time, another objective was to speed up the production process by way of the rapid automatic replacement of the reels at the end of the working phase; without interrupting the cycle of the machine.\n\nCommissioned by a company in the food packaging industry, the machine had to comply with regulations and the highest standards of reliability, accuracy and safety. The system of double folding, the automatic replacement of windings, the use of materials such as the spread, a special type of food plastic wrap, are some of the elements that distinguish this machine and make it a standard for the company.\n\nFor this project, Laem System chose to combine its technical knowledge with the integrated design capabilities of Rockwell Automation.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nTo support Laem System in this project, specialists at Rockwell Automation proposed using its Integrated Architecture solution in order to respond to the need for greater flexibility and reliability. This could help reduce the setup and subsequent startup time of the machine. The control solution supplied by Rockwell Automation could also contribute to the fulfillment of specific requirements for accuracy in bending and cutting, the maintenance of the correct film tension, the automatic replacement of reels at the end of processing and to meet stringent requirements in terms of safety.\n\nThe machine is equipped with 7 motors that wind the tape and four motors that position the mechanical components. The process involves feeding tape through two cones that fold the material twice before passing to the winding phase. Two turrets, which rotate 360 degrees, control the automatic reel-replacement phase at the end of the cycle. The turrets are positioned on a circular plate with two shafts positioned at 180 degrees from each other, and are activated by two of the four small motors, while the remaining motors control the knife and bending cones.\n\nThe Integrated Architecture proposed by Rockwell Automation allows users to manage all phases of the operation, control and display, in a single programming environment.\n\nThe machine is equipped with a platform that includes Allen-Bradley GuardLogix(R) programmable automation controllers (PAC) with integrated security, Allen-Bradley Kinetix 6200 servo drives for the motion, an EtherNet/IPTM network, FactoryTalk View ME for the user interface and control and RSLogix 5000 software for programming the control, motion, drive and safety capabilities.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nThe GuardLogix(R) integrated control system helped reduce the time required during the design and configuration phases as well as reducing the cost of the machine itself. The user interface and the ability to configure the machine during the testing phase helped to accelerate the start-up phase,which does not require the presence of Rockwell Automation personnel.\n\nThe integrated management of all disciplines through a single programming environment has allowed Laem System to achieve its primary objective, which was to provide a fast machine capable of extreme accuracy and precision in the folding and cutting phases, maintenance of appropriate film tension, and a reduction in downtime by way of automatic reel replacement in line with exceptional safety standards.\n\n\"The foundation of the machine is a system characterised by well designed architecture and full high-level integration that caters for complex configurations with relatively simple tools in terms of programming. Very flexible, but at the same time simple to use, the machine betrays the idea that maximum flexibility must be extremely complex,\" states Davide Malki, Vice President Laem System.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "royal-mint-commercializes-precious-metal-recovery-solution": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/royal-mint-commercializes-precious-metal-recovery-solution\n\nTITLE: Royal Mint commercializes precious metal recovery solution\n\nThe Royal Mint is the UK's oldest company. With a contemporary sustainability ethic at the heart of a long-term strategy, it has invested in, enhanced, and scaled a hugely promising technology used for the recovery of precious metals and other materials from e-waste.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nAt the start of the project, the extraction technology, developed by Canadian company Excir, only existed in a prototype form, so required significant further development and scaling to hit The Royal Mint's target of 4,000 metric tons per annum. These technological and processing hurdles were compounded by tightly controlled scheduling and investment.\n\n\"This was never going to be a straightforward project,\" explains Rockwell Automation UK managing director Phil Hadfield. \"We knew there were multiple challenges, some of which we could not influence, but we knew that our highly experienced process technical team and our family of tightly integrated technologies would bring the extraction process under tighter control, and once that was established further evolution and eventual scaling would be a little more straightforward.\"\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\nIn The Royal Mint's new Precious Metal Recovery facility, the circuit boards are fed via a conveyor system into a reactor and the resulting sludge then undergoes separation, sorting, and filtering using specialized chemical processes to extract molten gold and other precious metals from mixed materials, in a tightly controlled precipitation process.\n\nThe unique chemistry extracts 99% of the gold in e-waste and, importantly, this process takes place at room temperature, rather than high-temperature smelting.\n\nAnd it is not just precious metals. Every part of a printed circuit board can be accounted for, even the fiberglass bi-product is \"de-brominated\" - where hazardous bromide is removed - as an integral part of the Mint's circular economy and related net-zero plans.\u00a0\n\nRockwell Automation's Lifecycle Services team delivered a complete process control solution based on its\u00a0PlantPAx(R) DCS system that allows integration from plant floor instrumentation up to boardroom with contextualized reporting providing insights to drive actions for optimizing production.\n\nThe PlantPAx DCS is used globally to help companies make better and faster process control decisions, helping them react more quickly, not just to local process variables, but also to changing specifications, often driven by customer demands.\n\nPlantPAx proved ideal for this project due to its ability to scale in line with the growth and evolution of the process. It also connects disparate pieces of equipment in the complex plant and controls them in one place, using an interface familiar to the Mint's engineers, who have worked with Rockwell Automation for more than 20 years.\n\n\"The system architecture enables different vendors to manufacture different parts of the plant and then easily plug it all together and give one, plant-wide infrastructure control when it's up and running,\" Hadfield said. \"That eliminates disparate control systems that you often have in projects like this and provides optimization improvements, such as common log-ons, change management, alarm management, data logging and more, visible across the entire plant, and this helps reduce the total cost of ownership.\"\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\nEven with all the initial uncertainty and multiple process variables, engineers from all parties were delighted when the system delivered gold on the first run, at scale, and without any insights from an intermediate pilot stage.\n\nAccording to Tony Baker, Director of Manufacturing Innovation at The Royal Mint: \"After so many early challenges, we are pleased that it is all going to plan. In fact, we have already surpassed our 2024/25 target of 400 metric tons, when we hit 500 metric tons earlier this year.\n\n\"We're still fine tuning the processes and optimizing the parameters, but we are getting really good material separation alongside more efficient pre, parallel, and post processes. The project's success has been down to a combination of several factors, helped by the way everyone worked together to address the challenges.\n\n\"This puts us firmly on the road to our 4,000-metric-ton per annum target, and discussions are already well underway with regards to usage of the recovered materials, as are the plans to expand the technology further.\"\n\nYou may also be interested in\n\nTAG: process-solutions\n\nTAG: metals\n\nTAG: plantpax-dcs\n\n",
    "productivity-increased-and-footprint-reduced-by-half-with-itrak": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/productivity-increased-and-footprint-reduced-by-half-with-itrak\n\nTITLE: Productivity Increased and Footprint Reduced by Half with iTRAK\n\n*** Background ***\n\nEstablished in 1992, Maga Active specialises in the design, build and automation of assembly machines and lines, offering turnkey projects for customers in, among others, the irrigation equipment industry.\n\nDuring a recent project, Maga Active was approached by a customer in Greece to develop a new machine for the automated assembly of insertion and drilling systems for drippers for agricultural irrigation lines. The new solution was to replace a much larger existing fixed-pitch assembly system with a much more compact, variable-pitch machine based around the use of high-speed servo systems and cameras for quality control.\n\nWith both variable pitch and speed forming the crux of the new machine, Maga Active turned to Rockwell Automation with its innovative iTRAK\u00ae Independent Cart Technology, which offers multiple movers that can traverse a track independently of each other.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nLimited shop floor space coupled with the need for greater throughput and product flexibility were the primary challenges of this machine, in conjunction with the accuracy needed to precisely place various small and sometimes flexible components. Complete integration was also essential with the line's vision system, which monitored the in-line and end-of-line product quality.\n\nThe customer was also looking to improve both throughout and output volumes for what are small but precise commodity products that face demanding constant use in agricultural applications.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nThe iTRAK solution deployed by Maga Active is comprised of independently controlled movers running on straight and curved paths, instantly removing the limitations of fixed-pitch systems. Its highly innovative capabilities combine both linear and rotary motion, resulting in a flexible, fully integrated solution that can increase production throughput, reduce maintenance and overall machine size.\n\nMaga's machine has 10 work stations along the iTRAK. Some work stations undertake sub-assembly operations, while others carry out inspection of the assembly operation using high-resolution cameras, which sort them as pass/fail. The last working station on the track ejects the drippers in to good/reject boxes.\n\nEach iTRAK mover carries eight products in dedicated assembly jigs - a per-batch product count which immediately ramps up the production rate compared to the incumbent solution. As the mover presents each batch at the individual assembly station, various operations are undertaken to add components or orientate the assembly ready for the next step. Each station has three levels \u2013 corresponding to the component parts (base, silicone seal and cover) \u2013 and servos are used to move the parts from one level to the next depending on the operation being undertaken.\n\nThe iTRAK system is part of a Rockwell Automation\u00ae Integrated Architecture\u00ae solution, which is used to both actuate and control the majority of the machine's primary functions. At the heart of the automation infrastructure is an\u00a0Allen-Bradley CompactLogix\u00ae programmable automation controller (PAC) working in conjunction with an\u00a0Allen-Bradley PanelView\u2122 Plus 7 operator interface. In addition to the iTRAK servo solution, the machine deploys a number of\u00a0Allen-Bradley Kinetix\u00ae 350 servo drives to control Allen-Bradley TL-Series\u2122 Electric Cylinders, which undertake the Z axis movement between the three levels at each assembly station.\n\n*** Results ***\n\n\"The customer already had an automated assembly machine based on a popular indexing-table solution,\" explains Yehuda Duenyas, CEO of Maga Active, \"but it was big, slow and was only single pitch/speed, so the whole machine was dependent on and throttled by the speed of the slowest operation. With this new system, we can achieve a throughput of 180 - 205 pieces per minute \u2013 far more than the older system it is replacing. The next machine will target 220-230 ppm.\"\n\nAnother major factor behind the productivity gains is the independent movement of each iTRAK mover. By operating independently, there is no \"weak link\" caused by long dwell times that would prevent the other assembly jigs traversing quickly between stations when their operations are complete.\n\nThe iTRAK movers can move at speeds up to 5 m/s while still maintaining an accuracy of up to 0.5 mm. Finally \u2013 and just as important to the end user \u2013 the new machine's footprint is 40% smaller than the machine it replaces. \"We have been able to deliver a state-of-the-art assembly solution that not only offers significant performance benefits, but also takes up less valuable real estate,\" Duenyas enthuses. \"We enjoyed great support from Rockwell Automation in Israel and we thought the team helping us was very effective in dealing with the technical aspects of the solutions. The Integrated Architecture solution and iTRAK, with its outstanding performance, functionality and reduced footprint, will be used as a basis for future Maga Active machines.\"\n\n\nTAG: \n\n",
    "caseiz-thingworx-solution": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/caseiz-thingworx-solution\n\nTITLE: CaseiZ Keeps Compressor Optimization On Track\n\nInherently Inefficient\n\nNearly every manufacturing facility uses compressed air. And all share the challenge of keeping compressed air systems running efficiently and reliably.\n\nDepending on industry, the compressed air system accounts for 10% to 50% of a plant's energy usage and is as essential to uptime as electricity. But compressors are inherently inefficient.\n\n\"Air is readily available and appears to be 'free,' but the energy required to consume and pressurize it is substantial and expensive,\" said Devin Sullivan, engineering manager, CaseiZ.\n\nFrequently a hidden source of inefficiency, compressors become a target for optimization as companies investigate ways to reduce energy costs - and their carbon footprint.\n\n\"Often compressors sit in the back of the plant and get very little notice until the corporate energy manager discovers how expensive compressed air is and sees the potential energy savings,\" said Sullivan.\n\nThat's when companies call CaseiZ. A global leader in compressed air solutions, CaseiZ focuses on finding efficiency gains in compressed air, vacuum and cooling water systems. The company's offerings range from energy savings audits and control solutions to turnkey projects. CaseiZ is a member of the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM program.\n\nAudits Uncover Potential Energy Savings\n\n\"The core of our business is upgrades,\" said Lou York, director of development, CaseiZ. \"We've worked in just about every industry you can name - and have discovered compressors that are more than 30 years old.\"\n\nTo assess current performance and potential efficiency gains, customer engagement typically begins with an energy savings audit.\n\n\"Usually, we spend about a week at a facility installing data loggers to determine baselines and discover inefficiencies,\" said Allen King, Jr., manager of operations, CaseiZ. \"Then, we recommend a solution focused on energy reduction.\"\n\nPotential energy savings of 25% to 50% are typically uncovered - and most are attributed to updated automation platforms and system integration. Here's an example.\n\n\"At the basic level, each compressor is sold individually, installed in the utilities room and designed to run by itself,\" explained Sullivan. \"So we often find compressors that are not part of the overall automation system. They're simply running local control and doing their own thing.\"\n\nCaseiZ relies on a Rockwell Automation platform to modernize and integrate obsolete systems. Applications typically include Allen-Bradley(R) CompactLogixTM or ControlLogix(R) controllers and FactoryTalk(R) View HMI - with integration on an EtherNet/IPTM network.\u00a0\u00a0\n\nFrom Static Report to Real-Time Visibility\n\nAs a value-added service, CaseiZ also offered customers a monthly energy report to track system performance to energy savings objectives. The report was static in nature and labor-intensive to produce.\n\n\"We would remotely access the local control panels to harvest a month's worth of system data,\" said King. \"Then, we would manually generate a report.\"\n\nThe monthly snapshot was helpful in identifying deviations from expected performance. But uncovering the cause required additional investigation.\u00a0\u00a0\n\n\"We did not have continuous visibility into operations,\" said Sullivan. \"Someone would have to log in to the system and look for the source of inefficiency.\"\n\nTo improve response time and issue resolution, CaseiZ developed AirView Cloud, a monitoring system based on the ThingWorx IIoT platform. Part of FactoryTalk(R) InnovationSuite and powered by PTC, ThingWorx connects disparate devices, applications and data streams to enable secure access to industrial operations data.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\n\nUsing ThingWorx tools, CaseiZ and their customers see the runtime patterns and utilization of individual machines in real time. They also receive alerts for critical issues such as a compressor tripping offline or a KPI falling below a certain threshold.\n\n\"These systems are very dynamic,\" said King. \"Now, if a compressor fails or a customer makes an unexpected adjustment, we instantly see that drop in efficiency and can address it.\"\n\n\"And all that time we spent gathering data and generating reports now can be spent responding to issues,\" York added.\u00a0\n\nMaintaining Maximum Efficiency\n\nCaseiZ first applied the AirView Cloud solution at an automotive plant. And in less than a year, the company has expanded the solution across more than a dozen diverse companies.\n\n\u00a0\n\n\"The ThingWorx platform is changing two things,\" said King. \"First, it improves customer visibility into their system. And second, it massively accelerates our efficiency in customer support.\"\n\n\u00a0\n\nAirView Cloud is included with turnkey solutions for the first year and offered by subscription for subsequent years.\n\n\"We want customers to experience the system first and then determine its value,\" said York.\n\nThat first automotive customer subscribed for the service as soon as they were eligible.\n\n\"Put simply, we achieve energy gains with automation - and ThingWorx allows us to maintain those gains,\" said York.\n\nLearn more about our OEM Partners.\u00a0\n\n",
    "tradebe-implements-plantpax-to-control-barcelona-hydrocarbon-ter": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/tradebe-implements-plantpax-to-control-barcelona-hydrocarbon-ter\n\nTITLE: Tradebe Implements PlantPAx to Control Barcelona Hydrocarbon Terminal\n\n*** Background ***\n\nTradebe is a leading international company on industrial waste management with annual turnover of \u20ac400 million in 2014. The company operates more than 60 fixed plants in Europe (Spain, United Kingdom, France) and in the United States. Tradebe employs 2,130 people worldwide.\n\nRecently it launched a new hydrocarbon terminal, located at the Energy dock in the Barcelona port. It's a groundbreaking plant due to the speed and flexibility to load and unload gasoline, gas oil, kerosene and all types of fuels. The plant has 29 big tanks with a total capacity of 453,000 m\u00b3. It is able to operate with supertankers of up to 175,000 tonnes. The power and efficiency of its premises allow a 24-tonne truck to be loaded in less than 20 minutes.\n\nThe terminal also has five loading bays, with simultaneous loading of several products, and includes the latest technology to mix products and add additives in-line. Finally, it has three berths to load/unload ships in order to distribute fuels to other ports and countries.\n\nThe company has invested a total of \u20ac65 million in this plant and created one of the biggest logistics and distribution centres in the Mediterranean.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nA distinctive feature of this terminal is that it is split into two connected lots, a kilometre apart. One lot is for light hydrocarbons, like JET, gasoline and diesel, and the other for heavy products like fuel oil. Usually the management of these port facilities is supported by proprietary solutions, exclusively developed for this industry. However, SURIS, a Rockwell Automation System Integrator managing the electric installation and the control and automation system, chose to implement open tools that enable different communication protocols to interact with corporate systems \u2013 all this in accordance with SIL 2 control and security standards. \"We were searching for open, scalable and secure solutions that did not increase systems costs and complexity, but were also able to meet all necessary requirements for the dimensions of this facility,\" states the Technical Manager of SURIS.\n\nFor this reason, the company chose solutions from Rockwell Automation. According to the manager, \"these solutions seamlessly cover all the terminals' needs--from the most basic controller to the monitoring software.\" In addition the site was integrated utilizing virtual solutions and the total project had to be completed in six months.\"\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nSURIS chose the PlantPAx\u00ae distributed control system from Rockwell Automation because it offered scalability, flexibility and easy integration of skids or third-party units. The solution was designed utilizing EtherNet/IP\u2122 and included a complete and integrated information rich operator workstations (OWS) and engineering workstations (EWS) providing KPIs for better management decisions.\n\nAs a result, the system can easily integrate different terminal equipment, including the tank level measurement system, motor-driven valve network and starters, frequency converters, platform scales, energy monitors, load controllers in the truck loading stations, and other third-party systems.\n\nAn EtherNet/IP network was implemented, consisting of one Ethernet network at the physical level and several logic networks (VLAN) that provide the system with the best available level of accessibility, visibility and security, and helps ensure optimal communication performance through segmentation of the existing traffic. Stratix 8000\u2122 modular managed ethernet switches were used and the network was segmented into three logic networks: one for I/O, a second one for TCP/IP communication and a third network to connect controllers and PASS visualization servers.\n\nSafety elements were implemented to meet the SIL 2 requirements of the hazard and operability study (Hazop) report for the site. For this purpose an ESD (emergency shutdown) system was installed, in parallel with the process control system. The core element in the safety system is a GuardLogix\u00ae controller seamlessly integrated into the plant-wide PlantPAx solution; it can support up to SIL 2 safety applications.\n\nFor the terminal visualization and information, PlantPAx servers (Process Automation System Server, PASS) and OWS are used. Information exchange between the control system and the terminal management ERP system is aided by FactoryTalk\u00ae Transaction Manager which helps provide excellent information flow between the corporate system and the control system.\n\nAll the application servers have been implemented on a virtual infrastructure streamlining the number of physical servers and helping to increase the system lifecycle and availability. In addition, maintenance has been simplified.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nSince the completion of the new TRADEBE hydrocarbon terminal, \"the Rockwell Automation PlantPAx distributed control system is working seamlessly\" states the Services Manager of TRADEBE. \"It's a very rugged system and all devices integrate perfectly, thus easing the plant management and automation, resulting in cost savings and less complexity,\" he adds.\n\n\"The combination of scalable and flexible solutions enabled TRADEBE to integrate the plant, both for control and safety. The open communication allowed us to easily integrate third-party equipment. Likewise, it streamlined data capture and allowed information to flow to our corporate systems.\"\n\nSURIS reiterated the advantages gained. \"We have been able to work with open tools and protocols, as well as the flexibility and modularity of all Rockwell Automation equipment. What's more\", he continues, \"scaling the solution according to our needs, anytime and anywhere, has made the implementation much easier.\"\n\n\nTAG: \n\n",
    "solutions-in-action--columbia-machine": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/solutions-in-action--columbia-machine\n\nTITLE: Solutions in Action: Columbia Machine\n\nThe real benefits of improved manufacturing throughput can be realized only if the equipment at the end of the line can keep up.\n\nFor many industries, palletizers are the final link between product cartoning and shipment. To maximize bottom-line results, manufacturers turn to automated palletizers that complement the efficiency of upstream systems.\n\nColumbia Machine, a leading supplier of palletizers in North America, manufactures equipment designed to meet the diverse needs of the food and beverage, personal care, tissue towel and chemical industries.\n\nIn fact, the company boasts more than 3,500 installations and the most complete line of conventional and robotic palletizers available.\n\nIn addition to the palletizer division, Columbia Machine provides load transfer solutions and complete systems integration.\n\nThe family-owned, global company is headquartered in Vancouver, Washington. One of the company's newest machines, the HL7200 high-speed inline palletizer, is redefining the high-speed palletizing market. \"We know our customers are dealing with multiple changeovers and a very fluid situation,\" said Ted Yeigh, sales director, Columbia Machine. \"The HL7200 is extremely flexible in terms of both case or package size and package type. It's also built for optimal performance and safety.\"\n\nThe HL7200 palletizer is fed by an accumulating package conveyor and is designed to place virtually any type of package onto a pallet \u2013 from cases and shrink-wrapped bundles to unwrapped trays and milk crates. Simply put, the HL7200 palletizer automatically builds complete pallet loads for unitization or shipping. Completely programmable, the HL7200 enables seamless changeovers \u2013 facilitated directly through the operator interface.\n\n\"This is the first conventional in-line palletizer that allows the user to add a pallet pattern or modify an existing pattern simply from the operator interface,\" Yeigh explained. \"The system's advanced software plus the infinitely adjustable automatic lane positioners enables this flexibility.\"\n\nIn fact, once programmed, the system automatically adjusts to pallet parameters associated with product SKUs by scanning barcodes as packages enter the system. The machine recognizes the new SKU, facilitates a fullor partial-load discharge based on the last case of the previous load, and begins palletizing the new product.\n\nNo operator intervention is required. The HL7200 palletizer's control system is designed around a single EtherNet/IP\u2122 network infrastructure and based on a Rockwell Automation platform that includes an Allen-Bradley\u00ae ControlLogix\u00ae controller, Allen-Bradley PowerFlex\u00ae 525 AC drives and an Allen-Bradley PanelView\u2122 Plus 6 graphic terminal.\n\nThe solution combines a tightly integrated programming environment with standard, unmodified Ethernet to streamline integration with ancillary equipment, such as barcode readers, and enable direct connectivity with plant-wide networks.\n\nAllen-Bradley Guardmaster\u00ae safety relays help manage some of the functional safety requirements. \"Safety is a key priority for Columbia Machine and the HL7200 palletizer features an industry-leading safety package that includes Category 3 electrical safety components,\" Yeigh said. \"Our machine incorporates a trapped key access system and meets OSHA requirements for minor servicing.\"\n\nOSHA standards allow a minor servicing exception to lockout/tagout requirements for machine maintenance that is deemed to be routine, repetitive and integral to the production process, provided certain criteria are met. To meet this criteria, the palletizer incorporates appropriate guarding and interlocking \u2013 and leverages the PowerFlex drive's Safe Torque-off capability.\n\nSafe Torque-off removes rotational power from the motor without powering down the entire machine. This functionality helps protect personnel from hazardous energy \u2013 and also enables the machine to be restarted more quickly.\n\n\"Efficient operation is a key requirement for high-speed palletizers,\" Yeigh said. \"Our customers specify Overall Equipment Eff ectiveness (OEE) of 99 percent for this equipment. That equates to about four minutes of downtime in an eight-hour shift.\"\n\nThe HL7200 palletizer is designed for non-stop operation and can palletize 75 to120 cases per minute, depending on pack pattern. \"At Columbia Machine, we recognize no two palletizing applications are alike,\" said Yeigh. \"We build our equipment with standard components \u2013 which we configure to address the uniqueness of the customer's application every single time.\"\n\nColumbia Machine counts on the breadth and depth of the Rockwell Automation portfolio to help satisfy customer demands. \"The extensive Rockwell Automation product line provides us with the control options we need,\" Yeigh said. \"And Rockwell Automation is the industry standard. It's what we know and like and what our customers know and like.\"\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: household-and-personal-care\n\n",
    "factory-upgrade-safeguards-long-term-gelatine-production": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/factory-upgrade-safeguards-long-term-gelatine-production\n\nTITLE: Factory Upgrade Safeguards Long Term Gelatine Production\n\nGelatine is a multitalented ingredient for countless applications. It is a key ingredient in gummy candies, marshmallows, yogurts, desserts and much more. Food applications are perhaps the best known examples but they're not the only ones with pharmaceuticals, emergency medicine and photographic films also utilising gelatine products.\n\nDerived from the collagen found in the bones, connective tissue, and skin of pigs, cattle, and other animals, gelatine manufacturers must adhere to stringent national and international food processing requirements.\n\nThese regulations include but are not limited to cleanliness of the plant, equipment; and adhere to allowable percentages of additives, flavourings, and colourings.\n\nTo help safeguard future production of a large-scaled gelatine manufacturing plant, an innovative risk management approach was undertaken to identify and subsequently replace legacy equipment with assistance from Rockwell Automation.\n\nThe ultimate goal was to identify and replace legacy equipment with minimal interruption to production.\n\n***** Safeguarding Gelatine Production *****\n\nThe existing legacy distributed control system (DCS) was over 15 years old and although it was still in operation, if it were to malfunction or breakdown, there was limited ability to have it operational in a timely manner which presented a production risk too great to ignore.\n\nA vendor selection process was undertaken by the manufacturer to assess new technologies that could provide an effective solution for the plant's requirements.\n\nThrough this process it was identified that the Rockwell Automation\u00a0PlantPAx(R) distributed system was the most appropriate choice for this application.\n\nThe PlantPAx process automation system is built on a standard-based architecture using\u00a0Integrated Architecture components. This system helps operators make faster, informed decisions and respond quickly to changing demands. It utilises a common automation platform for seamless integration to increase efficiencies and productivity.\n\nThe PlantPAx system connects process, discrete, power, information and safety control into one plant-wide infrastructure, leveraging\u00a0EtherNet/IPTM\u00a0as its backbone. As a result real time information is readily available throughout the enterprise.\n\nAccording to Sean Doherty, account manager - Food & Beverage at Rockwell Automation, \"In addition to the technology capabilities provided by the PlantPAx solution, a key focus for this project was to design a solution to meet the requirements of the plant, while minimising any production loss and operational risks associated with the changeover to the new system.\"\n\n***** Innovative Project Execution *****\n\nIn the first stage of this project, the Rockwell Automation Global Solutions team were engaged to conduct a\u00a0Front End Engineering and Design (FEED)\u00a0specification. As part of this process, technical specifications, scope definition, and risk assessments were evaluated to reduce overall project risks and execution time.\n\nWithin a turnaround time of approximately four days, there was a very smooth transition to the new system and the factory was manufacturing A-grade quality gelatine.\n\n\"We conducted a thorough site audit at the plant and documented the existing system and current processes. As part of this, we also consulted with the manufacturer to understand the key requirements of the system and the enduser specifications,\" explained Doherty.\n\nTo address concerns around risk mitigation, an additional level of testing was introduced for the system with detailed Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) being conducted at the Rockwell Automation facility.\n\nThe plant operators were actively involved in the review process and hands on training as well as testing of the system was conducted to make sure it was functioning to meet all expectations.\n\nThe testing was conducted over a two week period to help mitigate any hardware risks and validate it was fully tested and the entire system was working as intended.\n\nThe PlantPAx system connects process, discrete, power, information and safety control into one plant-wide infrastructure.\n\n***** Smart Commissioning *****\n\nWhen replacing a legacy DCS system, if the field wiring is replaced simultaneously a significant risk is introduced.\n\nIn this particular manufacturing plant there were approximately 1500 IO or approximately 4000 wires in the system, which needed upgrading.\n\n\"To have someone disconnect 4000 wires and manually reconnect them, the odds are that some of them are not going to be connected correctly, some of them may be back to front or loose. This would then add over a week to the commissioning team because you would have to go and test every single field connection,\" explained Doherty.\n\nThe PlantPAx process automation system is built on a standard-based architecture using Integrated Architecture components.\n\n\"To avoid this, we developed an IO adaptor card that would allow us to remove the old DCS and module and replace it with our proprietary designed module so we could signal through our system without having to change the IO wiring. This reduced the changeover time significantly,\" he said.\n\n***** Straight to A-Grade Quality *****\n\nThis project highlights the importance of careful planning and risk mitigation to deliver a successful outcome. From the initial stage of working together to document existing functionality to testing and commissioning, the new system was integrated seamlessly and three days ahead of schedule.\n\nWithin a turnaround time of approximately four days, there was a very smooth transition to the new system and the factory was manufacturing A-grade quality gelatine.\n\n\u00a0\n\nAllen-Bradley, Listen. Think. Solve, PlantPAX, Rockwell Automation and Rockwell Software are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\nEtherNet/IP is a trademark of ODVA, Inc.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "intelligent-refining-uses-plantpax-process-automation-system": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/intelligent-refining-uses-plantpax-process-automation-system\n\nTITLE: Intelligent Refining Uses PlantPAxTM Process Automation System\n\n*** Background ***\n\nTereos France is a leading company in the French sugar industry with nine sugar factories, five distilleries and four packaging facilities, producing an annual total of 1.5 million tonnes of sugar and 500,000 cubic metres of alcohol and bioethanol from beet.\n\nEach year the Tereos Boiry Sainte Rictrude sugar factory, located near Arras (in the region of Pas de Calais), produces 250,000 tonnes of white sugar for manufacturers in the agro-industrial sector (drinks, chocolate, jam, biscuit and dairy product manufacturers). This sugar is produced over a very short period, known as the \"sugar campaign\", which runs from mid-September to December each year, during which time the sugar beet is harvested and transported to the sugar factory for processing.\n\nEvery day during the campaign, Boiry processes 20,000 tonnes of beet, produces 2,800 tonnes of sugar and consumes 15MW of electricity! The sugar factory produces this energy itself, by means of two boilers that supply a turbo-generator with steam. The factory is connected to the national electricity grid (EDF) only at start-up and outside the campaign period.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nThese boilers are the very lifeblood of the sugar factory, and can produce up to 140 and 120 tonnes of steam per hour respectively. 85% of this steam is used to produce electricity; the remaining 15% is used for the various processes in the manufacture of sugar. In 2009, Tereos decided to replace the now obsolete distributed control system which governed the two boilers.\n\nTereos' objective: to modernise and optimise control of these boilers and integrate these within a single control and command system for the whole factory. The company contacted a number of suppliers and, after examining the proposals, chose to migrate command of the boilers to the Rockwell Automation PlantPAx system.\n\nThe decision was taken in March 2009\u2026 with the sugar campaign due to start in September. This presented quite a challenge for Rockwell Automation, since the factory cannot operate without a boiler. Furthermore, boiler control requires very specific expertise: highly complex regulation algorithms, fine tuning of the burners and extremely sophisticated calculations to anticipate load demand.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nHelping to ensure that this migration took place with minimal risk and within the deadline therefore required specific and diverse skills. This is where Rockwell Automation Global Solutions came in. Its specific knowledge of boiler management and experience in risk management were indispensable in this situation. The Rockwell Automation Global Solutions team carried out a retrospective analysis of the legacy system and defined a migration solution that was able to provide optimal boiler operation with minimal risk.\n\nThis solution centres round the PlantPAx process automation system, based on three redundant Allen-Bradley\u00ae ControlLogix\u00ae PACs and completely integrated into the factory's overall system. The boiler management specialists from Rockwell Automation adjusted the settings and sequential automation processes that were necessary for control and command of the combustion.\n\nAt the end of August 2009, just before the campaign was to start, the factory conducted a week-long \"dry run\", during which teams from the sugar factory and the Rockwell Automation team carried out adjustments and tested the loads. The final adjustments of the system could be made only at production start-up, and there was no room for error.\n\nThe first day of the campaign went without a hitch, and the increase in power was as predicted. Michel Hennebique, Manager of Electricity - Automation at the Boiry sugar factory gave his confirmation: \"The start-up and commissioning of the boiler under Rockwell Automation went very well; in under two days all the adjustments had been made. And there wasn't a single stoppage throughout the entire campaign.\"\n\n*** Results ***\n\nWith two sugar campaigns now completed, Tereos is in a position to benefit from the improvements generated by the Rockwell Automation solution. And the Rockwell Automation Global Solutions team with PlantPAx system has proved its ability to replace the conventional DCS solution as well as its competitiveness as a solution of this type.\n\n\"Boiler control has been improved, in particular in terms of monitoring reheating; boiler output now reaches 96%. Boiler operation is also much more reliable than before. With the Rockwell Automation solution, it has also been possible to link the boilers together, and power matching is now carried out automatically by the PlantPAx system. The skill and unfailing support from the Rockwell Automation team throughout the project made all the difference\", states the Boiry Manager of Electricity & Automation.\n\nThe boiler control and command system is now totally integrated with the other factory units, allowing traceability to be centralised for the entire production site: alarms, operator actions and process history. \"We took advantage of this migration to carry out a review of the ergonomics of our supervision workstations with Rockwell Automation, and our operators particularly appreciate the increased user-friendliness of the Plant PAx system\" added the Boiry Automation team.\n\nMost manufacturing procedures at the Boiry Sainte Rictrude sugar factory - diffusion, purification, crystallisation - are now automated using the solution from Rockwell Automation. Two workshops (washing and filtration) will also be controlled by Rockwell Automation as from 2012. The sugar factory constitutes a benchmark site for the Tereos Group.\n\nBut Hennebique does not intend to stop there. He already has plans for the implementation of specific Rockwell Automation software to make savings on his energy consumption, and for the use of FactoryTalk AssetCentre - traceability software to monitor all the modifications carried out in the sugar factory's operational processes.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "new-advances-in-syngas-production-using-latest-process-technolog": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/new-advances-in-syngas-production-using-latest-process-technolog\n\nTITLE: New Advances in Syngas Production Using Latest Process Technology\n\nThe Leigh Creek Energy Project is an in situ gasification converting coal from its solid state into its gaseous form.\n\nLeigh Creek Energy Limited\u00a0is an innovative energy company focused on developing its Leigh Creek Energy Project (LCEP), located 550km north of Adelaide, South Australia.\n\nThe company's flagship project is the Leigh Creek Energy Project - an in situ gasification (ISG) converting coal from its solid state into its gaseous form. This process results in the generation of synthetic natural gas (syngas) containing methane, hydrogen and other valuable components. The syngas can be either used to produce electricity directly or further refined into a variety of products including synthetic methane and ammonia.\n\nTo obtain information to inform the design for a potential commercial facility, Leigh Creek Energy established an ISG demonstration facility.\u00a0 This involved the construction of an above ground plant and the establishment of a below ground single ISG gasifier chamber.\n\nThe Leigh Creek Coalfield was selected as an appropriate site for the pilot facility as a result of a screening process using criteria that covered environmental, technical and commercial aspects for ISG. These findings confirmed that the site was suitable for undertaking ISG processing in a manner that was safe and minimised environmental impact.\n\nThe pilot plant was commissioned and operated reliably for the 90 day trial period to produce syngas, allowing for the technical and environmental performance of the process to be analysed.\n\n*** Delving into the plant ***\n\nThe challenge at hand was to design the ISG process and keep the pilot plant running continuously without any stoppages. ATSys, a Rockwell Automation Recognised System Integrator, was commissioned to develop the electrical implementation and control system for the plant.\n\nThe ISG process is a chemical conversion from solid coal to gas. For the reactions to commence, air is introduced through the inlet well, and an initiation device is used to create very high temperatures. As the temperature and oxygen concentration reach optimum levels, a series of reactions convert the solid fuel into syngas, which is then extracted through the outlet well.\n\nThe area in the coal seam where the gasification takes place is referred to as the gasifier chamber; the reactions that form syngas typically occur at temperatures of between 900^0C and 1200^0C. Given the process, safety and environmental considerations for the plant, the choice of control and automation system requirements was of paramount importance.\n\n\"We selected Rockwell Automation hardware and software for this project because it has been proven to be reliable, and we could be confident that the technology would be fit for the purpose of this project,\" said Andre Tassone, managing director, ATSys.\n\n*** Plant-wide control, mobility and visibility ***\n\nThe Rockwell Automation\u00a0PlantPAx(R)\u00a0distributed control system\u00a0delivered advanced plant-wide control and optimisation for the plant. By using a common automation platform, the PlantPAx system provided seamless integration between critical process areas of the plant. In addition, the\u00a0Allen-Bradley(R)\u00a0CompactLogixTM controllers\u00a0together with\u00a0PowerFlex(R)\u00a0drives\u00a0with Safe Torque-Off delivered a fully integrated architecture. The\u00a0Integrated Architecture(R)\u00a0solution allowed all equipment to seamlessly integrate over Ethernet into the controllers, allowing fast, reliable control with detailed diagnostics for this critical application.\n\nReducing engineering time associated with installation and commissioning was a key priority for the project. The PlantPAx Library of Process objects is a pre-defined library of controller code (Add-On Instructions), display elements (global objects), and faceplates that let you quickly assemble applications with proven strategies, rich functionality and known performance.\n\n\"By using the PlantPAx Library of Process Objects in the Leigh Creek project, we were able to reduce the engineering and testing time involved. We also decided to design all the equipment on skids to reduce installation time on site,\" explained Phil Galbraith, principal control systems engineer, ATSys.\n\nThe FactoryTalk product suite provided real time visibility into the system for monitoring and controlling the plant.\n\nThe\u00a0FactoryTalk(R)\u00a0product suite provided real time visibility into the system for monitoring and controlling the plant.\u00a0FactoryTalk View SE\u00a0was used in a redundant configuration for visualisation and control on a pair of PCs running in the control room onsite, helping to ensure reliability for critical control and monitoring functions.\u00a0FactoryTalk Historian SE\u00a0and\u00a0FactoryTalk VantagePoint\u00a0were used for logging of historical data and visualization on a cloud-hosted system.\n\nAs the pilot plant was in operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week, it was important for operators to be able to access data remotely. This platform also enabled the capability for remote access to the production data. In addition to having access to real time data, it was critical to log data for analytics and reporting analyse trends, investigate inefficiencies and monitor environmental KPIs.\n\nPowerFlex 525 drives with Safe Torque-Off provided integrated motor control and safety.\n\nCompactLogix controllers optimised productivity and reduced commissioning.\n\n*** Successful syngas production ***\n\nAs with all pilot projects, there is always a risk that the project may not be commercially feasible. This was not the case with the Leigh Creek Energy Project; in fact, its success exceeded expectations. The pilot project resulted in the successful production of commercial syngas - with a peak flow rate of 7.5mmcf/day which was higher than anticipated for the ISG process. In addition, the pilot study demonstrated that Leigh Creek Energy has operated the ISG gasifier safely through data analysed from surrounding environmental monitoring wells before, during and after the trial.\n\nThe data recorded reveals that the size of the gas resource is significant, making this resource one of the largest undeveloped, uncontracted and undervalued gas resources within the East Coast gas system in Australia. Unlocking the value of such a significant energy resource will provide Leigh Creek Energy with the foundation to progress the project to the next commercial stages.\n\n\"The success of this trial has effectively unlocked a large energy resource of huge value and captured key data that validates the fact that this proven ISG technology can be successful in a commercial application,\" said Phil Staveley, managing director, Leigh Creek Energy.\n\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\nTAG: industrial-networks\n\nTAG: oil-and-gas\n\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: factorytalk-historian\nTAG: plantpax\nTAG: plantpax-dcs\n\n",
    "eli-lilly-boosts-workforce-productivity-with-factorytalk-view-hm": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/eli-lilly-boosts-workforce-productivity-with-factorytalk-view-hm\n\nTITLE: Eli Lilly Boosts Workforce Productivity With FactoryTalk View HMI System From Rockwell Automation\n\n*** Life Support ***\n\nThe process of converting biological agents into pharmaceuticals is one of the most sophisticated and stringent manufacturing processes. Consider: An aspirin molecule contains 21 atoms. A biopharmaceutical molecule could consist of anywhere from 2,000 to 25,000 atoms.\n\nConsistently reproducing these complex compounds from their origin in a bioreactor to their packaging for patients requires both operational precision and strict quality control.\n\nEli Lilly is one of the top biopharmaceutical developers in the world, Its Lilly-Branchburg plant is primarily dedicated to manufacturing advanced therapies for treating cancer. It also produces biopharmaceuticals that are undergoing clinical trials.\n\nThese drugs are processed in two \"clean\" manufacturing suites, where workers must wear protective suits to avoid contamination. Inside these suites are the human machine interface (HMI) systems that allow operators to see the status of each batch, and ensure the process is running smoothly and consistently.\n\n*** Assessing the View ***\n\nThe Lilly-Branchburg plant runs 24/7. This around-the-clock schedule offers few opportunities for equipment upgrades, and even the shortest downtime comes at a cost to production.\n\nWith the HMIs' operating system (OS) nearing the end of its life, plant managers took the opportunity to assess how people interacted with the manufacturing process. Feedback from operators, engineers and others who had used the existing HMIs to gain visibility into the production process was consistent \u2013 accessing the HMIs required too much time and effort.\n\n\"Access to the HMIs was confined to the clean area, resulting in production lulls,\" said Mihir Shah, director of automation and electrical engineering at Eli Lilly. \"Imagine you're a manufacturing supervisor checking on the production run. Anytime you'd want to check on production, you'd have to enter the manufacturing suite and put on a protective suit.\"\n\nNot only was this time consuming, it also complicated troubleshooting. An issue in the manufacturing suite, for instance, might require an instrument to be recalibrated. An operator had to enter the clean area and identify the issue before knowing who could fix it. In the pharmaceuticals industry, instruments also must be routinely calibrated every six months to verify that parameters on the HMI system are represented on the instrument.\n\nIf one of the thick-client computers in one of the suites went down, recovery took anywhere from four to eight hours. Re-establishing a connection with the HMI system required workers to gown up for the production area, apply any required OS patches, check the anti-virus software, and other steps that interrupted normal production.\n\n*** Far and Away a Visionary ***\n\nOnce Eli Lilly decided to modernize its HMI system, it needed to set goals for the upgrade and select the technology for the optimal solution. Deployment also needed to fit within the production schedule of each suite and the availability of different teams. Management established a three-phased rollout plan that could best fit the update into its schedule.\n\n\"The project had three major goals: remote visibility, improved life-cycle management for the equipment, and an addition of robust data collection,\" Shah explained. \"Within eight months, we had done our homework and knew what technology was available to help us reach those goals.\"\n\nEli Lilly chose the FactoryTalk\u00ae software suite from Rockwell Automation to provide its visibility and data-management solutions, paired with Allen-Bradley\u00ae ControlLogix\u00ae controllers. A seamless, system-wide data flow was secured with integrated operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT).\n\nFactoryTalk View Site Edition (SE) software\u00a0with VMware View\u00ae provides access to the HMI system from outside of the clean area. Users on the process and corporate network now can view production parameters and perform troubleshooting from anywhere.\n\nA virtualized, thin-client architecture improves life-cycle management for the equipment, especially during future system updates and HMI client recovery. Dedicating server space for each production area means changes to one suite will not affect another.\n\n\"The virtualized HMI system removed the pain from recovery. If a thin-client goes down for any reason, a new client can be almost automatically connected using an IP address,\" Shah said. \"Even if the server goes down, we have a redundant system. In less than a second, the secondary server will activate.\"\n\nFactoryTalk Historian\u00a0applications secure the collection of key data at the machine level, which then flows up to a site-level server. If a piece of equipment is connected to the system, this historian captures a constant, rolling window of data. Eli Lilly consistently maintains this information in case of a network or server failure.\n\n*** Looking Into It ***\n\nWith workers now untethered from workstations, production lulls have been eliminated.\n\n\"When a plant runs 24/7, workforce efficiency is essential,\" Shah said. \"Access extended outside of the suite frees people to focus on other responsibilities.\"\n\nProductivity improvements in the Lilly-Branchburg plant included easier instrument calibration. What once required two people is now accomplished by an individual with a mobile HMI client at the instrument. Now a supervisor can also remotely check the status of a production run to see if it's on time and if other teams have begun the necessary steps.\n\nRemote access to the historian infrastructure has been a boon to the manufacturing technology group, which is responsible for analyzing production data. Comparing a current batch against the expected standard helps determine whether a process is running properly and provides the opportunity to test the process within changing parameters.\u00a0\n\nIt once took four to eight hours to recover an HMI workstation. That time has been collapsed to five minutes or less.\n\nNow that Eli Lilly is familiar with the new visualization and historian architecture, the company expects a 70 percent reduction in development and deployment time when the second suite and a common utility area are modernized.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Eli Lilly's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nAllen-Bradley, ControlLogix and FactoryTalk are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\nVMware View is a trademark of VMware Inc.\n\n\nTAG: life-sciences\n\n",
    "live-inventory": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/live-inventory\n\nTITLE: Everyday Technologies Creates Live Inventory with ERP\n\nEveryday Technologies modernized its operations and created a live inventory with Plex ERP, achieving streamlined production and improved forecasting capabilities.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\n* Ready to Modernize, Improve Efficiency with a New ERP\n\nEveryday Technologies, based in Sidney, Ohio, is a metal forming company that provides laser blanking, press brake forming, welding, and powder coating to OEMs. Embodying the motto, \"Customer Success is Our Success,\" the company recognized the need for a more advanced ERP system after relying on the same solution for over 15 years. While the system performed basic functions, \"it was really lacking in the modern, more robust features that you get from a current system,\" says Cody Lee, CEO and Owner of Everyday Technologies.\n\nThe previous system, hosted on a local server, also posed several limitations. The company needed a cloud-based smart manufacturing platform that could deliver real-time insights, improve efficiency, and enable them to project future needs with precision.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\n* Implementing Plex ERP for Real-Time Data and Live Inventory\n\nAfter evaluating other EPR systems, the company chose Plex ERP, a cloud-based solution that provided real-time access to production data, automated inventory control, and forecasting capabilities. The system allowed them to project future needs with precision and manage inventory more strategically. \"The cloud-based functionality of Plex, we hadn't known anything like that existed,\" says Lee. He recognized Plex as the best fit for the business.\n\nDuring the implementation phase, Everyday Technologies and Plex strategically identified and set up workstations on the plant floor. These stations empowered the team to leverage the Plex control panel and streamline workflows. Employees received comprehensive training, which helped familiarize them with the new system.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\n* Streamlined Production and Benefits of Live Inventory Management\n\nImplementing Plex ERP transformed Everyday Technologies. Lee explains, \"The number one thing we were able to do with Plex that we weren't able to do with our old system was have a perpetual live inventory.\" Previously, inventory management was scattered across multiple spreadsheets that required manual oversight. Now, all inventory data is centralized and live within Plex. Each purchase component and manufactured item is barcoded and managed systematically in real time.\n\nPlex also improved the company's workflow. With the live inventory, Everyday Technologies is able to isolate capacity at each work center and focus only on necessary jobs and materials.\n\nAs Lee concluded, \"We've had a lot of quick wins these last several months. There's a lot of things we know that exist out there that the team is excited to implement.\"\n\nYou may also be interested in\n\nTAG: accelerate-digital-transformation\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: metals\n\nTAG: plex-erp\n\n",
    "smart-safety-solution-helps-grow-capacity-and-reliability-at-pla": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/smart-safety-solution-helps-grow-capacity-and-reliability-at-pla\n\nTITLE: Smart Safety Solution Helps Grow Capacity and Reliability at Plaster Mill\n\nWinstone Wallboards is New Zealand's only manufacturer and marketer of gypsum plasterboard, drywall systems, and associated products and services.\n\nOver the last 90 years,\u00a0Winstone Wallboards has grown from modest beginnings to become New Zealand's only manufacturer and marketer of gypsum plasterboard, drywall systems, and associated products and services.\n\nWinstone Wallboards has facilities in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington.\u00a0 The company is committed to ongoing research and works closely with researchers at universities at New Zealand's major industrial research and development centres to continually improve its products, systems, and solutions.\n\nA core section of the plant is the joint and finishing compounds area, within the company's Auckland plaster mill. This is the only production facility capable of producing joint and finishing compounds in New Zealand. As the final step of a complex process, this material handling section seals, conveys, orientates, palletises and wraps finished product.\n\nThe material handling equipment for the joints and finishing area was installed in 2002. The installation represented a fundamental leap forward in productivity and technology as the large quantities of manual handling previously required in the area were significantly reduced. However, in the last 15 years, machine safety standards and general expectations on machinery within manufacturing have been substantially updated.\n\nTo comply with the latest safety standards and improve reliability, Winstone Wallboards approached NHP Electrical Engineering Products, a distributor for Rockwell Automation products and services, to design and deliver an industry leading solution to meet their palletising requirements and assist with growing the company's production capacity.\n\n*** Automated materials handling ***\n\nThe materials handling equipment has the challenging task of handling the two incoming streams\u00a0- the dry and wet product, packaged in different mediums\u00a0- simultaneously. The finishing compounds area is divided into three sections; the dry mix section: end user is required to mix the product which is packed in a variety of different sized bags from 5kg to 20kg; the wet mix station: ready to use products are packed in pails of varying sizes from two litres up to 15 litres and also a 14 litre box; the third section merges both the wet and dry mix on the robot palletising system. Safety is therefore a key priority for the system operators.\n\nWhile reviewing these materials handling zones, Winstone Wallboards had conducted a risk assessment which identified areas of the plant that required updating to meet new standards.\n\n\"The initial scope of the project was to replace an aging palletising robot that was no longer meeting capacity,\" explained Shaun Sanders, Manufacturing Safety Engineer at Winstone Wallboards. \"We decided to upgrade the safety in the joints and finishing area to comply with the standards for palletising cells and implement a new safety system - from control through to devices - in that area,\" he said.\n\n*** Smart safety solution ***\n\nThe functional safety specification helped identify the products and solutions that would best meet Winstone Wallboard's safety requirements. \"We decided to use the full spectrum of Rockwell Automation products to deliver a completely integrated and connected safety system,\" said Sanders.\n\nIntegrated control and safety for the materials handling equipment was delivered by the\u00a0Allen-Bradley(R) GuardLogix(R)\u00a0programmable automation controller (PAC). The control system was programmed using\u00a0Studio 5000(R) Logix Designer\u00a0software over Ethernet/IP - for seamless integration and providing time-savings in design, engineering and project development with simplified validation and verification through minimized hardwiring tests.\n\nGiven the safety hazards associated with the materials handling equipment at the plant, it was important to provide appropriate guarding between the hazard and operators so the machine could be accessed in safe mode if required.\u00a0Guardshield(R) POC Safety Light Curtains\u00a0provided zone separation for the mill, and the latest\u00a0Guardmaster(R) 442G Multifunctional Access Box\u00a0(MAB) provided an ideal solution for this application. It is an integrated access control and guard locking device which provides a complete safeguarding solution for full body access applications.\n\nThe Allen-Bradley 442G Multifunction Access Box installed on safety gate.\n\nThe 442G MAB gate access lock has Ethernet/IP connectivity, avoiding the requirement for hardwiring the system. \"The MAB provides a pre-built access unit that is easy to install and replaces separate solenoid lock, latch mechanism, mechanical stops, multiple buttons, indicators and emergency stop operator and escape release mechanism, which would all have to be integrated and engineered - the MAB is a simple and economic choice that is pre-engineered and TUV certified to PLe performance level,\" explained Simon Johnson, technical consultant for connected components, Rockwell Automation.\n\nThe new smart safety solution at Winstone Wallboards provides the flexibility to perform sophisticated safety control. All tasks are available, and rich diagnostic information is captured by the MAB and GuardLogix. Harnessing the power of safety and operational data can substantially improve safety compliance and performance - enabling smart machines for use in\u00a0The Connected Enterprise(R)\u00a0and helping to increase productivity and minimise downtime while reducing total cost of ownership.\n\n\"The installation and commissioning time was reduced significantly using the MAB. We had approximately 14 days during a planned shutdown to remove the existing system and have the safety upgrade installed and commissioned. Using an integrated safety solution enabled us to achieve this, otherwise we would have struggled to complete it on time. In addition, we integrated the system with other processes onsite and everything was done easily through digital communications,\" said Sanders.\n\nThe materials handling equipment has the challenging task of handling the two incoming streams -the dry and wet product packaged in different mediums simultaneously.\n\nMaintaining uptime\n\n\"The new solution meets AS/NZ Standard 4024 and provides ease of maintenance and also ease of adjustment. From a maintenance and fault-finding perspective, it has given us great benefits. It is part of a big picture for the plant, moving towards integrated equipment,\" said Sanders.\n\nAs a result of the solution, downtime due to safety system failure has been reduced. With the old safety system, fault events could take several hours to diagnose; now, with the new Guardlogix based smart safety system, diagnostic information on the state of the safety system is immediately available to the operator and maintenance teams. This facilitates rapid repair and production resumption, resulting in an OEE improvement of 0.3 percent. This means that the safety system provides increased equipment availability to produce for an additional 24 hour period during the year.\n\nFurthermore, the system provides the tools for Winstone Wallboards to drive compliance, while ease of use provides the operator with safe operating procedures whilst enhancing productivity. By incorporating safety information into Environmental Health and Safety management systems, day to day discrepancies between policies and operating procedures can be identified - improving insight into worker behaviour and compliance.\n\nPreviously, to gain more diagnostic data, traditional safety devices required more complex wiring solutions. Using a smart safety solution enables greater access to diagnostic data and simplifies your wiring system. An integrated smart safety solution provides the information needed to create a comprehensive picture of the status of the machine or production line.\n\nIn addition, enhanced visibility into safety-system performance and stoppages can help determine the root cause of shutdowns. Safety and production data also can be combined to understand the frequency, duration, time and location of safety-related shutdowns.\n\n\"This project is the first step towards building the communications infrastructure for the entire plant. Having a platform like GuardLogix lays the foundation for where the future of the plant will lie with integrated safety. The success of this project has given Winstone Wallboards the confidence to use newer technologies and invest in further upgrades at the plant,\" said Adam Kane, Technology Specialist - Safety & HAE, NHP.\n\nThe joint and finishing compounds area is a core section of Winstone Wallboard's plaster mill.\n\nAllen-Bradley, GuardLogix, Guardmaster, GuardShield, Rockwell Automation, Rockwell Software and Studio 5000 are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\nEtherNet/IP and CIP Safety are trademarks of ODVA.\n\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: fiber-and-textiles\nTAG: warehouse-fulfillment\n\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: factorytalk-studio-5000\nTAG: safety-products\n\n",
    "craft-brewing-system-boosts-repeatability": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/craft-brewing-system-boosts-repeatability\n\nTITLE: Craft Brewing System Boosts Repeatability\n\nWhen it comes to microbreweries, one thing is certain: no two are alike.\n\nAnd while there is a degree of standardization to the brewing process, equipment suppliers must customize installations to meet unique layouts and system parameters - and anticipated production demands.\n\n\"Many craft brewers start their businesses conservatively and with fairly simple manual systems,\" said Glen Moore, president, Smart Machine Technologies. \"But those that become successful soon recognize the value of a fully automated solution. We've grown our offerings to meet this need.\"\n\nA custom machinery supplier with nearly 40 years of success serving a range of industries, Smart Machine Technologies (SMT) has developed specific expertise in craft brewing solutions in recent years.\n\nThe company designs and fabricates all systems from its headquarters in Ridgeway, Virginia.\n\nIn line with the demands of the industry, SMT initially deployed primarily manual systems that included operator panels for starting and speed control.\n\nNext, the company moved to semi-automated systems that controlled certain subroutines.\n\n\"But I wanted to take it one step further,\" said Moore. \"I planned to design a fully automated system that would take advantage of the latest graphics, touch-screen and mobile technology.\"\n\nSimultaneously, a potential customer, Schulz Br\"au Brewing Company, was expanding to a second location and approached SMT for a solution.\n\n\"Schulz Br\"au had a manual system at their first brewery and hoped to install an automated system at the new site,\" Moore said. \"I asked Rockwell Automation if they would work with us on this project.\"\n\nSMT collaborated with Rockwell Automation Global OEM Technical Consultants (GOTCs) throughout initial hardware selection and system development.\n\nThe SMT control system is based on the Rockwell Automation application code developed for craft brewing, which runs on standard Rockwell Automation process control hardware and software platforms.\n\nSpecifically, the application runs on an Allen-Bradley(R) CompactLogixTM controller and incorporates Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) AC drives for variable speed control.\n\nAllen-Bradley PanelViewTM Plus 7 graphic terminals provide local monitoring. Centralized supervisory-level visualization is achieved via an Allen-Bradley 6181P integrated display computer.\n\nIntegrated on an EtherNet/IPTM network, the system includes an Allen-Bradley StratixTM managed Ethernet switch and wireless access point solution for smart plant operation. The system includes both brewhouse and cellar applications.\n\nFor access on mobile devices, the solution includes FactoryTalk(R) ViewPoint, an add-on to PanelView Plus, which provides a secure interface to graphics, trending, and alarming through a web browser.\n\nSchulz Br\"au Brewing is pleased with the new fully automated system.\n\n\"The SMT system helps us maintain quality control over the process,\" said Nico Schulz, owner, Schulz Br\"au Brewing Company. \"It allows us to save our recipes and run the same sequence repeatedly, so we know each new brew will be the same as the first.\"\n\n\"And since I own one brewery in Kentucky and another in Tennessee, mobile access is essential,\" Schulz added. \"I have full control of the Tennessee operation from my smartphone when I am in Kentucky.\"\n\nSMT looks forward to helping more microbreweries achieve the efficient, repeatable performance their automated system delivers.\n\nThe company is also considering adding an optional pasteurization system to their offering in the future.\n\n\"On principle, many craft brewers are opposed to pasteurization and feel it degrades taste,\" Moore explained. \"However, brewers that plan to store their product for any length of time or expand distribution across a broad geographic area must pasteurize.\"\n\nFor more than 30 years, some of the world's largest breweries have relied on SMT for pasteurization systems. As a result, the company is uniquely positioned to help craft brewers add this functionality.\n\nThe pasteurization system would be designed to seamlessly integrate with the automated craft brewing system.\n\n\"The GOTC team provided a valuable service and helped streamline our initial system development,\" Moore said. \"We will continue to work with the Rockwell Automation team on new installations - and any new functionality we may choose to add.\"\n\nLearn more about how Rockwell Automation helps improve machine builder performance.\n\nAllen-Bradley, CompactLogix, FactoryTalk, Listen.Think.Solve., PanelView, PowerFlex, Stratix and Rockwell Software are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\nEtherNet/IP is a trademark of ODVA.\n\nOther trademarks are the property of their respective companies.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "steelcase-meets-efficiency-and-sustainability-goals": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/steelcase-meets-efficiency-and-sustainability-goals\n\nTITLE: Steelcase Meets Efficiency and Sustainability Goals\n\nBackground\n\nSuccess in business is no longer accomplished by producing more products in less time. Improving efficiencies and identifying areas of improvement is the name of the game for best-in-class organizations. Steelcase is no exception. To help maintain its position as the world's largest office furniture supplier, Steelcase management set aggressive goals for improving the company's bottom line through improved efficiency and sustainability efforts. The deadline: the company's 100-year anniversary in 2012.\n\n\n\n\u201cOur business is very competitive,\u201d explained Bruce Reynolds, manager of corporate communications at Steelcase. \u201cTo be successful, we have to constantly improve our production practices. The recent recessions emphasized the importance of consistently driving manufacturing efficiencies \u2013 driving cost out of production meant savings to our bottom line.\u201d\n\n\n\nSteelcase implemented a new control system to more cost-effectively operate its boilers, and installed energy management software to gain better insight into companywide energy consumption. . Due to these and other efforts, the company met all of its efficiency and sustainability goals, including reducing energy consumption by 15 percent and shrinking its carbon footprint by 25 percent.\n\n\n\nChallenge\n\nThe Energy Center at Steelcase's Grand Rapids headquarters is home to four boilers (two coal-based and two gas-fired) that produce and distribute steam throughout the manufacturing process areas. \u201cThe energy center is truly the lifeblood of our Grand Rapids facility,\u201d explained Eric Newsome, senior automation engineer, Steelcase. \u201cIf it goes down, so does production, and with the volume of orders we're meeting each day, downtime simply isn't an option.\u201d\n\n\n\nThe reliability required of the boilers left no room for error. Unfortunately, the existing Honeywell TDC2000 distributed control system (DCS) running the boilers was more than 25 years old, and locating spare parts had become extremely challenging. Bill Boss, the chief boiler operator at Steelcase, bought used parts wherever he could find them, and whenever a problem arose with the system, he was forced to call in support from the DCS vendor. \u201cIt was a black box system that we couldn't troubleshoot ourselves,\u201d explained Boss. \u201cThe vendor had the software tools and the expertise we needed, and whether we had a service contract or paid by the phone call, getting help was becoming prohibitively expensive.\u201d\n\n\n\nIn addition to looking at boiler reliability, the company also was evaluating its overall energy monitoring capabilities. Management set a goal to reduce energy consumption by 15 percent in 2011 and to reduce the company's carbon footprint by 25 percent during the five years leading up to Steelcase's 100th anniversary in 2012.\n\n\n\nManagement also wanted to comply with ISO-14001. The international standard was designed to help companies identify, control and improve the environmental impact of their activities and products by implementing a systematic approach to setting and achieving environmental objectives. \u201cA lot of companies require their vendors to be ISO-14001-compliant,\u201d said Reynolds, the corporate communications manager. \u201cCompliance is recognized as a sign of commitment to the environment, and it's a key part of our strategy for balancing people, planet and profit.\u201d\n\n\n\nBefore making improvements, Steelcase relied on manual data collection practices to monitor water, air, gas, electric and steam (WAGES) consumption throughout its facilities. \u201cWe had one guy responsible for visiting the meters installed on each substation in each building once per month,\u201d explained Newsome, the senior automation engineer. \u201cHe wrote down the readings, entered the data into a spreadsheet, then reconciled the utility bills. The process worked fine \u2013 until that guy went on vacation.\u201d\n\n\n\nWith the primary data collector out of the office, data collection practices changed, resulting in a database filled with skewed information that took weeks to resolve. \u201cWe needed a way to automatically gather real-time data so we could identify opportunities for improvement,\u201d said Kay Bolinger, senior facilities engineer, Steelcase. \u201cAs our manufacturing infrastructure became leaner and our IT infrastructure expanded, we realized it was time for us to consider a comprehensive WAGES metering strategy.\u201d\n\n\n\nSolutions\n\nSteelcase needed a cost-effective control system for its Energy Center that would be easy for the company to maintain, troubleshoot and optimize on its own. After reviewing several options, the team ultimately selected the PlantPAx\u2122 process automation system from Rockwell Automation to replace its existing DCS. \u201cOur engineers were familiar with Rockwell Automation products, which we knew would ease maintenance and troubleshooting,\u201d said Newsome. \u201cPlus, we already had a TechConnectSM support contract with Rockwell Automation, which provided the added level of service we needed.\u201d\n\n\n\nThe Rockwell Automation Global Solutions team surveyed the existing infrastructure and mapped out a specific roadmap for implementing the PlantPAx system prior to design and installation. \u201cThe Rockwell Automation team came to our project having executed dozens of similar, successful engagements,\u201d said Boss, the boiler operator. \u201cThey gave us a lot of advice on how to accommodate fuel source fluctuations so our boilers could operate at top efficiency regardless of what type of coal we were using.\u201d\n\n\n\nThe PlantPAx system also was able to utilize existing Allen-Bradley\u00ae 1771 Remote I/O\u2122 modules on ancillary equipment controllers, communicating with a central Allen-Bradley ControlLogix\u00ae controller via an EtherNet/IP\u2122 network. A standard PC in the control room runs FactoryTalk\u00ae View Site Edition human-machine interface software to provide operators with comprehensive insight into boiler operations. \u201cMost of our plant processes run on Allen-Bradley controls, so plantwide integration and optimization was much easier using the PlantPAx system,\u201d said Boss.\n\n\n\nAfter looking at options for improving the efficiency of its boilers, Steelcase then looked to get better insight and control of the energy consumption in its facilities. Having worked closely for more than 25 years with Kendall Electric, a Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork\u2122 member and authorized Allen-Bradley distributor, Steelcase was quite familiar with Rockwell Automation products. The company saw value in working with Rockwell Automation to improve its enterprisewide energy monitoring. Ultimately, the Steelcase team selected Rockwell Software\u00ae RSEnergyMetrix\u00ae software (now called FactoryTalk\u00ae EnergyMetrix\u2122), favoring the standard off-the-shelf reporting features it included.\n\n\n\nSteelcase worked with the Rockwell Automation Global Solutions team to implement about 100 points of Allen-Bradley PowerMonitor\u2122 electric metering devices throughout the company's Grand Rapids and Mexico facilities. Some of the site metering points also gather gas, steam and air consumption data to be sent directly to ControlLogix and Allen-Bradley MicroLogix\u2122 controllers, which act as energy data concentrators. From there, energy data is communicated via an EtherNet/IP network to the EnergyMetrix software database that is hosted on Steelcase's virtual server. \u201cImplementing this type of a solution on a virtual server was a fairly new concept,\u201d explained Bolinger, the facilities engineer. \u201cThe Rockwell Automation team worked tirelessly to get the new system running, and they taught us a lot about the system along the way so we could get the most out of our investment.\u201d\n\n\n\nResults\n\nThe control system upgrade and energy monitoring projects implemented at Steelcase helped the company achieve its aggressive efficiency and sustainability goals, and provided significant cost savings across the organization.\n\n\n\nBecause of its open platform, the Steelcase team can maintain the new control system almost entirely on its own. Also, management can access and troubleshoot the system remotely, which significantly reduces unplanned downtime. For Steelcase, the benefits are visible down to the bottom line. \u201cBecause we could add PlantPAx system support to our existing TechConnect contract and eliminate the service agreement with our old DCS vendor, we're saving around $25,000 per year,\u201d said Newsome, the senior automation engineer. \u201cAnd, if there's something we're unsure of, we can utilize the Rockwell Automation TechConnect team or Knowledgebase online database for timely and cost-effective support that ultimately gives us peace of mind.\u201d\n\n\n\nWith the new energy management solution, Steelcase can document and quickly address energy events such as voltage sags, surges or outages. By doing so, the team can reduce downtime and help protect critical production assets from potentially harmful operating situations. Energy management software provides the Steelcase team with visibility into its energy consumption \u2013 a critical component for ISO-14001 compliance.\n\n\n\n\u201cWe can see when something is running hot and consuming more energy than it should, which is an indicator that something needs fixing on the equipment,\u201d explained Newsome. \u201cThe Rockwell Automation solution helps us validate maintenance projects and proactively address potential issues before they occur.\u201d\n\n\n\nPrior to the new energy management system, the Steelcase team needed to \u201cguesstimate\u201d the losses resulting from air leaks. Now, management can identify the exact air loss amounts, which ultimately help justify the cost of the system. With improved insight into energy consumption, the Steelcase team can more easily justify investments in newer, more energy-efficient technology.\n\n\n\nSteelcase was one of the first to use the wireless Allen-Bradley PowerMonitor W250 power meter to gather consumption information on individual production lines. Ultimately, the team hopes to capture exactly how much energy it takes to produce a specific product, so the company can include energy costs on its bill of materials.\n\n\n\n\u201cRockwell Automation engineers truly took a team-centered approach with us, sharing their expertise and helping us take ownership of our own systems,\u201d said Newsome. \u201cOur relationship with Rockwell Automation makes us feel very confident in our abilities to support and optimize the technology we have installed, now and in the future.\u201d\n\n\nTAG: fiber-and-textiles\n\n",
    "massman-oem-packaging": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/massman-oem-packaging\n\nTITLE: Massman Automation Steps Up To Industry Challenges\n\nA lot has changed since Burl Massman started his company from his garage in 1978. But one thing hasn't changed. The company he founded retains a commitment to long-term customer relationships - and meeting the demands of modern packaging with high-performance, automated solutions.\u00a0 \u00a0\n\nToday, Massman Automation has grown to become a leading supplier of packaging systems in North America. From headquarters in Villard, Minnesota, the company supports a diverse customer base ranging from \"mom and pop\" shops to co-packers and Fortune 500 companies.\u00a0\u00a0\n\nMassman has developed many standard designs over the years, but also customizes solutions to address specific application requirements - and industry challenges. Two challenges are dominating the packaging industry today: The increasing number of SKUs and an accelerated need for technical training.\u00a0 \u00a0\n\n\"The diverse packaging requirements of e-commerce, dollar stores, club stores and retail groceries are driving the need for more flexible packaging lines,\" said Mark Suchy, senior vice president of sales and marketing, Massman Companies.\n\n\"Our customers also need equipment that is easier to operate and that includes detailed diagnostics to help ensure quick recovery from faults - and guidance on maintenance,\" Suchy added. \"We continue to invest in better ways to train the operators of our equipment.\"\n\n***** Nimble & Highly Productive *****\n\nTo meet industry demands, Massman recently developed the KD high-speed case packer, a solution that can easily transition between various pack patterns and case sizes - and keep up with the front of the line. The carton case packer is designed for knock-down (KD) or regular slotted containers (RSCs).\n\n\"The days of putting 12 cartons into a case of the same SKU - all day, every day - is a thing of the past,\" said Suchy. \"It's not uncommon for manufacturers to run 8 to 10 different packaging SKUs each day.\"\n\nFor example, a food producer might run the same carton for an entire shift at a constant rate, but case sizes could include 12-count, 10-count, 8-count and 6-count options. A line that runs 240 cartons a minute must pack 12-count cases at 20 cases per minute (CPM) - and 6-count cases at 40 CPM.\n\n\"That increased speed requirement obviously drives us toward high-speed, servo control instead of air for most of the mechanisms,\" Suchy said. \"And to simplify changeover, the KD case packer includes a recipe-driven HMI with electronic counters that allows operators to select the pack pattern and adjust the machine without the traditional hard copy changeover instructions.\"\n\n***** Efficient, Unified Design *****\n\nThe new KD case packer features an efficient, unified design that manages multiple operations.\n\nA metering conveyor belt brings flat cartons into the machine. At the infeed, cartons enter a high-speed rotary upstacker, which stacks the appropriate number of cartons needed for the case. The stacked cartons advance to the load station, where erected cases are side loaded. Next, case flaps are tucked, glue is applied, the case is squared and then compressed. At the final station, cases are rotated 90^0 to place the flaps at the top and bottom. Cases exit the system and move on, typically to palletizing equipment.\n\nBuilt on a Rockwell Automation(R) platform, the machine runs on an Allen-Bradley(R) CompactLogixTM controller. Allen-Bradley Kinetix(R) 5500 servo drives and VP-Series servo motors handle 16 axes of motion for the loading operations, while PowerFlex(R) 525 AC drives handle the conveyors. The system is integrated on EtherNet/IPTM and monitored on an Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM HMI.\n\n\"Many suppliers provide separate machines to address a packaging system - a standalone case erector, case loader and case sealer,\" Suchy said. \"At Massman, we believe delivering an 'all-in-one' machine combining erecting, loading and sealing in a single frame provides simpler operation, vertical startups, better utilization of floorspace - and better overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).\"\n\nIn fact, the new high-speed KD case packer, like all Massman machines, is designed to achieve 98% or better OEE.\n\n***** Exploring Better Ways to Support Workers with AR *****\n\nTo help customers maximize machine capabilities, Massman offers extensive aftermarket service throughout the lifecycle of their equipment.\n\n\"We pride ourselves on the support we offer our customers - from 24-hour live personal coverage to formal training by PMMI-certified professionals,\" Suchy said.\n\nIn the near future, Massman plans to add augmented reality (AR) experiences to their service portfolio to provide customers with innovative ways to thoroughly train frontline workers - and reduce training time. Based on Vuforia(R) Expert Capture, the AR experiences deliver in-context, step-by-step instructions and capabilities that support machine operators, maintenance personnel and supervisors.\u00a0\u00a0\n\nSpecifically, the customizable AR experiences will include:\n\n    * General machine operation, including changeover procedures and basic troubleshooting - such as clearing a jam.\n\n    * Maintenance tasks - such as advanced troubleshooting and zeroing a machine. In a subsequent release, Massman will add capabilities that enable maintenance workers to combine an Expert Capture procedure with Vuforia Chalk to receive remote, real-time guidance from Massman service technicians as needed.\u00a0\n\n    * Task completion validation and documentation. This feature also enables supervisors to provide feedback during a procedure - and to gain insight regarding which procedures are executed most often and which workers might benefit from additional training.\n\n\"Our plans for AR are evolving,\" said Suchy. \"But our goal is to provide our customers with a powerful way to streamline technical training and reduce troubleshooting time - not just for the new KD case packer, but for all of our offerings.\"\u00a0\n\nTAG: empower-people\n\nTAG: industrial-automation-and-control\nTAG: integrated-architecture\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: food-packaging\n\nTAG: hardware\nTAG: vuforia\nTAG: motion-control\nTAG: servo-drives\nTAG: servo-motors\nTAG: drives-and-motors\n\n",
    "goldfieldsreducescont": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/goldfieldsreducescont\n\nTITLE: Gold Fields Reduces Control System Risk Using PlantPAx\n\nGold Fields Limited owns and operates 12 gold mines in South Africa, Ghana, Peru and Australia, producing roughly 2.1 million gold equivalent ounces annually. Gold Fields is listed on both the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), and employs roughly 50 000 people globally.\n\nSouth Deep Gold Mine, Gold Field's only operational mine in South Africa, is situated 45 kilometres southwest of Johannesburg, is comprised of two shaft systems and a central metallurgical plant.\n\nThis project involving Rockwell Automation falls within Gold Fields' long-term vision: 'To be the global leader in sustainable gold mining,' and is a flagship growth project in South Africa.\n\n***** Challenge *****\n\nThe metallurgical plant at South Deep Mine was upgraded in 2011/2012 to increase its throughput. This involved the addition of a second ball mill circuit, a pebble crushing circuit, an additional thickener, four leach tanks and an extra elution column.\n\nTo better manage reagent, energy and water usage throughout the upgraded plant, while at the same time improve the quality of mine tailings, South Deep Mine needed a complete control and reporting system upgrade that would integrate all existing field systems with the new ore processing systems. This would have to allow for faster, more informed business decisions at a management level, and help the mine meet its long-term sustainability objectives.\n\nGold Fields also needed to reduce the risk of unplanned downtime with a control system that could seamlessly integrate all field devices, plant control, visualisation, reporting and overall performance monitoring into a single, simplified system that could also be expanded in future plant upgrades.\n\nThe metallurgy plant was originally based on Rockwell Automation RSView(R)32 component-based HMI and L62 controllers for process monitoring and control. This required further optimisation: all I/O, interlocks, sequences and other process routines needed to be re-evaluated to eliminate unnecessary complexities throughout the new control system.\n\n***** Solution *****\n\nWith the metallurgical plant running Rockwell Automation technology since 2001, Gold Fields directly commissioned Rockwell Automation to perform the control system upgrades. Rockwell Automation became involved with the new processing system via an EPCM contractor at South Deep Gold Mine. These two projects needed to culminate in a single, fully-integrated control, visualisation and reporting system.\n\n***** The mining solution using PlantPAx *****\n\nThe mining solution using PlantPAxTM is based on decades of mining domain expertise which has been formalised into a highly standardised, lifecycle-managed and easily commissioned solution that's capable of reducing control system risks, improving diagnostics and reporting, and reducing system-wide complexities.\n\nA more tailored and cost-effective alternative to a traditional DCS-based (distributed control systems) solution, the PlantPAx provides additional flexibility, managed mining-specific standards and reduced commissioning time and costs. This control system also helps ensure the same, high functional standards of a DCS-based system in terms of standardisation and single-tag databases.\n\n***** System-Wide Implementation *****\n\nThe solution consists of a PlantPAx controller platform, configured to buffer up to 1 000 time-stamped data entries (plant history, events and alarms) to provide uninterrupted data logging in the event of a network failure.\n\nFor comprehensive visualisation of plant processes, the PlantPAx visualisation software, based on server-client architecture, was built into the system. ViewTools, licenced to PlantPAx, was also incorporated to provide the benefit of direct client access to the controller without the need for a path through the server.\n\nMicrosoft SQL, with built-in reporting services, was installed and configured to log all plant history, events and alarms. The mining solution's licenced software, SQX, was also installed to allow the SQL to be populated directly by the controllers.\n\nRockwell Automation engineers further created unique interfaces to support third-party field devices, such as drives and instrumentation.\n\nThe final changeover was completed in November, 2012.\n\n***** Results *****\n\nGold Fields was able to improve plant control, visualisation and reporting capabilities with the mining solution using PlantPAx.\n\nStandardisation and comprehensively managed data logging enables the mining solution to provide users with a single, highly accurate status of the plant in real-time.\n\nWith the SQL configured to log history, events and alarms, users are able to follow trends, trace individual entries to specific end users, and keep track of analogue and digital inputs such as flow rates, temperatures and various other inputs from across the plant. All data is time stamped by the PlantPAx controllers, helping to ensure data integrity while allowing entries to be accurately injected into the SQL after a network failure has been corrected. Also, by adding SQX software, the SQL database can be added as I/O to the controllers.\n\nThe PlantPAx software processes signals from instruments and only report the minimum, maximum and average values per reporting period, which minimises the data logged to the database - as opposed to logging every signal from the field device.\n\nAcknowledgement of alarms is user and time-stamped and logged, which protects operators from being reproached for ignoring essential warnings, while at the same time, improving accountability. This improves overall plant safety, especially at South Deep Gold Mine where cyanide alarms and other safety warnings are critical indicators.\n\n***** Advanced Reporting *****\n\nA series of reporting services are built into the SQL, which generates and relays comprehensive operation and production reports to management levels for corporate monitoring of key performance indicators (KPIs).\n\nReports include information on the amount of ore processed during each 12-hour shift. Other figures include a water consumption report generated by a flow meter which totalises hourly flow rates, while MV switchgear reporting provides information on megawatt hours used. KPIs can also be monitored from a web-based page that indicates plant statuses in colours.\n\nThe mining solution using PlantPAx removes unnecessary operational complexity as interlocking descriptions and tags are standardised to be intuitive. This reduction in complexity means that Gold Fields requires fewer highly skilled operators, addressing a common industry problem of applicable skills shortage.\n\n***** Future *****\n\nRockwell Automation is currently designing an underground ore management system for South Deep Gold Mine for integration with the mining solution.\n\nTo further improve reporting from operator to technician to management levels, Gold Fields plans to change over a series of remaining field devices to the mining solution. Systems to be included into the central control and visualisation system are shaft conveyors, a fridge plant, bulk air coolers, among various others processing systems.\n\n\n",
    "bearings-producer-implements-smart-manufacturing": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/bearings-producer-implements-smart-manufacturing\n\nTITLE: Bearing Producer Implements Smart Manufacturing\n\nHow important is paper to your facility?\n\nBefore NBC Bearings committed to digital transformation, data was captured on paper and logged into a non-real time system with a 24-hour delay. That means people were using yesterday's data to make today's decisions.\n\nObviously, that's not ideal for a company that wants to improve manufacturing operations through enhanced analytics.\n\n***** Origin Story *****\n\nNational Engineering Industries (NEI) is part of the CK Birla Group, a US $1.6 billion conglomerate. NBC Bearings, part of NEI, is India's largest bearing manufacturer.\n\nNBC Bearings wanted to develop a digital strategy roadmap, connect digital initiatives to the organization's strategic alignment, and implement a comprehensive change management program to address people and process.\n\nIn short, NBC Bearings wanted to engage people across the organization in achieving a smart factory - so the organization can acquire real time, accurate data for plant floor decision-making, improved predictive maintenance and increased overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).\n\n***** Connected Smart Factory Starts With People *****\n\nA connected smart factory was part of a transformational vision for NBC Bearings. The digitalization initiative would connect more than 300 machines and PLCs to a single Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) network.\n\nOn one IoT platform, NBC Bearings could render real-time data, reports, and dashboards for use by a multitude of people spread across the plant and through the enterprise.\n\nIn addition to improving OEE 2-3%, the team's goals included a paperless factory that empowers decision-making at all levels.\n\n\"With real-time information from the shop floor and factory, I wanted my front-line people to be empowered with data-driven decision-making,\" said Rohit Saboo, president and CEO of NEI. \"The production quality, machine held data are now available with the head of the plant or the workmen in the plant. And the benefits are evident.\"\u00a0\n\nAs a comprehensive execution plan was formulated, the team was challenged with helping all stakeholders see the complete picture and end-to-end activities involved.\n\nEach stakeholder had a different priority. Through change management, all stakeholders aligned to select use cases based on business impact, ease of implementation, organization-wide coverage (number of users impacted), cost of implementation, benefits and ROI.\n\n***** Empowering Decision-Makers *****\n\nRockwell Automation(R), through its 2019 acquisition of MESTECH provided the application development services for PTC's Thingworx platform, part of FactoryTalk(R) InnovationSuite. The MESTECH acquisition expands Rockwell Automation's consulting and systems integration scale in this fast-growing industrial transformation market.\n\nThe transformation team was comprised of domain experts from in-house manufacturing functions and digital team members who acted as translators and facilitators from business to technology. IT managed the hardware, networking and connectivity, and IoT Platform experts rolled up the data from machines into a visualization layer to give frontline supervisors, plant leaders and personnel decision-making empowerment. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\n\nAs a result of implementing smart manufacturing initiatives at scale, NBC Bearings now has advanced analytics, the use of augmented and mixed reality for shop floor training, collaborative workflows for streamlining information flow, the use of QR Codes and workflows for process integration, machine vision for inspection, and real-time workforce planning.\n\n\"Gone are the days of paper-based decision-making with day-old data.\"\n\n***** Connecting Digital Strategy to Overall Strategic Goals *****\n\nMore than 90% of the full-scale implementation was handled remotely.\n\nHaving a mix of earlier generation controllers and equipment made it even more important to find an agnostic solution like FactoryTalk InnovationSuite to bring all machines onto the same platform.\n\nThe digital strategy is connected to the organization's overall strategic goals via a digital house that \"connects the vision and goals to digital themes, initiatives and business drivers that this initiative would bring in the company,\" said Saboo.\n\nFunctional leads from human resources, finance, research and development, manufacturing, quality, sales and marketing, and supply chain took up the mantle of core leadership in the digital transformation arena.\n\nAs a result, Saboo expects to see revenue increase three-fold and an increase in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. \"We also will experience greater inclusion and diversity in the next 3-5 years that will make the organization a great place to work for the next generation,\" he said.\n\n***** Hearing From The People *****\n\nBecause of this work, the company now has an online Innovation and Idea management platform, accessible by all plant locations. Each idea and innovation undergoes a standard and tested approach towards implementation and those that fall under 'Just Do It' are implemented without lengthy development and approval cycles. \u00a0\u00a0\n\n\"We have institutionalized a process of governance to measure the progress of initiatives and there is a key measurement area for each initiative,\" said Saboo. \"Based on this success our employees are more open to innovation and are encouraged to bring their ideas and concepts to life.\"\u00a0\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\nTAG: smart-manufacturing\n\nTAG: thingworx\nTAG: factorytalk-innovationsuite\n\n",
    "energy-monitoring-system-improves-visibility": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/energy-monitoring-system-improves-visibility\n\nTITLE: Energy Monitoring System Improves Visibility\n\n*** Background ***\n\nIn the late 1970s, this Korea subsidiary of a well-known and adored global brand focused on creating a solid foundation for business operations, including a local factory and branch offices to establish a nation-wide sales network.\n\nLess than 20 years later, additional factories and a research center opened, creating a complete business operating system consisting of research, manufacturing and sales. Local teams successfully brought the parent company's wide variety of brands to local consumers.\n\nIn 1999, the company integrated manufacturing capabilities. While the factories operated well independently, the integration - and additional environmental regulations - made it apparent that the customer required a more efficient energy monitoring solution.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nImproved awareness of and visibility to energy resourced data is the foundation for any strategic energy management application. This global manufacturer realized the importance of understanding where, when and how it utilized energy before and the need to:\n\n    * Establish the scope of energy savings efforts.\n\n    * Define key metrics.\n\n    * Put the appropriate measures in place.\n\nBy integrating energy and production information, the company wanted to gain better insight into how energy influences the bottom line, and also how energy improvements can ultimately help to improve production.\n\nThe manufacturer needed a monitoring system that could gather data from every energy source - electricity, natural gas and steam - and transfer that information to a database that can be managed by minutes or demand period. They also required a system that could allow operators to utilize or process data, take advantage of automatic alerts for selected trends.\n\nThe customer identified three priorities for Rockwell Automation:\n\n    * Based on the ISO50001 energy management standard, the system should provide systematic energy data that can be contextualized to numbers and visible. This enables operators to proactively manage energy utilization and respond immediately to exceptional trends.\n\n    * Manage energy utilization based on real-time monitoring and realize actual savings through automatic data collection versus meter reading.\n\n    * Easily cope with government energy policies by reporting energy utilization and lower carbon dioxide emissions, also enhancing the company's reputation for eco-friendly operations.\n\nIn addition, the customer expected to have this newly installed solution in all facilities in Korea to share real-time operational data regardless of location and time.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nThe result was an Energy Monitoring System based on the FactoryTalk(R) software suite. The software integrates directly with the\u00a0Rockwell Automation Logix control platform to access real-time energy data.\n\nFor a graphic display of the factory floor, the manufacturer used FactoryTalk(R) View Site Edition and FactoryTalk(R) ViewPoint. This human-machine interface (HMI) software with a redundant server provides a comprehensive and accurate view into electricity and energy usage data, delivering efficiency in plant-floor operation and web client management.\n\nThe information from the controller is fed to the FactoryTalk(R) VantagePoint(R) Energy portal, which offers advanced reporting and analytics on data, converting raw numbers into shareable dashboards with actionable information.\n\nTrend reports developed with this information allow operators to set the system to respond automatically. Additionally, with this capability, operators can aggregate metered energy/consumption data with production assets throughout the factory to start monitoring energy utilization. Correlating energy with production information allows people to make more informed decisions regarding equipment and production - ultimately resulting in lower energy costs and improved production.\n\nWith FactoryTalk(R) VantagePoint(R) Energy, the focus is on driving the measured energy usage at the main and sub-station level and distributing it as energy consumption across the enterprise. Operators can manually adjust any of the systems from the control room or a local station if they see a sudden fluctuation in energy utilization or an unpredicted event.\n\nTo improve visibility and pull actionable energy data from the control system, the engineers used FactoryTalk(R) Historian software, which collects up to 10,000 data tags from programmable logic controllers (PLCs) per line. Metrics include station temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide concentration and other environmental data.\n\nThe facilities use the Allen-Bradley(R) ControlLogix(R) L71 with about 100,000 I/O points across different stations. A typical station includes two pairs of PLCs as communication controllers to pull and aggregate data from different devices.\n\nThe facilities also installed several Allen-Bradley switches. The\u00a0Stratix 5400TM industrial managed switch supports layer 2 switching and layer 3 routing, which enhance scalability and increase versatility with the ability to support multiple network configurations. The Stratix(R) 5700 compact, layer2 managed switch, embedded with Cisco technology, enables the operators to leverage FactoryTalk(R) View faceplates and Add-on Profiles for simplified configuration and monitoring.\n\nWith the Stratix(R) 2000 line of unmanaged switches, operators were able to get copper and fiber (SFP) ports with 100 MB or 1 Gb speeds for increased network flexibility and performance. This switch offered an industrial-grade enclosure with an IP-30 rating and extended temperature range for enhanced environmental protection, allowing \"plug-and-play\" operation for quick and easy integration.\n\nUtilizing energy metered data from sources such as the\u00a0PowerMonitorTM500 provided greater insight into energy consumption across the plant floor and enterprise-wide. It allowed operators to view energy data directly at the monitoring site without additional HMI components. The display provided instant and accurate sub-metering data to keep operators well-informed about power usage, major loads and peak power time. With its compact, space-saving design, PowerMonitor 500 is a cost-effective sub-metering option, providing critical data that helped operators make at-process decisions, reduced energy usage and increased company's profit.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nAfter implementing the FactoryTalk software suite on top of the system architecture, operators increased visibility into operations across the entire system. With the ability to adjust system performance based on various trends, the customer projects an annual reduction in energy usage of approximately 10 percent.\n\nAdditionally, operators are enjoying more convenient, useful reports, dashboards and KPIs from a solution that can now provide information for energy and cost savings throughout the plants.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to this customer's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nAllen-Bradley, ControlLogix, FactoryTalk, FactoryTalk VantagePoint, FactoryTalk Site Edition, PowerMonitor, Rockwe4ll Automation and Stratix are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\n\nTAG: household-and-personal-care\n\n",
    "leading-u-s--pork-producer-optimizes-supply-chain-": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/leading-u-s--pork-producer-optimizes-supply-chain-\n\nTITLE: Leading U.S. Pork Producer Optimizes Supply Chain\n\n*** Background ***\n\nFrom the popularity of baby-back ribs to the national obsession with bacon, Americans have an avid appetite for pork. The Maschhoffs -- the largest family-owned pork producer in the United States \u2013 helps satisfy that hunger from its headquarters in Carlyle, Illinois. In 2014, the company sold nearly $1 billion in pork -- enough to feed over 16 million average consumers annually.\n\nLike many major agricultural operations, The Maschhoffs started with a single family farm. For five generations, The Maschhoffs grew row crops and raised cattle. But brothers Ken and Dave Maschhoff returned to the farm home from college with bigger dreams. In 1991 they bought their parents' share of the business and began expanding the operation.\n\nToday, The Maschhoffs' pig operation employs about 1,500 employees. Contracting with production partners \u2013 about 550 family farmers across the Midwest \u2013 the company sells about 5 million live hogs annually. The buyers are packing plants and food producers such as Cargill, Hormel Foods and Farmland.\n\nThe Maschhoffs provide pigs and feed to their production partners, and pay the farmers for the time, labor and space necessary to raise the hogs.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nRunning any large farming operation is a complex undertaking. That's particularly true in modern pig raising, which entails a continuous logistics challenge: the need to move pigs to specialized farm sites at different stages of growth.\n\nOnce small farmers commonly took on the entire farrow-to-finish operation \u2013 breeding sows, weaning piglets, growing feeder hogs and preparing them for market or \"finishing.\"\n\nBut rising transportation and feed costs \u2013 along with the complexities of hog genetics and health risks \u2013 have forced many smaller farms to specialize and contract their services to large producers.\n\nAnd so, a large operation like The Maschhoffs must contend with a continuous flow of pigs between different types of farms \u2013 from sow (or breeding) facilities, to weaning, feeding and finishing facilities.\n\n\"We have 73 different sow farms, and when piglets grow to about 21 days old, we need to start looking for the best space to house them,\" explained Morgan Dugan, director of supply chain management and logistics for The Maschhoffs.\n\nWeaning farms are specially equipped for young pigs, with pen sizes that can accommodate the sows and the piglets. In six to 10 weeks, the young pigs are moved to finishing facilities that can accommodate the larger size animals.\n\n\"We were having a hard time measuring all the impacts of our space decisions,\" said Dugan, who oversees the transport of 700 to 800 trailer truckloads of live pigs each week.\n\nThe company's logistical system consisted of Excel spreadsheets, providing only a small window into how many pigs were flowing through their system at any one time. Without more precise analytical tools, they couldn't project how much farm space they'd need in the next month, for instance, or compare the costs of their owned and leased facilities.\n\nThe Maschhoff's analytical and predictive limitations became even more apparent when company leaders decided to reorganize the business from a national to a regional management structure.\n\nThe company wanted to move to a distributed leadership model, with smaller geographic territories, to give managers a better line of sight into the business' leased assets and contracted farming operations.\n\nThe problem? Without modeling and predictive technology, they couldn't reliably determine the optimal number of divisions, or which facilities should be included in each region.\n\n\"We could ask a flow planner to project our flow to sites for the next 52 weeks, but that would require somebody three days to complete,\" Dugan said. \"And you can't really 'war game' different options if you have to wait that long,\"\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nThe Maschhoffs analyzed different supply-chain modeling packages in tandem with a group of graduate business students from Washington University at St. Louis. As part of a special project with the company, the students evaluated dozens of solutions. Arena\u00aesoftware was their No. 1 recommendation.\n\n\"The Arena application provided total flexibility that allowed us to model anything we needed,\" Dugan said. \"We also felt we'd get a good return on our investment.\"\n\nArena's flowchart modeling methodology made it easy to build a logistics process flow. Drag-and-drop elements and structures simplify simulation building and visualization. The software also features built-in dynamic dashboards for model analysis.\n\nThe Rockwell Automation team, who began immersing themselves in the daily operations of the business, spent weeks on-site at the Carlyle headquarters to understand The Maschhoffs' operations and business parameters.\n\nTo create the baseline models, the Rockwell Automation team sampled the flow of pigs through the system for several weeks, tracking them by age. They also looked at the health status of the sow farms where pigs are born, which affects the quantity of pigs released into the system.\n\nArena's simulations matched flow size to site size and type, maintained that weaning pigs, for example, weren't sent to farms with large pens intended for finishing.\n\nOther variables for the early models included the costs of different facilities, known as yardage costs, as well as facility capacity and annual feed costs. Feed costs were based on projected demand according to the size and age of pigs, and the nearest feed mill.\n\nAnd because pigs from different sources can introduce new diseases, the project team also designed the models to identify and track the movements of common groups from one location to another.\n\nIn the midst of the build-out, The Maschhoffs issued a new challenge to the implementation team: They moved the final implementation date up by several months. The new target date reflected the growing urgency around the reorganization initiative and the need for a modeled regional analysis.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nThe Rockwell Automation team met the accelerated deadline. The result? Regional modeling and analysis pointed to four management regions, balancing efficiencies in flow, transportation and feed costs with the utilization of contracted sites.\n\n\"It was exactly what we needed,\" said Dugan. \"The data allowed us to make timely recommendations on our new regions.\"\n\nAfter the first modeling phase was complete, the team made additional enhancements: loading live data and transforming the strategic application into a powerful operational decision tool.\n\n\"Going forward, we can use the Arena software to manage flow and capacity more efficiently, and give us the flexibility we need to adapt to changing site needs,\" Dugan said.\n\nThe project team created a real-world model by taking digital \"snapshot\" of the operation's existing number and ages of pigs and their locations, inputting the data into tables. By repopulating the system with current data, The Maschhoffs can now run the model forward to see occupancy rates or various sites and flows \u2013 on a weekly basis, instead of annually, as in the past.\n\nNow the operation can make timely business decisions based on a real-world model that reflects all the variability in their system, clearly visualizing systemic effects of changes.\n\nThe Maschhoffs' leadership is confident in the decision-making behind their new regional structure. They also envision many opportunities to forecast future demands using Arena to drive better asset decisions.\n\n\u00a0\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to The Maschhoffs' use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\u00a0\n\nTrademark Information:\n\nArena and Rockwell Automation are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "leonardo-deploys-plantpax-distributed-control-system-for-on-boar": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/leonardo-deploys-plantpax-distributed-control-system-for-on-boar\n\nTITLE: PlantPAx DCS Delivers Total Control of LNG Tankers\n\nThe LNG Portovenere and LNG Lerici are two ships designed for the transportation of liquid natural gas. Built in 1997 by Fincantieri and having reached the middle of their lifespan, their owner, in collaboration with their management company, the Belgian firm EXMAR Ship Management, made the ships the object of a significant, total renovation project to prolong their lifespan by at least 15 years.\n\nIn addition to revamping the boilers, pumps and turbines, the project also included modernization of all the control systems, from the central management system to the system used for the turbines and turbopumps. The design and implementation of the new automation system was assigned to the Safety Systems and Information Division of the Italian company Leonardo. A high-tech global company and one of the main players in the aerospace, defense and security sectors, the company is a leader in the design and provisioning of high-integrity security systems and process safety systems.\n\nBased on its in-depth knowledge of Rockwell Automation solutions and a long-term collaboration with its team, Leonardo opted for the deployment of a new infrastructure controlled by the PlantPAx(R) DCS.\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** Challenge *****\n\nDedicated to transporting liquid natural gas, the ships, with a capacity of 65,000 cubic meters each, underwent an extensive refit project, in which Leonardo was involved for automation control, sensors and field instrumentation.\n\nAt the time of their construction, both the LNG Portovenere and the LNG Lerici were equipped with a Bailey Infi 90 system, popular at the time, which became a legacy system at the end of its lifespan, maintained by the Leonardo service department. The desire to replace the legacy system with a modern, high-performing system was at the heart of the project assigned to Leonardo.\n\nIn addition to the central system, in itself already a challenge because it represents the heart of these ships, Leonardo was also contracted for the modernization project covering the turbopumps and turbines automation systems, which up to that point had been managed by separate systems. The replacement of all field instrumentation was also necessary, as it had become obsolete and at danger of imminent breakdown, especially in light of the difficult conditions in which these ships operate.\n\nThe greatest challenge, however, was related to the time frame given by the owner. For understandable economic reasons, the stoppage time for the ships had to be as brief as possible. This required perfect coordination with the other contractors, in order to proceed with installation of the hardware and software in parallel with the revamping of the boilers, turbines, pumps and other equipment - reducing the subsequent commissioning phase to a minimum.\n\nIt was also necessary to consider that all internal inspection activities would have to be scheduled during the time period. External certification by certifying bodies also had to be factored in as the ships have dual registry: specifically, RINA - Registro Italiano Navale (the Italian Naval Registry) and ABS - the American Bureau of Shipping.\n\n\"In this context, with so many variables and rigid timetables, selecting the best solution and suppliers was a key factor,\" explains Stefano Baccelliere, Homeland Security & Critical Infrastructure LoB / Project Manager of Leonardo. \"On the one hand, our time was very restricted, but on the other we wanted take advantage of the occasion offered by these large-scale works to offer our client a solution that was decisively better than the incumbent solution, to allow for possible future developments.\n\n\"We had to lean towards a solution that did not have hidden surprises of any kind and one that we knew very well that could satisfy the requirements for modernity, scalability and flexibility,\" he continues. \"We also wanted a system that had high performance levels associated with the management of functional safety, while also being simple to implement, in terms of hardware and software, ultimately delivering fluid migration of the legacy system to the new system. We could not take for granted the importance of finding a supplier that could bring proven experience from three diverse markets - naval, oil & gas processing, and energy - and above all, one with the capacity to make these vertical skills a common thread throughout the project.\"\n\nHaving combined all the systems into a single platform also means having a single supervision and control system.\n\nIn light of all of this, Leonardo chose Rockwell Automation and its modern PlantPAx DCS, because both could satisfy all the requirements. The PlantPAx DCS made it possible to combine all of the control systems in a single platform. Now the central control system for the ships is managed by the Automated Integrated System (AIS), as are the turbines and turbopumps.\n\nLeonardo's technicians are already very familiar with the hardware elements of the PlantPAx solution, meaning that the migration project could be completed without the need for any field rewiring. Furthermore, in collaboration with the Rockwell Automation team, an identical mock-up of the software solution destined for the ships was created on land. This created the opportunity to undertake in-depth functional tests to check that the new system's functionality was identical to previous levels, therefore making it possible to study possible improvements in the solution and new functionalities with the help of Rockwell Automation specialists.\n\nThe land-based inspection phase was fundamental, because it made it possible to arrive at the commissioning phase with the onboard software operationally ready and it also overcame the problem of working with two ships located in two different shipyards. For the LNG Portovenere, commissioning took place in January 2016 at the Navantia shipyard in Ferrol, Spain, while the commissioning of the software on the LNG Lerici took place in 2018 at the Keppel shipyard in Singapore.\n\nThe decision to use the PlantPAx DCS also made it possible to include the emergency shutdown system for safe functioning. A remote service line was installed with a satellite internet connection, to deliver continuous customer support during navigation, while also giving Leonardo the opportunity to offer continuous assistance during operations, along with support for troubleshooting to maintenance personnel.\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** Results *****\n\n\"Today the ships are equipped with a modern system with better performance than the former system, and all the advantages that come with that. Energy consumption was also reduced thanks to the new generation-control system. Basically, using the PlantPAx DCS, we enjoy double advantages: in addition to progressing from a legacy system to a modern one, today we also have a single system instead of three separate systems, with improved performance and speed,\" remarked Baccelliere.\n\nHaving combined all the systems into a single platform also means having a single supervision and control system, which in this case is based on FactoryTalk(R) View SE, definitely a faster solution in respect to refresh times for the graphic pages and more intuitive for operators.\n\nFrom an assistance and maintenance standpoint, the ships are now equipped with a remote service system with a satellite internet connection; therefore, operators can count on continuous assistance as needed. Another advantage stems from the fact that if it becomes necessary to secure a spare part, a global company like Rockwell Automation has better chance of having spares available in the many different countries where the ships dock. This is especially true in light of the changes in operating area for these ships, from the Mediterranean basin to the Far East, and in particular between China and Indonesia.\n\n\"We selected an open system like PlantPAx to give us the possibility of providing the client with additional functionalities backed up by Rockwell Automation, with which we have been developing successful projects for over ten years, and whose mission is to continue to invest in R&D to improve the level of service to the client. All of these factors are the basis for further development of this specific project and future collaborations with other clients,\" concluded Baccelliere.\n\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\nTAG: industrial-automation-and-control\n\nTAG: oil-and-gas\n\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: plantpax\nTAG: plantpax-dcs\n\n",
    "burnley-brewing": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/burnley-brewing\n\nTITLE: Craft brewing solution enables expansion\n\n***** Bon Industry installed an integrated suite of Rockwell Automation software for user-friendly, flexible brewing *****\n\nAn expanding craft brewery in Victoria, Australia, has turned to automation as it looks to scale up operations and extend contract brewing arrangements with small brewers.\n\nBurnley Brewing was nearing capacity at its brewery in Dandenong and still experiencing strong growth, so head brewer, Michael Stanzel, decided to expand.\n\n\"We wanted to take things to the next level by growing our own brand and expanding our contract brewing relationships,\" said Stanzel.\n\nConnecting Melbourne funk with traditional German brewing know-how, Burnley Brewing is a thriving, independently-owned Melbourne brewery.\n\n\"We approached experienced electrical engineers, Bon Industry, and explained that we were looking to leverage automation to grow our operations and handle continuing demand surges. From day one, I could tell they were passionate about the project - and the service was second-to-none,\" said Stanzel.\n\nBon Industry recommended Rockwell Automation's FactoryTalk(R) Craft Brew, which is an industrial automation software developed specifically for the brewery industry. The software starts at the edge where manufacturing happens and scales from on-premises to cloud to maximise operational efficiencies.\n\nThe new Dandenong brewery officially opened with a launch event in December 2022, where Rockwell Automation, Bon Industry, and Burnley Brewing invited industry peers to see the automation first-hand, and to taste the results.\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** Mixing flexibility with scalability to create the perfect brew *****\n\nBon Industry wanted to give Burnley Brewing's new Dandenong facility a smart manufacturing edge, greater choice, and greater ability to scale up operations in the future.\n\nBon Industry electrical director, Gabriel Bonacci, said that Rockwell Automation's FactoryTalk Craft Brew was the ideal platform for Burnley.\n\n\"Rockwell's FactoryTalk Craft Brew software connects easily to automation equipment of all types to seamlessly visualise automation performance and highlight critical areas for improvement,\" said Bonacci. With several Rockwell Automation programmable logic controllers (PLCs), drives, and industrial computers forming part of the new brewery, FactoryTalk connects them all together to create an integrated ecosystem.\n\nStanzel added, \"There were certainly some challenges along the way - like getting pressure differentials during the lauter process correct - but through collaboration between Rockwell Automation, Bonacci Electrical and ourselves, we found the right solutions, and tested them to ensure they were working perfectly before commissioning.\"\n\nFactoryTalk Craft Brew is designed as a modular software ecosystem where new modules can be added as required, allowing for flexibility and the option to upgrade operations as the business expands. The modularity also means the solution can be deployed quickly, with a standardised approach that reduces the need for operator training.\n\nThe software is tested to top European and American Standards, and users can leverage Rockwell Automation's global expertise for support and customisation. Additionally, Rockwell Automation can remotely access the hardware and software, and provide swift updates, monitoring, and repairs.\n\nRockwell Automation channel manager, Matthew Treeby, was delighted to be helping a local Australian-owned independent brewer. \"Rockwell Automation, together with our distributor NHP, has the support, resources, and availability to provide backup to companies of any size. When working on projects like Burnley's new brewery, we can be dynamic and efficient, all whilst maintaining high levels of standards compliance and traceability.\"\n\n***** Automation that's almost \"too easy\" *****\n\nDuring the concept stage, Bonacci Electrical provided Burnley Brewing with a simulator to showcase how the new automated solutions could work for the new brewery.\n\n\"As soon as I tried the simulator, I noticed how user-friendly everything was. The programming was ultra-flexible, and it's a major reason we chose Bonacci and Rockwell for this project. Since then, everything has surpassed expectations, from service, to product quality, to solution deliverables,\" said Stanzel.\n\n\"Something I wasn't expecting was adding automation to the milling and mashing processes. The automation makes the process almost too easy - now I need to find more things for my brewers to do,\" he added.\n\n***** From beer nerds to commercial brewers *****\n\nBonacci points out that the craft beer market in Australia is massive, thanks to a nation of beer nerds.\n\n\"Brewers often start with basic equipment to make beer. They are usually cheap investments which can be appealing, but with growth in scale, they become redundant. With something like FactoryTalk Craft Brew, you only need to invest once. This software does everything from cellar controls to full automation of the process grain silos and packing lines. The hardware is expandable, and everything syncs together so you never waste on an investment,\" explained Bonacci.\n\n\"Also important to these craft brewers is traceability - being able to show their customers where the hops came from, where the beer was brewed, and all the finer details. With Rockwell's software in place, the automation stores all the data, and brewers can use this when showcasing their story,\" he said.\n\nData utilisation is one of the major benefits of an information technology (IT) compatible automation solution like FactoryTalk Craft Brew. Data can provide a top-down view of operations, or drill down to specific items like ingredient traceability.\n\n\"And, on top of that, you can log recipes into the automation too. Even those who wake up at 4 a.m. with the best idea for a new brew, can punch in the new recipe and it's saved straight away, with all the info ready to be used in the future,\" added Bonacci.\n\n***** \u00a0 *****\n\n*****\n\nFuture expansion plans *****\n\nStanzel believes Burnley Brewing is now in the perfect position to expand operations, and continue delivering unique, high-quality craft brews.\n\n\"With the automation solutions in place, we can now grow our brand, and we can take on more contract brewing agreements to keep supporting local, independent brewers. Bonacci Electrical and Rockwell Automation have done a truly outstanding job with the new brewery, so all that's left to say is cheers.\"\n\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\nTAG: plex\n\n",
    "vfd-energy-savings": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/vfd-energy-savings\n\nTITLE: VFDs Sustainably Transform Hydraulic Power\n\nGreen Hydraulic Power, Inc. (GHP) is North America's leading supplier of variable frequency drive solutions for industrial hydraulics.\n\nSoren Rasmussen is Managing Director for Green Hydraulic Power, Inc. (GHP), North America's leading supplier of variable frequency drive solutions for industrial hydraulics. Parent company MJC Engineering & Technology, a custom machine tool builder, started GHP to meet the growing demand for these emerging types of hydraulic systems.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\n* Energy intensive, noisy equipment\n\nHydraulics power a wide range of manufacturing equipment including presses, expanders, press brakes, machine tools, and material handling machines. According to GHP, electric motors that run these types of equipment consume nearly 25 percent of the world's electrical energy production. In the US, that percentage is much higher.\n\n\"In many manufacturing environments, there's a lot of dwell time when there's no action on the production line, so there's no need for flow or pressure,\" Rasmussen explained. \"Yet, traditional hydraulic systems run continuously, and at high speeds, so that they're available when needed. That wastes a lot of energy and other resources.\"\n\nConventional systems are also extremely loud, which can impact worker safety.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\n* On-demand hydraulic pressure and flow\n\nUsing variable frequency drives, GHP has developed turnkey systems that provide hydraulic pressure and flow only when needed.\n\n\"With these drives, we basically reduce the motor speed. When there is no need for flow and pressure, we slow it down,\" Rasmussen said. \"For example, for motors that usually run at a full speed of 1750 RPMs, we slow it down to 300 RPMs, which saves a lot of energy.\"\n\nThe systems include Allen-Bradley(R) PowerFlex(R) 755 VFDs.\n\n\"We started using Rockwell Automation drives a few years ago. They're very easy to work with,\" Rasmussen explained. \"The engineers are excited every time we make a machine with a Rockwell Automation drive. They're intuitive and easier to program.\"\n\n\n\n* System requires little to no cooling\n\nBecause hydraulic pressure and flow are used only on demand, GHP's patented systems also generate less heat. So, little to no cooling is required.\n\n\"A lot of energy is saved that way as cooling can be energy hungry as well,\" Rasmussen noted. \"We've even been able to eliminate cooling towers in some factories.\"\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\n* Substantial energy savings and improved workplace safety\n\nOne of GHP's customers, an international metals fabricator, is replacing its current hydraulic equipment with GHP units as part of its sustainability strategy to lower its carbon footprint.\n\n\"They operate 24/7. We created a baseline of their current energy use,\" Rasmussen said. \"We estimate once our new systems are installed, they'll see an energy savings between 50% to 75% on equipment that's running a 100-horse motor. That's substantial.\"\n\nOverall, GHP's VFD hydraulic systems typically use up to 80% less energy than conventional systems and dramatically reduce noise pollution leading to a safer and more productive workplace. GHP units lower noise emissions on average by 20 decibels. No hearing protection is necessary while working on or around the equipment. Operators are better able to concentrate and communicate with coworkers resulting in higher productivity with less fatigue.\n\n\"Noise is a huge problem in factories. Whenever we install this type of equipment, most of the feedback is about the noise reduction,\" Rasmussen explained. \"You can actually stand next to our machines and carry on a normal conversation.\"\n\nTAG: drive-sustainability\n\nTAG: metals\n\nTAG: drives-and-motors\n\n",
    "manufacturing-diagnostic-test": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/manufacturing-diagnostic-test\n\nTITLE: Manufacturing COVID-19 Rapid Diagnostic Tests\n\nIn an Australian manufacturing success story, Ellume is in the process of automating the high-volume production of its rapid COVID-19 home test using the latest technologies from Bosch and Rockwell Automation.\n\nThe COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly spread to all parts of the globe. There have been more than 395 million cases around the world and this figure continues to rise rapidly. Healthcare systems are overwhelmed and continue to face a multitude of challenges as they work to manage demand while providing high-quality care.\n\nCommunities, governments and industry around the world are now recognising the importance of minimising the requirement for widespread lockdowns and travel restrictions, which have been the main line of defence against COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.\n\nAs countries around the world move towards a new post-pandemic normal, rapid diagnostic testing has an integral role in reducing disease burden, managing outbreaks and community transmission, and reducing pressure on healthcare systems.\n\nEllume, a Brisbane-based digital diagnostic company, has recently developed a rapid COVID-19 home test which detects the SARS-CoV-2 antigen and complies with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reporting requirements. Accurate results are provided within 15 minutes, providing users with quick results, and helping communities to return to a 'new normal.' With a growing list of orders, predominantly from the United States, ensuring supply was a key priority for Ellume.\n\n*** Scaling up production ***\n\nTo meet the consumer demand for COVID-19 home tests, Ellume has invested in new manufacturing lines for their facilities in both Australia and the U.S.\n\n\"COVID-19 isn't going away anytime soon and as communities and economies continue to open up there will be increased need for rapid antigen tests which is why automating our production is vital to meet a surge in consumer demand,\" said Sean Parsons, founder and CEO, Ellume.\n\nEllume called on Bosch Australia Manufacturing Solutions (BAMS), a leading supplier of factory automation for the medical device industry, to automate the high-volume production of its COVID-19 diagnostic tests. This involves 27 new production lines in total - three new lines for Ellume's facility in Brisbane, Australia and 24 production lines for their facility in Maryland, U.S.\n\n\"We are providing Ellume with 18 fully automated assembly lines for manufacturing the home COVID-19 analyser unit. This also includes an end-of-line test system which communicates to the analyser unit over Bluetooth and completes a functional check to ensure the quality of the part,\" said Bradley Trewin, Programme Manager, BAMS.\n\n\"BAMS is also manufacturing nine lines for the production of the 'dropper' which will fully automate the assembly and packing of this product,\" he added.\n\n*** Next generation technologies ***\n\nThe Bosch manufacturing experience and factory automation know-how has benefited this project immensely. The production lines are being manufactured at Bosch's headquarters in Clayton, Victoria. More than 160 robots are being utilised on this project, there are also 200-plus vision systems which are cameras that inspect and evaluate the line, and more than 60 programmable logic controllers (PLCs).\u00a0\u00a0\n\n\"We are delighted to bring the BAMS automation expertise to support Australian med-tech manufacturing for a global market - a real positive for local manufacturing, and a positive for the testing and medical diagnosis of COVID-19,\" said Gavin Smith, President of Bosch Australia.\n\nEllume's technology addresses the unprecedented global demand for accurate and rapid diagnostics as accessible, reliable, and fast diagnostics become increasingly critical to the COVID-19 response.\n\nGiven the widespread supply shortages resulting from the pandemic, Rockwell Automation has prioritised their global supply chain to applications and machines that can help in the fight against COVID-19. \"Our priority is to support local manufacturing, helping to ensure that we are able to provide much needed assistance to those requiring it urgently,\" said Anthony Wong, regional director, Rockwell Automation.\n\n\"By working with local innovative companies such as BAMS and Ellume, we can deliver next generation technologies to help mitigate the risks of COVID-19 while also strengthening the Australian manufacturing industry,\" he said.\n\n*** An Australian manufacturing success story ***\n\nThe new Ellume manufacturing facility will be one of the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. The production lines for Ellume's Brisbane facility are undergoing final testing and likely to be operational by the end of February, whilst the first U.S. lines departed in November 2021.\u00a0 The final lines for the US are expected to be installed and operational in mid-2022. Once complete, the production capacity across the whole Ellume project will be nine parts per second.\n\n\"We've spent the last decade perfecting our technology, and now, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the role of rapid, accurate diagnostics has never been more important. Ellume is pleased to be working with Bosch to bring their world-leading automation know-how to our manufacturing process. This will allow Ellume to manufacture best-in-class diagnostics that can be relied on in a health crisis,\" said Dr Parsons\n\nAbout Rockwell Automation\n\nRockwell Automation Australia and Rockwell Automation New Zealand are subsidiaries of Rockwell Automation, Inc.-a leading global provider of industrial automation and information solutions that helps manufacturers achieve a competitive advantage in their businesses. The company brings together leading global brands in industrial automation which include Allen-Bradley(R) controls and services and Rockwell Software(R) factory management software. Its broad product mix includes control logic systems, sensors, human-machine interfaces, drive controllers, power devices, and software.\n\nRockwell Automation Inc. (NYSE: ROK), is a global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation. We connect the imaginations of people with the potential of technology to expand what is humanly possible, making the world more productive and more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rockwell Automation employs approximately 24,500 problem solvers dedicated to our customers in more than 100 countries. To learn more about how we are bringing the Connected Enterprise to life across industrial enterprises, visit www.rockwellautomation.com\n\nAllen-Bradley, Rockwell Automation and Rockwell Software are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: life-sciences\n\nTAG: programmable-controllers\n\n",
    "gas-producer-completes-central-processing-facility-upgrade-to-me": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/gas-producer-completes-central-processing-facility-upgrade-to-me\n\nTITLE: Gas producer completes central processing facility upgrade to meet tight deadline\n\nEngineering is the art of applied ingenuity. Its practitioners take large-scale problems and find creative ways of solving them. Some of the greatest engineering feats in history started as seemingly insurmountable challenges that, once overcome, released tremendous, ongoing value.\n\nIn the oil and gas industry, tackling the big problems is where market share is won. Firms that identify the challenge and take the risk of solving it are rewarded with a lasting competitive advantage. Problem-solving is in the very fibre of Anglo-French natural resources firm Perenco. Working on oil and gas projects across Africa, Asia and the Americas, the firm has thrived on bringing lucrative new business models to market.\n\nOne manifestation of its ambition is its Sanaga gas production operation, which fuels the Kribi power station in south-west Cameroon. Rather than constructing a fixed gas well from scratch - a process that can take many years to complete - Perenco decided in 2015 to allow the roll out of the world's-first example of a floating liquidation vessel (FLNG) built from a converted ship. Named the Hilli Episeyo, the ship not only shaved years off the commissioning process, but has created a more adaptable way to retrieve gas from stranded gas reserves, in compliance with national legislation.\n\nThe Sanaga offshore operation is controlled from Perenco's Bipaga onshore gas Central Process Facilities (CPF). The Bipaga facility receives natural gas from Sanaga and, after processing using low temperature treatment, delivers Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) condensate and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as a by-product. These facilities allow Perenco to produce 1,200,000 tons of LNG for exporting and 26,000 tons of domestic gas to fuel Cameroon's households.\n\n\u00a0\n\nUpgrade or replace?\n\nOperating the pioneering FLNG vessel requires industrial processes and safety to be controlled from a distributed set of command centres. The CPF is an essential component in coordinating the gas production supply chain.\n\n\n\nIts previous distributed control system (DCS) was beset by a number of challenges. Firstly, the process and safety elements were misaligned, bringing operational inefficiencies. Secondly, the lack of diagnostic information meant that trained staff were required on-site to identify and address issues. Thirdly, the platform lacked the scalability to expand capacity, which was coming under pressure as operations in the Sanaga gas field grew.\n\nThe challenges were evident during a particular incident. A network issue was identified at a late stage, requiring specialist engineers to be brought to the site. Resolving the problem meant a week of downtime and sizable costs, highlighting the urgent need for a greater degree of systems autonomy and faster turnaround in resolving issues.\n\nThis left Perenco with a choice: either upgrade the existing system or replace it entirely. Following deep analysis, the company decided to transition from the DCS to an integrated control and safety system (ICSS) connected to Perenco's centralised data operations, and to remote access points in Douala and Paris, Perenco's local and central HQ respectively.\n\nThese new requirements led to Perenco awarding the contract to our long-term partners ITEC Engineering, who brought in Rockwell Automation to help cover the full scope of the project - from electrical and instrumentation, through to integration of the plant ICSS.\n\n\u00a0\n\nTrust built over decades\n\nThe relationship between Perenco, ITEC Engineering and Rockwell Automation is well established. At Rockwell, we have been working with Perenco for decades, across facilities in various locations and continents. As we already had some safety technology operational in Bipaga, we saw an opportunity to provide an integrated solution that would meet Perenco's needs.\n\nThe conversation about the Bipaga project started in 2017 with an exploration of costs. Replacing the existing system wouldn't be cheap. To detail the cost benefits, ITEC Engineering showed Perenco that while the ICSS would require upfront investment, day-to-day running costs would be far less expensive than those of its existing platform. The total cost of ownership (TCO) argument was extremely compelling.\n\nThe cost discussion had another dimension. Transitioning from Bipaga's previous platform to an entirely new system would have to be done within a tight timeframe. The new platform had to be commissioned within a year, or else Perenco would incur significant costs - amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars - for every day that the system was not operational.\n\nHere, the power of the pre-existing relationship came into play. With the stakes high, Perenco would not have been able to trust just any company to deliver. It knew that ITEC Engineering understood its requirements and would place paramount priority on meeting the deadlines. For Rockwell Automation's part, the fact that we already had vast experience in the oil and gas industry and strong relationships across Perenco's operations and safety teams put us in a strong position to deliver.\n\nWorking closely with ITEC Engineering, we created an ambitious but achievable roadmap within the timeline. ITEC Engineering was responsible for specifications, engineering design and automation processes, while we provided our PlantPAx distributed control system (incorporating SIS, PCS and HIPPS), along with the connectivity, via EthernetIP, to enable remote access to the FLNG from Perenco's Douala and Paris control rooms. Together, we were able to identify efficiencies and potential issues.\n\nITEC Engineering also built a mobile application for Perenco, allowing senior personnel to check diagnostic activity via tablet, further reducing the requirement for on-site operational management.\n\nThe components of PlantPAx were pre-packaged, enabling all infrastructure to be integrated into a global application, thus saving huge volumes of time and engineering costs. By the time of the go-live date, one year after the project initiation, Perenco was able to 'turn the key' and activate all components in sequence.\n\nNot only was the tight delivery date for testing and implementation met, it was actually exceeded on both time and cost.\n\n\u00a0\n\nEverything flows\n\nOne year on from the implementation, Perenco has already realised some important benefits that justify the decision to transition from its original DCS. These include:\n\n    * Enhanced scalability. Rockwell's PlantPAx is built on multi-server architecture, meaning that Perenco can expand operation and add new processes easily. The company did this in October 2019, commissioning additional systems without disrupting processes on the vessel or CPF.\n\n    * Improved integration capabilities. Perenco now has an efficient ICSS that brings together all process and safety systems into a single architecture. This is hugely beneficial for those working at the Bipaga facility, both on-site and from remote locations, as it creates a more seamless user experience. It's also a benefit for the broader organisation, as Perenco is using Rockwell's technology across multiple plants, and so can ask suppliers to standardise on Rockwell.\n\n    * Better diagnostics. The open nature of Rockwell's technology means that Perenco's IT staff have a greatly improved ability to monitor the performance of process and safety systems at the CPF, and greater agility in reacting to issues without the requirement for on-site engineering. Rockwell and ITEC Engineering intentionally included Perenco's IT team in setting the parameters around the systems to ensure the highest level of compliance from an IT security perspective.\n\n    * Greater simplicity. Rockwell's ICSS is much more straightforward for Perenco to maintain and upgrade. Perenco now finds it easier to train staff to use its systems and can adapt processes without creating new complications.\n\nPerenco's experience has been so positive that, one year after implementing PlantPAx, it has decided to replace its DCS entirely and have one fully integrated system across all its operations. A key factor in this decision has been its relationship with ITEC Engineering and our own practitioners. Together, we have used our knowledge of the business to deliver a superior solution, enabling Perenco to move faster, continue tackling the big problems and gain an advantage that promises to deliver value for the Sanaga operation well into the future.\n\n\nTAG: process-solutions\nTAG: the-connected-enterprise\nTAG: industrial-automation-and-control\n\nTAG: oil-and-gas\n\nTAG: industrial-control-products\nTAG: power-supplies\nTAG: plantpax\nTAG: plantpax-dcs\n\n",
    "stanley-black-decker-manufacturing-innovation": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/stanley-black-decker-manufacturing-innovation\n\nTITLE: Stanley Black & Decker: Champions for Innovation\n\nWhat does the largest toolmaker in the world do when it wants to build something new? That was a central question for Stanley Black & Decker, the 177-year-old creator some of the most iconic industrial and household tools on the market. The company had a desire to innovate across all areas of its business, including operations and manufacturing, workforce enablement, and supply chain.\n\nAs Stanley Black & Decker embarked upon its digital transformation, the company wanted to leverage Industry 4.0 tools, technology and strategies to help its customers - \"those who make the world.\" The company also wanted rethink how it enables its own business through technology, how it makes products and how it sells those products though the supply chain.\n\nAt the end of its four-year effort, Stanley Black & Decker leadership hopes to create $200-$250M of value capture with an additional benefit of around $100M in enterprise shared services value.\n\n***** Embarking on a digital transformation *****\n\nStanley Black & Decker has continually performed at a high level but found that some processes required intense manual efforts to deliver on expected results. Leaders knew that a digital transformation program could help modify processes to be more data-driven and automated across the entire supply chain, and ultimately improve performance.\n\n\"One of the biggest challenges, especially for a traditional industrial manufacturing company, is the issue with what I call lazy, rusty asset syndrome,\" said Sudhi Bangalore, vice president, Industry 4.0, Stanley Black & Decker. \"We have plants that are really old - tremendously profitable but have a lot of legacy both in terms of practices as well as assets and processes.\"\n\nThe first step to enabling digital transformation was to create a smart Connected Enterprise to act as a backbone for uncovering and unleashing data. This involved building a holistic set of enterprise applications and control towers to connect 122 factories and 15 distribution centers.\n\n***** Empowering employees through data and skills *****\n\nA second incentive for a digital transformation program is Stanley Black & Decker's focus on creating value and opportunity for employees. Through comprehensive up-skilling and re-skilling of 61,000 employees, the company is creating new and more rewarding career paths for employees and increasing retention.\n\nFor example, an approach to \"elevating work\" could mean taking an employee trained in assembly and reskilling them to also play a role in quality oversight using data-driven systems and digital tools. Enabling employees with high-value digital skills also empowers them to make more strategic business-driven decisions, leading to new ideas and a better approach to work.\n\nBuilding an infrastructure to support remote enablement is also part of the digitalization program. Spurred partly by the pandemic, remote access, monitoring and control will encourage employees to collaborate across factories, regions and countries to make strategic data-driven decisions even while off site.\n\n***** Learning on the go *****\n\nAt about 18 months into a multi-year program, Stanley Black & Decker is well on its way to full scale digital transformation, and still learning in the process.\n\n\"One strategy we put into practice was to leverage people across the organization to help 'champion' change,\" Bangalore said. \"We are combatting skepticism and driving adoption through smart engagement of plant champions who are helping build the bridge between technology and its impact on people.\"\n\nAnother area that has brought about a lot of learning has been the time frame. The company wants to connect its many sites in a time frame of months, not years.\n\n\"That has been a foundational focus and one that has taken a lot of testing,\" Bangalore said. \"And we're getting to a point where we're now comfortable in saying we're ready to actively deploy it at scale in each plant in about a month or two.\"\n\nLearn more about our Digital Transformation Strategy Consulting\n\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: power-generation\n\n",
    "solutions-in-action--weiler-labeling-systems": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/solutions-in-action--weiler-labeling-systems\n\nTITLE: Solutions in Action: Weiler Labeling Systems\n\nDrug quality and security are pressing global concerns. And in response, governments and regulatory agencies are imposing ever stricter requirements surrounding the traceability of pharmaceuticals from manufacturing through dispensation. The responsibility for meeting these mandates falls squarely on the shoulders of pharmaceutical companies \u2013 who must often retool labeling processes to incorporate new serialization functionality.\n\nWeiler Labeling Systems (WLS) is focused on helping the pharmaceutical industry address today's challenges. The company designs and customizes advanced pressure sensitive labeling solutions that deliver optimum performance \u2013 and printing and vision solutions that support track and trace serialization. WLS, based in Moorestown, New Jersey, has installed more than 400 labeling solutions worldwide during its 20-year history. While conventional indexing labeling heads print lot numbers and expiration dates, the indexed motion limits the speed at which serialization can be done. One of the latest off erings from Weiler Labeling Systems, the WLS X-4S pressure sensitive label head, is designed for high-speed serialization \u2013 and new levels of efficiency and flexibility.\n\nBuilt to integrate with WLS labeling systems, the X-4S enables continuous, on-demand printing of item-level serialization information. \"The lot and expiration date are usually constant for the product run,\" explained Philippe Maraval, vice president of sales and marketing, Weiler Labeling Systems. \"But the new mandates require that labels also include an individual code for each container. These codes are randomly generated from a manufacturer's centralized database.\" While printing these item-level codes will soon be an industry imperative, many installed labeling systems simply do not have the functionality required.\n\nEnter the WLS X-4S label head. Appropriate for both inline and rotary systems, the compact X-4S label head can be configured with various coding options. It features a web tension and feed control system from the unwind through printing to enable continuous-motion code printing \u2013 even when the labels are being dispensed in indexing mode.\n\nDepending on the size of the code, the label head can achieve speeds in the range of 300 to 400 pieces per minute (ppm). \"But it's not just about speed,\" Maraval said. \"The printed code must appear in the same position on the label each time. We aim for accuracy \u00b1 1/32 inch. Our system is designed for both readability \u2013 and repeatability.\" An independent three-axis mounting system with digital settings enables precise peel plate adjustment and product changeover in minimal time. In addition, a redesigned \"closed loop\" push-pull system allows for tool-less disassembly \u2013 and eases cleaning. All electronics are located underneath the label head to reduce wiring \u2013 and help enable easy installation of the head on a new or existing labeler base. When powered by Rockwell Automation, the X-4S includes Allen-Bradley\u00ae Kinetix\u00ae 5500 EtherNet/IP\u2122 servo drives and Kinetix VPL low-inertia servo motors.\n\nThe label head is integrated with a WLS labeler using an Allen-Bradley CompactLogix\u2122 programmable automation controller running on an EtherNet/IP network. The On-Machine\u2122 solution also includes Allen-BradleyArmorBlock\u00ae I/O. \"The compact Kinetix motors and drives help us minimize the footprint of the system,\" said Vu Huynh, principal controls engineer, Weiler Labeling Systems. \"And since the Kinetix 5500 drive has just one cable for both power and digital feedback, we are able to reduce wiring as well.\"\n\nThe control system is built for rapid system feedback to enable high-speed syncing with motion. \"Feedback speed is critical for accuracy and repeatability,\" said Huynh. \"Given the speeds we are running, print registration could quickly be compromised if the system couldn't process feedback quickly \u2013 and automatically adjust.\" As Weiler Labeling Systems introduces the X-4S label head, it looks forward to meeting the diverse requirements of the pharmaceutical marketplace. \"Our systems are all customized to some degree,\" Maraval said. \"The Rockwell Automation team helps us address those needs. The worldwide support Rockwell Automation provides is also an advantage for our customers,\" Maraval continued. \"Of course, we support our customers \u2013 but we can also call on Rockwell Automation to help solve unique application challenges.\"\n\nFor more information, contact: Philippe Maraval, Vice President, Sales and Marketing Weiler Labeling Systems Phone: 856.273.3377 Email: pmaraval@weilerls.com\n\n\nTAG: life-sciences\n\n",
    "dynamic-air-creates-value": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/dynamic-air-creates-value\n\nTITLE: Dynamic Air Launches TED-D Solution with ThingWorx\n\nInnovation is part of day-to-day life at Dynamic Air in Nazar'e Paulista, S~ao Paulo. Founded in 1969 in the United States, the company is recognized as the world leader in dense phase pneumatic conveying systems for bulk solids handling. With more than 15,000 systems installed worldwide - each one purpose-built to achieve maximum performance - Dynamic Air provides customers across a myriad of industries with solutions for transport, homogenization, mixing, weighing, dosing, storage, receiving/unloading and drying.\n\nDynamic Air is also recognized as a thought-leader in manufacturing because they operate Latin America's largest and most modern pilot plant. The plant is used to simulate process conditions and perform testing on an industrial scale.\n\n***** The Application: Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) *****\n\nDynamic Air's mission has always been to stay one step ahead of customer needs. To support this aim, the company makes ongoing investments in new solutions designed to improve the lives of their customers.\n\nThe latest project was led by Patr'icia Fernandes, General Manager of Dynamic Air, and supported by both the Automation Engineering Department and Information Technology Department. The goal? Help customers monitor their Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) in real-time.\n\nAn accurate, real-time OEE value is notoriously difficult to obtain, as it's a calculation made from data that's generated and stored in disparate systems: quality, performance and availability. OEE can only be calculated by aggregating these data and performing the specific OEE calculation that best fits the company's needs.\n\nReal-time OEE is an incredibly powerful metric. Understanding real-time OEE makes it possible to identify issues, minimize waste and increase productivity.\n\n***** But that's not all... *****\n\nWith COVID-19 changing the way we all do business, Dynamic Air also saw this project as an opportunity to create an ongoing service relationship with customers. \"We wanted to innovate in the face of the pandemic. We knew that by leveraging remote access, we could be nimble with how we provided service, continue to deliver to our quality standards, and help our customers improve their operations,\" said Fernandes.\n\n***** The Journey: Selecting a Vendor *****\n\nAccording to Claudio Ferreira, Automation Engineering Manager at Dynamic Air, the company investigated a variety of options and spent nearly two years researching products and suppliers. \"We concluded that we needed a partner that had experience with the digital journey, software with adequate data security, and a brand name that our market trusted. Additionally, we wanted future-proof software that would allow us to add augmented reality, machine learning and other new technologies.\"\n\nDynamic Air determined that they wanted the ThingWorx IIoT Platform - which connects disparate devices, applications and data streams to enable secure access to industrial operations data.\n\n\"Rockwell Automation has been a Dynamic Air partner for a few years, and we've always had a lot of support in our projects,\" says Mariana Oliveira, Automation Engineering Coordinator. \"Rockwell Automation is the largest automation company in the world, has know-how in the digital journey, values data security in all software, and is at the forefront of technological innovations through their partnership with PTC. They had the solution we needed, and they had our trust.\"\n\n***** The Solution: TED-D *****\n\nThe acronym TED-D stands for Technology Embedded Data - Dynamic Air. Built on the ThingWorx IIoT Platform, TED-D increases the volume and quality of information available to operators and plant managers by aggregating and contextualizing data from PLCs, edge devices, servers and the cloud.\n\n\"Through a monthly subscription, TED-D becomes our ongoing connection with the customer. The dashboard provides the customer with real-time OEE information so they can continue to refine their operations.\" says Ferreira.\n\n\"We now have the data needed to improve our service offerings.\" says Oliveria. \"We can remotely execute performance evaluations, run parameter verifications, automatically collect data on startup, and even virtually access program logic. And our After-Sales and Spare Parts businesses can gain an understanding of upcoming service and spare parts needs.\"\n\n***** The Result: Enabling Industry 4.0 *****\n\nCustomers are noticing. TED-D recently helped Dynamic Air win an order for a pneumatic conveying system. \"Our goal is to support our customers with their digital transformation journeys and help them succeed in Industry 4.0,\" concludes Fernandes. We at Rockwell Automation would say that they're off to a great start.\n\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\nTAG: industrial-automation-and-control\n\nTAG: thingworx\nTAG: factorytalk-innovationsuite\n\n",
    "automation-streamlines-operations-for-250-acre-oil-tank-farm": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/automation-streamlines-operations-for-250-acre-oil-tank-farm\n\nTITLE: Automation Streamlines Operations for 250-Acre Oil Tank Farm\n\n*** A Strategic Location ***\n\nOne of the largest, independent liquid petroleum distributors in the United States operates a marine oil terminal that occupies 250 acres on the East Coast. In 2012, the company expanded its operations with the acquisition of a busy terminal. The tanks at the acquired terminal can hold more than 4 million barrels of petroleum products, and are strategically located in a major U.S. harbor for easy transportation access via water, pipeline, rail and truck.\u00a0\n\nThe smooth flow of oil \u2013 especially through the network of pipes that stretch away from the terminal \u2013 depends on accurate control of the oil and other products in storage.\n\n*** Updating a Newly Acquired Facility ***\n\nLike many tank farms, the terminal was operated manually when it was acquired. As such, operators would drive or walk across the facility, opening and closing valves by hand, and checking meters and other instrumentation devices.\n\nThe manual process had the potential to cause multiple operational discrepancies across the facility. With no way to accurately track the hundreds of valves and meters, valves could be open or closed at the wrong time. This could not only cause plant upsets, but could affect the pipeline downstream and ultimately cause a pipeline shutdown.\u00a0\n\nAfter acquiring the facility, the oil distributor decided to implement a standard for operations across the terminal that was easy to use and maintain. They also wanted a way to easily track and trace data to ease operator troubleshooting if and when faults occurred.\n\nIn addition, the facility's servers and other information technology were damaged during a recent hurricane. To avoid similar damage in the future, redundancy needed to be built into their new automated system.\n\n*** Setting a new Standard ***\n\nThe oil distribution company worked with MAVERICK Technologies, a Rockwell Automation company, to design and implement a virtualized PlantPAx\u00ae distributed control system from Rockwell Automation. Keeping in mind terminal operators had little familiarity with automation, the engineers chose the PlantPAx system because of its usability and intuitive platform.\n\nLeveraging the Rockwell Automation library of process objects \u2013 a pre-defined library of controller code, display elements and faceplates \u2013 MAVERICK eased system programming and implementation. The standard PlantPAx system code developed and supported by the vendor allowed for rapid configuration by the integration team.\n\n\"The PlantPAx system was an obvious choice for a new standard at the acquired oil terminal,\" said David Cortivo, senior engineer, MAVERICK Technologies. \"Every element of the modern DCS solution is pretested, without the need for much customization or retrofitting.\"\n\nTo ease operator onboarding and training, MAVERICK used simulation for process and I/O simulation of the PlantPAx system. Using the software, facility managers could pre-test the control system and alarms before full implementation and train operators through realistic simulation of the plant.\n\n\"Not only did the simulation technology provide the oil distributor with insurance, but the training was priceless for operators, and alarm testing was an invaluable tool for the maintenance team,\" said Cortivo.\n\nIntegrated historian and production intelligence software provides operators a window into system performance data. The historian software collects valuable data \u2013 such as process flow and statistical valve information \u2013 and archives it for reporting and troubleshooting. The production intelligence software interprets the data into comprehensive trends and produces real-time, electronic reports.\n\nThe software also provides a robust security model to help enable secure, remote system access and monitoring. Through a 24/7 service agreement, MAVERICK Technologies can monitor the system for any aberrations or alarm notices from a remote site. This isolated security model also gives all the distributor company clients individual remote access to data surrounding their own products stored at the facility.\n\nLastly, MAVERICK's engineering team deployed fully redundant PlantPAx servers on VMware\u00ae virtualized architecture. Servers on-site are completely backed up by remote machines.\u00a0\n\n\"Virtualization provides risk management against future catastrophic events like hurricanes \u2013 a vital component of the overall solution,\" said Cortivo.\n\n*** Increasing Operator Insight ***\n\nThe new system eased integration at the marine oil terminal. The pre-configured library of process objects aided MAVERICK during the system design and implementation process.\n\n\"A traditional DCS is complicated and expensive to implement,\" said Cortivo. \"Using the pre-configured tools of the PlantPAx DCS, we were able to decrease implementation time, and cut costs associated with implementing a new system in half.\"\n\nThe system's intuitive platform and embedded simulation software eased the process of operator training. Whereas a traditional DCS requires deep system knowledge to operate and a high-level skillset to configure devices, the PlantPAx system is easy to use. \"All operators at the terminal came from a manual operation background, but after just one day of training, they already understood the control system,\" said Cortivo.\u00a0\n\nThe new system is able to automatically control valves, freeing operator time spent manually opening and closing each valve throughout the day. In addition, operators have direct insight into real-time operation data and can easily track what valves are open, when they opened, how long they have been open, etc. Now able to track all data, operators can see when and how plant upsets occur, saving valuable time troubleshooting.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to this company's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nPlantPax is a trademark of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\nVMware is a trademark of VMware Inc.\n\n\nTAG: oil-and-gas\n\n",
    "auto-inventory-accuracy": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/auto-inventory-accuracy\n\nTITLE: Newman Technologies Improves Inventory Accuracy\n\nNewman Technology, Inc. is the North American Group of Sankei Giken Kogyo Co., Ltd. For over 30 years, the company has produced quality parts and developed solutions for motor vehicle markets. Quality, innovation, and continuous improvement have made them a top supplier of Exhaust, Door Frame, and Exterior Trim products.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nNewman Technology employees build and manage hundreds of thousands of components each day in four facilities. The company receives 1,500 containers of parts a day from a myriad of suppliers. After production and assembly, Newman Technology ships out 5,000 containers of components to 15 customer locations around the world.\n\nManual Methods\n\nFor years, employees relied on spreadsheets and paper purchase orders to move materials through their operation, which was cumbersome and time consuming. The processes were too antiquated to support quick customer order changes, and Newman had a difficult time forecasting demand. Even worse, when a change was made to a procedure, every department's manual had to be updated - and those updates involved producing and manually replacing forms for up to 25 binders scattered throughout four facilities.\n\nThey had a lot of inventory traffic to manage, and physical paper trails were not feasible at the scale with which they were doing business. The company needed a robust tool and disciplined processes for managing inventory.\n\nAdditionally, inconsistent container label formatting and unreliable quality made it increasingly difficult to manage processes from buyer to buyer.\n\nLooking for a Better Way\n\nNewman Technology realized that they needed a modern-day solution for production accuracy and accountability. The company could no longer accept incorrect inventory quantities, inconsistent packing slip information, or incorrect bills of material. Employees needed simple, rapid solutions to replace outdated methods of verifying shipments and validating invoices.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\n*\n\nAfter going live with Plex in 2006 Newman Technology was familiar with Plex product offerings and was excited to start using Plex MES, a full visibility solution that would ultimately increase connectivity and provide a real-time view of the entire production lifecycle.\n\nStreamlined Communications\n\nWith the help of Revolution Group, Newman Technology implemented Plex in a phased approach over 18 months. Plex MES helped facilitate communications between Newman Technology and its suppliers, and it cut out the excess paper in Newman's operations.\n\nPlex automated and accelerated Newman Technology's processes and enabled alignment across functions both within the company and with suppliers and customers outside the company's walls. In a fast-paced and dynamic manufacturing environment with more than 700 employees, four facilities, 220 work centers, 330,000 components received daily, and 100,000 parts shipped out daily to 15 customer locations, tight coordination and production efficiency are paramount.\n\nThe automated, paperless nature of Plex saves time and effort, and helps with ISO compliance.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\nGetting Results\n\nWith Plex MES, Newman Technology now has everything in one place and all facilities are connected. As orders come in, all items are scheduled on the production floor, allowing\u00a0employees to see each job configuration in detail. They can then schedule orders to suppliers, allowing inventory to drop to minimal levels while giving local suppliers the ability to make deliveries as needed without decreasing inventory accuracy.\n\nNewman can also look at scheduled jobs and available inventory, as well as what needs to be ordered, giving them the ability to quickly locate any discrepancies and communicate those to the appropriate employees. Also, as an ISO-certified company, the scheduling of all audits and documentation tracking are completed in Plex.\n\nThe company completes two physical inventories per year with spot checks in between. Prior to Plex MES, this process could take multiple days given the amount of preparation involved. Now, these inventories can be completed in four to six hours.\n\n\"It took very close to a day, at least, if not multiple days to complete physical inventories, because there was so much work that went in behind it. It was a nightmare,\" Luke Abrams, IT Systems Manager.\n\nSince the addition of Plex MES, management at Newman Technology can walk through the production floor and see scrap and production rates live. This has been a game changer, providing accuracy in consistently changing data to ensure automated workflow and remove human error. Additionally, with the use of Plex throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Newman employees were able to view demand and customer orders from remote locations. As conditions improved, Plex MES also allowed for staggered shift scheduling, keeping employees safe while allowing business to continue.\n\nAutomated Processes\n\nNewman employees also have a better solution for documenting correct part numbers and quantities on labels, which makes for a vastly improved inventory system. When quality issues arise, Newman Technology can now use Plex's Production Monitoring solution to control the flow of information and increase efficiency. With unique product serial numbers, employees can track and record each product through production and conduct thorough reviews if necessary, using the information collected with the system. This has improved overall quality tracing and made for rapid decision-making.\n\nReal ROI\n\nNewman Technology improved and accelerated domestic inventory management - going from 12 to 20 turns per month for parts used every day - and reduced manpower in the processes.\n\nPlex also provides Newman with better internal auditing. The on-demand software delivers a strong document control system with electronic documents in one location and automatic revision tracking. Every employee has access to the documents online and receives alerts for changes and actions as soon as they are needed. Shop floor employees can better plan and adapt their tooling in response to upcoming changes.\n\nThe result is a paperless system that has saved money (and trees). It has helped Newman Technology conform to all aspects of ISO, which is critical in today's manufacturing world.\n\nLooking to the Future\n\nAs they look toward the future, Newman Technology is excited to finalize the Plex MES implementation at their latest site in Mexico. With the several US-based sites fully implemented, the knowledge base built up within the internal team is being used to help get each site up to speed. Given that each department has different needs, Newman has been able to utilize department leads from other sites to help progress implementation at their Mexico site.\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: automotive-and-tire\n\nTAG: plex\n\n",
    "arkema-addresses-safety-concerns-and-cuts-costs": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/arkema-addresses-safety-concerns-and-cuts-costs\n\nTITLE: Arkema Addresses Safety Concerns and Cuts Costs\n\nChemical company migrates to PlantPAxTM process automation system to provide complex batch and recipe capabilities, solving the quality and consistency issues that had proven to be problematic with their legacy DCS. Watch the video above.\n\n\nTAG: chemical\nTAG: life-sciences\n\n",
    "oriola-ab-revolutionises-its-environmental-control-solution": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/oriola-ab-revolutionises-its-environmental-control-solution\n\nTITLE: Oriola AB Revolutionises Its Environmental Control Solution\n\n***** Background *****\n\nOriola AB is the second largest pharmaceutical wholesale company in Sweden, with a market share of about 40 per cent. Serving clients that primarily comprise pharmaceutical companies and pharmacy chains, the company exploits two wholesale logistics centres in M\"olnlycke and Enk\"oping. All pharmaceutical distribution is handled by the Enk\"oping site, while central warehousing and the company's headquarters is in M\"olnlycke.\n\nIn addition to pharmacy distribution and central warehousing, Oriola also provides pharmaceutical manufacturers with various added-value services including: logistics and management for clinical trials; sampling and storage services, which are used by several pharmaceutical companies; and packaging services that include re-packing and handling of all types of pharmaceuticals for the Swedish and Nordic markets.\n\nSince 2010, the company has been working on a program formulated to create a sustainable culture of continuous improvement, in order to reduce internal waste and deliver more customer value. The program, which is implemented throughout the company, is based on its customer promises and how its internal processes are constantly improved in order to enhance customer satisfaction.\n\nAs part of this continuous improvement, Oriola realised that it had to revise its environmental control solution in order to bring it up to a level that would satisfy the ever increasing needs of national legislation, alongside its customers' demands for more precise environmental control and data traceability in terms of all facets of the pharmaceutical storage process.\n\nOriola approached Kennedy Automation AB, a Rockwell Automation Recognised System Integrator and a company with a proven track record of HVAC solutions for the pharmaceutical industry. Kennedy Automation developed a new control infrastructure - designed using all-round GxP principles - based on advanced process and control products from Rockwell Automation.\n\n***** Challenge *****\n\nAccording to Jonas Larsson, Facility Manager at Oriola: \"It was difficult to undertake logging using the old system. We had three primary issues. First, the system was un-validated; our customers demand validated monitoring systems, so we either had to validate the old system or replace it. The second issue was that the old system was based on a serial communications line, built in a loop, so there was always the potential risk of unwanted changes every time we added or removed something. The third and final issue was that we knew that we were simply using too much energy.\"\n\nAccording to Liam Kennedy, Lead Engineer at Kennedy Automation AB: \"Oriola's old solution was a multiple-vendor SCADA system with integral logging that had never been properly tested and documented, two factors about which the authorities were critical. Oriola knew it needed to upgrade and was well aware of the issues involved and the limitations of the existing system should it not take a proactive approach.\"\n\n\"Our customers were demanding data and I wanted a system that could provide this data at the push of a button,\" Jonas explains. \"We also saw a huge opportunity to save energy by doing things smarter, such as adding variable-speed drives. Way too much air was going through the building, which had originally been built for other purposes. We knew that we could reduce the volume of air and make significant energy savings without affecting the optimised environmental conditions.\"\n\n***** Solution *****\n\n\"The solution was based on three phases,\" Liam explains. \"In the first instance a solutions platform was installed to provide services including SCADA, alarm monitoring, historical data logging, reporting services and, of course, client server operations. These leveraged FactoryTalk(R) Historian SE, FactoryTalk VantagePoint(R) and FactoryTalk View SE from Rockwell Automation.\n\n\"To facilitate this,\" he continues, \"a corporate-wide control systems network was installed, based on fiber optics and connected using StratixTM switches from Rockwell Automation. This use of a fiber optic-based network, also gives Oriola the ability to make phased additions without risking the parts of the system that have already been validated.\n\n\"The second phase,\" he elaborates, \"was the installation of control systems in the freezers - which regularly function at -22 ^0C - and the chiller rooms, both of which see variable cooling loads as products are introduced and removed. This control system included the deployment of several Allen-Bradley(R) PowerFlex(R) variable-speed drives to control the compressors that are used to regulate the cooling power. Finally, a room-monitoring system was installed, which comprised 490 temperature and humidity sensors. This provides complete monitoring, alarm and reporting facilities.\n\n\"A large legacy Allen-Bradley SLC-based system was already in place,\" Liam explains, \"we just wanted to upgrade it to a more contemporary solution and Rockwell Automation offers a lot of help with this process, especially with the introduction of the 1747-AENTR adapter module.\"\n\nThe 1747-AENTR adapter module allows Allen-Bradley CompactLogixTM and ControlLogix(R) programmable automation controllers to control SLC I/O modules. It is primarily designed to enable the migration of existing SLC-controlled systems to Logix-based systems and acts as a gateway between the SLC backplane and EtherNet/IP and typically replaces an SLC controller in a rack.\n\nAs well as the new control infrastructure, much of the success of the system is down to more intelligent use of the sensors and their positioning. \"We used much more intelligent sensor placement,\" explains Jonas. \"My suggestion at the start was not to rely solely on temperature mapping, so we came up with a method that measured the temperature in real time. For this we adopted a risk-based approach, where we noted all possible sources of heat and cold (doors, fans, heaters, etc.) and then we said that between every 'risk' and our product storage there should be a sensor probe as well as probes all around the area and in the middle.\"\n\n\"This results in many more probes,\" he continues, \"but we now have much more faith in our real-time data. Temperature mapping is still legislated by law and forms a major part of our risk-based approach, but we can offer our customers significant additional data. A few of our customers were very impressed and even suggested that our new approach was 'top of the class'.\"\n\nAlongside the regular audits, the facility also undergoes other inspections. \"We have constant interaction with authorities,\" Liam explains, \"and have been involved in over 50 inspections since the initial installation. Oriola is responsible for the distribution chain, so any issues can affect the whole customer chain. If anything comes up in the inspections they call Kennedy Automation to prove that things were done correctly; we can expect a call at any time. We provide test-assessment documents and risk assessments, some of which prompt further enhancements. We do still get comments, but nothing like before.\"\n\n***** Results *****\n\n\"Our customers are a lot more confident in our facility and our data delivery,\" Jonas explains. \"The requirements from our customers and the national and international bodies are always getting tougher and had we not done this project we almost certainly would have lost business. We are also very confident in our ability to match the more strenuous requirements we will likely see over the next few years. Indeed, the new regulations are actually heading towards our methods - one based on risk assessment. As long as you can prove that you have thought about the risks and mitigated for them, the assessors are happy.\n\n\"We have used Kennedy Automation before,\" he elaborates, \"in an Allen-Bradley installation at another site. Kennedy Automation knows the products and the business and those two combined are extremely valuable for us - it was a no brainer. We will eventually replace other control systems with those from Rockwell Automation.\"\n\nOriola is also enjoying the benefits of EtherNet/IP. \"We wanted a modern communications infrastructure and in our eyes EtherNet/IP is the best and easiest to use,\" Jonas concludes. \"We made the choice to have our own process network. It's not connected to company network, but one server has a double-network access card, so we can access the system from office if we really need to.\"\n\n\"At Kennedy Automation, we work solely with Rockwell Automation,\" Liam finalises. \"We can interface with others, but our solutions are always from Rockwell Automation - even our cabinet design. If Rockwell Automation doesn't have it, we don't sell it. This allows us to specialise on one technology platform so we can give our customers the very best service and solutions.\"\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to this customer's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\nTAG: life-sciences\n\n",
    "solutions-in-action--autotech-engineering": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/solutions-in-action--autotech-engineering\n\nTITLE: Solutions in Action: Autotech Engineering\n\nDiscriminating consumer products manufacturers demand high quality at every point in their supply chain - from raw ingredients to packaging supplies. Plastic bottle producers who serve this market must meet exacting specifications that encompass bottle composition and design - and extend to product labeling. Autotec Engineering, a design house focused on high-speed, servomechanical solutions, provides plastic processors with the finishing equipment required to satisfy end-user demands.\n\nFounded in 1972 and based outside Toledo, Ohio, Autotec delivers innovative custom-tooled solutions including plastic bottle trimmers and in-mold labeling machines. Unlike heat-fi red transfer labeling systems that apply paper labels to bottles with adhesives, in-mold labeling places label material within the plastic mold cavity while the bottle is being formed. \"The label material and molten plastic become one fused piece,\" said Jeff Thomas, service manager, Autotec Engineering. From a sustainability standpoint, in-mold labeling offers a number of advantages. First, the completely fused end product is 100 percent recyclable. Second, the process itself - which is completed inline as part of the molding system - is more energy efficient than offline transfer labeling systems. In addition, in-mold labeling removes the use of label adhesives and related fumes and venting.\n\nThe Autotec in-mold labeling equipment is coupled to the bottle producer's molding machine. \"Our equipment also saves space on the plant floor \" Thomas explained. \"The machine is coupled to the bottle producer's molding machine to perform the labeling operation. Therefore, it has a much smaller footprint than offline labeling machines.\" To achieve the functionality required for the operation, the Autotec equipment includes a linear motor carriage, label placer arms and label magazines. The linear motor carriage positions the placer arms to pick multiple labels from the magazines. The carriage stages the next set of labels outside of the mold and moves forward to place the labels within the mold cavity at the precise moment the mold opens.\n\nAutotec began producing in-mold labeling machines in the mid-1990s. In many cases, this durable equipment is still in service today. \"We're proud these machines have been operating for 20 years or more,\" said Thomas. \"However, servicing these products was becoming challenging.\" The original equipment utilized early generation linear motors and other automation components from a variety of suppliers. In many cases, replacement parts and chipsets were no longer available. To provide their customers with an up-to-date and maintainable solution, Autotec designed a control system retrofi t, based on Rockwell Automation technology. \"By standardizing on Rockwell Automation components, we were able to bring an existing piece of equipment in line with current technology very cost eff ectively,\" said Thomas. \"We were also able to deliver a more fl exible solution to our customers.\" To achieve the precise high-speed positioning required, the retrofi t is based on Allen-Bradley(R) LDL-SeriesTM linear servo motors and Allen-Bradley Kinetix(R) 300 EtherNet/IPTM indexing servo drives. Allen-Bradley CompactLogixTM controllers, communicating on EtherNet/IP,TM manage all control and drive functionality. Integrated Allen-Bradley SensaGuardTM non-contact interlock switches and Guardmaster(R) safety relays help provide machine and personnel protection. The system is monitored on Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM Plus 6 600 graphic terminals.\n\n\"Accuracy and high speed are key requirements for this application,\" Thomas explained. \"But high speed can also introduce hazards for operators and the molding equipment itself.\" Utilizing the Kinetix drive's Safe Torque-Off feature, the system can improve both machine safety and availability.\n\nSafe-off capability removes rotational power from the motor without powering down the entire machine. As a result, the in-mold labeling equipment can be brought to a stop more safely - and restarted more quickly. Now installed, the fi rst retrofi tted machine achieves accuracy +/- 0.001 inch and exceeds the molding equipment's high-speed cycle requirements.\"The customer gave us high marks - it was a job well done,\" said Jim Mihaly, chief operating offi cer, Autotec Engineering. \"From where I sit, this was a beautiful collaboration between Autotec and Rockwell Automation.\"\n\nFor more information, contact: Sales, Autotec Engineering, Inc.\n\nPhone: 419.885.2529\n\nEmail: sales@autotecinc.com\n\nWeb: www.autotecinc.com\n\n\u00a0\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: household-and-personal-care\n\n",
    "cpgsuitemesimprovesqu": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/cpgsuitemesimprovesqu\n\nTITLE: CPGSuite MES Improves Quality, Boosts Production\n\n*** Batch by Batch: A Tavern\u2019s Signature Sauce to Quick-Service Leader ***\n\nOn the west side of Chicago in 1934, Harry and Mabel Mullins began bottling their homemade barbecue sauce to satisfy fans of their tavern. Demand continued to grow and, a few years later, the sauce was made available in local grocery stores. From humble beginnings, Mullins Food Products was born.\n\nToday, Mullins produces and packages more than 250 various sauces each year for global quick-service restaurants, as well as bulk and portion packages to food companies. Growing from 4-gallon batches in the 1930s to 650-gallon batches today, Mullins is committed to quality in each batch. However, the challenge became greater as demand required increasing production capacity and processing accuracy.\n\nTo meet growing demand, the company would have to invest in an expensive physical expansion or produce growth through operational efficiencies. Choosing the latter, Mullins turned to Rockwell Automation to help meet production volume while ensuring the signature quality their customers expect.\n\n*** Process Challenges Impeding Productivity Gains ***\n\nWith the escalation of orders showing no sign of slowing, Mullins had to address various production bottlenecks around the plant. The first stage in the production line is the tank farm that fields the deliveries of ingredients. Deliveries were not defined to a set schedule, but dictated by production and tank capacity. Manual processes and record keeping were causing inaccurate receipt, inventory and consumption volumes that required cycle counts in bulk-ingredient tank farms. Daily physical liquid ingredient counts revealed inaccuracies, requiring significant inventory adjustments.\n\n\u201cWe might not have room in a tank for a delivery,\u201d said Shannon Smith, vice president of customer relations, Mullins Food Products. \u201cWe would then have to ask the tanker driver to wait until production used more product, causing us to incur charges for the delay.\u201d\n\nInside the plant, measurement also remained an issue. Manually opened and closed valves introduced liquid ingredients to cooking kettles. The flow-metering system relied on additional validation to ensure accuracy of liquid in a batch. Even a fractional error could mean a large variance in a batch. Adjustments, such as adding salt or vinegar, were needed to bring a batch within specification. Required adjustments consumed time and\u00a0 capacity that could have been used to start a new batch.\n\nTo maintain quality, every batch is tested in the Mullins quality assurance lab. Typically, the test would take as long as 25 minutes to complete, delaying continued use of a kettle in the process. \u201cTesting batches in this manner was necessary to maintain our highest quality standards, but it also created downtime,\u201d said Smith.\n\nRecording raw-material consumptions was also a labor-intensive and manual process. Consumption was recorded at each compounding area manually using the bill of materials spreadsheet. Because this information was manually compiled, it required data input into the ERP system, creating an information delay of up to 24 hours. Other departments, such as scheduling, purchasing, accounting and warehousing, had to wait for the information. The orders of operations, existence of allergens and sanitation requirements were not consolidated to a single source, which created inefficiencies in production.\n\n\u201cWe needed a solution that would address our manufacturing and supply-chain challenges, and integrate with our ERP system,\u201d said Smith.\n\n*** Mixing in CPGSuite MES and a Dash of Automation ***\n\nTo gain operational efficiencies without expanding their production facility, Mullins turned to manufacturing execution system (MES) software, specifically the Rockwell Software\u00ae\u00a0CPGSuite\u00ae\u00a0system. The system was implemented across sauce production lines. Select manual tasks were automated and built onto the control system. The CPGSuite software synchronizes the production process from raw-material receipt to the creation of the finished sauce. Through a process order, all production is controlled from start to finish where all work centers are given quantity specifications, ingredients and any special instructions for each sauce.\n\nFlow meters and an HMI control panel were installed in the tank farm to streamline the daily intake of ingredients. Automated sensors were placed in the tank farms for accurate measurement. With a single and real-time view of resources, from current schedule fulfillment to ingredient usage, Mullins can schedule production and purchase ingredients based on the real-time inventory levels. Additionally, with an automated hard stop in all tanks, overflows are avoided entirely.\n\nManual open and close valves were automated for precise measurement as bulk liquid ingredients pass from the tank farms to production. Another HMI control panel near the kettles identifies ingredients and requires operators to follow specific work flows adhering to the recipe. To further control quality, thin-client technology is used for scanning incoming raw materials. Variances are identified and communicated to the necessary areas downstream in real time.\n\nThe CPGSuite software collects all process data during the execution of a process order. Data is collected and stored in a common model relative to the production order from the control system, as well as manually entered data. This contextual information provides the basis for production reporting and post-production, root-cause analysis.\n\nAdditionally, information on raw-material usage, quantity and adjusted batches is sent directly to Mullins\u2019 ERP system so operations can eliminate transcription errors, and focus on other production challenges and value-added activities.\n\n*** Each Batch Right the First Time to Boost Output ***\n\nMullins rolled out the CPGSuite software to each of its four production areas. Some of the production facilities have more complicated recipes, such as the salad dressing line. \u201cWe were confident with the installations, and each performed above expectation,\u201d said Smith.\u00a0\n\n\u201cDelivery of liquid materials is a much better coordinated process now,\u201d added Smith. \u201cWe can accept a delivery in its entirety, and not require a tanker to wait.\u201d Automated measurement allows for calculation of loss factors for delivered materials and reduces costs.\n\nThe introduction of additional automation along with CPGSuite MES software work flows and automated data collection has reduced the number of batch adjustments to close to zero. \u201cWe aren\u2019t reliant on manual processes,\u201d added Smith. \u201cWe\u2019ve actually refined nearly all of our formulations, our recipes, now that we are able to consistently hit targeted spec ranges for each batch.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe\u2019ve assembled a project team to focus on how to use all this data we now can access,\u201d Smith continued. \u201cNow that we have analytics on the time required to run each sauce, we can further enhance our pricing, identify shift differentials and leverage best practices across all shifts. We finally have the information to know these are the questions we need to ask and answer.\u201d Additionally, the new system provides the company with data compiled and validated by the control system for use in regulatory compliance reports.\n\nMullins has seen success with the application of the CPGSuite software to their sauce production lines, and has moved toward gaining efficiencies in other areas of the plant. \u201cTraditionally, our bottlenecks were in processing, but now it\u2019s packaging that is drawing our attention,\u201d said Smith. \u201cIntegrating our packaging area with this solution might be a future project.\u201d\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Mullins Food Products\u2019 use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nTrademark Information: \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\n\nCPGSuite and Rockwell Software are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\n\nTAG: \n\n",
    "artificial-lift-AI-energy": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/artificial-lift-AI-energy\n\nTITLE: BCPGroup uses technology to drive sustainability\n\nBCPGroup is the leading developer, manufacturer and installer of intelligent controllers and solutions used in artificial lift systems in the oil and gas industry. The firm has an installed base of more than 5000 systems in wells around the globe.\n\nIts newest subsidiary, MAGNETA, in Houston, Texas, serves as its North American Headquarters, developing Permanent Magnet Motor Technologies and its respective Artificial Intelligence Applications.\n\nFor decades, BCPGroup has been a trusted developer, manufacturer and installer of intelligent controllers and solutions for artificial lift systems in the oil and gas industry. The company has an installed base of more than 5000 systems in wells throughout the United States, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, and Egypt.\n\nIts newest subsidiary, MAGNETA, serves as the company's North American Headquarters as well as a hub for developing permanent magnet motor (PMM) technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) applications that will help oil and gas companies drive sustainability.\n\nAs a gold-level OEM member of the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM program, BCPGroup has worked closely with Rockwell Automation to embed its technologies in BCPGroup offerings since the company's inception more than 23 years ago.\n\n\"My father founded this company on cutting-edge technology and innovation, and sought out the best in industry partners,\" said Diego Mendoza, who serves in a business development role for MAGNETA. \"That's why we work with Rockwell Automation. We integrate all their products into our solutions.\"\n\nThis includes BCPGroup's innovative AI applications.\n\n\"Everyone talks today about AI,\" said Alexander Mendoza, CEO and President, BCPGroup. \"But we've been using it for 23 years since we first launched intelligent controllers for artificial lift systems. AI is part of how we already work.\"\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\n* Reduce Energy Use and Environmental Impact\n\nDriven by global mandates to reduce energy and environmental impacts, oil and gas companies are seeking ways to operate more sustainability - while maintaining productivity and competitiveness. BCPGroup founded MAGNETA to expand the use of its intelligent controllers, which they know can help oil and gas companies meet their sustainability goals.\n\n\"Sustainability is a very important issue to us and a very important challenge to tackle,\" Diego explained. \"We've been helping oil and gas companies reduce energy use and increase productivity for a long time. Together with Rockwell Automation, we want to focus our efforts on the United States oil industry as companies begin to move forward with their sustainability goals. We can help.\"\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\n* Artificial Intelligence-Enabled Control, PMM Motors and Energy Optimization Technologies\n\nWith that goal in mind, BCPGroup has developed and launched a line of offerings under the MAGNETA brand umbrella. These include:\n\n    * The CILA2S 5G MAGNETA universal intelligent controller for sucker rod pumps (SRP), progressive cavity pumps (PCP) and electrical submersible pumps (ESP),\n\n    * Permanent magnet motor (PMM) solutions, and\n\n    * An artificial intelligence flux oriented sensorless (FOS) platform.\n\nPowerFlex(R)755TR variable speed drives with active front-end (AFE) technology and PowerFlex(R) 6000T medium voltage AC drives, both with PMM control, are embedded in the MAGNETA line of products.\n\n\"Rockwell Automation has been a perfect Partner. They're as committed as we are to addressing the sustainability needs of the oil and gas industry, and they have brought their expertise in variable speed drives to this challenge,\" Diego said. \"They provide the most cutting-edge variable speed drive available with AFE technology that reduces harmonic feedback to the grid. And they've worked with us to develop firmware for PMM control, which we can apply universally to our PMM applications across all artificial lift methods.\"\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\n* Significant Energy and Operations Savings\n\nBased on initial testing, BCPGroup believes that MAGNETA is positioned to help oil and gas companies achieve significant energy and cost savings.\n\n\"Our simulations are very precise, and we predict between a 20% and 30% energy savings per well,\" Diego explained. \"Multiply that by thousands of wells and that's a big chunk of energy expenditure we can help eliminate for the industry.\"\n\nFurther, MAGNETA's AI capabilities provide real time data analysis of well operations so users can set preventative maintenance alerts and optimize control based on the well's current operating state. BCPGroup estimates this will help users reduce maintenance costs on artificial lift and water pumping applications by more than 40%.\n\n\"Together, Rockwell and BCPGroup are bringing advanced technologies to the U.S. oil and gas industry that will help reduce their OpEx and CapEx numbers while also reducing the carbon footprint of their operations,\" Alexander said. \"These are game-changing technologies that will move the industry forward.\"\n\nTAG: drive-sustainability\n\nTAG: oil-and-gas\n\nTAG: drives-and-motors\n\n",
    "solutions-in-action--bevcorp": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/solutions-in-action--bevcorp\n\nTITLE: Solutions in Action: Bevcorp\n\nThe entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in the North American beverage community.\n\nDuring the past decade, the number of microbreweries and niche soft drink producers has increased exponentially in response to consumer preference for unique and regionally distinct beverages. And there's no end in sight.\n\nTo grow their businesses, craft beverage producers must eventually look for distribution methods that extend beyond typical keg and inline bottling systems.\n\nBevcorp, a leading supplier to the world's largest beverage companies, provides cost-eff ective solutions to meet this need.\n\nBased in Willoughby, Ohio, Bevcorp is a full service provider of can and bottle fillers, blenders, crowners, cappers, seamers, rinsers, MicroBlendTM blending systems, container handling and refrigeration equipment, and deaeration systems.\n\n\"After achieving success in a local market, many smaller producers look to expand distribution,\" said John Beeze, director of FCI containers, Bevcorp. \"Our rebuild/exchange program makes high-volume rotary filling equipment aff ordable for craft producers - and the contract packagers who serve them.\"\n\nBevcorp boasts an extensive portfolio of rotary filling equipment ranging from standard mechanical gravity fillers to complex electronic volumetric systems.\n\nThe company's line of stainless steel mechanical bottle fillers with cappers, built with refurbished equipment, is a cost-effective solution for producers seeking to boost production.\n\nTypically, small- to medium-size beverage producers and co-packers bottle product with inline equipment based on intermittent motion systems, which can reach speeds up to 200 bottles per minute (bpm).\n\nRotary bottling machines operate in a continuous-motion environment and can achieve speeds of 800 bpm or more.\n\nIn rotary systems, carbonated product is fed to a filler bowl from the processing side of the application.\n\nThe filler bowl holds the beverage under pressure to retain carbonation. A rotary valve assembly extending from the bowl fills bottles entering the system on conveyor.\n\nTo meet diverse needs and production speeds, Bevcorp provides options that include anywhere from 28 to 104 valves.\n\nBottles are capped via an integrated rotary capper. \"No matter what the size, our machines are designed for accuracy and efficiency,\" said Beeze.\n\nAt run speed, the fillers maintain production efficiency of 85 percent or better and retain fill height consistency at +/- 3 millimeters.\n\n\"For all beverage producers, changeover speed is also critical,\" said Beeze. \"Our machines feature recipe-driven changeover from the operator interface and quick-change mechanical adjustments.\"\n\nIn addition, the system incorporates Clean-in-Place (CIP) functionality to enable automatic sanitation of the filler bowl, valves and related equipment between production runs.\n\nAs a result, the Bevcorp filler can generally be up and running in 45 minutes or less - even in \"hard changeover\" situations that involve transitions between vastly different products and bottles.\n\n\"To provide affordable systems, we actively buy-back our equipment then customize and refurbish it to OEM specifications to meet customer requirements,\" said Jim O'Keeffe, marketing manager, Bevcorp. \"The Rockwell Automation product offering provides us with the flexibility to retrofit our machines with up-to-date technology very cost-effectively.\"\n\nFor control, the refurbished machines feature an Allen-Bradley(R) Compact GuardLogix(R) safety system designed to meet Category 3 - and ANSI/PMMI B155.1 - requirements.\n\nFor servo motion requirements, the system utilizes Allen-Bradley Kinetix(R) 6500 Ethernet/IPTMservo drives. The machine runs on an EtherNet/IP network and is typically monitored on Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM Plus 6 1000 graphic terminals.\n\n\"Generally, we provide centralized control with Allen-Bradley POINT I/OTM running on EtherNet/IP and monitored locally,\" explained Eric Hendrickson, engineering manager, Bevcorp.\n\n\"However, we have also integrated our equipment into a plant's overall supervisory system using FactoryTalk(R) View SE software upon request.\"\n\nBevcorp also leverages the Rockwell Automation control system to provide remote monitoring and equipment modification for their customers as required.\n\nLooking toward the future, Bevcorp continues to focus on research and development initiatives aimed at improving already impressive changeover times and production throughput for bottlers of all sizes.\n\n\"Our company has used Rockwell Automation controls for more than 20 years,\" said Hendrickson. \"We look forward to continuing our relationship and optimizing our equipment. Whenever we have application challenges, we know we can count on Rockwell Automation for support.\"\n\nFor more information, contact: General Sales, Bevcorp, LLC Phone: 440.954.3500 Email: sales@bevcorp.com\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "gencor-smart-equipment": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/gencor-smart-equipment\n\nTITLE: Gencor Paves New Roads with Smart Equipment\n\nThe roadways you drive on are the result of the hard work of not only construction crews but also manufacturers like Gencor Industries, a leading provider of hot-mix asphalt production plants and equipment.\n\nFor more than 100 years, Gencor has helped shape highway construction industry standards through technology innovation. And now, the company is creating new possibilities for the industry using IIoT technologies.\n\nGencor recently embarked on a years-long initiative to incorporate more connected and digitalized capabilities into its offerings. The driving force behind the initiative is the desire to put more information in the hands of customers, so they can make more informed decisions and ultimately improve the reliability and profitability of their operations.\n\n***** Paving new roads *****\n\nGencor has spent more than a decade moving toward a more connected approach of using PLC data to help understand and remotely support customer operations. But the company decided to accelerate these efforts a couple of years ago with the introduction of IIoT platforms and solutions that can provide greater insights into customers' equipment.\n\nThe company formed a team consisting of the CEO and other leaders to help drive its digital transformation.\n\n\"As an executive committee, we sat down and talked about what can we do to better reach our customers and better support them,\" said Dennis Hunt, senior vice president, Gencor.\n\nAn information-gathering phase began in 2019. As part of this phase, Gencor benchmarked what digital transformation leaders in the construction industry and elsewhere were doing and attended industry events like Automation Fair(R). Working with technology partner Rockwell Automation and its strategic alliance partner PTC, Gencor then defined a digital transformation strategy for its equipment.\n\n***** Rolling out phase one *****\n\nCurrently, Gencor is in the first phase of its transformation. Activities being pursued as part of this phase include:\n\n    * Real-time monitoring of equipment health data such as temperature and vibration using connected sensors\n\n    * Monitoring performance metrics for systems like tank farms and thermal systems using cloud-based applications\n\n    * Delivering real-time information for operations management using scalable plant dashboards\n\nThe company has rolled out these capabilities to a handful of customer plants. So far, interest has been strong among those participating. What's more, the remote connectivity that Gencor has put in place to-date proved to be especially useful during the COVID-19 pandemic.\n\nUsing tools like FactoryTalk(R) InnovationSuite Vuforia Chalk, Gencor has been able to help start-up and support plants without physically being inside them.\n\n\"Working with our customers over the internet, we see what they see,\" Hunt said. \"We're able to troubleshoot with them, do updates and upgrades, but more importantly, walk them through what is happening. We've got four or five asphalt plants that we've been able to start-up with our people not on-site.\"\n\nAt another plant, the temperature and vibration of connected bearings can be remotely monitored and can trigger an alarm if they measure outside a set parameter. Meanwhile, in northern Alberta, Canada, remote access allows Gencor technicians to support a plant so remote that it uses satellite communications to connect to the internet.\n\n***** Looking ahead *****\n\nGencor is in the process of wrapping up the first phase of its digital transformation. Then, the company anticipates that the entire suite of product concepts developed as part of this phase will be available for deployment with customer equipment in just a matter of months.\n\nSo far, Gencor is measuring success by tracking the progress and completion of its internal development schedules and milestones. Eventually, the company will measure success based on qualitative factors, like customer satisfaction, and quantitative factors, like performance and reliability improvements for customer operations, and sales volume and margin changes within Gencor.\n\nLooking ahead to phase two, Gencor may expand its use of augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) technologies. So far, the company has used AR and VR for training purposes, which can help customers operate equipment more efficiently and service it. Other opportunities include exploring how artificial intelligence can help improve product performance.\n\n\"The things that we've done are clearly helping our customers right now and will continue to help them more with visibility of their equipment, what it is doing and how it is operating,\" Hunt said.\n\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: factorytalk-innovationsuite\nTAG: vuforia\n\n",
    "solutions-in-action--product-handling-concepts--llc-": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/solutions-in-action--product-handling-concepts--llc-\n\nTITLE: Solutions in Action: Product Handling Concepts, LLC\n\nTimes are good for the nonwovens industry. Over the past decade, demand for the typically disposable products has increased at an annual rate of more than 7 percent. Signifi cant growth is expected to continue through 2018 \u2013 fueled in part by an expanding global market for household and commercial surface disinfectant or cleaning wipes. Dispensed from central-pull rolls housed in plastic canisters, these products present unique packaging challenges. In fact, for many manufacturers the insertion of the rolls into the canisters is primarily a manual operation.\n\nProduct Handling Concepts (PHC), an engineering and design firm based in Appleton, Wisconsin, recently introduced a machine to optimize the process. Aptly named, the Momentum\u2122 wipes canister loader is built to deliver new levels of speed and efficiency to the packaging line. Founded in 2007, PHC provides innovative conveyors, case packers, canister loaders and custom automation solutions to customers ranging from Fortune 500 companies to niche independents. \"Our Momentum canister loader is designed to automate what is mainly a hand process in much of the industry,\" said Jim Blair, mechanical engineer, PHC. \"It's a constant flow machine built to help companies meet burgeoning market demand.\"\n\nThe Momentum loader is a conveyor-based, eight-station turret machine fed by either one or two rewinders, which supply the rolled product. Entering the machine horizontally via conveyor, the Momentum loader inverts the rolls vertically, and then aligns and inserts the product in the canisters in a radial manner. An integrated depalletizer delivers the empty canisters to the system. \"The rotary machine can handle the output from two winders and infeed conveyors \u2013 and automatically load up to 180 canisters per minute,\" Blair said. \"That's double the throughput of typical inline systems.\" To keep productivity consistent, the loader includes a balancing laner between the two conveyors. If a roll change or other stoppage occurs on one of the winders, the machine automatically adjusts to supply both infeeding lanes with the output from just one winder. \"The two rotary dials continuously feed the main center turret,\" Blair explained. \"There's no starting and stopping.\" At the machine discharge, sensors help maintain quality control. Empty, tipped or partially filled canisters are rejected from the line.\n\nThe loader extends efficient operation to changeover functionality as well. To switch product sizes, operators select product SKUs \u2013 and associated run rates and rotational speed \u2013 from a menu-driven interface. Various dials and funnels are easily changed out, without special tools. Change parts are also color-coded for easy identification between SKU requirements. Thanks to tool-less changeover, the system can be ready for a new product run in just 30 minutes. To achieve both machine speed and flexibility, the Momentum loader relies on Rockwell Automation control and information solutions. An Allen-Bradley\u00ae CompactLogix\u2122 programmable automation controller manages machine and power functionality.\n\nAllen-Bradley PowerFlex\u00ae 525 AC drives control the rotary motion of the machine, and Allen-Bradley ArmorStart\u00ae LT distributed motor controllers handle the infeed and discharge conveyors. Allen-Bradley Guardmaster\u00ae safety relays help provide machine and personnel protection. The system is integrated on an EtherNet/IP\u2122 network and monitored on an Allen-Bradley PanelView\u2122 Plus 6 graphic terminal. \"Maintaining a small footprint is a key requirement for our customers,\" said Gary Freiberg, electrical designer, PHC. \"The Rockwell Automation On-Machine\u2122 control solution helps us minimize system size.\" With initial installations in place, PHC customers are realizing increased productivity \u2013 and new operational efficiencies. A company converting from a manual inline system to the Momentum machine can expect to reduce human intervention by more than 80 percent. \"We are pleased to deliver one of the fastest canister loading machines on the market,\" said Freiberg. \"Rockwell Automation provides the control capabilities we need to produce a leading-edge product \u2013 and in the markets we serve, it's the industry standard.\"\n\nFor more information, contact: Product Handling Concepts, LLC Phone: 920.757.0900 Email: info@phcfi rst.com\n\n\nTAG: household-and-personal-care\n\n",
    "leading-potato-product-supplier--standardizes-with-plantpax": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/leading-potato-product-supplier--standardizes-with-plantpax\n\nTITLE: Leading Potato Product Supplier, Standardizes With PlantPAx\n\n*** Background ***\n\nThe world's appetite for french fries is enormous. People consume more than 7 million tons of factory-processed french fries globally each year.\n\nIn fact, the use of processed potatoes \u2013 including french fries \u2013 surpassed the use of fresh potatoes in the United States in 1970.\n\nToday, most potatoes grown in the United States are sold to a variety of food processors for french fries, chips, dehydrated potatoes and other potato products.\n\nFrom straight-cut and steak-cut fries, to waffle and curly fries, suppliers of frozen potato products make foods found in thousands of restaurants and grocery stores around the world.\n\nOne of the world's leading frozen potato product supplier operates 15 potato processing plants globally. The automated french fry production process begins with the delivery of raw potatoes to the plants.\n\nThe potatoes are then machine peeled, washed, cut, dipped in batter, fried, frozen and finally packaged for distribution. This continuous process takes approximately one and a half to two hours with no bottlenecks or process upsets.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nWhen the supplier decided to build a new continuous process plant for frozen french fries in eastern Oregon, it wanted to establish a new control standard for its frozen potato plants globally.\n\nThe company decided on a standardized approach in response to challenges encountered with an automated process control system at a similar facility in Louisiana.\n\nAt the Louisiana plant, the company had coded the process control system internally, making it difficult to duplicate at other facilities and challenging to train new operators.\n\n\"In the past, the company's plants had superstar process control engineers. They designed the various systems themselves, writing their own process objects and codes.\n\nThey knew their system like the back of their hand,\" said Ed Diehl, President, Concept Systems, Inc.\"This model was not sustainable. The engineers would retire or move on, and it was difficult to train new operators.\n\nThe company needed a new process model that was intuitive, supportable and sustainable long term.\"\n\nThe company wanted a control platform built on a core set of tools and objects, and easily supported by a third party.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nIn June 2013, the potato product supplier collaborated with Concept Systems Inc. \u2013 a Solution Partner within the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork\u2122 program \u2013 to design and implement a continuous-process automation system for its frozen french fry production facility in eastern Oregon.\n\nThe company selected the PlantPAx\u00ae process automation system from Rockwell Automation \u2013 a scalable, flexible and intuitive modern DCS solution for plant-wide control.\n\nUsing a lead integrator model, Concept Systems worked with process designers to design, implement and commission the new system.\n\nLeveraging the Rockwell Automation library of process objects \u2013 a pre-defined library of controller code, display elements and faceplates \u2013 Concept Systems eased programming and integration time.\n\nVetted by Rockwell Automation engineers on the front-end, the standard PlantPAx code allows for rapid configuration.\n\n\"The PlantPAx system is designed with the operator in mind,\" said Jim Ford, regional engineering manager, Concept Systems Inc. \"The platform is easy to operate and makes it easy to train new operators.\"\n\nSimulation tools allowed engineers to program and test the system early, helping ease operator onboarding and training.\n\n\"The simulation tools allowed managers to pretest the system before full implementation, and helped us finalize the system on time and within budget,\" said Ford.\n\nIn addition, integrated historian software gathers valuable data related to system cleaning, production and downtime, archiving the data for electronic reporting and troubleshooting.\n\nProduction intelligence software allows system operators to see data in real time through comprehensive reports.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nThe new modern PlantPAx system was easy to design and implement.\n\nThe platform easily integrated with other equipment at the new eastern Oregon facility, such as OEM packaging equipment, skids, CIP and filtration systems, all while cutting startup and commissioning time in half.\n\nThe plant was up and running in full production considerably quicker by utilizing PlantPAx.\n\nThe Rockwell Automation standard library of process objects aided Concept Systems during the system design and implementation phases. \"A traditional DCS is very expensive.\n\nIt takes a lot of knowledge and expertise to configure devices correctly, and operate the system smoothly,\" said Ford. \"The configuration tools, offered with the PlantPAx system, make it easier to design, implement and roll out.\n\nThe tools saved us design, implementation and training time.\"\n\nProject detailed design and development began in June 2013, and the facility was up to full production by June 2014.\n\n\"Without the library of process objects, the company would not have met the timeline for project completion,\" said Diehl. \"We saved hundreds of engineering hours with standard code and tools.\"\n\nWith the new system, operators have insight into real-time process data to predict issues that might occur. Production intelligence allows operators to perform predictive maintenance procedures rather than be reactive.\n\nOperators have a direct view into system granularities, helping to manage bottlenecks and make better decisions.\n\n\"Using simulation, we tested the full system in motion during the factory acceptance and testing (FAT) phase,\" said Diehl. \"We performed extensive simulation and testing with the plant operators and team leaders.\n\n\"At the time, we were hoping this would pay off, but we weren't sure. The 'aha' moment came during the first startup. We looked around the plant, and our control engineers were standing with their arms folded. On the first day of implementation the operators were running the facility. We had no issues.\"\n\n\"The company won't do another project without following the same steps. This project was a pilot, and is now the new standard,\" said Diehl.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to this customer's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nPartnerNetwork and PlantPAx are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "bharat-forge-aluminiumtechnik-gains-efficient-energy-management-": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/bharat-forge-aluminiumtechnik-gains-efficient-energy-management-\n\nTITLE: Bharat Forge Aluminiumtechnik Gains Efficient Energy Management at Its Modern Aluminium Processing Plant\n\n*** Background ***\n\nBharat Forge Aluminiumtechnik (Bharat Forge), located in the Saxony area of Eastern Germany, provides innovative aluminium forging solutions for the automotive industry and aims to continually improve its products and services to the highest customer's satisfaction.\n\nThe company was founded as cdp Aluminiumtechnik GmbH & Co. KG in 1996 and taken over by Bharat Forge Ltd. eight years later. Bharat Forge Ltd is part of the Kalyani Group - a USD 2.5 billion conglomerate with a global work force of over 10,000 people.\n\nIn 2016 Bharat Forge was awarded the \"Daimler Supplier Award 2016 - Global Procurement Trucks and Buses\" for the international supply of best quality crankshafts and front axle beams.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nBharat Forge was planning to build a new casting house at its production facility in Brand-Erbisdorf, Eastern Germany in 2013. Since the use of an energy management system was required - one that must be certified for high energy users, such as Bharat Forge - it was decided during the planning process to look for an efficient, modern and sustainable energy management solution to replace current practices, which comprised the manual capturing of meter data throughout the facility.\n\nA vital focus was on the implementation of a solution that provided real time information about assets using the most energy in order to mitigate peak loads, reduce energy cost and define energy costs per product. Another important aspect was to accommodate the various legal requirements regarding the documentation of energy usage and the availability of appropriate, actionable reports to allow for quick and efficient decision making.\n\nIn addition, the energy reporting was to be mostly automated, moving the focus from manual data entry to one that would define and mitigate unnecessary energy usage and improve troubleshooting. Looking ahead, it was also important to Bharat Forge to use a system that could be easily administered by its own staff instead of an external agency.\n\nWhile an energy management system was implemented, increasing demands and other changes made decision makers at Bharat Forge reconsider their initial decision and extend their search for a system that could do a whole lot more than energy management in terms of analysis and reporting. To do that, the new system had to be able to handle various types of meters (gas, water, electricity) as well as different fieldbus systems and protocols.\n\nEventually they decided to go with a solution comprising hardware and software automation components from Rockwell Automation.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nBharat Forge was impressed by the benefits that a system comprising the\u00a0FactoryTalk(R) Historian application, FactoryTalk VantagePoint(R) EMI,\u00a0Allen Bradley(R) CompactLogixTM controllers and\u00a0Allen-Bradley POINT I/OTM modules from Rockwell Automation would deliver. These included high flexibility, easy-to-use reporting, web based access to real-time data analysis, connectivity to various systems and the use of the existing infrastructure.\n\nBharat Forge started implementing the new energy management system with analysis and reporting functions in the newly built casting house. It chose a scalable step-by-step approach in order to get used to the new system, to be able to make adjustments where required and train staff in handling it.\n\nAfter successfully installing all required hardware, the Rockwell Automation service team made sure that data communication between the meters and controllers was functioning as intended.\n\nThe next step was the installation of the software used for analysing, archiving and visualising production data. Data from the various types of energy meters are submitted, via a number of different protocols (Modbus, Mbus), to the\u00a0CompactLogix controllers. This data is then transferred to the FactoryTalk Historian software and visualised via FactoryTalk VantagePoint EMI.\n\nDuring the planning process Bharat Forge had given Rockwell Automation a clear specification of what type of reports were required. When installing the software tools, these requirements were then implemented in customised report templates.\n\nFinally, while data integration commenced with\u00a0FactoryTalk Historian and FactoryTalk VantagePoint, the staff at Bharat Forge received training on how to best use and apply the powerful analysis and reporting tool they now had at their disposal and to make the most of the new automation investment.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nHaving implemented a Rockwell Automation energy management system that does so much more in terms of analysis and reporting, Bharat Forge was able to realise all of its stated requirements. Not only could it clearly define those assets that use the most energy, most obviously the three furnaces, but it also became apparent how extremely they contributed to potential peak energy usage at times when all three were operating at maximum temperature.\n\nBy enabling communication between the furnaces it is now possible to prevent more than two operating under high-energy-usage conditions. This contributed to a 15% reduction of peak load times occurring. Being able to predict or avoid peak times, Bharat Forge was able to renegotiate existing contracts with its energy suppliers - based on actual usage data - further reducing costs.\n\nThe availability of real-time information and the use of customised reports has given Bharat Forge a clearer insight into its continuous production process. It can now identify and realise improvement points, engage in a more accurate planning processes and minimise unnecessary energy consumption, thus reducing cost. Looking at the general energy use within the production facility, Bharat Forge realised a reduction of 5% inside the casting house.\n\nIdentifying the exact energy use of individual assets allows Bharat Forge to assign realistic costs for energy to each asset as well, which helps it to improve its own pricing policy. Additionally, readily available real-time machine data can now be used for historical data management as well as OEE analysis.\n\nOne of the major advantages of this solution compared to other systems is that Bharat Forge is able to administer it itself after implementation. Additionally, it is able to change reports and to create its own reports, based on target-group-oriented requirements within the company, as well as reports to help satisfy ever increasing legal institutions and environmental organisations. Last but not least, looking at the usage of gas, a continuous and stable process was created.\n\nBy establishing integration and connectivity between the production energy usage and historical data analysis, Bharat Forge has taken an important step towards realising The Connected Enterprise(R), making its production smart and sustainable.\n\nBharat Forge is planning to install further electrical meters throughout the entire production facility in order to identify energy usage even more precisely. Outdated gas and water meters are to be replaced by meters with M-Bus connectivity and integrated into the system infrastructure. Furthermore, additional data meters and CompactLogix controllers are to be deployed.\n\nThe reports that have been used intensely are continuously updated. Moving forward, Bharat Forge is planning to install mobile alarming tools to deliver automatic notifications to production management staff, in case of an unexpected pending peak load, in order to allow timely action.\n\nAllen-Bradley, CompactLogix, FactoryTalk, LISTEN. THINK. SOLVE., POINT I/O, VantagePoint and Rockwell Automation are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\nTrademarks not belonging to Rockwell Automation are property of their respective companies.\n\n\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\n\n",
    "wastewater-dcs-process": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/wastewater-dcs-process\n\nTITLE: Unified Process Control Brings Operational Clarity\n\nMichael Gallagher is a Control Systems Analyst with the Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA). The regional water and wastewater treatment agency serves about 935,000 people across 242-square miles in western San Bernardino County, California. IEUA operates five wastewater treatment facilities, a recycled water system, a groundwater recharge system, and a salter facility for a client agency.\n\nIEUA's vision is to be a world-class leader in water management and environmental stewardship. The agency is committed to continued investment to deliver water supply for both today and tomorrow. IEUA decided to use the Rockwell Automation PlantPAx(R) Distributed Control System (DCS) to support a 10-year master plan to upgrade its SCADA enterprise system.\n\nWatch the Video\n\nMichael Gallagher\n\nControl Systems Analyst, Inland Empire Utilities Agency\n\nAging DCS System\n\n\"We had an aging DCS system that was about 30 years old. Because there wasn't much accessibility for the operations and maintenance staff, our controls group had to be involved every time a change was needed,\" Michael explains. \"Now with PlantPAx, responsibility is back in the hands of the operators and maintenance teams.\"\n\nTo date, IEUA has converted three facilities to the PlantPAx platform and started migrating a fourth facility earlier this year. The new system incorporates a number of Rockwell Automation offerings including PowerFlex 750 Series Drives, CENTERLINE Motor Control Centers and IntelliCENTER Software, ControlLogix(R)\u00a0Programmable Controllers, ThinManager Software, FactoryTalk(R)\u00a0AssetCentre software, and input/output modules.\n\nLive Upgrades\n\n\"These upgrades have been happening at each facility on a live, active system,\" Michael says. \"With the help of Rockwell Automation, our design consultants, and our internal staff, we were able to achieve these upgrades without affecting operations and incurring any downtime.\"\n\nAs a water wastewater agency, resiliency and availability are priorities for IEUA. From a control standpoint, the agency prides itself on having little to almost no downtime.\n\nConsistency Across Facilities\n\nSince implementing the upgrades, IEUA has reduced the number of control systems-related work orders as well as the number of change orders needed for control system integration projects.\u00a0\u00a0\n\n\"One of the significant values we're seeing with the upgrades is consistency between our facilities. With standardized control and high-performance graphics, every facility looks and feels the same in how the systems are configured and designed,\" Michael says. \"This helps streamline the after hours on-call support we provide when operators move from one facility to another.\"\n\nKey stakeholder involvement and training have been critical to IEUA's successful upgrade. The agency engaged its operations and maintenance teams in the development and design of the system to ensure that the information provided within the system was easily understood.\u00a0\u00a0\n\n\"That was the big thing for us,\" Michael explains. \"Instead of just throwing this whole new system at everybody, we kept them involved, trained, and up to date.\"\n\nFuture Plans\n\nNow as it nears the finish line of its current 10-year SCADA master plan, IEUA has started to explore what's next.\n\n\"We're considering implementing model predictive control and some artificial intelligence control features to improve chemical usage for the dissolved oxygen operations in our aeration basins, as well as enhancements to our network security,\" Michael says.\n\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: water-wastewater\nTAG: fresh-water\nTAG: wastewater\n\nTAG: plantpax-dcs\nTAG: factorytalk-assetcentre\nTAG: factorytalk-thinmanager\nTAG: distributed-control-systems\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: input-or-output-i-or-o-modules\nTAG: motor-control\nTAG: programmable-controllers\n\n",
    "ecolab-transforms-to-a-connected-enterprise": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/ecolab-transforms-to-a-connected-enterprise\n\nTITLE: Ecolab Transforms to a Connected Enterprise\n\nEvery day, Ecolab helps advance food safety, maintain clean and safe environments, and optimize water and energy usage at nearly 3 million customer sites around the world.\n\nSupporting that mission are Ecolab's 130 global plants. But until recently, those plants lacked coordination and consistency from one to another. As a result, each plant essentially acted as an individual entity.\n\nNow, Ecolab's global network of plants is on a five-year roadmap to greater connectivity so they can perform better and more consistently, and ultimately better serve customers.\n\n***** Laying the foundation *****\n\nMatt Boudjouk, control and automation program lead at Ecolab, was hired to lead the company's digital transformation.\n\n\"My job really is not only to improve the control schemes but also be a conduit of knowledge and share knowledge between plants,\" Boudjouk said. \"We're obviously a good-size company, and if we're not talking to each other we're not taking advantage of it.\"\n\nTo connect employees across Ecolab's plants and give them access to a single data set, Boudjouk formed a team of 20 control engineers representing all of the company's regions. Together, they created specification standards for how controls and automation should work. This helped break down silos by moving plants away from different technologies and control schemes.\n\n\"One of the first specifications that we put together was the cybersecurity hierarchy and network architecture,\" Boudjouk said. \"We followed a lot of the guidelines that are out there. A lot of it has to do with zoning, adding the proper firewalls, having the proper Ethernet switches. That was very pivotal to have that in place.\"\n\nThe team also developed an automation strategy. This was the company's vision for its factories of the future. It included elements like using unified approaches for instrumentation and plant data, so tags from digital applications would make sense whether they were going from plant to plant or up into enterprise systems.\n\n***** A four-step strategy *****\n\nFrom the team's work arose a four-step strategy for digitally transforming Ecolab plants.\n\nFirst is the data-gathering step. This involves putting in the right instruments and collecting the right data, all on an Ethernet infrastructure. Documentation is key in this stage to make sure data can be identified and analyzed at later stages.\n\nThe next step is the visibility. That's where plants start monitoring operations and dashboards give operators real-time insights into how their lines are performing.\n\nThe third step is business optimization. This involves integrating the plant floor with enterprise systems to provide visibility and communications across plants and the supply chain.\n\nThe fourth and final step is digital transformation through the use of capabilities like analytics, digital twins and artificial intelligence on a local and global scale. This can help answer key questions like why some plants perform better than others. Analytics on filling machines, for example, help explain why some machines run better than others, such as because of equipment or training issues.\n\n***** Results so far *****\n\nThe expectation isn't to digitally transform all of Ecolab's 130 plants within the 5-year roadmap but rather to make significant progress in moving them through the four-stage journey.\n\nAlready today, some plants are at the optimization stage. And standardization efforts combined with greater global visibility have helped the company save 25-30% on process design. Getting a better handle on inventory and days-on-hand has also been a big opportunity for improvement.\n\nGiven the disruptive nature of digital transformation, training has been key. Ecolab has worked with its vendors to establish training programs, including on-site training labs at some plants, to allow employees to interact with and learn new technologies.\n\n\"A lot of our automation vendors have local distribution places very close to our plants, so we work closely in conjunction with them to get training for our facilities,\" Boudjouk said.\n\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: life-sciences\n\nTAG: factorytalk-innovationsuite\n\n",
    "pulp-molding-equipment-manufacturer-implements-rockwell-automati": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/pulp-molding-equipment-manufacturer-implements-rockwell-automati\n\nTITLE: Pulp molding equipment manufacturer implements Rockwell Automation solutions\n\nThe giant wave of environmental protection is sweeping the globe, the attitude of the public towards plastic pollution in the ocean could be described as complete opposition. Everything from cutlery, industrial packaging to other industrial applications require the replacement of plastics and styrofoam with pulp molding. The demand and market potential for pulp molding is experiencing an exponential growth.\n\n**** From obscurity to hidden champion ****\n\nTaiwan Pulp Molding (TPM)\u00a0has nearly 20 years of experience in manufacturing pulp molding machines and export business. From meager beginnings to their current status as a hidden champion of the pulp molding industry, they have dedicated efforts towards global environmental protection diligently all these years in an understated manner.\n\nIn 2000, when TPM was first founded, Taiwan's pulp molding industry has just begun to take shape. The environmental awareness was still quite low, and it was uncommon to use pulp molded products as food and industrial packaging.. The Company was facing uncertainty in their business outlook. The first three years of operations were extremely difficult. However, by 2008, there were significant changes in the pulp molding business. Along with the rise in awareness for environmental protection and the Paris Agreement aimed at reducing global greenhouse gas emissions signed in 2016, , the world started to pay attention to issues such as land and sea pollutions. . Developed countries in Europe and America, and even developing countries such as India, have all begun to develop their environmental protection industry. With the bane of plastic in many countries, this has further accelerated the growth of the pulp molding business. Orders from all over the world have also increased exponentially.\n\nIn the early days, TPM's main export markets were countries of lower foreign trade competitiveness and margins, such as Mainland China and Southeast Asia. At that time, the mechanical electrical control components were primarily Japanese brands, and the pilot run period generally lasted over\u00a0 six months. This made the entry into the European and America markets very difficult and overseas business expansion challenging.\n\nIn order to reduce the product development and pilot run period, as well as obtain the stringent qualifications to enter the European market, TPM began to take on the steep challenge of safety standards and the acquisition, comparison, and analysis of the production data, which are of utmost importance to countries in Europe and America.\n\n***** Partnership with the U.S. automation giant - Rockwell Automation *****\n\n1. With the strategic alliance formed with Rockwell Automation, TPM is able to adopt the latest technologies of Rockwell Automation which include: Guardmaster(R) 440C-CR30 Software Configurable Safety Relay: Monitors and safeguards the inter-locking switch on the guard gate and emergency stop button on the machine, and immediately sends a message to the Human Machine Interface (HMI). It adopts the Rockwell Automation safety solution technologies (including the safety grating surrounding danger zones) to help the machine attain the CE ISO13849-1 safety performance level PLe and ANSI/RIA R15.06 risk category R4. This machine is also compatible with the highest safety standards in the European and North American markets.\n\n2. Kinetix(R) 5500 servo drives: Supports the integrated motion control on EtherNet/IPTM through the Studio 5000 software support. Executions on this motion control system, design simplifications, operations and maintenance can be achieved through a single control platform and a single network environment. Kinetix(R) 5500 simplifies the wiring operations and reduces the pressures of inventory with its three-in-one power cable (feedback, brake motor, and power distribution). In order to further reinforce its design, Kinetix(R) 5500 is also equipped with two Ethernet ports for multiple topological applications.\n\n3. The control system is managed by the\u00a0CompactLogixTM5370 programmable automation controllers (PAC) and allows communications under the EtherNet/ IPTM communications protocol. This provides a platform for the connection between the production factory and the company's intranet. CompactLogixTM 5370 L3 supports EtherNet/IP integrated motion control, device level ring (DLR) topology, and has a built-in power storage, eliminating the need for lithium batteries. It supports the reuse of existing 1769 I/O and includes a removable 1GB secure digital (SD) memory card improving data integrity. Its flexible memory options are up to 3MB, and the No Stored Energy (NSE) version has an additional hazardous environment feature. Its support for kinematics eliminates the need for additional robot controllers and software, and its open socket capability supports Modbus TCP as well as devices such as printers, barcode readers and servers.\n\n4. PanelView Plus 7 Graphic Terminals: The built-in Ethernet port allows the machine connection to the corporate environment. The ATEX Zone 2/22 and UL Class1, Div2 certifications can be used in hazardous environments. The display and external mount commands can save 50% to 90% of the complex screen development time. The SD card slot can be used for storage, recording data, managing production command, and for fast and simple copy or redo commands. The instant diagnostic system can acquire the HMI execution level environment data, including temperature, load, and battery voltage for accelerated troubleshooting.\n\n5.\u00a0Studio 5000 Automation Engineering and Design EnvironmentTM software platform integrated motion control: Reduces the overall production cost and significantly reduces the startup time, mold installation and maintenance time.\n\n6. Safety risk evaluation, safety system certification, and other safety services: The professional RA team identifies the risks in the processes of the operation, maintenance, installation, and cleaning of the machine, then discusses and advises TPM on the mitigation measures for potential hazard risks on each machine, so that the project risks are lowered to an acceptable level. After implementing the risk reduction reform measures, the machine safety verification is conducted again. The team helps TPM review and confirm that the machines comply with general or special machine standards and regulations in Europe, North America, and worldwide.\n\n***** Achieved Economies of Scale and increased productivity *****\n\nThe TMP1600 three-stage pulp molding hot press adopts a Direct-Hot-Press system in conjunction with automated layering equipment, which simplifies manpower and improves capacity\u00a0 that resulted in economies of scale and high quality products. The Dry-in-Mold production process is suitable for mass production and is widely used in the production of industrial and food packaging.\u00a0 The machines provide overall safety protection and its mold designs allow easy disassembly and cleaning.\n\nThe success of this project has established a new milestone for Rockwell Automation in the application of pulp equipment-pulp molding hot press machine. Prior to introducing the Rockwell Automation control system, machine yield for TPM was only 70%. After the implementation, yield increased to 95%. It also allowed for more convenient component replacements around the world that helps to drive customer growth while improving productivity by\u00a0 about 30%, and reducing the pilot run period by\u00a0 about 60%.\n\n\nTAG: industrial-automation-and-control\n\nTAG: pulp-and-paper\n\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: human-machine-interface\nTAG: factorytalk-studio-5000\n\n",
    "rockwell-automation-boosts-the-connectivity-of-hiperbaric-machin": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/rockwell-automation-boosts-the-connectivity-of-hiperbaric-machin\n\nTITLE: Rockwell Automation Boosts the Connectivity of Hiperbaric Machines\n\n***** Background *****\n\nSpanish company\u00a0Hiperbaric designs, develops, manufactures and delivers worldwide high-pressure processing equipment for the worldwide food industry.\n\nAccording to Carole Tonello PhD, Hiperbaric Applications Manager, \"High Pressure Processing (HPP) technology is an alternative to traditional heat pasteurisation and sterilisation processing.\n\nThe high pressure process maintain the food's organoleptic and nutritional properties better than traditional preservation process, the shelf life of fresh products to be extended without any preservative or chemical additives.\"\n\nThanks to its high versatility, this technology can be applied to a wide range of foods. Its main applications include boiled and cured meat products, sliced food, ready-cooked meals, dips, hummus, guacamole and sauces, juices and natural beverages, fish and seafood products and dairy products.\n\nHowever, this technique can also be applied in other applications yet to be exploited.\n\n\"The potential of this technology has not reached its peak yet, so we forecast further gains also in the cosmetics industries to develop products with natural active ingredients without chemical additives,\" points out Tonello.\n\nHiperbaric is currently the world's leading provider of the equipment and is at the forefront of the technology. Year after year, more than 90% of its revenue comes from exports.\n\nIn fact, the company operates in 40 countries, with its main markets being North America, the European Union, Japan, Korea, Australia and New Zealand.\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** Challenge *****\n\nHiperbaric's equipment stands out for its design, including the introduction of horizontal distribution.\n\nOther features include the use of advanced components and materials coupled to technology that increases the machine's durability, speed and reliability, with an easily cleanable structure, greater hygiene and high integration into the food processing environment.\n\nThe company currently manufactures five different models (Hiperbaric H55, H135, H300, H420, and H525), which differ according to their processing capacity.\n\n\"The model names stem from the capacity (in litres) of the vessels where the foods and beverages are placed. The higher the capacity, the higher the food processing throughput,\" states Luis 'Angel Ramos, Manager of the Software & Hardware Department at Hiperbaric.\n\nAll models share a design based on three main sections. \"The first section is the structure, which is where the vessel is placed and where the products are processed.\n\nThe second section is the intensifier, the element that increases the pressure in the machine, usually up to 87.000 psi. And the third section is the container input and output system, in which the product is processed,\" explains Ramos.\n\nThe bigger is the machine, more foods can be processed, although it will need more intensifiers to reach maximum pressure in reasonable time.\n\nThe primary challenge faced by Hiperbaric is the integration of all the components that shape the machines in order to provide higher reliability and productivity with great energy efficiency coupled with easier integration into the production chain.\n\nIn addition to this integration challenge is the need to be able to manage the equipment easily and the option of modifying specific parameters remotely.\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** Solution *****\n\nHiperbaric has addressed these challenges by implementing a Rockwell Automation(R) Integrated Architecture(R) control & information system, which thanks to its advanced integration and networking capabilities, can interface with a plant-wide\u00a0Connected Enterprise solution.\n\nAt the heart of the equipment, is an Allen-Bradley(R) ControlLogix(R) controller with security certification and EtherNet/IPTM network connectivity. In addition, there are a number of\u00a0Allen-Bradley POINT I/OTM modules in the control panel and distributed on other parts of the machine, which are used to read analogue and digital signals.\u00a0\n\nAllen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) 525 AC drives are used to control the motors and low-voltage components, such as switchgear, are also widely used throughout the machines.\n\nFinally, the operator panels used on the machine and the modules are 15 inch (main screen) and seven inch (ancillary screens) Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM Plus 6 HMI graphic terminals.\n\n\"We have added a tManager(R) data transfer module,\" explains Ramos, \"from Softing, Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM Encompass Product partner.\n\nThis module is used to transfer data between the SCADA system and the ControlLogix controller in each machine.\n\nThis offers the storage of data coming from the food processing, which helps confirm that any relevant information isn't lost, and the food has been properly processed.\"\n\nHiperbaric selected this module because the company was searching for \"a system not only capable of delivering high data integrity, but also capable of supporting the data-gathering requirements of the SCADA system,\" states Ramos.\n\n\"This is not available as software and, as hardware, it was the only suitable, compact solution required to reduce the size and complexity of the machines in the industrial environment.\"\n\nOnce the modules were installed, the Softing team made itself available to provide help and collaboration. For Ramos, a key point was having quick and reliable responses to solve any issues and to develop further improvements.\n\nCurrently Hiperbaric is working on the next steps to optimise the processes in the machines. \"We plan a set of improvements we hope to implement in the near future in the equipment, according to our experience and needs,\" confirms Ramos.\n\nEnhanced operational intelligence and increased productivity are two of the primary facets of the Rockwell Automation Connected Enterprise.\n\nThanks to the integrated architecture approach, Hiperbaric and its customers can access, analyse and act on production data in real time, while productivity is enhanced due to the seamless integration of all the interconnected systems.\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** Results *****\n\nOne impressive benefit Hiperbaric is enjoying, thanks to the addition of all the Rockwell Automation elements, is the network connectivity delivered by EtherNet/IP.\n\n\"This allows all the components in the machine to be interconnected, as well as offering our customers some features that otherwise would be impossible.\n\nFor example, operators can carry out certain operations from the intensifier's screen, without having to access the main screen, since everything is connected by EtherNet/IP,\" comments Ramos.\n\nThis connectivity also allows remote-management to be performed from the Hiperbaric offices.\n\nAccording to Tonello PhD : \"We can connect from any PC to all the machines we have distributed worldwide, and since all key elements are in the network, we can access any of them for diagnostics, see configurations, and enter changes... For us this is undoubtedly a very powerful tool.\"\n\nThese benefits can be translated to the end customer too.\n\nThey see greater simplicity and convenience to manage the equipment and even a chat system gives operators next to the machine the ability to talk to the Hiperbaric technical team to change parameters in situ or to solve any event - helping reduce downtime.\n\n\"This is a powerful feature of our machines that our customers know and value. It should be taken into account that we have more than 200 machines distributed worldwide, and all of them benefit from 24/7 remote assistance thanks to our technical teams in Spain, the US and Australia.\n\nAs a result, we can offer a streamlined diagnostics and troubleshooting service,\" concludes Tonello.\n\n\u00a0\n\nAllen-Bradley, ControlLogix, Integrated Architecture, PanelView, PartnerNetwork, POINT I/O, PowerFlex, and Rockwell Automation are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\nEtherNet/IP is a trademark of ODVA, Inc.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "meati-cybertrol-solution": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/meati-cybertrol-solution\n\nTITLE: Meati Foods Grows Sustainability with Innovation\n\nNot Your Typical Meat Alternative\n\nWhen Justin Whiteley and Tyler Huggins met as Ph.D. students on the University of Colorado-Boulder campus, they recognized a shared passion for nature-driven, sustainable food systems. And a complementary skill set.\n\n\"Tyler is an environmental scientist who has focused on biology throughout his career,\" said Justin Whiteley, CSO and co-founder, Meati Foods. \"And my focus is mechanical engineering - with a Ph.D. skewed towards materials science.\"\n\nWhile still students, the men built a biomanufacturing roadmap that took advantage of both disciplines - and set the course for Meati Foods, the producer of a meat alternative based on mushroom root. Unlike many other meat alternatives, Meati is a complete protein and nutritional powerhouse that provides significant B vitamins, fiber and zinc.\u00a0\n\n\"Meati also delivers a familiar meat texture, which is lacking in other options,\" Whiteley said. \"And it can be made with a fraction of the land and water required to grow animal protein - plus the process emits substantially less greenhouse gas.\"\u00a0\n\nInnovative Proprietary Process\n\nUsing novel food processing techniques, Meati developed a system for producing mushroom root - known as mycelium - consistently and efficiently. Much like beer brewing, Meati grows its mycelium in fermentation tanks.\n\nIn brewing, yeast fungi convert carbohydrates or sugar molecules into alcohol. In the Meati process, fungi, in this case mycelium spores, convert sugar and nitrogen into protein-rich mycelium.\n\n\"Mycelium consists of tiny fibers,\" Whiteley explained. \"Our technology takes advantage of those fibers to turn mycelium into advanced muscle structures that create a pleasing texture.\"\u00a0\n\n\u00a0\n\n\"The proprietary process is rapid. In just three days, one Meati batch yields as much meat as five cows.\"\n\n\u00a0\n\nThe Critical Role of Data\n\nWhile Meati continued to refine their process at their pilot and research facility in Boulder, they laid the foundation for commercial production in Thornton, Colorado. The production facility or \"Mega Ranch\" is vertically integrated - and includes all processes required to grow, harvest, process and package the product.\n\nTo support the transition to commercial scale, Meati called on Cybertrol Engineering, an industry-leading control and information system integrator. Cybertrol is a Gold-level System Integrator partner company in the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM program.\n\n\"We knew automation and access to the right data was critical to improving our process - and key to a successful scale-up,\" Whiteley said.\n\nCybertrol built the solution on a Rockwell Automation platform based on PlantPAx(R), a modern distributed control system (DCS) and Allen-Bradley(R) ControlLogix(R) controllers. The system includes a FactoryTalk(R) View SE HMI, with FactoryTalk Historian collecting and managing process data and FactoryTalk VantagePoint(R) for self-serve analytics. The system runs on an EtherNet/IPTM network.\n\n\"While our typical food manufacturing solutions historize and track maybe 500 to 2000 tags, the Meati team asked us to track 5000 to 10,000 data points at any given time,\" said Craig Moeller, senior business development manager, Cybertrol Engineering.\n\nAs a result, the solution allows for deeper and continuous visibility into the data required to maintain product quality - and optimize water and energy usage within the processes.\n\n\"We made conscious decisions early on to use renewable energy to electrify the facility and to implement a large water reuse system,\" Whiteley said. \"Data will provide the information we to need to become even more efficient in the future.\"\n\nA Need for Speed\n\n\"From a sustainability perspective, we felt it was important to introduce this product to the market as quickly as possible,\" said Whiteley. \"We believe the world simply cannot wait for this type of alternative.\"\n\n\u00a0\n\n\"To speed time to market, Cybertrol established an aggressive 10-month timeline - about 25% to 50% faster than comparable projects.\"\n\n\u00a0\n\nAnd because the Mega Ranch was a first-of-its-kind facility, there were more changes throughout development than a typical system.\u00a0\n\n\"Despite the variability, this was one of the fastest paced projects we've worked on at this scale,\" said Moeller. \"Time to market was a top priority, and we were able to accelerate our process because Meati made decisions quickly.\"\n\nSuccessful Launch. Continued Expansion.\n\nThe Mega Ranch began production on schedule, and Meati Foods launched their product nationwide in March 2023. Ultimately, the company plans to produce tens of millions of pounds of Meati annually.\n\n\"To reach those numbers, we will be going through a pretty rigorous expansion of our Mega Ranch over the next few years,\" Whiteley said. \"Also, we are constantly running a lifecycle assessment (LCA) in the background to benchmark water and land use, greenhouse gas emissions and other metrics per pound.\"\n\nBased on their collaboration with Meati Foods, Cybertrol received the 2023 Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork Award for Sustainability. \u00a0\n\nLearn more about our PartnerNetwork Program.\n\n\n\n* The PartnerNetwork Sustainability Award TAGS: [rockwell-automation:metadata/capability/sustainability,rockwell-automation:metadata/capability/digital-transformation]\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\nTAG: plantpax\nTAG: controllogix\nTAG: factorytalk-analytics\nTAG: factorytalk-view-me\nTAG: factorytalk-view-se\nTAG: factorytalk-viewpoint\nTAG: distributed-control-systems\nTAG: factorytalk-historian\n\n",
    "optima-control-solves-obsolescence-issue-with-s88-solution": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/optima-control-solves-obsolescence-issue-with-s88-solution\n\nTITLE: Optima Control Solves Obsolescence Issue with S88 Solution\n\n*** Background ***\n\nAddressing obsolescence is an issue facing many companies and failure to create a robust action plan can often lead to problems that not only affect the operation of a line or machine, but can also result in unfavourable issues that could have detrimental effects on quality levels and brands.\n\nThe dangers of obsolescence were identified early on at a leading British biscuit manufacturer in its mixing plant, where older hardware was not only showing its age in terms of performance and failures, but was also no longer part of a supported spares regimen.\n\nTo address this issue, the biscuit manufacturer approached Rockwell Automation, the manufacturer of the ageing legacy system, who collaborated with Blackburn, UK-based Optima Control Solutions Limited.\n\nOptima Control Solutions\u00a0was involved due to its comprehensive experience of similar applications combined with the fact that it has undertaken numerous similar upgrade projects and has in-depth knowledge of Rockwell Automation products and solutions.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nLike many similar conversion projects, downtime at the mixing plant had to be kept to an absolute minimum. This meant that Control Solutions needed to complete the upgrade project during weekends and other periods of downtime, provide a solution to reduced overall downtime, minimize implementation risks and still offer an operational solution when production was required to ramp up again during the upgrade.\n\nThis was achieved by working on the new system during the weekends, then disconnecting it and removing major parts every Sunday evening so the legacy system could resume on the Monday. The system integrator also had to react quickly, as it only had a two month window, from order placement to delivery and installation.\n\nThe age of the solution also played a part in creating a challenge. The engineers knew the control system and the operators knew the mixing process, but even with this combined knowledge, it was tough to create a full specification that met all of the manufacturer's goals. This was overcome with significant interactions with the staff at the plant, which resulted in solution that would serve the needs of all parties.\n\nIn addition, rather than just remedying the problem with a standalone solution, Optima Control Solutions also needed to address the coding and recipe control/delivery system and replace it with a batch-server based concept.\n\nUltimately, this would not only address the short term obsolescence issues, but would also give the biscuit manufacturer the ability to enhance its production control and reporting capabilities. Data could also be backed up and a familiar look and feel for the operators could be maintained for future upgrades.\n\n*** Solutions ***\n\nThe migration programme was to take place over three non-co-located mixing lines that feed a significant part of the end user's plant. At the actual mixing stations, it comprised the replacement of Allen-Bradley\u00ae PLC-5\u00ae controllers and ageing Allen Bradley 1784-T30C Plant Floor Terminals with Allen-Bradley ControlLogix\u00ae programmable automation controllers (PAC) and SCADA systems with\u00a0FactoryTalk\u00ae Batch clients feeding off a modern server-based batch management solution.\n\nAccording to Mark Lane at Optima Control Solutions: \"To maximise system availability we designed and deployed an\u00a0EtherNet/IP\u2122 device level ring connecting the ControlLogix PAC on each of the mixing lines in a robust factory level network with the Batch server.\n\nAn additional Batch server was configured as a backup server. Each mixing line has a Rockwell Automation integrated-display computer running\u00a0FactoryTalk\u00ae View Site Edition (SE) supervisory-level HMI software with a Batch client accessed via an ActiveX. The local PCs are used to select and start recipes on the Batch server. Batch then dictates the quantities of each ingredient and the sequence of mixing operations.\n\n\"In operation, the central server loads the recipe and batch data to the controllers and the controllers manage the mixing process,\" he continues. \"Thanks to the EtherNet/IP network,\u00a0The Connected Enterprise(R) solutions feeds these process-specific parameters back to the servers \u2013 and to the company's SAP system \u2013 for logging, quality control and historical analysis. Another interlinked controller was used on the bulk feed stem too.\"\n\nOptima Control Solutions also implemented the Batch solution in accordance with S88 standards as requested on the functional design specification. Recipes are executed from the FactoryTalk\u00ae Batch software and the operations required to make product are broken down into phases and allocated to equipment modules. When executing a recipe, multiple phases can execute simultaneously on different modules.\n\nThe recipes that are used also follow the principles of S88, with each product requiring a Master recipe, which can only be created by authorised personnel. These Master recipes act as templates to create individual batches. To produce a batch, a control recipe is created from the relevant Master recipe and can be adjusted as necessary to create the batch.\n\n\"When we developed the first of the systems,\" Mark Turner, Engineering Director at Optima Control Solutions explains, \"the intention was to fully utilise the features of FactoryTalk Batch so it would create a batch record of each control recipe, storing time-stamped default and user-specified information about the batch as it is made. Typically with these systems a new batch would be created and then started for each mix of product.\"\n\nHowever, the customer operates its mixing differently. The customer requirement is for a recipe to be selected, a batch created and started and then the recipe steps in this batch to be repeated continuously until the operator selects that the recipe should end. Optima Control Solutions was able to use the FactoryTalk Batch software to achieve the same workflow, which was the biscuit manufacturer's top priority.\n\n\"We have significant experience of these sorts of upgrades and were able to bring this experience into this job. The conversion process itself is made immeasurably easier thanks to the migration solution Rockwell Automation has developed. These include a swing-arm wiring conversion system, developed to help users migrate from legacy PLC solutions to modern Allen-Bradley\u00ae ControlLogix\u00ae controllers. Test and commissioning of the system took place over several weekends to fit around the needs of production. On each Saturday morning we removed the PLC5 rack and replaced it with the ControlLogix rack, and swing arm adapter kit.\u00a0 Then, on the Sunday evening we reversed the process, leaving the PLC5 in control, so that production could continue. Using the conversion kit this change-over was completed in less than 45 minutes.\"\n\nThe swing-arm adapter solution from Rockwell Automation not only makes migration projects easier, but thanks to conversion modules, it also makes them less prone to error through the reuse of existing wiring. It is also quicker \u2013 in a rack containing ten 32-I/O module slots, savings in the range of 10 hours per rack are not unheard of.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nThe new server-based batch solution running FactoryTalk Batch software, in conjunction with the higher performing ControlLogix controller, has delivered exactly what the biscuit manufacturer required: a future proof control concept that also gave it much deeper insight into its batching and recipe-control procedures.\n\n\"This was not just a 'sticking plaster' to address the immediate issues,\" Lane explains, \"but an expandable, future proof solution which gives the customer better batch tracking and more consistent batches. The biscuit manufacturer not only has greater visibility of its processes \u2013 with the HMI screens showing all primary processing steps \u2013 but it will also be able to reduce downtime due to system errors. This is complemented by a reduction in operator errors too, with regards to how each of the batches 'work', thanks to comprehensive data displays and the fact that every mixer now uses the visual system and layout \u2013 breeding plant-wide familiarity.\"\n\nBy upgrading to a modern process solution, end users will see multiple benefits. Initially, the risk of potentially damaging downtime through the failure of ageing hardware is removed. They also gain access to the extra capabilities and performance inherent with modern process systems. They will also see increased throughput, reduced maintenance costs and better security and quality.\n\nImproved productivity forms one of the primary foundations of the Connected Enterprise, which end users can exploit thanks to contemporary hardware connected via modern protocols, such as EtherNet/IP. This increase in productivity is bought about by access to real-time information, upon which informed and actionable decision can be made.\n\n\"Rockwell Automation is a site standard at this location,\" Lane concludes. \"And for batch processing it is my belief that Rockwell Automation supplies the best technical solution. We also benefited from its technical capabilities too, with a batch specialist helping us to implement this application.\"\n\nAllen-Bradley, ControlLogix, FactoryTalk Batch, PanelView, PLC-5, Rockwell Automation and Rockwell Software are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\n*EtherNet/IP is a trademark of ODVA, Inc.\n\nTrademarks not belonging to Rockwell Automation are property of their respective companies.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "enfasi-stands-out-in-the-pulp-and-paper-industry": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/enfasi-stands-out-in-the-pulp-and-paper-industry\n\nTITLE: Enfasi Stands Out in the Pulp and Paper Industry\n\nBackground\n\nThe things that make Enfasi (Engineering & Full Automated System Italy) a well-known and appreciated System Integrator, in Italy and abroad, are the proficiency and the dynamism of its four associates. Treasuring their twenty years professional experience spent in a big international automation vendor, in 2009 they decided to start up an engineering company to provide integrated services in several industries: navy, metal, chemical, plastic and pulp and paper.\n\nFor the pulp and paper sector - which is still an industry with a strong footprint in the Lucca area, in Tuscany, where Enfasi is based - the young company delivers complete automation systems and offers its own Quality Control System (QCS), a solution designed to fit the increasing demand of quality in the paper manufacturing sector. \"A couple of years ago we decided to propose a QCS, which is entirely designed and developed by us,\" says Marco Nieri, Enfasi co-founder together with Paolo Morselli, Antonello Lisi and Gabriele Campesan. \"In 2012 we focused on the QCS development, exploring the very specific sector of quality control systems, which represented something different from our traditional Distributed Control Systems (DCS) field.\" The Enfasi's offer also includes punctual post-sale customer service.\n\nChallenge\n\nEnfasi's customers in the pulp and paper industry are both machine builders and paper manufacturers. As Nieri says: \"In those cases where our customer is the paper manufacturer and the end user of the control system, we can say it's easier to understand each other as we speak the same language; we can share our know-how and we are able to propose tailor-made solutions, conceived to improve manufacturing control efficiency and to make operators job more comfortable and easier.\" In order to provide end users with a user-friendly interface, which allows them to precisely monitor and manage the paper manufacturing process and the paper quality specifications, Enfasi decided to base its automation solution on the Rockwell Automation process control system.\n\n\"We selected Rockwell Automation because we wanted to go to the pulp & paper market offering a state-of-the-art automation system, which could give added value to the customer and could represent a differentiating key factor for us,\" says Paolo Morselli, who adds that in the pulp & paper industry \"most of the System Integrators usually build control solutions based on products from other automation suppliers.\n\nThe Rockwell Automation PlantPAxTM system allows Enfasi to offer an integrated solution, on a single platform, which manages both the production line and the quality control system. \"According to this approach, our customer is provided with an efficient single tool to manage its plant and to fit the increasing demand of quality for the final product,\" Morselli adds.\n\nSolution\n\nThe Quality Control System has been designed to in-line measure and control the paper quality specifications (weight, moisture, ashes, etc.). Enfasi decided to build the hardware and software architecture of its system using only Rockwell Automation components. Enfasi's aim was to create a single control, visualization, development and diagnostics platform, which had to include the QCS, the DCS and the drives.\n\nIn the solution, three controllers manage the QCS, the DCS and the frequency inverters; the process measurement devices, the control system and the visualization platform communicate via Ethernet. The operator can monitor the plant using local workstations on a panel terminal.\n\nPlantPAx, the Rockwell Automation process control system, manages the signals coming from the measurement devices in the plant and the data coming from the paper making industrial process. Based on the Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture, PlantPAx, with its standard database, makes the data generated in the system immediately available and easily accessible for the different software modules in the overall system.\n\nThe single interface and the common software environment are the peculiarities of Enfasi automation solution: all the systems in the plant use the same instructions, are connected on the same network and share the same development and visualization platform. According to this system architecture, the paper manufacturer can rely on a single platform to have access and to supervise the entire plant and can include all the devices it needs on it, once they are pre-configured with PlantPAx.\n\nResults\n\nUsing a common programming environment and taking advantage of the high data processing capacity of the PlantPAx controllers, Enfasi can save time in system engineering and can focus on the interface customization.\n\nAs Paolo Morselli adds: \"Adopting Rockwell Automation hardware and software solutions, we can offer a high end system with a high level of personalization.\" Enfasi adapted the PlantPAx library to the requirements of plant floor operators in the pulp & paper industry, who usually need a small amount of information and are not interested in having the big quantities of data required in more complex process industries, such as chemical and pharmaceutical.\n\nThe HMI software also helped Enfasi to implement advanced graphic controls for production trends analysis,which can be organized according to pulp & paper industry specifications.\"Thanks to Rockwell Automation and to the technical support provided by the Rockwell Automation guys, we hit our target and can approach the pulp & paper industry as a System Integrator with a unique offer,\" Morselli concludes. \"Our customer can turn to us to have a single interface system to manage and visualize both their process and the quality of their final product.\"\n\n\u00a0\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to EnFasi's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\n",
    "full-sail-brewing-taps-manufacturing-intelligence-to-enhance-pro": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/full-sail-brewing-taps-manufacturing-intelligence-to-enhance-pro\n\nTITLE: Full Sail Brewing Taps Manufacturing Intelligence to Enhance Process\n\n*** Background ***\n\nAmerica's thirst for craft beers is growing. In fact, the craft-brewing industry grew by nine percent in volume in the fi rst half of 2009, while overall U.S. beer sales dropped by 2.7 percent.\n\nFull Sail Brewing Company is at the forefront of this growth. The Oregon based brewery produces three core varieties of craft beer, along with a number of seasonal and specialty brews.\n\nTaking malt, hops and yeast from surrounding local sources in Oregon, Washington and Idaho, Full Sail brews the ingredients with water that originates from a deep granite well on Mount Hood. The results are beers with a signature taste - and a small environmental footprint.\n\nFull Sail is a top-25 beer producer in the U.S. by volume, but the company is focused more on creating a beer that ranks high in terms of taste and quality. The company is also committed to its culture as an employeeowned enterprise, which values work-life balance.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nThat work-life balance - and the company's efficiency and potential profi tability - were being hampered by its traditional brewing process. Like nearly all craft brewers, Full Sail used a manual brewing vessel, called a lauter tun, to filter the slushy \"mash\" of water and crushed grain that forms the foundation of beer.\n\nMash filtration is a core element of the beer-brewing process. After barley grains have been malted and milled, the milled grain and hot water are mixed to create a cereal mash. The mash is held at a constant temperature to allow starches released into the mash from the malt to be converted into sugars that can be fermented.\n\nThe malt sugar-rich water, now known as wort, is then separated from the leftover spent grain husk. After separation, the wort is pumped into the brew kettle for boiling. Hops are added during the boil to create the bitterness and aroma of a particular brew, balancing the sweetness of the malt sugars. The wort is then chilled and blended with yeast and sent to fermenting, conditioning and filtration before it is packaged and shipped.\n\nThis classic system had served the company well. From 2005 to 2010, Full Sail increased production by more than 15 percent annually.\n\nHowever, the company realized that not only would future production demands strain their manual mash filtration system, efforts to increase efficiency, cut costs, and further improve quality were limited under the existing system.\n\nThe mash filtration system at Full Sail required continuous manual data-testing and reporting. In addition, the lauter tun spent grain - a byproduct the company sold as livestock feed - contained 82-percent moisture content.\n\nThat meant valuable liquid was going out the door with the byproduct. At the same time, transporting the heavy waste was expensive. The company was losing money on the transaction, essentially paying farmers to take the spent grain off their hands.\n\nFull Sail considered upgrading to a fully computerized brewing system, popular among many large U.S. beer producers. However, in order to see a return on the investment (ROI), Full Sail would need to operate this system 24/7, and the employee-owned company was unwilling to compromise its culture and employees' work-life balance.\n\nThe goal at Full Sail was to upgrade the process to improve product quality, increase filtration efficiency, capacity and throughput. The company wanted to minimize operator dependency through automation, create a scalable solution and decrease the overall environmental impact of each brew, all while retaining its 4/10 (four days a week, ten hours a day) work schedule for an attractive work-life balance.\n\n*** Solutions ***\n\nTo achieve these goals, Full Sail decided to upgrade its traditional, manual lauter tun to a fully automated, networked mash filtration system.\n\nFull Sail brought in Aurora Industrial Automation out of Portland, Ore. to design and implement the new system. An Information Solution Provider within the Rockwell Automation(R) PartnerNetworkTM program, Aurora implemented a control and information solution that would enable Full Sail to apply a manufacturing intelligence strategy across its operations.\n\nThe new mash filtration system leverages the PlantPAxTM Process Automation System from Rockwell Automation. As part of the PlantPAx system, Aurora incorporated the PlantPAx Logix Batch and Sequence Manager (LBSM).\n\nLBSM is compliant with the ISA-S88 set of standards and terminology for batch control. The system allows Full Sail to configure sequences directly into the Allen-Bradley(R) ControlLogix(R) controller through the FactoryTalk(R) View human-machine interface software without the need for a server-based batch software application.\n\nIf at any point batch requirements grow, Full Sail can easily migrate the LBSM into a comprehensive software solution, like FactoryTalk Batch, without costly re-engineering and testing.\n\nTo gain insight into the new system, Aurora implemented a manufacturing intelligence strategy based on FactoryTalk software from Rockwell Automation.\n\nThrough an EtherNet/IP network, FactoryTalk Historian identifies and gathers data tags directly from the PlantPAx system for real-time, granular production data. With more than 60 steps in the filtration process, the mash filter produces copious amounts of data.\n\nWith the old system, Full Sail was only grabbing four to five data points from each brew in the lauter tun. The new mash filter - enabled with FactoryTalk software - can now pull up to 250 data tags.\n\nFull Sail then uses FactoryTalk VantagePoint software to aggregate this data goldmine into predetermined dashboards. The dashboards provide role-appropriate, real-time key performance indicators - manufacturing intelligence - Full Sail can use to improve operations.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nMoving to an information-enabled, automated mash process immediately produced results.\n\nReal-time data is now retrievable over variable time spans, helps achieve optimum functionality of the system and catches discrepancies or problems that may have occurred during a batch.\n\nReporting and dashboard software can immediately draw from the new historian as well as legacy systems to create a virtual, homogeneous data source for reporting.\n\nInformation from single specialty batches to larger trends can be immediately accessed to guide future brews. If a brew were to experience a serious problem, the exact metrics for that brew could be traced and analyzed.\n\n\"We make about 20 varieties of beer,\" said James Emmerson, Full Sail executive brewmaster. \"Now brewers of each batch benefit from the information available from the previous brew, whether a variety was brewed yesterday or last year. The brewers can now go back and see the exact metrics that produced a successful batch and optimize the new brew based on that information.\"\n\nWith the new PlantPAx system, brewing capacity has increased by 25 percent, plus the time of each brew cycle has been cut by almost half. The visibility operators now have into their brew process allows them to optimize ongoing brews in real time. Full Sail has already used this insight to cut raw material costs by five percent annually.\n\nThe company has been able to remove signifi cantly more moisture from the spent barley grain and the byproduct is now sold at a profit.\n\nAdditionally, Full Sail estimates it will decrease water use by one million gallons annually helping to augment its sustainability goals.\n\nA million gallons of water will not be paid for, piped, pumped, heated and cooled in the new system. The environmental effect of not using the water in the first place is invaluable.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "enwin-utilities-reduces-main-breaks-by-21-percent": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/enwin-utilities-reduces-main-breaks-by-21-percent\n\nTITLE: EnWin Utilities Reduces Main Breaks by 21 Percent\n\n***** Background *****\n\nLocated in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin, Windsor, Ontario, is blessed with an abundant water supply. The Windsor Utilities Commission (WUC) prides itself on being a good steward of this resource. With a focus on conservation and system reliability, WUC has consistently reduced water consumption. WUC, which is managed by EnWin Utilities, Ltd., distributes about 48,000 million liters (ML) of water annually to more than 72,000 customers. At the same time, the utility maintains one of the lowest production and distribution costs in Canada.\n\nTo sustain an affordable water supply, EnWin utilizes its continuous improvement model to optimize operations through process changes and capital projects. In 2011, the utility installed a new Rockwell Automation supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) solution to improve system efficiencies and plant processes. Two years later, EnWin planned to expand system functionality to help mitigate the increasing number of water main breaks throughout the utility's infrastructure.\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** Challenge *****\n\nBy late 2012, EnWin was averaging 238 main breaks a year at a cost of about $5,000 each.While water main breaks can be attributed to a variety of factors, the EnWin team determined that a significant number were caused by pressure spikes and dips throughout the system.\n\nSince water is a non-compressible fluid, a change in pressure anywhere in the system is felt throughout the entire infrastructure. Under certain conditions, these pressure fluctuations can cause main breaks. Older water infrastructures, characterized by iron water mains, corroding pipes and soil erosion, are particularly vulnerable to pressure fluctuations. Cold weather conditions exacerbate the problem.\n\nAlthough EnWin's capital plan includes continuous maintenance and aggressive replacement of its aging infrastructure, the utility simply cannot replace the entire system fast enough.\n\n\"Because we have an older infrastructure, it's very susceptible to main breaks,\" said Garry Rossi, director of water production, EnWin Utilities. \"We needed a solution to help us improve the performance of our existing infrastructure until we have the opportunity to replace it.\"\n\nThe EnWin Utilities distribution system is comprised of two treatment plants, thousands of kilometers of distribution piping, two pumping stations - plus a booster pumping station that is used during high demand periods.\n\nAt the pumping stations, pump flow was controlled through simple proportional integral-derivative (PID) logic based on outlet header pressure. Operators monitored elevated tower levels and made adjustments to compensate for demand fluctuations. Pumps were stopped and started manually to adjust the system flows. The booster station was also controlled with PID logic - and started and stopped manually based on system demand and operator judgment.\n\n\"PID logic has significant limitations,\" said Rossi. \"It can only control a single input and generate a single output.\" In this case, the high lift pumps were controlled by maintaining a flow set point with fluctuating pressure. Multi-variable elements -such as variable frequency drives, flow control valves, and other incoming pressure data - could not be factored into the control scenario. \"We were basically doing what we could with the technology we had,\" said Rossi. \"The result was inconsistent system pressure - and costly repairs.\"\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** Solution *****\n\nA possible solution fi rst presented itself in late 2012, when John Stuart, EnWin Utilities vice president of operations, saw a model predictive control (MPC) demonstration at a Rockwell Automation event - Automation Fair.\n\n\"When John described the solution, we were all impressed,\" said Rossi. \"The response time of this technology was particularly attractive. The system could react to multiple variables simultaneously - and make adjustments accordingly.\"\n\nThis server-based solution collected data at 15- to 16-second intervals. Working with a Rockwell Automation team, EnWin planned to leverage the capabilities of their existing SCADA system - and integrate the MPC controller into the overall solution. The SCADA system is based on a fully redundant, Allen-Bradley(R) ControlLogix(R) programmable automation controller (PAC) platform.\n\nWorking with a Rockwell Automation team, EnWin planned to leverage the capabilities of their existing SCADA system - and integrate the MPC controller into the overall solution.\n\nThe onboard MPC solution enabled EnWin to mitigate pressure spikes from pump stops and starts. \"With MPC, we would have the ability to monitor and control the pumping stations based on multiple factors,\" said Rossi. \"Therefore, we could focus on maintaining consistent pressure throughout the system while maintaining fluctuations in flow demand.\"\n\nPhase One: Server-based MPC\n\nTo minimize potential service disruptions, EnWin planned to implement the solution in two phases. For Phase One, EnWin installed 17 remote pressure stations across the distribution service area. To maintain consistent pressure throughout the system, minimum pressure constraints were developed for all pressure stations. The remote stations were monitored by the MPC controller, which was also programmed to meet fluctuating system demand throughout the day.\n\nThe system was configured to maintain the lowest pressure possible for adequate service throughout the area. The MPC controller managed fl ow by attenuating two running high lift pumps - one at a pump station and one at the booster station. These pumps were controlled by Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) 700 and PowerFlex 7000 variable frequency drives.\n\nThe EnWin team commissioned Phase One in June 2013 and began to plan for Phase Two, which would focus on optimizing the main campus header pressure through the addition of modulating flow control valves (FCV's).\n\nPhase Two: Optimizing MPC with an Onboard Solution\n\nWhile the initial results from the Phase One implementation were impressive, the Rockwell Automation team hoped to incorporate additional functionality for Phase Two. The server-based MPC solution enabled multi-variable control of the various pressure points in the system as well as variable speed control of running pumps. However, pump start/stop control was not part of the Phase One system.\n\n\"We knew we could optimize the system by incorporating pump start/ stop functionality and flow control valves,\" said Quin Dennis, application engineer, Rockwell Automation. \"But given the existing interval speed, MPC would not be able to make system adjustments quickly enough to mitigate the rapid pressure spikes from pump starts or stops.\"\n\nEnWin agreed to work with Rockwell Automation to test a new onboard MPC controller that could dramatically improve interval speed. The prototype solution features onboard MPC functionality in the ControlLogix controller. No separate server or software is required. With the onboard MPC solution in place, interval speed is reduced from 15- to 16- seconds to the 0.5- to 1-second range. Integrated with PowerFlex 7000 medium voltage drives, this highly responsive system can now regulate speed on running pumps - plus off set any pressure spikes that result from starting or stopping them through the integration of adjustable flow control valves. By setting energy cost factors on usage, the system's embedded optimizer can define medium voltage drive usage explicitly without heuristics. Since energy costs are higher for flow control valve usage, the system ensures the valves remain as open as possible - until the drive's low flow limit is reached. At that point, the operator is prompted to shut down the pump and the valves take over.\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** Results *****\n\n\"We welcomed the opportunity to collaborate with Rockwell Automation on testing the onboard MPC solution,\" said Rossi. \"Ultimately, we commissioned Phase Two in January 2014 - and applied the improved functionality across our main campus and booster station.\"\n\nIn Phase 3, the utility plans to apply the onboard solution to the remaining pumping station in its system. EnWin has been monitoring solution results since the first phase was applied in June 2013.\n\n\"Very early on, we noticed that pressure was no longer spiking up and down - it was consistent,\" said Rossi. \"System reliability and performance continued to trend in the right direction, but we wanted to be sure we had a good data set before we made any claims.\" In late December - backed with six months of Phase One data - EnWin was confi dent the MPC solution was successfully controlling system pressure throughout the service area. Before the solution was applied, EnWin had experienced on average 238 main breaks per year. In 2013, EnWin experienced 187 main breaks - a 21 percent improvement resulting in a cost savings of approximately $125,000.\n\nThe utility also reduced average system pressure by 2.8 psi and standard deviation by 29 percent. As a result, EnWin saved an estimated $125,000 attributed to lower electricity cost and system leakage.\n\nThanks to the enhancements implemented in Phase Two, pump start and stop pressure spikes have been virtually eliminated. \"At the beginning of this project we were cautious. We wanted to be sure the technology would perform as stated,\" said Rossi. \"But the proof is in the results.\"\n\nIn addition to improving performance, the onboard solution helps contain operational expenditures in other ways as well.\n\n\"With onboard MPC, we have reduced the overall cost of our solution,\" said Rossi. \"Of course, we still pay MPC licensing fees, but we eliminated the cost of an additional server and related licenses.\" Rossi concluded: \"It's encouraging that Rockwell Automation develops solutions that not only improve control technology - but help reduce ongoing operational expenses as well.\"\n\n\nTAG: water-wastewater\n\n",
    "virtual-control-testing": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/virtual-control-testing\n\nTITLE: More Efficient Controls Testing - for Less Cost\n\nUniquely Turnkey\n\nA reputation for quality is key to success for any business. And in the tight-knit North American lumber industry, word travels quickly.\n\n\"Everyone knows each other - and the sawmill owners regularly exchange information,\" said Bruno Laplante, SCADA director, BID Group - an OEM partner within the\u00a0Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM. \"Fortunately, we've built a reputation for highly successful installations.\"\n\nAs a result,\u00a0BID Group\u00a0is one of the largest suppliers to the wood processing industry and leads the North American market. With primary operations in Quebec and South Carolina, the company's offerings range from equipment installations to integrated turnkey solutions featuring the latest digital technology.\n\n\"We're the only company in the industry that offers smart, connected, turnkey manufacturing facilities,\" said Vicky Drolet, marketing coordinator, BID Group. \"Our unique scope of supply extends beyond the processing equipment and includes managing the civil engineering and construction of the facility.\"\n\nThe Challenge: Scaling Testing to Match Demand\n\nIn recent years, BID Group has experienced dramatic growth in demand for its turnkey solutions. The high volume of simultaneous projects strained the company's control system testing resources.\n\n\"We've always simulated and tested our control code before startup,\" said Laplante. \"But the existing emulation system relied on a limited number of physical PLC processors on racks in our facility.\"\n\nTypical sawmill projects extend across several acres, involve the integration of complex processes and disparate equipment - and require the processing power of 15 or more controllers. Given the scarcity of processors, BID Group engineers shared access and often waited until the end of a project to test it.\n\nIn addition, engineers had to convert their control programs to run the emulation software - and were losing configuration in the process. And because the final emulated project was not usable in the field, it had to be reconverted for installation on the actual physical hardware.\n\n\"The old emulator was no longer up to the task, especially given our increased project volume,\" Laplante said.\n\nFrom \"Skeptics\" to \"Believers\"\n\nBID Group, relies on the Allen-Bradley(R)\u00a0ControlLogix(R) 5580\u00a0platform for its turnkey solutions. To increase access to processing power for simulation and testing, the company implemented\u00a0FactoryTalk(R) Logix Echo, a software application that emulates the behavior of the controllers.\n\nUsing the emulation software, engineers can fully test control code in a virtual environment. The software can emulate a machine, production line - or even an entire plant. Emulated controllers can also be paired with other software for a wide range of uses.\n\nThe BID Group team easily transitioned to the new emulation system.\n\n\"The process is exactly the same - whether you're using the virtual processor or the real one,\" Laplante said. \"Our team was skeptical at first, because when something seems too easy that usually means something is missing in the big picture. But they came to realize it was real and efficient - and embraced the system quickly.\"\n\nThe system is both efficient and cost-effective.\n\nBID Group added three sets of 16 emulated processors - 48 total usable systems - at what Laplante estimated was about one-tenth the cost of physical processors and associated hardware.\n\n\"Of course, we also worked closely with our IT department to ensure we could allocate the recommended resources to host the virtual machines and support the system,\" said Laplante. \"We put everything in place to do it right the first time - and it was a success.\"\u00a0\n\nImproved Workflows. More Capabilities.\n\nWith the increased availability of processors, BID Group engineers can perform testing on customer projects progressively as they are being built on dedicated systems. No more waiting until the end of a project to perform testing or jockeying for access to testing resources.\n\n\"Finding and correcting all issues at one time is a large task,\" said Laplante. \"It's much more efficient to test and correct problems on an ongoing basis.\"\n\nIn addition, with FactoryTalk Logix Echo there is no conversion required between the emulation and the system used in the field.\n\n\"You can complete your testing and changes in the virtual environment and simply download the file to the actual system,\" said Laplante. \"This was a great improvement for us.\"\u00a0\n\nAnd with more processing power, BID Group is able to test a complete, integrated turnkey sawmill end-to-end - something they were unable to do previously. BID Group also looks forward to using the FactoryTalk Logix Echo software to complement customer training at its\u00a0Global Learning Center\u00a0in South Carolina.\n\n\"When we look to the future, we definitely want to expand our use of emulation,\" Laplante said. \"Eventually, we want to host and run virtual sawmills on our system - and simulate and troubleshoot code without impacting real production.\"\n\nLearn more about our\u00a0OEM\u00a0Solutions.\n\nTAG: integrated-architecture\n\nTAG: pulp-and-paper\n\nTAG: factorytalk-designsuite\n\n",
    "metso-achieving-the-autonomous-mine-with-iiot": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/metso-achieving-the-autonomous-mine-with-iiot\n\nTITLE: Metso: Achieving the Autonomous Mine with IIoT\n\nAs a frontrunner in sustainable minerals processing technologies, Helsinki-based Metso works with complex industrial customers across the globe.\n\nAggregates, mining, metals refining and recycling customers all rely on Metso for equipment, technology and services that improve production processes and reduce risk.\n\nWithin mining, one long-term goal is to shift to complete autonomous operations. But to get there, Metso recognized that organizations must start with the basics, creating IIoT-driven connectivity and visibility for predictive maintenance and asset optimization.\n\n***** Identifying areas of opportunity *****\n\nCompared to similar industries like oil and gas, mining has traditionally been plagued by low utilization of fixed assets, poor energy efficiency and high levels of downtime. This has required a less efficient hands-on approach using on-site workers for equipment and systems monitoring, maintenance and reporting.\u00a0\u00a0\n\nMetso set out to help mines move closer to the goal of autonomous mining by creating an IIoT-driven solution for predictive maintenance and asset optimization for minerals processing equipment. The result, Metso Metrics for Mining, helps achieve consistently high productivity from existing assets and helps avoid costly equipment failure and downtime.\n\nMetso Metrics addresses the low overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) of minerals processing equipment by reducing unplanned downtime and improving the predictability and accuracy of maintenance activities. It also optimizes performance of equipment leading to improved operational and energy efficiency.\n\n***** Leveraging the power of artificial and human intelligence *****\n\nMetso Metrics works by connecting with PLCs and IIoT devices on critical equipment. It collects data from equipment sensors and sends it securely into the cloud. It then runs advanced AI algorithms on the data to detect new or known failure patterns and alerts managers when the data indicates a potential problem.\n\nAt one Australian mine site for iron ore, Metso Metrics looks for known failure patterns and anomalies in the data on the mine's crushers, helping them predict incidents, proactively apply maintenance and avoid downtime.\n\n\"We've developed algorithms for multiple subsystems for this customer including the drive and hydraulic system, and we are tracking data on vibration patterns, oil filter and bushing health,\" said Jani Puroranta, chief digital officer, Metso. \"In one case, the vibration patterns indicated a problematic pattern in one specific area of the crusher. When our services team asked the on-site maintenance team to evaluate, they found an easy-to-fix loosened structure. Had this not been flagged and fixed, it had the potential to cause a catastrophic event, with potential costs of more than $1 million.\"\n\nEach of the machine algorithms is trained for 4-6 weeks on the specific machine behaviors to set a foundation for optimal performance. Then in live mode, they monitor 24/7 to detect and forecast potential failures or concerns. \u00a0\n\nThese remote teams in Santiago, Chile, and Changsha, China, look at signals coming in from machines, and interpret data to help guide customer action and provide counsel on performance optimization - even when no issues are detected. They are responsible for managing cases that require immediate action and coordinate maintenance with local on-site teams. Metso subject matter experts also use the information to support customers remotely from Metso offices across the world.\n\n***** Successes to date *****\n\nEarly estimates and installations indicate that the biggest benefit for mineral processing plants comes from avoiding incidents and related maintenance costs, including the cost of downtime.\n\nMore than 10 mines worldwide are already using Metso Metrics and have connected more than 1,000 pieces of IIoT equipment. Several cases of early indicators have proven to avoid hundreds of thousands of dollars in costs. And while there is investment required to set up an IIoT-enabled predictive maintenance and asset optimization system, customers can see immediate results.\n\nFor customers, Metso Metrics also offers indirect benefits. As Metso develops and launches new equipment models, data coming through the analytics is being used by Metso engineers to monitor performance of new designs in actual field conditions. The designs can then be improved based on the input to create smarter, more efficient equipment that will further benefit operations in the future.\n\n\"The information we are collecting provides invaluable insights about how customers are using our machines in the field and gives us insights that our R&D teams use to create new models more quickly, allowing us to get them to market faster,\" Puroranta said.\n\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\nTAG: metals\nTAG: mining\nTAG: cement\n\nTAG: factorytalk-innovationsuite\n\n",
    "trigg-technologies-skid-pumps-intelligence-into-hydrocarbon-tran": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/trigg-technologies-skid-pumps-intelligence-into-hydrocarbon-tran\n\nTITLE: Trigg Technologies Skid Pumps Intelligence Into Hydrocarbon Transfers\n\n***** Background *****\n\nWith the price of crude oil hovering around $100 per barrel, consistent accounting errors can cost oil and gas companies millions of dollars each year. That's exactly what has happened in an essential corner of the oil business - hydrocarbon transfers.\n\nHydrocarbon operations are spread far and wide, often in remote regions. At each wellhead, storage tank, offshore platform, pipeline inlet or terminal, buyers and sellers gain unattended access to oil supplies through a skid unit. It's called LACT - lease automatic custody transfer. The unit consists of a series of pumps, pipes and valves designed to measure oil quality and purity, as well as govern flow rate, operating pressure and other key parameters.\n\nAccounting for these buyer/seller transfers is a far less sophisticated process. Most LACT units have little automation and even less network connectivity.\n\nAs a result, this is a common scenario: Truck drivers who load or unload oil at the LACT manually write out a ticket noting the amount of transferred oil, as well as quality metrics, such as the specific gravity. They then drop these tickets into a mailbox that stands next to the unit.\n\nThe LACT owner makes weekly or monthly rounds to retrieve the tickets, which office personnel then process for invoicing. Their work can be complicated by soggy, unreadable tickets, the result of rain at the LACT site or drivers simply failing to seal the tickets in the Mason jar left in the mailbox.\n\nThe time lag, the handwritten tickets and other variables create complications for oil companies and their balance sheets. These hydrocarbon-transfer payment cycles can range from 30 to 90 days, and contain errors ranging from 2 to 8 percent.\n\nThis persistent problem troubled Ted Hutto and Ronnie Riggs. They co-own two Texas-based companies that sell, lease and service LACTs: Panhandle Meter and Trigg Technologies. The co-owners are intimately aware of the impact that ticketing errors and invoicing delays can have on their customers.\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** Challenge *****\n\nPanhandle Meter and Trigg Technologies serve a wide scope of customers. They range from mom-and-pop trucking companies with fewer than 10 trucks, to global oil and gas producers with billions in revenue and hundreds of trucks.\n\n\"Customers across the board struggle with ticketing errors that result from poor handwriting or spelling,\" said Hutto, noting that only a few LACT units are semi-automated with a touchscreen and on-site ticket printing or are linked via SCADA. \"And sometimes, key information isn't filled in on the ticket.\"\n\nThat's a major problem because the billing system for hydrocarbon transfers relies on oil and gas truck drivers accurately and completely filling out tickets. Unfortunately, the drivers have little incentive for such diligence because - as Hutto explained - they're usually paid by the truck load. They earn their commission simply by delivering the shipment, regardless of the specific amount or quality of the oil they deposit or retrieve.\n\nAdditionally, most LACT units are located in remote and often austere areas, far from conventional communications channels. As a result, skids lack the on-site infrastructure required for cost-effective data collection and transmission for invoice processing. The physical distances also increase the cost of supporting and maintain the LACTs.\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** Solution *****\n\nHutto and Riggs knew customers would welcome a ticketless solution to improve billing accuracy and timing. In spring 2013, they turned to Rockwell Automation to explore automation and information solutions to help them meet these goals. The outcome would quickly usher the LACT industry from pre-information age to the height of modern automation and information technology.\n\nWorking closely with Trigg to address the unique challenges with LACT operations, Rockwell Automation designed and developed a turnkey asset performance management (APM) solution, leveraging the Microsoft(R) Windows AzureTM cloud platform. Data from the LACT's Allen-Bradley(R) CompactLogixTM programmable automation controller - as well as information coming from an Endress+Hauser Coriolis mass flowmeter, and a sediment and water detector - are displayed on a local HMI or industrial PC screen and transmitted into the Windows Azure cloud.\n\nOnce in the cloud, Rockwell Software(R) applications combine real-time and historical data into dashboards that provide contextualized information on transfers, overall oil quality, and well productivity over time. These measured variables and diagnostics can be seen from any location via a secured Internet connection.\n\nAt the LACT, truck drivers input an identification number into the HMI, start the transfer and watch as their \"tickets\" are automatically populated when they unload or fill up on crude. This information is sent to the cloud via a cellular or satellite connection (depending on the LACT location and available cellular networks). An invoice is then immediately and automatically generated, and sent to the customer address linked to that identification number.\n\nA condition-based monitoring interface and high-water content alarm alert on-site operators and remote stakeholders of any operational issues. If water content into the LACT is higher than set parameters (which vary across regions), the LACT automatically turns off the pump. Repeat offenders can have their identification numbers banned from transfers at certain units, providing a new level of quality protection in hydrocarbon transfers.\n\n\"With the cloud, everything the truck drivers are seeing and doing is also available to verified users in maintenance, operations and management,\" Riggs said. \"The immediate impact is to improve invoicing, maintenance and product quality, but the Rockwell Automation cloud-based solution also opens the door to a vast amount of untapped data that LACT units can offer.\"\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** Results *****\n\nIn field testing, Trigg LACT skids with the Rockwell Automation solution reduced time from different company billing cycles. The accuracy of hydrocarbon-composition information improved compared to manual systems. With information automatically pulled from the LACT control system to populate e-tickets, billing errors are virtually eliminated.\n\n\"Considering the vast amount of crude oil a single LACT skid can transfer, the impact of such errors can be truly enormous,\" Hutto said. \"For example, consider a LACT unit with a daily lease production of 3,000 barrels. If the accuracy is off just a single percentage point, the annual loss of revenue at $100 per barrel oil would top $1 million dollars.\"\n\nMaintenance is also less costly and more timely. With its proactive alarming capabilities, the Trigg LACT alerts users to urgent situations, via text or email, for immediate response. For example, in field testing, a pump motor was shut down remotely when maintenance operators received an alert that pump energy use parameters had been exceeded. When operators tapped into cloud-based trending capabilities, they determined a strainer filter was wearing out, and were able to schedule a routine maintenance checkup. This prevented both a potential pump failure costing over $5,000 and an unnecessary but costly emergency site visit. The cloud-based system also provides the flexibility to perform system updates or modifications centrally, with immediate impact across the network.\n\nTrending capabilities also allow site and operations managers to better understand the type of oil coming out of each well. This allows them to plan for long-term production across a number of wells or they can mix oil from a variety of wells to produce a more consistent product.\n\n\"Field testing has been extremely successful,\" Riggs said. \"Now that our customers are starting to understand what they can do with this information, they are empowered and they want more.\n\n\"We've had discussions about adding tablets and mobile phones or apps to the solution, so truck drivers have a direct connection to a dispatcher. That person can send them to the LACT with the shortest line, to speed up loading and unloading,\" Riggs continued.\n\n\"Some folks are interested in adding hydrogen sulfide gas monitors, tracking and alarms for improved environmental safety. We've even begun discussing a system modification for saltwater-disposal operations. It's like we've found the 'easy button' for custody transfer.\"\n\n\"We started this project trying to get invoices out more quickly and accurately,\" Hutto added. \"But we've seen how the right control and information infrastructure can turn data into information. Contextualized, that information becomes knowledge that improves accountability and collaboration. This knowledge evolves into institutional wisdom.\"\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Trigg Technologies' use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\nTAG: oil-and-gas\n\n",
    "integracion-de-sistema-de-control-de-procesos-industriales": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/integracion-de-sistema-de-control-de-procesos-industriales\n\nTITLE: Industrial process control system integration\n\nSINCI is a Mexican company with nearly 35 years of experience in automation services, industrial process control and information systems. It is currently a Rockwell Automation Platinum System Integrator.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nSINCI is a technology company dedicated to the implementation of innovative solutions for digital transformation with a focus on process control, information systems and OT/IT convergence that link business management solutions to Industry 4.0 manufacturing.\n\nThe company began operations in 1989 in Guadalajara, Mexico, with the mission of offering complete \"turnkey\" projects for automation and industrial process control. It has developed projects in various locations in Mexico and currently has four offices: Guadalajara, Monterrey, Quer'etaro and Mexico City. The company has also implemented nearly 5,300 projects for more than 470 customers and is currently active in over 10 different types of industry.\n\nOne of its end customers is a US multinational dairy company that distributes natural cheese, processed cheese, cream cheese and yogurt under its own label, with operations in Mexico dating back more than 30 years.\n\nIn 2022 the company opened an industrial plant in the State of Guanajuato. This is where the multinational has a wastewater treatment plan (PTAR) where a series of physical, chemical and biological processes are carried out with the aim of eliminating contaminants present in the wastewater.\n\nTreatment plants usually operate four major processes including pretreatment (collection of wastewater using drainage); primary treatment (sedimentation in which the water passes to tanks where the solids settle on the bottom and the non-solids rise to the top); secondary treatment (degradation of biological content using aerobic and anaerobic treatments together with activated sludge); and tertiary treatment (complete elimination of microorganisms using filtration, ionization and decontamination).\n\nNearly four years ago in this plant, SINCI and Rockwell Automation initiated a greenfield project locally that consisted of the integration of a process control system capable of monitoring all the variables in the plant.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\nExperience and ability\n\nIt should be noted that this was the first initiative of its kind that the two companies (which have worked together for 32 years) had developed for the wastewater treatment sector, whether public utilities or private firms.\u00a0\u00a0\n\nAccording to Salvador Navarro (Bajio Zone Manager at SINCI), one of the first challenges was to adapt the preliminary design (developed in the US) to one suitable for this site, validate the capacity of the mechanical equipment and coordinate with the supplier of storage tanks, as well as with the plant specialist.\u00a0\n\n\"The major challenges with this kind of implementation are a need for a comprehensive knowledge of the process and being able to recognize the types of variables that we will encounter. Once familiar with these variables, getting them to a control system requires substantial experience and capabilities in liquid waste processing,\" he explained.\u00a0\n\n\"The analytical instrumentation variables are a very specific and relevant element in wastewater projects, as are conductivity, dissolved oxygen, water hardness and pH, among others,\" he added.\n\nIt was exactly this comprehensive experience and their knowledge of control automation that led the customer to choose the Rockwell Automation and SINCI proposal. It was also necessary to find a supplier with the technical and human resources to implement a proposal locally that was originally designed in the US.\u00a0\n\nIn this respect, said Navarro, \"the prestige of the Rockwell Automation brand, along with the fact that SINCI had the highest certifications in the country, were key factors that significantly influenced the end user to select both companies to carry out this initiative.\" \"Basically what every customer is looking for from the company it hires is the certainty that the project will be executed on time and to spec,\" Navarro added.\n\n\n\n-- Results --\n\nPrecise measurement\n\nThe main benefit of this automation and control solution is that the customer has a precise measurement of water quality at all times. This helps them avoid penalties as a result of surprise inspections by government agents as allowed by law. \"In this way, the possible fines or penalties that could arise from noncompliance with environmental standards can be avoided,\" Navarro pointed out.\n\nIt should be emphasized that the process control solutions offered by Rockwell Automation for wastewater treatment are highly reliable and flexible. They are not only capable of maximizing productivity, they also reduce implementation costs, minimize life cycle costs, validate compliance and provide for future expansion.\n\nSpecifically with regard to the PowerFlex frequency drives, Navarro pointed out that these have been important due to their flexibility and precision in managing the dissolved oxygen process, which is an essential aspect to this type of plant. \"Another important attribute is the processing of analytical instrument signals,\" he added.\n\nThe general manager of SINCI stated that the technical support and backup of the Rockwell Automation brand ensures a major competitive edge for his company. This helps him face end customer requirements with greater reliability and confidence. \"In this respect, our certifications and the power of the sales channel provided by the brand make us very strong,\" stated Navarro.\n\n\"As a result of this type of project, we realized that there were several business lines that we hadn't explored. Our idea now is to replicate it with other customers across different businesses,\" concluded Navarro.\n\nTAG: build-resilience\n\nTAG: process-automation-control\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: water-wastewater\n\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: factorytalk-historian\nTAG: factorytalk-batch\nTAG: factorytalk-view-studio\nTAG: factorytalk-assetcentre\nTAG: sensors-and-switches\n\n",
    "drive-modernization": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/drive-modernization\n\nTITLE: Proactive Upgrades Save Beverage Maker Time & Money\n\n****** From food and beverage to personal care, the demand for single-serve packaging continues to grow. As it does, one North American beverage leader continues to invest in its production capabilities and facilities including one of its largest single-serve container manufacturing sites. ******\n\n****** \u00a0 ******\n\n****** \"We're a highly automated 500,000-square-foot facility,\" explained a senior automation controls engineer with the plant. \"We're mostly standardized on Rockwell Automation. From ControlLogix(R) and CompactLogixTM controls to Kinetix(R) Servo Drives and PowerFlex(R) VFDs, almost all of our equipment and major components are Allen-Bradley(R) products from the Rockwell Automation catalog.\" ******\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\n* Aging Equipment & Components Leads to Unplanned Downtime\n\nBut after 16 years, many of the plant's machines and components have reached obsolescence.\n\n\"I pulled out one of our PowerFlex(R) 40 AC Drives and it had 70,000 hours on it. Whether it's age, heat like we have here in the south, or other factors, electronics in a plant environment don't last forever,\" the engineer said. \"Every single piece of equipment we have here has a version of the PowerFlex 40 Drives, including our palletizers, case packers and even some of our building equipment.\"\n\nHe estimates the plant has about 650 of these older drives, which have increasingly started to fail. Oftentimes, powering down to replace one drive has caused a domino effect of additional failures.\n\n\"With reactive downtime, we lose more than just the downtime on the equipment. We lose downtime in other departments that are dependent on that equipment,\" the controls engineer explained. \"Upstream departments will over produce, and it just ends up being a huge headache for us more than just what we're not producing at any given moment. We realized this is going to hurt us until we get a solution.\"\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\n* Proactive Modernization Program\n\nThat's why this facility, with the support of its Rockwell Automaton distributor Kendall Electric, started a plant modernization effort in 2019 that included replacing all PowerFlex 40 drives with the newer PowerFlex(R) 525 AC Drives. These next generation drives feature an innovative, modular design to support fast and easy installation and configuration, along with increased functionality.\n\nThe plant has also been able to take advantage of a Rockwell Automation drives migration program. Available in North America, the program provides product and service support incentives that help end users upgrade aging motor, motion and micro control technologies. For every five drives purchased, customers may receive a sixth free, and for eligible projects, field service support may be included.\u00a0\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\n* Increased Functionality, Significant Financial and Time Savings\n\n\"The migration program was a big factor in our decision making, especially since we were purchasing 650 drives,\" the controls engineer said. \"It provides us with significant financial savings that we're able to reinvest back into the project. We're able to purchase and undertake the project in two stages instead of three, which will allow us to complete the upgrade sooner.\"\n\nThe plant finished its first stage of upgrades in 2020. So far, it's installed about 400 new drives and will finish installing the second stage this year. The controls engineer cited several benefits from the proactive modernization and migration to the latest versions of a product.\n\n\"We've been thrilled with the reliability of the PowerFlex 525 drives. It's a whole lot easier to install and program in the beginning and plan when equipment downtime happens,\" he said. \"One of the biggest benefits of modernization is the ability to take advantage of new features that come with the various Rockwell Automation products that we're upgrading.\"\n\nThat includes automatic device configuration (ADC) which simplifies drive, replacement and commissioning of a replaced drive. All of which reduces downtime. With ADC, users configure their Logix control system to set the drive's IP address automatically, then download and install the drive's firmware and configuration. \u00a0\n\n\"For our technicians, it's just a matter of identifying a failure and then replacing the drive. Then their job is done, and automation takes care of the rest of it. There are no parameters to track down or punch in.\n\nThe PLC's control all of that and set it up,\" the controls engineer explained. \"It takes out a tremendous amount of guesswork and has been a huge time savings for us. It's about as close to plug and play as you can possibly get.\"\n\nDepending on the equipment and circumstances, he estimates ADC has saved between 60 and 90 minutes per drive replacement. He credits the plant's relationship with Kendall Electric for suggesting KDP would benefit from ADC and the overall success to date of the drive migration.\n\n\"The absolute number one piece of advice I would give is to rely on the technical people from Rockwell Automation and their distributors,\" the controls engineer said. \"Having Kendall truly understand our plant applications and the capabilities of some of the newer pieces of equipment so they could be able to tell us 'These are features you may be interested in,' played a huge role in our migration.\"\n\nOnce the plant finishes its PowerFlex drive migration, it will focus on upgrading its Kinetix Servo Drives. This migration will also be eligible for product and support incentives.\n\n\"We have close to 850 of those that we're going to replace,\" the controls engineer noted. \"We'll be very busy the next couple of years.\"\n\nTAG: build-resilience\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: drives\n\n",
    "craft-brewer-increases-production": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/craft-brewer-increases-production\n\nTITLE: Craft Brewer Increases Production\n\n*** Background ***\n\nLakefront Brewery in Milwaukee began brewing craft beers long before specialty beer became a booming business and cultural phenomenon.\n\nStarted in 1987 by two brothers - Jim and Russ Klisch - Lakefront has continually innovated. It was the nation's first certified-organic brewery and promotes that it partners with local farmers for \"Wisconsin-only\" ingredients.\n\nThe company sold 125 barrels in 1989 and began doubling after that. As Lakefront's popularity grew, so did production. The Klisch brothers went from using 55-gallon, stainless-steel drums in 1987 to building their own bottling machine in 1990.\n\nBy 1998, production reached nearly 3,000 barrels in their small bakery-turned-brewery.\n\nThe brewery soon moved to larger quarters - the city's once-shuttered, coal-power plant - and the owners replaced their hand-me-down and homemade brewing equipment with a real brew house.\n\nLakefront grew to producing 33,368 barrels by 2012. The company now distributes in 35 states and Canada, where its gluten-free beer is No. 1 in that niche category.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nFor a local craft brewer, it can be a challenge to determine the appropriate amount of technology investment that will provide value to the business without requiring high upfront costs.\n\nAfter discussing the options, the Klisch brothers decided to upgrade their bottle-filling equipment in 2013 to keep pace with expanding consumer demand.\n\nThe duo began searching for an affordable, reliable and flexible filler machine that would also fit the unique production requirements of their brewing applications.\n\n\"We needed filling equipment that would ensure low oxygen content at the right points in the process, along with appropriate sterilization, and high-accuracy fi lling of plus or minus 1.5 milliliters,\" explained company president Russ Klisch. \"While the presence of oxygen is critical at certain points in the brewing process - like before fermentation - its absence is just as important during filling to avoid stale, undesirable tastes.\"\n\nLakefront needed a filler that would help them manage product quality and also enable faster product changeovers from 12-ounce to 24-ounce bottles, and from year-round to seasonal brews.\n\n\"Production speed and machine reliability were key requirements for us,\" Klisch said. \"We were looking to streamline our operating efficiency by reducing the number of shifts in a 10-hour day, and the only way to do that was to improve machinery up time and make product faster.\"\n\nIn keeping with its indigenous brewing approach and loyalty to local suppliers whenever possible, Lakefront selected fellow Wisconsin headquartered machine builder KHS USA Inc. to help them upgrade the filling equipment.\n\n*** Solutions ***\n\nLeveraging more than 140 years of experience building fillers for large beverage producers, KHS designed a machine to provide this mid-sized business with affordable automation equipment. The KHS machine, called the Innofill Micro Glass-Bottle Filler, fills Lakefront bottles with beer at the required temperature and pressure using a proven mechanical valve that achieves the required high-accuracy filling.\n\nKHS worked with engineers at the Rockwell Automation sales office in Milwaukee to jointly design and develop the new machine.\n\n\"With Rockwell Automation on the design team from the beginning, we were able to create a cost-effective, high-performance solution for producing small beer outputs in a high-throughput, sterile environment,\" said Jeff Gilberg, director of engineering at KHS.\n\n\"This also helped us design a solution that would allow KHS to penetrate a new market globally.\" The team worked together to keep the machine's eventual energy consumption as low as possible. KHS virtually linked models created using SolidWorks design software from DS SolidWorks with control designs in Rockwell Software(R) RSLogixTM 5000 software to model the new small-output application with Allen-Bradley(R) Motion Analyzer software. The Motion Analyzer tool helped KHS size and select the optimal servo-motor solution based on torque requirements.\n\n\n\nThe quality of Lakefront's beer has improved, partially due to an 80 to 90 percent error reduction in measuring parts per million of oxygen content during the filling process.\n\nThe Innofill Micro Glass-Bottle Filler fills bottles with beer, and then gently discharges them to a filler jetter, where the beer is agitated with a fine micro stream of sanitary hot water.\n\nThe hot water produces a fob of foam that covers the top of each bottle to prevent any oxygen from settling in. A crowner pushes down on the fob to displace the foam, resulting in a sterile spot to place the bottle cap. The filled bottles of beer are conveyed to a case packer and transported to retail suppliers.\n\nThe machine uses an Allen-Bradley CompactLogixTM programmable automation controller that is tightly synchronized with Allen-Bradley Kinetix(R) 6500 servo drives and Allen-Bradley MP SeriesTM servo motors via the EtherNet/IPTM network, providing integrated motion control on one standard industrial network.\n\nThis eliminates the need for a dedicated motion network, reducing cabling and removing the need to create gateways to get information to or from secluded networks. It also improves diagnostics and simplifies maintenance.\n\nIn addition, using a single programming environment streamlines engineering eff orts. To improve machine safety, Rockwell Automation conducted a risk assessment and implemented safety relays and safe limited speed modules to mitigate operator safety risks identified during the assessment.\n\nThe safe limited speed technology helps increase productivity by allowing operators to perform maintenance and other tasks while the machine is in motion, yet operating safely. The risk assessment process also helped ensure compliance with appropriate global safety standards.\n\nResults\n\nA seamless installation prevented any interruptions to the brewing process, and the new filler meets Lakefront's small-footprint requirements. More importantly, the machine dramatically reduced Lakefront's product changeover, maintenance and troubleshooting time because operators can store and recall recipes using the Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM Plus human-machine interface and FactoryTalk(R) View Machine Edition software.\n\n\"Fast changeovers are crucial when you're a craft brewery producing 22 different types of beer throughout the year, and only 12 of those are brewed year-round,\" Klisch explained. \"The new filler allows easy switch over from year-round to seasonal brews.\"\n\nProduction speed has increased from 120 to 180 bottles per minute, and the Innofill Micro Glass-Bottle Filler is capable of producing up to 400 bottles per minute in the Lakefront facility.\n\n\"Now, we're experiencing an average of 90 percent machine uptime compared to 70 percent prior to the new machine,\" Klisch said. \"In addition, we only have one 10-hour shift each day instead of two, saving costs and making our jobs easier.\"\n\nMost importantly, the quality of Lakefront's beer has improved, which is partially due to an 80 to 90 percent error reduction in measuring parts per million of oxygen content during the filling process.\n\n\"The new filler machine improves the quality and integrity of the beer, while also enhancing sanitary conditions for clean-in-place procedures,\" Gilberg said. \"It also reduces process loss of beer to ensure high throughput and minimize spillage.\"\n\nThe new machine also has reduced other types of waste. \"Before the new filler machine, we had product quality and consistency challenges,\" Klisch said. \"For example, we'd have six or seven cases of beer with wrong fill levels or missed crowns. With the new KHS machine and Rockwell Automation control platform, we've lowered our scrap rate by 80 percent.\"\n\n\"Ultimately, the team designed an affordable automated filling machine that is exceeding our expectations,\" Klisch said. \"The technology investment for us as a small-output craft brewer has definitely paid off with the impressive improvements we're seeing.\"\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "alarm-notification": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/alarm-notification\n\nTITLE: WIN-911 Alarming Boosts Operational Efficiency\n\nDiverse Industries. Common Goal.\n\nOperational efficiency has long been a primary goal across the industrial landscape. More efficient operations lead to better productivity, less waste - and higher profitability.\n\nKeeping production running optimally has become even more critical as organizations sharpen their focus on reducing their carbon footprint and combatting rising energy costs.\n\n\"More and more, customers are coming to us with projects that aim to enhance sustainability,\" said Jeremy Meegan, channel sales manager, WIN-911. \"And just like any other project, they're looking to achieve these 'green' objectives in the most efficient way possible.\"\n\n***** WIN-911 delivers innovative industrial alarm notification software designed to maximize production uptime, reduce maintenance costs and minimize environmental impact. The company applied its first solution in 1993 and became a Rockwell Automation technology partner in 1998. Currently, the WIN-911 platform is the leading alarm notification software among Fortune 500 companies - and boasts more than 19,000 installations worldwide.\n\n\n\nA Tale of Two Challenges *****\n\nRecently, WIN-911 deployed solutions for two organizations that were keenly focused on achieving environmental goals.\n\nFirst, WIN-911 was approached by a large university committed to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. To reduce reliance on fossil fuels, the university planned to upgrade its 90-year-old steam plant and associated piping that connects more than 160 buildings. The new system uses wood chips and renewable natural gas to power turbines - and incorporates a sophisticated heat-recovery system.\n\nWIN-911 was tasked with developing an alarm notification system for the upgrade.\n\nSimilarly, WIN-911 was asked to deliver a solution for a Quasar Energy Group wastewater anaerobic digester system. The anaerobic digester breaks down volatile solids in wastewater treatment systems in compliance with regulatory requirements. And also releases biogas, an increasingly important source of renewable natural gas.\n\n\"In both instances, having immediate access to the right information if something goes wrong is critical to problem solving,\" said Meegan. \"Workers can respond to equipment issues more quickly, which keeps overall production goals on track. For example, if an issue with the digester isn't addressed promptly, the entire process cycle has to restart from the beginning.\"\n\n***** Partnership-Powered Solution *****\n\nAs part of their control system architectures, both the university and Quasar Energy rely on a Rockwell Automation SCADA system, featuring FactoryTalk(R) View Site Edition (SE) HMI software. FactoryTalk View SE provides a comprehensive picture of production status across entire processes - and a real-time view of operations for multiple stakeholders.\n\n**** \"We partner with Rockwell Automation to deliver a notification system that frees workers from a standard HMI console to enable a faster response,\" Meegan said. ****\n\nWIN-911 software seamlessly integrates with FactoryTalk(R) Alarms and Events in real time - and leverages properties including alarm severities, tag names, group names and more. The secure notification platform pushes critical alarm and event details to remote workers via mobile app, text, voice or email - on their device of choice.\n\n\"We have also developed an advanced escalation workflow feature,\" Meegan explained. \"This allows users to organize alarm notifications based on type, severity and worker roles.\"\n\n***** More Efficiency. Impressive Outcomes. *****\n\nWIN-911 solutions enable a faster and more effective response to ongoing equipment and production challenges. Both the university customer and Quasar Energy are reaping the rewards.\n\nAt the university, the new hot water heating system is achieving 24% more efficiency than the old steam application. The system is reducing emissions by over 1,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually. And thanks to WIN-911 software, the university can now maintain optimal operation with just one or two operators per shift.\n\n**** Meanwhile, at Quasar Energy, the WIN-911 system has cut alarm and event response time by 75%. ****\n\nAfter completion of the successful model, Quasar Energy implemented the notification solution at two additional wastewater sites.\n\n\"Expanding your alarming capabilities is a small example of one thing you can do today to help your operations become more efficient,\" said Meegan. \"For our customers, the move to sustainability is a long game - and long-term sustainability goals must be factored into any new project.\"\n\n***** Moving Forward Together *****\n\nWIN-911 looks forward to continuing to work with Rockwell Automation as the two companies advance their technologies.\n\n\"We value the Rockwell Automation relationship and continue to stay in sync with the FactoryTalk View product development team,\" Meegan said. \"It's a true partnership.\"\n\nSue Burtch, senior commercial portfolio manager of visualization software for Rockwell Automation, concurs: \"WIN-911 is a perfect example of how a strong relationship with a technology partner can result in a solution that helps our mutual customers meet their goals. WIN-911 is an outstanding partner.\"\n\nLearn more about our Technology Partners.\n\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: fresh-water\nTAG: wastewater\nTAG: water-wastewater\nTAG: power-generation\n\nTAG: factorytalk-view-se\n\n",
    "kc_water_re_pedrotti": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/kc_water_re_pedrotti\n\nTITLE: PlantPAx DCS Improves Operational Reliability\n\nFrom headquarters in Mission City, Kansas, system integrator R.E. Pedrotti Company serves municipal water and wastewater utilities throughout the Midwest.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nSmarter Wastewater Control\n\nMunicipal water utilities are obligated to collect, distribute and protect a scarce, essential resource. As demands for efficient operation increase, more utilities are investing in smarter control solutions to improve system performance.\n\nWhen Kansas City's municipal water utility, KC Water, chose to update their aging wastewater control system infrastructure, they called on their long-time system integrator, R.E. Pedrotti Company, for the solution. Headquartered in Mission, Kansas, R.E. Pedrotti serves municipal water and wastewater utilities throughout the Midwest. The company is part of the Rockwell Automation(R) PartnerNetworkTM program.\u00a0\n\n\"The technical knowledge required to deliver a design project like this is vast,\" said Brent Herring, deputy director, water and wastewater operations, KC Water. \"Our wastewater treatment facilities were constructed over a period of 50 years - and throughout that long history, we worked extensively with R.E. Pedrotti.\"\n\nPlenty of Data. Limited Insights.\n\nWith a 320 square mile service territory, KC Water manages an area larger than the cities of San Francisco, Philadelphia, Boston or Miami. Wastewater operations encompass a network of 66 facilities, including six wastewater plants and multiple flood and sanitary sewage pump stations.\n\n\"Much of the control equipment across the wastewater system was antiquated,\" said Marc Pedrotti, president, R.E. Pedrotti Company. \"Maintenance was challenging and finding replacement parts was becoming increasingly difficult.\"\n\nIn addition, the system relied on standalone supervisory control and data acquisition systems (SCADAs). \u00a0\n\n\"The only control available was localized at the facilities,\" said Herring. \"Our ability to understand what was occurring in any one site depended primarily on automatic dial systems.\"\n\nAutomatic dial systems pick up alarm signals - and notify utility personnel via phone, text or email message. When an alarm notification is received, a worker is dispatched to the site to respond to the issue.\n\n\"Our response time and troubleshooting was delayed,\" said Herring. \"We certainly were generating plenty of data. But because that data resided in separate systems, it couldn't provide us with an immediate, system-wide view into day-to-day operations.\"\u00a0\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\nMulti-Year DCS Project Targets Operational Reliability\n\nBy updating the wastewater control system, KC Water aimed to achieve two key objectives.\n\nTo design the solution, KC Water worked closely with R.E. Pedrotti and Black & Veatch, a consulting engineer firm. Black & Veatch is a Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork member.\n\nThe design team proposed an integrated, distributed control system (DCS) to be applied in two phases spanning four to five years. KC Water specified the solution based on Rockwell Automation PlantPAx(R), a modern DCS, that leverages familiar Allen-Bradley(R) technology and FactoryTalk(R) software.\n\nPlantPAx DCS provides a scalable and flexible platform that integrates various components of a process solution, including control systems, data acquisition, visualization and analytics.\n\nExecuting Phase One\n\nThe first phase of the project prioritized the treatment plants and more critical pump stations.\n\nInitial work centered on updating the obsolete control hardware - and laying the foundation for system-wide distributed control. As part of that process, R.E. Pedrotti also focused on a defense-in-depth approach to cybersecurity in conjunction with the City's IT Division, including network segmentation and strengthened access controls.\u00a0\n\nThe Rockwell Automation LifecycleIQTM Services team played an integral role throughout the project. Specifically, they worked closely with R.E. Pedrotti, Black & Veatch and KC Water to execute the PlantPAx architecture design - and continued to offer technical training and support. \u00a0\n\n\"Our initial upfront work involved defining standards and a myriad of procurement details,\" said Pedrotti. \"In the subsequent two years, we focused on a very coordinated, organized effort to switch out each of the facilities.\"\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\nBuilding on the Power of Unified Control\n\nWith Phase One of the update complete, both KC Water and R.E. Pedrotti have noticed significant improvements.\n\n\"Once we started converting over to PlantPAx, improvements were almost immediate,\" said Herring. \"Real-time system visibility enables our team to see how stations and facilities are responding to current conditions. In other words, it gives our team a level of comfort regarding operational reliability.\"\n\nResponse time and troubleshooting has significantly improved. As a result, KC Water calls on R.E. Pedrotti for support much less frequently than in the past.\n\nWithin the next two years, KC Water plans to complete the second phase of the project, which will bring the remaining facilities into the PlantPAx platform. Future plans also include implementing system analytics to evaluate flow efficiencies between plants.\n\nLearn more about the PartnerNetwork program.\n\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: water-wastewater\n\nTAG: plantpax\n\n",
    "automated-filling-range-delivers-broad-capabilities": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/automated-filling-range-delivers-broad-capabilities\n\nTITLE: Wide filling range delivers broad capabilities using modern automation\n\nMACS describes itself as a fast-growing company of committed people with more than 20 years of experience and passion.\n\nWith a team of experts coming from major companies from within Bologna's 'Packaging Valley', it can offer a broad range of skills and experience covering virtually all types of packaging applications, including support for after sales maintenance services and spares for machines supplied by FIMA and ILAPAK.\n\nThe company offers an extensive portfolio of machines across three packaging formats. MACS Rigid, as the name suggests, comprises machines for the packaging of rigid products, including individual chocolates & chocolate bars, soap, biscuits & wafers and tobacco products. Its MACS Flexible range offers a variety of filling technologies for both solid and liquid products into a wide assortment of pouches, doypacks and sachets. Finally, it's MACS Fill range, comprises highly customizable rotary and linear fillers for the filling of tubs, jars, pots and bottles.\n\nFlexibility and agility\n\nWith such a broad range of technologies, MACS can cover multiple applications, but each individual machine must be flexible in its own right, as its customers need machine agility to adapt to market trends and product variations.\n\nAccording to Francesco Marchioni, CEO at MACS: \"We need to optimize our solutions across three key metrics: availability, running speed/output and the quality of product. Much of our success in this regard is down to our deployment of automation and control solutions from Rockwell Automation. High reliability results in much better availability, which leads to less downtime, all of which ultimately equates to higher efficiency and higher product volumes.\n\nReduced time to market\n\n\"By deploying new-generation servo technology, our customers gain much greater flexibility, which reduces time to market and changeover time between batches. We often supply turnkey lines, comprising three, four or even five machines all connected together, and when these are all seamlessly talking to each other on a shared, common platform using a single HMI, our customers gain maximum productivity.\n\n\"The digital backbone is also essential. Machines for our larger customers slot easily into existing digital architectures, while those for our smaller customers often create a starting point or hub for their own digital transformation. In all cases, the operational data our customers can collect and analyze is essential for modern production operations.\n\n\"We are also seeing a huge drive for sustainability across all the industries we serve. This is primarily addressed by the deployment of paper-based packaging. One of the major issues is that mono materials and eco materials are much more difficult to automate due to the physics and properties of the materials. But we have been able to adapt our core technologies and machines to cater for these demands, with flexible automation solutions playing a central role in these adaptations.\n\nSpeed & accuracy\n\n\"The advanced control solutions we deploy also make life much easier for operators. Using servo technology, we have been able to replace what were previously manual operations with automated procedures. Not only does this address skill levels and reduced machine familiarity, but automated systems tend to be faster and far less prone to mistakes.\n\n\"I have a great team of people here, all focused on developing new ideas and solving customer issues. Technically speaking I am the CEO, but I still enjoy getting involved in design and development, it's where I came from. And with modern control solutions we know that we can call upon so much more flexibility, not just for us at the design stage, but for our customers too while in operation. Greater connectivity also means we can dial into our machines to support our customers remotely; and knowing that the Rockwell Automation platform is based around best-practice cybersecurity, gives us and our customers far greater peace of mind.\"\n\nDiscover our comprehensive portfolio of OEM and machine design solutions, here.\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: life-sciences\n\n",
    "return-on-investment-by-zipper-packaging-at-uva-packaging": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/return-on-investment-by-zipper-packaging-at-uva-packaging\n\nTITLE: Return On Investment by Zipper Packaging at UVA Packaging\n\n*** Background\n\n ***\n\nThe Newton TX flexible packaging machine was created by Eindhoven based UVA Packaging to package stand-up pouches - especially those which are also resealable with a 'slider' zipper or 'press to close' (P2C) zipper. What distinguishes the machine from others are its specially designed 'turnable cross-seal jaws'. These 'sealing jaws' essentially form a turned-jaw structure that can seal the film, making it possible for the machine to form, fill and seal 'DOY-style' bags. To control the machine, UVA Packaging has opted for, among other things, an Allen-Bradley(R) ControlLogix(R) L61 Programmable Automation Controller (PAC) from Rockwell Automation.\n\n*** Return On Investment ***\n\nJeroen van den Hurk, Director of Sales and Services at UVA Packaging, explains the philosophy behind the new machine from the department of development in Eindhoven: \"UVA Packaging invests in machines, which offer greater flexibility while retaining optimum efficiency; we call it our Pack-O-Nomics approach. Pack-O-Nomics means packaging technology working to maximise return. Our vertical-machine solutions Vertical Form Fill Seal machines (VFFS) require 80% less floor space than the conventional horizontal machines known as the (Horizontal Form Fill Seal) machines (HFFS). A horizontal machine easily covers 50m2 while our machine requires less than 10m2. Our machines also produce far less film waste but have the capacity to produce at the same rate as that of the HFFS machines.\n\nFlexibility means that they are also suitable for multiple film type handling. This entails shorter change-over times; changing from one bag format to another takes less than 30 minutes on this machine,\" van den Hurk continues. \"The operator can also choose from a variety of packaging formats, film types and speeds using the HMI. This allows all settings, such as temperature, pressure and speed to be adapted to suit the new packaging. With regards to investment costs, a conventional machine costs between EUR500,000 and EUR1.5 million. A Newton TX costs 50 to 70% less. The customer can therefore benefit from a much higher return on investment.\"\n\n*** Integration ***\n\nThe Newton TX is easier to integrate with other parts of a packaging and conveyor process. \"The Newton TX comes with Allen-Bradley(R) PanelViewTM Plus control screen, which means it can control all aspects of dosing and conveyor systems. The operator can therefore operate the dosing and weighing functions from the packaging machine.\" Van den Hurk continues \"UVA Packaging uses various Allen-Bradley components from Rockwell Automation in the Newton TX, including a ControlLogix L61 PAC, numerous Kinetix(R) 6000 Servo drives, PowerFlex(R) frequency regulators and a touch screen. These components form an integrated solution.\n\n*** Servo Drives ***\n\nImportant components within the Newton TX are the four Kinetix servo drives,\" he explains: \"These drives mean our machine's performance is not compromised in terms of speed. We have therefore succeeded in building a very well engineered machine with a fully adjustable film belt. The machine can process Polyethylene (PE), heat-sealable film and laminated film. The spindle, around which the film is wound, is automatically unrolled in a process where the key is to control the tension of the film... the film must always be tightly wound. The film is unrolled and stored on several spindles and by varying the distances between these spindles, the film can be kept under tension at all times. This is important for both speed and quality.\"\n\n*** Film Belt ***\n\n\"The drivers carry out the primary process - making the bags,\" he continues. \"They also convey the film by pulling on it, allowing for maximum acceleration and deceleration. Real-time slip compensation can also be implemented. Intelligence within the controller determines the slip using the positions of the film detected by optical sensors. By making a comparison and calculation, the controller can subsequently establish if (and how much) slip has taken place. If there is slip, which can easily run into metres per second, it is corrected in real time by the servo drives. The slip also varies significantly by film type, as each has its own quality, friction and friction coefficient.\n\nVan den Hurk continues: \"After the shoulder mould, the film is shaped into the desired bag style. The machine can process two styles: pillow bag and doy-style. The zipper is added in the shoulder mould; either a push strip or 'press to close'. There are a number of filling systems: multi-head weighers, volume-dosage systems, linear weighers and screw-dosage systems. All these types of weighing systems can be connected to our machine.\"\n\n*** Tilt ***\n\n\"Film belts can often start to unavoidably tilt throughout the movement of the belt, resulting in wasted bag production. With the aid of optical sensors, this tilt is detected and the position of the entire film belt is corrected, helping to minimise the number of bags lost. The correction of the entire film is carried out in one single process - the optical sensors send a signal to the controller, which will then engage the e-motor. We can effortlessly integrate the operation of this type system in the HMI of our machine.\" says van den Hurk.\n\n*** Added Functionality ***\n\n\"There is also an extensive list of options after the bags have gone through the buffer,\" van den Hurk elaborates. \"There are a variety of printing options available, for example the attaching of labels or any additional sticker to the bag if required, or a 'banner applicator' if needed. A banner applicator is a loose strip of film containing an advertisement. The machine can also make air-removal holes in the packaging which is done through the application of air valves or air flaps to the bag. Our machine can also make bags with screw tops, for example, on yoghurt drinks. The machine can also apply scent strips to the inside of the film or attach straws to the bags. Finally, there is an option for the application of extra corner seals or reinforced corners to the bags. These are just a few examples of the added functionality of these machines.\"\n\n*** Data Logging ***\n\nThe ControlLogix PAC can also used for storing historical process data generated by the Newton TX during operation. It can generate useful data for management to analyse such as performance, stoppage due to internal or external causes, wasted film and calculation of the Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE). Linking with MES or ERP is also an option. The controller has an Ethernet interface for the connection with higher automation systems.\n\n*** Good Experience ***\n\nVan den Hurk concludes \"We opted for the solution from Rockwell Automation based on our positive past experience. The excellent support we have received in the preliminary and subsequent stages was a positive deciding factor for us. Over the years, we have built hundreds of machines with Allen-Bradley products from Rockwell Automation. An additional reason to use Rockwell Automation is that our customers prefer the Allen-Bradley brand too. The advantage of using Allen-Bradley components is the robustness and availability of the product and, of course, the service and support provided is second to none.\"\n\n\n",
    "gea-orengine-increases-the-capacity-of-large-hydroelectric-plant": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/gea-orengine-increases-the-capacity-of-large-hydroelectric-plant\n\nTITLE: GEA Orengine Increases the Capacity of Large Hydroelectric Plant\n\n*** Background ***\n\nThe hydroelectric plant is a 660 MW power station - located in the area of Medell'in, Colombia - that harnesses the energy stored in the water confined by a 150 m high and 426 m wide dam. The owner of the plant, a Colombian multi-utility company, engaged GEA Orengine, an established company in the energy sector from Genoa, Italy, to build an auxiliary plant based on Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture in order to recover 2.5 MW of power which otherwise would have been wasted.\n\nThis may seem to be a small amount with respect to the potential that each one of the four 172 MW Francis turbines can generate, but the result achieved is truly laudable in addition to being 100% sustainable. The 2.5 MW capacity increase provides enough electrical energy to meet the needs of about 1,000 additional apartments, or 5,000 people, which is equivalent to an entire village.\n\nBut how was it possible to recover an additional 2.5 MW, especially in the shape of a hydraulic-turbine driven mini hydroelectric plant that can recuperate its costs very quickly, if fully exploited, in just three years? It was made possible by exploiting the Minimum Vital Flow (MVF), which is the minimum amount of water that must be allowed to flow by any water retention facility, such as a dam, to ensure the ecological integrity and the morphological protection of the watercourse being exploited.\n\nAs Mauro Brialdi, GEA Orengine International Automation Director explained: \"The project implemented in this plant is symbolic of what can now be considered to be our expertise, i.e. mini hydroelectric plants with a typical range of operation between 50 kW and 10 MW.\" The company's technical staff working in the Lavagna port area, most of whom are engineers, are responsible for practically everything that needs to be done on the project from the design of the hydraulic turbines, to the power transformation systems and associated automation. And this is where Rockwell Automation comes into play.\n\n\"Besides Italy, we operate worldwide - especially in Central and South America\", he continues. \"For the activities in these markets, Rockwell Automation is a standard for us, especially in terms of the quality and the performance of its automation solutions, for the wide acceptance that its solutions enjoy on the American continent and also for the on-site support that its staff always delivers.\"\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nA river barely 100 km long is not classed as a major watercourse, but it is a resource that can support the sustainable medium-scale production of electrical energy. The client would like to exploit the MVF of the river by installing a hydraulic turbine in parallel with the water-flow energy dissipation valve for the river course downstream of the dam, to convert its energy (2.5 MW), which would otherwise be wasted, into electrical energy. To better respond to the client's specific needs GEA Orengine wanted to give them the opportunity to introduce a more innovative approach with traditional control features, in line with the optimization, sustainability and costs reduction goals. An integrated single architecture would allow control of the system, as well as provide full visibility, not only of data related to energy consumption but also on machine vibrations, establishing an effective condition-based predictive maintenance program.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nRockwell Automation eagerly took on the challenge launched by GEA Orengine; meeting its needs with an innovative approach and offering a unique, complete and integrated solution that could manage and control the hydroelectric turbine while enabling the end user to reduce the operating costs.\n\nFor this purpose a single integrated architecture with built-in analysis and control functionalities of energy consumption was proposed. This has further strengthened the high level of sustainability of the project and helped to reduce plant operating costs as well. Moreover the ability to monitor vibrations led to their implementing a maintenance plan, reducing the risk of unplanned downtime and the related costs.\n\nThe control architecture is based on the processing power of four Allen-Bradley(R) CompactLogixTM programmable automation controllers (PAC) interconnected over an EtherNet/IPTM network, that also use the IEC 60870-5-104 transmission protocol which is the reference standard for remote control functionality in the context of automation of electric power stations. The four CompactLogix controllers were interfaced with the main plant central control, which is also equipped with Rockwell Automation units, in this case more powerful Allen-Bradley ControlLogix(R) PACs. To help obtain the best performance and for protection against electromagnetic interference (EMI), fibre optics was selected as the physical transmission medium.\n\nAn Allen-Bradley PowerMonitorTM 1000 was installed (energy load control and associated parameters) and protection and was connected to the Rockwell Automation PACs via Ethernet/IP protocol.\n\nFinally in order to control and analyse vibrations Allen-Bradley XM(R) series dynamic measurement module was used. This is a an online solution for monitoring and protection that Rockwell Automation designed specifically to monitor the shaft, the casing or the pedestal of rotating machines. It was connected to a dedicated Panel PC Industrial Versa View 6181P standard on which the Rockwell Automation Emonitor Condition Monitoring Software Suite has been installed to activate an effective condition-based predictive maintenance program. The actual energy-generating equipment is located in a cave that can only be reached through a narrow tunnel; as a result the adverse environmental conditions could not constitute an obstacle for operational continuity.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nAs Mauro Brialdi explained, in addition to reliability and performance considerations, the decision to adopt an architecture sourced from a single supplier was also motivated by the fact that Rockwell Automation had all the necessary modules, including the vibration monitoring solution, readily available. This single supplier approach has also led to the creation of a completely integrated environment, without the need to resort to any communication or data conversion interfaces.\n\n\"By exploiting an existing infrastructure and thanks to Rockwell Automation technology, we were able to implement a 100% sustainable project - with a high degree of replicability in any hydroelectric plant - that made it possible to increase plant capacity by 2.5 MW and to supply enough energy to meet the needs of an entire village.\" adds Brialdi.\n\n\"Notwithstanding a certain degree of plant complexity, there were no major obstacles,\" he concludes. \"On the contrary. Thanks to the features of the RSLogixTM 5000 programming environment, the on-site software development and fine-tuning phases took only three weeks, a notable contribution to limiting total cost. It has to be said that this was also achieved thanks to the support provided by the Rockwell Automation technical team, especially in relation to vibration analysis where their application skills were decisive.\"\n\n\nTAG: power-generation\n\n",
    "korean-automotive-company-upgrades-control-system-to-improve-pro": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/korean-automotive-company-upgrades-control-system-to-improve-pro\n\nTITLE: Korean Automotive Company Upgrades Control System To Improve Production\n\nThis automotive company has major operations in Korea, with a fully integrated, state-of-the-art manufacturing plant that boasts advanced production, quality and testing capabilities.\n\nThe automotive space is undergoing constant changes in technology - and the disruption can be challenging. The new era of automotive manufacturing and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) requires rethinking how things like automobiles are made.\n\nTrends in vehicle customization mean big changes on how automakers review their control systems, with accelerated refresh rates and portfolio shifts that affect manufacturers around the world.\n\n***** Challenge *****\n\nTo accommodate those shifts, this Korean automotive manufacturer has to upgrade its aging control system to keep up with these demands, taking full advantage of the speed and variability that new technology offers to help boost productivity, enhance safety and reduce total costs.\n\nThis upgrade would help this manufacturer increase efficiency and improve flexibility to get to market faster. In addition, the company could integrate Information Technology (IT) and Operations Technology (OT) for real-time information and analytics; increase machine builder coordination and workforce training; and improve local and remote support.\n\nMore choices for consumers also meant a more complex manufacturing environment, and with it comes the potential for inefficiencies, increased errors and costs. Especially in the paint shop, the company needed a solution that could better control process parameters, optimize the supply chain, improve quality consistency and meet standards.\n\nUpgrading its control system was a particular challenge with tight deadlines and production schedules. An extended shutdown was not an option. Any changes requiring employees to learn different software versions and operating system compatibility issues would have to be addressed without causing delays.\n\n***** Solution *****\n\nThis company selected the\u00a0ControlLogix(R) system for its new control platform. ControlLogix uses a common control engine with a simple development environment to provide high performance in an easy-to-use environment.\n\nTight integration between the programming software, controller, and I/O modules reduces development time and cost at commissioning and during normal operation. Operators can perform standard and safety control in the same chassis for a truly integrated system, and leverage the high availability and extreme environment capabilities to meet different application needs.\n\nControlLogix provides ease of migration from existing and outdated systems. Rather than a full and extended shutdown that could impact the entire network, Rockwell Automation(R) was able to plan and execute a regularly scheduled, partial shutdown with no impact on the network. Each main conveyor panel was commissioned individually on the regular plant shutdown day, avoiding any impact on the production schedules.\n\n***** Results *****\n\nAs a result of upgrading to ControlLogix, this company experiences significant benefits, including:\n\n    * Converting local I/O to remote I/O reduces field wiring and mean time to repair (MTTR).\n\n    * Converting from a low speed DH+/RIO network to a high-speed Ethernet network improves speed of communications and reduces troubleshooting time from approximately 10 minutes to one minute or less.\n\n    * ControlLogix text-based file addressing system allows operators to update programs easily.\n\n    * Use of ControlLogix 1756-L71 controllers reduces inventory needs for various controllers, and improves inventory management.\n\n    * Using\u00a0RSView(R)32TM integrated, component-based HMI for monitoring and controlling automation machines and processes improves fault monitoring and display, helping to reduce MTTR.\n\n    * The\u00a0Studio 5000(R) environment combines engineering and design elements into one standard framework that optimizes productivity and reduces commissioning time.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to this customer's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nCompactLogix, RSView 32, Rockwell Automation and Studio 5000 are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc. Trademarks not belonging to Rockwell Automation are property of their respective companies.\n\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: product-and-application-support\nTAG: remote-support\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: automotive-and-tire\n\nTAG: programmable-controllers\n\n",
    "the-mosaic-company-enhances-decision-making-capabilities-and-red": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/the-mosaic-company-enhances-decision-making-capabilities-and-red\n\nTITLE: The Mosaic Company Enhances Decision-Making Capabilities and Reduces Alarms by 50 Percent with Modern DCS\n\n*** Feeding the World ***\n\nOur world will have nearly 10 billion mouths to feed by 2050. With this burgeoning population, the agriculture industry has some critical work to do. One way to grow more food and increase the effectiveness of every acre is through fertilizers that can help provide essential nutrients for optimum growth.\n\nThe Mosaic Company\u00a0is the world's leading integrated producer and marketer of concentrated phosphate and potash, two key ingredients in plant fertilizer. Much of Mosaic's phosphate mining production is located in Florida.\n\nTo mine phosphate in this state, the nutrient is pulled out from under the sandy topsoil and sent through pipelines to a processing facility. The facility then uses a series of washing, vibrating and flotation stations to separate the phosphate from the sand and clay.\n\n*** Mining for Information ***\n\nTo meet growing demands for increased crop yields, Mosaic needed to add a premium fertilizer product line to its New Wales, Florida, facility. In order to accommodate the new process, the company needed to drastically expanded the existing distributed control system (DCS).\n\nThe legacy HMI system provided limited to no visibility into key production data. The system only provided big picture elements of the facility and very few data insights. Without contextualized information, operators were not able to make the best informed decisions.\n\nExisting HMI screens were also overly complex and colorful, making it difficult to quickly interpret abnormal conditions and quickly respond.\n\nAdditionally, the legacy system was programmed with more than 4,000 alarms that notified operators of operational changes more frequently than needed. These nuisance alarms required operators to unproductively respond to hundreds of active alarms to identify and respond to those significant to the operation.\n\nThis made it nearly impossible to quickly recognize and respond to legitimate issues in the process that needed to be fixed. Limited visibility combined with too many alarm notifications resulted in extra work and lost productivity.\u00a0\n\n\"Once the company decided to expand the facility, we made the business case to upgrade our process automation software, too,\" said Josh Johansen, project engineer, The Mosaic Company.\n\n\"We needed contextualized information intuitive enough for any employee to use, and a resolution for our overalarming issues. This large-scale expansion was an excellent opportunity to finally move forward with a full visualization solution.\"\n\n*** Enhancing the View ***\n\nAutomated Controls of Tampa Inc.\u00a0designed and implemented Mosaic's new high performance HMI utilizing the PlantPAx\u00ae Library of Process Objects (PDF) from Rockwell Automation. The New Wales facility already had an installed base of Rockwell Automation hardware and software, so making the upgrade was a smooth transition.\u00a0\n\nThe PlantPAx distributed control system is based on open communication standards to streamline control and information flow across the plant. It also provides a comprehensive and accurate picture of a facility's operations, providing operators optimal and easy-to-understand insights, trends and alarms.\n\nAs part of the DCS modernization, the facility's control base was expanded by 250 percent; making it a massive overhaul. The project took two years to finish with a significant hardware and software upgrade.\n\nInstallation included a number of new controllers, motor control centers, variable frequency drives, I/O racks, servers, HMI clients and monitors. The facility created 100 new high-performance HMI graphics screens, and customized 30 percent of the PlantPAx graphics library to better suit its needs.\n\n*** Data Revealed, Decisions Made Easy ***\n\nWith a successful PlantPAx distributed control system upgrade and an effective startup with minimal operational delays, the team was thrilled with the new system.\n\nThe incorporated alarm configuration and management feature got the facility's alarm system under control. Now operators can view, filter and disable unnecessary alarms. Better alarm design reduced the facility's alarms by 50 percent \u2013 from more than 4,000 alarm tags to under 2,000.\n\nPlant-operators are now able to see legitimate threats without the distraction of nuisance alarms.\n\nWith the new, integrated, high-performance HMI graphics, data is put into context. Operators now have clear-cut benchmarks showing desirable data ranges to quickly see when equipment and processes are abnormal.\n\nWith intuitive graphics, Mosaic's operators can now understand the production data in their HMI and are able to make more informed decisions. Rather than a slew of numbers, the new system showcases useful information.\n\nAdditionally, the new system provides a simplified presentation that utilizes colors more strategically. Objects are purposefully designed to blend into the background so only important data stands out.\n\nAlarm criticality is communicated by various color and shape combinations established by the PlanPAx library. This prevents unwanted noise so data can be processed quicker, further improving operator productivity along the way.\n\n\"Operators now have vital information available at their fingertips \u2013 information that any employee can quickly understand and react to,\" Johansen said. \"Our long-term goal is to ease training and reduce downtime with a standard system program across all our facilities.\"\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to The Mosaic Company's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nPlantPAx is a trademark of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\n\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\n\n",
    "ccb-lowers-energy-consumption-and-process-variability": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/ccb-lowers-energy-consumption-and-process-variability\n\nTITLE: CCB lowers energy consumption and process variability\n\nEnergy-intensive industries are feeling the pressure from all sides! Compounding much tougher international sustainability legislation and targets, recent sharp rises in energy prices are pushing companies to examine their products and processes more closely, too, to ensure that they are using energy in the most efficient way possible.\n\nSimple processes may just require basic analysis and fine tuning, but plants that produce multiple products and rely on a wide range of high-tolerance parameters are far more difficult to tune, and more often than not will see immense and immediate benefits from digital solutions.\n\nSustainability planning\n\nCompagnie des Ciments Belges SA (CCB), part of Cementir Holding group - a multinational building solutions company and global leader in white cement - is one such company that is examining its processes with the goal of becoming more sustainable. Indeed, it has formulated an ambitious roadmap to significantly reduce CO2 emissions by 2030.\n\nThe Group's 10-years roadmap includes the replacement of fossil fuels and clinker, the development of a new low-carbon cement, and several investments in sustainable development, coupled with the digitalization of manufacturing, maintenance, inventory and spare-parts management processes in all its factories.\n\nDigital insights\n\nDigitalization is delivering benefits across the board in just about every industrial setting, thanks to the collection and exploitation of operational data, which is helping to deliver new and elevated levels of insights, resulting in efficiency improvements. And the cement industry is no exception.\n\nCCB has already made some early commitments to its data-driven Industry 4.0 aspirations, firstly with the purchase of a new digital analyzer, which can measure the fineness of the cement formulation from its two cement mills. Before this, it used a series of cascade PIDs (proportional-integral-derivative) controllers acting on information supplied by lab samples taken every two hours. But constant quality checks and the resultant energy saving require constant measurement, and a two-hour window is more than enough for such a complex manufacturing process to creep out of tolerance.\n\nAccording to Juliano de Goes Arantes, Digital Account Executive at Rockwell Automation: \"CCB offers ten different types of cement of differing qualities and functional specifications. Making this cement is analogous making different breads; the different ingredients and ratios result in different end products. As a result, it is important to use the right ingredients in the right amounts to hit optimum product profile, otherwise there can functional or cost implications.\"\n\nClosing the loop\n\nde Goes Arantes continues: \"CCB had long realized that it needed to establish more accurate and more timely control over its processing and the digital analyzer was just the first step. When we were first contacted as part of its digitalization journey program, the analyzer was not installed but it was to be considered as part of the installed base. As a result, our solution would need to close the loop, i.e., take information from the analyzer in real time, fine tune the process parameters and raw material quantities and then feed the corrections back into the process. The end game being to help ensure consistent and optimum quality for the different cement types produced. Not only would this improve quality, but by only using energy-intensive steps for precisely defined amounts of time, it would also cut power consumption.\"\n\nRockwell Automation's products and capabilities were already known within the Cementir Group, with favorable references to back up CCB's choice of supplier. Rockwell Automation was also able to bring its considerable cement and process domain experiences to the table in its deployment of its Pavilion8(R) model predictive control (MPC) solution. MPC offers an intelligence layer that sits on top of automation systems and continuously assesses current and predicted operational data. It then compares this data to desired results, and drives new control targets to reduce process variability, improve performance, and boost efficiency - all in real time.\n\nProof in the numbers\n\nCCB is already seeing significant performance gains from tighter control of process steps, with specific energy consumption (SEC) down by more than 6% - compared to a target of 3%. Production rate has increased by nearly 8.5%, compared to a 3% target and availability is sitting at 97% - right on target. In a similar application in the USA, the Pavilion8 MPC increased throughput by 4.8% and 5.7% on two mills, increased finish-mill production by 5%, and reduced power consumption by 3.5 KWh ton of cement produced.\n\nGauthier Autrand, plant manager at CCB also stressed the advantages of this new system: \"Since its commissioning, we have not had to call the Rockwell service line, as this system is working continuously, with performance as expected, although this is hard to determine due to the changes in process and products that are now part of our sustainability roadmap.\"\n\nde Goes Arantes further elaborates: \"This is one of the most complex applications I have ever worked on, due to the sheer number of process variables and cement types. But sustainability is an important contemporary metric for any company, so it was essential to deliver the best possible solution. The MPC platform optimizes multiple parameters at the same time using specialist algorithms, where it constantly updates process conditions based on optimum outcomes.\n\n\"The technical complexity was compounded by the distance-working conditions enforced by the pandemic,\" de Goes Arantes continues, \"but we were able to deliver the all-important peace of mind and, of course, a solution that delivered what we said it would.\n\n\"We are anticipating new elements being added to the project and the plant as a whole,\" he concludes, \"all of which will thrive on the company's new digital backbone. CCB has also told me that it thinks it can achieve even more, and I agree. I don't think we have seen the full picture in terms of what these solutions will deliver.\"\n\nAllen-Bradley, expanding human possibility, Pavilion8 and Rockwell Automation are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\u00a0\n\nTrademarks not belonging to Rockwell Automation are property of their respective companies.\n\nTAG: drive-sustainability\n\nTAG: cement\n\n",
    "hmc-pouchmaster-profile": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/hmc-pouchmaster-profile\n\nTITLE: Smarter, More Efficient Flexible Pouch Packaging\n\nIn the Consumer Packaged Goods industry, the battle for shelf space is costly and fierce. Supermarkets and other retailers demand multiple payments for product placement including slotting fees for new offerings and hefty outlays for premium space sold by the inch.\n\nOnce shelf space is secured, manufacturers are motivated to get the most from their investment. And that means selecting cost-effective packaging methods that preserve the product, attract interest and conserve space.\u00a0\n\n***** A Better Choice *****\n\n\"Flexible pouch packaging is preferred for a wide range of products,\" said Jeff Berg, product development manager, HMC Products. \"The foil film laminates used for perishable items extend shelf life, and options like stand-up pouches display well and save space. Plus pouch packaging is a lightweight and more economical option overall.\"\n\nHMC Products has been meeting the needs of the market for over 40 years with its Pouchmaster line of horizontal form-fill-seal machines. Located in Machesney Park, Illinois, HMC serves a global customer base including Fortune 500 companies, co-packers and startups.\n\nThe IM 7-14 Pouchmaster is a highly efficient, intermittent motion machine featuring a quick change servo seal driver.\n\nAt the front end of the machine, film laminate is fed through a dancer bar, which controls film tension. Next, the film enters the forming plow and then proceeds through bottom and side seal bars located on top of the seal driver.\n\nThe film passes a registration photo eye that regulates the amount of film fed to a cutoff knife. The pouches are inserted in clips attached to a chain, and indexed through the filling stations. Finally, the pouches are sealed and offloaded via conveyor.\n\n***** Optimize Pouch Fills *****\n\nTo achieve consistent seals, manufacturers must select pouch sizes that are large enough to accommodate quantities - and maintain sufficient headspace. The result is a pouch that is often underfilled.\n\nInstead of heat, occasionally ultrasonic welding is used, which applies high-frequency acoustic vibrations and pressure to seal the top of the pouch. Stray product is fused as part of the seal - and does not affect seal quality. Therefore, pouches can be filled more fully.\n\n***** Versatility in a Simpler Design *****\n\nThe flexible Pouchmaster can accommodate a full range of product feeders for solids, powders and liquids.\n\n\"This machine is not dedicated to one pouch size or product,\" said Berg. \"One customer runs seven pouch sizes on this machine - and another uses four different feeders.\"\n\nThe HMC Pouchmaster is built on a Rockwell Automation(R) platform featuring an Allen-Bradley(R) CompactLogixTM controller. Allen-Bradley Kinetix(R) 5500 servo drives run the main machine shaft and the pouch transfer chain. Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) 525 AC drives control the conveyors. The machine is integrated on an EtherNet/IPTM network and monitored on Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM Plus 7 graphic terminals.\n\n\"In addition, we recently simplified the design of the machine's seal drivers by replacing cams and air cylinders with Kinetix servo control,\" Berg explained. \"As a result, the system requires less maintenance.\"\n\nServo control also enables easy adjustment of the dwell time and opening and closing of the seal bars. The result is a better seal overall.\n\n***** Smart Machine Performance *****\n\n\"The Rockwell Automation system makes the machine much smarter - and much easier to changeover,\" said Berg. \"To change a pouch size, the operator moves a few sealer bars and simply makes the appropriate selection on the recipe-driven HMI.\"\n\nQuick-change tooling expedites changeover for more significant product modifications.\n\n\"A smart machine can also tell you what's wrong, with advanced diagnostics displayed on the interface,\" Berg added.\n\nTo maximize uptime, HMC integrated a wide range of sensors into the control platform to quickly detect abnormalities - and incorporated visually intensive instructions in the HMI to guide maintenance. HMC also takes advantage of EtherNet/IP connectivity to service their customers' equipment remotely.\n\n\"Downtime is money,\" Berg said. \"And all this technology is helping everyone - from plant managers to machine operators and maintenance personnel - keep equipment running optimally.\"\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: food-packaging\n\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: drives-and-motors\n\n",
    "global-beverage-manufacturer-expands-capacity-and-improves-consi": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/global-beverage-manufacturer-expands-capacity-and-improves-consi\n\nTITLE: Global Beverage Manufacturer Expands Capacity and Improves Consistency\n\n** Background **\n\nProduct safety and consistency are critical to any beverage manufacturing process. For decades, beverage producers have relied on non-standard batch systems to help maintain process quality - and throughput.\n\nFacing accelerating regulations, a shrinking pool of skilled workers and unrelenting market demand for more product variation, beverage producers are requiring more standardization than ever before.\n\nWhen a global producer of distilled beverages, beer and wine planned to expand capacity at their Illinois plant, they approached process design firm, Barnum Mechanical, Inc. for a turnkey solution. Barnum engaged Industrial Automation Group for the new control system.\n\nHeadquartered in Modesto, California, Industrial Automation Group specializes in process control solutions for the food and beverage industry. The company is a Rockwell Automation recognized system integrator and a Control System Integrators Association (CSIA) certified member.\n\n** Challenge **\n\n\"Improving the process effi ciency of their installed base was a key objective for this beverage company,\" said NinivTamimi, program manager, Industrial Automation Group. \"Also, they planned to increase their total capacity by adding raw ingredient storage, intermediate, batching and bottling tanks to their system.\"\n\nThe plant expansion was signifi cant and increased railcar/truck stations and storage tanks by about 75 percent in the receiving area. The blend room experienced a similar increase. In bottling, tanks were added and some existing tanks were converted to \"fl ex tanks,\" which could be used for either bottling or raw ingredient storage.\n\n\"As they expanded their operation, the company planned to migrate to an \"all-in-one\" batch solution,\" Tamimi explained. \"They wanted to install an efficient, S88-compliant system.\"\n\nThe ANSI/ISA-88 (S88) standard provides a consistent set of terminology and standards for batch control in industrial automation systems - including the physical model, procedures and recipe management. The existing system did not comply with S88.\n\n\"Commercial database software was used for recipe storage - and their entire batching system was programmed using Visual Basic for Application (VBA) code and their legacy HMI,\" said Tamimi. To achieve acceptable product quality with the existing system, the plant often needed to implement two or three batch corrections for each batch. The testing time for each batch correction was approximately two hours. In addition, the system had no \"failover\" or redundant capabilities.\n\n\"As a result, if a server went down, the system could be out for two to four hours,\" said Tamimi. \"In addition to improving product quality, our customer needed to increase system availability.\"\n\nLast but not least, the company required better security. The existing system had just three logins: Operator, Supervisor and Administrator. Passwords for the logins could be easily shared among all users. The customer specified that the new process system incorporate user specific login, automatic sign-out and e-signatures.\n\n** Solution **\n\nIndustrial Automation Group applied a control solution based on the PlantPAx(R) process automation system, a modern distributed control system (DCS) from Rockwell Automation.\n\n\"With a PlantPAx solution, we could design a high availability system that would take advantage of many newer technologies - like virtualization,\" explained Tamimi. \"We actually chose a virtual environment for this application.\"\n\nRockwell Automation supports virtualization with VMware(R) Ready software and recommends the use of server virtualization, and VMware vSphere(R), when dealing with run-time production applications. Server virtualization removes the dependency on a full host operating system (OS) and provides a much more stable environment for critical applications.\n\nThe new system includes an information enabled, scalable, multi discipline control platform that combines process and discrete control with communication and intrinsically safe I/O. The fully redundant system controls the applications in the processing areas as well as the Clean in Place (CIP) skids. Remote control was integrated for hazardous Class 1, Division 1 processing. Operator workstations were established in the control room and batching rooms. An engineering workstation was also placed in the control room for live optimization of the process.\n\nIn addition, the PlantPAx system includes supervisory level visualization capabilities to provide operators with optimal insight into process information. Data management, performance and visibility, and production management software supply process and batch control.\n\nTo keep the plant up and running as much as possible throughout the upgrade, Industrial Automation Group implemented the system in phases. First, the bulk liquid receiving areas, including the new truck and railway stations as well as the new bulk storage tanks were brought on line. CIP sequences were also applied to these assets.\n\nNext, the new batching system was added. To implement the system, 120 original recipes were recreated. Due to the plant expansion and new assets in the system, the order of material additions was revised as part of the process to decrease batch time and maintain quality.\n\n\"Rigorous testing and quality control were extremely important,\" said Tamimi. \"We had to prove the new system could run the existing recipes before we could take down the old system.\" Once initial Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) was complete, the team integrated the new control system during a two-week shutdown. The system was tested further - and parameters and recipes were tuned as needed.\n\n** Results **\n\n\"The plant has improved overall throughput and consistency,\" said Tamimi. \"Plus the company can add new recipes more easily with the batch system, since most operations and many unit procedures are shared.\"\n\nTo streamline recipe development further, the system allows dynamic prioritization based on operator input or other defined variables. Thanks to the material manager functionality within the batch software, recipes do not need to be rewritten if the same material resides in a different tank.\n\nDuring the commissioning phase, Industrial Automation Group helped the beverage company introduce 50 new recipes.\n\nThe system also improves CIP reporting. It tracks all sequencing and auto-generates reports after each CIP cycle is completed - to document proper cleaning procedures before the next batch is run.\n\nIn addition, the system helps ensure product consistency.\n\n\"Raw ingredients don't always enter the system with the exact same properties defined in the recipe,\" Tamimi explained. \"When that's the case, we can update the parameters in the system and it will auto-adjust the ingredient amounts for each recipe.\"\n\nWith the PlantPAx system in place, the beverage plant has met their goal of no more than one batch correction per batch.\n\nFinally, the system has helped enable better security with individual logins and e-signatures. The system also imposes a 15-minute automatic sign-out and requires re-entry of credentials for all critical items.\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "latest-technologies-support-mining-productivity": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/latest-technologies-support-mining-productivity\n\nTITLE: Next generation technologies support mining productivity\n\nRio Tinto's Amrun bauxite mine is located in Far North\u00a0Queensland on Cape York in Australia. Photo\u00a0courtesy of Rio Tinto.\n\nAustralia is the world's largest producer of bauxite-the primary component of aluminium. Aluminium is a key part of our everyday life and helps us travel far and wide. It is used in bikes, cars, trains and planes because it's strong, lightweight and corrosion resistant. These properties also make aluminium the perfect solution for countless food and beverage applications-from drink cans to aluminium foil-and most importantly, it can be recycled over and over.\n\nRio Tinto is a global leader in aluminium, and located in Far North Queensland on Cape York in Australia, is their Amrun mine. The Amrun mine is the third continuous mining operation alongside East Weipa and Andoom in the Rio Tinto Weipa Operations portfolio, which has been producing bauxite since 1963.\n\nRio Tinto's Weipa Operations exports more than 30 million tonnes of bauxite annually and Amrun, their newest bauxite mine, features the latest integrated control and automation technology from Rockwell Automation.\n\n*** Smart automation and control ***\n\nConstructing Amrun took three years, with automation and control requirements needing to be carefully considered with the mine being in such a remote and isolated location. The project went to market for a Main Automation Contractor (MAC) to provide engineering design services, equipment supply, implementation services, site services through offsite switch room testing, pre-commissioning and commissioning support, as well as training services. A key aspect of selecting the MAC was partnering with an organisation that could demonstrate capability in delivering an end-to-end automation solution for a major capital project. Of importance was the project delivery personnel who would see the project through from design office, Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT), pre-commissioning and commissioning.\n\nThe Rockwell Automation suite of products provided a complete solution from the ground up-from its communications stack, security, product integration, diagnostics and engineering tools as a complete solution.\n\nThe processing plant, materials handling systems, water and tailings, mine infrastructure, wharf and rail mounted machines are all controlled by Allen-Bradley(R) ControlLogix(R) controllers, together with Allen-Bradley CompactLogix^o controllers for smaller outdoor MCCs and package controllers. Given the scale of the Amrun site, there are approximately 50 PLC controllers in operation across the site.\n\n*** The Connected Mine ***\n\nWith a large, distributed architecture, Amrun needed a modern Process Control System (PCS) that could provide seamless integration between critical mine processes.\n\nAfter looking at various technologies, a Rockwell Automation PlantPAx(R) solution was implemented, delivering cost savings and schedule benefits. Using a predefined and standardised library ensured rich functionality and robust performance. The usability of the PlantPAx toolset allows for quick modify configuration and its ability to be easily integrated across multiple systems has simplified control system troubleshooting.\n\nBy using a common automation platform, the PlantPAx system provided seamless integration between critical process areas of the processing plant. Amrun's control and automation system uses Converged Plant wide Ethernet (CPwE) communications with the complete FactoryTalk(R) suite of products. The entire suite of application servers are virtualised on high availability data centres.\n\nThe Rockwell Automation PlantPAx system connects critical process areas of the processing plant.\n\nAmrun is located in an isolated site approximately 800 kilometres from Cairns, Australia. As such, the data centre is integrated into Rio Tinto's IT infrastructure, enabling centralised management and remote access. A set of portable mobility tablets was implemented so operators could access data from the plant. These devices were enabled by ThinManager(R), providing users access to real time information.\n\n\"With integrated software that can collect and manage the information from various sensors, devices and systems from across the site, operators can now collect, coordinate and share data internally. This helps to ensure better data-driven decision-making and greater consistency in results,\" said Bernard Ooi, project manager, Rockwell Automation. \u00a0\n\nBauxite being loaded onto a vessel at the Chith Export Facility at Amrun. Photo courtesy of Rio Tinto.\n\n*** Emphasis on safety ***\n\nSafety was a key priority for the mine and processing plant and as such, Amrun uses the latest technology to run operations safely and efficiently. Functional safety was implemented in GuardLogix controllers and integrated with the PLCs to provide seamless visibility of safety and control.\n\n*** Early commissioning ***\n\nWith such a large-scale project, it was important that commissioning was a smooth process. To help achieve this, FAT was undertaken at the Rockwell Automation facility in Melbourne. The majority of the plant was staged and tested in a complete integration test to simulate the control of the plant from the dump truck through to the ship loader. The full integration test was conducted with the required controllers and application servers hosted on the VMWare-enabled data centres.\n\nThe Amrun project was delivered under budget and ahead of schedule as a result of an integrated approach to design, construction and commissioning.\n\n\"Amrun is a great example of innovation through collaboration which is vital for advancing the future of mining,\" said Glenn Otway, manager, Power and Automation, Rio Tinto.\n\n\u00a0\n\nAbout Rockwell Automation\n\nRockwell Automation Australia and Rockwell Automation New Zealand are subsidiaries of Rockwell Automation, Inc.-a leading global provider of industrial automation and information solutions that helps manufacturers achieve a competitive advantage in their businesses. The company brings together leading global brands in industrial automation which include Allen-Bradley(R) controls and services and Rockwell Software(R) factory management software. Its broad product mix includes control logic systems, sensors, human-machine interfaces, drive controllers, power devices, and software.\n\nRockwell Automation Inc. (NYSE: ROK), is a global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation. We connect the imaginations of people with the potential of technology to expand what is humanly possible, making the world more productive and more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rockwell Automation employs approximately 23,000 problem solvers dedicated to our customers in more than 100 countries. To learn more about how we are bringing The Connected Enterprise(R) to life across industrial enterprises, visit www.rockwellautomation.com\n\nAllen-Bradley, CompactLogix, FactoryTalk, GuardLogix, PlantPAx, Rockwell Automation, Rockwell Software, Stratix and ThinManager are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\n\u00a0\n\nMedia contact:\n\nChristine Filippis\n\nTeraze Communications\n\n61 3 8391 0701\n\nchristine@teraze.com.au\n\n\nTAG: process-automation-control\n\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\nTAG: metals\nTAG: mining\nTAG: cement\n\nTAG: plantpax-dcs\nTAG: plantpax\nTAG: factorytalk-thinmanager\n\n",
    "actualize-sustainability": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/actualize-sustainability\n\nTITLE: Actualizing Sustainability with Energy Drive\n\nMeet James Hynd, CEO of Energy Drive. The firm partners with companies from a range of energy-intensive industries to actualize energy-related sustainability goals.\n\n\"Ultimately what we do is deliver energy savings and with that we deliver carbon reduction,\" James says. \"If you think about our offering, it's supporting and partnering around delivering sustainability for clients to achieve their targets. It's the right thing to do and for that to be achieved at not just low cost, but at a net savings is quite significant.\"\n\n***** Watch the Video\n\n *****\n\nJames HyndCEO, Energy Drive\n\n***** Improving Energy Efficiency *****\n\nSibanye-Stillwater, a multinational mining and metals processor, engaged Energy Drive to improve and accelerate the energy efficiency of their mine ventilation systems. Energy Drive focused first on the large surface ventilation fans used in two of Sibanye's gold mines in South Africa. Ventilation in underground mining is critical but uses a lot of energy.\n\n\"Due to health and safety, there's always at least one fan fully operational and another in standby in case there's a failure,\" James explains. \"We installed and optimized VFDs (variable-frequency drives) on the motors of both fans and then turned (the speeds of) them down while running them together.\"\n\n***** Significant Sustainability Benefits\n\n *****\n\nUsing Rockwell Automation PowerFlex(R) 6000T VFDs to control and reduce the fan speeds, Energy Drive delivered an average of 62% in energy savings in the first shaft and 48% in the second. The two upgraded shafts have been operational for nearly a year, and they'll soon commission a third shaft. James projects the three upgrades will deliver an energy savings of about 360 gigawatts (GWh) over the term of the contract.\n\nThat's equal to removing, \"5000 homes in South Africa from the grid every month. More importantly, measuring on actualizing sustainability, it will save 379,000 tons of carbon over the period,\" James adds. The optimized systems have also significantly reduced water and coal consumption.\n\n***** Helping Protect Miner Safety\n\n *****\n\nBest of all, Energy Drive electronically controls the upgraded systems from the surface. \"All of our systems are monitored 24/7 with pre-set alerts on key conditions,\" James says. \"Now that we're running both (fans), if one fails our system automatically ramps up the other so that we never ever put the health and safety of the miners underground at risk.\"\n\nAnother benefit of monitoring and running both fans is improved equipment performance and maintenance.\n\nJames credits the project's overall success to an \"extremely collaborative\" client \"committed to using technology to improve operational performance and safety, and Rockwell Automation's technological excellence.\"\n\nRead more about how Energy Drive, Rockwell Automation and Sibanye-Stillwater collaborated to realize significant energy savings and find additional project details here.\u00a0\u00a0\n\nTAG: drive-sustainability\n\nTAG: sustainability\n\nTAG: mining\n\nTAG: motor-control-centers-low-voltage\nTAG: motor-control-medium-voltage\nTAG: drives-ac-low-voltage\nTAG: drives-ac-medium-voltage\nTAG: drives-and-motors\n\n",
    "life-sciences-firm-develops-stem-cell-facility": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/life-sciences-firm-develops-stem-cell-facility\n\nTITLE: Life Sciences Firm Develops Stem Cell Facility\n\n*** Background ***\n\nBiopharmax is an engineering company established 40 years ago that focuses on the pharmaceutical industry. It has designed and constructed over 100 facilities in 14 countries around the globe and is actively present in Europe, China, India and the Middle East.\n\nThe company's mission is to design build and validate pharmaceutical facilities of the highest level and has a proven track record of handling and addressing the most advanced biotechnology processes and products.\n\nBiopharmax integrates Rockwell Automation products in several of the customer facilities it designs and constructs, including a recent project for Pluristem in the field of Stem Cell growth and final therapy dose production. The Pluristem's requirement is for Biopharmax to set up a state-of-the-art facility \u2013 the first of its kind in the world \u2013 that can produce final Stem Cell therapy products on a commercial scale.\n\nAccording to Solomon Gahtan, Business Development Manager at Biopharmax: \"We have a unique model where we will design a factory from the start, construct it in its entirety and then validate it to make sure it is prepared for regulatory approval such as USFDA. We hand over at the approval stage and then take responsibility remedying any issues.\n\nNot all companies work this way; some will use a designer and then various sub contractors. In this instance you often get a dispersed control system for each of the individual elements of the factory. In our case, we take the plant as one, including the HVAC, plant utilities, critical systems, such as Purified Water (PuW) Water For Injection (WFI) and Pure Steam (PS), and other production elements.\n\n\"In doing so, we can better protect sensitive product batches from any variance in the plant conditions as room temperature, humidity and cleanliness,\" he continues. \"We can better monitor the various parameters and, when required, enhance the necessary remedial action activated by the control system itself. This may turn out critical for protection of the product batches during the production stage. We can also achieve better optimisation of energy consumption by the HVAC system and reduce unnecessary OPEX. The ControlLogix PLC-based solution helps towards the reliability and flexibility needed to achieve these goals, and we find the Rockwell Automation system of to be a light system and of the appropriate size that allows us to provide these advantages even for a small or medium plant.\"\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nStem Cell products are extremely difficult to grow and produce. Pluristem holds many patents for processes and devices that would address the growth process as well as final dose production and filling. Such facilities have to adhere to stringent regulatory standards such as USFDA and EMEA.\n\nThe new facility is designed and constructed from scratch within an existing building. The project scope includes HVAC and clean rooms of the highest A and B classes, plant utilities, critical utilities, such as PuW, WFI and PS, as well as Buffer and Media production.\n\nPluristem is a start-up company and with this project takes a leap from the R&D stage to commercial-scale production. Being so, CAPEX as well as the OPEX optimisation are a major challenge for the designer, and it is extremely important to provide the client with these advantages. Furthermore, future expansion plans have to be addressed and the solution must facilitate a seamless future expansion.\n\nStem cells are currently the pinnacle of the biotechnology industry and, being a relatively new field, require special care as process and product are highly sensitive. The growth process is relatively long and may last a few weeks, which increases the risk and financial impact of batch loss due to any failure in the plant conditions.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nThe system is based around an Allen-Bradley ControlLogix PLC solution. Running over EtherNet/IP and a combination of remote I/O and serial link communication gives Biopharmax the ability to meet these challenges successfully. All service areas are of grade C clean rooms, while production is in grade A and B with a minimum foot print. This significantly reduces energy consumption as well as CAPEX. Another very important design feature is the full separation between production suites to avoid risk of cross contamination.\n\nEtherNet/IP between the PLC and the Variable Speed Drive control, as well as serial link communication with the FFUs, allow the system to analyse the highly detailed data received from these components and activate corrective measures where required. This significantly increases the system performance in response to changing conditions as well as helping to optimise energy consumption. Furthermore, SMS alerts have been introduced to provide the staff with the ability to react instantly to any undesired variances.\n\nRemote I/O has been chosen not only for ease of implementation, improved speed and higher reliability, but also to help towards easy integration of future expansion while negating unnecessary handling of infrastructure that may disturb smooth plant operation and cleanliness.\n\n\"We have managed to design a plant with separate production suites to avoid cross contamination,\" he explains. \"Nevertheless, we could minimize the footprint and the high energy consuming grade A and B clean rooms. We have therefore given the customer an overall very cost-effective solution.\n\n\"When we design a plant,\" he continues, \"we always look at the possibility of expansion while still using a control system that will control the entire plant including the future expansion and we have well catered for this future possibility.\n\n\"We have a very close relationship with Rockwell Automation,\" he concludes. \"We can always communicate on specific problem solving and have great help when it comes to finding and building solutions for our customers. We prefer using Rockwell Automation when given a choice and can also rely on it in terms of supply and logistics.\"\n\n*** Results ***\n\nGahtan proudly explains: \"As far as we know, this project has led to the creation of the most efficient and cost effective facility in the world for cell therapy. \"Using the Rockwell Automation solution,\" he continues, \"we have been able to develop a fully integrated control system for Pluristem that takes into consideration the different elements of the plant. This solution is able to react very quickly to any undesirable variables and provide the correct alarms and remedial action, helping to protect an extremely valuable process and product.\n\n\nTAG: life-sciences\n\n",
    "anglo-american-minas-rio-system-upgrades-efficiency-with-plantpa": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/anglo-american-minas-rio-system-upgrades-efficiency-with-plantpa\n\nTITLE: Anglo American Minas-Rio System Upgrades Efficiency With PlantPAx\n\nHeadquartered in UK,\u00a0Anglo American is a global and diversified mining company supplying raw materials essential for economic development and modern life.\n\nIt operates in mining, expansion projects and operating and marketing activities in South Africa, South America, Australia, North America, Asia and Europe.\n\n*** Challenges ***\n\nDue to the size, number of cities involved and the large number of environmental licenses required for project implementation, \u00a0the Minas-Rio project took several years to complete which increased the mining company's challenges.\n\nThe project includes an iron ore mine and an enrichment unit located in Concei\u00e7\u00e3o do Mato Dentro and Alvorada de Minas in the state of Minas Gerais; A 529-kilometer pipeline that runs through 33 municipalities in the states of Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro; and the iron ore terminal of Puerto de A\u00e7u, in which Anglo American has established a partnership with Prumo Log\u00edstica, which has a 50% stake, and is located in S\u00e3o Jo\u00e3o da Barra (RJ).\n\nDifferent suppliers participated in the project in the different areas of the process.\n\nFrom the beginning, Anglo American's engineering area was concerned with ensuring standardization in the way it operates and in control between areas.\n\nOther important challenges were the large distances involved between the different areas of the Minas-Rio System and the need for an integration between them.\n\nThe implementation time of the system brought a series of additional challenges, such as the same technological advance, which could make the process control system out of date, even before starting to operate.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nFrom the beginning of the project, Rockwell Automation and Anglo American worked together to overcome all the challenges.\n\nThe mining company created a very competent engineering team to discuss and validate the entire system provided by Rockwell Automation.\n\nDue to the size of the project, Rockwell Automation decided to invite IHM Engenharia, a company of the Stefanini Group, and one of its main integrating partners that has a great amount of experience in the mining industry, to be part of its system development team of process control.\n\nAnglo American decided to divide the control system into four parts: the mine and the enrichment plant, the pipeline, the filtration plant and the port.\n\nEach area has its own servers, controllers and operating room. This decision provided a great flexibility to the system and allowed several work fronts to be opened in parallel during the commissioning of the system.\n\nIn addition to the normal operating stations, the project has operating stations via the web, which allows monitoring of the system remotely.\n\nBecause the system is divided and there's a large number of suppliers in the different areas of the process, Anglo American and Rockwell Automation expressly worried about maintaining \u00a0standardization in the control system, both in the structuring of the software and in the mode of operation.\n\nIn total, the distributed control system has more than 20 thousand instruments and is connected with 800 motors. Among them, more than 1,500 intelligent instruments are connected to the system via Profibus PA or HART.\n\nMotor control centers\u00a0(MCCs) are also intelligent, they are connected to the control system via the DeviceNet network.\n\nThe asset management system, implemented in all parts of the distributed \u00a0control system, facilitates the parameterization of intelligent instruments.\n\nAt the port, due to the large number of mobile machinery - such as conveyors, forklifts, reclaimers and shippers - Anglo American made the decision to use the integrated safety system with process controllers, reducing the risks of personnel and the equipment.\n\nIn the pipeline, due to its extension, 21 controllers were used, including some smaller ones.\n\nIn order to ensure that the correct information is available to the right person at the right time, the control system is integrated with the Process Information Management System (PIMS) and the\u00a0Manufacturing Execution System (MES).\n\nInformation, in the form of graphs and reports, help managers in decision making.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nPrior to commissioning the system, Anglo American's team, in conjunction with Rockwell Automation, conducted all simulations of the tests in controlled environments to ensure that the system worked correctly, thus reducing the risks of laying in progress of the plant.\n\nIn this way, the\u00a0PlantPAx distributed control system reduced the commissioning time of each of the process areas.\n\nBefore the system began to operate definitively, Anglo American decided to make some product updates, so that the distributed control system was fully updated despite the implementation time.\n\nAccording to the operators, the fact that the system had multiple monitors made its operation simpler and more flexible.\n\nFor them, the system has a good response time in relation to commands. In addition, the number of screens and the amount of information of each one of them has been dimensioned correctly.\n\nOperators also emphasized that the alarm system allows them to identify problems and act quickly to solve them.\n\nAt the same time, the maintenance team emphasizes that the use of a modular and standardized solution facilitates maintenance work, as well as allowing new instruments and motors to be easily added to the system.\n\nThe asset management system facilitates maintenance and backup of the application software, as well as allowing the equipment to remotely configure and parameterize intelligent instruments.\n\nFor managers, the integration of the distributed \u00a0control system with the PIMS and the MES was useful in decision making.\n\nSeveral reports, including the management of water consumption, production versus energy consumption, management of motor use, among others, allow for optimization of the use of resources.\n\nAt the end of the project, Anglo American made its first shipment of ore ahead of schedule and at a lower cost than budget with the Rockwell Automation distributed control system contributing to its success.\n\nIn order to ensure that the correct information is available to the right person at the right time, the control system is integrated with the Process Information Management System (PIMS) and the Manufacturing Execution System (MES). Information, in the form of graphs and reports, help managers in decision-making.\n\n\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\n\n",
    "woburn-golf-club-deploys-sms-enabled-irrigation-system": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/woburn-golf-club-deploys-sms-enabled-irrigation-system\n\nTITLE: Woburn Golf Club Deploys SMS-Enabled Irrigation System\n\n*** Background ***\n\nWoburn Golf Club is one of the most famous golf centres in the UK - if not the world. Officially opened in 1976, the Duke's Course, which hosted the 1979 British Masters, was eventually joined by the Duchess' Course in 1978 and, in 2000, by the Marquess' Course. Each course has its own personality and foibles and all three are well respected by the local and international golfing community\n\nLocated at Little Brickhill, near Milton Keynes in England, the three courses are nestled amid mature woodland on the Duke of Bedford's Woburn Abbey estate. The woodland setting gives the courses much of their appeal; but the stunning fairways and greens also add to the overall picture.\n\nLike all golf courses, the work behind the scenes to keep the courses looking this good is staggering, with a full army of grounds-keeping staff working around the clock to maintain the courses' immaculate appearance. As well as traditional mowers and hand tools, the ground staff also rely on technology to help them in their day-to-day jobs. One particular new installation saw PKM Solutions and Routeco work together to deploy technology from Rockwell Automation and one of its Encompass Product Partners, ProSoft Technology, in a very interesting and novel configuration.\n\n\u00a0\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nOne of the biggest challenges faced by the grounds staff at Woburn Golf and Country Club is irrigation and water supply to water features. With acres of rough, fairway and greens to manage, the three courses all require significant quantities of water and this has to be managed very carefully to ensure the right amount of water is in the right place at the right time.\n\nThe primary irrigation infrastructure comprises a reservoir, which feeds two remotely located tanks - some two miles away - using pump stations. These tanks need to be closely monitored to ensure that water level do not drop too far. An automated system is certainly the obvious solution, but with the distances involved, communication can become an issue.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nPaul Mold at PKM Solutions, a system integrator, explains: \"The first option considered, due to the customer already having a grip on the technology, was a Smart Relay based solution, which would utilise standard wireless Ethernet as a communication bridge, but due to temperature sensitivity, the Ethernet equipment would have to be placed in heated cabinets to avoid freezing during the winter months. When this option was costed it was deemed to be overly expensive and an alternative was sought.\"\n\nThe solution that Paul eventually devised, sounds simple, but Rockwell Automation believed it had never been attempted before. It comprised three Allen-Bradley(R) Micro830(R) PLCs, one at the reservoir and one on each tank, with each PLC working side by side with a ProSoft Technology ILX800-SMSG Micro800 SMS Plug-in Module and a magnetic mount antenna.\n\nThe PLC and SMS module working in tandem was not a new idea; but the way that PKM Solutions and Routeco configured them potentially was. In all the instances both companies could find, the SMS modules had only ever been used to communicate from a PLC to a cellular phone and back again. In this installation they were going to get the PLCs speaking to each other using SMS messages. \"We think that this PLC-to-PLC communication via text messaging is a new thing,\" Paul explains.\n\nIn operation, it is remarkably simple. When a water tank issues a low level warning, its PLC sends an SMS to the central reservoir PLC, which initiates the pumps. When the level is correct, a second SMS is sent to cease pumping. It really is no more complicated than that.\n\n\u00a0\n\n*** Results ***\n\nAs well as being an extremely elegant solution, this Micro830-based solution offered a significantly lower capital outlay.\n\nPaul concludes: \"The customer now has a much more flexible and expandable system than they could have ever imagined. We have seen first-hand the simplicity and power of the Micro800 range and the end customer is already thinking of other potential ideas for using this combination of technologies moving forwards.\"\n\n\nTAG: entertainment\n\n",
    "packaging-manufacturer-improves-competitiveness-with-itrak": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/packaging-manufacturer-improves-competitiveness-with-itrak\n\nTITLE: Improve Competitiveness with iTRAK\n\nAbout STAX\n\nSTAX Technologies is a Serbia-based market leader in the tissue packaging equipment industry, whose core product offerings include wrappers, bundlers, casepackers and palletizers. Since its foundation in February 2002 in Cacak, STAX has built a global customer base and continues to deliver innovative and highest technological solutions to the market.\n\nSTAX partners with customers to understand their needs and provide innovative technological solutions. It differentiates itself in the market through the swiftness with which it adapts to quickly changing market trends and a high level of creativity and innovation.\n\nThe company has a continuous focus on the development and manufacturing of packaging machines for the Tissue Converting Industry. Over the years, by introducing endless innovations, it has become one of the leading companies in the packaging industry. As a manufacturer of supreme automatic systems for the tissue converting industry, it offers complete solutions for packaging of tissue paper for personal care and fulfils specific requests from its clients.\n\nSTAX's goal is to become the global leader in providing packaging solutions in the tissue converting industry.\n\n\u00a0\n\nThe problem\n\nSTAX, like other competitor companies was facing challenges with both the changeover time and production speed of machines optimised for packaging consumer paper products like kitchen towel rolls and toilet paper.\n\nThe conventional machines used in the industry so far had a standard construction containing a chain or belt from which everything is connected. This means that whenever there was a need to switch products, production needed to be stopped. The changeover had to be done manually with tools, which required the end-user to readjust everything, set to the new positions, reassemble and test the new setup, which could easily take up more than a few hours.\n\nTomas Babka, OEM Sales Manager at Rockwell Automation, explained: \"Almost all OEMs still use rotary driven chains, belts and gears to control the system which makes changeovers difficult. You need a technician with the right tools at the right time.\"\n\nAs a result, the process was quite slow and the mechanical design had to be extremely robust due to big peaks and the time-consuming profile of the entire packaging process.\n\nAs Josef Slapak, OEM Account Manager at Rockwell Automation, said: \"It depends on the end-user. This machine can be for anybody. Some businesses only use a four-pack of toilet papers through the entire machine lifecycle, so they will not gain much on changeover , but they will be able to use machine on higher speeds getting an excellent package.\n\nMeanwhile, the other producers who need to change the formats more often would end up losing money when the changeover times are longer. Using machines with iTrak is an ideal solution for this problem.\"\n\nSTAX was searching for solution that would help it bring something special and unique to the market. This would have the added benefit of enhancing its image, and allowing it to be recognized as an OEM provider of highly innovative and high-end technological solutions.\n\n\u00a0\n\nThe solution\n\nSTAX first encountered Rockwell Automation's iTRAK Intelligent Track Systems at Automation University in June 2015, and quickly realized it represented a whole new way of looking at production process. On the back of that, it soon gave the go-ahead to the development of a brand-new machine and, following a couple of visits to Rockwell's Long Island facility, put in an order for iTrak in the summer of 2016. The machine was soon launched at Tissue World in February 2017.\n\niTRAK is a modular, scalable and linear motor system that enables independent control of multiple movers on straight or curvilinear paths. It enables OEMs to do away with rotary driven chains, belts and gears, and replaces it with simple, effective software that redefines speed and flexibility in automation. As Aleksander Bukvic, Technical Director at STAX Technologies puts it: \"The product, as we discovered it, Looked like exactly what we needed to bring our machines to the next technological level.\"\n\nThe technology helps businesses to improve production rates by 40 percent or more, lessen downtime on changeovers and ensures shorter runs can remain profitable. It also lowers periodic maintenance and reduces machine size.\n\n\n\nThe results\n\nThe hours it took STAX's customers to change over its production process were swiftly reduced to a matter of minutes with iTrak. This ensures it can produce much more packaging products, much faster than previously possible. STAX's previous converter enabled it to run 180 packs per minute, but with iTrak it was immediately able to run between 200 and 220 packs per minute.\n\nAside from effectiveness of the production process, STAX's corporate image has vastly improved, and it is increasingly recognised as a company that is a unique and valuable partner not only for Rockwell Automation, but other major international players too.\n\nAs Tomas explains: \"From the very beginning STAX was positioned as a company from Serbia producing proven quality machines for a fair price. But the owner has been able to move it to a higher level and show that it is able to compete with leading OEMs from around the world and build machines on the highest technical level.\n\nThe desire to increase its presence in North and South American markets makes the partnership with Rockwell Automation an extremely positive step, particularly given Rockwell Automation's reputation in these markets.\n\nThis expansion has also opened doors with major partners from across the Rockwell ecosystem, such as Kimberly Clark. STAX has recently become a member of Barry-Wehmiller group, which offers even greater potential for growth.\n\nI think using iTRAK has been the best result of STAX's cooperation with Rockwell,\" says Josef. \"Using the strengths from the both sides, STAX has set new technological standards in the industry using Rockwell's iTRAK system.\n\n\nTAG: household-and-personal-care\n\nTAG: motion-control\n\n",
    "latest-technology-enhances-machining-of-aluminium-profiles": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/latest-technology-enhances-machining-of-aluminium-profiles\n\nTITLE: Latest Technology Enhances Machining of Aluminium Profiles\n\nFounded in 2007 and based in Melbourne, Australia, Technical Plant Services (TPS) has serviced various industries, focusing on automation, electrical engineering, safety system design and technical support.\n\nIn 2015, TPS was contracted to design and deliver a machining cell solution for a client in the aluminium extrusion industry who required a new long length Computer Numerical Control (CNC) system.\n\nThe solution developed encompasses an industry first robotic CNC system that delivers the flexibility to efficiently process small batch orders without compromising on quality.\n\nThis system ultimately results in improved productivity and performance, increased flexibility, decreased machining time and cost benefits.\n\n*** Robotic Machining of Aluminium Profiles ***\n\nThe added-value department of an aluminium extruder required more flexible access to machine around a profile.\n\nHistorically the CNC operator was required to manually machine separate faces and re-align a work piece after repositioning.\n\nAfter extensive brainstorming, simulation and proof of concept testing, TPS advocated a robotic CNC system as a more cost effective and flexible machining solution.\n\nSuccessfully designing, engineering and delivering this highly advanced machine required the combined knowledge, expertise and technologies from leading solution providers.\n\nNHP Electrical Engineering (NHP), a Rockwell Automation Authorised Distributor, was commissioned to provide product selection assistance, engineering design and technical support.\n\nTPS's senior system engineer, Daniel Orchard worked with NHP's automation application engineers, David Kenney and Paul Jones to select the appropriate hardware, which offered the integration capability required to meet the application.\n\nThis particular project required specialised velocity control and positional requirements, which set the parameters for the brief given to NHP motion experts.\n\n\"NHP's calculation software for correct gear ratio, servo and drive specified for us exactly what we needed and the end result is very good,\" said Orchard.\n\nBased on this, the Allen-Bradley(R) Kinetix(R) 5500 Servo Drive with the suitable accessories was implemented to optimize space.\n\nAllen-Bradley CompactLogixTM was specified as an integrating standard and motion controller for the final cut to length saw system, acting as a gateway and supervisory control system for multi peripheral devices; A key feature of this controller is that it offers a common control engine in a development environment for a scalable solution.\n\nThe robotic CNC system results in improved productivity and performance, increased flexibility, decreased machining time and cost benefits.\n\n*** Seamless Integration ***\n\nThe workpiece geometry is designed within a CAD/CAM software, this is fed directly into the assimilation program to calculate the locations of the handling and cut-off positions.\n\n\"The Drives and Motion Accelerator toolkit by Rockwell Automation made it very easy to program the motion components of the system,\" explained Anatoli Klassen, application engineer - OEM at NHP.\n\nThe toolkit uses a modular format that greatly simplifies the work needed from selecting components and developing drawings, to writing code, laying out HMI screens and commissioning. This provided seamless integration and commissioning.\n\nTo meet the requirements of the cut off saw, the\u00a0Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R)\u00a0753\u00a0provided premier integration into the CompactLogix controller.\n\n\"For safe entry into the work cell, the blade was required to stop as quickly as possible when requested.\n\nThe fact that TPS were using the Allen-Bradley drive, made it easy to select the appropriate breaking resistor,\" said Klassen.\n\nTo meet the requirements of the cut off saw, the Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R)\u00a0753\u00a0provided premier integration into the CompactLogix controller.\n\nThe Rockwell Automation motion control and drives product portfolio provides advanced motion control while optimising space.\n\n*** \"For safe entry into the work cell, the blade was required to stop as quickly as possible when requested.\n\n ***\n\nThe fact that TPS were using the Allen-Bradley drive, made it easy to select the appropriate breaking resistor,\" said Klassen.\n\nTo assist, NHP engineered a breaking resistor cabinet.\n\nThey also helped prototype finger safe enclosures for inside the clamping door area to keep products at the correct IP rating and maintain easy accessibility to pneumatics while restricting access to electrical items.\n\n\"Since TPS had experienced the Drives and Motion Accelerator Toolkit in the past and was familiar with our VSD and motion offering, we were able to keep the time required to integrate the saw system to the minimum, providing more time to focus on software development for the CNC part of the application,\" explained Klassen.\n\nOne of the main challenges in a project is the communication and integration of the various products used.\n\nThis project was tasked with managing five communication protocols, which were addressed by using protocol converters that were designed specifically by Rockwell Automation or their Encompass Partners.\n\nThese protocol converters made it easy to integrate all the required devices to communicate with the central CompactLogix controller.\n\nAs demonstrated by the value that these software and productivity toolkits delivered, TPS has joined the Rockwell Automation OEM Program at the Developer Level - an ideal stepping stone for companies looking to take advantage of Rockwell Automation software and competency development tools.\n\n\"The OEM program provides the opportunity for participants to benefit from global support, marketing opportunities and solutions and services that align with their business objectives. We help customers lower the total cost to design, develop and deliver machines that meet their endusers' requirements,\" said Michael Vlahos, OEM sales lead at Rockwell Automation.\n\nAllen-Bradley CompactLogix integrates standard and motion control for the system.\n\n*** A World First Solution ***\n\nThe advanced technology and engineering of the project not only was an effective solution, but also improved manufacturing flexibility and has the ability to reduce cycle times and cost for the client.\n\nAs a result of quality automation and motion control products, alongside solutions and service support, TPS was able to successfully deliver the fully functional and operating robotic CNC machining system to the customer within only 11 months.\n\n\"Support for multiple communication protocols and the successful implementation of translation gateways was a big part of this project's success and one of the main reasons we will continue to use NHP in the future,\" said Orchard.\n\n\"It was a mixed bag that unfortunately we could not simplify during our design phase, even though a lot of effort was put in to it.\n\nNHP assisted us through every step providing us with solutions to trial and lots of experience to help us configure some of the more complex devices properly,\" he continued.\n\n\"The automated solution provided additional machining reach, a larger envelope, faster idle movements and 3D machining capabilities. TPS have engineered a very impressive machine and we were proud to be part of it,\" said Klassen.\n\n\u00a0\n\nAllen-Bradley, CompactLogix, Kinetix, PowerFlex and Rockwell Software are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc. Trademarks not belonging to Rockwell Automation are property of their respective companies.\n\n\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\n\n",
    "automation-nth-magnemover": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/automation-nth-magnemover\n\nTITLE: Meeting Demand for Medical Device Production\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\n* Transformational Technology\n\nFor many patients, innovative medical devices have transformed their care regimen. These devices use advanced sensors to monitor vital health metrics.\n\nData is transmitted to the patient via a mobile phone or other device - or can be linked directly to\u00a0other medical equipment.\n\n\"Assembling the monitoring device is an exacting process,\" said Jeff Buck, vice president of engineering, Automation NTH. \"And this is where our company excels - in high-precision, discrete applications.\"\n\nHeadquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, Automation NTH focuses on consulting, custom\u00a0machine building and system optimization. While the company serves many industries, it has developed specific expertise in the life sciences, automotive and electronic sectors. Automation NTH is a member of the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM program.\n\n\u00a0\n\n\n\n* Ramping Up Production\n\nAutomation NTH was approached by a\u00a0medical device manufacturer transitioning from manual assembly to automated production. Like any medical device, it is subject to FDA design validation that includes verification of manufacturing controls throughout the process.\n\nFirst, Automation NTH determined the requirements for each of approximately 30 precise process steps.\n\n\"The process includes intricate steps like bending fine wires, soldering, dispensing epoxy and curing,\" explained Joe Cocchini, staff controls engineer, Automation NTH. \"And that's just for one part of the device.\"\n\nThe assembly system runs on a Rockwell Automation platform, based on Allen-Bradley(R) controllers. To transport the device to each assembly station, Automation NTH chose a belt-driven conveyor system.\n\nAutomation NTH commissioned the validated, modular assembly system - and put it into production.\u00a0\n\n\"As our client continued to scale-up, they asked us to determine a way to increase capacity and decrease costs,\" Buck said. \"Specifically, they wanted to maintain the validated process - while lowering the overall cost of the finished product.\"\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\n* A More Cost-Effective Way\n\nAutomation NTH determined that the production costs of the assembly process were driven by the extensive footprint of the system.\n\n\"The assembly system resides in a cleanroom, a costly environment,\" Buck explained. \"And scaling up production by increasing the manufacturing footprint would adversely impact product price.\"\n\nTo develop a more cost-effective approach, Automation NTH turned to MagneMover(R) LITETM, an intelligent conveyor system from Rockwell Automation.\n\nInstead of running at fixed speed and fixed pitch like conventional conveyors, MagneMover LITE enables independent control of magnetically propelled carriers on a track in a simpler, more compact footprint. The system is designed to run light loads efficiently - and as a contactless drive system, it performs well in a cleanroom environment.\n\nWorking with Rockwell Automation technical support, Automation NTH used simulation software to help guide the system design.\n\n\u00a0\n\n\n\n* How It Works\n\nAn Automation NTH proprietary software engine serves as an interface between the MagneMover LITE carriers and the controller.\n\n\"By default, the software engine is configured to handle up to 100 carriers - and 100 stations,\" Cocchini said. \"It's like a template and can be used every time we develop a system.\"\n\nSimilarly to a robot, the MagneMover LITE system can be trained using a manual mode to jog the carrier to the precise position.\n\n\"You just walk the line and teach,\" Cocchini said.\n\nThe station manager feature enables users to add, remove or change stations without additional programming. It also considers user-defined behavior and current machine conditions to determine the best station destination for the next carrier.\n\n\"Everything is dynamic,\" Cocchini explained. \"The MagneMover LITE system assesses the real-time situation - and then automatically chooses the action that has the least impact on Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE).\"\n\nWhile the\u00a0medical device is 100% machine-assembled, the manufacturer wanted the flexibility to use either a robotic or manual process for picking and loading items at the stations, depending on facility business requirements.\u00a0\u00a0\n\n\"We designed a hybrid approach - and that's where MagneMover really shined,\" said Cocchini.\n\nBecause accelerations, decelerations, velocities and positions are programmable, the same equipment can be modified to support either the manual or robotic \"pick and load\" process.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\n* More Efficient Manufacturing. Lower Price Point.\n\nTo date, Automation NTH has installed six device assembly lines based on MagneMover LITE in\u00a0the United States and Asia.\n\n\"In the end, we were able to reconfigure the solution using MagneMover LITE and repurpose the tooling - and maintain the proven, validated process,\" Buck said.\n\nThe initial belt-driven solution could be configured two-up. With MagneMover LITE, Automation NTH can design a four-up configuration in the same space - essentially doubling the capacity and speed of the application.\n\n\"Our key objective was to ramp up production and enable a lower price per part - so the product can be more readily available to patients around the world,\" Buck said. \"We achieved that.\"\n\nLearn more about our PartnerNetwork Program.\n\nTAG: integrated-architecture\n\nTAG: life-sciences\n\nTAG: magnemover-lite\n\n",
    "solar-panel-system-maker-uses-micro-plcs": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/solar-panel-system-maker-uses-micro-plcs\n\nTITLE: Solar Panel System Maker Uses Micro PLCs\n\nBackground\n\nLocal utilities often offer incentives for companies to generate their own power, sometimes paying 20 to 30 cents per kilowatt hour. In addition, to conserve limited resources, more and more companies are placing a premium on efficiently capturing and generating as much renewable energy as possible.\n\n\n\nPatriot Solar Group PSG helps these end users reach their renewable-energy goals by providing the solar tracking, as well as solar tracking equipment needed to fuel this growing trend. One of the company's hero products is a solar tracker that automatically tilts photovoltaic panels to follow the sun wherever it goes.\n\n\n\nAn up-and-coming application of PSG's Solar tracker is utilized in an area that often goes to waste: flat-roofed car ports at schools, universities and large businesses. Car-ports equipped with a solar-panel control system do double duty. They protect the vehicles from the elements and collect energy \u2013 either to fuel electric cars parked below or to return power to the building's energy grid.\n\n\n\nChallenge\n\nChasing the sun is a major challenge because it is a moving target. But the reward is substantial. Solar panels operated by automatic control systems can generate up to 30 percent more power than static panels.\n\n\n\nTo meet this challenge, PSG originally devised a system based on a proprietary black-box solution that many manufacturers still use today.\n\n\n\n\u201cIn the past, we used sun-based sensors in a simplified box that sat on top of our trackers and worked by trying to follow the brightest part of the sky,\u201d said Jeff Mathie, president at PSG. \u201cThe good news \u2013 the system was inexpensive; the bad news \u2013 it was unreliable.\u201d\n\n\n\nCloud cover or competing reflective light confused the tracker, sending it off-course in a frantic search for the sun. In turn, the system not only failed to collect solar energy, but it also needlessly burned up its own power to run the motors, wearing down its equipment in the process.\n\n\n\nSolutions\n\nRecognizing the need for better technology, PSG's team met with a local Rockwell Automation representative who shed light on an alternative control system that virtually eliminated the downfalls of the previous black-box solution.\n\n\n\n\u201cWe decided to work with Rockwell Automation because they make a leading programmable logic controller (PLC) in the U.S.,\u201d Mathie said. \u201cWe knew we could trust them. Their products lend credibility to our systems because customers are already familiar with the name and the reliable components behind it.\u201d\n\n\n\nEach new PSG tracker comes equipped with the company's Sun Scout control system. The brain of the system is the Allen-Bradley\u00ae MicroLogix\u2122 1400 controller from Rockwell Automation. Instead of relying on the unpredictability of the weather, the controller uses software pre-programmed with data from National Renewable Energy Labs (NREL). This data automatically provides accurate information on exactly where the sun is \u2013 anywhere, anytime.\n\n\n\n\u201cUsing programmable controllers for the solar industry is somewhat of a new concept, but anyone who knows drives will understand the logic behind them,\u201d Mathie said. \u201cPlus, the MicroLogix controller is a cost-effective, powerful controller that can fit into a small form factor, so coupling it with the preprogrammed software transforms the system into a \u2018smart' application.\u201d\n\n\n\nTo create further efficiencies and protect the system's hardware, the software also alerts the control system when the sun has set for the day. After 30 minutes of darkness, the PLC tells the system to shift into \u201cstow\u201d or \u201cbirdbath\u201d mode, putting the panels in a protective position facing straight up at the sky. That way, they will not be damaged if high winds whip up at night. Likewise, if the controller detects gusts reaching 35 mph or higher during the day, the system will transition into protective mode. After a minute of winds under 35 mph passes, the Sun Scout system redeploys the trackers to resume their prime, sun-tracking positioning.\n\n\n\nThe control system resides in a completely sealed plastic box on top of the car-port next to the solar panels. The controllers communicate over an EtherNet/IP\u2122 network, which provides reliable, high-speed communications.\n\n\n\nThe unit arrives on-site entirely integrated with preset controls including latitude and longitude information specific to its location. The end user only needs to enter the date and time of day before the system instantly starts autonomously tracking the sun with laser-sharp accuracy \u2013 regardless of external conditions.\n\n\n\nResults\n\nPSG's new system has dramatically streamlined system development and operation compared to its previous solar-tracking solution.\n\n\n\n\u201cWe've moved leaps and bounds in terms of improving the overall quality of our products,\u201d said Ed Stuart, director of sales at Patriot Solar Group. \u201cWe introduced the PLCs and shifted from hand-soldered solutions to factory settings. Other control systems use off-the-shelf controllers that look like they came out of Einstein's laboratory. It's nice to deliver a polished product that does what it is intended to do.\u201d\n\n\n\nOne PLC can drive 500 feet of panels that can generate 110 kilowatts of power per hour in perfect sun conditions. Previous systems required one sun sensor per panel.\n\n\n\n\u201cThe old sun sensors might appear cheaper up front, but the MicroLogix controllers are powerful little devices,\u201d Mathie said. \u201cBy networking the PLCs, we can deploy them for multiple drive systems \u2013 much less expensive than our past approach.\u201d\n\n\n\nThis next-generation system has proven so successful that PSG has already used it to retrofit 18 projects. Customers are especially eager for this solution once they hear about the long-term cost benefits. Furthermore, with minimized equipment wear and tear, the new controller extends product longevity.\n\n\n\n\u201cPartnering with Rockwell Automation has given us an advantage in the market because we now deliver one of the highest-quality systems at a comparably lower price,\u201d Mathie said. \u201cThis is a significant advance in the solar industry \u2013 one that both small and large customers can capitalize on.\u201d\n\n\nTAG: power-generation\n\n",
    "edina-off-shore-platform-optimizes-performance": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/edina-off-shore-platform-optimizes-performance\n\nTITLE: Edina Off-Shore Platform Optimizes Performance\n\nBackground\n\nThe Izabela field is a GAS extraction and production plant, located off Croatia in the Adriatic Sea. The site comprises two offshore platforms, Izabela South and North, coupled to an onshore Central Control Room (CCR), located in Pula, Croatia.\n\nThe platforms are operated by Edina, a joint-venture company. One shareholder is Edison Gas, an Italian company, and the other is INA, a Croatian company.\n\nThe facility's role is to treat gas that is to be distributed in Italy, using existing pipelines that connect the onshore treatment plants to the offshore platforms.\n\nRockwell Automation and Fores Engineering Srl (Italian Recognised System Integrator) were selected by Edina to implement a control system and an Emergency Shut Down and Fire & Gas (ESD/F&G) solution for the offshore platforms and the onshore CCR.\n\nThe key objective of the installation was to create a user-friendly, Integrated Control and Safety System (ICSS) that provides the highest availability and reliability according to IEC 61511 SIL3 rules, while capitalizing on Edison's Maintenance Service experience.\n\nChallenge\n\nEdina's mandatory requirement was the installation of an ICSS on both offshore platforms and in the onshore CCR Operator stations. The aim was to obtain maximum production flexibility, while capitalizing on the experiences gained by Edison in the last two to three years on the VEGA offshore platform (South of Italy), which uses Triple Modular Redundant (TMR) solutions from Rockwell Automation.\n\nThe integration of the complete ICSS installed on both platforms and onshore Control Room is achieved through a radio link and a satellite backup link.\n\nSolution\n\nThe design and installation of the solution was handled by Fores Engineering Srl. With help from Rockwell Automation Process Safety specialists, Fores installed a PlantPAx Process Control System in the onshore Operator stations site with remote access to the two offshore platforms.\n\nThe CCR has three operator work stations and an engineering work station with redundancy and hot backup. The control system hardware comprised an Allen-Bradley ControlLogix PAC in Hot Backup, with I/O, serial link and ControlNet cards, alongside Ethernet Cards and switches.\n\nThe safety system comprised a Trusted SIL 3 in Hot Backup, with I/O and remote communication cards and Ethernet cards and switches. The SCADA/HMI is formed of three operator stations, an engineering work station, a redundant server for data acquisition, a historian server for data warehousing, a terminal server for WAN connection and a GPS clock for time synchronization. Finally, PlantPAx formed the basis for the complete visualization and management solution coupled to the radio and satellite links.\n\nResults\n\nThe expected results of the new system include a reduction in maintenance and operational costs while maintaining production capacity. The ease of use of the PlantPAx system with TMR has also provided engineering and commissioning savings.\n\nThe ICSS system has now been operational for a year and is performing very well with no performance loss and with noticeably less maintenance work. Running costs have also been reduced. Starting from the early phase of the project, costs have been saved by a number of factors.\n\n   1. The engineering and design phases were undertaken without any serious issues, due to the system knowledge of both the customer and the integrator.\n\n   2. Information exchange with EDINA has had no technical impact, since Edison personnel already knew the Trusted solution and other Rockwell Automation products.\n\n   3. Fores's experience in developing and installing several control systems over the last ten years meant that the commissioning and start-up phase timescales were reduced.\n\n   4. In depth training was not a requirement due to existing system knowledge.\n\n   5. Spare part inventory can be kept at a very cost effective level.\n\nAccording to Pasquale Troianiello, Automation Systems Unit Manager at Fores Engineering Srl: \"In my line of work I am of the opinion that the complete automation systems provided by Rockwell Automation are some of the most flexible on the market.\"\n\nSergio Manzari, the Proposal Manager at Fores Engineering Srl, adds: \"When our customers request a process control strategy and system, we will often turn to PlantPAx due to its flexibility and its ability to address a multitude of scenarios. We also see fewer maintenance issues; indeed, our experience indicates that hardware and software issues do not arise.\"\n\n\nTAG: oil-and-gas\n\n",
    "catbridge-meltblown-n95-masks": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/catbridge-meltblown-n95-masks\n\nTITLE: Meltblown Line Makes N95 Mask Material - and More\n\nAs the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly spread across the globe in 2020, the demand for N95 facial masks soon outpaced supply. Global supply chains evaporated. And countries that had previously imported most of their masks soon learned they did not have sufficient domestic manufacturing capacity to address the needs of the medical community.\n\nMeltblown nonwoven material is a critical component of N95 facial masks, as well as filtration materials. Made from polypropylene, the high-performance material is designed to meet stringent filtration specifications.\n\n\"One of our areas of expertise is nonwoven converting, including meltblown production lines,\" said Michael Pappas, president, Catbridge Machinery. \"Our company quickly set to work to package a solution that could help address material shortages.\"\n\nHeadquartered in Montville, New Jersey, Catbridge Machinery is a leading global supplier of web converting machinery and unique turnkey solutions. Currently, the company is the only supplier of turnkey meltblown production lines based in North America.\n\n***** Putting Expertise to Work *****\n\nLong before the pandemic hit, Catbridge Machinery had both compact and multi-beam meltblown equipment in their portfolio. In addition, they had developed a small-scale pilot line for tradeshows that included the key elements of the process.\n\n\"There's always some degree of customization in our solutions,\" said Pappas. \"In this case, we leveraged our previous work to package a line specifically for N95 mask material.\"\n\nTo meet typical filtration material standards, the company packaged a solution with a web width of 1.6 meters (5.2 feet). The turnkey production line features both mezzanine and plant-level equipment - and includes extrusion, the meltblown forming system, web handling equipment, all mechanical connections, a controls package and electrical panels.\n\n***** Complex Process *****\n\nThe process begins in the mezzanine level where polypropylene pellets are fed into the extruder, which heats the material to about 240^0C (470^0F). A single \"beam\" of liquified polymer is pumped through a die assembly, which features a series of minuscule holes.\n\nAt the same time, high velocity hot air is blown on either side of the hole exit points to stretch or attenuate the fibers. As the filaments cool, they are drawn toward a vacuum table and web handling equipment on the lower level.\n\n\"We continuously spray extremely thin strands of polymer on the vacuum table to create a web,\" Pappas explained. \"This creates a filter material that allows air to pass through, but can also capture a lot of particulates.\"\n\n\"To optimize filtration, the web is also statically charged,\" Pappas added. \"As a result, the material will have a 'static cling' to trap even more particles.\"\n\nThe material is finally conveyed, slit and wound for shipment.\n\n***** Powerful Control - at the Source *****\n\nThe meltblown line runs on a Rockwell Automation control platform featuring Allen-Bradley GuardLogix(R) safety controllers and Allen-Bradley Kinetix(R) servo drives and motors. The system is integrated on an EtherNet/IPTM network.\n\n\"Typically, we have used graphic terminals for our machine HMI,\" said Pappas. \"But in this case, we chose Allen-Bradley ASEMTM industrial PCs and monitors.\"\n\nRugged ASEM products provide more computing power at the source of the application - and more flexibility in what can be accessed and managed from a screen. In this case, the system runs FactoryTalk(R) View Site Edition (SE) HMI software, which meets the demands of multiple stakeholders.\n\nOperators can easily access display screens, alarms and system-wide diagnostics. And maintenance and engineering can quickly develop applications and easily maintain the system.\n\n***** The Beauty of Modularity - and Agility *****\n\nIn addition to packaging a turnkey production line that could support the immediate need for N95 mask material, Catbridge focused on easy expansion and machine flexibility.\n\n\"The entire beam assembly at the mezzanine level was built to be independent, modular - and easy to expand,\" said Pappas. \"Our customers can simply add polymer beams and forming tables to increase capacity or produce unique blends.\"\n\nIn fact, the customer who purchased the first N95 mask production line has already asked how they can add a second beam to increase output.\n\nThe meltblown line is also built for easy changeover.\n\n\"Many of the people we've worked with in the past don't produce one product exclusively,\" said Pappas. \"They might be working on automotive air filtration material, absorbent wipes and masks - and each of these products have specific fiber requirements.\"\n\nRunning another product usually involves changing the die configuration. Typically, the only mechanical change is removing and replacing the die tip. All other adjustments are driven by changing the recipe from the operator interface.\n\n\"The COVID-19 pandemic has been a roller coaster ride for many of us,\" said Pappas. \"N95 masks are still in short supply, but what will become the norm? We simply don't know. In these uncertain times, machine flexibility is as important as performance.\"\n\n\nTAG: integrated-architecture\nTAG: machine-and-equipment-builders\nTAG: safety-solutions\n\nTAG: household-and-personal-care\nTAG: life-sciences\n\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: factorytalk-view-studio\n\n",
    "gas-compressor-solution-reduces-the-pains-of-proprietary-systems": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/gas-compressor-solution-reduces-the-pains-of-proprietary-systems\n\nTITLE: Gas-Compressor Solution Reduces the Pains of Proprietary Systems\n\n***** Shale Gas Growth Fuels a New Kind of Project *****\n\nThe U.S. is already the world's top shale gas producer, and production is only expected to grow - from 37 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) in 2015 to 79 Bcf/d by 2040.\n\nEnergy Control Technologies (ECT), an OEM member in the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM program, is one of the companies helping drive this relatively recent energy boom. The Iowa-based company designs, builds and supports turbomachinery-plant control systems for oil and gas production. Its anti-surge and performance-control solutions are used in applications ranging from gas production and offshore platforms to refining and pipelines.\n\nOne company recently selected ECT to develop the turbomachinery control for gas compressors at a new, U.S.-based LNG pretreatment facility. While ECT has decades of experience developing systems for oil and gas operations, this customer's project presented a new challenge: deliver the turbomachinery control platform in an open and integrated solution instead of using the traditional proprietary-systems, or \"black-box\" approach.\n\n***** High-Availability Turbomachinery *****\n\nECT was tasked with developing a turbomachinery control system for two trains, each with three parallel compressors. Because the operations will be expected to run continuously for years at a time, a redundant architecture was essential to ensure a backup system would take over and reduce the likelihood of downtime should a failure occur.\n\nThe turbomachinery itself required a SIL 2-rated hardware platform for the compressor controls. The auxiliary systems required a SIL 3-rated hardware platform for the motor cooling, lube oil and seal gas skids, and overall management of all system trips, interlocks and permissives. Finally, the project required condition monitoring of the vibration and bearing temperatures for all the equipment.\n\nThis project also needed to integrate the six compressor control systems with a single motor soft start system. To meet this unique requirement, ECT provided an additional redundant PLC to manage the sequencing and interlocks necessary for all six of the compressors' electric motors to share a single LCI soft starter.\n\nTraditionally, developing a high-availability, turbomachinery control platform of this magnitude required combining multiple proprietary systems from different vendors. But that approach comes with a number of inherent challenges.\n\n\"The different systems often don't natively talk to each other, which makes integration more challenging and time consuming,\" said Tom Stoll, senior project engineer for ECT. \"Also, piecing together different proprietary systems can make life more difficult for end users in several ways. It requires maintenance technicians to learn and be able to service a wider range of systems, or outsource maintenance to multiple vendors. It requires operators to learn and work with different HMIs. And it requires companies to purchase and manage more spare parts.\"\n\nECT's customer wanted to avoid these challenges altogether by relying on a single vendor to combine all of these systems into a single integrated solution using open-architecture, industry-standard technology.\n\n***** Designing an Integrated Alternative *****\n\nDelivering an easy-to-use system with this breadth of scope meant that ECT needed to use an automation technology that leverages open-architecture standards.\n\nThe company found just that in the modern PlantPAx(R)DCS from Rockwell Automation. The PlantPAx technology is based on open-communications standards and can serve as a common automation platform by connecting process, discrete, power, information and safety control.\n\nFor the turbomachinery applications, ECT used the PlantPAx system to provide a SIL 2-rated platform for compressor control. The hardware leverages add-on instruction capabilities and delivers execution speeds that are equal to or better than proprietary systems. ECT also incorporated its patented, state-of-the-art, surge-control software, which uses algorithms to help detect and prevent potentially damaging surges in the compressor.\u00a0\u00a0Integrated HMI software from Rockwell Automation was used for the operator interfaces.\n\n\"We also incorporated load-sharing as another critical application in the turbomachinery control system,\" Stoll said. \"The compressors work together to maintain a constant discharge pressure for the compressor network. Load-sharing also allows the customer to bring individual machines on-line or off-line to accommodate changing demands without disturbing the overall process.\"\n\nFor the auxiliary systems, ECT used the AADvance(R) fault-tolerant control system from Rockwell Automation to provide a SIL 3-rated hardware platform for sequencing and process control for the auxiliary skids, and for system trips.\n\n\"If the lube-oil system quits or if cooling is lost on the motor, the AADvance platform can trip the system and stop it before damage occurs,\" Stoll said.\n\nAs part of the integration of the turbomachinery, auxiliary control and condition monitoring systems, the open-platform solution also provides a single connection to the plant distributed control system (DCS) via Modbus/TCP.\n\n***** A Simpler Solution With Lower Lifecycle Costs *****\n\nECT's open-platform design approach helped save time and reduce complexity in deploying its customer's compressor solution while meeting or exceeding all specifications.\n\n\"The PlantPAx system and Modbus/TCP communications allowed us to integrate everything together into a single platform,\" Stoll said. \"Had our customer gone with a proprietary solution, this would have required systems from as many as four different vendors. Just trying to get those systems to communicate with each other would have been a major project in itself.\"\n\nECT estimates the Rockwell Automation solution could save its liquefied natural gas customer upward of 50 percent in lifecycle costs. This includes not only reduced integration costs, but also reduced support and operating costs.\n\n\"One system instead of four will mean fewer technologies for workers to learn and maintain,\" Stoll said. \"It also reduces the number of spare parts that need to be stocked and managed to support the system. And it allows our customer to potentially bring maintenance activities in-house that they otherwise would need to outsource to several vendors in a proprietary-systems approach.\"\n\nThe open and integrated design approach also will offer greater efficiencies over a proprietary approach. For example, a proprietary approach would have required that operators work from as many as a dozen different panels and stations to initiate operations. The integrated platform will greatly simplify that process.\n\n\"It turned this very complicated sequence of getting the motor started into literally two button pushes for an operator,\" Stoll said.\n\nAlso, because all of the platform's control elements are integrated, operators and technicians will be able to access any of them from a single HMI, rather using a different HMI for each different system.\n\n\"With the PlantPAx solution, workers will be able to monitor overall production status, review a system's performance, or look at trips and diagnostics - all from one screen,\" Stoll said.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Energy Control Technologies' use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nAADvance, PartnerNetwork and PlantPAx are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\n\nTAG: oil-and-gas\n\n",
    "hillshire-brands-mobilize-information-to-improve-compliance": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/hillshire-brands-mobilize-information-to-improve-compliance\n\nTITLE: Hillshire Brands Mobilize Information to Improve Compliance\n\nSince the invention of the corn dog in 1930, Americans have fostered a genuine love for food on a stick. Hillshire Brands, a global leader in packaged meat and bakery production owned by Tyson Foods, is at the forefront of these innovative food products.\n\nConvenience and great taste make corn dogs a mealtime regular for families.\n\nThrough the Jimmy Dean\u00ae brand, Hillshire has taken that concept to the breakfast table by creating a breakfast-on-a-stick option, combining pancake batter with breakfast sausage.\n\nThe Hillshire plant in Haltom City, Texas produces 58 varieties of meals on a stick from the classic State Fair\u00ae corn dog to turkey dogs with a honey sweet batter to maple breakfast sausage wrapped in apple cinnamon pancake batter.\n\nThe products are cooked, put through the \"sticking\" process, dipped in batter, fried and then frozen \u2013 in a continuous-process line.\n\nThe products are then packaged before they are sent to a connected mixing center for distribution.\n\nThe Haltom City plant rolls out a whopping 2.8 million corn dogs each day.\n\nAny food supplier has to keep food safety top of mind, and especially with the 2015 implementation of new regulations under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).\n\nThe FSMA requires U.S. food suppliers to now focus on the prevention of contamination rather than the response to contamination.\n\nAdditionally, with raw-materials costs for food products on the rise, suppliers need to fi nd ways to ensure product quality while also maintaining plant efficiency and yield.\n\nWith improved visibility into production and access to real-time data, Hillshire increased plant productivity and enhanced its processes for reducing foodborne-illness risks at its Haltom City plant.\n\nFaced with new FSMA requirements, Hillshire also realized a business need to improve production monitoring and efficiency.\n\nThe plant's old utility system that monitors refrigeration was outdated and obsolete. In addition to being inefficient and costly to maintain, operators were facing temperature deviations with no insight or access to real-time updates that posed a risk to food safety and product quality.\n\nA single day of refrigeration-system downtime can cost the company $120,000 in raw-material losses, before labor costs are included.\n\nYet another challenge arose from the large number of product variations and changeovers on the plant floor each day.\n\nThe FSMA requires U.S. food suppliers to now focus on the prevention of contamination rather than the response to contamination.\n\nAdditionally, with raw-materials costs for food products on the rise, suppliers need to fi nd ways to ensure product quality while also maintaining plant efficiency and yield.\n\nWith improved visibility into production and access to real-time data, Hillshire increased plant productivity and enhanced its processes for reducing foodborne-illness risks at its Haltom City plant.\n\nFaced with new FSMA requirements, Hillshire also realized a business need to improve production monitoring and efficiency.\n\nThe plant's old utility system that monitors refrigeration was outdated and obsolete. In addition to being inefficient and costly to maintain, operators were facing temperature deviations with no insight or access to real-time updates that posed a risk to food safety and product quality.\n\nA single day of refrigeration-system downtime can cost the company $120,000 in raw-material losses, before labor costs are included.\n\nYet another challenge arose from the large number of product variations and changeovers on the plant floor each day.\n\nChanges in product variations impacted other variables, including fry times, cooking temperature, raw-materials combinations and amounts.\n\n\"We were seeing the plant get out of balance as product fl owed at uneven or unforeseen rates from our meat area to the kitchen to the packaging area,\" said Harvey Williams, manager for Hillshire's Haltom City plant.\n\nQuality deviations and wasted product can occur if process variables are not changed for a new recipe or if the downstream area of production is not prepared for an increased or reduced timeframe that comes with a new recipe.\n\nDuring one recent deviation in the hot dog cooking area, Williams was alerted to a cooker fault after a shift concluded.\n\nTo get to the root problem, he had to loop-in two value stream managers and the quality assurance manager.\n\nThey had to look through manually entered operator data on water temperature from the entire shift to determine when the cooker faulted and decide how much and which product needed to be thrown out.\n\nHillshire needed a solution to reduce the variability in the production process, while complying with the FSMA.\n\n\"With our inedible rates reaching over 1.6 percent, we needed a solution beyond end-of-shift Excel\u00ae reports that told us how much waste occurred,\" Williams added.\n\n\"We needed something that could give our value stream managers a view into process variability across the plant to reduce the amount of inedible, wasted product.\"\n\nWilliams turned to a manufacturing intelligence solution leveraging similar software in use at several other Hillshire plants.\n\nTo improve visibility and pull actionable data from within the Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture\u00ae system for plant control, Williams tapped the FactoryTalk\u00ae software suite.\n\nThe integration between the control system, software and the use of the EtherNet/IP\u2122 network, provide the necessary monitoring and tracking for the plant's utility system.\n\nAdditionally, the solution was scalable enough to offer up plantwide insight on issues that occur in each area of production during changeovers to improve efficiency and product quality.\n\nWilliams implemented a manufacturing-intelligence solution using FactoryTalk View Site Edition, Historian and VantagePoint\u00ae software.\n\nHistorian software automatically identifies gathers and stores production data from the control system.\n\nVantagePoint software aggregates this data \u2013 along with information from the ERP system, and other plant databases and systems \u2013 correlates and presents production information to operations, so variances are easily identified and corrected in real time.\n\nFor example, the system has been set up to pull specific information from a fryer; recording temperature at various levels and locations within the fryer to ensure all product is cooked evenly.\n\nThis information is displayed via dashboard, so an operator can view all the active fryers at once or drill down into one specific fryer if an alert is noted.\n\nIf a new fryer is added to the line, it can be added to the dashboard in a matter of minutes, copying over the existing tags and the related KPIs developed for the other fryers.\n\nIn total, the Haltom City plant will be monitoring approximately 1,500 data points across cooking, sticking, battering, frying, freezing and packaging.\n\nAdditionally, the team has extended this solution with Microsoft\u00ae Surface\u2122 tablets running the FactoryTalk VantagePoint KPI mobile app for Windows\u00ae 8.1.\n\nOperators and value stream managers on the fl oor are now able to monitor any area of production \u2013 packaging status, cook temperature and frying capacity \u2013 in the palm of their hands.\n\nArmed with anytime access to real-time and historical production data and trends, operators can see where there are problems, where problems might potentially arise or where additional capacity exists to increase production or run an alternative product.\n\nWhen new regulations under the FSMA are fully implemented in 2015, FactoryTalk Historian software will be essential in improving traceability and reporting for the FDA.\n\nThe increase in data collected by Historian software, and reported and shared via VantagePoint software, helps the plant track exact serial numbers, date and time-stamped detail on which SKU numbers came off each specific line.\n\nIf the plant ever had an issue with food safety, alerts are in place that allow managers to immediately pull up data to check how many cases may have been affected and their specific product serial numbers.\n\nMobilizing the solution, unties area managers from the machine or control-room monitors, allowing them to better manage their zones and collaborate across production zones.\n\n\"Our value stream managers no longer have to wait for Excel-style, manual reporting at the end of each shift to make production decisions,\" Williams said.\n\n\"With the FactoryTalk solution, managers can show summarized, contextualized information on the tablet directly to the operators on the plant floor. Those teams can now immediately see how their actions are affecting quality-assurance goals. Understanding these cause-effect relationships has been revolutionary for our teams. We are seeing functions work more collaboratively toward higher-level plant goals rather than focusing on the individual goals that only impact their area of production.\"\n\nThis deeper insight has helped Hillshire decrease inedible product and waste goals at the plant to 0.8 percent, which translates into savings of nearly 5.5 million corn dogs annually.\n\n\"We now have operators thinking through important 'what-if scenarios.' When one production area has capacity, they're looking to fi nd ways to make adjustments across functional areas to help optimize production,\" added Williams.\n\n\"The Manufacturing Intelligence solution from Rockwell Automation and mobility from Microsoft has been crucial in improving production, while helping us meet quality standards,\" he continued.\n\n\"When new regulations come into play in 2015, it will help our plant maintain our exceptional quality and food-safety record.\"\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Hillshire Brand's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "driving-sustainable-mobility": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/driving-sustainable-mobility\n\nTITLE: Driving sustainable mobility\n\n***** Green hydrogen *****\n\nFor several centuries , oil, coal and gas have powered advances and improvements in the social and economic conditions of world's population. Conversely, the burning of these fossil fuels has led to an increase in atmospheric CO2, with all the negative consequences that this implies for our planet, including climate change. However, a new alternative is emerging that may contribute towards decarbonizing the economy: green hydrogen. In addition to being the most abundant chemical element in nature, the main advantage of hydrogen is that its combustion does not emit CO2, only water vapor. If it is also produced by electrolysis of water (breaking of the water molecule by applying an electric current), unlike the most widespread method (methane reforming), CO2 is not emitted during this process either. And if the electricity is generated by renewable sources, that is when hydrogen is called green or renewable.\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** Bielefeld hydrogen station *****\n\nCompanies are increasingly leveraging the benefits provided by this clean and renewable energy. One of them is Framatome, a leading European corporation in the nuclear industry. With subsidiaries in 23 countries, more than 15,000 employees, and annual sales of more than EUR3.3 billion, the company is strongly committed to the development of technology, innovation, R&D, and economy decarbonization.\n\nVicente Soler, green hydrogen and energy storage manager at Framatome Spain, explains: \"Greenhouse gas reduction and decarbonization of the economy are top priorities for our company in order to help stop climate change. The design and development of technology and turnkey projects for renewable hydrogen production, storage and supply are key activities for Framatome.\" In fact, the company has been developing technology and projects in the fields of renewable hydrogen, energy storage and Smart Grid for more than a decade.\n\nDuring that time, Framatome has designed, developed, integrated and commissioned facilities for the production, storage and supply of renewable hydrogen, especially HRS for the mobility sector. With mobility in mind, the company has developed a green-hydrogen filling station for sustainable buses in the German city of Bielefeld. Specifically, this hydrogen station has a storage capacity of 1,000 kg of hydrogen, compression from 50 to 500 bar, and dispensing at 350 bar for the new Mobiel buses 24 hours a day.\n\nThese hydrogen buses prevent carbon dioxide from being emitted into the air every day with the use of clean, sustainable and environmentally friendly energy. Hydrogen compressor This hydrogen station could not operate without the KS95 hydrogen compressor provided by Spanish company Hiperbaric, the first compressor of its kind for the international market with technology fully developed in Spain.\n\nLocated in Burgos, Spain, Hiperbaric initially worked in the high-pressure water business, but has since diversified its portfolio to offer hydrogen-related solutions too. \"There are very few companies worldwide focused on high-pressure hydrogen compression, currently one of the major challenges for the success of hydrogen as an energy vector, in order to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels and natural gas,\" states Alejandro Blanco, sales manager at Hiperbaric.\n\nHiperbaric's experience in hydrogen technology resulted in Framatome's initial contact. \"Being a highly recognized world leader in fluid compression systems and having developed equipment capable of compressing hydrogen up to 950 bar, we contacted them to get to know the company, its capacities, and the equipment for hydrogen,\" says Soler. \"Our decision to acquire a Hiperbaric compressor was simple. It is a solid company with long and successful expertise in the fluid-compression market and has developed robust equipment capable of compressing hydrogen up to very high pressures; exactly what we were looking for.\"\n\nHydrogen must be compressed to extremely high pressures, between 200 and 950 bar, in order to be utilized in a fuel cell vehicle. Blanco explains: \"Hiperbaric's compression-technology solutions include two high-quality, resilient and reliable components that use materials with advanced properties in order to achieve the maximum endurance and a safe operation.\"\n\nSpecifically, the compressor is a KS95, which has an inlet pressure of up to 20-40 bar and a H2 outlet pressure of up to 950 bar. It includes elements specially designed to compress hydrogen, including a two-stage intensifier cylinder, a hydraulic system, a refrigeration system, a vent circuit, a pneumatic circuit, and the instrumentation and control panel. \"The most relevant component of the compressor unit is the high-pressure multiplier. Hiperbaric technology is based on two-stage multipliers, with high hydraulic and cooling efficiencies,\" adds Blanco.\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** Rockwell technology comes into play *****\n\nHiperbaric has been using Rockwell Automation technology in its pressurized water machines for many years, and the hydrogen compressor includes several Rockwell components too. \"As soon as we started the hydrogen compressor production project, we asked for support from Rockwell Automation, a dependable provider we've known for a long time. We feel at ease collaborating with them.\"\n\nIn this project, in particular, they have opted for a complete Rockwell Automation control system solution with additional security capabilities, something essential in a hydrogen compressor, because it is a very unstable gas. In addition to this, according to Blanco: \"It is important to also add the Rockwell communications ring, which allows Rockwell equipment to be interconnected, from the main PLC to the secondary PLCs. This is extremely helpful for us in managing a network with several units with the same equipment. We appreciate the Rockwell programming environment too,\" he adds, \"especially the easy-to-use interface, and its quick support when we have queries and questions. \"\n\nAll this technology and the experience of Hiperbaric in the high-pressure market makes it easier for us to meet our goal of creating hydrogen compressors, which offer the most efficient solutions and use less resources for each kilogram of hydrogen compressed,\" states Blanco.\n\nFramatome was interested in putting the facility into operation as soon as possible. \"This has been achieved thanks to the help and readiness of Hiperbaric, who also streamlined the agreement for the unit supply and delivery,\" comments Soler. \"Peace of mind comes from working with a company with the experience of Hiperbaric, something very relevant in the first projects of an emerging industry.\"\n\nIn conclusion, the Bielefeld hydrogen station project is a milestone for the Framatome renewable hydrogen roadmap. \"It's the first project we addressed in the turnkey EPC hydrogen segment, assuming the responsibility as main contractor - and I'm pleased to report that it's been very successful,\" concludes Soler.\n\nTAG: drive-sustainability\n\nTAG: sustainability\nTAG: energy\n\nTAG: factorytalk-designsuite\n\n",
    "rockwell-automation-solutions-improve-the-new-hydraulic-system-o": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/rockwell-automation-solutions-improve-the-new-hydraulic-system-o\n\nTITLE: Rockwell Automation Solutions Improve the new Hydraulic System of Neotecman\n\n*** Background ***\n\nNeotecman has a history full of perseverance, achievement and fighting against the odds. Its origins stem from Metal'urgica Domingo, a family-owned forging business. Tired of pleading with its power press providers to develop a hydraulic model that would improve production, the manager, Manel Domingo, decided to design and manufacture seven working prototypes himself, for the company's own use. These prototypes enabled the company to achieve an output of up to 3.5 million units per month and during the two latest years they have been working 24 hours a day non-stop.\n\nAfter the success of the prototypes, Domingo decided to leave the family business in 2004 and partner with Carles Esteve, an expert in industrial machinery maintenance, to launch Neotecman and focus exclusively in the development, production and sales of this automatic equipment.\n\nThe company, located in Girona, Spain, has since become a pioneer and world leader in the production of non-ferrous hot brass stamping automatic hydraulic systems. It now has a diverse worldwide customer portfolio, covering several industries, which deploy hydraulic stampers to manufacture elements aimed at taps, fittings, ball check valves for water and gas, elbows, nuts, etc.\n\nOne of them is a Swedish company that specializes in the manufacturing of brass parts. This company has decided to invest in one of Neotecman's machines, since it offers a compact hot stamping and cutting system of the manufactured brass parts.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nIn this case, the challenge consisted of setting the use of the hydraulic and electrical servo drives in Neotecman stampers according to the production needs of its customer in order to increase productivity, and particularly the quality of manufactured parts.\n\nThese stampers perform an automatic and ongoing forging process of non-ferrous metals, which starts with the bar loading and heating. Once the forging temperature has been achieved, the blanks are hot-cut and placed into moulds, where punches form the blanks to the desired shape. Finally, the mould is opened and the final forged part is extracted. It's a compact process with a burr-free hydraulic system that includes the furnace and the cutting system. In addition to this, since no vibrations are generated, it can be located near machining areas.\n\nThe availability of quality components, including servo drives, servo valves and PLCs, able to deliver seamless operation of all hydraulic movements of brass parts was critical to optimise the production of stampers.\u00a0\n\nThe hydraulic components are key in these machines to increase the customer productivity. Most of the hydraulic motion is controlled by MOOG servo valves.\n\nOne of them lowers the RAM so the mould can be closed before moving the (up to) five built-in punches, to form the material. These punches are controlled by servo valves that allow a maximum flow of 2,000 l/min; and can be moved up to a peak speed of 1,200 mm/s with an accuracy of 0.01 mm. \"This speed converted into kinetic energy, along with the hydraulic pressure in the main chamber of up to 300 bar, provides a substantial impact force for forming the material and achieving the desired shape,\" according to the Neotecman technical team.\n\nIn addition to the high speed of the punches in these machines, these are linked by an electronic cam in the PLC, so each piston in the cam can be programmed right when it is expected to move, along with its speed and distance.\n\nIn this sense, a very fast data capture by the PLC is a key, and that simplifies time, speed and pressure to be set, so the final result of the piece fulfils the customer requirements.\n\nThe availability of quality components, including servo drives, servo valves and PLCs, able to deliver seamless operation of all hydraulic movements of brass parts was critical to optimise the production of stampers in the facilities of this Swedish manufacturer.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nNeotecman decided to deploy Rockwell Automation products from the control solution. \"Initially it was a requirement of an American customer, and its implementation required a great deal of effort, due to the complex nature of the application. However, the benefits were immediately obvious, since we measured a significant improvement in the machine response time and the programming was much more streamlined. From that moment on, we decided to apply Rockwell Automation technology to all of our models,\" the technical team explains.\n\nRockwell Automation provides, among other components, an\u00a0Allen-Bradley ControlLogix 1756 programmable automation controller (PAC), Allen-Bradley(R) Kinetix(R) 5700 servo drives, Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) 525 and\u00a0755 AC drives and axes control modules, which allow the position of servo valves to be controlled very accurately.\n\nThe machine's safety solution is also simplified by implementing the safety logic in the process PAC by means of Allen-Bradley POINT I/OTM. Moreover, as stated the Neotecman technical team, \"with FactoryTalk(R) View Studio SE SCADA and the SQL database, we can monitor event histories, diagnostics and energy consumption.\" Rockwell Automation products are also used for the electronic cam of each piston, to indicate when it starts to move, as well as its speed and distance.\n\nTwo 7 kg robots, connected to the PLC through EtherNet/ IPTM, are used to feed the stamper and remove the moulded part in the facilities of the Swedish company. \"Communication has been really easy, since the Rockwell Automation Logix programming environment has code blocks that are ready to communicate with the robot, and that enabled us to save a lot of time. In addition to that, along with SCADA, we developed an interface to program the robot intuitively, and with an almost no chance of error by the operator,\" comments the Neotecman technical team.\n\n*** Results ***\n\n\"Rockwell Automation components have given us the ability to provide quick implementation of new electrical and hydraulic axes in the Neotecman machines. When a customer asks us for some changes in the stamper, such as the addition of a hydraulic or electric axis, the implementation in the system is faster, both for its programming and installation,\" the team states.\n\n\"When this Swedish customer requested a modification of the stamper in order to set it according to its needs, the implementation in the system was very quick in terms of both programming and installation time,\" states Condom.\n\nSimilarly, the machine setup time has also been reduced because the positioning of all motors and robots are easy and quick to be set. \"In this sense, the easy design has helped us with the SCADA system and the communication of the Rockwell Automation solution with the robots. This allows the setup time of a part in the machine to be reduced, since all axes are positioned automatically,\" remarks the manager.\n\nLikewise, the Rockwell Automation(R) Integrated Architecture(R) system has enabled the increase in the operating speed of Neotecman's machine components, so the final customer increases production and improves que quality of the manufactured pieces. This is how the Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture system helps to improve real problems in industrial organizations, like low production rates or the drawbacks related to the quality of its products.\n\nThat's not all. The use of POINT I/OTM for the process and safety signals helps Neotecman to save cabling, since the controllers can be placed near the actuator. In particular, \"labour costs have been lowered by 20% regarding cabling time and machine checking, which has become a quicker and more efficient process,\" adds the manager.\n\nThanks to the control system response of the Rockwell Automation components and the hydraulic distributors designed by Neotecman, the power consumption of the machine has also been reduced in the customer facilities.\n\n\"This has been achieved by controlling the pressure of the five punches that shape the part, which have a maximum travel of 100 mm each. The energy savings are really significant, since the high-pressure (300 bar) is only used to deform the billet. To perform the stroke and the initial contact with the billet we use medium pressure. When the punch begins the contact with the billet (we know it because the pressure on the cylinder increases suddenly) the high pressure is initiated. In this way we only use the high pressure at the end of the stroke.\"\n\nThere are other benefits for the customers. For example, according to the Neotecman technical team, \"the costs for heating the bar are reduced a 50% when using a gas furnace.\" This is achieved by keeping 4 m of brassbar at a temperature of +/-5 ^0C from the set point. A pyrometer measures the temperature and feeds this data to the controller, which then automatically adjusts the burners to keep the temperature stable along the whole bar. Moreover, the functional design and the process automation deliver a significant reduction of mould changeover times, and the noise level is considerably lower in the stamping process. These machines provide also savings in labour costs; just one operator is enough for the whole process, and for the logistics, only one working area is required with just one material loading and unloading bay.\n\nFinally: \"The commissioning at the customer premises is really quick because the cabinets are integrated in the machine. The Swedish customer needs only the power supply, fuel for the furnace - natural gas or propane - and an air supply. No additional connections are required, since these have been previously made and checked at Neotecman facilities.\" And in order to help its customers as much as possible, the machines include an iPad and a Skype account, which allows the operator to contact the Neotecman technical support when needed, or even show them images about what's happening.\n\nAllen-Bradley, ControlLogix, FactoryTalk View Studio, Integrated Architecture, Kinetix, LISTEN. THINK. SOLVE., POINT I/O, PowerFlex, PanelView Plus, Rockwell Automation and Studio 5000 are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\nEtherNet/IP is a trademark of ODVA Inc.\n\nTrademarks not belonging to Rockwell Automation are property of their respective companies.\n\n\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\n\n",
    "m-g--bryan-meets-oil-and-gas-market-demands-with-cloud-solution": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/m-g--bryan-meets-oil-and-gas-market-demands-with-cloud-solution\n\nTITLE: M.G. Bryan Meets Oil and Gas Market Demands with Cloud Solution\n\n***** Background *****\n\nIn 2010, the U.S. stole the crown for world's largest gas producer from Russia. In 2012, the International Energy Agency predicted the U.S. will surpass Saudi Arabia as the world's largest oil producer by 2020. More large-scale oil and gas plays are being discovered that could shrink that time frame further. For this growth to become a reality, those in the oil and gas industry must keep a relentless focus on production.\n\nM.G. Bryan, a leading heavy-equipment and machinery OEM based in Grand Prairie, Texas, has been helping oil and gas companies meet production demands for more than 25 years. The company supplies engines, generators, industrial pump units, oil field service equipment, and hazardous area power packs globally. Much new production is facilitated by hydraulic fracturing, where petroleum or natural gas is released from reservoir rock for extraction. M.G. Bryan sells and leases advanced fracturing pump trailers, trucks and skids to help producers capture these resources.\n\n***** Challenge *****\n\nFracturing vehicles can cost upwards of $1 million. They operate in extreme, isolated environments and have many consumable components. Oil filters need to be replaced every 200 to 400 hours, and a complete engine rebuild is generally required after 4,000 to 7,000 hours of service. Downtime on a fracturing vehicle can cost $3,000 to $7,000 per day for internal costs alone - not even taking lost product revenues into account. Because operations are occurring in remote areas, where cell-phone reception is not even a given, most producers keep a backup vehicle on-site, so production can continue if a vehicle goes down.\n\nThis use of backup vehicles makes fracturing operations expensive. Many smaller and mid-sized oil and gas producers lease fracturing equipment by the month, and are not experts in equipment control systems or maintenance. Producers are often looking for ways to cut costs and improve ROI on rented or purchased equipment in order for this approach to be a worthwhile investment.\n\nTo help its customers maximize ROI, M.G. Bryan needed to understand how its equipment was performing in real time to cost effectively keep tabs on performance and help customers maximize asset uptime.\n\n***** Solutions *****\n\nM.G. Bryan teamed with Rockwell Automation to develop a new control and information system for its fracturing vehicles that leverages the Microsoft Windows Azure cloud-computing platform combined with the FactoryTalk(R) software suite for secure remote access to real-time information.\n\nEach vehicle's control system leverages an Allen-Bradley(R) CompactLogixTM programmable automation controller. A cloud-based version of FactoryTalk VantagePoint software gathers control-system data to display a comprehensive and contextualized picture of vehicle and fleet performance. Information is sent to the cloud via cellular modems. Data is broken down into incredibly small packets so it can be sent even in areas with poor cellular coverage. Additionally, in the case that a connection cannot be found, data is stored in a gateway and sent once a connection is regained.\n\nThe new tightly integrated control and information system brings together disparate information sources, including historical, relational and transactional data. To fully leverage this rich data without requiring M.G. Bryan or its customers to build and manage their own data centers, Rockwell Automation utilised cloud computing.\n\n\"We needed a solution that would work the same for our first five trucks and our next 1,000 trucks,\" said Josh Rabaduex, director of engineering at M.G. Bryan. \"We also knew we did not want to make a huge upfront hardware investment or have to handle long-term system maintenance, so a legacy data center wasn't going to work for us.\"\n\nUsing mobile technology and the secure and seamless transfer of business information over the cloud, M.G. Bryan has access to a higher degree of connected intelligence. \"We can now pull data from the cloud via mobile devices and Web browsers to produce reports and dashboards on the condition of an individual vehicle's drive train and fracking performance, as well as process performance and maintenance trends related to entire fleets,\" said Rabaduex. \"When you combine our new information system with the flexibility and scalability of cloud computing, we've really opened the door for a wide range of operations management solutions for our own vehicle fleets and those we sell.\"\n\n***** Results *****\n\nThe secure and instant visibility into remote-asset data has improved uptime and productivity for M.G. Bryan customers. For example, one customer called M.G. Bryan with a complaint that a leased vehicle engine was surging. This can be very dangerous as rapid changes in engine RPM will change the pressure in the iron pipes pumping water into the ground. If a pipe were to burst, it would not only shut down production, but it could create shrapnel that could injure or even kill workers on-site.\n\nSuch an engine surge could be caused by a number of factors: engine deterioration, ingestion of foreign material, an internal component failure, etc. M.G. Bryan personnel were able to immediately log in and review the data coming from the exact vehicle. They saw inlet pressure on the pump's fluid end had dropped from 60 to 6 psi, indicating pump cavitation - the customer's tanks were running out of water. They advised the customer to check tanks and open a valve that was accidently left shut. The entire scenario played out in just over 10 minutes. The customer averted sucking air into the fluid end and cracking it, saving a potential $60,000 in replacements parts, a 100-mile service trip, worker injury and lost production time.\n\nThis solution has also opened the door to a new business model that reduces project risk and cost of production, while improving time-to-value for these fracturing vehicles. \"Now that we can monitor vehicle use by the minute, hour and day, we've been able to change our leasing agreements,\" said Rabaduex. \"We've shifted from the industry-standard monthly agreements to a pay-by-use model. Our customers no longer need to rent equipment by the month, paying the same price for those vehicles that pump 24/7 as they do for its backup trucks that never see any action. They only pay us for the actual days the vehicles are in use.\"\n\nCurrent owners of M.G. Bryan fracturing vehicles have already ordered more than 25 vehicle retrofits to get this solution on their existing fleets. However, the company is not finished using the solution to spur innovation. \"We are also exploring how this information can demonstrate performance to our customers and offer preventative maintenance,\" said Rabaduex. \"Now, we can produce hard data that demonstrates how our pumps and other components last longer. We can use hard data in warranty fulfillment. We can alert our customers when it's time to swap out air filters or come in for an engine rebuild. The possibilities seem endless.\"\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to M.G. Bryan's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\nTAG: oil-and-gas\n\n",
    "warner-robins-air-logistics-complex-improves-reliability-with-ba": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/warner-robins-air-logistics-complex-improves-reliability-with-ba\n\nTITLE: Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex Improves Reliability with Batch System\n\nKeeping military aircraft in mission-ready shape is a major operation all its own. During maintenance, a plane must be completely disassembled so its individual parts can go through inspections and upkeep before the plane is reassembled. It's a laborious but necessary process for maintaining performance and safety.\n\n\n\nThe Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex (WR-ALC) provides this and other critical support to the U.S. Air Force at Robins Air Force Base in central Georgia. With about 7,000 employees, the complex provides aircraft maintenance, depot maintenance support, engineering support and software development for major air weapons systems.\n\n\n\nIn recent years, the WR-ALC completed construction of its advanced metal finish facility (AMFF) for the upkeep of aircraft parts. The 98,000-square-foot facility has nine automated lines that chemically treat and clean aircraft parts. And while this new automated facility has provided major benefits - including reducing worker exposure to chemicals - issues with one of the facility's control systems created problems, including damaged parts and extended downtime.\n\nThe proprietary control system used on the AMFF's 24-tank, two-hoist plating line presented multiple challenges. It would run the wrong timing sequence for handling of jet parts. This could result in a hoist being in the wrong position, picking up parts at the incorrect time and dropping them, causing irreparable damage. The system could also damage parts by leaving them in the stripping or plating solutions for too long.\n\n\n\nBecause of these issues, the original system did not allow for scheduling and required constant supervision to ensure it was performing tasks at the right time.\n\n\n\nAdditionally, the control system was unable to pull important reports to help analyze a part's journey through the process in real time. Instead, reports had to be run during an off shift, when the line was not performing another task, which inconvenienced operations.\n\n\n\n\"We utilized our system for around two years and continuously had issues that caused major inconveniences for our operations,\" said James Prince, mechanical engineering technician, WR-ALC. \"We needed our system to be more reliable, overall. We needed it to more easily run reports and efficiently handle parts to reduce costs and damage. We also really needed the information from the reports to be more useful and provide greater operational insights.\"\n\nWhen looking at solutions for a new control system, the WR-ALC team already had experience with Rockwell Automation products and solutions.\n\n\n\n\"There really was no other option that came to our minds when picking a solution to our problem,\" Prince said. \"We have used Rockwell Automation products, so we knew their solutions would be scalable and easy to update, allowing for the longest life cycle possible.\"\n\n\n\nPREMIER System Integrators, a Solution Partner in the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork program, helped design and implement the line's new control system. With expertise in network architecture design and manufacturing execution systems, the integrators helped minimize downtime to just one week for implementation of the new system.\n\n\n\nMany network changes were made to build a new and more reliable system. The network was upgraded to a collapsed-core design, where the network's core and distribution layer functions are implemented with a single device. This design was based on Converged Plantwide Ethernet (CPwE) guidelines, which Rockwell Automation developed with Cisco, a Strategic Alliance partner in the PartnerNetwork program. CPwE guidelines help industrial companies deploy scalable, secure, safe and future-ready industrial network architectures.\n\n\n\nAll device control was transitioned to PLC logic. Additionally, the unmanaged switches in PLC cabinets and industrial data center were upgraded to Stratix 5400 industrial managed switches and Cisco Catalyst 3850 Series switches. This allowed traffic to be segregated, and it provided more visibility into the network's health.\n\n\n\nBeyond network upgrades, the team installed the FactoryTalk software suite from Rockwell Automation, including batch, production intelligence, HMI and historian systems.\n\n\n\nThe modern\u00a0batch software helps the company with recipe management, creating a consistent recipe for all the different jet parts and their corresponding cleaning and maintenance processes. This has put an end to the dropping of parts. Material manager software was also used to help track parts during their inspections. Operators can now rely on the system and expect it to perform as ordered.\n\n\n\nOverall, the batch solution provides efficient time management and improved operational reliability for operators.\n\n\n\n\"The FactoryTalk Batch software is flexible and was easy to adapt from its traditional use to control the plating line,\" said Larry Grate, director of technology, PREMIER System Integrators. \"Integrating process data into the Batch reporting framework was also a straightforward process and gave WR-ALC operators the information they needed to improve product quality and operating efficiency.\"\n\n\n\nThe production intelligence software helped create a one-batch quality report. This report includes important operational information such as product details, temperature, timing data, alarm information and more during operation. If a problem arises down the line, this allows operators to troubleshoot at the source, saving the WR-ALC valuable time and money. New HMIs also provide direct visualization for operators while the parts are going through the inspection process to help make sure everything is performing correctly.\n\n\n\nThroughout the process, the historian records all the information gathered and acts as an extra hard drive for the network. Lastly, old HMI PCs have been replaced with thin clients equipped with ThinManager software. Unlike PCs, the thin clients can be centrally configured and managed, and don't need to be individually patched. And if a terminal goes down, it can be replaced in fewer than two minutes with no loss of data.\n\nThese solutions put the WR-ALC on solid ground when it came to the maintenance of critical aircraft parts.\n\n\n\nNo parts have been damaged or dropped since the startup of the converted system in February 2018. Operators now know that the system will run the correct recipe. The robust batch-control system no longer experiences errors when scheduling or running a batch. And system throughput has increased to 80 percent.\n\n\n\nThe production intelligence software is providing reports that are concise but convey more useful information for operators with historical data available for analysis trending. An integrated alarm system is timely and effective, helping operators and engineers diagnose potential issues quickly, before they occur and cause damages. And the CPwE-aligned network is fault tolerant and more robust. \u00a0\n\n\u00a0\n\n\"With these new solutions, operators feel confident using the system and have a sense of ownership when working with the different components. There is no reason to worry that the system will not perform as it is told, and overall, damages have been completely eliminated - saving us millions of dollars,\" Prince said.\n\n\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nTrademark Information:\n\nFactoryTalk, PartnerNetwork, Stratix and ThinManager are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\n\nTAG: aerospace\n\nTAG: factorytalk-historian\nTAG: factorytalk-batch\nTAG: factorytalk-view-studio\nTAG: factorytalk-thinmanager\n\n",
    "galvani-replaces-limited-closed-system-with-plantpax": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/galvani-replaces-limited-closed-system-with-plantpax\n\nTITLE: Galvani Replaces Limited Closed System with PlantPAx\n\n*** Background ***\n\nGalvani is a Brazilian company that began its activities in the 1930s and currently has production units in five Brazilian states, with activity in mining, processing, and distribution of phosphate fertilizers. It seeks to produce competitive and differentiated products with superior quality, using the best resources while respecting the environment and the community. The group's policy is to systematically reinvest the results in production expansions, ongoing improvements and application of new technologies.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nIn 1983, Galvani began the implementation of one of the largest industrial production sites for fertilizers in Paulinia, S\u00e3o Paulo, Brazil. It included the production of sulfuric acid, superphosphate, granulation, blending and bagging of fertilizers.\n\nRecently, the control system of the sulfuric acid plant and the steam generation had constant problems with loss of communication. The maintenance of the system depended exclusively on one supplier, representing a high annual cost for the company.\n\nGalvani decided to change this system, based on a closed and limited design, for an open system in which the company could manage the maintenance itself.\n\nThe budget for execution of the project was limited, therefore, Galvani decided to deploy it internally, utilising its own maintenance team. Another important aspect of the project was the time constraint to develop and start up the system in order for it to be completed during the annual maintenance shutdown that had already been scheduled.\n\nAdditional objectives of the project were to deploy the new control system, maintain integration with the existing production management system and, at the same time, increase the traceability of the process data for periods longer than a year, which was a limitation of the old control system.\n\nFor the start-up of the new system, a time constraint existed. Due to the high risk of crystallisation of molten sulfur in the feed lines, the plant had to stop and return to full operation in a very short period.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nUnderstanding the importance of the project and recognising the challenges that the Galvani maintenance team faced, Rockwell Automation helped the company to execute a training program for the team involved in the project, using its Competence Center in S\u00e3o Paulo, SP.\n\nGalvani decided to use the PlantPAx\u00ae solution from Rockwell Automation, due to its features and ease of use. PlantPAx has a library of objects with templates and open functions blocks, in addition to the Logix-View Utility (LVU) development tool that dramatically reduces the development time for the process control system.\n\nFor the implementation of the new system, Galvani adopted a virtual solution, using the existing IT infrastructure. To establish integration of the new control system with the existing Production Management system in the plant, Transaction Manager software was used, which simplifies integration between different systems.\n\nAiming to expand the time traceability of process data, Galvani used the historian software, working together with the reporting software, which is a powerful WEB reporting portal. This system is also used as a second analysis tool for production data. The data compression algorithms present in the historian software allow storage of a large volume of data in a reduced space, in addition to providing fast queries in the database, ensuring adequate performance to deliver reports.\n\nTo reduce investment in the project and the risks involved during plant shutdown, Galvani decided to migrate the controller CPU and maintain the 900 I/O points already installed. With this, the company focused its investment on the solution that would bring the necessary advances and better results for the project.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nThe training of Galvani's corporate maintenance team was done in less than one week, due to PlantPAx system features, including a standard library of objects widely applied in different processes and various industries and the ease of use of the available tools for the system configuration.\n\nThe development, configuration and test of the entire system, with 900 I/O points was fully prepared, implemented and completed within the 20-day window allocated for the annual shutdown period, meeting one of the biggest challenges of the project.\n\nWith the support of the Field Engineering group at Rockwell Automation, Galvani's Maintenance team achieved the commissioning and start-up of the new system in just 12 hours, eliminating the risk of crystallization of the molten sulfur in the feed lines. This had been a major concern for the process team at Galvani.\n\nThe involvement of Rockwell Automation and the decision of Galvani to implement the system using its own engineering resources resulted in a 30% reduction in project implementation costs. The open system, total control and domain expertise acquired by Galvani staff also resulted in a significant reduction in expenditure for maintenance \u2013 a service that was previously delivered by third parties.\n\nThe problem of loss of communication was solved and there is no longer a dependence on a unique vendor for system maintenance.\n\nDue to the flexibility and storage capacity of historical data from the plant, the new system is already used as a secondary analysis tool for production data, and in the future could replace the current production management system, with the implementation of new reports to be developed.\n\nWith the domain expertise that Galvani's maintenance team possesses, it is able to provide remote support for the system. Stefani Stival, corporate automation engineer says that he is using mobile devices like tablets and mobile phones to access the system screens and to provide the necessary support to operations staff at the plant. Moreover, the infrastructure deployed is already prepared for future migrations of other process areas of the plant.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Galvani's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\n\n",
    "with-the-plantpax-dcs-as-a-higher-level-process-control-system--": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/with-the-plantpax-dcs-as-a-higher-level-process-control-system--\n\nTITLE: With the PlantPAx DCS as a Higher-Level Process Control System, a \"Smart Factory\" Has Been Realized\n\nWithin the international glass industry,\u00a0ZIPPE is renowned as the contact of choice for batch and cullet plants. Owner-operated in its fourth generation, the company was formed in 1920 and supplies everything from one source - from planning up to commissioning. 45 experienced individuals are responsible for the realization of modern, high-performance automation and control systems at ZIPPE.\n\n\"Within our industry, successfully completed reference projects are frequently the deciding factor for being awarded an order... or not. It is therefore imperative that we deliver systems with a high level of availability, and which are efficient and easy to operate,\" states Department Head Joachim Ullrich, who places great value in selecting suitable hardware and software solutions.\n\nGlass production plants usually remain in operation for ten, twelve years - without interruption. And even if the plant \"only\" has to run for 16 of 24 hours, longer shutdown periods are still not an option.\n\n\"A maximum of three hours, then production has to continue,\" confirms Joachim Ullrich, explaining that reliably functioning systems are one of the main requirements of the glass industry, especially as the ZIPPE plants are directly connected with the center of the entire production system: the glass melting furnace.\n\n\"We take care of everything that has to happen prior to this step, from the delivery of the raw materials to their dosage and weighing, in some cases requiring precision to the exact gram,\" describes the Head of the Electrical Engineering and Process Automation Department.\n\nAcross the almost 100 year corporate history, a total of approximately 600 batch plants as well as more than 1,000 cullet plants have been designed and implemented by ZIPPE in accordance with customer requirements.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nZIPPE is globally renowned for a wide range of skills. The ability to modernize existing plants during continuous operation is one of the major strengths of the Wertheim-based company. Plant designs, which provide precisely what the final customer envisages, are another \"specialty of the house.\"\n\nIn the course of a \"Greenfield project\" in France, ZIPPE was contracted to deliver a batch plant with mechanical conveyor technology and a cullet return system. With regard to execution of this project, the following requirements had to be met: the plant should be designed to supply two furnaces with a total of 130 tonnes of mixture in 16 hours.\n\nOutput reserves were requested and the facility should allow three different types of feeding - Big-Bag filling, filling with silo trucks and mechanical loading. The plant had to be erected within one year and put into operation with the supreme satisfaction of the final customer.\n\nLast but not least, the utilization of the PlantPAx DCS as a higher-level process control system was demanded.This should ensure a uniform look and feel at all operating and monitoring stations of the entire factory.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nThe PlantPAx system is virtually predestined for sensitive applications, in which reliable around-the-clock operation is a requirement. This is due to the fact that this process control solution not only guarantees a high level of availability via the redundancy of system components, but also by means of a device level ring topology in the EtherNet/IP network.\n\n\"The major advantage of PlantPAx is that it acts across different disciplines and combines the different areas - i.e. the continuous furnace control and the batch plant - into a joint network. And devices that actually communicate over a different protocol, such as the electronic systems for weighing or the barcode reader, can also be easily integrated into the higher-level process control system,\" states Joachim Ullrich, visibly satisfied with an engineering-friendly solution which enabled ZIPPE to make an entire batch plant with mechanical equipment, conveyor belts, feed units, motors, worm drives, a large 4,000 liter mixer, and the entire automation technology, including control cabinets, fully operational in only one year.\n\n\"Shortly after we were awarded the order, Rockwell was there and actively supported us in the selection of the appropriate components and in the design of the plant network,\" remembers the Head of the Electrical Engineering and Process Automation Department at ZIPPE. \"The final customer is very satisfied with what we have realized together,\" he adds, especially because enough reserves were planned and included on the system.\n\nThe first small expansion, to integrate an additional raw material weighing system into the PlantPAx, has already been implemented.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nThe pre-furnace silo, that is, the silo upstream of the glass melting furnace, demands replenishment in a fully automated manner if a certain threshold value has been on the batch plant. The supplies of sand, soda and chalk are generally among the most important ingredients found in the production of glass and must be 100 percent according to the recipe.\n\nThe ZIPPE batch plants, however, need to potentially also weigh other ingredients \u2013 in some cases with to-the-gram precision. \"Every single one of our customers has his own special and secret recipe, i.e. in which mixing ratio the raw materials are contained in his glass. The important thing is that the individual components are weighed most precisely and within a certain period.\n\nThis enables, for example, a new batch to be produced every four minutes,\" explains Joachim Ullrich. Consequently, in addition to the \"calling signal\" of the pre-furnace silo, the weight signal of the weighing vessel is one of the most important pieces of information processed by the PlantPAx distributed control system.\n\nFurthermore, this higher-level intelligence ensures that the silos are loaded correctly. \"With technical aids we exclude, for example, that sand ends up in the soda silo. By scanning the barcodes on the delivered raw materials, the control system sets the correct path. A wrong selection is then no longer possible,\" emphasizes the ZIPPE department head, highlighting a valuable feature that helps the final user avoid errors.\n\nThe PlantPAx DCS also shows itself to be very user-friendly when it comes to monitoring adjustable frequency drives. Drives are displayed on the visualization stations by means of icons and faceplates and managed on the asset management level.\n\nIn addition, disaster recovery functionality enables the system to automatically backup and restore the drive configuration as well as logging of changes. Extensive diagnostic information is delivered directly to the user on the HMI level.\n\n\"The PlantPAx Process Library contains ready-to-use control and diagnostic objects. This allows the entire production process to be easily monitored. Thanks to a seamless EtherNet/IP network structure, the technicians can route through right up to the variable frequency drives to retrieve individual variables or current signal states,\" says Joachim Ullrich, stating the benefits of the PlantPAx faceplates for diagnostics and maintenance. Alarm indication and parameterization are also simplified by the Process Library.\n\nBy utilizing PlantPAx as a higher-level process control system, a modern \"Smart Factory\" for the production of brown glass bottles and ampoules has been erected in France.\n\nIt is intelligently and redundantly networked via EtherNet/IP and offers real-time visibility on all the currently running production processes. It is simple to expand and offers a wide range of connection options. Thanks to PlantPAx, all operating stations exhibit a uniform look and feel and standardized icons for visualization purposes.\n\nThis reference project has entered into operation as scheduled. \"We generally want to ensure that our customers can get started with the plants supplied by us as soon as possible. This is why we test all control systems in detail before they leave the company. We work with virtual production data, enter different recipes, produce thousands of batches and simulate, for example, an entire monthly production in order to avoid any ambiguities or errors in advance,\" reveals the Head of the Electrical Engineering and Process Automation Department at ZIPPE.\n\nWell, PlantPAx has passed these tests with exceptional results. It is therefore no wonder that Joachim Ullrich is thinking of increasingly utilizing this process automation solution in ZIPPE's batch and cullet plants.\n\nAllen-Bradley and PlantPAx are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\n\nTAG: fiber-and-textiles\n\n",
    "data-energy-pet-food": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/data-energy-pet-food\n\nTITLE: Real Pet Food Automates & Integrates Manufacturing\n\nReal Pet Food Company is Australia's largest pet food manufacturer. The company has recently expanded their global footprint and has manufacturing offices in New Zealand, China and England. Their mission is to transform the way the world feeds pets.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\n* Disparate Systems and Lack of Data and Visibility\n\nDaniel Baez is the analytics capabilites manager at Real Pet Food Company, Australia's largest pet food manufacturer. Much of the company's growth has been from acquisitions in different countries.\n\n\"As a result [of growth through acquisition], our factories had various components, and some of them were outdated. We needed more standardization across our sites,\" Baez explained.\n\n\"Further, the information we obtained was disjointed and was manually collected. We needed to bring all these data sources together to give us better information to drive improvements, particularly around efficiency, reduction of waste, and product quality.\"\u00a0\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\n* Digital Transformation Expertise and Middleware Platform\n\nReal Pet Food engaged Kalypso, a Rockwell Automation business, to identify a plan for meeting their goals. Kalypso specializes in digital transformation consulting, and applies Rockwell Automation offerings to drive digital transformation at customer sites.\n\nKalypso provided a middleware platform that connects and integrates Real Pet Food's multiple systems and assets. The middleware platform is built on FactoryTalk(R) InnovationSuite. The industrial IIoT platform connects and integrates RFPs, ERP, MES, QMS, CCMS and ETL systems and provides a single source of truth for the operations and management teams.\n\nAlso included was an energy intelligence solution, built on Allen-Bradley(R) Programmable Controllers and PowerMonitorTM power monitors. The solution monitors and reports on utility consumption, production quantity, and other KPIs related to energy efficiency and cost.\n\nOnce in place, Real Pet Food immediately gained the ability to collect, visualize and analyze data.\n\n\"It's been useful to have the Kalypso team help us because we didn't have much expertise in this area,\" Baez said. \"It's very early stages for us but being able to see the contextualized information in close to real time has helped us understand the things we can focus on next to drive the most value.\"\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\n* Initial Insights Identify OEE and Energy Management Trends\n\nTo date, Real Pet Food has collected enough information to begin analyzing asset performance data. They plan to use this information to improve OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness).\n\n\"My role is to use all that information for machine learning and analytics that will give us even better value to predict what could come later,\" Baez said.\n\nAdditionally, the company has uncovered a significant opportunity to advance their sustainability goals through a more strategic use of energy.\n\n\"The data we've collected has already provided insights around how we can better use our boilers and the consumption of energy across heat exchangers and our sites,\" Baez explained. \"That is definitely one of the elements where we're already focusing on improvement plans.\"\n\n\n\n* A Positive Employee Response\n\nBaez notes that the employee response to the new solution has been positive.\n\n\"One of our core values is to work as a pack and there's a culture to drive teamwork across Real Pet Food,\" Baez explained. \"As such, the team has been able to engage and embrace the whole solution the Kalypso team recommended. And because employees can see the benefits pretty much at their fingertips, it's given them even more impetus to embrace it.\"\n\nTAG: drive-sustainability\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: digital-thread\n\nTAG: household-and-personal-care\n\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: energy-monitoring\nTAG: thingworx\n\n",
    "sinflex-matches-varying-automotive-industry-demands-with-advance": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/sinflex-matches-varying-automotive-industry-demands-with-advance\n\nTITLE: Sinflex matches varying automotive industry demands with advanced servo-based machine solutions\n\nBackground\n\nEstablished in 1975, Sinflex, based in S~ao Jo~ao da Madeira in Portugal, is a specialist in the production of springs, wire forms and welded assemblies for multiple industries, including many customers in the automotive arena. The company is very active in its research and development efforts and always looks to exploit contemporary technology to help it address the demands of its customers.\n\nFor automotive and other industries - especially for medium-batch production runs - manufacturing solutions have to offer accuracy and repeatability, in order to produce identical parts time after time and to the exact same specification. But these production solutions also need to flexible enough to cater for multiple batch formats without overly long or expensive re-engineering.\n\nIt is for these reasons that many leading OEMs, including Sinflex, are adopting servo-based solutions - as part of smart machine evolutions - which can be modified in just minutes to create a completely different batch of products.\n\nTo help address these industry pressures, Sinflex has formed a long-established commercial relationship with T. Butler Engineering Ltd. (TBE), based in Piltown in the Republic of Ireland. TBE develops, designs and builds machines that are used to produce complicated wire forms, springs, assemblies and specialised components, for industries such as automotive, appliances, agricultural, construction, medical and more.\n\nT Butler's machines have seen almost constant evolution over the years, with the perfection of simple, fast and accurate transfer systems, which allow total automation of complicated parts such as double-body brake springs, rake tines, seating wires or 3-D wire forms. With the addition of connectivity solutions, the company is also taking its machines in to the smart-machine realm, where greater connectivity delivers broader capabilities and deeper and more seamless interactions with internal and external systems.\n\nChallenge\n\nAccording to Ricardo Correia, Engineering Manager at Sinflex: \"We have to keep pace with the automotive industry in terms of quality, design variety, scheduling and order quantities and this can be very demanding. We have seen some crazy orders in the past.\n\n\"Our production solutions have to be flexible,\" he adds, \"we simply cannot afford any downtime either long set-up times between batches or through machine issues. We have to ensure that we have the greatest flexibility coupled to maximum uptime and deeper connectivity.\"\n\nSolution\n\nT.Butler Engineering has an ethic to deploy the best possible technology it can, which has seen its machines evolve from highly mechanical infrastructures to the modern servo-driven solutions it now produces.\n\nPart of this evolution included the introduction of touchscreen programming in 1988 and the subsequent addition of servo drives, high-speed feed systems, coiling heads and rotating wire.\n\nToday, there are many TBE Multiform models, all with CNC feeding, multiple axes, servo winding, servo forming, press attachments, rotating wire, integrated welding, roll thread attachment, chamfer heads, dual feeds and multi-part capabilities.\n\nTBE has standardised on Allen-Bradley(R) products from Rockwell Automation for the automation aspects of all of its machines, with the TBE Multibend X series being an excellent example of these solutions in action. Applications for this range include its use at Sinflex where it is used to produce complex-geometry support wires for the car seating industry. Indeed, Thomas Butler, Managing Director of TBE, estimates that 65% of cars in the western world contain components built on TBE machines.\n\nThe Multibend machine has an Allen-Bradley CompactLogixTM programmable automation controller (PAC) at the centre of the automation solution, which works in conjunction with multiple Allen-Bradley Kinetix(R) 5700 servo drives controlling Allen-Bradley MP-SeriesTM servo motors for the bending and feeding operations. An Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM 7 Plus Performance HMI handles operator interactions and 'recipe' control, while a StratixTM switch manages connectivity to the EtherNet/IPTM network on the machine, with the added ability to deliver data to the wider enterprise for Industrie 4.0 operations. Various Rockwell Automation safety components - including an Allen-Bradley Guardmaster(R) 440C-CR30 Software Configurable Safety Relay - complete the installation.\n\nBy deploying a fully integrated suite of components, with clear data paths and connectivity to internal and external sources, TBE is now developing smart machines, which offer the Industry 4.0 capabilities demanded by leading contemporary manufacturing operations.\n\nResults\n\nParts normally requiring three or more secondary operations, are now completed in one operation on TBE machines, as are secondary operations, such as trimming, looping, coining, threading, upsetting, chamfering and welding. High-speed feed rates, accurate transfer systems and - most importantly - the vision required to integrate the process, enables TBE to consistently satisfy its customers.\n\n\"The way it all marries together is impressive,\" exclaims Butler. \"There is very little additional integration to be done. The PAC immediately plugs into the drive which, in turn, plugs into the motor with instant recognition on all counts - the same being true of the HMI and other components. This is just what we need and something that is almost impossible with equipment from some other suppliers. We are also trying to increase the machine's performance, by a factor of two using the latest/fastest technologies from Rockwell Automation.\n\nRicardo Correia agrees: \"TBE produces machines that are custom made for our exact needs. This makes them stand out against other suppliers. We challenge them with strange geometries, complex wire forms, varying capacities and high speeds and they deliver. We did not specifically request Rockwell Automation, but its automation solutions proved to match our needs in terms of flexibility, agility and uptime.\"\n\n\"Our philosophy is to partner with our customers and then give them total ownership of the machine,\" Butler adds. \"We don't tie them into bespoke and often costly servicing or programming contracts; they take all diagrams, tooling and programming assets so they can be self-sufficient. Of course we are always on call to help them out, as is Rockwell Automation with its worldwide support network. In fact this support network has come to our aid a few times - and very quickly - thanks to local agents and suppliers all over the world.\n\n\"This global reach was another factor in our decision to go with Rockwell Automation,\" he continues. \"40% of our business is in the USA and they certainly helped us to break down some barriers. We have also created and patented our own code, to which we can offer controlled access. The benefit of this approach is that there are thousands of engineers around the world who can work on our coding.\"\n\nButler is enthusiastic about the quality and reliability levels on offer. \"We have a customer in Canada that produces several million pieces per year, working 362 days 24/7, with just a few scheduled days for proactive maintenance, and not one single automation or machine component has failed - and this is one of the world's biggest automotive suppliers!\"\n\nFrom an engineering perspective, Butler explains the benefits. \"We have streamlined our design efforts and the capabilities of the programming solution mean we are light years ahead of what we were just a few years ago. Troubleshooting is also easier as is testing and validation. The increased flexibility and openness of the solution, also means the doors are wide open for future machine developments and enhancement.\n\n\"Our customers benefit from a multi-lingual interface, reduced energy consumption, reduced changeovers times, faster installation, start-up & maintenance and increased reliability,\" he concludes, \"with the multilingual option being incredibly useful as our customers can move machines from one country to another and simply switch languages.\"\n\nCorreia concludes: \"Another huge advantage is the ability to hot swap automation components in case of any issues. If we have an issue with a drive that is on a critical-path machine, we can simply replace with a drive from another and be up and running in a matter of minutes. In the past, if a drive from our previous supplier failed, we had to reconfigure it to work with the other machine's motor and PLC, which could take hours or days. We see very few issues on these machines, which, as a result means we have a great relationship with our customers. Based on the fact that 80 % of our production run goes to automotive, if you don't have issues from the automotive guys, you won't have issues from anyone else.\"\n\n\nTAG: industrial-automation-and-control\n\nTAG: automotive-and-tire\n\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: human-machine-interface\n\n",
    "robotic-packing-machine": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/robotic-packing-machine\n\nTITLE: Robotic Case Packer Uptime Exceeds 99%\n\nDCC Automation is a manufacturer and system integrator of material handling equipment, systems and conveyors for the food industry.\u00a0The company specializes in secondary packaging solutions.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nCollaborative Approach to Solution Design\u00a0\n\n\n\nAcross the manufacturing landscape, profitability is always tied to production efficiency. But in the food and beverage industry, systems must often achieve not only extraordinary throughput - but also the agility to quickly transition from one product to the next.\n\nMachine builder and system integrator DCC Automation aims to meet the industry's demands with material handling equipment, conveyors and turnkey systems - including custom-built primary and secondary packaging solutions. The company is part of the Rockwell Automation(R) PartnerNetworkTM program.\n\n\"All our solutions start with a partnership,\" said Horia Saulean, director of robotic solutions, DCC Automation. \"We work with customers to understand their needs and then develop solutions that deliver the most value. Increasingly, those solutions include robotics.\"\n\nThe company's collaborative approach - and robotic application expertise - led a nutrition supplement manufacturer to select DCC Automation for a new case packing solution.\n\nObsolete System Can't Keep Up\n\nThe existing case packer ran on the manufacturer's high-speed line, which handles the company's best-selling product. The equipment included both case erecting and case packing. It ran two case patterns to accommodate two product sizes.\n\nThe semi-automated system relied on multiple controllers and conveyors that were rapidly reaching end-of-life - and experiencing up to 10% downtime each shift.\n\nIn addition, changing over the system from one product size to the other required 40 to 45 minutes. And while changeover occurred only once or twice a shift, the system needed continual adjustment to maintain correct parameters.\n\nFinally, the case erecting and packing functions were combined in one compact machine with little room for product accumulation. As a result, the system could not achieve the 25 case-per-minute throughput required by the front of the line. Instead, two or three workers supported the operation by manually packing cases on the side.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\nMore Efficient Design Complemented by Robotics\n\nDCC Automation quickly identified the crux of the performance issues on the existing equipment. The obsolete control system was part of the problem. But so was the fundamental design of the machine.\n\n\"While many solutions combine case erecting and packing in one machine, we typically take a different approach in high-speed applications,\" explained Saulean. \"We separate the two technologies to create more space for product accumulation.\"\n\nIn this instance, the case erector was placed in another part of the room. This enables products to accumulate and then be divided into efficient multiple streams, depending on the pack pattern required.\n\nFor the pick-and-place function, DCC Automation chose two-dimensional delta robots.\n\n\"On-machine robots open up a lot more possibilities than a strictly mechanical solution,\" Saulean said. \"The system presents the pack pattern fully formed and the case fully erected. The robots pick-and-place the complete pack pattern.\" \u00a0\n\nThe packed cases are inspected and top-sealed - and exit to the palletizer.\n\nThe Beauty of Unified Control\n\nThe turnkey solution runs on a Rockwell Automation platform based on Allen-Bradley(R) Compact GuardLogix(R) controllers, Kinetix(R) servo drives and motors, and FactoryTalk(R) View HMI software. The system is integrated on an EtherNet/IPTM network. DCC Automation also used Emulate3DTM software early in the design process to simulate and confirm system functionality.\n\nThanks to the capabilities of the controllers, DCC Automation used the Rockwell Automation platform for all machine operations. A separate robotic control platform was not required. Unified machine control eases design and integration - and simplifies machine operation and maintenance for users, who must only understand and support one system.\n\n\"We've fully embraced the Rockwell Automation control model, which enables us to use standard components and do everything in the GuardLogix controller - including safety functions,\" said Saulean. \"This approach delivers endless efficiency.\" \u00a0\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\nAn Efficiency-Driven Future\n\nWith the new case packer in place, DCC Automation's customer has significantly improved downtime and the changeover process.\n\nIn addition, the manufacturer has eliminated the supplemental manual case packing operation. The workers originally assigned to the task have been reassigned to other critical duties.\n\nDespite these impressive gains, DCC Automation continues to collaborate with their customer to add even more agility and efficiency to the system in the future. \u00a0\n\n\"This was a first-generation machine,\" said Saulean. \"To changeover the system, operators still must make manual adjustments. We hope to transition to a strictly recipe-driven, automated process in the future.\"\n\nDCC Automation also plans to replace some existing pneumatic operations with servo-driven technology. And to add even more efficiency, the company is migrating to FactoryTalk OptixTM, a new cloud-enabled HMI\u00a0visualization platform.\n\nLearn more about OEM Solutions.\n\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: human-machine-interface\nTAG: motor-control\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: factorytalk-emulate-3d\nTAG: cloud-manufacturing\n\n",
    "sar-elektronic-gmbh-exploits-time-saving-flexibility": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/sar-elektronic-gmbh-exploits-time-saving-flexibility\n\nTITLE: SAR Elektronic GmbH Exploits Time-Saving Flexibility\n\n*** Background ***\n\nEstablished in 1985, SAR Elektronic GmbH, based in Dingolfing, near Munich, Germany, specialises in industrial and process automation. Besides its various facilities in Germany, SAR is also present in the USA, South Africa, UK, Switzerland and Slovenia and boasts more than 500 employees worldwide.\n\nThe company's broad range of products and services serves many business segments, including automation, environmental technology, test & measuring technology, IT services, surface-application systems, plastics systems and green energy; together with switchgear assembly, installation and training. Its after-sales services are offered worldwide and customers include well-known global industrial brands, medium-sized businesses and an assortment of municipalities.\n\nOne of its core skills lies in the design, build, commissioning and installation of automated solutions for the automotive industry - for both OEMs, leading Tier Ones and other suppliers. One of its popular solutions is an Automated Tyre Release Agent cell, which applies a coating to the inside of tyres prior to the curing process. The company had always used automation equipment from a German automation supplier, but when a leading international tyre manufacturer approached SAR, it requested an automation infrastructure based around Allen-Bradley(R) components from Rockwell Automation.\n\nAs well as bringing the SAR engineers up to speed on the technological and functional capabilities of the Allen-Bradley components, the engineers from Rockwell Automation in Germany also had to prove that their solution was as good if not better than the incumbent solution from the German supplier.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nThe Automated Tyre Release Agent cell is designed to apply a release coating to the inside of tyres prior to a curing process, which uses a combination of heat and pressure to change 'green' tyre forms into a finished product. The pressure is applied using a bladder, which forces the tyre, from the inside, into the heated mould in order to create its final form.\n\nThe green tyres enter the cell on a conveyor and have their barcodes scanned prior to being verified by a camera system, which serves a double purpose in that it verifies the position and dimensions of the tire and compares these dimensions against the database record generated by the bar code.\n\nA robot then picks up the tyre at the upper tire bead with a specially designed pneumatic gripper and transports it into the spraying cabinet. A holder pulls the underside of the tire bead down and variableposition nozzles spray the complete inner surface with release agents using an airless system. The gripper and tyre can be rotated inside the cabin by up to 390 degrees. Once the spraying process is complete, the robot arm withdraws the gripper and tyre and deposits the treated tyre onto an exit conveyor, which then conveys it to the curing station.\n\nThere are some areas where you don't need to or want to spray, such as the splice position. Using the SAR solution, its customers can define precise spray areas. Some competitors' solutions cannot prevent the overspray and fumes getting in to the splice area, whereas SAR's exhaust system prevents this. Any overspray within the cabinet is extracted directly at the nozzles. In addition, after a predetermined number of cycles the gripper arm is cleaned and then dried using air nozzles.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\n\"We have deployed a complete Rockwell Automation control system,\" explains Stefan Fr\"uhmorgen, project manager at SAR. \"At its heart is a midrange Allen-Bradley CompactLogixTM L36ERM programmable automation controller (PAC) with an Allen-Bradley Kinetix(R) 6500 servo drive providing the motion solution that defines the nozzle movement within the tyre. The tyre curves are very uneven, but Kinetix gives us the flexibility to get right inside the tire. The system is controlled and visualised using FactoryTalk(R) View running on an Allen-Bradley PC 6181P Integrated Display Computer.\"\n\nOn the EtherNet/IPTM network, SAR also deploys an Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) 40P variable-speed drive, Point I/OTM, ArmorBlock(R), a Stratix 5700TM managed switch, a 9300 NAT switch, which allows easier integration into customer facilities and GuardMaster(R) safety relays for machine/personnel protection. The robots are controlled by dedicated controllers, but as Rohan Shrivastava, software engineer at SAR explains: \"The handshaking between the robot controller and CompactLogix PAC is remarkably simple.\"\n\n*** Results ***\n\nShrivastava explains the other advantages he has seen: \"The Rockwell Automation solution offers us a lot more flexibility and is simpler to work with, saving us lots of time per module. With the Rockwell Automation solution you can also more easily deploy a much greater variety of third-party devices; you have the flexibility to transfer signals and add more components, as a lot of the integrations steps are automatic.\"\n\nAs well as streamlining the design time, SAR is also very complimentary regarding Rockwell Automation's support throughout the project. \"We have a good relationship with the Rockwell Automation office in Munich, which has always made engineers available to us whenever needed during the commissioning phase and is very fast to offer support,\" Fr\"uhmorgen explains. \"Indeed we see a high service quality with Rockwell Automation.\"\n\nShrivastava explains the roadmap for the machine: \"The basic concept of our machines stays the same, what evolves is the functionality. Recipe handling on the Rockwell Automation equipment is much easier as there is a direct data connection from the controller to the HMI. We are also looking to exploit the EtherNet/IP network's capabilities with the possibility of remote maintenance in future designs.\"\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to this customer's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\nTAG: tire\n\n",
    "recycler-uses-intelligent-motor-control-solution-to-simplify-ope": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/recycler-uses-intelligent-motor-control-solution-to-simplify-ope\n\nTITLE: Recycler Uses Intelligent Motor Control Solution to Simplify Operation\n\n*** Background ***\n\nThis recycler's newest facility dedicated to recovering zinc and lead from the industrial waste stream. This plant recycles electric arc furnace (EAF) steel dust utilizing the Waelz Kiln technology.\n\nThe EAF dust generated by steel mills contains zinc. This new facility specializes in the reclamation of zinc and other metals from this dust.\n\nThe recycler's main product is waelz oxide, also known as crude zinc oxide (CZO). This product is transformed into zinc oxide, zinc sulfate or zinc metal by zinc smelters. The recycler also produces waelz iron product (WIP), an iron concentrate.\n\nThis recycling facility \u2013 located in Korea \u2013 will process more than 110,000 tons of EAF dust annually.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nAt this recycler, one kiln powers everything from iron grinding up to 110,000 tons annually. Demand is rising, increasing the need to transfer to a much smarter plant.\n\nLeadership, aware of the benefits of new technology and solutions, started with a small product: the Allen-Bradley\u00ae E300 electronic overload relay. This relay's flexible design, simplified wiring and seamless Logix integration removes obstacles in network communications, and offers real-time diagnostics to maximize up-time, improve efficiency and productivity, and protect assets.\n\nThis factory had started to equip with several Rockwell Automation products and solutions: ControlLogix\u00ae control system; SMC\u2122 Flex soft starters; and software, including FactoryTalk\u00ae View\u00a0based on EtherNet.\n\nThis was an important application, as it was the first time the E300 electronic overload relay was applied in the Korean market.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nThe recycler's main goal was to simplify data transfer in the facility. The E300 was a better choice for the network, as it could efficiently synchronize data between installed machines and devices.\n\nThe modular design of the E300 electronic overload relay allowed the recycler to tailor the device for their application's exact needs. On-device settings like network address configuration, restoring factory default setting and security settings provided additional advantages.\n\nThis solution was easy to integrate, since many other Rockwell Automation products were widely used in the facility. Using products from one supplier helped to ensure reliable data transfer, avoiding gateway devices to synchronize data between devices, and ensuring that the recycler could fully realize the benefits of integrating a single intelligent motor control system.\n\nAlong with the E300 electronic overload relay, nine sets of SMC Flex soft starters were installed. The modular design aided in installation and commissioning, and the built-in backlit LCD display with flexible communication provided advanced monitoring, performance, diagnostics and protection.\n\nBuilt-in current and voltage protection provides enhanced power monitoring and diagnostic capabilities without additional monitoring equipment while enabling ground fault detection. The simplified application improved setup efficiency and process optimization.\n\nWith FactoryTalk View installed, it was easy to provide real-time motor diagnostic information to proactively indicate when a motor has a problem, allowing operators to efficiently troubleshoot.\n\nThe communication options of the E300 overload relay allowed operators to view diagnostics information using the Logix add-on profile, web browser and faceplates. Using FactoryTalk View in single control room allowed operators to have one control tower, improving efficiency.\n\nAdditionally, the single network based on Ethernet enabled the data to be synchronized within other facilities all around the world. All local data can be viewed and monitored in the group's headquarters. The data includes information related to device conditions and can be monitored regardless of location \u2013 critical to the recycler's effort to create a \"smart factory\" in the future, or a connected enterprise through the ERP level.\n\nTo ensure that this installation faced minimal risk and was completed in the proposed timeline, Solution Provider APTech offered specific knowledge around motor overload relays. The APTech team completed a retrospective analysis of the legacy products in advance the installation, and defined an optimal migration solution with minimal risk.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nThe recycler's goal was to decrease downtime, increase speed to market and optimize operations. By installing the E300 electronic overload relay, these goals were met.\n\nWith one kiln now completed with this simpler and safer architecture, this recycler now is in a position to benefit from the improvements generated by Rockwell Automation products and solutions.\n\nThe savings of this intelligent motor system is 400 million won/year, an increase in savings of approximately 50 percent increase compared to the previous year.\u00a0\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to this recycler's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nAllen-Bradley, E300, ControlLogix, FactoryTalk, Rockwell Software and SMC are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\n\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\n\n",
    "solutions-in-action--trinamics-inc--": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/solutions-in-action--trinamics-inc--\n\nTITLE: Solutions in Action: Trinamics Inc.\n\nProduction forecasting is not a perfect science. Still, successful machine builders are often called upon to develop cost-effective equipment that enables customers to meet future capacity requirements. That can be especially difficult in the food industry, where consumer demand is particularly fickle. \"Part of our job at the front end of every equipment purchase is helping our customers see the value of deploying a flexible solution that can accommodate future needs,\" said Barry Ryzebol, co-owner, Trinamics. \"Anticipating exactly where they are 'going to grow' is often the most difficult part of developing an appropriate solution.\"\n\nLocated in Orangeville, Ontario, Trinamics produces a line-up of quality packaging machinery for food, beverage, household and personal care product manufacturers. Recently, the company was asked to develop an integrated cartoner/case packer for a leading chicken processing company. \"In terms of production capacity, the customer wanted our solution to do more than keep up with their existing baggers,\" Ryzebol said. \"They planned to introduce some off -skid product into the packaging line \u2013 and wanted to ensure they could ramp-up overall production in the future, as well.\" The Trinamics solution handles the pressed chicken product from the discharge point of two vertical form fill seal (VFFS) machines, where it is bagged, to the palletizers at the end of the line. Before entering the cartoner, metering belts separate the bagged product and conditioning hardware manipulates each bag. The bags are then deposited into the traveling buckets on the cartoner bucket conveyor. The filled buckets travel forward to the carton load station where the bags are end loaded into retail-ready cartons. Next, carton flaps are sequentially closed and sealed using melt adhesive.\n\nIn the last step, the product is conveyed to the integrated side-load case packer. Here, the cartons are packed according to a specified fl at or on-edge pack pattern, and ultimately discharged for palletizing. \"There's a high percentage of motion control hardware in this application,\" Ryzebol explained. \"In the old days, we handled that with mechanical gearboxes and line shafts. Now, it's all servo technology, which achieves more consistent performance and reduces the number of maintenance points.\" The Trinamics equipment is based on a Rockwell Automation control system featuring Allen-Bradley\u00ae Kinetix\u00ae 5500 servo drives and Kinetix VPF food-grade servo motors. The servo control includes 27 total axes \u2013 14 for the cartoner and 13 for the case packer. All machine functionality is managed by an Allen-Bradley CompactLogix\u2122 controller. The system also incorporates Allen-Bradley PowerFlex\u00ae 525 AC drives to control the conveyance equipment. The solution is integrated on an EtherNet/IP\u2122 network and monitored with Allen-Bradley PanelView\u2122 Plus 6 graphic terminals.\n\nThe Kinetix and PowerFlex drives include integrated Safe Torque-Off functionality, which can improve both machine safety and availability. Safe-off capability removes rotational power from the motor without powering down the entire machine. As a result, equipment can be brought to a stop more safely and restarted more quickly. \"Safety is critical for this application,\" Ryzebol said. \"With the exception of a few places where we bring in or take out product, the machine is virtually 100 percent guarded. We utilize Allen-Bradley Category 3 safety interlock switches throughout the system.\" For this solution, the Trinamics machine shares space with the primary processing equipment and is therefore subject to the humidity and temperature variations of a complete washdown environment. \"The processing line is exposed to routine clean-up and extensive nightly sanitation procedures, which expose our equipment to high humidity levels and periodic splash,\" Ryzebol said. \"The food-grade motors can withstand this environment.\" Besides offering higher quality, white food-grade paint, the VPF motors also feature a simplified, single cable connection to the servo drives, which speeds installation by about 50 percent. \"Installation is much cleaner than it used to be,\" Ryzebol said. \"It's pretty much 'plug and play'.\"\n\nIn the end, Trinamics delivered a solution that met the customer's current budget and production requirements \u2013 and has an approximately 30 percent capacity buffer to meet future needs. \"At Trinamics, we start with a core design concept or machine model \u2013 and then tailor it to the application at hand,\" Ryzebol said. \"Standardizing on a Rockwell Automation platform helps us establish consistent quality and customer expectations across the board.\"\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "polpharma-digital-transformation": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/polpharma-digital-transformation\n\nTITLE: Digital Twins Help Polpharma Maintain Quality\n\nFor many companies, remote support looks like this: a technician discovers a problem and calls a colleague to walk through the solution. Hours on the phone might lead to a fast solution - or the facility could face a prolonged shutdown.\n\nThe Polpharma pharma plant in Starogard Gda'nski, Poland knew this scenario well. This plant is the only Polpharma facility in Poland that produces large-scale active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), or the active substances for the manufacture of finished drug forms.\n\nTheir annual production capacity is 3.9billion tablets and capsules, and 118million units in liquid form (injection preparations in polyethylene packaging and glass ampoules, as well as infusion fluids and liquids for external use). Annual API production is 600 tons.\n\nTheir broad and varied portfolio and years of experience allow Polpharma to offer modern products and solutions to pharmaceutical companies worldwide. About 20% of the substances they manufacture are used for the production of their own finished drug forms. The rest are intended for external companies, 95% of which is exported, mainly to other EU countries and to North America, Latin America, North Africa, Korea and Japan. They are present on six continents, and their market position is growing.\n\nSo when something goes wrong, the shutdown can affect millions of people.\n\n\"Before Polpharma's digital transformation, remote support consisted of phone calls between technicians.\"\n\n***** Solving Problems the Old Fashioned Way *****\n\nThe technical staff in the field often relied on smartphones to solve problems - they called each other.\n\nBefore the augmented reality (AR) Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) pilot project, users monitored the installation and condition of equipment through a SCADA system at operator stations.\n\nNow, Polpharma has a digital platform based on PTC(R)'s Vuforia(R) Chalk AR\u00a0and ThingWorx(R) application, part of FactoryTalk(R) InnovationSuite.\n\nPolpharma creates digital twins to monitor the parameters of assets. By digitally bringing their mechanical designs to life, they can \"see\" problems and rely on remote subject matter experts and technical staff to solve problems efficiently and precisely.\n\n***** World Leader Improves Maintenance and Support *****\n\nThe remote aspect of this solution is increasingly important, especially with pandemic constraints. The result is a user-friendly, smart platform for training new employees, effective maintenance, and supervision.\n\nIn addition to improved maintenance and support using smart AR applications connected to the ThingWorx(R) platform, the team appreciates new functionalities, including online calculated KPIs, prediction of failure for assets, online access to technical documentation, Top 10 alarms and an interactive operator help system for maintenance work.\n\n\"Polpharma has a user-friendly, smart platform for training of new employees, effective maintenance and installation supervision.\"\n\n***** Double Digit Improvements *****\n\nPolpharma worked with Rockwell Automation to create a global\u00a0digital transformation\u00a0process supported by top management.\n\n\"What surprised me was time-to-market for this project,\" said Buca. \"Many milestones were actually on time, despite a very short implementation time.\"\n\nBased on early results, the team was able to reduce failure removal time 10-15%, reduce energy consumption by technical assets by 15-20%, and achieve a 10% decrease in maintenance time by more efficiently solving technical problems via remote support for technical staff on site. This option, according to Polpharma, was crucial during the pandemic.\n\nAfter the pilot project, the solution was implemented in two additional locations.\n\nTAG: empower-people\nTAG: accelerate-digital-transformation\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: pharmaceutical\nTAG: life-sciences\n\nTAG: factorytalk-emulate-3d\n\n",
    "automate-asset-management": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/automate-asset-management\n\nTITLE: Builder Modernizes Maintenance & Improves Uptime\n\nEDMS Consultants Sdn Bhd provides digital solutions and services including Content, Document and Business Process Management. EDMS assists in automating and streamlining clients' business processes - resulting in improved business profitability and productivity.\n\nAn Asia Pacific engineering and construction firm is helping to advance the region's digital industrialized building system (IBS) capabilities and revolutionize the local construction industry. IBS is a process in which precast walls, slabs and other structural elements are produced off-site and later assembled and installed at the construction site.\n\nWith digital IBS, cloud-based Building Information Modeling is integrated with high-level automation and robotic production to produce parts to specification in a controlled manufacturing setting. This technique provides greater precision and accuracy, leading to enhanced product quality and reduced waste. It also accelerates construction timelines, reduces the need for manual labor, improves project safety, and minimizes the carbon footprint during construction.\n\nUsing digital IBS, this firm has the production capacity to deliver up to 10,000 housing units annually and make a significant contribution to local affordable housing inventory and goals.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nLimitations of Manual Asset Management\n\nDespite running an advanced manufacturing operation featuring a large base of complex machinery and robotics, the firm was tracking its asset management and maintenance activities manually using spreadsheets. This led to insufficient equipment information, including limited data about previous performance issues, repair history, and current availability of spare parts. As a result, reactive\u00a0maintenance and emergency breakdowns often took place, and there were frequent delays in securing replacement parts. All of which increased downtimes.\n\nTo remedy those issues and become more strategic with maintenance operations, the firm registered for a free trial with Fiix, a Rockwell Automation company. Fiix provides a comprehensive CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System) software platform that automates maintenance management.\u00a0\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\nAutomate Asset Management and Maintenance with Fiix\n\nQuickly seeing the value of Fiix, the firm ultimately adopted the CMMS platform and eventually engaged EDMS Consultants in 2019 for further support. EDMS partners with Fiix to provide digital solutions and services to help clients automate and streamline processes, including asset management.\n\n\"Fiix's user-friendly interface and real time data access has empowered this client's maintenance team to proactively address issues, optimize asset performance and minimize downtime,\" said Mohammad Thaqif Taher, EDMS application consultant.\n\nUsing Fiix's Asset Management module, the firm now registers, tracks and manages assets and lifecycle performance in a centralized dashboard that offers necessary stakeholders access to real-time information.\n\n\"This has led to better asset utilization and maintenance planning, including preventative maintenance,\" Thaqif explained. \"Information available includes the historical maintenance activities associated with a particular asset from day one so users can see everything that has been done previously.\"\u00a0\u00a0\n\nThe firm uses Fiix's Work Order Management module to improve and streamline incoming work orders. This feature allows employees to submit a work order request even if they're not a licensed Fiix user.\n\n\"This module also allows them to analyze the thousands of work orders previously completed,\" Thaqif said. \"Such data-driven insight leads to more informed decisions regarding asset maintenance, resource allocation and long-term planning.\"\n\nWhether on-site or working remotely, all of these capabilities and information are available in Fiix's mobile app. Further, the firm uses Fiix's reporting tools to generate and send custom reports with critical insights to its maintenance and management teams.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\nWorld-Class Preventative Maintenance Compliance and Reduced Downtime\n\nWith real-time access to asset performance and other critical information, the firm increased its Preventative Maintenance Compliance rate from about 60% to a world-class rate of 88% by the end of its 2020 fiscal year (and before the global pandemic changed production patterns and standards).\n\n\"Fiix is one of the best CMMS software products that I have ever used for maintenance planning activities,\" said a senior maintenance engineer with the firm. \"After several years of using Fiix, we've seen a lot of improvement in my department especially with maintenance downtime that impacted production.\"\n\nBy 2020, the firm had lowered its total downtime to 4.52%, below its 6% monthly target rate.\n\n\"The implementation of Fiix has increased the visibility and enhanced the overall operation efficiency of their maintenance operations,\" noted Thaqif. \"With a clear view of activities and asset status, they're maximizing the lifespan of its critical equipment.\"\n\nExplore CMMS and ERP System Integration\n\nAs part of its engagement with this firm and its other clients, EDMS provides a regular schedule of Health Check reports and sessions. In these sessions, they look at how clients are using Fiix and identify opportunities to maximize the platform's full capabilities.\n\n\"For example, this firm has the opportunity to use Fiix's Parts Forecaster tool to gain valuable predictive insights into spare parts availability, which enhances parts and purchasing management by reducing stock out, related downtime and maintenance costs,\" Thaqif said.\n\n\"We also hope to integrate this and other Fiix data with their ERP system, Thaqif added. \"We want them to leverage all of Fiix's modules and we're committed to providing ongoing support during their Fiix journey.\"\n\nTAG: build-resilience\n\nTAG: infrastructure\n\nTAG: fiix\n\n",
    "campari-centralizes-bourbon-production": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/campari-centralizes-bourbon-production\n\nTITLE: Campari Centralizes Bourbon Production\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "saving-space-time-money-with-advance-automation": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/saving-space-time-money-with-advance-automation\n\nTITLE: Saving space, time & money with advance automation\n\nShawpak was formed in 2013 when David Shaw, CEO, concluded that thermoforming machines - traditionally 6 m long and linear - could actually be condensed into a smaller footprint, but with the same output; an idea that eventually resulted in the company's revolutionary rotary thermoformer.\n\nUnlike traditional linear thermoformers, Shawpak's rotary thermoforming machine uses a drum to form, fill and seal the medical devices. By using a drum, machine size can be significantly reduced, meaning it takes up far less cleanroom real-estate.\n\nExtensive portfolio\n\nThe Shawpak thermoformer, which comes in a range of sizes, can produce both rigid and flexible packs, and is joined in the company's portfolio by pouch machines (three- and four-side seal), rigid blister machines, desktop pouch sealers, shuttle machines and linear thermoforming machines.\n\nAccording to Tony Crofts, sales & marketing director: \"Our machines are typically purchased by medical device manufacturing companies, pharmaceutical companies, and robotic/automation companies to integrate into their packaging lines. The size of the drum thermoformer is very attractive to customers, due to the cost premium of clean room space. They can fit multiple drum-based machines into the space taken up by a traditional linear machine.\"\n\nFlexibility & sustainability\n\n\"Flexibility of tooling is also important, with ours offering straightforward procedures to swap it out, ultimately reducing downtime. Sustainability is a big thing too, and we are proud that our rotary machine is zero waste when making flexible blister packs. The material width is the same as the tooling, so packs are made without any waste, not only saving money, but also removing the need for a waste bin. The machine is also single phase, so does not require special power infrastructure.\"\n\nThe company, which has recently migrated all of its control solutions over to Rockwell Automation, was also a shining light during and after the Covid pandemic, by giving its customers greater control over their supply chains.\n\n\"Post Covid there were huge issues with the supply of packaging materials, especially pouches,\" Crofts explains. \"We worked very closely with customers, got to the root of their issues and created a pouch-making machine that would allow them to remove their reliance on downstream pre-made-pouch suppliers. This proved Incredibly popular, so we looked to develop other solutions, one of which addressed the shortage in pre-made rigid blister packs.\n\n\"As lead times started getting longer, we heard that some customers were buying and renting premises to store the packaging required for future production. So, in a similar move to that of the pouch-making machine, we developed a rigid-blister-making machine that customers can vertically integrate into their lines and build packages from roll stock.\"\n\nMedical Device industry standard\n\nBoth machines (and others in the company's portfolio) use control and automation solutions from Rockwell Automation. \"We recently migrated our control systems over to Rockwell Automation, as not only did we gain new employees who bought with them significant in-depth knowledge of the Logix environment, but it is also the standard for the US market, which is where many of our exports head.\n\n\"The Rockwell Automation solution has given us additional functionality compared to our previous supplier, while also allowing us to meet customer requirements more thoroughly. Put simply, it takes the technical questions off the table. Adding to this, most user-requirement specifications (URS) either stipulate Rockwell Automation controls, or they have list functional requests that we know Rockwell Automation can match.\n\n\"The functionality of our control systems now allows us to offer almost anything that anyone would request. Connectivity played a big part in our migration too. Our previous supplier did not 'speak Ethernet', which means even adding a printer was not easy.\"\n\nRegulatory compliance - now and in the future\n\n\"Finally, CFR21 11 compliance is essential. Because we're in the medical market, we have to offer validation and interrogation of systems settings and data-export capabilities. And Rockwell Automation gives us the confidence that we can tick all the necessary boxes.\n\n\"Medical device requirements (MDC) are forever growing and having access to a comprehensive control system that you can interrogate for operational data is critical. We have to think about the next five to ten years and what it will take for customers to be and remain compliant.\"\n\nDiscover our comprehensive portfolio of OEM and machine design solutions, here\n\nTAG: machine-and-equipment-builders\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: life-sciences\n\n",
    "faster--_greener--smarter-bottle-labeling": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/faster--_greener--smarter-bottle-labeling\n\nTITLE: Faster, \"Greener,\" Smarter Bottle Labeling\n\nIn the food and beverage industry, shelf appeal can make or break a product launch. And in a marketplace where choices are seemingly endless, attracting consumer attention is an uphill battle.\n\nFor beverages, unique bottle silhouettes and compelling label designs often play equal parts in establishing market presence. At the same time, minimizing packaging materials \u2013 and optimizing manufacturing efficiency \u2013 are always important considerations.\n\n\"Unlike glue-applied labels, full-sleeve shrink labels allow manufacturers to take advantage of the entire landscape of the bottle for marketing purposes,\" said Chris Thomas, director of controls technology, Axon. \"Shrink sleeves enable optimal product representation \u2013 and can be adapted to virtually any bottle shape.\"\n\nBased in Raleigh, North Carolina, Axon manufactures applicators for heat-shrink sleeves, tamper evident bands and stretch sleeves, as well as a full line of heat-shrink tunnels. The company is a division of Pro Mach, a leading provider of integrated packaging products and solutions.\n\n*** Ultra-Thin Film Application Challenges ***\n\nWith the advent of ultra-thin films, shrink labels can now be made with about half the amount of plastic as conventional options. Not only do lighter films reduce packaging material, but they are also becoming increasingly available in eco-friendly biodegradable options.\n\nUltra-thin films also can shrink faster in the heat-intensive shrink tunnels \u2013 and can thereby help reduce energy usage.\n\n\"No doubt, there are many advantages,\" said Thomas. \"But applying film as light as 25 microns poses significant challenges.\"\n\nWith handling characteristics that mimic that of facial tissue, ultra-thin films are difficult to control. Especially in high-speed applications, achieving consistent label placement requires extraordinary accuracy.\n\n\"Thicker film tends to work its way around the bottle if it catches the product slightly off-edge during application,\" Thomas said. \"Ultra-thin film is unforgiving \u2013 and when things go wrong, they go wrong very quickly at high speeds.\"\n\n*** Maintaining Accuracy, Optimizing Speed ***\n\nTo address the challenges of ultra-thin film, Axon recently introduced the SLX high-speed shrink sleeve applicator, designed for films from 75 to 25 microns. Featuring a compact footprint, the SLX is one of the most advanced single-head inline systems available today.\u00a0\n\n\"Our initial goal was to maintain accuracy and set speed records with this machine,\" Thomas said. \"Depending on model, the SLX is rated at 600 to 800 products per minute (ppm) \u2013 and can surge to 1000 ppm in certain conditions.\"\n\nThe key to this extraordinary performance is three-fold. First, the machine maintains precise product positioning, thanks to a dual timing screw on the infeed. Second, the mandrel-style applicator features patent-pending film delivery technology. And finally, the equipment runs on the latest control platform from Rockwell Automation, including the\u00a0Allen-Bradley\u00ae CompactLogix\u2122 5380 controller and Allen-Bradley Kinetix\u00ae 5500 servo drive.\n\n*** Control System Meets Demands ***\n\nTo achieve optimal speed on the continuous motion machine, Axon required a controller with processor capacity that could maintain accuracy in a high production environment. When a machine of this type runs at high speed, a one millisecond delay in response time translates into a few millimeters of distance.\n\n\"When we started product development, the CompactLogix 5380 didn't exist and \u2013 I wasn't sure we would be able to achieve our goals,\" Thomas explained. \"But I was pleasantly surprised by the processor performance.\"\n\n\"And the Kinetix 5500 servos hold their position really well,\" Thomas added. \"Plus, they have adaptive tuning and load observer functionality. It all just worked \u2013 immediately.\"\n\nThe load observer and adaptive tuning features enable smart machine functionality by automatically tuning the drive to electrically compensate for unknown mechanics that can change over time.\n\n*** Streamlined Changeovers ***\n\nThe SLX is also built to enable seamless film roll changes, thanks to an auto-splice unit. And the equipment eases product changeover with an electronic format monitoring system that guides mechanical tooling adjustments. The machine can be readied to run a new product within 10-15 minutes.\n\nLooking toward the future, Axon hopes to develop ways to improve the overall energy efficiency of shrink sleeve technology.\n\n\"Ultra-thin films help conserve energy, but one of my goals is to design shrink systems that consume less energy overall,\" Thomas said. \"That's the next hurdle for the industry.\"\u00a0\n\nAllen-Bradley, CompactLogix, Kinetix, Rockwell Automation and Rockwell Software are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc. EtherNet/IP is a trademark of ODVA, Inc. Trademarks not belonging to Rockwell Automation are the property of their respective companies.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "rockwell-automation-ram-electronics-together-at-the-mill": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/rockwell-automation-ram-electronics-together-at-the-mill\n\nTITLE: Rockwell Automation and RAM Electronics together at the mill\n\n***** A pilot project successfully developed by RAM Elettronica using Rockwell Automation technology has been implemented across five production sites *****\n\nThe supply chain that produces one of the symbolic products of the Mediterranean diet cannot be stopped. If the millstones stop operating, the entire food system would be in crisis. That's why companies in this industry try to continually innovate, taking into account not only the intrinsic complexity of the market, but also a thousand-year tradition that must be preserved.\n\nThis means that the selection of industrial automation vendors is based on a careful evaluation of their technological contribution, but above all on their know-how and expertise to implement these innovations. It is no surprise that this impressive multi-site project involved Rockwell Automation, a leader in industrial automation solutions, and RAM Elettronica, which today supports 85% of medium to large Italian companies in the mill and pasta factory industry.\n\nRAM Elettronica, an italian company operating in the electrical plant sector, is the evolution of the individual company founded by Vincenzo Scarcelli in 1974, of which he has integrated all the activities. The company is headquartered in Andria, close to the region of Tavoliere delle Puglie, which has been considered the granary of Italy since the time of the ancient Romans. Today the company employs around 50 people at its headquarters, which increases to 100 employees when ancillary activities are taken into account. More than 20 technicians and engineers are involved exclusively in operational design and development. Close to its 50th anniversary, RAM Elettronica has grown from simple industrial systems to the implementation of domestic and international industrial power systems.\n\nIn addition to this specialized activity, in the last 20 years they have been working in the field of industrial process automation and supervision, developing their own software, thanks to deep knowledge of industry-specific manufacturing processes.\n\n\"Since the beginning, we have mainly dealt with automatic systems and equipment for the milling and pasta industry; we provide automation projects for the majority of medium to large Italian companies, during the years we have also gained experience in other areas such as pharmaceuticals and feed\" says Riccardo Scarcelli, Technical Director and Sales Manager of RAM Elettronica. \"However, we don't just look at the Italian market since about 20% of our sales in automation solutions come from abroad.\"\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** Five production sites, one control system *****\n\nThe relationship between RAM Elettronica and Rockwell Automation began in the early 2000s. Recently, this long-term collaboration has been strengthened by a large modernization project for a leading manufacturer of flour mills. A successful pilot project was later implemented in five integrated sites throughout the country.\n\nPrior to modernization by RAM Elettronica, the system was based on a Windows XP solution with a legacy PLC.\n\nOne of the client's main concerns was that they were investing in a non-standardized solution. \"This is why we decided to use only Rockwell Automation technology,\" explains Scarcelli. \"We have developed control and supervision software using solely the high-level libraries of Rockwell Automation's modern PlantPAx(R) DCS.\"\n\nThese libraries made it possible to standardise the same control, monitoring and supervisory technology for all users and process measurements on all sites. This has also guaranteed a security approach compliant with the functional requirements of the IEC 62443-3-3 standard.\n\n\"We have created a platform using world class controllers, since the plants are very large both in terms of software content and in terms of hardware. The complexity of the system is impressive with over 3000 I/Os and almost 15,000 tags.\" Specifically, the new automation platform is based on Allen-Bradley GuardLogix(R) SIL 2/PL d controllers, enabling the safety features of the systems. All sites share a single server in an IDC - a multi-platform Industrial Data Center provided by Rockwell Automation - where data is exchanged, allowing real-time control on the plant-floor and the ability to take immediate action, with many advantages in terms of service continuity.\n\nFor the supervisory tasks, FactoryTalk(R) View software was used, while FactoryTalk Historian Site Edition was implemented as the historian tool.\n\n\"Using a single platform to manage all the data allows the client to perform analysis on the five sites through external software,\" says Scarcelli. \"To that end, by utilizing the Historian tools residing in FactoryTalk View, we can perform the required data aggregations in a timely manner.\"\n\nAs a result, all plant supervision, historian, and data aggregation operations are based on the Rockwell Automation software suite and without the need for additional code development.\n\nAs part of its objective to centralize all data, control & visualization resources, RAM Elettronica is implementing a Rockwell Automation solution for the visualization of multiple application instances on new thin client HMIs and mobile devices. The goal is to ensure that operators have full access to data and procedures from the various factory information systems.\n\nThis allows, for example, a chief miller to move around the various areas with a tablet and receive contextual information about the asset performance and scheduled maintenance procedures, all displayed through the ThinManager platform.\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** A robust installation *****\n\nWith such a large facility, business continuity is a key requirement. Although there are five sites communicating with each other, operations are smooth and seamless. \"The mills serve different pasta factories,\" Scarcelli explains. \"This means that if the plant shuts down, flour will not be delivered on time. It would obstruct the entire supply chain and cause enormous damage.\"\n\n\u00a0Therefore, the main goal of the project was to rely on a continuously operating system. \"That's why companies in this industry today are increasingly looking for serious, proven providers, starting with system integrators,\" he adds. \"The ability to provide \"generic\" automation systems is one thing, specialization is another. Only many years of domain expertise allow to appropriately foresee and manage the problems encountered in such complex plants. For this project, the client acknowledged both our field experience and our great commitment.\u00a0\n\nToday the project is almost complete. RAM Elettronica and the customer are collaborating on two final features. The first one is operator safety, with the next goal being the ability to communicate with the equipment via mobile devices. For remote maintenance, they are assigning the operators a QR code. The second feature is the development of an MES system.\n\n\"The real problem today is that customers and system integrators typically use a \"copy-and-paste\" approach, thus avoiding the selection of a new brand,\" Scarcelli concludes.\n\n\"Instead, we started from scratch. The project was considered as a whole and developed exclusively with Rockwell Automation technology, which was the winning factor. The end customer now has a single control room to monitor the performance of all five plants located in the various regions of Italy and they can carry out in-depth analyses to support better decision-making and increase the overall production effectiveness of the plants.\"\n\nThis success is based on a long-term winning collaboration and today finds new strength thanks to the combination of the deep expertise developed by RAM Elettronica and the technological excellence of Rockwell Automation, which paves the way to new and more challenging projects.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to RAM Elettronica's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\nTAG: factorytalk-view-studio\n\n",
    "corosys-ready-to-conquer-us-brewing-market": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/corosys-ready-to-conquer-us-brewing-market\n\nTITLE: corosys Ready to Conquer Us Brewing Market\n\n***** Background *****\n\ncorosys Prozesssysteme und Sensoren GmbH (corosys Process Systems and Sensors plc) is a manufacturer and supplier of sensors, components and complete process systems for the worldwide brewing, beverage, chemical/pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.\n\nIt provides engineering solutions ranging in size from single sensors to turnkey plants and systems. As a medium-scale enterprise, it is always in a position to react quickly and flexibly to customer needs. For over ten years it has provided innovative, high quality and individual customer solutions, with more than 600 projects in six continents demonstrating the quality and efficiency of its solutions.\n\nIn its desire to offer applications to a more global audience, the company recently embarked on a programme to develop control and process architectures based on Allen-Bradley(R) products and solutions from Rockwell Automation. Following this development work, not only has the company increased its export potential, but it has also realised many of the technical benefits inherent with the Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture approach.\n\n***** Challenge *****\n\nThe primary challenge for corosys was the development of completely new control infrastructures for many elements within its line of machine and process solutions. For the US market it also needed a solution that would already be compliant with local and national legislation and the bespoke legislation within the brewing and beverage industry.\n\nFor this migration project, it knew it would have to rely heavily on automation engineers from its new supplier, who not only knew the industry, but also the many challenging demands of the processes; as well as having an intimate knowledge of their own hardware and how it would interact with existing enterprise-level systems at the customer sites.\n\n***** Solution *****\n\nOne machine to benefit from the new solution is the company's Carbonation System (CCS), which continuously and highly accurately controls the CO2 content of beer, beer mix drinks, soft drinks and mineral water by precisely regulated dosing of CO2. The process is well established in the brewing and soft drink industry for the production of carbonated beverages and can be installed between beer filtration and the bright beer tank (BBT) as well as directly before the filler. A blending system or a premixer can also be combined with the unit. The system is characterised by highly accurate and reliable analysers and precise control algorithms.\n\nStefan Feider, Head of Automation at corosys explains the process: \"The US market has a lot of manual filters and our idea was to engineer a carbonation system to carbonate beer to a very accurate value, without the need for a buffer tank. Normally you need a buffer prior to carbonation and then a filler tank afterwards. With our unit, running on the Allen-Bradley hardware and Rockwell Software(R) solution, we can run without a buffer tank. It is also a very small unit compared to other solutions. And with many of our customers having real estate at a premium, the compactness of the Allen-Bradley CompactLogixTM programmable automation controller (PAC) suited the small cabinet size, while still delivering the performance we needed.\"\n\nIn operation, CO2 is injected into the beer via a GDI gas injector developed by corosys. The gas injector splits the CO2 into very small bubbles to ensure that the CO2 completely dissolves in a very short time. The homogeneous dispersion and the absence of gas bubbles can be monitored using a sight glass situated at the outlet of the dissolving path and the CO2 content is continuously measured in-line at the outlet of the unit. The productspecific set point is compared with the process value and the CO2 flow is adjusted accordingly using a control algorithm. The control valve, which is located at the end of the dissolving path, keeps the pressure in the system constant, even if the flow is unsteady.\n\n\"We measure the CO2 content at the end using a sample system.\" Feider explains, \"The CompactLogix PAC is used to calculate the levels using advanced algorithms and then changes the flow to adjust it to reflect the optimum mix. The PAC looks at the input and the output, so the levels do not have to be retrospectively adjusted. This approach means that there is no need for a buffer tank as the flow is adjusted inline.\"\n\nIn addition to the CompactLogix PAC, the machine also deploys an Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM HMI to provide operator interactions, Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) 525 and 755 variable-speed drives to control the pumps, and a number of I/O modules for data capture and sensor inputs. By deploying an EtherNet/IPTM based network infrastructure, the machine can also be controlled by a wider process control system.\n\nBy using EtherNet/IP as the primary communication protocol, corosys has given itself the opportunity to more easily offer its customers remote monitoring and maintenance, while also having the option to connect the machine into its customers' Connected Enterprise. The Connected Enterprise(R), an approach manufacturers are adopting to leverage the use of connected machines, supply chains and customers, allows them to establish manufacturing processes that are data / information rich, supported, secure and future ready for market demands.\n\nUltimately, a Connected Enterprise approach for manufacturers and their suppliers such as corosys, will create a more competitive, innovative enterprise that can deliver insights to improve productivity, sustainability and economic performance through faster time to market, lower total cost of ownership, improved asset utilisation and enterprise risk management. Other benefits of access to real-time, contextualised information, include minimised downtime, improved technology and process optimisation, greater workforce efficiency and smarter expenditure. Because EtherNet/IP is based on standard, unmodified Ethernet, it means that there is very little that needs to be done for these connections to be established; and full security solutions are also available for user control and to prevent unwarranted access.\n\n***** Results *****\n\nFeider elaborates: \"With Allen-Bradley products on board, we can now offer different options for our customers. We have seen real benefits in terms of flexibility and engineering time - reducing the overall engineering effort from four days to just two. Rockwell Automation is also the standard process control solution in the USA and the Americas and the team at Rockwell Automation in Germany gave us incredible support, especially in the engineering of the first export units.\n\n\"We use standard CompactLogix PACs, which allow us to make all the I/O very small,\" Feider continues. \"Also, by using PowerFlex drives, we have been able to leverage the Integrated Architecture environment and we now have standardised software which works across the PAC, the drives and the HMI. In our case, full parameters are stored in the PAC, which makes it much easier to monitor and programme. The integration is really superb across the PAC, the drives and the HMI; it is so easy to make adjustments.\n\n\"By using EtherNet/IP,\" he elaborates, \"we are also able to offer remote maintenance and diagnostics, something we recently deployed with a customer based in San Diego. Another big advantage of the CompactLogix & EtherNet/ IP combination, is the easier integration into customer sites, irrespective of the customer's existing hardware.\"\n\nFeider is also keen to point out the advantages over the company's other automation supplier: \"The Rockwell Automation HMI is easier to programme as we can use stored parameters, make templates and then link these to other code blocks; there is no need to re-establish programming links. The drives are completely integrated and can be set up in the PAC. It is also easier to programme as it is all in ladder logic, which is more maintenance friendly; and by using an Ethernet based solution, we don't have extra expense of costly programming plugs. Finally, all the hardware is certified for the US market and there is no need to make adjustments for different states' requirements.\"\n\n\n",
    "new-life-for-historic-technology": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/new-life-for-historic-technology\n\nTITLE: New Life for Historic Technology\n\n***** Background *****\n\nThe hydroelectric power plant in the Neue H\"utte technology museum - located in Schmalkalden in eastern Germany - stood silent for many years. Now, the local company Gesellschaft energetischer Projekte has breathed new life into the plant with a CompactLogixTM Programmable Automation Controller (PAC), part of Rockwell Automation's Integrated Architecture platform\n\nGetting old technology to work again is something that fascinates Frank Petter, who is an electrical engineer. That was why the hydropower system in the museum awoke his interest. Together with two business partners - a mechanical engineer and a master metalworker - he turned his hobby into a career and founded the company Gesellschaft energetischer Projekte (GeP). He is also its managing director. The firm specialises in the restoration and re-commissioning of old water mills and hydropower systems. \"Our goal is to preserve historical technology for future generations,\" explains Petter.\n\nTo do this, the company works with public bodies such as town councils or museums, as in this case. GeP wanted to reconnect the Neue H\"utte technical museum's hydropower system to the water network. They started by looking for an appropriate control solution - and found what they were looking for in the CompactLogixTM series of controllers. These are well suited to small and medium-sized machine applications.\n\n***** Standstill in the Turbine System *****\n\nAt Neue H\"utte, a neoclassical ironworks founded in Schmalkalden in 1835, local iron ore was turned into pig iron using coal up until 1924. Neue H\"utte is one of the last examples of this technology in Central Europe. In 1921, the ironworks was extended with a turbine facility that used hydropower to generate electricity for machines and lighting in the factory. With a second turbine added in 1938, the hydropower plant continued producing electricity right up to the 1960s. Today, the building complex has been restored as a technology museum. It bears witness to the size and technical equipment typically found in an early industrial blast furnace. In 2000, the hydropower system was restored too, but only ran for 18 months. \"After that, it was at a standstill,\" says Frank Petter. \"Technical control problems were the main issue with it.\"\n\n***** The Right Controller for the Hydropower System *****\n\n\"The controller in the system wouldn't switch on, the control panel didn't work, and we had no internal programs,\" says Petter. As a result, the automation specialist in the GeP team looked around for a suitable new solution - and the CompactLogixTM controller from Rockwell Automation caught his eye. \"It's exactly the right controller for our purposes and offers the same functionality as large controllers,\" he adds. The CompactLogixTM series handles safety, motion and drive elements, as well as discrete functions, with a single controller. It integrates programming software, control and I/O modules, helping to reduce development time along with commissioning and operating costs. As GeP found that the controller was also cost-effective, it decided to replace the old controller with a CompactLogixTM L1. \"Another advantage was that the controller is already equipped with 16 inputs and outputs - exactly the same number as the previous one,\" notes Frank Petter. \"The Rockwell Automation controller's dimensions were also slightly smaller, so we didn't need to change anything in the existing wiring cabinet.\" The team could simply fit the CompactLogixTM onto the existing top-hat rail and connect the corresponding I/Os. \"We also used a decentralised Point I/O from Rockwell Automation, as we needed to wire some additional I/Os,\" he adds. This modular I/O component is particularly suitable for industrial applications that require flexibility as well as low implementation and operating costs for the control system.\n\n***** Safety Functions Are a Top Priority *****\n\nToday, the CompactLogixTM controls both turbines in the hydropower system at the Neue H\"utte museum. It keeps the water in the inflow tank at a constant level by using valves to supply the turbines with the right amount of water. Other functions controlled by the CompactLogixTM include the selection and interaction of the turbines. An unusual characteristic of the systems is that one of the turbines operates with 11kW power and the other with 30kW. The controller also ensures that the system connects to the electricity grid at the right frequency (synchronisation) to supply energy to it. However, the most important functions are related to safety. \"If a fault occurs, the controller needs to power down the plant properly and make it safe,\" explains Petter. \"That includes stopping the water flow and opening the barrages - otherwise the system would be destroyed and the museum would become flooded.\" The controller is equipped with 24V batteries to ensure operation even if there is a power cut. Power cuts can be dangerous - even for a plant running smoothly. One example of the controller's safety functions is how it works during maintenance work on power lines, as Frank Petter explains: \"If a technician is working on a power line connected to the electricity grid, the controller stops the outflow of power from the turbines. Safety functions are our top priority here!\"\n\nThe entire plant is operated using a PanelViewTM Plus 6 graphic terminal. This provides a graphical interface that allows the operator to view, monitor and control all status information. \"We get a large number of signals from this system,\" says Frank Petter. \"That's why visualisation is the most critical aspect of system control.\" Especially as the plant can also be operated manually if desired. \"When that happens, we need precise information about the system's current status. The visualisation on a graphics display is a big advantage - we can detect any problems immediately on the overview screen and act quickly to resolve them. And if the operator needs more details, they're available in the appropriate sub-images.\"\n\n***** Faster Programming with Faceplates *****\n\nAlthough Frank Petter had no prior knowledge of Rockwell Automation, he had no problem getting to grips quickly with the programming of the plant. \"The documentation is very detailed, so I used that to familiarise myself with it.\" He also found the faceplates helpful. \"They're pre-built visualisation templates used for various control disciplines,\" explains Frank Petter. \"Rockwell Automation updates them regularly; they facilitate programming and reduce development time.\" GeP also signed a TechConnectSM contract with Rockwell Automation just in case Frank Petter needed any help. It includes real-time phone support from Rockwell Automation specialists, who answer questions on installation and configuration and help with error diagnosis and resolution.\n\n***** Everything from One Source *****\n\n\"The Rockwell Automation product range really has everything I needed for this project,\" concludes Frank Petter. \"I don't even need a different tool for programming, as there's a consistent approach throughout the entire product range.\" As the automation solutions are scalable, a small system can be expanded with no problem, and GeP is planning to extend the automation system with a Rockwell Automation PowerFlex AC drive. The company will use it to optimise settings for the turbines' operating point, so that their speed can be adapted to the amount of water available, allowing them to produce more power.\n\nThe hydropower system at the Neue H\"utte has been back in operation since the beginning of September 2013, producing energy that is fed into the grid. Profits from it are used for maintenance and other investments. The town benefits by having a \"living\" museum, which attracts a lot of visitors and makes the town a lively place to be. Some visitors participated in the creation of the museum many years ago or helped with the building work - and are now delighted with the result. Speaking to them, it becomes clear how happy they are that the hydropower system is back in operation and that they were able to experience it. \"That also gives us some additional motivation and spurs us on to implement this type of project,\" concludes Petter.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to this customer's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\nTAG: power-generation\n\n",
    "predictive-analytics-increase-ethanol-production": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/predictive-analytics-increase-ethanol-production\n\nTITLE: Ethanol Manufacture Company, Closed-Loop Dryer Process\n\n***** Challenge: Maximize production while controlling costs to meet market dynamics *****\n\nThe United States continues to see sustained demand for fuel ethanol as more cities and states have adopted policies encouraging or requiring the use of ethanol in gasoline. Dry grind ethanol production also produces distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and wet distillers grains with solubles (WDGS), which are in demand as livestock feed.\n\nThus, it's not surprising that what began as a committee of farmers and businesspeople interested in building a value-added ethanol production facility quickly resulted in a full-scale ethanol plant. The plant is capable of grinding 13 million bushels of corn, producing 35 million gallons of ethanol, and generating more than 170,000 tons of wet and distillers dried grain per year.\n\nThe rapidly growing markets for ethanol, DDGS and WDGS mean that manufacturers face great pressure to maximize production while controlling costs. Because even the smallest variables in the complex production process can impact yield, time to market, operating costs and profit margin, ethanol producers must constantly balance market dynamics with operational efficiencies.\n\n***** Solution: Capacity Building with Rockwell Automation *****\n\nSoon after it began operations, the forward-thinking team at the manufacturer began looking for ways to maximize production capacity and efficiency at its dry mill. Specifically, the team wanted to increase dryer capacity, decrease energy costs, increase DDGS moisture (and yield) and increase ethanol production through more stable beer column operation.\n\nThe team turned to Rockwell Automation, a recognized leader in predictive process control technology and environmental solutions for the ethanol industry, to implement FactoryTalk(R) AnalyticsTM Pavilion8(R) for process optimization.\n\nThe Rockwell Automation Solution enabled ethanol companies to drive operational performance to desired business objectives while\u00a0maintaining regulatory compliance. Powerful capabilities for modeling, control, monitoring, analysis, visualization, warehousing and integration\u00a0were combined to provide targeted solutions, delivering faster time-to-value and greater cumulative value than alternative solutions.\n\n**** \"The results we have achieved with Rockwell Automation have far exceeded our expectations...The Rockwell Automation Solution has given us the edge we need to boost our production capacity, with minimal additional investment in plant equipment.\" ****\n\n**** - Plant Manager, Ethanol Manufacturer ****\n\nThe ethanol manufacturer first worked with Rockwell Automation software engineers to clearly define requirements, clarify expectations\u00a0and identify anticipated benefits. The project parameters included optimizing the plant's evaporator, dryer and thermal oxidizer.\n\nRockwell Automation implemented its Pavilion8(R) solution to optimize dryer performance by predicting and closed-loop control of moisture. The solution used a multivariable, non-linear controller that was used to generate and execute dynamic optimization and control. Its continuous process control was able to maximize the ethanol manufacturer's dryer production 24 hours a day, seven days a week to yield the highest possible returns with the plant's current equipment configuration.\n\nThe controller was designed to shift drying load from dryer to evaporator. It is also customized to reduce heat losses of the thermal oxidizer hotbox temperature, resulting in a decreased need for natural gas. It controls the thermal oxidizer's process steam header pressure and the syrup evaporator (including syrup solids and steam consumption) in the beer column to manage and stabilize beer column separation with the residual evaporator steam. Rockwell Automation\u00a0also customized the ethanol manufacturer's solution to allow for higher average DDGS moisture, which increases DDGS yield.\n\n***** Results: Increased production with reduced energy *****\n\nAs a result of implementing Pavilion8(R), the ethanol manufacturer increased production by 12%. The solution also allowed the plant to significantly reduce its energy usage, resulting in a 9.9% increase in energy efficiency.\n\nThe ethanol manufacturer realized these significant benefits with minimal additional investment in plant equipment. The team estimates that the total value of the installation is more than $2.5 million per year based on industry average marginal values and cost of natural gas. The impressive project results demonstrate the significant amount of capacity hidden in production processes, readily available with the right process control solution.\n\n\nTAG: industrial-analytics\nTAG: energy\nTAG: sustainability\n\nTAG: oil-and-gas\nTAG: renewable-energy\n\nTAG: factorytalk-analytics\n\n",
    "biomass-plant-helps-university-of-british-columbia-toward-goals": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/biomass-plant-helps-university-of-british-columbia-toward-goals\n\nTITLE: Biomass Plant Helps University of British Columbia Toward Goals\n\nBackground\n\nThe University of British Columbia's Vancouver campus is a city unto itself. The community includes over 50,000 students, faculty and residents who work, learn and live on the 1,000-acre campus. Until 2012, the university relied on its natural-gas-fueled central heating plant to produce heat for the campus and purchased electricity from BC Hydro for its electrical grid. As a leader in sustainability, the university is committed to reducing its greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions. In 2009, they embarked on designing and building a combined heat and power (CHP) plant on campus, running on renewable fuels.\n\n\n\nChallenge\n\nThe University of British Columbia (UBC) rightfully prides itself on being a leader in reducing GHG emissions. In 2007, the campus met its Kyoto targets. To set aggressive goals for further GHG emission reductions, the university developed a Climate Action Plan that same year. Under the plan, UBC committed to reducing its current emissions by one-third between 2007 and 2015. By 2050, the university wants to be carbon neutral. Adding to these challenges, UBC was expecting its campus size to grow substantially due to increased enrollment and research activity.\n\n\n\nTo accommodate this increase, the university planned to add several million square feet of buildings, all of which would need heat and power. UBC not only wanted to reduce its own GHG emissions, but it wanted to become a hub for innovative renewable energy technologies that could be adopted by communities. In British Columbia, public institutions like the university have been subject to a provincial carbon tax since July 2007. \"As a community, we wanted to become a true leader in sustainability. If we couldn't reduce our energy use and GHG emissions, how could we expect others to?\" said Brent Sauder, director of strategic initiatives at the University of British Columbia. \"We also wanted to take advantage of our aggressive GHG commitments to drive innovation and new technologies within our own community.\"\n\n\n\nSolution\n\nAs a first step in reducing its emissions, the university needed to identify the buildings or technologies that were emitting GHG. UBC completed a campus-wide study of all GHG emissions. The largest single point of emissions turned out to be the campus's central heating plant, which provided heat to laboratories, classroom buildings and residences. University leaders decided they needed to augment the building's gas-burning system with a biomass system using renewable biomass fuels to produce heat for the campus.\n\n\n\nThe university began a search for an energy system supplier that understood the unique energy requirements of the campus, as well as how to deliver renewable energy systems in an urban campus. Nexterra Systems Corp., a Vancouver based developer and supplier of advanced gasification systems with a track record of successful biomass gasification projects in Canada and the U.S., responded to the university's search. Nexterra offered its significant technical expertise and also worked with UBC to secure funding for the project from Canadian and British Columbian government agencies and private organizations.\n\n\n\nNexterra designed, developed and installed the CHP facility that operates on woody biomass \u2013 clean wood waste (e.g., pallets and construction debris) and residues from wood manufacturing.\n\n\n\nThe Nexterra Combined Heat and Power System is housed in an award winning mass-timber building. The Nexterra biomass gasification system converts biomass to synthesis gas (syngas). Woody biomass arrives at the facility by the truckload two to three times per day. Any oversized or non-woody materials are removed automatically with an integrated screen and magnet system. A gasifier converts the biomass into a clean, combustible synthesis gas or \"syngas.\"\n\n\n\nThe new Bioenergy Research and Demonstration Facility (BRDF) at UBC is the first CHP system in North America to use Nexterra's proprietary gasification system combined with the company's unique syngas clean-up technology. The BRDF produces engine-grade syngas capable of running an internal combustion engine, producing both heat and power.\n\n\n\nThe system has two main operating modes: a commercial thermal mode and a demonstration CHP mode. In thermal mode, an oxidizer burns the syngas, and the hot flue gas is directed through the boiler to produce steam. The steam is used to heat campus buildings through the university's existing distribution system.\n\n\n\nIn demonstration mode, syngas is conditioned to remove impurities, then cooled and filtered, to generate both heat and electricity. The syngas is then injected into the high-efficiency, internal combustion engine that runs the generator, producing electricity distributed throughout the UBC campus via the existing power grid.\n\n\n\nThe system also recovers the engine heat and exhaust to generate additional steam for campus heating.\n\n\n\nControlling the process is as critical as the process itself. Two Allen-Bradley\u00ae ControlLogix\u00ae programmable automation controllers (PACs) manage the system's control. The facility operator is able to monitor operations and proactively correct any issues on a system and machine level via FactoryTalk\u00ae View Machine Edition (ME) and FactoryTalk View Site Edition (SE) HMI software. In addition, FactoryTalk Historian software reports facility data to the Nexterra server where the company is able to support the facility's operations in real time.\n\n\n\nWith the controllers' integrated platform and single programming environment, the on-site facility operator has fewer spare parts to maintain. The platform's tight operational control enables the system to process biomass with the required precision, while still meeting the university's ambitious emission reduction goals.\n\n\n\n\"The inter connectivity and wide acceptance of Rockwell Automation technology has allowed us to become very efficient at implementing solutions,\" said Quamar Jutt, electrical and controls manager for Nexterra. \"We're able to focus our resources on improving our key offerings, such as the CHP system, instead of translating programs from platform to platform.\"\n\n\n\nThe platform's openness also helped ease integration with a GE engine via an EtherNet/IP\u2122 network. Three Allen-Bradley CENTERLINE\u00ae 2100 motor control centers (MCCs), connected with Allen-Bradley PowerFlex\u00ae 40 and PowerFlex 700 AC drives, provide plantwide motor control.\n\n\n\nResults\n\nSince operations began in September 2012, the BRDF has provided an average of 12 percent of the campus annual steam requirements. The system has successfully reduced GHG emissions by displacing fossil fuel used to produce steam. In addition, air emissions have been consistently well-below and/or at permitted levels. In the first year of operation, the facility displaced over 115,000 MMBtu of natural gas. This reduced GHG emissions by 6,000 tons per year \u2013 the equivalent of taking 1,250 cars off the road. As operators become more comfortable with the system, the numbers will continue to grow.\n\n\n\nEtherNet/IP is a trademark of ODVA. Today the BRDF is a successful part of UBC's \"Campus as a Living Laboratory\" initiative. Inside the facility's research lab, students and faculty complete their own alternative-energy source projects. The plant attracts tours at a nearly nonstop rate \u2013 over 1,000 people visited in the first two years to learn about new forms of clean and sustainable power generation.\n\n\n\nThe university and Nexterra will continue to explore advancing the facility's technology even further. Potential areas include converting the clean syngas into advanced biofuels, renewable hydrogen and other products.\n\n\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to the University of British Columbia's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers\n\n\nTAG: power-generation\nTAG: renewable-energy\n\n",
    "demonstrating-the-capabilities-of-an-open--scalable-control-plat": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/demonstrating-the-capabilities-of-an-open--scalable-control-plat\n\nTITLE: Demonstrating the Capabilities of an Open, Scalable Control Platform\n\n*** Background ***\n\nWith more than six decades of experience, the Bradman Lake Group is a major supplier of packaging technology to the bakery and biscuit, chocolate and confectionery, dry and frozen food, consumer and healthcare sectors.\n\nThis technology-focused organisation operates from its headquarters and manufacturing plants in the UK and USA, with regional offices in China and Russia and representatives worldwide.\n\nWith an impressive product portfolio, comprising the world-renowned brands of Autowrappers and Europack, it specialises in the design, development and manufacture of packaging machinery for a wide range of global organisations.\n\nIt can offer stand alone or fully integrated systems, custom-engineered to meet the exacting standards demanded by today's fast moving consumer markets worldwide; from distribution and feeding systems to flow wrapping, carton erection, loading, closing and end-of-line options of case packing and shrink wrapping.\n\nThe company has taken an innovative approach to its machine design. In all instances its machines have been designed to connect and interact with each other all across a common automation platform.\n\nThe automation and motion solution chosen by the company is the Allen-Bradley(R) Logix platform from Rockwell Automation. By adopting this common, scalable solution, Bradman Lake is able to develop simple machines employing MicroLogixTM programmable logic controllers (PLCs), through medium-capacity CompactLogixTM powered machines, right the way up to full, 1,200 products-per-minute production lines running an Allen-Bradley ControlLogix(R) programmable automation controllers (PAC). The company also standardises, where feasible, on Allen-Bradley Kinetix(R) 6000 servo controllers and MP SeriesTM servo motors for its motion solutions, making its customers' stock/spares holding far simpler.\n\n*** Superb Solutions ***\n\n\"Well designed machines, based around a common platform come together to create superb solutions,\" said John Marlee, Managing Director at Bradman Lake. \"When I took on my role at the company, I introduced an 'integrated packaging technology' concept, the result of which now means that all of our brands share common designs, parts and spares; and they all 'communicate' to each other over a common network and protocol. As a direct result of this, all of our factories can manufacture units from all of our brands; giving us an immense amount of flexibility when it comes to fulfilling customer orders from anywhere on the globe.\n\n\"A lot of our orders come from some of the world's biggest brand names and they tend to drive a lot of what we do. For instance, one particular confectionery manufacturer, with operations all over the world, has a tight focus on total cost of ownership (TCO); especially with regards to whole life costs and not just the initial CapEx. It is for this reason that we have chosen to standardise on one technology, as the engineering effort required to design, build and commission machines is reduced... and the same can be said for future upgrades as and when the customer requires.\"\n\nBradman Lake has defined its range into two core areas, flexible and rigid packaging machines, which come together to deliver turnkey solutions, and its integrated packaging concept. \"All of our machines are 'glued' together by a common infrastructure, where the platform, screens and displays are instantly recognisable from one machine to another,\" Marlee elaborates. \"Rockwell Automation is a fundamental element of the Bradman Lake ethos. We have set ourselves up as a single source supplier and this is driven by our adoption of a single source supplier in Rockwell Automation. I see a lot of similarities between the two organisations, as we both comprise an overall brand with a number of highly successful 'sub' brands, which have all been designed to interact seamlessly with each other.\"\n\n*** Transparent Technology ***\n\nMarlee also believes in transparency. \"We don't hide our technology.\" he explains. \"Our customers always have our full service and support, however they don't need to come to us for spares; they can use a local supplier. Something made much simpler, thanks to the off-the-shelf technology deployed from the Rockwell Automation range and the worldwide presence of its support and sales infrastructure. This is one of the primary reasons for our adoption of an open, internationally accepted automation solution.\"\n\nSteve Rackham, a Control Systems Engineer at Bradman Lake, explains the technological relationship with Rockwell Automation. \"Bradman Lake is always targeting new technology and for this reason we liaise very closely with Rockwell Automation to take advantage of any advances. Thanks to our close relationship, we always know what is available for future builds. Of particular interest to us at the moment are the new CompactLogix PACs, which will offer us faster speeds, greater axes count and smaller footprints.\"\n\nBradman Lake started its relationship with Rockwell Automation back in the 90s and has been able to evolve its machine designs as Rockwell Automation enhances its product range. Rackham elaborates: \"Working together our machines have evolved in harmony with the evolving control platforms.\"\n\n*** All Machines At All Levels ***\n\n\"The hardware is now flexible enough to be used on all machines at all levels,\" Marlee explains. \"Pre 2004 we had three brands, using different suppliers, producing three ranges, using three platforms running three different software environments. This is now very much a thing of the past with the company-wide deployment of the Logix-based control and motion solution.\"\n\nComplementing its new purpose built manufacturing site in Rock Hill, SC, USA, 2011-12 was Bradman Lake's best ever year, so much so that the company has added a 14,000 sq ft extension to one of its two manufacturing plants in the UK, this will significantly increase its output capacity and will provide greater flexibility for assembling multiple lines. It is also a great believer in fostering future talent and currently has 18 apprentices across the UK, two of whom were able to help with a substantial installation out in India.\n\n\"We like the fact that our engineers only need to 'talk' one automation language and it is the same for our customers,\" Marlee elaborates. \"They may have separate machines that all go to make up a complete line but they all run on one language, one platform and one protocol. The line integration made possible by the scalable Logix infrastructure gives us and our customers some really tangible business benefits and, I believe makes our machines and lines incredibly attractive propositions for both small and large companies.\n\n\"Rockwell Automation's product development has mirrored our machine development,\" he concludes, \"and suits our diversity from the simplest machine up to the most complex\u00a0 production line. What we want are happy customers that have no hesitation in coming back to us and Rockwell Automation helps us achieve this.\"\n\n*** Integration Is The Key ***\n\nIn delivering its strategy of 'integrated packaging technology' Bradman Lake has not only standardised upon a Rockwell Automation solution, but embraced the complete integration of its products, understanding how to maximise machinery performance in consideration to the major design considerations of mechanical constraints, control system limitations and software capability. Couple this with a detailed knowledge of what features are time and performance critical and what functions come secondary, but could be time hungry, and Bradman Lake now has a track record of developing high performing, state-of-the-art innovative packaging machines and systems.\n\nThis truly integrated machine builder continues to work hard in understanding the values of true cost of ownership, a couple of examples include:\n\nDelivering packaging systems to clients, which may have up to 100 Allen-Bradley Kinetix(R) 6000 servo controllers and MP SeriesTM servo motors. These drives control numerous functions across the packaging system from conveyor control to high speed, servo-driven flow wrapping, cartoning and case packing and may require just two frame sizes of servo motor, thus minimising the end users stock holding.\n\nEach packaging machine is controlled using a Rockwell Automation Human Machine Interface (HMI) that has been configured and laid out to the same format providing customer benefits that operators and engineers alike can confidently and easily navigate and work on each machine throughout the system in the same way.\n\nBradman Lake has developed standard machines with a modular approach to hardware and software libraries, with plug and play configuration all driven by its strategy of 'integrated packaging technology' developed to add huge benefit and value to its end user.\n\n\nTAG: \n\n",
    "hdg-sustainable-packaging": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/hdg-sustainable-packaging\n\nTITLE: HDG Innovates to Provide Sustainable Packaging\n\n\"There's a shift away from traditional plastic packaging. Traditional laminated film has up to seven layers to protect products from oxygen and humidity, yet is hardly recyclable,\" Marcus says. \"Manufacturers are looking to shift to mono-materials that can be recycled easily.\n\nMono-films respond differently to processing than the materials manufacturers have used for decades. These emerging materials are more sensitive to temperature and react differently to heat.\u00a0\u00a0\n\n\"The behavior of the materials is particular challenging,\" Marcus explains. \"From the automation standpoint, we must modify our machines to include more controls and sensors for better controlling the heat applied in bag making. We also must modify the algorithms used for achieving quality requirements.\"\n\nCustomer Goals Drive Innovation\n\nHDG is developing a system that will help a large European manufacturer use mono-materials as it transitions to 100% recyclable, paper-based bagging.\n\n\"They're ahead of the trend with a roll-out in the coming years to replace all the plastic packaging they sell,\" Marcus says. \"Their passion is motivating us to go the extra mile and develop things that aren't available yet.\"\n\nHDG is also working with Rockwell Automation to develop HFFS systems with an energy monitoring solution that will help customers access and visualize data to reduce energy use.\u00a0\n\n\"When you know what your line is consuming, you can compare current data with previous and future batches,\" Marcus explains. \"If the energy consumption is different, the question is: why so? The data is helpful, and the transparency will give you a warning of necessary equipment maintenance or deviations in material quality.\"\n\nAlready, such insight has helped HDG uncover an opportunity to lower the temperature of the heat used to seal bags and reduce energy costs by 20%.\n\nTeam-Based Approach\n\nMarcus says that a team effort is essential to success when pursuing sustainable forms of packaging and materials.\n\n\"It's important you involve the packaging supplier together with the machinery supplier and the customer. This triangle is the strong bond to make a project work perfectly,\" he says. \"There's always a little bit of tweaks and fine-tuning needed, but a lot of time can be saved if everybody works together.\"\n\nPublished May 30, 2023\n\nTAG: network-architectures\nTAG: integrated-architecture\nTAG: sustainability\n\nTAG: household-and-personal-care\n\nTAG: industrial-control-products\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: motor-control\n\n",
    "dam-boosts-efficiency-with-monitoring--control": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/dam-boosts-efficiency-with-monitoring--control\n\nTITLE: Dam Boosts Efficiency with Monitoring, Control\n\nBackground\n\nBox Canyon Dam was turning river current into electrical current long before \u201crenewable energy\u201d became an environmental gold standard. Since 1956, Box Canyon Dam and its four hydroelectric generators have straddled a narrow section of Washington state's second-largest river, the Pend Oreille (Pond-er-ray).\n\n\n\nThe Pend Oreille County Public Utility District built and operates the 80-megawatt-capacity hydro plant, which today provides renewable energy to 8,500 customers. Box Canyon is a run-of-the-river hydro plant, meaning the flow of water from upstream sources drives the submerged turbines.\n\n\n\nBy contrast, most major hydroelectric plants generate electricity by systematically controlling the release of stored water behind a dam.\n\n\n\nStill, control is critical at Box Canyon to maintain the delicate balance between optimal power generation and the river's natural ecosystem.\n\n\n\nSeasonal rains, melting snowpack and other natural forces put pressure on Box Canyon, swelling the incoming flow from upstream dams and reservoirs. Swift currents are a plus for hydro power production because they efficiently turn the turbines, which then spin electromagnets to generate energy.\n\n\n\nBut state-protected lands behind Box Canyon can't be allowed to flood. That's because they're home to sensitive animal habitat and picturesque public parks that attract thousands of visitors annually to Washington's northeast corner.\n\nSo Box Canyon operators work continuously to control the amount of water flowing through the dam and the elevation of the river behind it.\n\n\n\n\n\nChallenge\n\nThis operational and environmental equilibrium has been achieved largely by hand at Box Canyon Dam. That's because most of the original mechanical controls and hydroelectric equipment \u2013 including the four turbines, generators and auxiliary machinery \u2013 remained in use more than 50 years after they were installed.\n\n\n\n\u201cEven for a team of highly experienced operators, that's a lot of working parts to monitor and adjust separately,\u201d said Terry Borden, manager of hydro production at Box Canyon. \u201cWe also have to contend with whatever the weather throws at us.\u201d\n\n\n\nWhile the average flow rate at Box Canyon is 26,400 cubic feet per second (cfs), for instance, spring thaws and early summer rains can push that level to 80,000 cfs and above. At those rare heights, operators stop the turbines and open the dam's hydraulic gates to let the rushing river flow unfettered through spillways.\n\n\n\nDay-to-day fluctuations in the river are far less dramatic, but still can vary significantly. To contend with those variations, operators consistently monitor flow rates and water elevations behind the dam. They use that information to control the flow through the dam by adjusting the turbines' wicket gates \u2013 large doors that open to allow water into the turbines. The goal is to keep power production as close to peak as possible while keeping river levels as stable as possible.\n\n\n\nCollecting the critical data involved in the power generation process also has been a largely manual process, with operators recording instrument readings by hand. Without an electronic network to share the data, operators had to enter it into Excel spreadsheets and then distribute hard copies to other departments. Purchasing employees, for example, use month-to-month trending data to help calculate power contracts.\n\n\n\n\u201cAll our systems were out of date,\u201d Borden said. \u201cAnd because no real upgrade of the control station and the equipment had been done since the plant was built, everything was just worn out.\u201d\n\n\n\nThe Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) recently noted the need for modernization when Box Canyon applied to renew its license for the next half century. FERC granted the license but stipulated the plant had to invest in upgrades to comply with the latest federal standards.\n\n\n\n\u201cWe needed state-of-the art automation to meet all our requirements, from integrated control to real-time reporting to plant security,\u201d Borden said.\n\n\n\nSolutions\n\nBefore the project began, Borden and his team knew they wanted Rockwell Automation to provide the comprehensive control solution the plant needed.\n\n\n\n\u201cWe had invested in four Allen-Bradley\u00ae SLC controllers, one on each turbine's governor blade control system, so we had some experience with Rockwell Automation,\u00ae\u201d Borden said. \u201cJust from being in the power industry, we also knew about the innovations Rockwell Automation has developed to meet the unique requirements of hydroelectric generation.\u201d\n\n\n\nThe Pend Oreille utility district selected the PlantPAx process automation system, an integrated control and information solution that combines capabilities of a distributed control system with pervasive access to process information to help achieve plant-wide optimization. This scalable, multi-disciplined platform helps users who need both process and sequential control to achieve lower total cost of ownership and a plant-wide view.\n\n\n\nImplementation of the PlantPAx solution at Box Canyon is happening in stages, along with the rest of the $150 million project. That's because the district must continue to produce power during the upgrade, using three of the four turbine/generator units at all times. One unit has already been replaced and the second is under way. The process includes totally disassembling the unit down to its concrete foundation. Then the new turbine and generator are installed, along with new switch gear, relay-protection systems, pumps and pipes.\n\n\n\nThe PlantPAx solution includes two Allen-Bradley ControlLogix\u00ae programmable automation controllers (PACs) for each unit \u2013 one to control the turbine governor system and the other for general unit controls, auxiliary pumps and stopping and starting the generators. In the control room, a series of FactoryTalk\u00ae View Supervisory Edition human-machine interface stations provide operators with valuable information and diagnostics via EtherNet/IP.\u2122 FactoryTalk SE Server software consolidates human-machine interface data from the hydro units, allowing Box Canyon operators to centrally monitor and manage system parameters, such as river elevations and flow rates. FactoryTalk Historian SE provides for centralized data, event and alarm databases.\n\n\n\n\u201cThe PlantPAx system architecture also opens up communication between the PACs and third-party equipment through EtherNet/IP, so valuable information is instantly available to everybody who needs it,\u201d Borden said.\n\n\n\nResults\n\nThe new system has helped increase generating efficiency at the plant by allowing more exact monitoring of the turbine and generator systems. In turn, operators can detect and correct problems earlier, such as high temperatures in the generator or low flow in cooling systems.\n\n\n\n\u201cIt's too soon to put a number on it, but we anticipate this increased reliability and unit uptime will reduce operating costs once the entire project is complete,\u201d Borden said. \u201cAlso, operators will be able to perform additional maintenance tasks they don't have time for now, like digging trash out of the intakes.\u201d\n\n\n\nBox Canyon Dam already is reaping the benefits of automated data collection through the PlantPAx system.\n\n\n\n\u201cWorking seamlessly together, the ContolLogix controller and FactoryTalk software have allowed us to capture more real-time information, and retain it for future analysis and trending,\u201d Borden said. \u201cSystem data is also automatically sent to a corporate network database that allows other departments to easily access the information, rather than shuffle through print-outs.\u201d\n\n\n\nThe security features offered by the FactoryTalk AssetCentre software also enable the direct reporting and documentation required under the North American Electric Reliability Corporation's critical infrastructure protection provisions (NERC CIP).\n\n\n\nOnce the turbine/generator project is completed, Borden and his team plan to take full advantage of the remote monitoring capabilities offered by the new process control system. The utility district operates a smaller dam and pumping stations outside Box Canyon, and it plans to improve their connection to the district's supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system.\n\n\n\n\u201cOur new process capabilities will allow the district to monitor and operate remote sites from one central location, saving on both labor and travel costs,\u201d Borden said. Also on the utility's agenda is the incorporation of a fishpassage system at the dam. This will protect bull trout and other species on their downstream and upstream journeys.\n\n\n\n\u201cThis is a fairly large project that will require automated control. More than likely, we'll use Rockwell Automation for that,\u201d Borden said. \u201cThe quality of the products and the tremendous support \u2013 both locally and from their Milwaukee headquarters \u2013 have sold us on Rockwell Automation.\u201d\n\n\nTAG: power-generation\n\n",
    "snack-producer-cyber": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/snack-producer-cyber\n\nTITLE: Global Snack Foods Producer Invests in Security\n\nTimes have been tough in the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) segment. No one is a stranger to the last decade's seismic shifts in product and shopping preferences, battered global supply chains, pandemic policies limiting crowd sizes, and the shortage of qualified workers. Now add the skyrocketing frequency of cyberattacks.\n\n\n\n* Challenge:\n\nFollowing a malware attack that disrupted computing systems and production lines, a global snack foods company needed to strengthen cybersecurity defenses and modernize its network infrastructure across 80 sites worldwide. It had earlier attempted to deploy an Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) platform to help measure and mitigate security risks and improve performance of existing applications. But the initiative sputtered due to incompatibilities among the OEE software and the company's enterprise control layer and network requirements.\n\nThe business asked Rockwell Automation to create a global inventory of its digital assets and modernize its incident response and overarching cybersecurity capabilities. The solution needed to be deployed across all of the companies 80 global sites and had to enable fast response to threats.\n\n\n\n* Solution:\n\nRockwell Automation collaborated with the company's global director of engineering to assess its networks and deliver the data needed to measure OEE in a way that was compatible with enterprise networks and applications.\n\nRockwell Automation then conducted comprehensive network assessments across the company's global facilities. Network assessments gave insights to what data and equipment were live on the network and needed to be protected. Because the company is a global multi-site enterprise, Industrial Data Centers (IDCs) were the ideal solution for remote monitoring and management of digital assets. IDCs can greatly ease the transition to a virtualized environment and combined with included remote support services, allows access to technical support that keeps infrastructure running efficiently.\n\n\u00a0After an in-depth assessment, our team developed a plan to mitigate network conflicts with the OEE application and implement 24/7/365 remote monitoring and administration by the Rockwell Automation support team.\n\n\n\n* Results:\n\nWith the new network infrastructure in place, this snack foods manufacturer quickly saw improvements in data accuracy and standardized global reporting. A unified infrastructure, paired with Rockwell Automation managed services, helped the business decrease downtime, increase data accuracy, and more quickly respond to cybersecurity incidents.\n\nEven a slight improvement in OEE can mean a great deal of cost savings on a large production line and can support the business case for shoring up a company's OT cybersecurity defenses.\u00a0 By addressing both business and cybersecurity needs, the solutions employed helped the food and beverage company boost its overall OEE score by 5%.\n\nTAG: build-resilience\n\nTAG: industrial-security\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: household-and-personal-care\n\n",
    "repsol-unearths-operations-benefits-in-sis-migration": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/repsol-unearths-operations-benefits-in-sis-migration\n\nTITLE: Repsol Unearths Operations Benefits in SIS Migration\n\nDrill-to-Pump Operations\n\nRepsol\u00a0is a global, oil and gas company with operations spanning the entire supply chain.\n\nOn the upstream side, the company produces more than 650,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day and has a reserve volume of more than 2 billion barrels.\n\nDownstream, its businesses include oil-refining operations, crude oil and products trading, and more than 4,700 service stations throughout Europe and South America.\n\nHeadquartered in Spain, Repsol has activities in more than 40 countries and more than 27,000 global employees.\n\nIn Ecuador, Repsol has exploration and production (E&P) operations covering 199square kilometers in the eastern part of the country.\n\nThe operations are established through service contracts with the Ecuadorian government and include two main production facilities known as NPF and SPF.\n\nOperations began at the NPF and SPF plants in 1994 and 1997 respectively.\n\nWhile still highly productive, the company needed to update its decades-old safety instrumented systems (SIS) in these facilities to bring the facilities into compliance with the company's newly implemented, internal safety standards.\n\nThe aging equipment also presented obsolescence risks and lacked information visibility required to help plant workers effectively maintain them.\n\nNew, Internal Safety Standard\n\nRepsol in recent years created and implemented a new, internal safety standard for its E&P sites around the world.\n\nBased on the global IEC 61508 and IEC 61511 safety standards, the company's standard was designed to help the company work toward its goal of zero accidents in all areas of its operations.\n\nIn 2013, Repsol conducted several types of risk analysis of its global, industrial assets to identify their compliance levels with the new corporate standard.\n\nThis included conducting safety integrity level (SIL), and hazard and operability (HAZOP) analyses at the NPF and SPF facilities in Ecuador.\n\nThe studies helped Repsol identify the SIS upgrades that would be needed to bring the facilities into compliance with the new standard.\n\nMore than that, however, they also brought attention to the obsolescence risks faced by some of the equipment used in the two facilities.\n\nHardware, such as the PLC-5 systems that were in place in the two facilities, was still operational and in good working condition.\n\nHowever, Repsol had limited spare parts available to support the systems, which could have resulted in a prolonged downtime event should a failure occur.\n\nAdditionally, the aging systems lacked diagnostic information, which made troubleshooting and downtime resolutions more difficult for operations and technicians when issues did arise.\n\nAs a result, Repsol sought to migrate to an SIS system that could bring its Ecuadorian facilities into compliance while also reducing downtime risks associated with aging equipment.\n\nThe company also wanted the nearly month-long migration to be carried out without interrupting production, which runs continuously at both sites.\n\n*** SIS and Network Upgrades ***\n\nRepsol worked with Rockwell Automation and Exida, an Encompass\u2122 Product Partner within the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork\u2122 program, to define and select the best solution for the new SIS at its NFP and SPF facilities.\n\nThe team selected an Allen-Bradley\u00ae ControlLogix\u00ae-based SIS from Rockwell Automation.\n\nFrom an implementation standpoint, the system provided easy integration not only with the PLC-5 that it would be replacing but also with the rest of Repsol's existing installed base of Rockwell Automation equipment and other vendors' equipment.\n\nThis ease of integration reduced risk of downtime during the migrations.\n\n\"Sharing information across different vendors' systems is possible but not always easy, and sometimes it requires that you bring in outside technical experts,\" said Marcelo Villegas, project engineer, Repsol Ecuador.\n\n\"That wasn't the case with the Rockwell Automation system. It gave us a clean interaction between the different systems that we had in place.\"\n\nAs part of the migration, Repsol also implemented a new fiber-optic network for the communications between controllers and I/O racks, and used alarming and events capabilities within the new system to gain better visibility into performance and downtime issues.\n\n*** Benefits Beyond Compliance ***\n\nBecause the NPF facility is smaller and has only about one-quarter the capacity of the SPF facility, Repsol used it as a proving ground for the first of two SIS migrations.\n\nThe NPF migration was successfully completed in 21 days, and the team carried over key learnings from that project to the SPF migration.\n\nDespite the SPF facility being much larger, the team completed the migration in the same amount of time.\n\nMigrations at both facilities also were completed without interrupting production.\n\nThe new SIS systems now meet Repsol's new, internal safety standard at both facilities.\n\nFurthermore, the systems are creating new opportunities for Repsol to improve reliability and productivity at both sites.\n\nReplacing the decades-old SIS technology with modern systems reduced the risk of downtime that plagued both facilities due to a lack of spare-parts availability with the previous system.\n\nAdditionally, the new systems are standardized on the same technology, allowing Repsol to minimize its parts inventory.\n\nRepsol workers also can now use alarms and events to access information about system performance to improve troubleshooting should a failure occur.\n\nWorkers can even use real-time performance data to predict where failures are likely to occur to help avoid downtime events in the first place.\n\n\"We didn't have any insights into failures in the previous systems,\" Villegas said.\n\n\"The new system allows us to monitor every part of the architecture, whether it's the controller, the different I/O racks, or a specific output signal. This can help us more quickly identify the root cause of a failure and in some cases anticipate where a failure is likely to happen.\"\n\nLooking to the future, the systems will offer Repsol greater flexibility for meeting safety requirements.\n\nBoth facilities currently only have SIL 1 safety requirements, but the new SIS provides SIL 2 performance should it someday be necessary.\n\n\"By staying ahead of our current safety requirements, the Rockwell Automation solution prepares us for future expansion,\" Villegas said. \"These systems will help us get ahead of potential SIL requirement increases without another SIS upgrade in the future.\"\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Repsol's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nAllen-Bradley, ControlLogix, Encompass and PartnerNetwork are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\n\nTAG: oil-and-gas\n\n",
    "major-food-industry-supplier-reduces-downtime-by-modernising-the": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/major-food-industry-supplier-reduces-downtime-by-modernising-the\n\nTITLE: Major Food Industry Supplier Reduces Downtime by Modernising Their HMI\n\n*** Background ***\n\nThis leading food industry supplier specialises in the development, production and application of edible oils and fats and is one of the world's largest supplier of speciality fats to the chocolate and confectionery industries, offering high-specialised cocoa butter alternatives and filling fats with premium functionality.\n\nThe company has production facilities in all over the world \u2013 including the United Kingdom \u2013 where one of its facilities is the country's largest edible oils refinery.\n\nAt this this facility a number of processes, some of which are still controlled by individual legacy PLCs and dedicated HMI SCADA systems, but over the last 10 years a phased migration project has been underway to change these over to an up-to-date and more future proof distributed HMI SCADA and control solution. Rockwell Automation\u00a0FactoryTalk\u00ae View SE HMI SCADA software was chosen for this new system, running on\u00a0Allen-Bradley ControlLogix\u00ae programmable automation controllers (PAC).\n\nUnder the supervision of the Boulting Group, a Rockwell Automation Recognised System Integrator, the project's eventual aim is to modernise all key areas of the plant by deploying a scalable, open and expandable integrated control solution.\n\nBoulting Group is a member of the\u00a0Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork\u2122 program as a System Integrator Partner. Recognised System Integrators make the commitment to deliver the highest technical solution and customer service, leading with Rockwell Automation technologies. These integrators have a mutually supportive relationship with the Rockwell Automation sales and/or distributors they work with.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nBoulting faced numerous challenges as the project proceeded. The site operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week; therefore minimum disruption to site operations during the upgrade period was one of the prime considerations in the development of the upgrade procedures.\n\nFactors that have been implemented by Boulting to mitigate any potential issues include the offline installation, configuration, upgrading and testing of all Rockwell Automation software on the new servers before upgrading onsite. The existing and replacement systems also have to operate in parallel for a commissioning period, delivering a phased migration from the old to new system. In the unlikely event of any issues with the new system, Boulting has to provide a fall-back procedure to allow the system to revert back to the incumbent SCADA system.\n\nThe HMI SCADA infrastructure was installed as part of the very first phase. Subsequently, additional clients have been added to the system as existing control systems have been upgraded, or new processes and equipment have been introduced. The system architecture comprised two servers running the HMI SCADA and OPC data servers in a redundant configuration. These communicate to eight ControlLogix PACs and three Allen-Bradley CompactLogix\u2122 PACs. A total of 15 HMI clients are served by the redundant server pair, with an additional three 'View Only' clients.\n\nSince the commencement of the upgrade program, FactoryTalk View has undergone a series of changes and improvements and has recently been released as FactoryTalk View SE V9. To take advantage of these new features and increased stability, it was decided to upgrade the current site's RSView SE V4 to FactoryTalk View SE.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nBefore the modernisation, the infrastructure comprised a number of discrete control solutions incorporating older PLCs and legacy HMI SCADA software. The customer realised that these systems were becoming obsolete and increasing the risk of downtime, so quickly identified a need to replace the complete system. Once it had replaced a couple it was more confident regarding the actual operation and spares availability and therefore decided to employ a gradual migration, based on site-wide\u00a0Ethernet and a distributed HMI SCADA.\n\nBy using Ethernet as the primary communication protocol, Boulting has given itself the opportunity to more easily offer its customers remote monitoring and maintenance, while also having the option to connect the machine into its customer's Connected Enterprise. The Connected Enterprise(R), an approach many companies are adopting to leverage the use of connected machines, supply chains and customers, allows them to establish manufacturing processes that are data/information rich, supported, secure and future ready for market demands.\n\nUltimately, a Connected Enterprise approach for manufactures and their suppliers will create a more competitive, innovative enterprise that can deliver insights to improve productivity, sustainability and economic performance through faster time to market, lower total cost of ownership, improved asset utilisation and enterprise risk management. Other benefits of access to real-time, contextualised information, include minimised downtime, improved technology and process optimisation, greater workforce efficiency and smarter expenditure.\n\nThe modernisation project involved multiple steps, both off- and on-site. Off-site work commenced with the establishment of two physical servers upon which virtual servers were installed. This was followed by the installation of the new Rockwell Automation software. All RSView32 software was converted to FactoryTalk View SE. HMI tag-based alarms were converted and initial tests on the converted SCADA application were carried out to ensure all displays were converted correctly.\n\nThe next step was the configuration of a ControlLogix rack and a CompactLogix PAC for testing the SCADA interfaces. For each PAC control system, the code was loaded onto the PAC and the graphics were checked against the test documentation. After some additional in-house testing, formal internal factory acceptance testing was performed followed by customer acceptance testing.\n\nOn-site work commenced with the installation of the new redundant server pair. The OPC data server on the new SCADA server was configured to communicate to all of the relevant site PACs. In effect, there were two independent distributed SCADA applications operating over the SCADA network; the old HMI system (RSView32) and the updated system (FactoryTalk View Site Edition).\n\nAfter determining that the redundancy was working, the network was monitored to help ensure that there were no adverse effects. When this was confirmed, the first of the clients was migrated from the old SCADA to the new by rebuilding the client PC with the FactoryTalk View SE software. The client was then connected to the updated application by referencing the FactoryTalk directory for the system.\n\nNext, the client was tested to gauge if the animation of the objects was okay. Redundancy of the new SCADA system was also tested once the new client was introduced. This was then left to operate onsite for a suitable time period to help ensure that there were no issues on the new or old SCADA systems.\n\nThe next phase was to update additional clients to the new system. This gradual migration was repeated until all the clients were communicating to the FactoryTalk View SE HMI SCADA system. When all the clients were migrated, the old SCADA servers were physically removed from the network.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nBy delivering greater reliability from an integrated, scalable and more future proof Rockwell Automation HMI SCADA solution, Boulting is helping the food supplier to maintain its desire for 24/7 operations. And thanks to the phased changeover, along with the two system working in tandem during handover, downtime was kept to an absolute minimum. The customer is also benefitting from the enhanced functionality delivered by FactoryTalk View SE.\n\n\"From Boulting's perspective, we were really enthusiastic with the virtualisation capabilities,\" explains Andy Marshall, System Architect at Boulting. \"Virtualisation is a big thing for us and this was the first time we had used it on Rockwell Automation equipment. Running virtual PCs on servers allows us to use multiple operating systems (OS) on one server, giving us the ability to divorce the software from the hardware. After three or four years PCs become old, tired and slow and with virtualisation, if you have a failure you can simply copy a programme from one PC to another. It's not just useful for failures, you're encapsulating your environment so one OS can do one thing totally independent of one doing another.\n\n\"All Rockwell Automation software is tested on VMware,\" he continues. \"We need to make sure that software we use is validated to run under a virtual environment. It is very important to us that we get an architecture validated, which is why we work with Rockwell Automation.\"\n\nA Senior Electrical Projects Engineer at the customer, concludes: \"We operate 24/7 so any downtime can be a huge problem, indeed one of our primary objectives for this modernisation program was minimum downtime. There was a very effective working relationship between us, Boulting and Rockwell Automation. Rockwell Automation is now the on-site standard.\n\n\"The thing with which I was most impressed was the offline testing, which completely replicated the operation of plant, so 95% of the commissioning was done offline using Rockwell Automation simulation software. Because Boulting was so thorough everything was addressed, even the I/O that was not documented. This is a level beyond what you would normally expect. I would have no hesitation in working with Boulting and Rockwell Automation again.\"\n\nAllen-Bradley, ControlLogix, CompactLogix, FactoryTalk View SE, Rockwell Automation and RSView SE are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\nTrademarks not belonging to Rockwell Automation are property of their respective companies.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "partnership-promotes-packaging-perfection": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/partnership-promotes-packaging-perfection\n\nTITLE: Partnership promotes packaging perfection\n\nItalian end-of-line packaging specialist Cama Group is a great example of a company that listens to its customers and then delivers a solution that fits their precise needs, as opposed to developing a close match from a restrictive range of technologies.\n\nThis capability is due to Cama perfecting multiple packaging approaches and its experience from serving so many markets, products, and packaging styles. To maintain this position, Cama has to ensure that its mechanical, electro-mechanical and electrical systems are as agile as possible - to address myriad packaging possibilities.\n\n***** The power of partnerships *****\n\nAccording to Filippo Aspesi, Software and Automation Manager at Cama Group: \"As a Gold OEM Partner in the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM, we are very fortunate to have a strong relationship with the company's technical team in Italy. We are often called upon by customers to develop interesting solutions, those outside the realm of what you might class as 'normal' packaging, so a close relationship with our automation supplier really helps.\n\n\"Every year the Rockwell Automation Italy team presents us with new technologies and descriptions of what is in the pipeline,\" Aspesi explains. \"This allows us to look to evolve our automation solutions based on new capabilities. One example being a new drive family, which we are currently evaluating. We are also looking at a new safety system, which simplifies connection and configuration.\n\n***** Game-changing flexibility *****\n\nAspesi explains how Intelligent Track Systems are gaining favor too. \"Our customers really recognize the potential of iTRAK and MagneMotion. Both are game changers for machine and process agility. They're not suitable for every application, but our experience of the technologies and our work with Rockwell Automation mean that we can suggest and specify them where they will be the most effective solution to a customer's challenges.\"\n\nA recent project that required maximum agility from Cama's machines was for Hawaiian Host, a leading North American confectionary company based in Honolulu. The turnkey line Cama developed is designed to delicately handle naked chocolate products, in three different shapes and then package them in an array of different counts (15), packaging formats (17), and SKUs (5) - all at a throughput of 1,500 ppm.\n\nWith third-party laser-based vision systems and specialist pneumatic grippers, the machine illustrates current state-of-the art in terms of volumes, product variation and machine flexibility, thanks to a perfect amalgamation of Cama's machine and hardware design and a tightly integrated automation architecture from Rockwell Automation.\n\n***** Never be the weak link *****\n\nCama's Group Sales Director, Alessandro Rocca, explains: \"This is a fantastic deployment of our entire package, from mechanical design, through advanced electromechanical automation solutions from Rockwell Automation, and onto AR and AI to deliver even greater efficiencies and ease of use. The confectionary industry demands maximum efficiency and, as a solutions provider, we have to make sure that none of our technology, including that from our suppliers, is a weak link in what is a much bigger process. In fact, in the majority of applications our machines tend to be governed by up- and downstream processes. It is our goal to never limit line speed in any industry.\"\n\n***** Continuous improvement *****\n\nAnd these efficiencies are being continually tweaked, as Aspesi adds: \"There is so much continual development work going on 'under the hood', much of which our customers don't know about. With the help of the Rockwell Automation team, we are changing the logic and the trajectories of our in-house developed robots. You can't necessarily see the modifications, as many of them are very subtle, but if you evaluate the performance, you will discover that they are actually running faster.\n\n\"Expanding on this,\" he concludes, \"our motion and axes development is now much easier too, as the latest version (V.35) of Studio 5000 Logix Designer(R) software allows us to fully virtualize all axes in the new axis test mode. This makes a big difference to our design procedures, as we can now simulate, stress, and refine complete systems before putting them in the machine. Rockwell Automation really is at the top of its game when it comes to technology and support!\".\n\n\u00a0\n\nFor more information about the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork, click here.\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: life-sciences\n\nTAG: factorytalk-studio-5000\n\n",
    "tata-motors-migrates-to-new-mes-with-negligible-downtime": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/tata-motors-migrates-to-new-mes-with-negligible-downtime\n\nTITLE: Tata Motors Migrates to New MES with Negligible Downtime\n\n***** Background *****\n\nDespite a slow start, car manufacturing in India has shifted into the international fast lane.\n\nThe nation's automotive industry - still in its infancy as late as the 1960s - has since accelerated. Today the world's largest democracy is the sixth-largest producer of passenger cars and commercial vehicles.\n\nTata Motors has played a pivotal role in transforming transportation in India. During most of the 20th century, a car was a luxury reserved mostly for the rich.\n\nAdditionally, the majority of those vehicles either were imported or manufactured in India by multinational automotive companies. Tata Motors set out to become the first indigenous car manufacturer\n\nIn 1998, Tata Motors launched the first fully indigenous Indian passenger car, the Indica. In 2008, Tata Motors launched the Nano - the world's most affordable car\n\nTata Motors is committed to achieving world-class quality in every vehicle it produces. So when the company decided to replace the aging manufacturing execution system (MES) in one of its existing factories, it chose the FactoryTalk(R) ProductionCentre(R) system from Rockwell Automation, as a step towards standardizing its MES landscape.\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** Challenge *****\n\nThe Tata Motors passenger vehicle plant in Pune, India, manufactures the Zest, Bolt, Indica and a variety of other models in multiple variants. In 2011, plant managers and engineers recognized that their 6-year-old Manufacturing Execution System needed an upgrade.\n\nThe existing system was beginning to show early symptoms of ageing.\n\n\"We were facing system availability issues stemming from sporadic server failures.\" said Satarupa Roy Sarkar of Tata Motors, IT \"If these continued or became worse, it would prove difficult to meet high availability expectations of users.\"\n\nConsistent quality was another initiative the Tata Motors team wanted to support. They needed an MES system with automated, real-time, information-sharing capabilities through quality gates.\n\n\"If a defect is detected, corrective actions need to be taken quickly,\" said Satarupa. \"We needed this to happen more quickly with automated alerts and traceable communications.\"\n\nTo improve the speed of interlinked quality related communication, system based feedback and feed forward mechanisms were implemented. This would help faster actions to support achievements of quality benchmarks.\n\n\"We realized we needed to have a revamp of the entire MES,\" said Jagdish Belwal, Chief Information Officer for Tata Motors. \"When we went for this upgrade, we also treated it as an opportunity to do business process re-engineering. Besides improving production performance, we wanted to standardize applications, processes and technology with two sister plants, both of which were greenfields.\"\n\nTata Motors already used FactoryTalk ProductionCentre (FTPC) software in its two newer plants. Based on their successes with the state-of-the-art MES, the Tata Motors team decided to changeover to FTPC in the Pune plant as well.\n\nBy transitioning to the FactoryTalk system, the team knew they could strengthen operational consistencies and provide visibility for decision support within the Pune plant. Plus, they could also help enable a Connected Enterprise by integrating all three plants and standardizing communications, applications, processes and technology.\n\nUnder normal circumstances, a transition of the magnitude required at Pune - including server installations, network redundancies and application switch-overs for six assembly-line shops and 93 functions - would have resulted in a major shutdown.\n\nHowever, the Tata Motors team and its technology partners decided to overcome this challenge and go live while the plant was running - with little or no downtime and minimal effect on production.\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** Solution *****\n\nThe 20-plus-member transition team included application partners from Tata Technologies Limited, IT infrastructure-support providers from Tata Consultancy Services, systems integrators from MESTECH Services, and technology experts from Rockwell Automation and the business IT team of Tata Motors.\n\nThe first step in the planning process was to hear what capabilities were needed in the new MES.\n\nTo do so, consultations were held with all internal stakeholders in the Pune plant - including top managers from engineering, the assembly line shops, quality control and overall plant operations.\n\nWith that wish list in hand, the team went to work on the MES migration, but they quickly discovered the brownfield conversion would be more complicated than expected.\n\n\"We started with the simple assumption that when a system is working and is visible to all, we didn't need to define the necessary checks and balances in-depth,\" Belwal said. \"We soon found out that we had underestimated the amount of customization that the existing MES had undergone in last 6 years.\"\n\nSo the team focused on identifying the requirements, including those that had been built into the older MES over the years.\n\nAfter developing and extensively testing of the manufacturing scenario, the team was ready to tackle the challenge of a live transition to the new MES.\n\nThis required an innovative approach. The team built data bridges between the old and the new system that could run parallel during the migration process.\n\nThe data captured by one system was transferred via a data bridge to the other system. The progressive migration approach meant that if any failure occurred during transition, the development team could switch back and forth between the two systems without affecting production.\n\n\"The transition took one and a half months,\" Satarupa said. \"We went shop by shop, function by function. We proceeded very carefully, because our primary goal was to avoid downtime.\"\n\n\u00a0\n\n***** Results *****\n\nThe Tata Motors team met that goal. In fact, the migration was achieved with a downtime of just 0.1 percent - and that too with no loss in production.\n\n\"We had a total of two hours and 45 minutes of downtime out of about 1,600 hours, that the shops were running,\" Satarupa said. \"And that downtime was planned into the process with the manufacturing team, so we could keep normal production levels.\"\n\nSince the completion of the project in fall 2013, the new system is being monitored and measured.\n\nRather than relying on each shop to handle its own operating documentation, the MES software systematically collects and sorts millions of data points, and turns them into actionable information.\n\nSatarupa explained the alarm escalation process using the FactoryTalk system. \"As soon as a defect is detected at a quality gate, an alarm is issued through the gate and depending on the defect category, messages are sent to the supervisors and managers through the system. Prompt corrective and preventive actions are taken\n\nTata Motors IT team also need to spend less time developing and deploying new applications with the FactoryTalk system.\n\n\"With the new system, they don't have to go to each station to deploy the same application or write the same code again and again,\" Satarupa said.\n\nBesides reducing manual processing, the new MES connects the plant to the enterprise, opening the door to a multitude of production and efficiency gains. For example, data formats, modeling and design approach are all unified among the three sites.\n\n\"Adopting the Rockwell Automation solution has helped to standardize our MES landscape,\" Belwal said.\n\nNow that Tata Motors have harmonized its technologies across three manufacturing plants, they are evaluating the potential to implement Rockwell solutions in other plants as well.\n\n\"From a strategic point of view, we saw clear advantages in replicating the technology from our other sites into Pune,\" Belwal said. \"What we have done here has the potential to be replicated in other plants.\"\n\n\u00a0\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Tata Motors' use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nFactoryTalk and ProductionCentre are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\n\nTAG: automotive-and-tire\n\n",
    "mes-metals-coil": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/mes-metals-coil\n\nTITLE: Winamac Coil Spring Prepares for Growth with ERP\n\nWinamac Coil Spring, Inc. was established in 1948 and has grown steadily to be one of the largest single location spring companies in the United States. Their mission is to ensure premium quality springs that exceed customer satisfaction.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\n* A Long-Standing Business in Need of a Manufacturing ERP\n\nWinamac Coil Spring knew they needed a manufacturing ERP. A family-owned, leading coil spring manufacturer established in 1948, growth and success over the years led to a complex system landscape. Operating as one of the largest single-location spring companies in the United States, the company has faced challenges in managing its processes effectively. Winamac Coil Spring holds a prominent position in serving the agriculture and ATV/UTV markets. However, their internal systems faced fragmentation, and they chose Plex as their manufacturing ERP partner.\n\n\n\n* Business Operations Before a Manufacturing ERP\n\nBefore adopting Plex, the company navigated with a single ERP system alongside an additional 15 applications, leading to fragmented data and disjointed workflows. The absence of a centralized system posed challenges in forecasting, planning, and providing accurate quotes to customers. The team encountered difficulties in estimating timelines accurately and struggled to meet customer demands promptly. This disconnect made it challenging to obtain critical information, hindering their ability to deliver precise pricing and timelines, essential for customer satisfaction and competitive edge.\n\nThe absence of streamlined systems resulted in guesswork rather than informed decision-making. The company found itself unable to meet customer requests efficiently and struggled to consolidate data from various applications. This lack of centralized control and access to reliable data prevented the Winamac team from offering customers better pricing and thus, winning more business.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\nTo overcome these challenges, Winamac Coil Spring sought a manufacturing ERP solution that could unify their fragmented systems into a single, cohesive platform. The team's primary objectives were to regain control over their processes, streamline workflows, and deliver accurate pricing and timelines to customers. The pursuit of a consolidated system aimed to provide a foundation for improved business control and customer-centric operations, intending to support their goal of securing more business.\n\nThe team decided to implement Plex ERP, a manufacturing ERP designed specifically for the needs of companies like theirs. Alan Page, IT Manager at Winamac Coil Spring says, \"When we did our integration with Plex, we wanted to get rid of as much as possible.\"\n\n\n\n* Clarity, Transparency, and Control\n\nThat's exactly what they did. The implementation of Plex ERP allowed Winamac Coil Spring to consolidate disparate systems into a single, unified platform. This transition enabled the company to achieve a holistic view of their operations, facilitating better control, visibility, and synchronization across various departments and processes. From managing production schedules, inventory, and orders to enhancing customer relationship management and pricing accuracy, Plex ERP provided Winamac Coil Spring for clarity into every aspect of the business.\n\nThe system's intuitive interface, coupled with its scalability and adaptability to the unique needs of the manufacturing industry, empowered Winamac Coil Spring to standardize their workflows, minimize inefficiencies, and optimize their operational efficiency. As a result, the company has positioned itself to deliver improved service to customers, enhance decision-making capabilities, and pave the way for sustainable growth in the future.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\n* Business Growth Now and Plenty to Come\n\nAfter the successful integration with Plex, Page says, \"Now we have one source of truth that is driving our business in ways we didn't even think possible.\" Specifically, Plex ERP provides the team with real-time data about what their projects actually require versus what they're quoting customers. Additionally, while quoting, the Winamac team can view historical data about past products that them make informed decisions about how to quote and position future products as the marketplace changes.\n\nTo summarize what Winamac Coil Spring is achieving thanks to the manufacturing ERP, Page says, \"Having this tight partnership with Plex helps us expand and adapt quicker than we've ever been able to do in the past.\"\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: metals\n\nTAG: plex\n\n",
    "plantpax-dcs-delivers-precision-waste-recovery-control": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/plantpax-dcs-delivers-precision-waste-recovery-control\n\nTITLE: PlantPAx DCS delivers precision waste-recovery control\n\nDigital DCS underpins precision process control in 80% waste-recovery technology.\n\nDigitalization and scalability prove pivotal for innovative sustainability project.\n\nAs a society the world has a lot of catching up to do if it is to successfully address the ecological issues facing the planet.\n\nAdvances in technology, digitalization and connectivity are helping to drive up efficiencies - allowing industry to do more with what is available in terms of production, processing, and output. But sustainability professionals agree that there are significant gains to be made from combatting waste.\n\nWhether it is food waste, supply chain inefficiencies, single-use plastic, or packaging of any kind, waste is a significant contributor to the sustainability equation.\n\nThe problem is that convenience-based packaging and materials are not ideal candidates for traditional recycling or reuse. And it is for this reason that significant private and government-funded research is being used to back more efficient and cleaner ways of reducing or even eliminating waste's impact on the environment.\n\nA leader in this field is Spanish company Greene Enterprise. Formed in Elche, Spain in 2011 by four entrepreneurs - all chemists by training, two consultants and one investor. The company has developed a gasification process that can eliminate up to 80% of waste, turning it into clean energy (electrical and thermal), biofuel products that can be used as raw materials in a variety of industrial processes and an inert ash that can be used for civil engineering applications.\n\nAccording to Jesus Martinez, sales director at Greene Enterprise: \"Our innovative thermal-conversion technology uses any organic waste feedstock that contains carbon - such as biomass, urban solid waste (MSW), industrial or hospital, WWTP sludge, coal and wood, plastics, used tires - regardless of its humidity, composition, calorific power and morphology. What is more, we have proven that we can do it in a profitable way.\n\n\"Our mission,\" he continues, \"is to install and manage profitable treatment plants for companies or entities that must manage large amounts of waste and want to be aligned with the circular economy and the objectives of Horizon 2020-2030.\n\n\"The key to the success and the effectiveness of our technology is the multi-stage approach we have developed,\" Martinez continues. \"Other recovery technologies use a similar physical/chemical process, but the level of detail in terms of batch-specific control is simply not there. By segmenting our recovery process into multiple steps, we gain much greater control of each stage - which is essential, due to the potential variety in feedstock. However, the challenge of this multi-stage approach is greater process complexity due to all the additional variables.\"\n\nThis need for a highly capable process-control solution led Greene Enterprise to approach Rockwell Automation.\n\n\"We were looking for a complete process control solution from an experienced industry provider that could support us during all the development processes - from the automation of our prototypes and pilot plants up to a complete production plant,\" explains Carles Blasco Gonz'alez, automation engineer at Greene Enterprise.\n\n\"Before commercializing our solution,\" he continues, \"we had some concerns about scalability; it seemed too huge a step from a prototype to an industrial plant. But the PlantPAx distributed control system (DCS) from Rockwell Automation proved to be the ideal platform to help us grow.\n\n\"With the DCS at the core of the project, the tools that we are now using allow us to create the automation skeleton in just a few steps, starting from our engineering database. A unified library, that includes all software and hardware - from the PLC to the SCADA - helps us create a well-defined project in just a few steps, saving us significant amounts of working and configuration hours. It's all done automatically! The standardization of supervision routines also makes life much easier for our operators, since all the elements of our plants have common faceplates.\"\n\nAlthough the installed projects are currently only on the Spanish mainland, there are still geographical hurdles to overcome. \"A remote control and supervision center is in the process of being developed,\" Martinez explains, \"which will allow our engineers and supervisors to verify the KPIs of the different facilities in real time.\"\n\nGreene Enterprise has also fully leveraged the digitalized nature of the entire system by using digital twin technology. \"Over the years, our industrial digital twin has allowed us to test all the control architecture that we want to install,\" Blasco said, \"in a sustained process that has been influenced by our own learning and operating needs. The scalability of the solution has made it possible to enrich the system without the need to recreate the entire architecture.\n\n\"We started with a simple system, with a PLC, remote periphery and a supervision PC,\" he adds, \"and we have now added hardware redundancy, thin clients and multiple points of operation. The ability to simulate the behavior of devices easily allows us to verify the control routines by linking the PLC with our digital twin.\n\n\"The support from Rockwell Automation has been very helpful,\" Martinez concludes,\" and this is one of the reasons why we chose them. We have received national and European support, with our needs being escalated automatically and receiving the help of specialists in their respective fields.\"\n\nEric Chalengeas, regional vice president sales, south Europe, at Rockwell Automation explains: \"Sustainability is a challenge for many companies, but modern digital solutions can not only help to cut waste during production, but also, as in this case, after disposal, with more tightly controlled process control. In this application, our PlantPAx DCS proved to be the ideal process control platform, as part of a wider digital-tools deployment, which included digital twin simulations too. This was also a great example of collaboration within our PartnerNetworkTM, with Greene benefiting not just from our process industry expertise, but also domain experience from our specialty distributor, TCA Automation.\"\n\nTAG: sustainability\n\nTAG: cement\nTAG: chemical\nTAG: metals\nTAG: mining\nTAG: oil-and-gas\nTAG: water-wastewater\n\n",
    "seed-producer-monsanto-increases-capacity-and-improves-product-q": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/seed-producer-monsanto-increases-capacity-and-improves-product-q\n\nTITLE: Seed Producer Monsanto Increases Capacity and Improves Product Quality\n\n*** Background ***\n\nEarth's population is expected to reach 9 billion people by 2050, and farmers around the world will have the responsibility of producing enough food for this surging global population. Their primary challenge will be in getting more out of their existing fields and improving crop performance to produce higher yields \u2013 and it all begins with the seeds they plant in the ground.\n\nMonsanto is one of the world's top providers of, vegetable and crop seeds, as well as crop-protection products. The company employs 21,000 workers at about 400 facilities in 66 countries, and supports the work of millions of farmers around the world.\n\nWithin its seed business, Monsanto works to improve seed performance so seeds can healthily grow in the most challenging farming operations and environments. The company accomplishes this through various breeding programs that improve seed performance and allow plants to adapt to local growing conditions. It also uses biotechnology to help strengthen plants with beneficial traits, such as improved drought tolerance or pest resistance, that can't be achieved through breeding.\n\nMonsanto's seed business works with farmers across America to raise and harvest the company's seeds in the farmers' fields. After harvesting, the seeds are shipped to a Monsanto pre-commercial seed facility for conditioning. This involves cleaning, sizing, treating and packaging the seeds before shipping them to farmers around the world.\n\nMonsanto recently decided to consolidate three of its pre-commercial seed locations in Iowa and replace them with a new North American seed-conditioning facility in Grinnell, Iowa. The greenfield facility would provide increased seed-conditioning capacity for the rising production volumes that the company was experiencing. It would be built with flexibility and scalability in mind to support the easy addition of new seed-conditioning lines as production volumes further increased.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nMonsanto's primary reason for consolidating its three facilities into one was to increase the company's seed-conditioning capacity. But the new facility also provided an opportunity to improve seed quality and product-traceability capabilities during the seed-conditioning and packaging processes.\n\nThe three previous seed-conditioning facilities used outdated equipment. The control system interface lacked intuitive processing information and start-to-finish automated product traceability. The employees were instead forced to track products on paper, which was inefficient and prone to human error. Building a new state-of-the-art facility with a flexible control system would help improve seed consistency and reduce product loss.\n\nThe facility also required a flexible and expandable distributed safety system, which would be among the first of such systems for a Monsanto seed facility.\n\nMonsanto had an aggressive timeline in place to get its new Grinnell facility up and running. The company set a goal for establishing the facility \u2013 from design and construction to commissioning and operation \u2013 in less than 18 months.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nMonsanto brought in its longtime systems integration partner, ESCO Automation, to help design and build the facility from the ground up and meet the tight schedule.\n\nESCO Automation, a Rockwell Automation Recognized System Integrator, took the current and future operational demands into account when designing the facility's control infrastructure. Only two seed-conditioning lines were initially needed, but Monsanto wanted the capability to build up to five lines to accommodate future growth. ESCO Automation opted for an independent-line design approach that could be scaled to grow with the company.\n\n\"The ability to easily scale up for future operations required a flexible control system capable of integrating the entire operation,\" said Greg Boyce, seed process engineer for Monsanto. \"Currently, Rockwell Automation control technology is the approved standard for our seed facilities. The PlantPAx\u00ae process automation system was selected to provide distributed control and information capabilities that could easily scale as our needs increased.\"\n\nThe PlantPAx modern distributed control system provides integrated control across the new facility, from bulk receiving to the individual seed-conditioning lines to packaging. Its traceability capabilities give operators new levels of visibility into product flow that were not available at the former seed-conditioning sites. Seeds brought into the facility are now registered into the system via bar code before being placed into bulk storage to await the conditioning process.\n\nOnce the seeds are registered into the system, operators can track them from storage, along each individual seed-conditioning line and through the packaging process utilizing the PlantPAx visualization software. Mobile integration allows this and other process information to be viewed anywhere on-site or even remotely using tablets..\n\nThe PlantPAx system incorporates distributed safety capabilities with distributed I/O to eliminate interconnected wires between panels. The system provides configurable control of each safety device and is designed to expand as new lines are installed.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nMonsanto's Grinnell facility was completed on schedule, and today serves as a centralized location for the conditioning and packaging of about 150 seed varieties and approximately 6,000 to 8,000 seed sub-batches.\n\nThe complete product traceability available on all four lines helped Monsanto bring product quality and consistency to new levels at the facility.\n\n\"The track-and-trace technology is providing 100 percent traceability on each seed-conditioning line,\" Boyce said. \"We're producing a consistently high-quality product for farmers around the world. This technology has improved our productivity by 50 percent and reduced our losses to zero.\"\n\nESCO Automation also took advantage of the user-defined tags, add-on instructions and faceplates available through the PlantPAx infrastructure. This helped in the development and deployment of a device-level library of pretested and fully functional code, which was customized to incorporate Monsanto's existing standards. Integration was simplified and development time was reduced by about 40 percent, according to ESCO Automation estimates, keeping the facility on schedule for its planned launch date.\n\nThe facility launched with two seed-conditioning lines and has since expanded with two additional lines. The scalability combined with the standardized programming available within the PlantPAx system made those line expansions seamless for the production operators and systems integrators.\n\n\"When we make the decision to scale up to our fifth and final line in this facility, we know that the infrastructure we already have in place will again help ensure the installation process is easy and worry-free,\" Boyce said.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Monsanto's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "aerospace-mes-erp": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/aerospace-mes-erp\n\nTITLE: MES Helps Metals Fabricator Achieve Growth Goals\n\nUltra Tool & Manufacturing, located in Wisconsin, is a privately owned manufacturer focused on quality and repeatability for metal parts and tooling dies from design to production. Specializing in stamping and fabrication, Ultra Tool & Manufacturing produces precision metal components that serve the recreational vehicle, automotive, electrical, lawn and garden, small engine, and military defense industries. With just over 100 employees on board, 2023 marks 54 years of business for Ultra.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\n* Eagerness for Growth\n\nWith a humble beginning in 1969 as a Milwaukee-based tool and die shop, Ultra Tool & Manufacturing has grown to include additional services like metal stamping, die design, and metal fabrication.\u00a0 Their world-class operation is headquartered out of Germantown, WI. While they might be located in a smaller town, Ultra manages a larger-scale operation. They have provided their customers with excellent quality and service for over 50 years and continue to thrive today.\n\nThis eagerness for growth is why Ultra has gone on to receive national recognition-the company's leaders have never been afraid of embracing new technology.\u00a0 A new facility in 2015 opened the doors for larger presses and expanded capabilities, including the implementation of Plex's Cloud Manufacturing software. Over the years, Plex has helped Ultra improve quality, processes, and responsiveness. Since this implementation, Ultra identified a new need for their growing business: the ability to better control plant floor performance.\n\n\n\n* Improving Plant Floor Performance\n\nWhen a company makes millions of parts per year, the ability to track and gain visibility is an important capability. Ultra recognized that lack of automation and insight into data at a granular level left a lot of room for mystery-and with mystery comes cost. For Ultra, that cost equated to tens of thousands of dollars in manual labor for setup and more than 240 extra operating hours each year.\n\nWhen searching for their plant floor automation solution, Ultra identified a variety of pain points they hoped to be addressed. Overall, they lacked visibility on the plant floor. Little to no plant floor insight brought with it a domino effect of other issues: Ultra had no way of knowing machine rates, what they should be, or why an operator failed to meet rate expectations. Some issues, like an operator forgetting to log in or out of production, boiled down to manual error.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\n* Automating Tasks and Workflows\n\nPlex's MES Automation and Orchestration (A&O) - a powerful low-code toolset that connects Plex MES to the plant edge, allowing for automation of tasks and orchestration of workflows to remove human error and manual oversight-offered Ultra the solutions they were looking for. Since implementing the system in June 2021, Ultra has experienced a variety of positive changes like increasing visibility into production and tracking data.\n\nAfter starting with just one stamping press, Ultra moved through nine more over the course of a year and upgraded the controls on machines that were old or obsolete. Their implementation went beyond just machines and included training or retraining operators on how to best use the system. This was a crucial move for Ultra as their operators often hop from machine to machine. A big transition for Ultra, the implementation went smoothly as they broke up the process into sizeable pieces.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\n* Visibility Gained\n\nGaining visibility has been invaluable for Ultra, saving both money and time. A testament to the immediate benefit of this implementation, Ultra saved $48K in production productivity in their first year. Andrew Loescher, Industrial Automation Specialist at Ultra, speaks to the excitement of such savings, \"One of my sole focuses right away was just figuring out what we're really saving from a standpoint of automating production recording and label making. So in just those two things alone, we captured right around $48,000 of annual savings which basically paid for the product easily.\"\n\nAdditionally, before migrating to the new system, Ultra was spending 64 hours of manual setup time in excess of their typical setup times. Plex now gives Ultra's managers the tools they need with tracking, alerting, and utilization of custom screens that visibly display setup times. With all machines considered that are automated with the system, this amounts to $80,000 annual savings from eliminating this non-value-added excess setup.\n\n\n\n* Next Steps\n\nUltra's current implementation is only the first phase. As they continue to move forward, the plan is to continue automating other areas of the company. Increased visibility has led to better decision-making, and the company believes there are more benefits to come down the road. The newfound visibility has inspired Ultra to update other systems in the company, as they continue to streamline processes and unify their teams across all departments.\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: automotive-and-tire\nTAG: aerospace\n\nTAG: plex\n\n",
    "solutions-in-action--graphic-packing-international-": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/solutions-in-action--graphic-packing-international-\n\nTITLE: Solutions in Action: Graphic Packing International\n\nIf variety is the spice of life, there's no better example than today's supermarket shelves. Enter any store and the assortment of products is almost overwhelming. For those consumers who have diffi culty making a choice \u2013 or simply want to sample a limited quantity \u2013 variety packs are an attractive option. The FlexPlace\u2122 reciprocating vacuum placer from Graphic Packaging International helps manufacturers meet the unique challenges of variety pack-type applications \u2013 and more.\n\nGraphic Packaging International (GPI) is one of the world's largest providers of folding cartons, beverage cartons, unbleached paperboard, coated recycled board, microwave packaging and machinery. As the newest member of the company's pick and place product line, the FlexPlace machine off ers placement flexibility for applications ranging from food and beverage to direct mail. A key component for secondary packaging lines, this equipment features a reciprocating placing head with transversing vacuum stems, an inclined product magazine, operator interface and base \u2013 in a compact footprint. Simply put, the transversing vacuum stems pick product from the multi-lane magazine and accurately place it on packaging material entering the system via conveyor.\n\nWhile many machines on the market rely on intermittent motion for similar applications, the FlexPlace machine operates in a continuous motion environment. \"Continuous motion is the key,\" explained Gerald Geisenhof, engineering manager, Graphic Packaging International. \"The vacuum stems pick the product, and the head rotates and moves linearly to match the speed of the target material on the continuous motion conveyor.\" Depending on the application, the equipment senses the product to achieve accurate placement. Since there is no need to stop the target for product placement, the FlexPlace machine allows for higher speeds than intermittent motion equipment. The product magazine can be built with multiple lanes to accommodate packaging requirements. Each lane can be loaded with diff erent items, product varieties or the same product. When the lanes contain different items or varieties, the machine performs a collating function for product assembly or variety pack applications. When all lanes run the same product, manufacturers can achieve extended packaging runtime \u2013 using just one machine. \"Our FlexPlace equipment is customized for the specific application,\" said Theresa Lashyro, sales manager, Graphic Packaging International. \"We evaluate every situation and modify the product magazines and product contact parts to meet specific requirements.\"\n\nIn fact, unlike many pick and place machines, the GPI FlexPlace machine can accommodate 3D items and large, difficult to manage packaging materials \u2013 or unique items, such as coins. \"For example, our equipment can be used by direct mail or printing companies to accurately place and collate multiple, uniquely shaped materials in a continuous motion line,\" said Lashyro. The integrated system is controlled by an Allen-Bradley\u00ae CompactLogix\u2122 programmable automation controller, which manages all machine and motion functions. For motion synchronization, the controller is tightly integrated with Allen-Bradley MP-Series\u2122 low inertia servo motors and Kinetix\u00ae 350 single-axis EtherNet/IP\u2122 servo drives. One Kinetix drive controls the reciprocating motion, the other controls the linear transversing arm. Allen-Bradley Guardmaster\u00ae safety relays help provide machine and personnel protection. The system is integrated on an EtherNet/IP network and monitored using an Allen-Bradley PanelView\u2122 Plus 6 graphic terminal. \"No doubt, the Rockwell Automation components help us improve system flexibility,\" said Jeremy Houck, controls engineer, Graphic Packaging International. \"The easy-to-use operator interface enables recipe-driven product changeover.\"\n\nIn addition, the machine features quick-change magazines to speed mechanical modifications. While changeover on similar equipment can take 30 or 40 minutes, the FlexPlace machine can typically be ready for a new product run in five minutes or less. \"We apply Rockwell Automation products because of their ease of use \u2013 and our customer preference,\" said Lashyro. \"Our customers ask for Rockwell Automation controls, and the products and support are consistently and readily available.\"\n\n\nTAG: \n\n",
    "chicago-heights-steel-reduces-downtime": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/chicago-heights-steel-reduces-downtime\n\nTITLE: Chicago Heights Steel Reduces Downtime\n\n***** Chicago Heights Steel\u00a0is a rail re-roller that has been in business since 1893 and operates out of Chicago, Illinois in the United States. The company buys old railroad rail, heats it up, and splits it into three sections. From those pieces, they run different products: signposts, T posts and some specialty products. *****\n\nObsolete Control & Electrical System Causes Downtime\n\nAn obsolete control and electrical system was causing downtime and preventing Chicago Heights Steel from producing at capacity.\n\n\"Every time they were having an electrical problem, they were spending a lot of time finding out why things were happening. And even more time to get things solved,\" says Antonio Ambra, Business Development Manager at AIC.\n\n\"No one alive could fix some of that stuff. There were no parts available. No one knew anything about it,\" says Bradley Corral, President of Chicago Heights Steel. The mindset at Chicago Heights Steel is to do whatever it takes to get a job done, so it was important to find a partner who operated the same way.\n\nPlanning a System Upgrade Required Expertise\n\nChicago Heights Steel enlisted help from AIC, a Rockwell Automation System Integrator Partner.\n\nAutomazioni Industriali Capitanio\u00a0(AIC) is a global system integrator based in Italy that provides tailored automation and robotic solutions for the steel industry. They have more than 1,000 applications worldwide and over 40 years of experience helping steel customers.\n\nAIC came up with a plan for revamping the entire rolling mill, starting with the head rougher stands where the steel is reduced in size, and going through the takeout of the bar on the cooling beds in the finishing area. The system included:\n\n    * New main and auxiliary drives\n\n    * Automation & control desks\n\n    * HMI control system based on Stratus Server and\u00a0ThinManager(R) Thin Client Management Software\n\n    * Safety system\n\n    * Sensors\n\n    * Engineering\n\n    * Spare parts\n\n    * Remote support services\n\n    * Packing and shipping\n\n\"The new system has the ability to bring every single PC onto the network, so we can see in real-time what's going on in the mill,\" says Antonio. \"And it's scalable: the system has potentially no limits for future expansion.\"\n\n\u00a0\n\nUpgraded Controls Make Troubleshooting Simple and Increase Uptime\n\nDavid Zapata, General Supervisor of Engineering and Maintenance at Chicago Heights Steel reports that the new system is reliable, and troubleshooting a problem is much easier now.\n\n\"Some of the setup process has shifted from the electrical department to the mill operators because of the simplicity of use and information available. We no longer need electricians to make adjustments or speed changes. This reduces the time it takes to start production and make changes,\" he says.\n\n\"With the new system, there's less time I have people standing around waiting for equipment to be back up and running. This increases our lead times for delivery for customers,\" says David.\n\nChicago Heights Steel was so happy with the results that they signed on with AIC to perform another upgrade project the following year, which included drives, automation and HMI for material handling in the reheating furnace area. This new system is fully integrated with the mill control system.\n\n\"Everything is Rockwell Automation products again: we always prefer to work with Rockwell Automation,\" says Antonio.\n\n\u00a0\n\n\"My favorite part of my job is trying to solve customer problems. Every plant has something unique or is facing some problem. I like to look for how to solve things,\" says Antonio.\n\n\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: lifecycle-services\nTAG: safety-solutions\nTAG: remote-support\n\nTAG: metals\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\n\nTAG: factorytalk-operationsuite\nTAG: safety-products\nTAG: factorytalk-thinmanager\nTAG: plantpax\n\n",
    "translating-customer-needs-into-packaging-solutions": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/translating-customer-needs-into-packaging-solutions\n\nTITLE: Translating customer needs into packaging solutions\n\nIn 2001, Livetech was founded as a designer developer and builder of secondary packaging systems for food industry customers across the globe.\n\nSince its founding, the company has acquired two other companies: CEDA, a chocolate-moulding company, which today has become Livemould; and Fourpack, now Liveflow, which provides distribution systems and flow-packing machines. The group, headquartered in Monticello d'Alba, Italy, now has more than 150 employees.\n\n\"We are a dynamic company,\" explains Federico Scornaienchi, Export Manager at Livetech, \"specializing in the engineering and production of complete primary (flowpack) and secondary/tertiary robotized packaging systems, palletizing technology and complete chocolate moulding lines.\n\nR&D investment\n\n\"Using our experiences gained working with multinationals groups in the food sector,\" he continues, \"coupled to our continual investment in research and development, we can create and deliver high-performance and environmentally friendly solutions and consultancy across the length and breadth of the food technology, confectionary and packaging sectors.\"\n\nLivetech's ethos is to help customers to translate their needs - in terms of packaging design and technology - into an automatic application, with the addition of comprehensive consulting capabilities differentiating them from other companies in the market.\n\n\"We cover multiple verticals,\" Scornaienchi explains, \"including bakery, confectionery, sweets/chocolates, pet food, dairy and baby food. In all cases we have to deliver maximum production flexibility, so our customers can quickly and easily adapt to market needs in terms of formats, flavours, packaging counts and product evolutions.\n\nMerging deliverables\n\n\"We do much more than just machine design,\" he adds. \"Indeed, the merging of different deliverables, such as customizing, consulting and service, creates a complete environment around single solutions that make our customers feel more secure about their investment. We give them the flexible architectures and tailored designs that deliver the right answer to their specific needs.\"\n\nWith the help of Rockwell Automation, Livetech has been able to optimize its production processes. \"Rockwell Automation smart solutions makes the programming and interfacing much easier, especially when you consider the number of components on a typical packaging machine,\" Scornaienchi adds. \"And alongside these capabilities, we can count on its global presence and its own commitment to being a high-quality automation and information systems supplier.\n\nPreferred supplier\n\n\"Many of our customers and other companies in the markets we serve also ask for Rockwell Automation, as it is a preferred supplier to many of the leading global companies. We're fully in line with this perspective and feel confident that we can deliver state-of-the-art automation solutions that reflect the quality we put into the rest of our system's components.\"\n\nThe deployment of solutions from Rockwell Automation has helped Livetech streamline its development and programming efforts, while also creating a stable and adaptable platform for future machine evolutions. It has also delivered many benefits to Livetech's end users, including greater flexibility, higher throughput, easier remote and local maintenance and reduced changeover times.\n\nDiscover our comprehensive portfolio of OEM and machine design solutions, here\n\nTAG: smart-manufacturing\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: life-sciences\n\n",
    "automotive-glass-maker-gains-a-clear-view-of-production-and-redu": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/automotive-glass-maker-gains-a-clear-view-of-production-and-redu\n\nTITLE: Automotive Glass Maker Gains a Clear View of Production and Reduces Scrap 30 Percent with Manufacturing Intelligence\n\n*** What's Behind a Windshield? ***\n\nLower car sales in the United States during the Great Recession widely impacted automakers and their suppliers. By 2011, car sales were back to prerecession levels. This economic revitalization created opportunities, but also brought production challenges for companies, such as glass manufacturers.\n\nOne global windshield manufacturer and supplier saw this firsthand. The upsurge in car sales was good news, but the company was outgrowing its existing production space. To meet growing customer orders, the company acquired a U.S. automotive fabricated-glass plant. The plant provided the glass manufacturer with more square footage and was already averaging 2,000 to 2,500 windshields per day across the three existing lines.\n\n*** Updating an Acquired Facility ***\n\nThe acquired facility presented some challenges because the owners had not made any investments in the plant for over 20 years. The glass manufacturer planned to install new production lines to reach a total of five windshield lines, a tempering line and an area for attachment pieces, such as wipers. Due to the age of the existing equipment, new lines could not be installed to match equipment on the three standing lines. To reach the desired level of output and quality, the entire facility would need to be upgraded.\n\nTopping the list of issues was the facility's homegrown, inefficient solution for capturing production data, which required workers to manually collect information.\n\nProduction lines were pieced together with outdated equipment, and software patches were used to write over problems. Scrap in any area of windshield production \u2013 from cutting, washing and painting to heating, trimming and packing \u2013 can cost the company over $1 million each month. This makes it critical for engineers to swiftly identify and fix any root causes of scrap.\n\nWith the outdated system, engineers were unable to directly access production data, and were relying on tribal knowledge and guesswork. This led to incorrect and inconsistent reporting of waste, and missed opportunities to quickly remedy issues that led to scrap.\n\nIn addition, high turnover in staffing at the facility created a knowledge gap on how to manage the cumbersome systems.\n\nManagement's goal for the facility upgrades was to gain more accurate end-of-the-line reporting on scrap and product count that clearly communicated the financial impact of scrap to both engineers and management. They also wanted to build systems that could adapt to new production and analytics requirements, and provide engineers with the reporting software needed to easily pull and act on process data.\n\n*** A Solution by Stages ***\n\nThe glass manufacturer decided to get rid of the homegrown solution, and designed a manufacturing intelligence system that would be deployed over three years in two stages. The system would collect information across the process and discrete areas of production.\n\nThe system design heavily focused on manufacturing software solutions from Rockwell Automation. According to the company's project lead and engineering manager, the decision came down to the support availability and the off-the-shelf nature of the offerings.\n\n\"Developing custom code would only put us back on the path to a homegrown solution,\" the project lead said. \"We selected a manufacturing intelligence solution from Rockwell Automation that would allow us to customize a standardized solution across lines, and provide us access to a Rockwell Automation field engineer for help on-site when needed.\"\n\nThe first stage: data-collection and analytics requirements. The team deployed FactoryTalk\u00ae Metrics software from Rockwell Automation on more than 20 work cells per line. Engineers use the software to generate real-time data reports on OEE, production counts and yield counts. Coupled with\u00a0FactoryTalk View HMI software, engineers can see this information via any plant HMI or via a web browser from their desktop, laptop or mobile device.\n\nIn the second stage, the project team implemented FactoryTalk VantagePoint\u00ae software from Rockwell Automation to produce reports specific to individual production areas, so each work shift could make changes to reduce scrap and improve productivity. They also set up a self-service station for plant-floor staff to access the scalable reporting tool.\n\nEngineers \u2013 even those relatively new to the position \u2013 can easily walk up to the station on the plant floor and choose the desired data set and time range. They can pull two-hour reports specific to their production area and the responsibilities associated with their role. With these insights, control and process engineers can dig into data behind any production issues to identify bottlenecks and root causes. Management can access real-time and trending production totals, enabling them to make production changes as customer orders arrive.\n\nThe team also employed a notification functionality in the software. They can now send emails and texts with production information to plant-floor staff on-site and off-site. This helps further reduce downtime and mean time to repair.\n\n*** Rapidly Reducing Scrap ***\n\nThe FactoryTalk VantagePoint self-service station has reduced requests for data pulls from project leads by 90 percent. The team works directly with each other and more easily collaborates to optimize operations, reducing downtime section by section.\n\nThe upgraded facility is helping the glass manufacturer meet customer orders, allowing the company to continue growing. In addition, the system's insights are enabling future improvements at the facility. The team is aiming for a further 30 percent reduction in scrap by the end of the year.\n\nThe team is also considering expanding the system to include energy-management reporting and\u00a0FactoryTalk AssetCentre software from Rockwell Automation. This will provide access to critical energy information and better manage asset information from a central database.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to this company's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nFactoryTalk and VantagePoint are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\n\nTAG: automotive-and-tire\n\n",
    "process-control-peptide": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/process-control-peptide\n\nTITLE: Peptide Synthesis System Integration. Delivered.\n\nA Unique Perspective\n\nPeptides, short chains of amino acids, are found in every living organism and are increasingly synthesized commercially for a wide range of therapeutic treatments.\n\nCSBio intimately knows peptide synthesis - from both sides of the equation. Founded in 1993, the company delivers a full portfolio of peptide synthesis instrumentation for the life sciences industry. In addition, CSBio provides custom peptides as a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO).\n\nLocated in Silicon Valley, California, the company is the leading global provider of peptide synthesizers.\n\n\"Our instrumentation can be found in production laboratories and pharmaceutical companies worldwide,\" said Hanson Chang, senior director of instrumentation, CSBio. \"And we automate our equipment at every level - from research and pilot systems to commercial scale.\"\u00a0\n\nSeeking Deeper Integration for Commercial Scale\n\nCSBio pilot and commercial-scale systems are built to order. And for more than 30 years, CSBio has delivered their modular skids equipped with a proprietary control solution.\u00a0\n\n\"We developed our control system in house,\" Chang said. \"Every peptide is different. And at the pilot scale, our control system is used to help optimize the synthesis protocol - or peptide 'recipe'.\"\n\nSimply put, pilot scale systems provide consistency in developing processes for commercial manufacturing. The pilot systems include reaction vessels ranging from 200ml to 5L. To accommodate large-scale peptide synthesis, commercial systems include reaction vessels that range from 5L to 800L.\n\nWhile the proprietary control system delivers the performance required for research and pilots, CSBio wanted to provide customers with an option for more functionality at commercial scale.\n\n\"In a commercial setting, some customers must integrate the peptide synthesizer with the rest of the plant,\" Chang explained. \"They want to be able to see specific functionality within the system - for example, a motor - and control it.\"\n\nFlexible Control Based on a Modern DCS\n\nTo meet customer needs, CSBio called on Rockwell Automation LifecycleIQTM Services for an open, flexible control solution that would easily integrate with a wide range of system architectures. CSBio specified a system that was data-driven, featured modern process control and easily incorporated manufacturing execution systems (MES).\n\nCSBio also required the system to be batch-oriented - and support 21 CFR, Part 11 requirements for electronic records and electronic signatures.\n\n\"Pharmaceutical companies may not want to manage paper records,\" Chang said. \"We needed a solution that could tie controls to an individual company's process - and support electronic batch records (EBR).\"\n\nThe Rockwell Automation system is based on PlantPAx(R), a modern distributed control system (DCS), leveraging familiar Allen-Bradley(R) \u00a0technology and FactoryTalk(R) software. PlantPAx DCS provides a scalable and flexible platform that integrates various components of a process plant, including control systems, data acquisition, visualization and analytics.\n\nThe implementation of PlantPAx DCS was configured to support all batch operations, recipe development and batch reporting. The configured solution also integrates all instrumentation and valves associated with the peptide synthesizer skid.\n\nThe PlantPAx system was implemented for 21 CFR Part 11 compliance. And runs on an EtherNet/IPTM network, complemented by OPC UA communications.\n\nAn Enhanced Level of Performance\n\nThe PlantPAx solution promises the functionality required to easily configure new peptide synthesis recipes - and expand to include additional instrumentation and tanks as systems grow.\n\nThanks to EtherNet/IP and OPC UA communications, the control system can be easily connected to other enterprise operations, IIoT solutions - and MES systems.\n\n\"By adding an MES solution, customers can better manage their raw material inventory and achieve better material visibility - and traceability - throughout the process,\" Chang said. \"The MES can also tie to quality management systems.\"\n\nCSBio first developed the Rockwell Automation control platform in 2021 - and continues to refine the system as new needs arise.\n\n\"Our proprietary software platform is based on C++ programming - so creating a DCS solution was quite different and challenging,\" Chang said. \"That's why we asked Rockwell Automation to build our initial platform.\"\n\nThe ongoing refinement of the system helps ensure that CSBio can adapt to evolving needs and continue to deliver best-in-class peptide synthesis solutions.\n\nTAG: process-solutions\nTAG: industrial-automation-and-control\nTAG: industrial-network-services\n\nTAG: life-sciences\nTAG: biotechnology\n\nTAG: plantpax\nTAG: programmable-controllers\n\n",
    "ICS-threat-visibility": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/ICS-threat-visibility\n\nTITLE: Pharmaceutical Company Prioritizes Cybersecurity\n\nChallenge:\n\nPharmaceutical companies have long been a favorite target of sophisticated cybercriminals. But the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the need for a risk-based cybersecurity program, and fast.\n\nOne global pharmaceutical manufacturer needed help building a cybersecurity program for its IT and OT systems. Unpatched OT assets were increasing security risks to manufacturing plants, and a lack of real-time visibility into threats to ICS controllers made it all but impossible to detect OT malware.\n\nCompounding risks, the pharmaceutical company had not segmented its business networks from its industrial plant networks, nor had it limited traffic and pathways to and from critical manufacturing systems.\n\nLooking to the future, the company knew it needed to educate its teams on good cybersecurity hygiene.\n\nSolution:\n\nAfter assessing the risks, this pharmaceutical giant partnered with Rockwell Automation, taking significant steps toward maturing cybersecurity protections through network segmentation, and by fortifying endpoint and perimeter security. At the outset, a three-phase cybersecurity program was quickly designed and implemented.\n\n1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The first priority involved separating logical and physical networks at 64 global sites to help contain the spread of threats as they hit networks and systems.\n\n2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Next, the company boosted the security of perimeter devices to impede threat actors, and deployed application \"allow lists,\" to only allow application usage if the applications were preapproved, to protect endpoints.\n\n3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Finally, the company implemented a suite of threat detection services as well as USB cleansing to centrally manage and monitor USB media on the OT network, to protect against threats or attacks - from inside and outside the network. The threat detection services also determine normal network behavior that can be used as a baseline and employ 24/7 threat monitoring capabilities to detect and raise a red flag when anomalous activities are detected. That helps the company identify activities that may pose a risk to its systems more quickly, or before attacks.\n\nResults:\n\nRockwell Automation helped the pharmaceutical company design and implement an expanded security strategy including USB cleansing, perimeter device security, and separating networks across 64 global sites in approximately nine short months. Doing so has improved the company's ability to defend its OT and ICS assets from increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. The company now has real-time, consistent visibility into ICS threats across the global enterprise with the ability to detect threats before an attack happens allowing for more secure operations and a defense strategy protecting their assets from cybercriminals. \u00a0\n\nTAG: build-resilience\n\nTAG: industrial-security\nTAG: industrial-networks\n\nTAG: life-sciences\n\n",
    "solvay-sodi-cuts-electricity-consumption-by-over-20----reduces-e": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/solvay-sodi-cuts-electricity-consumption-by-over-20----reduces-e\n\nTITLE: Solvay Sodi cuts electricity consumption by over 20% & reduces emissions with PowerFlex 7000\n\n*** Background ***\n\nThe chemicals industry is heavily legislated on many fronts. Not just for the products it manufactures, but also for the manufacturing processes it employs, which are often heavily capital-asset intensive.\n\nIn addition to the obvious safety concerns, sustainability is a primary target for many of the leading players, too, especially in terms of raw material usage and energy consumption. Considering the scale of some chemical plants, even small increases in efficiency can lead to significant energy savings.\n\nIt is for this reason that many chemical companies are turning to process automation and information systems suppliers, to help them to streamline activities and optimise their operations.\n\n*** Sustainability gains ***\n\nDue to plant sizes and their geographic spread, wholesale infrastructure changes are less common. But an area where many are seeing sustainability gains is in the more connected and integrated control of existing legacy assets. In these instances, older equipment, which would otherwise be uneconomic to replace, can be more efficiently operated and monitored using contemporary control solutions.\n\nBy connecting \"dumb\" assets to modern automation technology, chemical companies can exploit the numerous benefits of advanced communication infrastructures, which will allow them to leverage new-found operational data far more effectively; leading to much higher efficiencies, greater insights, enhanced flexibility and significantly reduced downtime.\n\n*** Realising potential ***\n\nOne company that has realised the potential of contemporary control solutions is Solvay Sodi in Bulgaria. The company is one of the largest industrial enterprises in Bulgaria and the largest plant in Europe for the production of synthetic soda ash, with a capacity of 1.5 million tonnes of soda annually. The company was privatised in 1997 with major shareholders - the international chemical group Solvay (75%) and the Turkish chemical group Sisecam (25%).\n\nSoda ash is an essential raw material for the glass industry, used also in the production of detergents, in the chemical industry and metallurgy, silicates and glass fibres, while soda bicarbonate serves the markets of food products, animal feed, flue gas cleaning and healthcare.\n\nThe company's plant in Devnya, generates its own electricity using steam turbines fed from boilers. The issue that it faced was that the boilers' airflow was only basically controlled, using three old synchronous motors, none of which were connected to drives, so worked at full load continuously. Not only did this create difficulties in controlling the steam-generation process, but the boiler plant also saw instability and regular downtime, coupled to significant energy consumption and associated CO2 emissions.\n\n\"Energy saving is the primary reason behind this infrastructure upgrade,\" explains Ognian Ivanov, Electrical Department Head at the Solvay Sodi Devnya plant. \"It is at the heart of a company-wide sustainability initiative across all of Solvay's plants.\"\n\nSolvay Sodi approached Rotec Ltd., the official distributor for Rockwell Automation products in Bulgaria since 2000. In addition to its distribution activities, Rotec also supports the engineering, build and maintenance services for automated systems, delivering an impressive track record of supporting applications using Rockwell Automation solutions throughout Bulgaria.\n\n*** Efficiency and controllability ***\n\n\"We showed Solvay Sodi's team the efficiencies and controllability the company would achieve through the incorporation of Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) 7000 variable-frequency drives,\" explains Milen Milev, Sales Manager at Rotec, \"something we were able to demonstrate in action, thanks to visits to other projects we have successfully supported\u00a0 over the last 16 years. PowerFlex 7000 drives offered Solvay Sodi a means to accurately control the speeds of the motors to match the process variables and turbine demand.\"\n\nThe three drives (6kV - 900, 1,800 and 2,400 kW) are connected to the plant's existing distributed control system (DCS) via Profibus. They are incredibly robust in operation, being far less susceptible to power fluctuations than other medium-voltage equipment on the market. They can be used for soft-starting large motors to limit inrush current or for speed control of multiple motors.\n\nThanks to the bypass functionality, the PowerFlex drive technology also promotes maximum uptime, delivering full synchronous control in the event of any issues. Synchronous transfer also helps to limit the mechanical wear and tear on components, which ultimately prolongs the life of the motor and reduces the maintenance demands.\n\n\"We had three primary goals for this project,\" Milev explains. \"First, we had to ensure rapid delivery, being given only three weeks to install and commission the drives. Second, we had to deliver a solution with bypass capabilities, and third we needed to improve the stability of the entire system in case of voltage fluctuations.\"\n\n*** Prolonged equipment life ***\n\nThe performance results are impressive, with energy savings peaking at 20%, which equates to about 1 MW per hour! \"Solvay Sodi are very happy with what we have achieved at the Devnya plant,\" Milev enthuses. \"We have only seen one incident of potential downtime in one and a half years, and this was due to a problem in the power system. But the drive worked as it should by switching to bypass; at no point did the motors stop. The more precise control has also created better working conditions for the fans, due to the soft start capabilities and the speed control. These less harsh operating conditions are prolonging the life of ancillary equipment too.\"\n\n\"If we compare the 2018 electricity-consumption readings with those of 2017, the results are hugely impressive,\" Ivanov explains. \"On one fan system we saved, 3,158 MWh, on the second 681 MWh, and on the third 4,333 MWh. This delivers a total saving of 8,173 MWh across all three, or 22 MWh per day! This also equates to lower CO2 emissions and is very much in line with our corporate sustainability campaign.\"\n\n\nTAG: drive-sustainability\n\nTAG: sustainability\nTAG: energy\nTAG: remote-support\n\nTAG: chemical\n\nTAG: drives-and-motors\n\n",
    "pha-czech-deploys-new-door-module-assembly-line-and-eol-test-sta": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/pha-czech-deploys-new-door-module-assembly-line-and-eol-test-sta\n\nTITLE: PHA Czech Deploys New Door Module Assembly Line and EOL Test Stations\n\nBackground\n\nPHA, a world leader in the automotive subassembly business, has seven Korean plants, seven plants in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, China, India and the USA and three worldwide sales branches.\n\nThe company's Czech Republic plant, PHA Czech s.r.o., in Cesk\u00fd Te\u0161\u00edn, 300 km east north of Prague, started production in 2008 and employs 300 people and concentrates primarily on the production of door modules for a leading Korean automotive OEM.\n\nIt also produces non-module door hinges, bonnet/hood hinges, tailgate hinges and tailgate latches, not only for the Korean car maker, but for a number of other leading automotive OEMs.\n\nIn a recent development program, the Rockwell Automation Global Solutions team in the Czech Republic team was tasked by PHA Czech s.r.o. with the development of a complete control solution for a front/rear, left/right turnkey door module assembly line and end-of-line (EOL) test stations.\n\nThe scope of delivery given to the Global Solutions team, which has been working with PHA since 2006, involved project management, administration, hardware & software design, cabinet manufacture, site installation, commissioning and production start-up.\n\nChallenge\n\nThe assembly line \u2013 the fifth to be developed by Rockwell Automation for PHA; and the first door module line built on a conveyor concept, where the panels move on pallets and the operators stay in one place \u2013 had to be designed to meet demanding production capacities and targets.\n\nCapable of building 850 car sets per day it had to be flexible enough to address the possibility of extending this to 1,000 car sets per day.\n\nPHA also wanted enhanced quality levels and various process optimisation steps based on both knowledge from previous installs and newer standards and targets defined by more recent end-user customer requirements.\n\nA comprehensive machine and personnel safety solution was also part of the brief.\n\nSolution\n\nFor the complete door module car set assembly, there are two lines (front and rear) with conveyors carrying the front door module down one side and the rear down the other.\n\nThese modules are then assembled in parallel using an identical sequence. Assembly operations include: pulley pre-assembly and riveting; drum winding; window regulator assembly; motor and speaker assembly; latch placement and the incorporation of a side-impact sensor and wire harness.\n\nThe EOL inspection stations then undertake full door module functionality tests and motor noise sound inspection (in a sound room), deploying a Poka Yoke quality system.\n\nAccording to Rockwell Automation Account Manager Miroslav Novotny: \"This was a complex project, which was made easier thanks to the use of a number of Allen-Bradley(R) products from our Integrated Architecture portfolio.\n\nThe main line controllers on the front and rear lines are Allen-Bradley ControlLogix 1756 L73 programmable automation controller (PAC). The chain conveyors and motors, which handle all aspects of pallet movement are controlled using Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) 525 variable-speed drives.\n\nThis comprises lateral and up and down movement of the pallets between workstations, and control of the recirculating conveyor, which takes empty palettes back to the beginning of the production line.\"\n\nThe ControlLogix PAC collects, collates and controls all the signals from the various assembly stations using an EtherNet/IP network, StratixTM managed switches and Allen-Bradley POINT I/OTM modules, which have been used due to the long distances involved - the primary conveyor is 15 m long.\n\nAt the end of the line, in the testing stations, four Allen-Bradley CompactLogixTM PACs are used, two in the sound rooms and two in final inspection. The ControlLogix PAC also oversees a robot used on part of the line.\n\nThe automation solution is completed by a wide variety of Allen-Bradley low-voltage products, including buttons, sensors and other accessories, inside the cabinets deployed at each station.\n\nFinally, the line's safety infrastructure, which complies with all local safety legislation, comprises a number of Allen-Bradley safety gates, linked together with emergency stops at each station, all connected in series to safety relays within main control cabinet.\n\nRockwell Automation Global solutions team leader in the Czech Republic, Petr Vesel'y, explains: \"I have worked with PHA for 10 years now and for this project we started with face-to-face meetings with their engineers, who gave us a very detailed specification, including 3D models of the final product.\n\nThey also gave us their expectations regarding timings and volume targets. In this instance we supplied the complete solution, not just the control solution and software; we effectively owned and supervised the whole line, including all mechanical and electrical elements.\n\nWe also dealt with three local mechanical assembly suppliers and once the concept had been created we then handled all of the approvals within PHA.\n\n\"Once the mechanical design had been approved,\" Vesel'y continues, \"the manufacturing go ahead was given and the electrical concept was evolved. Once this had been approved, we employed four programmers from the Rockwell Automation office in Prague to create the software.\n\nTwo programmers worked on the main line and two on the inspection stations. RSLogix 5000 was used for visualisation and, in answer to one of PHA's primary demands for flexibility, we applied customised application windows.\n\nEach station uses a separate all-in-one PC touch panel (18 on the main line and 11 in the standalone and test stations) running C# applications programmed by the Rockwell Automation programmers. Further visualisation and control of the main conveyor is supplied by two Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM HMIs.\n\nResults\n\nAccording to Novotny: \"This successful project delivery demonstrates the professionalism and capabilities of our Global Solutions, not only in the provision of technical solutions but also in the delivery of complete project management.\n\nThe experience and skills obtained in this instance will be adopted as a basis for further similar opportunities in the automotive market, including future projects with PHA. Indeed, we are already in discussions with PHA for the provision of another door assembly for a different car model.\"\n\nPrzemyslaw Sakowicz, Manufacturing Engineer at PHA Czech s.r.o. cites fast support, good relations and previous good experiences of working with Rockwell Automation as the primary reasons for using the leading automation provider again: \"I know exactly what quality I can expect and Rockwell Automation has very good team of programmers which offers very fast reactions to any issues or challenges we face.\n\nWe had multiple customer audits before and during project start up and the auditors were very satisfied with what we have developed with Rockwell Automation, which is very important for us. I would particularly like to thank Petr Vesel'y and his team for the project fulfilment and management, they met all the requirements from my side.\n\n\"With regards to specific benefits of the Rockwell Automation solution,\" Sakowicz concludes, \"as well as hitting the production targets, we expect to see significantly reduced programming for the new line we are developing as well as the easy tuning and manipulation of the software we have seen in this solution.\n\nThe Integrated Architecture has also delivered a more flexible and open platform for both remote troubleshooting and local maintenance.\"\n\nAllen-Bradley, ControlLogix, CompactLogix, LISTEN. THINK. SOLVE., POINT I/O, PowerFlex, PanelView Plus, Rockwell Automation and Stratix are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\nEtherNet/IP is a trademark of the ODVA\n\nTrademarks not belonging to Rockwell Automation are property of their respective companies.\n\n\nTAG: automotive-and-tire\n\n",
    "pohokura-sets-the-standard-for-remote-operation-and-sustainabili": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/pohokura-sets-the-standard-for-remote-operation-and-sustainabili\n\nTITLE: Pohokura Sets the Standard for Remote Operation and Sustainability\n\n***** Background *****\n\nNatural gas is a very valuable resource. It is an environmentally friendly, clean fuel when compared to other fossil fuels. Natural gas is more efficient with 90 per cent of production reaching the point of consumption.\n\nThe efficiency is constantly improving with technological advances in extraction, transportation and storage techniques.\n\nThe transportation system for natural gas consists of a complex network of pipelines, designed to quickly and efficiently transport natural gas from its origin to areas of high demand.\n\nThe Pohokura field, offshore from Taranaki, is the country's largest natural gas resource, owned by a joint venture between Shell, Todd Pohokura, and OMV New Zealand.\n\nThe production station is operated by Shell Exploration NZ which uses the services of Shell Todd Oil Services. The Pohokura field natural gas is fed into the national grid network.\n\nThe first commercial gas flowed from three onshore 'extended reach' drilling wells in the Southern part of the field in September 2006.\n\nIn March 2007, gas and condensate began to flow from the first of five offshore wells via an undersea pipeline back to an onshore production station at Motunui.\n\n***** Challenge *****\n\nDeveloping an unmanned site- where operations are monitored from a control room in New Plymouth- required the combined expertise of engineers, consultants and systems integrators.\n\nThe Pohokura design contractor, Transfield Worley, appointed long-standing systems integrator partner Engineering Control Limited (ECL).\n\nOne of the requirements for remote operation was that the motor control centres be integrated into the main plant control system on an intelligent network so that the information from the gas station could be fed back to the control room.\n\nTransfield Worley based the new system on the DeviceNet network together with the Allen-Bradley ControlLogix(R) platform from Rockwell Automation.\n\nAnother requirement was that the status of power switchgear at the 400V MCCs and the plant 11kV main switchboard had to be available in the control room and this switchgear had to be operable from the control room as well.\n\nThis was achieved by hardwiring the switchgear to discrete I/O in the ControlLogix.\n\nBeing able to operate the switchgear from remote is also a welcome safety feature as it removes the need for local operation and so does not expose operators to possible harm from such things as arc flash as may occur if there is a switchgear fault or failure whilst it is being operated.\n\n***** Establishing A Remote Operation *****\n\nPohokura produces over 45 per cent of New Zealand's natural gas which is reticulated around the North Island to industry and domestic consumption.\n\n\"By using Shell's technical expertise we set out to deliver a highly reliable unmanned gas production station with a small environmental footprint,\" said Paul Brown, Pohokura Operations Engineer.\n\n\"A priority for us was to deliver the project on time, on budget and safely, with no harm to personnel or any adverse effects to the neighbours or the environment.\"\n\nThe operational philosophy for the Pohokura production facility was to establish an unmanned site with zero normal operating presence (ZNOP); plant operation would be performed off-site from a remote control room in New Plymouth using a Distributed Control System (DCS).\n\nRemote operation is an ideal way to help keep personnel safe and away from potentially hazardous equipment, but its operational success relies on excellent control, fault diagnostics and network capabilities \"DeviceNet provided a network solution that could help provide reliable communication and also had the added feature of Automatic Device Replacement (ADR), allowing for reduced downtime with automatic download of device parameters,\" said Prasad Nory, Industry Manager, Rockwell Automation.\n\nADR consists of configuration and auto-address recovery which effectively lowers maintenance requirements. Operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, Pohokura has a scheduled proactive maintenance day every month to identify and deal with potential problems.\n\n***** The Pohokura Blueprint *****\n\nThe Transfield Worley electrically engineered design was the basis for a completely integrated solution that required the capabilities of leading board builders, Switchbuild Ltd.\n\nThe Pohokura solution evolved around the development of two low-voltage motor control centres (MCCs). Two 2.5MVA transformers feed into the first low-voltage MCC via 4000A Air Circuit Breakers (ACBs). Power from the first MCC is then fed through to the second low voltage MCC.\n\nThe intelligent MCC design utilised the DeviceNet network, communicating to the DOL start motor starters for control and monitoring.\n\nThe E3 plus smart overloads provided motor protection that very closely matched the motor operating characteristics with the enhanced protection capabilities such as earth fault, stall, thermistor and loss of load that are normally provided by much more expensive motor protective relays.\n\nAn Allen Bradley ControlLogix Programmable Automation Controller is used to provide the comprehensive monitoring and control of the MCCs and feeds back information to the distributed control system.\n\n\"The Allen Bradley solution provides advance load protection. The client has the ability to analyse the performance of their motors and view faults, all in an integral unit that is visible from the distributed control system,\" said Donald Liddell, Manager, Switchbuild.\n\nTo avoid costly downtime at Pohokura, ECL developed and incorporated switching Controls in the PAC in the event that power is lost from one of the two 11kV incomers.\n\nAccording to Peter Huitema, Engineer ECL, \"Normally when supplies switch over you lose power, even if it's just a few milliseconds, the motors will shutdown.\n\nTo avoid this, we determined how many seconds the motor can be with no power without causing any damage.\n\nWe used inertia to keep motors running for up to 1.5 seconds, to allow time for the other supply to switch over. By programming this information into the Control System we were able to avoid costly shutdowns.\"\n\n***** Environmental Excellence *****\n\nThe implementation of state-of-the-art engineering has enabled the Pohokura plant to be operated remotely.\n\n\"Safety to personnel and the environment take an even higher priority in a remote operation so plant and components must work reliably with minimal maintenance.\n\nAll components chosen for the Pohokura project had to have proven reliability,\" said Paul Brown, Pohokura Operations Engineer.\n\nTo achieve environmental excellence, modifications were made to the original design of the field.\n\nHorizontal directional drilling technology was used to eliminate the need to have a pipeline from the onshore production station out to the offshore platform that would have run over the cliff face and across the foreshore.\n\nInstead-and as a first for New Zealand-a pipeline was inserted behind the cliff face and underneath the foreshore, so there was no visible or physical intrusion and the local coastal environment was preserved.\n\nThe plant's processing areas are built in concrete bunds. Before the water is drained into the stormwater treatment systems, an absorbent skimmer removes residual floating hydrocarbons.\n\nStormwater is further processed via a specially designed \"wetland\" where plants are utilised as a natural bio-filter. Filtration through the wetlands removes any residual hydrocarbons.\n\nThese environmental features resulted in Shell Pohokura receiving a sustainable development and technical innovation award from the Taranaki Regional Council in 2010.\n\nReaction to the integrated automation control solution from Rockwell Automation has been positive. \"There have been no problems with the PACs from Rockwell Automation in the five years of Pohokura operation-our objectives have been fully satisfied in terms of budget, timing, personnel safety and environmental sustainability,\" concludes Brown.\n\nThe value of the successfully operating remote control operation at Pohokura has been realised and as such, is currently undergoing an expansion to create another plant using the same easily extendable solution provided by the Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture system.\n\n\nTAG: oil-and-gas\n\n",
    "kuka-masters-automobile-production-with-independent-cart-technol": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/kuka-masters-automobile-production-with-independent-cart-technol\n\nTITLE: KUKA Masters Automobile Production With Independent Cart Technology\n\nKUKA Systems North America, part of Germany based KUKA AG, is an international supplier of engineering services and flexible automation systems for the Automotive, Aerospace, Energy and Industrial Solutions segments.\u00a0\n\nIn the Automotive industry, KUKA's portfolio includes the entire manufacturing automation spectrum for joining and assembling vehicle bodies.\n\nFrom production facilities with low levels of automation to highly flexible manufacturing systems, from the manufacture of individual subassemblies to the assembly of complete bodyshells and add-on parts, KUKA prides itself on being masters of automated and semi-automated car body production.\n\n*** The Challenge ***\n\nThe lead engineers at KUKA evaluated the standard automation systems used in auto manufacturing facilities, most of which are 25 years old and haven't seen major improvements in over 15 years, and saw an opportunity to create a system that would significantly improve the way cars are built. KUKA was looking for an alternative to the industry standard that would be flexible, efficient and cost effective.\n\n*** The Solution ***\n\nKUKA's answer to the standard automotive car body assembly lines was the PULSE carrier conveyor system.\u00a0 Both efficient and cost effective, the PULSE system moves body sections through robotic work stations along assembly lines as joining and other functions are performed.\n\nWhile designing the PULSE system, KUKA explored a number of different conveyance options. Some of the solutions were traditional, friction based, drive trains which had some advantages over the current industry standards but were merely incremental improvements to existing technology.\n\nKUKA wanted to develop a system that would bring significant change to auto manufacturing and significant benefits over legacy systems. The engineers at KUKA wanted to create a true game changing technology.\n\nWhen Kevin Laurence, director of KUKA's PULSE division, discovered MagneMotion's QuickStick HT\u00a0Independent Cart Technology he commented, \"For the first time, I found a product that we could use as building blocks. All other products we looked at didn't have the necessary power or were one off designs that were too expensive and not flexible enough.\"\n\nThese alternative products were not viable options for the automotive industry where projects need to be completed in less than a year. QuickStick HT's inherent ease of use and flexibility allowed KUKA to simply configure a solution to fit their needs and timeframe.\n\nAs the PULSE design evolved, the benefits of QuickStick became more apparent. KUKA chose to add more motors to the original design, increasing the available thrust of the system.\n\nThe higher speed increased the efficiency of other process equipment, such as robots, resulting in the need for fewer process stations. QuickStick's flexibility allowed KUKA to create a truly cost effective system. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\n\n\"QuickStick has allowed KUKA to present a revolutionary, complete solution to our customers that improves all measured criteria\", stated Laurence. \"It's twice as fast, has 1/10 the parts, zero external locating devices, uses less power, has greater MTBF yet significantly lowers MTTR all while being more flexible.\u00a0 These are the main things our customers measure us on, and we hit home runs on every count.\"\n\n*** The Results ***\n\nQuickStick intelligent conveyance allowed KUKA to give the automotive industry the ground breaking, turnkey solution they were striving for.\n\nKUKA's first PULSE system was installed in May, 2015. This customer has seen a 99% improvement in system performance compared to the incumbent electrified monorail system they were using in their facility.\n\nProduction rates have increased and the system has not been the cause of any lost production time since it was installed.\n\nIn February, 2016, KUKA was awarded a prestigious contract with Jaguar Land Rover to install PULSE into its new facility in Europe.\n\nWhen asked about his vision for the future, Laurence stated, \"I believe the KUKA PULSE, utilizing MagneMotion's QuickStick technology, will eventually run all automotive body shops.\n\nThe benefits PULSE offers over traditional equipment are staggering. In my opinion, there hasn't been a bigger breakthrough in automotive manufacturing since the acceptance of robots on the manufacturing floor.\"\n\n\nTAG: automotive-and-tire\n\n",
    "manufacturing-intelligence-provides-the-right-mix-for-dairy-proc": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/manufacturing-intelligence-provides-the-right-mix-for-dairy-proc\n\nTITLE: Manufacturing Intelligence Provides the Right Mix for Dairy Processor\n\nBackground\n\nIn an industry where margins are often razor thin, it's critical that food manufacturers have access to real-time, plant-floor data so they can quickly make adjustments to the production environment. Manual reporting practices at one manufacturer of cheese and dairy ingredients for the global food industry were hindering management's visibility into operations and its ability to make changes necessary to maintain profitability. Manually recording production data was both time consuming and error prone, and data was often days old by the time it reached management.\n\n\n\nChallenge\n\nWhen the company rolled out a new generation of flavor-enhancer products in five of its production facilities, management saw an opportunity to improve analysis and reporting of manufacturing data across the enterprise. The company wanted the ability to simultaneously gather data from plant historians and SQL servers across its facilities and use this data to create reports and real-time dashboards through a centralized Web interface.\n\n\n\nSolutions\n\nTo achieve this goal, the food processor first needed a platform that would support a multiplant, real-time interface to a central point for analyzing manufacturing information. The manufacturer worked with Malisko Engineering, a control, process and information systems integrator and member of the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork\u2122 program, to implement a virtualized PlantPAx\u2122 process automation system from Rockwell Automation. This system provided the framework necessary to produce and gather plant-floor data from each facility.\n\n\n\nAs part of the control system upgrade to the PlantPAx system, Malisko implemented FactoryTalk\u00ae View Site Edition human-machine interface (HMI) software. The team designed user-friendly screen layouts and functionality to offer consistency across all facilities. Sophisticated alarms and events save the food- processor time in troubleshooting. The company can use associated tags to include process data with event information and alarm messages. This means operators automatically receive relevant information that describes what the system's environment looked like when the alarm was triggered. The software also interfaces with Specter Instruments WIN-911, so specific alarm notifications can be sent to stakeholders via email when they need to respond immediately.\n\n\n\nThe system upgrade also made it possible to run the process system and HMI from a centralized server that can be accessed virtually via remote desktop connection in the food processor's other facilities. No longer tied to specific hardware, virtual HMIs can extend the company's software lifecycle. Additionally, virtualizing frees up server space and IT maintenance time needed with the previous approach. The virtualized process system will allow this food processor to take hardware offline for maintenance or future upgrades while the system is up and running, migrating the application between servers without interrupting production to improve uptime or speed disaster recovery.\n\n\n\nWith the virtualized PlantPAx process automation system in place, the company was ready to implement a manufacturing intelligence strategy to better gather and analyze the production data. Leveraging FactoryTalk VantagePoint EMI software, the company can now access federated data from all its plants in one screen for centralized viewing and analysis. Historical process data from a variety of sources on each facility's plant floor can be retrieved for dashboards and reports in real-time. Data is archived by FactoryTalk Historian software. Because data always remains at its original source, whether in the controller, the historian or a SQL server, the operators, maintenance and plant managers and business executives can more easily and quickly share information while maintaining one version of the truth.\n\n\n\nResults\n\nUsing the FactoryTalk VantagePoint software, Malisko organized each plant into areas using commonly referenced industry and business terms, rather than cryptic equipment serial numbers, and assigned user groups so plant managers and maintenance personnel could access data specific to their individual facilities and roles. The integrator also set up production reports within the application that allow management to view hourly, daily, monthly or annual data on online. Managers also can view trends by month, allowing them to analyze specific events, such as the effect of a cold spell on dryer efficiency.\n\n\n\n\"The ability to see, in real time, which side of the profitability line a plant is operating has been a game changer,\" said Steve Malyszko, Malisko Engineering president. \"Virtualizing the system gave the customer the added bonus of reducing risk and improving future flexibility. They now have crucial production data available to managers and corporate personnel to monitor, without the need for manually generated reports.\"\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to this customer's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "helping-global-automaker-expand-capabilities": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/helping-global-automaker-expand-capabilities\n\nTITLE: Helping Global Automaker Expand Electrical Vehicle Line Capabilities\n\n*** Supporting A Global Leader ***\n\nBy 2040, it's expected that 54% of new vehicle sales will be electric vehicles (EVs). As battery costs continue to fall, demand for EVs will rise, soon making the automotive market the single largest application for batteries.\u00a0\u00a0\n\nThe challenge for EV and battery manufacturers is to accelerate production at a sufficient rate to meet demand in the short term. They also need to future-proof their production operations for\n\nfurther inevitable innovations in the automotive powertrain.\n\nThis automaker's electrification plan was simple: play to its strengths and build on iconic nameplates. To do that, they leveraged the unique qualities of full battery electric vehicles to amplify the attributes customers love and value.\n\nTo help achieve its goals, the automaker relied on partner Precision Automation and Robotics India (PARI). PARI is known for engine assembly and battery pack/module assembly lines for electrical vehicles.\n\nPARI is a respected in the automotive, tire and rubber industries, and customers rely on PARI's India-Pune facility to help meet growing global demands for electric vehicles.\n\n*** Variation Causes Delays ***\n\nThe automaker's goal was to improve its complex battery pack/module assembly line to reduce time to market. For PARI, the time required to engineer a system like this is significant, and can impact project delivery schedules.\n\nThe challenge of customized lines includes variation in line speeds, precise pick and place heavy loads at high speeds, controller stoppage, close coordination between up and down stream lines and processes, protection of intellectual property, and connectivity and seamless data flow between IT and OT.\n\nTo help improve the electric vehicle battery line, PARI needed to reduce the time spent configuring unique solutions for custom projects. The goal was to reuse common engineering components for this and future projects.\n\nFrom previous projects, PARI India found that while significant engineering time was spent on each project, maintaining consistency in the application code over various projects was also a challenge, impacting maintainability.\n\nAll of these factors lead to a higher-than-desired installation time. Another drawback occurred due to the limitation of handling data over a higher number of nodes on the EtherNet/IP communications network.\n\n*** Solutions for a Customized Line ***\n\nFor the customized solution, PARI worked with Rockwell Automation to deliver a complete automation system that would allow the customer to rebalance their lines quickly. In addition, the end user wanted a solution that would match the existing architecture, and use a template similar to what they were currently using.\n\nRockwell Automation solution and technical consultants performed an in-depth analysis to identify the challenges of the complex battery line. The configurable solution would need to consider variability and functionality; architecture scalability; and future requirements.\u00a0\n\nThe goal was to encapsulate application code in a standard global programming template. The team created an application library, with section-wise control, so PARI could configure the code by using key selections. The template adopted a modular code structure, to ensure code re-usability while addressing custom variants. The team also created application specific function blocks (Add-On Instructions) and ensured IP protection of application code by using different levels of protection in Studio 5000 Logix Designer(R), an application used to configure, program and maintain the entire Allen-Bradley(R) Logix 5000 familiar of controller's and related devices.\n\nRockwell Automation ControlLogix(R) control systems use a common control engine with a common development environment to provide high performance in an easy-to-use environment. Tight integration between the programming software, controller and I/O modules reduces development time and cost at commission and during normal operation. ControlLogix L8Y and L350 controllers help to ensure that the automaker has a future-ready architecture and layout that's easy to integrate into the current assembly.\n\nPanelViewTM Plus 7 graphic terminals were used to help simplify configuration. The terminals include Ethernet connectivity so users can monitor applications from remote locations.\u00a0 \u00a0\n\nKinetix(R) VP-Series servo motors provide smooth, integrated motion over EtherNet/IP networks and are optimized to run with Kinetix 5700 servo drives. Kinetix VPC continuous duty servo motors provide continuous power and torque.\n\nPowerFlex(R) 755 AC drives provide ease of use, application flexibility and high performance. PARI simplified the replacement of drives by automatically configuring the parameters from the controller with auto drive recovery (ADR) functionality.\n\nThe 1734 POINT I/OTM family of distributed IO offered digital, analogy and specialty I/O. Comprehensive diagnostics and confinable features make PIONT I/O easy to apply.\n\nThe solution networks motion and process on EtherNet/IP, a single, unified, strong communication network. The benefits of this solution create a foundation for the future, as EtherNet/IP is an industry standard and a popular choice across industries.\n\n*** Results Improve Time to Market ***\n\nAs a result of implementing this solution, PARI reduced engineering time by 50%; increased their global competitiveness by delivering a complex line with Rockwell Automation technology; and simplified its architecture with a single EtherNet/IP protocol - offering enhanced diagnostics, reduced installation and commissioning time to improve PARI's time to market.\n\n\u00a0\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to PARI's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nTrademark Information:\n\nAllen-Bradley, ControlLogix, Kinetix, PanelViewTM Plus 7 graphic terminals, POINT I/O, PowerFlex, Rockwell Automation and Studio 5000 Logix Designer are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\n\nTAG: industrial-automation-and-control\nTAG: process-automation-control\n\nTAG: automotive-and-tire\n\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: factorytalk-studio-5000\n\n",
    "hirata-emulation-software": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/hirata-emulation-software\n\nTITLE: Hirata Boosts Efficiency With Emulation Software\n\nHirata Corporation is an OEM machine builder based in Kumamoto, Japan. Founded in 1951, Hirata has been striving to have a wide range customer base in more than 40 countries by leveraging its own developed modules. It is very active in automotive and semi-conductor industries, and its strength is an end-to-end machine supply from design, engineering through commissioning. Hirata's philosophy is to \"deliver the human-friendly machine and system.\"\n\n***** 2019: Hirata's challenge *****\n\nIt seems that everything is on track, program debugging and position education has been the headache at Hirata for a long time. The program itself can be checked even before machines are built, but debugging can be done only after machines are built and running the program. Then the teaching follows. Normally teaching is done through human-machine interface (HMI) inputting the position of each axis of robots and has to be done with a great deal of care and the hours for the very precise position input. Therefore, it was really natural for Hirata to think, \"What if we can start the debug process without waiting for the machine to be built?\" At the same time, commissioning is another challenge for Hirata. Especially when it comes to overseas projects, people at the site had to just wait several weeks (or even months depending on the destination) before machines arrive at a site. They then wondered if there was anything they can do during shipping and freight time.\n\nHirata then encountered Emulate3DTM software from Rockwell Automation(R). Hirata and Rockwell Automation had a business relationship in component supply such as programmable logic controllers (PLC) or servo products, especially for machines shipped to the United States. In January 2019, Rockwell Automation acquired Emulate3D for its expanding digital engineering capabilities and started the sales promotion of the digital tool. At that time, offline teaching through simulation software was becoming popular, but simulation was unable to test the program so debugging could not be done with simulation tools. Emulation allows engineers to run the program on the virtual environment with the 3D computer-aided design (CAD) objects so engineers can start to debug the program without waiting for the machine to be built. Hirata was impressed by the first demo done by technical consultants from Rockwell Automation Japan.\n\n***** Proof of Concept with Trial and Error *****\n\nIt was June 2019 when the Rockwell Automation Japan team conducted an Emulate3D demo in front of Hirata engineers. Primaries from Hirata were impressed by the presentation and demo but felt the need for technical verification at the same time. Then the collaborative proof-of-concept journey started. Hirata gave some technical information to Rockwell Automation consultants to let them set up a more tailored demo. Rockwell Automation consultants came back to Hirata with a tailored demo and gave Hirata additional inputs for more rounds of set-up. After the rounds of communication back and forth for several months, Hirata engineers became more confident in the tool and turned to management for budget approval. Mr. Shimizu in #2 Kumamoto Business Division #2 Business Unit, referenced that moment by saying, \"We've encountered multiple simulation solutions that resulted in a small-scale deployment. But Emulate3D was different. Once we obtained the demo program developed by Rockwell Automation with our real 3D CAD data, we were impressed by its quality and could feel the huge potential in a variety of use cases.\"\n\nAfter the budget was approved, dedicated engineers were assigned in January 2020 and intensive hands-on training began by Rockwell Automation technical consultants. Months of training enabled dedicated engineers to fully utilize the emulation tool and resulted in some great outcomes within some actual projects. This success led to the new \"Digital Engineering team\" under Mr. Kusuguchi, general manager's division including four new engineers. Next year in April 2021, #3 Business Unit, the next business unit to Mr. Kusuguchi's organization, established \"3D Design Promotion team\" which included four engineers. Now, Emulate3D has been expanded with 30% reduction in engineering time and 70% efficiency up in debugging work.\n\n***** Unexpected \"bi-products\" *****\n\nEmulate3D can integrate virtual reality (VR) features so that detailed safety checks or danger predictions can be completed in virtual environments in addition to checking on machines running PLC programs. This can be also utilized for virtual commissioning, which enables Hirata to reduce the needed engineer dispatch and commissioning time. Additionally, troubleshooting or factory acceptance testing (FAT) can be done with virtual emulating machine operations. In fact, according to Hirata, due to the global pandemic, more and more remote FAT/troubleshooting requests are being received. It is a huge benefit, not only for Hirata, but also for end users to change the business behaviors from real/in-person to remote. Furthermore, the combination of Emulate3D with VR can realize the virtual training environments so that site workers can complete operation training while waiting for oceanic transportation. This virtual training is also applicable for newly hired employees seeking training.\n\n***** Next Steps *****\n\nThe benefits of emulation tools in manufacturing and engineering industries have been highlighted so far, but Hirata is also looking at the more diversified value in this tool. For example, as an OEM vendor, they can conduct machine demonstrations via emulation plus VR without running the booth in the exhibition. Their sales team can also show the quick demo in front of customers, even remotely, on a tablet so that sales cycles can become more efficient. Mr. Kusuguchi, Mr. Shimizu's manager says, \"We've been delivering added value in quality and lead time, but we will be able to add further value with innovative digital tools such as Emulate3D.\" Hirata's journey will keep going.\n\nTAG: empower-people\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: automotive-and-tire\n\nTAG: factorytalk-emulate-3d\n\n",
    "simulation-project-plan": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/simulation-project-plan\n\nTITLE: Digital Twin Simulation Verifies Expansion Needs\n\nSalas O'Brien is a North American engineering and technical services firm that serves government and private sector clients across various industries.\n\nJohn Glenski is the former President of the Plus Group and now serves as Senior Director of Industry Strategy, Automation and Digital for Salas O'Brien, a North American engineering and technical services firm that acquired the Plus Group in 2023. Salas O'Brien recently joined the Rockwell Automation Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) Partner Program and previously the Plus Group was a long-time member of the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\n* Fully informed capital decisions\n\nSalas O'Brien serves government and private sector clients across various industries, including food and beverage. A major client in that sector was facing growing capacity demands.\n\n\"They were planning to expand one of their largest facilities,\" Glenski explained. \"It was a very complex project and they wanted to understand how to increase capacity and upgrade systems before committing to significant capital investment.\"\n\nThe client engaged Glenski's team to create a process simulation that depicted existing operations and then use the model to determine the scope of needed upgrades.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\n* A perfect test case for digital twin simulation and modeling\n\n\"This was a perfect test case to use a digital twin and perform process scenario modeling to help our client make good business decisions,\" Glenski said. \"For so long this kind of technology was kind of futuristic but it's here now, and if you're a manufacturer that's not using this, you can fall behind your peers.\"\n\nWorking closely with their client to gain a thorough understanding of all production processes and requirements, Glenski's team used Arena(R) simulation software and Emulate3DTM digital twin software to simulate existing operations and test potential upgrades.\n\n\"The modeling was completed before they made their capital request so they could understand how much budget was needed,\" Glenski explained. \"One of the great benefits of a digital twin is you can work through the actual nuts and bolts, and model for different scenarios to ascertain if you need more or less resources.\"\n\nThis approach allowed the company to test the planned process upgrades across all key scenarios and identify gaps that might exist in the capital project plan.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\n* Confirm adequate resources and goals would be met\n\nSimulation planning and modeling revealed that the client needed more equipment and capacity than originally planned to meet their production requirements.\n\n\"They were happy to find that out long before they put a shovel in the ground. The model allowed our client to ensure that key project goals were achieved and accurately determine the investment required,\" Glenski said. \"Knowing that upfront was crucial because you don't want to divert capital from another project to satisfy a project that's already moving forward.\"\n\nEven though the client learned more investment and resources were needed, simulation and modeling enabled them to reduce their expansion schedule.\n\n\n\n* A foundation for the future\n\nWith a full simulation of their process and production from in-bound raw materials to packaging load-out, the client can also use the facility's digital twin for future scenario testing.\n\n\"That's one of the great things about the Arena software and its capabilities. Our client has a living model of their entire facility to use in the future if they're looking to alter or increase production or expand,\" Glenski explained. \"It can really drive production optimization.\"\n\nThat model and the information it contains, Glenski added, also provides a baseline for their client to more quickly implement and use generative artificial intelligence capabilities to share best practices and methodologies throughout the enterprise.\n\n\"So often when we go into facilities and manufacturing plants, we find there is a lack of resources to understand and fix a problem,\" Glenski said. \"But now you have a repository of troubleshooting and training information that stays around forever regardless of what happens with employee turnover. It's an exciting capability and competitive advantage that will transform manufacturing.\"\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\nTAG: arena-simulation-software\nTAG: factorytalk-emulate-3d\n\n",
    "redesigning-an-aircraft-paint-hangar-system": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/redesigning-an-aircraft-paint-hangar-system\n\nTITLE: Redesigning An Aircraft Paint Hangar System\n\nAn aircraft manufacturer required a complex, multi-faceted system to upgrade its plane-painting hangar. Concept Systems Inc., a Rockwell Automation Solution Partner, helped an Aerospace Manufacturer reduce accidents and increase efficiency in their system with their innovative software OnGuard.\n\nOnGuard is Concept Systems collision avoidance software. For the greatest efficiency, painters must quickly get very close to the aircraft, however, their movement must be constrained to avoid crashing into the aircraft. Using 3D modeling, multiple PCs, a PLC interface, and theodolite surveying equipment, OnGuard predicts and prevents costly collisions from happening while offering a user-friendly experience for operators.\n\nThe result was a system that allows for flexible aircraft parking, but it is also highly accurate; the operator cranes can quickly reach within 4 inches or less of the aircraft without risk of contacting it.\n\nThe Process Air System was another critical piece of this project. The assigned Concept Systems process control engineer used only one ControlLogix processor to manage the entire air-handling system with function block programming. Through the software, the engineer produced much more accurate control of dramatic temperature shifts, despite significant differences in the air handling system's mechanical components.\n\nProviding an easy-to-maintain system was important to all subsystems in this complex project.\u00a0 Concept System's engineers programmed on the same RSLogix 5000 platform, using consistent programming structures and naming schemes. Now, the customer's maintenance crew only needs to know one platform for system troubleshooting and modification.\n\nConsistency throughout the hangar was maintained in the off-the-shelf Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) drives used in the various subsystems. Even if drives serve very different purposes, they were programmed in a similar manner. Concept Systems standardization practices improved maintenance capabilities.\n\nThe encoder system was another major system improvement in the paint hangar. Linear encoders chosen for the cranes provide tremendous accuracy and repeatability. Absolute encoders, also used on the cranes, do not require time-consuming rehoming/re-calibrating after a power loss or maintenance downtime like in the old system.\n\nInexpensive, explosion-proof, encoders on the wingstands provided precise platform heights and angles. All the hangar's encoders delivered the tight tolerances, high accuracy, and repeatability required for their critical operations.\n\nThis complex project involved several of Concept's engineers working on very different subsystems. Their consistent, expert programming resulted in a dramatically more accurate, efficient, and maintenance-friendly aircraft painting control system than existed before.\n\n\n",
    "cytiva-bringing-digital-manufacturing-to-life": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/cytiva-bringing-digital-manufacturing-to-life\n\nTITLE: Cytiva: Bringing Digital Manufacturing to Life\n\nCytiva customers undertake life-saving activities ranging from fundamental biological research to developing innovative vaccines, biologic drugs, and novel cell and gene therapies.\n\nCytiva's job is to supply the tools and services they need to work better, faster and safer, leading to better patient outcomes. More than 7,000 associates across 40 sites support the company's vision of improving access to life-changing therapies that transform human health.\n\nAs part of its digital transformation and Industry 4.0 initiative, Cytiva wanted to create a connected digital enterprise to help improve internal operations and decrease time-to-market for end customers.\n\n***** Enabling the helpers *****\n\nEnormous amounts of time and money go into developing new pharmaceutical and medical products, and there's a small window before each new product's patent expires. Reducing time from inception to market is enormous because it allows the product to capture market share longer.\n\n\"Now more than ever as an industry, we must get smaller, faster and more cost-effective in the way we manufacture drugs, vaccines and therapeutics,\" said Kevin Seaver, executive general manager, automation and digital at Cytiva. \"By automating processes and analyzing data, we can rethink every step of drug manufacturing and realize economies of scale with flexibility, efficiency and confidence.\"\n\nStreamlining the deployment of systems, reducing islands of automation, and decreasing the time spent on gathering and cleaning data all can help biomanufacturing players accelerate their time to market.\n\n\"Our aim is to help companies go from seven years down to three or four by doing much of the engineering and automation work upfront,\" Seaver said.\n\n***** Integration and automation across the value chain *****\n\nThe Cytiva Figurate automation platform includes control and communication capabilities that turn data insights into productive outcomes for both upstream and downstream process efficiency gains.\n\nTo develop and put its Figurate platform in place, Cytiva adopted the Rockwell Automation PlantPAx(R) system and used its own Unicorn software to automate its bioprocess equipment. Data is made available through MES applications and can be integrated to include electronic batch records, scheduling and more.\n\nThe platform is designed to dramatically streamline deployment of systems for end customers. There are options for Rockwell Automation systems and others, depending on the end-user's specific needs. Standardized digital libraries - such as product code that's been tested, documented and validated - also can create more efficient process development all the way through manufacturing and automation.\n\nFor example, a customer using our PlantPAx system can operate it as a single standalone system but also operate it together with other systems. Through integration the customer can transfer not only the biopharma material but the data along with it. \u00a0\n\n***** Leveraging the power of analytics and data *****\n\nWithin The Connected Enterprise(R), customers have all the documentation they need electronically and can release it to manufacturing immediately. Additionally, Figurate can bring process data up to the cloud where it can be combined with additional operational data. Using advanced analytics, these valuable insights can be used to improve operations and can then be fed back down to the system to optimize processes.\n\n\"There's cost, time and quality. Usually if you want to gain on any one of those three you have to give up something,\" Seaver said. \"But we can be faster. We can deliver it more cost-effectively since we've already done all that upfront work. And quality is higher, too, because we've validated the code as well.\"\n\nCytiva's automation lab and a room called The Sandbox house servers with different types of applications that are being developed and tested. This testing environment allows Cytiva to prove everything out before it goes to customers. If customers have questions or problems they can bring them in and test them, creating a collaborative environment.\n\n***** Delivering pre-tested solutions *****\n\nCytiva's FlexFactory lines, featuring Figurate, include media and buffer preparation, cell culture production, harvesting, purification, viral clearance, sterile filtration and bulk formulation processes. All of these can be combined in modular KUBio clean-room shipping containers and delivered to biomanufacturing customers, essentially ready-to-go.\n\n\"Our KUBio systems are effectively shipping container-based production units that allow us to build an entire factory in less than 18 months,\" said Seaver.\n\nAdditional benefits beyond speeding up time-to-market include 10-20 percent increases in production throughput, availability and production employee efficiency, as well as 5-30 percent decreases in energy use, scrap material, batch release time, maintenance and downtime investigations.\n\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: life-sciences\n\nTAG: factorytalk-innovationsuite\nTAG: plantpax\nTAG: plantpax-dcs\n\n",
    "an-icon-based-hmi--what-could-be-simpler-": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/an-icon-based-hmi--what-could-be-simpler-\n\nTITLE: An Icon-Based HMI. What Could Be Simpler?\n\n\"Home cooking\" has taken on a whole new meaning. Today's busy young professionals and families no longer spend hours preparing three square meals a day. Instead, they increasingly seek ready-to-eat items - or at the very least choose options that minimize slicing, dicing and other meal prep chores.\n\n\"Ready-to-eat meals is a major topic in every food processing plant I visit - and that means more slicing and dicing,\" said Doug Wilson, director of engineering, Marlen. \"In addition, everyone is experiencing worker shortages - and food safety is a critical concern, too.\"\n\nMarlen is a premium manufacturer of highly engineered food processing equipment and systems specializing in high-quality proteins and other food products. From their headquarters in Riverside, Missouri, Marlen serves a global customer base representing leading food brands and operates under Duravant, its Chicago-based parent.\n\nWith customer challenges at the forefront, Marlen recently launched its popular DuraKutTM product line. The new DuraKut 6000 series features continuous flow size reduction for meat and poultry processing. The versatile equipment cuts fresh, vacuum tumbled, crust frozen or cooked products into cubes or strips.\n\n\"We know our customers must tool-up differently to meet today's demands,\" said Wilson. \"But to help ensure our redesign addressed customer needs, we invited some major producers onsite to critique our existing product line - and to provide input on improvements.\"\n\nThis \"voice of the customer\" - plus internal design reviews that included engineering, service and production personnel - led to significant equipment enhancements.\n\n*** Keeping It Simple ***\n\n\"Over the years, we had made improvements in the language-switching capabilities in our HMI,\" said Wilson. \"However, we discovered that toggling back and forth between French and Spanish when workers spoke different languages wasn't always practical on the plant floor.\"\n\nAnd due to high turnover, workers were often not on the job long enough to truly learn the system.\n\nTo ease operation and training, Marlen developed a simple operator interface that relies strictly on icons - not words. In addition, machine breakdown procedures for changeover and sanitation are icon-based and embedded in the HMI rather than hidden in manuals.\n\n*** Seamless Changeover. Faster Disassembly. ***\n\nThe clean, intuitive and seamlessly integrated operator interface includes other features that bolster machine flexibility.\n\nFor example, in many food size reduction applications, a processor must switch from two-dimensional (2D) slicing to three-dimensional (3D) dicing. A gang knife assembly at the front of the machine makes slices by cutting through the product vertically. To change to a dicing application, an operator simply adds a horizontal slicing attachment to the back of the machine. The HMI immediately calls-up the functions for the new attachment as soon as the two units are connected.\n\n\"Another significant improvement is tool-free disassembly,\" said Wilson. \"Tearing down a machine for changeover or sanitation procedures used to take 20 to 30 minutes. With the new machine, the process can be completed in about 5 minutes.\"\n\n*** Improving Sanitary Design ***\n\nHygienic design is also a critical focus of this next generation system. The DuraKut 6000 features easy-to-clean sloped surfaces - and no external hinges on the covers or door handles.\n\n\"Plus, based on customer feedback, we designed a more robust no-leak electrical enclosure,\" said Wilson. \"The patent-pending enclosure includes improved seals, which were pressure-checked for enhanced durability during washdown procedures.\"\n\n*** Versatile Control System ***\n\nThe DuraKut 6000 relies on a Rockwell Automation(R) control platform featuring an Allen-Bradley(R) CompactLogixTM controller and an Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM Plus 7 graphic terminal. Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) 525 AC drives control the conveyance system that transports the product throughout the cutting and discharge process. For precision cubing and strip cutting, Marlen offers a servo-driven option, featuring Allen-Bradley Kinetix(R) 5500 servo drives.\n\n\"Overall, we are able to achieve more precision in the new machine,\" Wilson explained. \"Our new design allows us to hold the meat tightly next to the blade - within 120 thousandths of an inch. More precise cuts mean less food waste.\"\n\n*** Future-Ready Design ***\n\nMarlen also designed the DuraKut 6000 with new digital technologies in mind.\n\n\"We are always looking for ways to enhance the performance and usability of our offerings,\" said Wilson.\n\n\"For example, I foresee a day when we could make the whole machine available through augmented reality (AR) to ease training - and streamline troubleshooting and maintenance.\"\n\nLearn more about how Rockwell Automation helps improve machine builder performance.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: drives-and-motors\n\n",
    "pacmac-globalizes-cartoning-machine": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/pacmac-globalizes-cartoning-machine\n\nTITLE: Pacmac Globalizes Cartoning Machine\n\nFor this OEM, robustness if everything.\n\nPacmac manufactures tube filling and cartoning machines for CPG industry. Using the latest technology, Pacmac's goal is to make every new machine outperform the last iteration, always investing in research and development to improve.\n\nLike most packaging OEMs, Pacmac must manage the challenges of rapidly changing technology, the rising costs of raw materials, and the need to build sustainable machines. Right now, Pacmac plans to increase overall global market share by developing a local U.S. team and designing machines for global end users that require more flexibility.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nMost Life Sciences products are shipped in cartons - and that's Pacmac's specialty.\n\nA\u00a0cartoning machine is a\u00a0packaging machine\u00a0that forms\u00a0cartons in five stages: erect, close, fold, side seamed and sealed cartons. The process is straightforward: the Cartoning machine picks a single piece from the stack of folded carton and erects it, fills with a product through an open end, and closes the carton by tucking the end flaps or applying adhesive. Also these machines are multipurpose with the ability to handle a variety of products including vials, tubes, blisters, soaps, bottles etc.\n\nThe challenge with the current machine is the open loop. There's no data exchange and too many mechanical components due to which accuracy over a period of time decreases. When the size of the carton changes, the axis of the machines needs manual adjustments to compensate the offset. The absolute position of the main motor cannot be determined in case of power failure causing product loss, and failure of the main motor leads to a complete stoppage of machine.\n\nIn addition, earlier versions of machines were limited in the ability to handle tube variations. With enhanced architecture, the same machine could carton products in multiple variations without machine stoppage by simply selecting a different tube type from the HMI.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nThe new machine would have the axis connected to the servo motor, which also is on EtherNet/IP\u00a0for communication with the controller, eliminating the manual mechanical system.\n\nCompactLogix\u00a0controllers provide higher performance, increased capacity, improved productivity and enhanced security to help meet the growing demands of smart machines and equipment for manufacturing. These controllers use a common easy-to-use development environment. Tight integration between the programming software, controller and I/O modules reduces development time and cost at commissioning and during normal operation. This commonality provides cost-effective integration of a machine or safety application into a plant-wide control system because it integrates capabilities in one controller.\n\nKinetix 5500 EtherNet/IP Servo Drives connect to and operate with CompactLogix controllers, supporting Integrated Motion on EtherNet/IP. With its innovative, compact design, the Kinetix 5500 drive helps minimize machine footprint and simplifies system wiring.\n\nKinetix VP-Series Servo Motors provide smooth, integrated motion control over EtherNet/IP networks and are optimized to run with the Kinetix 5500 and 5700 servo drives. Kinetix VPC continuous duty servo motors provide continuous power and torque. Kinetix VPL low inertia servo motors deliver high dynamic performance.\n\nThe multi axis machine is now smart as seamless data transfer is possible via Ethernet communication. If the size of the carton changes, then offset is possible from HMI and Manual mechanical adjustment is not required.\n\nBased on the type of product, the end user can now select a recipe from the human machine interface and system will make an automatic offset adjustment. Absolute position of the servos can be retained in case of power failure. End users enjoy higher accuracy and lower maintenance with a reduced mechanical system, and scalability is achievable with axis addition or deletion. It's now easier to integrate the machine with upstream systems.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nWith this scalable machine, the reach of Pacmac now increased to the type and no. of end users. As per the feedback from customer their install base is now increasing across their existing end user. Also they were able to reach out some new End users and have successful won orders with them.\n\nAlong with their existing machine Pacmac sold almost 10-12 Nos. of these new machines, which has increase their revenues by almost 10-15%. They are quite confident that their sales will still go up with the help of these machines.\n\nRemote operation and monitoring of the machine is now possible as the multi-discipline architecture can be accessed remotely for troubleshooting or modification, rather than through a physical site visit.\n\nEtherNet/IP connectivity enables The Connected Enterprise(R), converging plant-level and enterprise networks, and securely connecting people, processes, and technologies. Connected smart devices open new windows of visibility into processes; data and analytics from these machines enable better and faster decision making and seamless connectivity spurs new collaboration.\n\nMachine maintenance cost and time is now reduced, improving Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE). This is accomplished by:\n\n    * Reducing the number of mechanical parts on a machine, so fewer parts receive extreme wear and tear and must be replaced.\n\n    * Automating the offsetting of the servo to reduce errors, waste and downtime.\u00a0\n\n    * Reducing product changeover time by simply selecting the product type from the MHI and adjustments in the machine are automatically completed.\n\nWith axis utilization now available via the HMI, operators can more accurately predict and detect failures, more quickly accomplish product changeovers, and handle more types of cartons.\u00a0\n\nMaterial deliveries are under way and we are hoping to complete the machine development by this month end. Once the machine is in operation with RA proposed system I shall share more graphical data along with improved machine efficiency and productivity data.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Pacmac's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nTrademark Information:\n\nAllen-Bradley, ControlLogix, Kinetix, EtherNet/IPTM, The Connected Enterprise(R) are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: remote-support\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: life-sciences\n\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: programmable-controllers\n\n",
    "solutions-in-action--forpak-": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/solutions-in-action--forpak-\n\nTITLE: Solutions in Action: Forpak\n\nEven though counting is one of the fi rst skills we learn at a young age, it is sometimes a challenge. \"I was in one food plant and they were supposed to have a stack of 15 crusts in every box. In reality, they had between 13 and 18 crusts in each box,\" said David Brownson, engineering manager at Forpak, a division of MultiSource Manufacturing, LLC. \"So they were either giving away a couple of crusts or shorting their customers \u2013 neither of which is a good thing.\" Forpak is well-known for helping food manufacturers solve challenges like this and many more. Since 1989, the Burnsville, Minnesota-based machine builder has delivered cost-effective, efficient stacking equipment that helps customers package the right amount of product every time. After establishing its expertise in stackers for meat product, Forpak expanded to baked goods, such as waffles, cookies, sandwich thins and bagels thins. Recently, with its new GSII Stacker, Forpak is building equipment designed to meet the unique requirements of larger products, such as pizza crusts, pita bread and paper plates.\n\nThe stacking process is controlled by an Allen-Bradley CompactLogix programmable automation controller (PAC), which manages all machine functions \u2013 including motion \u2013 to help ensure the right count every time. The machine stacks at a rate of 80 pieces per minute per lane, which is ideal for larger product. Operators can easily monitor the stacking process using a touch screen Allen-Bradley PanelView Plus graphic terminal. The easy-to-view screen provides a window into the machine \u2013 displaying a slew of data, including machine statuses and alarms. Plant managers and operators can also access an uninterrupted flow of data running from the machine to the manufacturing and IT enterprise through the machine's managed switches communicating over EtherNet/IP\u2122. This enables its customers to remotely monitor the GSII Stacker and use real-time operating data to make quick decisions that help improve efficiency.\n\n\"Because the machine uses exclusively Rockwell Automation technology and components, the entire installation and startup process is streamlined,\" Brownson said. \"A process that once took one to two weeks now only takes four days \u2013 a dramatic time- and cost-savings for our customers. In addition, maintenance is easier because most people in our industry are familiar with the Rockwell Automation platform.\" The level of automation the machine provides helps reduce human error \u2013 especially when it comes to counting \u2013 and allows customers to re-allocate personnel to other areas in the plant.\n\nThe GSII Stacker is located between the cooling/freezing and packaging areas in the plant. \"In some plants, there are between four and 20 people in this area orienting and stacking product, making it a heavy-traffic, error-prone spot,\" Brownson said. \"With the GSII Stacker, customers can reduce the number of employees in that area by at least 50 percent.\"\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "energy-pipeline-operator-upgrades-architecture": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/energy-pipeline-operator-upgrades-architecture\n\nTITLE: Energy Pipeline Operator Upgrades Architecture\n\n*** Background ***\n\nElectricity and natural-gas delivery company CenterPoint Energy - Mississippi River Transmission LLC (CNP-MRT) owns and operates 8,200 miles of transmission pipeline that carried 1.6 trillion cubic feet of gas throughout a nine-state, mid-continent region during 2012. Transmission-business success depends on meeting complex, capital intensive and data-critical infrastructure challenges, and moving large volumes of natural gas - reliably, over long distances - to 22 gas-fired power plants.\n\nCompeting for utility customers against other transmission companies and alternate forms of energy requires CNP-MRT to leverage technology that minimizes operating, maintenance and downtime costs. This allows them to achieve price and service levels that win and retain utility customers.\n\nTransmission profitability is complicated further because the throughput-dependent segment also must accommodate variables, such as demand-reducing mild weather, fluctuating gas prices and regulatory-compliance overhead.\n\nEfficiently, reliably and intelligently controlling, automating and monitoring the performance of reciprocating engine compressors represents one of the most significant challenges in moving the highest quantity of natural gas at the lowest cost. The school bus-sized engines maintain a pressurized flow (up to 1,500 psi) to reduce gas volume up to 600 times and propel it through a pipeline.\n\nControl and automation opportunities to reduce infrastructure maintenance costs, minimize downtime and leverage real-time diagnostics are significant. But so is the potential capital investment and resource allocation attached to deploying upgraded control technology across almost 70 transmission-line compressor units.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nEach compression station - located at 40- to 100-mile intervals along a pipeline route - utilizes two to 10 compressors in the 2,000-horsepower range. Aging systems typical in the energy-delivery space are built to last. Even equipment that went online in the 1960s can have another 20 years of life. At the same time, the decades-old machines are not as efficient as current technology. As a result, control systems tend to underperform current standards.\n\nUpgrading control systems across the sizeable Midwest compressor fleet represents an enormous capital undertaking - particularly under a traditional outsourcing model that contracts control design and implementation to multiple engineering firms and system integrators. Over time that approach created a mix of control products and solutions at CNP-MRT - often based on black-box proprietary logic. Because this scenario tends to keep management and station operators at arm's length, over reliance on external vendors limits in-house ability - and significantly increases the cost - to configure, integrate, expand and upgrade control.\n\nThe CNP-MRT control and automation group saw the company's Horseshoe Lake compressor station as a test case for designing and deploying an internally executed station upgrade. The four-compressor facility in Grant City, Ill. is on the CenterPoint Mississippi River Transmission (MRT) pipeline that transports the bulk of natural gas moving state to state in the Missouri, Arkansas and Illinois region.\n\nThe company inherited Horseshoe Lake from another entity that specified and built the facility before turning it over to CNP-MRT to operate. The seven-year-old station was relatively new, but at the time of construction the original, economically minded systems integrator opted for proprietary architecture and PLCs already nearing the end of their life span.\n\n\"Relative to the potential of today's open architecture, the result was an antiquated control system programmed in a very antiquated way,\" said Steve Starkey, the CNP-MRT instrumentation and electronics specialist overseeing the company's Northern pipelines. \"In addition, CNP-MRT uses Rockwell Automation exclusively and doesn't support the platform that was in use at that facility. So we couldn't work on the control system ourselves without investing a significant amount of time and money in training.\"\n\nSimply adding another step in an engine startup sequence, for example, required a control vendor to reprogram it at an additional cost for each improvement. Troubleshooting a problem or obstacle, particularly in the middle of the night or on a weekend, opens compressor operations to downtime risk.\n\n\"It's often said that there are not many ways to troubleshoot a black-box problem,\" said Starkey. \"CNP-MRT doesn't believe that. We wanted something that we can manage directly, so we can be in control of the troubleshooting. In addition, a proprietary system typically is not modular. You can't replace things individually when you need to integrate and expand.\"\n\nFinally, CNP-MRT needed significant improvement in the information solution, from data access, collection and sharing, to real-time remote monitoring and alarming. Major expense variables for large compressors include engine maintenance to optimize operating efficiency and performance, as well as the cost to repair failures that should be avoidable.\n\nAn engine that goes down or fails means an energy company does not make money. With contracts based on high standards for delivery reliability - including fines for not moving gas as promised - a lack of data-driven visibility prevents being proactive on maintenance, reacting quickly with adjustments, and efficiently expanding or scaling up.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nCNP-MRT used the Horseshoe Lake station to create and prove a potential model to cost-efficiently develop, manage and implement a major control upgrade relying heavily on in-house resources. Partnering with oil and gas specialists from the Global Solutions team at Rockwell Automation, CNP-MRT set out to design a solution that was specific to Horseshoe Lake, but that could serve as the standard, or template, for upgrading the rest of its Midwest region's compressor fleet.\n\nCNP-MRT selected a\u00a0PlantPAxTM distributed control system from Rockwell Automation that integrates control and information, using an open architecture to combine the capabilities of a DCS system with pervasive access to engine operation data. Vastly improved asset visibility and production information gives station operators the data necessary to respond faster on maintenance, operation and flow-control issues.\n\n\"The trend in compressor operations is collecting, integrating and using higher amounts of data,\" Starkey said. \"We're trying to optimize every operational aspect, in real time, that contributes to improved uptime, efficiency and profitability. That includes monitoring for unit performance, emissions and even the safety of engines that pump gas and run on gas.\"\n\n\"Anything that we need to do in the process world, Rockwell Automation has done it,\" Starkey said.\n\nThe Horseshoe Lake upgrade enables station operators to more easily manage speed and load control. The control system also determines which compressor units should start based on engine hours and the number of engines the system controls. \"In the past, when you turned on engines individually,\" Starkey noted, \"you started No. 1, then No. 2, and so on. As a result, those units always had more hours. Now, the PlantPAx system knows to start the engine with the lowest amount of hours, and takes the highest-hour engines offline first.\"\n\nThe visualization capabilities within the PlantPAx system provide a window on compression by incorporating performance metrics and the situational display of production information at engine, station and pipeline system levels. Accurate reporting of real-time engine events, along with analysis tools and management dashboards, deliver contextual, localized, role-based information for better decision making.\n\n\"Anything that we need to do in the process world, Rockwell Automation has done it,\" Starkey said. \"Having access to that domain expertise helps us, as an operations group, to turn out an effective control solution. It's very full-function, which makes application development and improvement easier. If you can dream it, you can do it.\"\n\n*** Results ***\n\nCNP-MRT summarises the upgrade returns in four key areas.\n\n\n\nCost of ownership - Design through installation and delivery of the new system at Horseshoe Lake came in well below previous systems. Based on experience with previous systems, Starkey estimated the capital investment at approximately 20 percent of the total for control projects equal in scale.\n\nSimplified HMI configuration - Not having to learn every\u00a0HMI application from scratch cuts training time considerably. With a baseline to work from, even if a station is different, the in-house control group can make modifications to fi t nearly every type of engine, which reduces integration time significantly.\n\nImproved operability - The Horseshoe Lake experience indicates that operators, who are responsible for their respective stations, can be confident in most anything they will be asked to do. \"Previously, there were many gray areas; too many instances where operators didn't have control or the necessary insight,\" Starkey said. \"The approach is different now. Operators themselves helped build really good HMI and PAC programs. It's their control system.\"\n\nReduced downtime - The PlantPAx system has reduced station downtime and the capital outlay for repairs. Previously, there were no alarms other than shutdown. Today, with alarms programmed to catch engine issues before failure, operators initiate repairs ahead of engine failure. By watching the data remotely, staff can make an engine the least available until they resolve an issue.\n\nHorseshoe Lake represents the first time that CNP-MRT has undertaken an entire compressor control station using in-house resources. There was understandable skepticism on the part of top management. \"We had to demonstrate that the new system was substantially easier for our team to manage than previous systems,\" Starkey said. \"It had to be more scalable, more efficient, and more reliable than anything purchased previously.\"\n\nWith Rockwell Automation supporting the project through goal setting, engineering advice, guidance and energy-specific best practices, the PlantPAx solution is the consensus control and automation model for the entire compressor fleet. From the faceplates to the look and feel of how the control system operates, the design and implementation is the CNP-MRT standard for upgrading other compressor stations in the future.\n\n\"The PlantPAx system has outperformed on every metric, from reliability to scalability and integration of most anything we can think of,\" Starkey said.\n\n\nTAG: oil-and-gas\n\n",
    "75--reduction-of-losses-of-finished-product-thanks-to-central-co": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/75--reduction-of-losses-of-finished-product-thanks-to-central-co\n\nTITLE: 75% Reduction of Losses of Finished Product Thanks to Central Control\n\n*** Background ***\n\nSPIN, a Spanish system integrator with over 30 years' experience, is headquartered in Barcelona, with subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, Malaysia and Australia. One of its key activities is the implementation of monitoring systems and plant information using solutions from Rockwell Automation.\n\nThrough this real-life example, SPIN presents its vision and experience in the implementation of central control rooms and how this solution can become a competitive advantage.\n\nCustomers are becoming increasingly concerned with the optimization of a whole process stream, since it is difficult to achieve the desired end result from the sum of individual steps.\n\nBy using an overview of the process, users can prioritise and improve in those areas that are having a real impact on the output. Unification of supervisory information systems is therefore becoming a priority.\n\nHere, we present the implementation of a central control room in a new factory, which faces the same challenges that most plants face.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nThe factory consists of several large workshops. The product is manufactured on demand, in large quantities and has a high manufacturing cost.\n\nIn this case, one of the most important challenges is to help ensure product quality is not compromised throughout the different stages of the process, as the product is not recoverable at the end if any defects occur. However, if quality issues are detected during the process, they can be rectified. As manufacturing costs are high, with a commensurate cost of loss it is essential to be able to recover products on time.\n\nBeing user-friendly is one of the most important characteristics of the system, which not only makes it comfortable to operate, but also helps to significantly reduce training time and facilitate the rapid integration of new staff. This was an important requirement of the project because of the high staff turnover.\n\nThe main goals are:\n\n    * Reduce quality problems to a minimum\n\n    * Reduce the need for high-level training for staff\n\n    * Optimise operating costs and maintenance of systems\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nThe first decision was to centralize the monitoring and information system.\n\nThis solution allows monitoring of the entire plant using just a few operators, providing them with enough information to make the right decisions on time and helping to optimize final product quality. All useful information will be combined and available at the same point in order to monitor how processes are performing.\n\nTo achieve this, computer architecture was designed based on SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition) central monitoring and control, which reflects the status of all processes and can command these processes from the same system.\n\nThe solution chosen was Process Control System PlantPAx\u2122 (Process Automation System) which supports the configuration of a distributed architecture and it is controlled and coordinated from one central point. All system services are centralized in the control room, which is a key element. For this reason, the chosen solution was PlantPAx\u2122 to facilitate redundancy from HMI services to communications.\n\nPlantPAx\u2122 Monitoring is supplemented with data management modules, FactoryTalk\u00ae Transaction Manager and HistorianSE.\n\nThe first module shares data between controllers and databases (including corporate). The second module deals with everything related to 'historitization' of variables.\n\nTheir ability to speed up data processing and storage has become a powerful tool to handle huge number of variables that are managed in a factory.\n\nFinally, thanks to integrated FactoryTalk\u00ae Vantage Point software in PlantPAx\u2122, all matters relating to reporting and dashboards have been resolved, allowing the company to link information from different sources (plant or corporate), and give users the ability to create their own reports and sharing via a web portal.\n\nThe solution was also supplemented with modules for the generation of SMS messages for alarms and warnings, so the support staff, wherever they are, always get the relevant information.\n\nEthernet was chosen for the installation, along with EtherNet/IP for the connection to the Allen-Bradley equipment; establishing a control system that is not only fast, but also based on standard components.\n\nAt the core of this architecture there is a rack of servers that store all plant data.\n\nBy connecting all computers and users to them, it consolidates the information in one site, enabling the production team and the management team (through the corporate network) to have access to all the information they need.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nThe main benefits of implementing this solution are twofold:\n\nProduct rejection at the end of the process was reduced by 75%, thanks to early detection of deviations in quality. Finally, the overall solution reduced by 50% the investment in equipment and monitoring implementation and information systems (only one investment rather than one per production phase).\n\nThe plant can be supervised by only four people per shift.\n\nUsing a single system (same user interface, same operation mode, etc.) has made it much easier to incorporate new staff. There is only one system to maintain and understand, so maintenance is easier in terms of training and the resolution of errors.\n\nAll plant data is included in the central control system. A data server stores all the information relevant to the plant. This redundant server architecture means there is a second server that is a current copy of the original. This design simplifies communications to corporate systems such as SAP, as it only needs access to this single source of data.\n\nThe IT department has to create and maintain a single communication channel between the corporate networks and the plant. A single source of data also implies a single value for each measure or KPI.\n\nIn summary, the central control room of the factory has become a system that provides security in the quality management of the plant. It is also an affordable way to operate the factory and a valuable source of information for operators and managers, giving them access to relevant data for decision making.\n\n\nTAG: \n\n",
    "mitsui-chemicals---skc-polyurethanes-inc---mcns---optimizes-prod": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/mitsui-chemicals---skc-polyurethanes-inc---mcns---optimizes-prod\n\nTITLE: Mitsui Chemicals & SKC Polyurethanes Inc. (MCNS) Optimizes Production Through Data Utilization\n\nStandardization delivers technical and operational benefits, even in industries where automation has not traditionally played a key role.\n\nMitsui Chemicals and SKC Polyurethanes Incorporation (MCNS), an equally-owned joint venture, began operations on 2015. With a strong foundation based on each company's experience and expertise, MCNS strives to be a leading global provider of polyurethane for varies applications, fully engaging in the industrial trends that are part of the 'fourth industrial revolution,' or Industry 4.0.\n\nSimilar to other chemical sites, producing polyurethanes for slabs, molds and cases requires accurate and unified processes.\n\nWith the Korean government strongly driving Industry 4.0, many companies are adopting a 'Smart Factory' approach at every level of their operations. MCNS, after attending the Rockwell Automation \u00a0'Smart Factory Forum 'in 2016, was inspired to take action.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nThe major challenge for MCNS was its ability to maximize the gathering and activation of logistic management data from other systems, like enterprise resource planning (ERP) and Rockwell Automation strategic partner OSIsoft's PI System.\n\nMultiple systems made it impossible to get a quick glance at accurate data and difficult for operators to track and monitor entire processing lines. Systems did not integrate so operators were forced to manually input statistics in daily, weekly and month reports, and worked without additional system integration. A particular challenge was manually operated drum management, which required Radio Frequency Identification (RFID).\n\nThe first goal in the MCNS roadmap for the future was the standardization of processes to extract real-time data as needed. The second was process optimization. The majority of its processing was controlled by a batch application with narrow event data collecting capabilities, limiting the ability to make real-time decisions onsite. Additionally, MCNS wanted to retain the OIS logistics management system, which includes the PI system with sensor value management.\n\nThe third priority was energy management. Whether the utility was divided by line or zone, MCNS wanted to manage motor energy usage via a single network to increase efficiency and stability.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nTo create the foundation for smart manufacturing and realize the value of The Connected Enterprise(R), MCNS selected FactoryTalk\u00ae VantagePoint\u00ae EMI for the backbone of the project.\n\nFactoryTalk VantagePoint EMI organizes, correlates and normalizes disparate data from manufacturing and production processes, as well as business systems, in a Unified Production Model (UPM). It then enables operators to organize and present information in everyday language \u2014 tailored to the user's needs on a mobile device or desktop.\n\nFactoryTalk VantagePoint provided:\n\n    * Mobile capabilities, enabling frictionless productivity by providing out-of-the-box, web-enabled content browsing and display creation.\n\n    * Database integration, providing up-to-date reports formerly assembled manually from multiple sources. Through integrated access to data previously buried in production control systems, operators could generate reports and dashboards without wasting time learning complicated tools and programming languages. As operators recognize opportunities for insight and improvement, they can drill down and gather more detailed information.\n\n    * Connectivity that offers trending context using information from existing third-party historians \u2013 a capability most competitor systems cannot match. This connectivity removes much of the cost of data gathering activities by automating data collection across multiple systems and platforms. Besides gathering real-time, live data, FactoryTalk VantagePoint EMI helps operators get information needed to recognize the significance of what's happening at the moment against the background of the data over time.\n\n    * Powerful reporting components, including some of the most powerful reporting components in the industry. Operators can create the exact report they want and publish it with a simple click of the mouse. The objects are immediately part of the model and accessible via web browser and user permission. Operators may view the reports directly or via the FactoryTalk VantagePoint EMI portal.\n\n    * Trending and plotting with two of the most versatile and powerful applications in the world. With drag-and-drop simplicity, operators can drop simple tags or complete objects onto the plot. Change time periods, stack traces, and switch between historian and real-time data.\n\n*** Result ***\n\nThe successful adoption of FactoryTalk VantagePoint software means MCNS data is easily translated and simplified to offer actionable information, helping to reduce and control costs within the standardized process.\n\nThe estimated financial savings increased to roughly 5% annually with the improved reporting provided through the FactoryTalk solution. \"The best thing about FactoryTalk VantagePoint EMI is that I know if data is anywhere in our systems, I can easily find it and then use it to make real-time, informed decisions,\" said Joong Ho Lee, Team Leader from MCNS. The MCNS team can monitor and analyze data pulled from the MCNS system and respond directly to solve the issues on site.\n\nThe success of this project is a result of the long-term effort between Rockwell Automation Sales and MCNS. Six teams were involved in the prior interviews for two days which included major steps based on 'The Connected Enterprise(R) Maturity' model. Beginning with the first step for Assessment and the third step of defining and organizing the company's Working Data Capital (WDC) was very beneficial of final achievement.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to MCNS use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nFactoryTalk VantagePoint and Rockwell Automation are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\n\nTAG: fiber-and-textiles\n\n",
    "sustainability-challenges-demand-new-approaches": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/sustainability-challenges-demand-new-approaches\n\nTITLE: Sustainability challenges demand new approaches\n\nFounded over 50 years ago, Universal Pack entered the market as a specialist in the design, development and build of automatic sachet machines. Since its inception, the Italian company has created multiple innovative solutions that have left their mark on the industry, thanks to the company's drive for precision, efficiency, reliability, and mechanical durability.\n\nPutting itself forward as a single supplier for complete automatic lines, Universal Pack designs, manufactures and assembles all types of machines, including automatic vertical sachet machines, standard machines, customized stand-alone machines with ad-hoc dosing systems, modular lines and integrated lines for the primary and secondary packaging sector - with a broad capability to package many different products that exhibit varied chemical-physical characteristics.\n\nLike many packaging companies, Universal Pack must go where its end users need it to be, and nowhere is this more apparent than in the development of flexible packaging solutions for new recyclable and compostable laminates.\n\n\"This is probably the wider industry's biggest challenge,\" explains Alex Leardini, Marketing Executive at Universal Pack. \"We are seeing major changes across multiple sectors, and it is essential that we take the lead. Food companies in Europe have already started work with sustainable packaging for sauces and coffee, for example, but pharma is not quite there yet; it is at an earlier stage in this evolution, but we still have to be ready when the need finally arises.\n\n\"Fortunately, due to our work in the food sector, we have a head start in pharma,\" Leardini explains, \"as we are already working with sustainable laminates across multiple applications. And this demand for sustainability can manifest in many ways.\n\n\"One example is the packaging of micro-nutrients and food powders for third-world countries,\" he adds. \"Many of the places that need this type of nutritional support do not have organized refuse collections, so empty plastic pouches and sachets can start to build up, creating ecological problems too. However, thanks to our collaboration with other like-minded companies, we have developed compostable packaging technologies for these powders, that gives us the chance to have a positive ethical and social impact, while fixing the issue of non-recyclable waste.\"\n\nUniversal Pack has its own material-research department too, which works with customers, technology vendors and materials suppliers to develop packaging solutions that are optimized for laminates. \"Recyclable and compostable materials are much more sensitive,\" Leardini explains, \"exhibiting different elastic, physical and chemical properties, which subsequently make them tougher to deploy on traditional machines.\n\n\"Fortunately, we have a great relationship with Rockwell Automation, which really counts when we need to research new solutions. We need suppliers that can help us with tough challenges and are capable of answering, supporting, suggesting and advising and, above all, trustworthy.\"\n\nAnd although sustainability is a major driving force in modern industry, there are other operational metrics that are still essential. \"We chose Rockwell because of the quality of the products and services they provide,\" Leardini explains. \"The local and global support they can offer is essential. From our perspective we have been able to develop new operational concepts that are easier to program, test and validate, while also giving us greater scope for future modifications.\n\n\"Our customers, on the other hand, gain flexible and efficient machines that are capable of handling the most modern forms of sustainable materials, coupled to full Industry 4.0 and smart machine capabilities,\" he concludes, \"while also enjoying easier troubleshooting, reduced training effort and improved safety.\"\n\nCheck out our extensive portfolio of solutions for your sustainability initiatives.\n\nTAG: sustainability\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: life-sciences\n\n",
    "limestone-calciner-takes-command-of-operations-with-new-control-": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/limestone-calciner-takes-command-of-operations-with-new-control-\n\nTITLE: Limestone Calciner Takes Command of Operations with New Control Centre\n\nThere are few qualities so desirable for a business to have than an ability to adapt to change. Industries evolve, circumstances shift, but what remains over time are those businesses with the foresight and flexibility to move with the tides.\n\nSuch adaptability is perfectly exemplified by limestone calciner Singleton Birch. Formed in 1815, the company has endured through multiple industrial eras and continues to thrive to this day. In part, this is due to the company's unique structure. Governed by a board of trustees composed of several charities along with descendants of the original owners, the company has a devout focus on reinvesting capital back into the organisation to fuel continual improvement and modernisation initiatives. It's this approach that has given the Lincolnshire-based company the flexibility to deliver an expansive set of products and services to more than 300 customers, across the energy, utilities, water treatment and steel sectors.\n\n\u00a0\n\nCommand and Control\n\nA central component for managing this complex supply chain is its control operations. This function is responsible for monitoring everything from the extraction of calcium carbonate (limestone) through to delivery of products and removal of wastes at remote customer sites. Historically, command operations were managed via eight separate control rooms, situated in proximity to production locations, each with its own operational and engineering staff. These locations incorporated around 40 legacy PLCs and 25 SCADA applications, each supported by separate servers at the remote locations.\n\nThe company was experiencing limitations with this approach. The operations were siloed, and there was little coordination between activities in separate parts of the operations: such as the quarry, kilns and production plants. This presented issues from a resource allocation perspective, and also created safety risks due to fractured communications between the sites. The approach was also costly due to the need to operate multiple different sites and have staff present in each. Additionally, there was an ongoing risk of downtime due to a lack of redundancy in the company's IT infrastructure. This could be a major issue if one of the control rooms did experience downtime, as it would be inoperative for hours -- and possibly days - while engineering work was arranged.\n\nAcknowledged as an area for improvement, the company began the process in 2015 of consolidating and integrating its control operations. The initiative aimed to replace the multi-site approach with a single control room with complete visibility across the company's entire operations. Working with its longstanding systems integrator InControl Systems, the board saw the project as an opportunity for cost saving and competitive advantage. Following a discovery workshop in 2017, they approved the development of an integrated control centre, supported by a new, on-premise data centre.\n\nThe vision for the project also aligned with a broader organisational push to adapt the company culture and integrate its production chain. This meant moving away from fragmented, generalist staff managing different part of company operations, towards fully integrated operations via specialist operators. The new control centre would become a state-of-the-art facility with duties ranging from resource allocation and optimisation, through to safety and logistics, with the twin goals of cost reduction and value addition.\n\nInControl Systems helped compose a team of expert technology providers, including Rockwell Automation, PTC and InVMA, to bring the vision to reality.\n\n\u00a0\n\nTransforming from the centre\n\nBeginning the installation phase in May 2019, it took eight weeks to build the control room. The process involved installing more than 40 large screens, redundant servers and support applications, connected to PLCs using control logic gateways on an Ethernet network. These screens would give operators the flexibility to monitor across operations using single log on, with minimal maintenance.\n\nTo support the new control centre capabilities, Singleton Birch created an adjacent data centre with the objectives of creating greater redundancy and improved data quality. In this data centre they installed two Rockwell Automation FactoryTalk View SE unlimited redundant client server architectures, one for quarry operations and one for process operations, which helped them to significantly minimise downtime. A redundant ThinManager configuration was also implemented to ease the process of managing such a large array of screens and simplify the associated maintenance. Finally, FactoryTalk AssetCentre was installed to provide total audit and improve traceability of software modifications.\n\nThe data centre also included PTC ThingWorx and Kepware solutions, which allowed operators to stitch together data from multiple sources, including the control systems, energy monitoring, CRM and planning systems. This provided operators with important insight into stock and production data in order to enable more accurate forecasting of manufacturing and delivery requirements.\n\nBy August 2019 the new system was completely functional; the quick project turnaround aided by the flexibility and scalability of the ThingWorx platform. With their new-found capabilities, operators gained clear visibility over equipment effectiveness, maintenance management systems and financial information. The integrated system brought operators and engineers closer together, meaning that maintenance tasks could be operationalised. The setup also functionally separated control operators from on-the-ground supervisors. The control operators would act as the supervisors' 'eyes and ears', analysing data and providing recommendations to the remote locations.\n\n\u00a0\n\nIntegrated working\n\nIn the time since the control centre became operational, the new capabilities have become an important part of Singleton Birch's plant operations. At a technical level, the centre's impact has aligned well with the board's strategic intent. Key benefits have included:\n\n    * Improved availability\n\nAvailability has improved by more than 20% due to system efficiencies, massively decreasing instances and impact of system faults.\n\n    * Reduction in energy consumption\n\nThe system includes submetering so that operators have granular insight and greater control over manufacturing and energy consumption across plant.\n\n    * Improved cost and flexibility\n\nThe cost of operation has been reduced by around 13%, taking into account the price competitiveness of the solution and the reduction in personnel required to maintain operations.\n\n    * Improved safety\n\nSupervisors are now remote from physical operations, meaning they are able to identify issues earlier and benefit from having engineers in closer proximity for proactive maintenance.\n\n    * Better management and integration\n\nThe centralised nature of the control centre has supported the project's overarching objective of establishing better levels of visibility and joined-up decision-making across site operations.\n\n    * Sales and revenue generation\n\nThe new system allows Singleton Birch to gain better control over the various aspects of its supply chain, supported by enhanced logistics. This approach has helped to differentiate the company's business model and boost its competitiveness.\n\n    * Cultural improvement\n\nThe control operation staff have been engaged in the process from day one. They now work in a more comfortable environment with better equipment. They have also benefitted from an improved flow of decision-making and efficiency, meaning they can act in real-time to emerging issues.\n\n\u00a0\n\nLooking to the next two centuries\n\nThe project's success epitomises the ethos that has held Singleton Birch is strong standing over its 200 year history. The strategic process of identifying an area for improvement, piloting solutions and executing on the plan lays the blueprint for ongoing organisational improvement. The integrated control centre project has not only helped the company to run its plant in a much more efficient and cost effective manner, but is also producing cultural benefits that it anticipates will translate into greater staff engagement and career advancement.\n\nThis transformation has been made possible by the support of its partners, including Rockwell Solutions, which have shown a keen understanding of the company's principles and ambitions. Lending their expert advice on the portfolio of advanced, complementary systems available, the project team have worked together to apply these tools in practice.\n\nStaying true to its roots, while displaying the courage to transform, puts Singleton Birch in control of its future.\n\n\nTAG: industrial-automation-and-control\nTAG: process-solutions\nTAG: the-connected-enterprise\n\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\nTAG: metals\nTAG: mining\nTAG: cement\n\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: factorytalk-thinmanager\nTAG: factorytalk-view-se\nTAG: factorytalk-view-me\nTAG: thingworx\n\n",
    "the-algae-house--generating-energy-from-living-algae-on-its-faca": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/the-algae-house--generating-energy-from-living-algae-on-its-faca\n\nTITLE: The Algae House: Generating Energy from Living Algae on its Facade\n\n*** Background ***\n\nThe world's first building with a bioreactor fa\u00e7ade was unveiled in 2013 by Internationale Bauausstellung (IBA) in Hamburg, Germany. Micro-algae breeds within the building's shell, using photosynthesis and solar energy to produce biomass and heat. One of the biggest challenges in this project was to link the technology needed to cultivate micro-algae with modern building technology. Rockwell Automation provided the control elements, which integrate all the disparate technologies into one system while enabling automatic operation throughout the year.\n\nIBA in Hamburg set itself a goal: to shape the future of cities in the 21st century. As a part of this ambition, it developed several projects that provided innovative and sustainable responses to today's questions about urban development. It presented the BIQ \u2013 IBA's name for its house self-sufficient in energy \u2013 in the Wilhelmsburg area of Hamburg in 2013. The building featured the world's first bioreactor facade, in which micro-algae are cultivated in plate glass tanks and produce biomass and heat from solar energy and photosynthesis. This warmth is then fed into heat exchangers and made available to the building for heating. The algae are harvested regularly and used as raw material for the creation of biogas. The green fa\u00e7ade elements give the building an original look, along with its nickname of The Algae House.\n\nThe Algae House is a cube-shaped, five-storey passive building comprised of fifteen apartments. It was designed by the architectural practice Splitterwerk from Graz in Austria, whose concept won an architecture competition run by IBA. The fa\u00e7ade system was developed jointly by SSC Strategic Science Consult GmbH, Arup Deutschland GmbH and Colt International GmbH. They used automation products and solutions from Rockwell Automation, which integrated seamlessly with the measurement and process technology from Strategic Alliance partner Endress+Hauser.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nThe bioreactor fa\u00e7ade covers a 200m2 area and forms the heart of the energy system. It is made up of glass tanks that measure 2.6m high by 70cm wide and about 2cm deep with a capacity of about 24 litres. The tanks are filled with a culture solution enriched with nutrient salts, giving the micro-algae optimal conditions for growth. Compressed air ensures that the algae are always moving and CO2 is continually fed into the reactor to boost their growth further. The CO2 is provided by a gas boiler. The sunlight not used by the algae also warms the reactor liquid. As with a solar energy system, this warmth is separated off into an energy unit and used to heat the building.\n\nDr. Martin Kerner, Managing Director of SSC Strategic Science Consult GmbH, comments: \"The biggest challenge in this pioneering project was to combine the innovative technology used for growing algae with modern building technologies. That was the only way to underpin the various functions of the micro-algae fa\u00e7ade \u2013 such as heating and biomass production \u2013 while ensuring soundproofing and light protection for the building too. We managed to achieve this with the Algae House \u2013 it's the first of its kind in the world.\"\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nThe automation technology is an important part of the whole system and allows it to be run automatically throughout the year. An Allen-Bradley CompactLogix\u2122 controller from Rockwell Automation forms the core of the automation system by providing seamless integration between the programming software, controllers and I/O modules, helping to accelerate initial development time and reduce commissioning and operation costs.\n\nOther devices connected to the CompactLogix controller include building technology systems, such as heat exchangers, as well as algae cutters and the conversion units that turn biomass into biogas. The PLC also controls all the pumps used to guide the reactor modules towards the sun. The remote I/Os are connected to the controller via EtherNet/IP, providing decentralised control across all floors of the building. It provides robust, real-time networking and high-speed discrete control. Unlike other networks that continuously alter their network design to meet the demands of industrial applications, EtherNet/IP helps ensure high suability and consistency of the entire system for increased real-time capabilities.\n\nThe entire system is operated by a specialist at SSC Strategic Science Consult GmbH, using Rockwell Software FactoryTalk\u00ae View visualisation software. The easy-to-use graphical functions give the user a realistic view of all processes, making it easy to monitor the system and analyse processes. The software also enables the user to react rapidly to error alerts and alarms. If necessary, the user can also intervene in processes directly by modifying predefined control parameters via the visualisation software. As a result, FactoryTalk View is an essential element contributing to the error-free operation of the bioreactors.\n\nSeveral measurement devices from Endress+Hauser \u2013 such as flow meters and analysis instruments \u2013 are connected to the Allen-Bradley controller. They check the fill levels in the reactor modules as well as the pH, oxygen and nitrate levels in the growing medium. A process photometer is used to define when the algae should be harvested, so that the removal of the biomass can also be controlled automatically.\n\nThe system was initially designed as a prototype, but Rockwell Automation is preparing it for worldwide implementation with the addition of four programming languages. Depending on the background of the local technicians, the system can be programmed using ladder logic, structured text, a function plan or a sequential function chart. In addition, the control system's tag-based architecture simplifies the programming process.\n\nFor the first time, the Algae House has made it possible to test a decentralised system that supplies a building with heat and power while producing high-quality biomass energy. It also reduces the greenhouse gas CO2. The company SCC GmbH is compiling production and performance data in the context of a two-year monitoring project, while HafenCity University in Hamburg is collecting information for this project concerning the acceptance of the new technology.\n\n\"The goal of this accurate data analysis and evaluation is to enable us to implement this technology in the future in larger systems and enable more energy-efficient and ecological construction methods,\" says Dr. Kerner from SSC Strategic Science Consult GmbH.\n\n\nTAG: life-sciences\nTAG: power-generation\nTAG: renewable-energy\n\n",
    "asset-management-services-keep-yogurt-production-flowing": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/asset-management-services-keep-yogurt-production-flowing\n\nTITLE: Asset Management Services Keep Yogurt Production Flowing\n\nChobani was established in 2005 with a mission to make high-quality, great tasting yogurt available to the masses.\n\nThe company is based on the fundamental belief that access to nutritious, delicious yogurt made with only natural ingredients is a right, not a privilege.\n\nWithin five years of entering the market, yogurt lovers made Chobani Greek Yogurt the number one selling yogurt brand in America.\u00a0 Based on this success the company decided to expand to Australia.\n\nChobani purchased a local Victorian dairy company in 2011 and invested in a new greenfield facility to manufacture their yogurt in Australia.\n\nThe Parts Management Agreement provides the availability of parts 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so when a part is required, it is there ready to go.\u00a0\n\nWith a strong focus on automation, Chobani called on Metromotion Controls, a leading systems integrator specialising in control and automation systems, to facilitate the design, management and implementation of the new $30 million facility.\n\nChobani yogurt is made in this new state of the art manufacturing facility in Dandenong South, using fresh Australian milk sourced from local farmers. The yogurt is made using a centuries-old straining technique to remove excess liquid. The result is a naturally thick and creamy yogurt that has two times more protein per serving than regular yogurt.\n\nChobani's commitment to the local Australian market to provide high-quality, fresh yogurt relies on the maintaining a smoothly operating manufacturing plant.\n\nTo help increase uptime, reduce overall costs and optimise inventory levels, Chobani called on the expertise of Rockwell Automation and their Authorised Distributor, NHP Electrical Engineering Products (NHP).\n\n*** Chobani's New State of the Art Manufacturing Plant ***\n\nThe purpose built manufacturing plant is fully automated, utilising the latest control technologies from Rockwell Automation. Metromotion Controls has enjoyed a longstanding relationship with Rockwell Automation and with extensive knowledge of their offering, was confident that their products and services were the most appropriate choice for Chobani's plant.\n\n\"We provided 'on the ground' automation and resources to facilitate the site power upgrade, building services and process power distribution, integration of factory wide automation including process, packaging and site services and final commissioning,\" said Andrew Sprigg, control systems engineer at Metromotion Controls.\n\nThe new manufacturing plant meets all of Chobani's manufacturing requirements and is operating well.\n\nAccording to Merome Dean, services solutions architect at Rockwell Automation, \"It was important to meet project deadlines and have the plant up and running but good local support from Metromotion helped achieve this with project timelines being met.\"\n\nChobani yogurt is made in their new state of the art manufacturing facility in Dandenong South, using fresh Australian milk sourced from local farmers.\u00a0\n\n*** Assuring Yogurt Production Keeps Flowing ***\n\nWith global supply agreements in place, Chobani's Australian manufacturing plant needs to maintain production rates to meet these requirements both within Australia and around the world. Any unplanned downtime can have catastrophic consequences on delivery of product, resulting in significant penalties.\n\nTo help keep yogurt production flowing, Rockwell Automation together with NHP, conducted an\u00a0Installed Base EvaluationTM\u00a0(IBE) to assess Chobani's service requirements. The IBE was used to identify any risks involved at the site to minimise downtime. These findings were then used to baseline a Strategic Maintenance Program to help optimise assets and maintain operating efficiency within maintenance budgets.\n\nThe IBE at Chobani showed that there was a shortage of spare parts onsite so if a failure was to occur at the plant, there was a high risk that the associated downtime would impact yogurt production.\n\n\"Discussions with Chobani together with the IBE findings made it clear that the plant would benefit from the peace of mind that our 'Assurance Contract' delivers. This is a comprehensive services agreement designed to minimise downtime and maximise reliability through effective asset management,\" said Peter Benifer, account manager, at NHP.\n\n*** \u00a0 ***\n\nAssurance Integrated Support\u00a0provides a guaranteed response time for on-site emergency services and replenishment parts, and helps to stabilise the annual service spend by providing fixed fee service agreements.\n\nIt also includes unlimited, premium access to\u00a0TechConnectTM Support\u00a0from Rockwell Automation which provides software maintenance, real time phone support and comprehensive online support, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.\n\nChobani's Australian manufacturing plant needs to maintain production rates to meet the requirements of supply agreements both within Australia and around the world.\u00a0\n\nChobani's operation reflects the\u00a0Connected Enterprise\u00a0model to maximise asset utilisation, reduce overall costs and minimise downtime at the plant.\n\n*** Spare Parts on Hand ***\n\nAccording to Peter Tripp, service operations & contracts manager at NHP, \"The Assurance Agreement guarantees urgent access to service engineers as well as onsite and remote service so to complete the package we wanted to make sure the plant could house the required number of spare parts onsite so that in the case of a failure, the plant could be up and running again quickly.\"\n\n\"As a result of the IBE and presentation, Chobani determined that the\u00a0Parts Management Agreement\u00a0(PMA) was able to provide them with the spare parts required without the large capital outlay,\" explained Tripp.\n\nCritical spare parts are stored onsite for easy, 24/7 access, reducing downtime caused by failures.\u00a0\n\nThe PMA provides quick access to Rockwell Automation spare parts while reducing the internal operating costs associated with maintaining an independent spare parts inventory.\n\nThrough the PMA, Rockwell Automation owns and manages the spare parts inventory for a fixed cost, providing an attractive alternative to purchasing spare parts. Any spare parts that are consumed are replenished within 48 hours and the cost is covered as part of the fixed price agreement.\n\n\"The PMA provides the availability of parts that match the install base 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so when a part is required, it is there ready to go. If you consider the costs involved per minute of downtime, by having the spares ready to go this is significantly reduced. Having the Assurance Contract with PMA and TechConnect in place, Chobani knows exactly what their maintenance budget is for the year which allows better value and management of their budget,\" said Merome.\n\n*** Service Agreement Pays for Itself ***\n\nYogurt manufacturing is a continuous process and if the process was to be affected by an unplanned downtime, the whole production process would halt, the plant would need to be cleaned and then restarted.\n\n\"Having the parts on site provides a comfort level for any breakdowns. In addition, if we were to purchase the stock outright, the cost would be higher than the service agreement,\" explained Roger Forster, reliability manager at Chobani.\n\n\"The service agreement also provides the latest software which is important to Chobani because our business revolves around integrating the latest technology,\" he said.\n\n\u00a0\n\nAllen-Bradley, Installed Base Evaluation, Listen. Think. Solve., Rockwell Software and TechConnect are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "sani-matic-digital-transformation": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/sani-matic-digital-transformation\n\nTITLE: Sani-Matic Transforms Compliance with Smart System\n\nWhen 'clean' isn't clean enough, companies trust Sani-Matic, Inc.\n\nClean-in-place (CIP) and Clean-out-of-place (COP) systems used in food, beverage and other industries have a vital role in processing because of the need to keep components free of bacteria. Cleaning occurs in piping, tanks, heat exchangers, and other equipment to prevent product contamination and maintain processing efficiency.\n\nIn these industries, satisfying consumers' appetites for new products is just one part of a complex equation. Equally important is protecting the food supply and maintaining compliance with regulatory mandates, including the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).\n\nThe latest standards have directly impacted equipment cleaning processes and heightened food and beverage companies' expectations of their CIP and COP systems and their ability to efficiently clean interior surfaces.\n\n***** Meet Regulatory Demands *****\n\nUsing a standardized control system, the right modular CIP and COP system can help meet regulatory demands while boosting efficiency.\n\nSani-Matic designs and manufactures automated sanitary process cleaning equipment, from COP Parts Washers and cabinet washers, such as the SaniCab and PharmaCab, to CIP Systems, and sanitary components that provide a complete clean - every time.\n\nIt's been that way since the Sani-Matic story began in 1943. That's when they developed a COP Parts Washer for the dairy industry and began a precedent of high-quality equipment innovation at the forefront of automating sanitary cleaning processes.\n\nSani-Matic's CIP systems provide effective cleaning parameters to thoroughly remove soils, rinse effectively, shorten cycle times, reduce operating costs, increase worker safety, and provide repeatable and documentable results.\n\n\"Sani-Matic wanted to bring the best technology to automated cleaning system reporting, increase service revenue and open up new SaaS recurring revenue streams.\"\n\n***** Better Data Opens New Revenue Sources *****\n\nSani-Matic needed an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) cloud-based software for generating cleaning cycle reports and analyzing operational data from CIP and COP systems.\n\nThe industries Sani-Matic serves are regulated and required to record critical data but the methods to collect this data were manual or paper-based with limited automation and data insight.\n\nSani-Matic wanted to bring the best technology to automated cleaning system reporting, increase service revenue and open up new Software as a Service (SaaS) recurring revenue streams, and lead the industry in technology development to promote its product and differentiate its overall systems.\n\nSani-Matic decided to expand its digital transformation potential with FactoryTalk(R) InnovationSuite, powered by PTC. This comprehensive portfolio brings edge-to-enterprise analytics, machine learning, IIoT and augmented reality (AR) to industrial operations. This powerful suite simplifies how Sani-Matic manages data and makes it easier for everyone to access, understand, and leverage the information they need to make decisions.\n\nFactoryTalk InnovationSuite collects and consolidates information technology (IT) with operational technology (OT) from existing equipment and systems, for quicker data-driven decisions that allow the workforce to easily find the data they need to drive real improvements.\n\nFor Sani-Matic, the information locked in data streams can transform how they manage operations, solve issues and adapt to change - making it useful for the right purpose, at the right place and time.\n\nFactoryTalk InnovationSuite makes it easy to connect data so Sani-Matic can improve operational insight across its business. Collecting and organizing data in real time adds needed context to provide actionable insights and turn those insights into actions. The solution blends advanced analytics with information from the MES to add context to analytics, supporting quality, compliance and continuous improvement initiatives. The AR features provide deeper visibility and training tools to improve workforce effectiveness.\n\n\"Sani-Matic decided to expand its digital transformation potential with FactoryTalk InnovationSuite, powered by PTC.\"\n\nA centralized dashboard provides immediate visibility to specific data. With this 360^0 view, users can optimize overall operations by combining, comparing and analyzing information in real time across machines, lines, processes and facilities, connecting and contextualizing data from other systems through one common window to provide the information people need for their job roles.\n\nWith the SaniTrendTM Cloud installed on-site, users are able to troubleshoot more effectively, analyze their cleaning cycle OEE over time, and gain insights into system operation, including average temperatures and runtimes, to support the individual system and leverage for future product development.\n\n\"There's a whole world of insight for our product development groups and our engineering teams internally to learn from and then, obviously, better the products for the next generations,\" said Product Management Director Peter Barrie.\n\nAdditional features above and beyond just the cleaning cycle reporting include OEE trends and preventive maintenance notifications. The road map going forward includes bringing this to other industries, including biopharmaceutical, in development of 21 CFR Part 11 electronic record requirements, and expanding the service offering through use of the technology.\n\nExpanding these offerings is an important step toward Sani-Matic's SaaS recurring revenue and product differentiation.\n\nTAG: accelerate-digital-transformation\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: factorytalk-innovationsuite\n\n",
    "lockheed-martin-aeronautics-industial-boilers": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/lockheed-martin-aeronautics-industial-boilers\n\nTITLE: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Industial Boilers\n\nLockheed Martin\n\nHeadquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Fort Worth Facility, Air Force Plant #4, produces military aircraft for the US and a number of foreign governments.\n\nChallenge\n\nAt Lockheed Martin's Fort Worth, Texas, facility, three large industrial boilers in their Central Boiler Plant were recently upgraded to emit extremely low concentrations of NOX by employing \"Ultra-Low NOX\" burner technologies. The air permit on-site required a continuous monitoring system that would provide reliable and accurate emissions records in order to meet the regulatory requirements of the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality (TCEQ). Rather than replacing its current monitoring and reporting method with a costly hardware based continuous emission monitoring system (CEMS), Lockheed Martin preferred to save money and manpower by finding a way to leveragethe Predictive Emissions Monitoring System (PEMS) already in place atits site. The company recognized that replacing their current system with a hardware based CEMS would require a significant capital investment. Subsequently, the ongoing maintenance needs of a hardware based CEMS would produce considerable expenses over its lifetime. These expenses could amount to more than $1,000,000 to maintain the three boilers, as compared to implementing a software based solution.\n\nSoftware CEM Solution\n\nLockheed Martin chose Software CEM(R) as its progressive software based solution for their emissions compliance requirements. Once the advanced technology for their boilers was installed, a team of RockwellSoftware engineers implemented the world's first and only software based Predictive Emission Monitoring System (PEMS), Software CEM, to continue to meet its stringent standards for monitoring of ultra-low NOXboiler emissions.\n\nSoftware CEM is a patented, model based, predictive emission monitoring system from Rockwell Automation. It provides a certifiable, cost-effective solution as an alternative to hardware based Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (CEMS). Powered by the Pavilion8(R) software platform, Software CEM provides a highly reliable emissions monitoring solution to meet or surpass worldwide regulatory requirements. Software CEM utilizes powerful analytic models of the process with real-time sensor validation to provide predictive emission values with unparalleled accuracy. Unlike hardware systems that provide stack output information, Software CEM uses process sensor data that operates in real-time, providing the Lockheed Martin plant with a window into the actual front-end control of the boilers. These real-time values enable their plant to monitor operating conditions that could affect the final output of emissions. Software CEM uses a patented sensor validation system as a qualifier to detect sensor failures and set appropriate alarms. This versatile system utilizes existing sensors to generate a model of all sensors in the process. This allows data validation to continue accurate emissions predictions during a sensor failure, providing for near 100% up time. In addition, Software CEM has the versatility to predict emissions even in the extreme operating ranges of unit operations. When Lockheed Martin initially considered a hardware CEMS, they were concerned about low fire-rate and near zero NOX values. They understood the challenges that exist with high signal-to-noise levels on analyzers, resulting in poor measurements of NOX. With Software CEM, these problems are alleviated since there are no hardware analyzers required to predict emissions in extreme operating environments.\n\nSingle Source Solution for Integrated Monitoring & Reporting\n\nLockheed Martin is also taking advantage of the benefits of the Real-time Environmental Management (REM) application from Rockwell Automation, which offers improved reporting. The Rockwell Software REM application gives Lockheed Martin a powerful environmental compliance and reporting system for continuous \" active compliance\" in real-time. Sophisticated data validation and a secure meta data repository help ensure that all reporting information is accurate and auditable to meet even the most stringent regulations. Additionally, REM provides a flexible, scalable solution to meet a wide range of predictive emissions, emissions monitoring, and compliance reporting requirements. Lockheed Martin now has the ability to automatically collect, validate and aggregate data to meet their reporting requirements. REM provides rich, real-time visualization and on-demand reporting in a role based, contextual format within an intuitive browser based user interface.\n\n\nTAG: power-generation\n\n",
    "wesco-cybersecurity": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/wesco-cybersecurity\n\nTITLE: Mitigating Cybersecurity Threats - Step-by-Step\n\nPortfolio Addition Supports Key Differentiation\n\nWesco is not a typical \"parts and pieces\" electrical distributor. For more than a century, the company has been guided by an innovative instinct to serve the customer first by developing solutions that satisfy complex, everyday challenges.\n\nRecently, the company put that philosophy into practice by expanding their cybersecurity capabilities. To build their cybersecurity portfolio, Wesco turned to two Rockwell Automation offerings, a security posture survey and threat detection services.\n\nWesco is a world leader in electrical, communications and utility distribution and supply chain services and a member of the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM program.\n\nOpportunity Presents Itself\u00a0\u00a0\n\nIn late 2021, a food supplier approached Wesco with a challenge. The manufacturer was acutely aware of the growing and evolving cyberthreats targeted at food and beverage companies - and had experienced a cybersecurity incident on their own IT network.\n\nWhile that incident was quickly contained and did not impact production, the company was now taking proactive steps to better mitigate their risk. To that end, they had engaged an organization to help analyze their security posture on the IT network.\u00a0\n\nHowever, the food company still lacked expertise in plant networks and turned to Wesco for an assessment regarding the OT side of their operation.\n\nIn particular, the manufacturer hoped to identify all assets across the industrial control system (ICS) - and uncover any vulnerabilities. Then, they planned to deploy a cybersecurity program aligned with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework.\n\nWesco recommended an approach that followed Rockwell Automation methodology, beginning with a security posture survey - the critical first step to deploying an actionable plan for remediation. The survey provides detailed information to assess and prioritize OT security risk through an asset inventory and establishes a baseline for network traffic and abnormality detection.\u00a0\n\nStepping Through the Process\n\nAs an Authorized Rockwell Automation Service Provider, Wesco delivered the security posture survey directly to their customer.\n\nTypically, the survey begins with a kickoff call followed by data collection, which can be completed in an eight-hour workday on site. Data is analyzed remotely and two reports are generated: a critical findings report and a comprehensive report.\u00a0 \u00a0\n\nThe critical findings report itemizes vulnerabilities that impact critical devices. These devices could result in a major shutdown if compromised. The report also rates the vulnerabilities on a scale from zero to ten, with ten being the most critical. This customer's report included multiple pages of \"tens,\" documenting significant security gaps.\u00a0\u00a0\n\nIn line with NIST guidance, the food company applied a defense-in-depth cybersecurity strategy. The strategy comprises network segmentation and multiple layers of protection - including Rockwell Automation threat detection services featuring Cisco(R) Cyber Vision. \u00a0Cisco is a Rockwell Automation Strategic Alliance Partner.\n\nCisco Cyber Vision leverages a unique edge computing architecture that monitors industrial networks and aggregates data with embedded sensors in select Cisco networking equipment. As a result, no additional network resources are required. Cyber Vision also enables security monitoring components to run within certain models of Allen-Bradley(R) Stratix(R) 5800 managed industrial Ethernet switches.\n\nSuccess Builds\n\nCurrently, the food company is monitoring the threat detection services internally and is pleased with the results.\u00a0\n\nBecause the customer is so confident in the system's capabilities, they asked Wesco to implement the same solution at two additional manufacturing facilities.\n\nIn 2022, Wesco received the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork Award for Innovation based on the successful threat detection implementation. But the company was just getting started. In 2023, Wesco was again recognized for innovation for a solution in the cybersecurity space.\n\nThe latest award was for a critical infrastructure project with a municipal water utility, which engaged Wesco to conduct a \"network health check\" across twelve water and wastewater plants. Wesco uncovered more than 500 vulnerabilities on the network - plus a physical vulnerability.\n\nBased on the findings, the utility chose to accelerate the timeline for their planned system upgrade - with Wesco taking the lead.\n\nLearn more about our PartnerNetwork Program.\n\nCisco is a registered trademark of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries.\u00a0\n\n\n\n* The PartnerNetwork Innovation Award TAGS: [rockwell-automation:metadata/capability/industrial-security]\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "new-sky-energy-biogas-h2s": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/new-sky-energy-biogas-h2s\n\nTITLE: New Sky Energy Changes the Game for Biogas\n\n***** Creative Chemistry Targets Renewable Energy *****\n\nAt first glance, landfills, dairy farms and pulp and paper mills appear to have little in common. But these divergent industries - along with wastewater treatment facilities - share a costly environmental challenge: managing significant volumes of organic waste.\n\nIncreasingly, these industries use anaerobic micro-organisms to initially break down or \"digest\" the waste. Biogas, primarily a mixture of methane, carbon dioxide (CO2), and hydrogen sulfide (H2S), is a by-product of that process. Biogas is potentially a valuable source of renewable natural gas (RNG). But to be used as a clean, safe fuel, it must first be treated to remove the CO2 and H2S.\n\n\"Thanks to government subsidies, more entities are upgrading biogas,\" said Deane Little, CEO, New Sky Energy. \"And removing the H2S from the gas stream is the critical first step in the process.\"\n\nBased in Boulder, Colorado, New Sky Energy develops innovative chemical solutions that help agricultural and industrial companies treat gas emissions, recover valuable chemicals - and convert raw biogas into renewable energy streams.\n\nIn 2018, the company made a truly game-changing discovery that led to the SulfurSolve(R) process - a transformational H2S capture system.\n\n***** The SulfurSolve Difference *****\n\nHydrogen sulfide is foul smelling, flammable, toxic - and highly regulated. To remove H2S from a biogas stream, producers have typically relied on either single-use H2S chemical scavengers or regenerative H2S control technologies.\n\n\"Because you must constantly replenish the chemicals, the single-use scavenger method is very costly to operate,\" Little said. \"And in the end, you are left with a hazardous sulfide waste.\"\n\nThe regenerative control technologies fall into two categories - biological and chemical. The biological methods are based on bacteria that use H2S as a resource to regenerate.\n\n\"But the biological methods are generally not very reliable - and we discovered that oftentimes, more chemicals must be added to these biological systems than we use in our chemical process,\" Little said.\n\nChemical regenerative control technologies typically absorb H2S in an aqueous, iron salt solution. The solution is regenerated when exposed to air in an oxidation process. However, conventional chemical systems use costly organic chelating agents to achieve iron solubility.\n\n\"That's where SulfurSolve is unique,\" Little explained. \"Our mixed metal ferric iron complex is inherently soluble in alkaline solutions. It does not require chelating chemicals to solubilize iron.\"\n\n***** From Pilot to Commercial Scale *****\n\nAccording to Little, the chemical reaction that led to the SulfurSolve solution was unexpected.\n\n\"It was one of those 'penicillin moments,'\" Little explained. \"We were experimenting with formulations and initially thought there had been some mistake when we produced the solution. Iron was not supposed to be soluble at these high pH levels.\"\n\nWhat followed was months of bench-scale testing in the lab to verify results. Next, the company spent a year testing pilot skids at wastewater plants, a pulp and paper mill, and a landfill.\n\nAfter the successful pilots, New Sky Energy reached out to manufacturing partner Moore Control Systems to transition the system to commercial scale. An engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) company, Moore Control Systems has more than 40 years experience serving the oil and gas and other industries. The company is headquartered in Katy, Texas.\n\n***** How It Works *****\n\nMoore Control Systems designed a skidded SulfurSolve plant based on a Rockwell Automation control platform featuring Allen-Bradley(R) CompactLogixTM controllers, PowerFlex(R) AC drives and a FactoryTalk(R) View HMI. The plant runs on an EtherNet/IPTM network.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\n\nRaw biogas entering the SulfurSolve plant is treated to remove droplets and solids and then exposed to SulfurSolve in low-pressure co- or counterflow contact columns. The alkaline SulfurSolve solution immediately captures and partially oxidizes the H2S. The partially spent solution with captured H2S is pumped to a regeneration vessel where exposure to air converts the captured sulfide to elemental sulfur and regenerates the SulfurSolve solution. Floating sulfur is recovered via pressure filtration. SulfurSolve solutions are regenerated and reused hundreds of times, significantly reducing H2S treatment costs.\n\n\"We're helping customers integrate the SulfurSolve skid as the first step in the biogas upgrade process,\" said Jessica Carollo, sales and marketing manager, Moore Control Systems. \"We can also offer expertise with additional steps that complete the transformation to renewable natural gas, including CO2 removal and gas compression.\"\n\n***** Lower Operating Costs. Less Waste. *****\n\nWith many successful commercial implementations in the field, the SulfurSolve system is demonstrating impressive results. It consistently captures and removes more than 99.9% of inlet gas H2S - and recovers and reuses nearly 100% of the SulfurSolve solution.\n\nNew Sky Energy estimates the system reduces chemical purchasing and waste disposal costs for H2S control projects by up to 90% compared to systems using conventional chemical scavengers. Depending on application, typical return on investment (ROI) is 12-24 months.\n\n\"In addition, the elemental sulfur by-product can be sold and used as fertilizer or in other applications,\" Little said.\u00a0\n\nSulfurSolve enables a more sustainable approach to H2S control for the biogas industry - and is also proving to be a viable option in other natural gas applications.\n\n\"Recently, we piloted the SulfurSolve system for amine tail gas treatment in natural gas processing,\" Carollo said. \"It did an incredible job and demonstrated SulfurSolve is applicable to these high flow applications.\"\n\nLearn more about our OEM solutions.\n\nSulfurSolve is a registered trademark of New Sky Energy.\n\nTAG: drive-sustainability\n\nTAG: sustainability\n\nTAG: oil-and-gas\nTAG: gas-processing\nTAG: power-generation\nTAG: renewable-energy\n\nTAG: factorytalk-integrated-architecture-builder\nTAG: advanced-process-control\nTAG: factorytalk-view-me\nTAG: factorytalk-view-se\nTAG: factorytalk-view-studio\n\n",
    "mp-equipment-protein-water-cutter-safety": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/mp-equipment-protein-water-cutter-safety\n\nTITLE: MP Equipment Protein Water Cutter Safety\n\nMuch has changed over the years in the protein industry, but one thing has remained constant. Meat, poultry and seafood processing is still a high volume, low margin operation. To increase profitability, processors must remain keenly focused on improving throughput and yield.\n\nIn trimming and portioning operations, processing plants continue to add more automated equipment to achieve better speeds, more efficiency - and tighter tolerances. At the same time, their attention has shifted from risks associated with manual processes - like knife injuries - to those that involve interaction with machines.\n\n\"Historically, the protein industry has been behind other industries in technology, but we see that quickly ramping up,\" said Rodney Nelson, director of engineering, MP Equipment. \"And concerns around machine safety are also accelerating.\"\n\nLocated in the heart of Gainesville, Georgia, MP Equipment is backed by more than 45 years of experience solving protein processing challenges. The fully integrated manufacturing and fabrication company is part of the Middleby Corporation.\n\n***** A Fresh Look at a Proven Design *****\n\nWhen MP Equipment introduced its MegaJetTM water cutter in 2010, it was the first 8 X-Y axis, high-capacity protein water cutter on the market.\n\nWater cutting is quickly becoming the technology of choice for trimming and portioning applications. Using a thin stream, high-pressure waterjet, plus camera and scanning technology, water cutters achieve a high degree of accuracy.\n\n\"The MegaJet water cutter uses intelligent cut paths to improve yield in demanding applications, like cutting the most nuggets from a single piece of chicken,\" said Nelson. \"The machine is highly versatile - and can cut thousands of pounds per hour.\"\n\nMachine safety has always been a priority for MP Equipment and over the years, the company has revamped designs to meet increasing regulations and concerns. In 2020, a customer request to increase the short-circuit current rating (SCCR) on a MegaJet machine led the company to reevaluate their design - and document safety performance.\n\n\"Of course, we had E-stops, trap keys and other safety functionality in place,\" said Nelson. \"But the question was, how do we systematically take a closer look at our design - and quantify machine safety?\"\n\nTo answer that question, MP Equipment called on Rockwell Automation machine safety consultants.\n\n***** (Remote) Teaching Moments *****\n\nThe engagement with Rockwell Automation began during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, all consulting took place remotely. The team relied on Zoom meetings and 3D machine models to make it work.\n\n\"The consultants focused on not just doing the work, but also teaching us,\" said Nelson. \"They outlined the reevaluation process for the MegaJet - and gave us insight that will be valuable in any future projects as well.\"\n\nSpecifically, the Rockwell Automation team provided guidance on how to identify potential hazards through a machine safety risk assessment.\n\n\"We had used SISTEMA and understood the basics of risk assessments,\" Nelson explained. \"But we felt assistance from an experienced outsider could really help speed the process.\"\n\nIFA SISTEMA is a software modeling tool that supports the evaluation and documentation of safety in the context of the EN ISO 13849-1 safety standard.\n\n***** Opportunities for Improvement *****\n\nThrough the assessment process, Rockwell Automation helped MP Equipment pinpoint opportunities for improvement specifically related to potential worker exposure to high-pressure water and stored sources of energy.\n\nIn one case, the team uncovered a software workaround in the electrical E-stop system, which was remediated to help ensure workers could not enter the machine while high-pressure water was still being ejected. The team also improved the integrity of the E-stop circuitry for the high-pressure water accumulator by installing Allen-Bradley Guardmaster(R) safety relays. Allen-Bradley safety-rated contactors were also added at various places in the system.\n\nThe Rockwell Automation team also recommended that MP Equipment use the Safe Torque Off feature in the Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) 525 AC drives that run the machine conveyor.\n\n\"Previously, we were cutting power to the drives completely when the E-stop was engaged,\" Nelson said. \"One of the consultants called this the 'atomic option'.\"\n\nThe Safe Torque Off capability removes rotational power from the motor without powering down the drive. As a result, there is less wear on the drive - and equipment can be restarted more quickly.\n\n***** Taking Ownership of Safety *****\n\nThe MegaJet machine safety risk assessment - and associated remediation and documentation - confirmed compliance with EN ISO 13849-1 standards and satisfied customer requirements. Going forward, other products in the Jet SeriesTM will receive the same architecture updates.\n\n\"Throughout the process, Rockwell Automation was happy to share information and include us in every step,\" said Nelson. \"The project brought together our electrical, mechanical and software teams working as a whole to improve machine safety.\"\n\n\"The project gave us a lot of confidence,\" Nelson added. \"When it comes to machine safety, we own it.\"\n\n\nTAG: safety-solutions\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: relays-and-timers\n\n",
    "sea-airport-reduces-baggage-handling-downtime": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/sea-airport-reduces-baggage-handling-downtime\n\nTITLE: SEA Airport Reduces Baggage Handling Downtime\n\nAirports are finely orchestrated logistical operations, moving people, planes and products safely, securely and without delay.\n\nEven the smallest hiccup can create chaos, so companies like Intellimodus, a solutions integrator, specialize in designing systems for airports that deliver baggage to passengers at destinations all over the world.\n\nAn advanced system is crucial to seamless operation at SEA Airport. More than 50 million people passed through SEA in 2019. SEA has been the fastest growing airport in the U.S. in the last five years.\n\nThe airport needs a flawless baggage handling system (BHS) to maintain excellent traveler satisfaction and meet additional Transportation Security Administration (TSA) requirements with explosive detection system (EDS) machines for improved security and passenger safety.\n\nThe airport wanted to move its BHS to decentralized control with a safe and redundant system. This would improve customer satisfaction - ensure that the system was always available - and allow the airport to continue to grow to meet global travel demands.\n\n***** Decentralized Strategy\n\n *****\n\nSEA's engineering firm worked with Intellimodus and Rockwell Automation to develop a system that did not have a single point of failure in the decentralized system. For the Baggage Optimization Project in the domestic terminals and the International Arrival Facility Project, Rockwell Automation, with BNP Associates and Intellimodus, developed the Drive-In-A-Box (DIAB).\n\nThe DIAB configuration uses PowerFlex 525 drives with automatic device configuration (ADC), allowing for the non-disruptive replacement of a drive within minutes - maintaining a positive traveler experience by reducing the risk of potential baggage delays.\n\nWith so much at stake in this design, the team worked to prove the network using a redundant PLC arrangement while keeping the DIAB as small as possible. The system uses more than 300 DIABs, each with a PowerFlex 525 variable frequency drive, rotary disconnect, pilot devices, 1799E I/O card, terminal blocks and quick cord set connectors at the bottom.\n\nThe system also uses Stratix 5400 Industrial Ethernet Switches using Device Level Ring (DLR) dynamic host configuration protocol to function as a server that provides automatic IP address assignment. This capability helps to reduce the amount of time required to replace failed BHS components.\n\nThe feature automatically downloads the IP address and all the configuration of the replaced component, so the system can be running again in under 10 minutes. In the past, this required maintenance or operations to manually enter the data - taking 30-45 minutes. The result of the new solution is improved customer satisfaction and reduced lost baggage costs.\n\nOffering one network utilizing EtherNet/IPTM design is a first-of-its-kind application in an airport, offering a best-practice for minimizing multiple communication networks, network converters and data conversions.\n\nAs a result, SEA staff does not require training on multiple networks or how data is mapped from one EtherNet/IPTM to another. In addition to reduced training time, Intellimodus has reduced programming and integration costs while taking advantage of common off the shelf (COTS) equipment, providing compatibility between OT and IT.\n\n***** Reducing Downtime\n\n *****\n\nRedundant systems alleviate downtime by providing system availability.\n\nSEA improved recovery time by simplifying field device replacement, by utilizing the standard features of DLR-DHCP and ADC included in the DIAB components. By eliminating a single point of failure and relying on DLR, redundant switches and controllers, SEA's BHS can continue to run, as the network is self-healing.\n\nMaintenance can seamlessly replace defective or down system parts without the need for programming/configuration devices (plug and play), achieving the airport's goals of greater efficiency and less downtime in its BHS.\n\n***** Summary\n\n *****\n\nThese solutions developed by Rockwell Automation with Intellimodus and BNP Associates increased the handling capacity and optimized the baggage handling system availability at SEA. The new, highly reliable, and fully redundant systems alleviate downtime resulting in delivering bags where they need to go and keeping people moving.\n\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: sensors-and-switches\n\n",
    "dicv-expands-capability-of-commercial-vehicle-line": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/dicv-expands-capability-of-commercial-vehicle-line\n\nTITLE: DICV Expands Capability of Commercial Vehicle Line\n\nMercedes-Benz Trucks, Freightliner Trucks, Western Star, FUSO Trucks, BharatBenz Trucks and Thomas Built Buses: The Daimler Trucks family encompasses six strong brands. We offer pioneering technologies and tailor-made products for various applications worldwide with a complete range of services.\n\nDaimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV), a wholly owned subsidiary of Daimler AG, Germany and operating under the umbrella of Daimler Trucks Asia, is a full-fledged commercial vehicle player in the Indian market and the only Daimler entity worldwide with a brand dedicated to its home market: BharatBenz. DICV produces and sells in India above 9 to 55 tons trucks as well as BharatBenz buses, Mercedes-Benz coaches, and bus chassis. DICV's state-of-the-art manufacturing plant at Oragadam near Chennai spreads over 400 acres (160 hectares) including a highly modern test track and is home to the company's headquarters, R&D, and training operations. With one global quality standard, it also produces for Daimler Trucks' brands of FUSO, Mercedes-Benz, and Freightliner. Products and parts are exported to more than 50 markets in the Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. DICV represents an overall investment of more than INR 9,560 crores.\n\nDICV is the only Daimler location worldwide that produces engines, transmissions, trucks and buses at the same site under four brands - BharatBenz, FUSO, Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner. DICV has exported over 35,000 CVs to more than 50 markets globally and also delivered over 5500 CKD kits.\n\nStarting in 2016, DICV assembled the Mercedes-Benz parts from complete knock-down (CKD), a kit of the completely non-assembled parts of a product. DICV also was supplying Fuso truck CKD kits to Kenya for local assembly by a partner, and to a Daimler truck production plant in East London, South Africa.\n\nThe CKD exports are sent to Kenya, South Africa, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Malaysia; each country has different requirements and standards - and different parts.\n\nCKD exports are kitted using process modeling in FactoryTalk(R) ProductionCentre(R) Manufacturing Execution System (MES), which mistake-proofs the kits by guiding operators and checking the kit automatically. Based on this, local assembly partners consume the CKD kits with full confidence.\u00a0\u00a0\n\n***\n\nConnected Manufacturing - From Vision To Reality\n\n ***\n\nDICV adopted elements of connected manufacturing more than a decade ago, driven by technology on a journey toward excellence with Lean manufacturing according to Daimler Truck Operating System (TOS).\n\nPartners like Rockwell Automation technology have helped DICV introduce new products in a shorter timeframe on the same line. This technology also is helping reduce waste and maximize productivity, while providing guidance to plant personnel and machines to ensure product quality.\u00a0 \u00a0\n\nThe cornerstone of that technology is the scalable FactoryTalk ProductionCentre MES. FactoryTalk ProductionCentre and The Connected Enterprise, which resolve production issues in the short term, and transform them into operational advantages in the long term. DICV combined this execution system for the plant floor with the rich functionality of application software to enable both effective control of the manufacturing process and the integration necessary to create a truly Connected Enterprise.\n\nCombined with ControlLogix(R) PLCs, Rockwell Automation(R) Software along with partner PTC, this custom Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) platform allows employees to now make decisions in real-time to analyze and improve manufacturing productivity.\n\nBefore the control room was designed, supervisors and experts on the floor communicated through radio and cell phones, reactively looking at report screens. With the control room, employees become proactive and can prevent issues from affecting production throughput or quality.\n\n***\n\nReal Data In Real Time\n\n ***\n\nThe addition of a production control room brought the data to the people, so decisions are quicker - improving productivity. With FactoryTalk ProductionCentre, DICV can now:\n\n    * Collect component and process data, track assembly (units) through each process step, and record the date and time when the unit was processed to validate components and facilitate error proofing\n\n    * Collect quality data to ensure quality targets are achieved at every step of production\n\n    * Facilitate demand to production and order management\n\n    * Display production sequence and operator guidance lights to ensure units are properly manufactured, painted, assembled and tested\n\n    * Generate serial numbers and build sheet printing for vehicle assembly\u00a0\n\n    * Share production order status with SAP\n\nWith FactoryTalk Production Centre, the DICV plant is able to:\n\n    * Handle multiple platforms: DICV produces multiple models and brands from one plant. This software harmonizes the manufacturing operations process between platforms and variants.\n\n    * Manage multiple variants: Within each platform, multiple variants can be produced. The bill of materials and bill of process for each variant can be different, but machines and operators get the required detail in real-time as soon as the variant arrives at the process step.\n\n    * Introduce new products: Any new product or variant can be configured by the DICV manufacturing engineers. \u00a0\n\n    * Maximize quality: Throughout parts production, FactoryTalk ProductionCentre drives quality processes to ensure inspection and testing are complete, and analyze data in real time to alert if processes are out of range.\n\n    * Maximize throughput: During production, data is provided to maintenance teams in real-time so warnings and alarms are immediately handled. \u00a0\n\n    * Enable real-time decisions through live production tracking, and reduce paperwork and manual processing to increase efficiency.\u00a0\n\n    * Connect the enterprise to the plant for greater visibility and control.\n\n    * Reduce lead time, manufacturing costs and compliance and governance efforts\n\n    * Improve historical data visibility for analysis and reports.\n\n\u00a0\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to DICV's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nTrademark Information:\n\nControlLogix and FactoryTalk Production Center are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\n\nTAG: accelerate-digital-transformation\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: automotive-and-tire\n\nTAG: factorytalk-productioncentre\nTAG: programmable-controllers\n\n",
    "kari-retf-solution": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/kari-retf-solution\n\nTITLE: A Big Step Forward for Korea's Aerospace Industry\n\n***** Setting Up a Safe Lift-Off for Korea's 1st\u00a0Homegrown Rocket KSLV-II *****\n\nFollowing the successful launch of the Korean Space Launch Vehicle-I (KSLV-I) rocket, also known as Naro, built mainly using Russian technologies, the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) in South Korea embarked on a mission to develop its own technologies to build a homegrown rocket. The result - KSLV-II, otherwise known as Nuri, which was developed with the support of Rockwell Automation Korea's rocket engine test facility control system.\n\n***** Building South Korea's Very Own Rocket *****\n\nKARI needed a sophisticated high-level rocket engine test facility (RETF) solution that enabled safe remote control for engine testing, prompt troubleshooting, and emergency response to achieve the requirements for engine control.\n\nFour 75-ton engines (first stage), a single 75-ton engine (second stage), and a 7-ton engine (third stage) had to be mounted onto the Nuri rocket with a total of six engines to power it for successful lift-off. Faced with these requirements, KARI selected Rockwell Automation Korea, which delivers the engineering capabilities needed as well as excellent reliability for control solutions.\n\nWe deployed a control system to KARI's small-scale test facility and pursued the development and testing of the RETF over a decade together with researchers from KARI, leveraging the knowledge and experiences of Korean engineers and domestically developed programs for a liquid rocket engine test.\n\nRockwell Automation Korea participated in building the RETF for the Nuri project as a solution provider and engineering partner from April 2012 to July 2022 across four major phases:\n\n    * Phase 1: Combustor and turbo pump testing facility\n\n    * Phase 2: Three-stage engine combustion testing facility\n\n    * Phase 3: Engine combustion test facility for ground and high-altitude conditions\n\n    * Phase 4: Propulsion system testing facility\n\n\u00a0\n\nRockwell Automation Korea supported multiple simulations by deploying process control, human machine interface (HMI), data (FactoryTalk Historian Site Edition (SE), FactoryTalk Historian Machine Edition (ME)), Asset (FactoryTalk AssetCentre), production monitoring and control, and quality management systems, for agile data analysis, storage time and capacity.\n\nDistributed control systems (DCS), which include ControlLogix programmable automation controllers (PAC) Redundancy System, Stratix network switches with devised level ring (DLR) modules, FactoryTalk Server & Client, FactoryTalk Historian, FactoryTalk AssetCentre, process book reporting and time synchronization module (1756HP-Time) were applied.\n\nRockwell Automation Korea's engineers designed and built a control system and developed a highly dependable program for liquid rocket engine combustion testing. As testing facilities were distant from the control tower, control and instrumentation (C&I) was established to remotely conduct and monitor combustion tests.\u00a0We introduced an emergency stop system and offered maintenance/repair services to enable stable operation of the control system by simulating unexpected contingencies and diverse combustion situations.\n\n***** We Have Lift-Off! *****\n\nIn collaboration with Rockwell Automation Korea, KARI built a control system for engine combustion test facilities to develop a liquid rocket engine. Equipped with a high-level control solution for combustion tests, KARI operated the control system stably and conducted over 200 combustion tests. As a result, KARI was able to secure a control system and technologies for the safe and successful launch of Nuri.\u00a0\u00a0\n\nThrough the establishment and operation of the control system for engine combustion test facilities, Rockwell Automation Korea positioned itself as a reliable partner that supports the configuration of control systems, enables remote control and provides engineering technology for effective and prompt troubleshooting in emergency situations.\n\nRockwell Automation Korea's collaboration partner, Dr Yunseok So, along with the engine test and evaluation team, KSLV-II R&D directorate at KARI, praised the process and results of the project and thanked Rockwell Automation Korea for its role in the successful launch of the Nuri rocket.\n\n\"KARI was able to successfully develop 75-ton and 7-ton liquid rocket engines by building control systems and programs for engine combustion test facility in collaboration with Rockwell Automation Korea,\" said Dr So. \"We were able to make timely responses thanks to excellent engineers at Rockwell Automation Korea who have provided full support to address problems since 2012.\"\n\n\"We at KARI, are looking forward to continuing to develop staged combustion engines to be used for next-generation launch vehicles with the help of Rockwell Automation Korea's superb engineering and control solutions,\" he added. \u00a0\n\nBuilding on experiences and technologies obtained from the RETF project for Nuri, Rockwell Automation Korea is committed to contributing to the development of locally developed rockets and supporting the progress of South Korea's growing aerospace industry.\u00a0\u00a0\n\nTAG: accelerate-digital-transformation\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: aerospace\n\nTAG: factorytalk-historian\nTAG: factorytalk-assetcentre\n\n",
    "iiot-platform-marine": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/iiot-platform-marine\n\nTITLE: Aggregated, Contextualized Data Reduces Downtime\n\nProbodh Chiplunkar (Chip), CEO of ITHENA, is passionate about making the world greener, smarter, and safer. ITHENA is a digital solutions and services provider that helps customers worldwide integrate digital technology with business processes.\n\n\"We help customers achieve results by managing and deploying their digital investments,\" Chip says. \"We take them through a business transformation journey and provide the best fit technology that gets the job done.\"\n\nA member of the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM, ITHENA also has a longstanding relationship with PTC, a Rockwell Automation Strategic Alliance Partner. Together the three companies implemented a smart manufacturing solution for a U.S. marine transporter. The firm's large fleet of barges and boats travel on nearly 5000 miles of inland waterways.\n\nWatch the Video\n\nProbodh Chiplunkar\n\nCEO of ITHENA\n\nData Visibility and Integration\n\n\"The lack of visibility into equipment performance was the main pain point along with the need to connect and share that information in a centralized location,\" Chip explains. \"With their fleets so geographically dispersed, and in locations where there wasn't always a network, it was especially challenging. So, the delay in data capture and communication was an issue.\"\n\nTo solve these challenges, ITHENA deployed PTC's\u00a0ThingWorx\u00a0Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) Platform. The platform provides the ability to collect engine data from multiple sources on vessel and across the fleet, and integrate that information with other data sets, including location, weather, route, and river current and depth. Further, persona-based dashboards provide data visibility to a variety of users, such as port engineers, logistics managers, maintenance engineers, and customer service and support members.\n\n\"Before this project, it was hard for them to know when things went wrong until after the event,\" Chip explains. \"Now by bringing in all this data, in unison and with alerts and alarms, they can be more predictive - which results in less downtime. So, for example, when an event occurs in one parameter of the engine, chances are subsequent events could occur elsewhere, and the customer can take action to prevent that from happening.\"\n\nSustainable and Efficient Operations\n\nSuch visibility has led to significant results including a 27% reduction in boat downtime and opportunities to increase the sustainability of fleet operations with a 17% increase in route planning efficiency and a 12% increase in fuel consumption accuracy. Improved customer service has been another benefit with an 18% increase in response time. Chip expects more benefits in the future.\n\n\"The more mature the data gets, the easier and better it will be to resolve issues. And with the opportunity to collaborate and manage their workforce and equipment remotely, if someone can't solve an issue on their own, they can connect with an expert in real time,\" explains Chip, \"I think there are many opportunities to continue improving now that the data and technology is in place.\"\n\n\"Rockwell Automation had a great technology platform; their distributor had the customer relationship and the understanding of the customer pain points; and ITHENA had the ability to bring in the solution to address the business needs,\" Chip says. \"The culmination of all these things together led to a successful deployment of this IIoT-enabled mobile and digital solution for our customer.\"\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: marine\n\nTAG: thingworx\n\n",
    "ald-deploys-fully-integrated-architecture-to-its-aerospace-custo": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/ald-deploys-fully-integrated-architecture-to-its-aerospace-custo\n\nTITLE: ALD Deploys Fully Integrated Architecture to its Aerospace Customers\n\n*** Background ***\n\nALD Vacuum Technologies GmbH (ALD), a subsidiary of AMG Advanced Metallurgical Group N.V., is a manufacturer of vacuum process plants for metallurgy and heat treatment. Based in Hanau, in Germany, the company is a leading provider of vacuum systems and vacuum process technologies; covering all areas of vacuum metallurgy and vacuum heat treatment with high-tech products and services.\n\nWith partners and subsidiaries in the USA, Great Britain, France, China, Japan, Central America, Russia, India and Singapore and more than 70 sales partners worldwide, ALD has a discerning international customer base.\n\nThe company's new \"SmartCoater\", part of its offering for the Electron Beam/Physical Vapor Deposition (EB/PVD) product segment, has been developed for coating turbine blades. While the company's existing XXL-Coater is used for production, the smaller SmartCoater, which deploys a Logix-based control solution from Rockwell Automation, is designed for laboratory use and repairs.\n\nThe prototype Smart Coater has been successfully installed in \"Aviation Valley\" in south-east Poland for a Polish university. During process commissioning ALD was quickly able to demonstrate stable, reproducible production parameters and the high quality and uniformity of the coatings produced.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nA manipulator transports the turbine blades to be heated and coated in a vacuum. A heating- and gas-profile is followed. A ceramic material is then vaporised, using a high-voltage electron beam. The turbine blades are moved in the emerging ceramic vapour cloud using an individual motion program, which comprises multiple axis movements suited to the defined process conditions (pressure and temperature). The ceramic is then deposited onto the blades in a precise uniform manner.\n\nDuring the selection of the automation platform ALD faced an issue in that it needed a solution that could combine all the aspects of the technologies deployed in the process. The controller had to be able to undertake complex measurement and control tasks such as regulating pressures and temperatures. Also, exact movement profiles for the multiple-servo-axes system had to be reliably co-ordinated. Interfaces to measuring equipment and control systems from various other manufacturers was also a requirement.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nThe\u00a0Allen-Bradley ControlLogix\u00a0and\u00a0GuardLogix programmable automation controllers (PAC)\u00a0offered the necessary performance with an easy-to-use development environment. The high degree of integration of the PAC, I/O modules and the programming software also reduces the time required for development and commissioning.\n\nStandard PACs and safety PACs are installed in a common rack in order that the safety functions can be implemented easily alongside the control program, addressing the functional safety requirements in conformity with the Machinery directive. Integrated motion modules simplify the control of the servo axes and their incorporation into the process program.\n\nTo control the process plant, various measurement and control tasks must also be undertaken using an array of instruments and features, all of which are connected to the PAC using a variety of communication interfaces.\n\nThe control of pumps, valves and analogue measurements is realised using remote\u00a0Flex I/O\u00a0nodes that are accessed via\u00a0ControlNet. The pressure measuring equipment is accessed via\u00a0DeviceNet\u00a0as are the gas controllers. The control unit that controls the electron beam, which is a powerful real-time system, is also operated via DeviceNet. Commands and set points can be sent directly from the PAC, making it possible to react very quickly to feedback from these control units.\n\nFrom a safety perspective, the\u00a0CompactBlock Guard Safety I/O\u00a0is connected to the GuardLogix PAC over DeviceNet using CIP Safety. The requirements relating to the safety of machine control systems in accordance with DIN EN ISO 13849-1 can be realised efficiently and with significant cost advantages by means of integrated safety. This usage of common components for standard control systems and safety control systems also minimises costs for hardware, software, development and support.\n\nThe motion solution comprises an\u00a0Allen-Bradley Kinetix 6000 multi-axis controller, which is integrated into the control system using Sercos. The complex multiple-axis motion control for the manipulation of the turbine blades was implemented in the\u00a0RSLogix 5000\u00a0development environment and therefore did not require any interfaces to external systems.\n\nThanks to the integrated safety option for torque shutdown (Safe Torque-Off) the Kinetix servo drives meet the safety standards up to SIL3/PLd. The stop categories can be realised within the safety routine.\n\nThe system is operated using an HMI PC and an\u00a0Allen-Bradley PanelView Plus. The PC is used for recipe preparation, operating mode selection, process information display and logging, while the PanelView Plus attached to the loading chamber is used to operate the manipulator's servo axes.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nThe Coater comprises individual modules, each with the related vacuum components and drives. Due to the high degree of flexibility of the ControlLogix and GuardLogix systems, a modular approach was adopted, which made it possible and straightforward to react to customer requirements. Additions can also be made independent of the existing system.\n\nOne possible addition is an additional loading module. The process chamber can then be loaded from two sides and the cycle times for the system halved. A ControlLogix 1756 PAC is allocated to each side. The process module is controlled by a 1756-L61S PAC (SIL 3, Cat. 4, PLe) and the related 1756-LSP PAC, which takes over the central co-ordination of the overall system and monitors the safety functions in accordance with DIN EN ISO 13849-1.\n\nThe use of GuardLogix, with integrated safety has proven to have significant advantages. The wiring effort and planning costs were reduced while the commissioning times were significantly shortened. Troubleshooting is also easier than with conventional hard-wired safety technology. A further advantage is the possibility of displaying the safety interlocks in the information display, as a result a quick diagnostic overview of the state of the system can be provided for the system operator.\n\nALD can look back on many years of collaboration with Rockwell Automation. As the aircraft industry spread from American, products from Rockwell Automation have been used from a very early stage. Even with growing demand from European customers, ALD will continue to rely on the extensive experience of Rockwell Automation and achieve further success.\n\n\nTAG: life-sciences\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\n\n",
    "delin-elettronica-implements-plantpax-dcs-": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/delin-elettronica-implements-plantpax-dcs-\n\nTITLE: DELIN Elettronica Implements PlantPAx DCS\n\n*** Background ***\n\nDELIN Elettronica\u00a0is a system integrator headquartered in Modena, Italy.\n\nEstablished in 1983 as a distributor of electronics systems for industrial automation, the company has since moved its focus from sales to engineering and now offers its system integration capabilities in both automation and process control applications.\n\nThe company has recently seen success using equipment from Rockwell Automation at an installation for gas dehydration, glycol regeneration and low-temperature separation within an extraction facility in Otumara, Nigeria.\n\nThe project, which started at the end of 2011, immediately saw a collaboration between Rockwell Automation and Delin Elettronica.\n\nIt intensified along 2012 when faced with significant standardisation imposed by the end-customer which therefore required a relevant evolution in the control system architecture.\n\nThe PlantPAx\u00ae distributed control system from Rockwell Automation was recommended due to its modernity, scalability and flexibility, combined with the opportunity of providing process and safety management in hazardous area.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nUpon extraction, the raw natural gas is saturated with water vapor and needs to be dehydrated.\n\nMost of this water must be removed prior to the gas compression and shipment in liquid form to the storage tanks through dedicated pipelines.\n\nThe dehydration process takes place at the extraction site and, in most cases, it is achieved using glycol.\n\nIn this specific case, triethylene glycol (TEG) is deployed, since it is regenerated at a higher purity level, accepting that, during the process, the glycol has a loss at a lower vapor level with respect to other diols.\n\nSuch achievable high purity level and lower losses during the dehydration process increase efficiency and reduce process costs.\n\nAlthough the equipment used for the dehydration process is generally the same, there may be relevant changes in its installation, depending on the type of sub-systems used.\n\nFor this specific project three customised packages were deployed: one for dehydration, one for glycol regeneration and another dedicated to separation at low temperature.\n\nThe units are installed as an integral part of the Otumara Node Project, with the aim of commercialising hydrocarbons that were previously burnt off.\n\nThe packages are engineered and conceived for outdoor use in hazardous areas, and are installed on a complex steel structure mounted on supports and located on one of the branches of the Niger delta.\n\nDELIN Elettronica was involved in the early stages of the project, when the manufacturer initially thought to provide an installation based on minimal automatic control, therefore requiring standard process equipment.\n\nThe initial idea already included a Rockwell Automation system including controllers and Operator Workstations (OWS).\n\nIn 2012, the end-customer imposed standardisation which would have required a considerable evolution in the control system architecture.\n\nThe technical specifications required segregation of the hardware and software within two main systems: Process Automation System (PAS) and Safety Instrumented System (SIS).\n\nOn top of that, SIL2 compliance in accordance with TUV specifications for SIS and high availability, with CPU, communications and I/O redundancy, for both the PAS and the SIS systems were now required.\n\nFor management of smart field equipment the use of Foundation Fieldbus Technology was requested with redundant linking devices as well as redundant analog I/O cards with HART protocol.\n\nA redundant OPC communication link to the plant DCS was requested via two industrial PCs for remote monitoring and control of operating conditions, and overall system synchronisation.\n\n*** Solutions ***\n\nThanks to its advanced features and to the great flexibility, coupled with the global capability of Rockwell Automation to offer spare parts and technical support, DELIN Elettronica had no doubts about choosing the PlantPAx distributed control system based on an EtherNet/IP\u2122 network infrastructure and Fieldbus Foundation.\n\nThe reliability of the Fieldbus Foundation Technology in managing information and the seamless integration with the PlantPAx was key for the success of the project.\n\nThe PlantPAx system, engineered on a standard multi-disciplinary control architecture, allowed the strong integration between the different subsystems and components as requested by the project.\n\nThe possibility to use the Rockwell Automation Library of Process Objects allowed an easy implementation of an accurate and fine control and diagnostic of all process variables as well as field instruments, devices, motors and valve actuators with HART and Foundation Fieldbus too.\n\nThe flexibility and the openness of the Library of Process Objects allowed DELIN to develop specific and customised Function Blocks and Faceplates to fulfill project specific requirements.\n\nThe DELIN Elettronica technical staff have always been supported by global product specialists from Rockwell Automation.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nThanks to the Rockwell Automation Library of Process Objects DELIN has been able to strengthen the project standardisation in order to use it as the basis for further Oil & Gas applications.\n\nThis successful experience has also further strengthened the collaboration with Rockwell Automation, offering new joint opportunities not only in the Oil & Gas industry, but also in other markets.\n\nBeing one of the first examples of implementation for the new Foundation Fieldbus architecture in the PlantPAx solution, the support from Rockwell Automation was essential for DELIN Elettronica, in order to both manage and configure the system.\n\nThe use of Foundation Fieldbus Technology in PlantPAx enabled DELIN Elettronica to manage multiple integrated interfaces during software development, using tools that are fully integrated in the system.\n\nUpon integration, it will generate relevant information concerning equipment diagnostics, while providing predictive-assessment capabilities for maintenance.\n\nAll this has a positive outcome on both the total cost of ownership (TCO) and optimisation of asset utilisation.\n\nPlantPAx is a trademark of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\n*EtherNet/IP is a trademark of ODVA, Inc.\n\nTrademarks not belonging to Rockwell Automation are property of their respective companies.\n\n\nTAG: oil-and-gas\nTAG: power-generation\n\n",
    "acadian-seaplants-grows-capacity-by-40-percent-": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/acadian-seaplants-grows-capacity-by-40-percent-\n\nTITLE: Acadian Seaplants Grows Capacity by 40 Percent\n\n*** Background ***\n\nSeaweed's natural nutritional and healing powers have been known for millennia: The Romans applied marine plants to help heal wounds and rashes, while the Japanese made it a staple of their diet. And today, processed seaweed is a key ingredient in everything from human nutritional supplements to animal feed.\n\nAcadian Seaplants\u00a0is a global leader in this international industry. Based in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, the company cultivates and processes seaweed for a variety of innovative products. One of those products is crop biostimulants, which are derived from a species of seaweed called Ascophyllum nodosum and are used to improve the health and growth of plants.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nAcadian Seaplants produces crop biostimulants in liquid and powder formats at its facility in Cornwallis, Nova Scotia, and ships branded products to over 80 countries. Its proprietary production process starts with locally and sustainably-harvested seaweed. Then various bio-active compounds are extracted, clarified, filtered and concentrated. Finally, they are tested for quality, preserved and packaged.\n\nThis complex manufacturing process requires a high degree of process control. Before 2006, motor controls and facility communications were hardwired. If the company wanted to change or add a step in the production process, there would often be a need to rewire entire areas of the facility.\n\nBetween 2006 and 2008, the company began automating the Cornwallis facility. But the modernization wasn't enough to meet growing demand. In the last decade, the use of natural biostimulants in agriculture and horticulture has increased substantially and Acadian Seaplants needed to grow and upgrade its biostimulant production facility in response. The company decided to build onto their existing plant to add capacity and automate the new equipment to increase process control and manufacturing efficiency.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nElectrical supplier, Graybar, knew Acadian Seaplants was already using Allen-Bradley(R) CompactLogixTM programmable automation controllers (PACs) from Rockwell Automation. To help Acadian Seaplants grow capacity without adding hardwiring for motor controls, Graybar proposed using Allen-Bradley CENTERLINE(R) motor control centers (MCCs) with IntelliCENTER(R) technology. Enabled by EtherNet/IPTM, the MCCs easily integrate with controllers in the existing system.\n\nAcadian Seaplants continued to automate their existing space and increased their production capacity by about 50 percent between 2008 and 2009. But by 2011, the company needed to expand again, and decided to build a much larger plant across the street.\n\n\"We had gained a proven, reliable solution in our existing space, but needed to implement it on a much larger scale,\" said Wade Hazel, engineering manager for Acadian Seaplants. They also wanted to avoid any downtime so they could continue to meet orders. In the new facility, Acadian Seaplants also wanted to expand their recently implemented integrated MCC and controller solution, and enable remote support to reduce maintenance time.\n\nOver three years, the Acadian Seaplants engineering team moved existing processes and equipment into the new facility, named the Deveau Center. The plant science division gained three times more manufacturing space, meaning they needed more equipment. Given their experience in the 2009 expansion, Graybar knew how to help Acadian Seaplants implement the same MCC solution at a facility five times the size of the original operation.\n\nWith counsel from Graybar, the Acadian Seaplants engineering team designed an integrated plant-wide infrastructure for system monitoring and motor control over EtherNet/IP.\n\nThe network became critical when the Acadian Seaplants team worked in stages to move existing processes to the new site. To start, the team built a piping system over land and under the street to move liquid product between the two facilities. As the team installed new equipment, they connected it via EtherNet/IP to the existing equipment on the other side of the street.\n\nAcadian Seaplants subscribed to the TechConnectSM service from Rockwell Automation for many years. The service's 24/7 phone support helped the engineering team solve issues quickly, especially in the early stages of plant automation.\n\nThe engineering team installed three CompactLogix PACs to manage all system functions. The PACs seamlessly connect with other system components via the EtherNet/IP network. System information is fed to a desktop computer on-site, where staff can monitor operations in real time.\n\nThe Acadian Seaplants team moved the existing CENTERLINE MCCs and installed additional ones to provide precise motor control and power throughout the seaweed-processing facility.\n\nThe team easily set up and configured the MCCs using the same software as the PACs - Rockwell Software(R) Studio 5000 Automation Engineering & Design EnvironmentTM. The IntelliCENTER software that monitors the MCC can also send the motor control device information directly to Studio 5000 software. The Rockwell Software Studio 5000(R) software recognizes the intelligent components in the MCCs, including variable speed drives and full-voltage starters. The add-on profiles immediately provide parameters for each component for faster configuration.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nThe new seaweed-processing facility was completed in 2014 with no downtime. A bigger plus: Acadian Seaplants gained the production capacity necessary to meet immediate crop biostimulant demand. Already, the facility is operating at 40 percent higher capacity than the previous facility. With its EtherNet/IP-based design, the facility could grow to 250 percent depending on future market demand.\n\n\"Our facility isn't static,\" said Hazel. \"We may need to change functions one day, do improvements the next or add processes altogether. With all of our controls connected via EtherNet/IP, our wires became virtual wires, and we can make changes a lot faster at a lower cost.\"\n\nWith integrated MCCs and controllers, Acadian Seaplants gained a more connected, reliable and continuous facility. Information is now shared more seamlessly between processes and operators. In case of any issues, engineers can remotely access the desktop computer, helping to reduce downtime compared to previous on-site visits. Issues automatically appear on the operator screen (HMI) - making them more visible to operators than the previous mechanical blinking lights.\n\nBased on the success of Acadian Seaplants' expansion, the company is considering similar changes at other facilities. The engineering team has begun to automate processes with CompactLogix PACs at the food science division's land-based cultivation facility, and would like to move to EtherNet/IP-enabled MCCs at the animal science division's facilities in the next few years.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Acadian Seaplants' use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: life-sciences\n\n",
    "-johns-manville-saves-costs-in-storeroom-redesign": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/-johns-manville-saves-costs-in-storeroom-redesign\n\nTITLE: Johns Manville Saves Costs in Storeroom Redesign\n\nBackground\n\nCelebrating its 155th birthday in 2013, Johns Manville (JM) is older than Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection. Like Darwin's theory suggests, JM has survived by consistently evolving to meet the conditions of the roofing, insulation and other specialty industries.\n\n\n\nDuring the course of its long history, the Denver-based company has become a leading provider of roofing, insulation and engineered products to businesses and consumers around the world. JM serves its customers from the ground up as industries \u2013 from flooring to aerospace and almost everything in between \u2013 call upon JM for personalized solutions that create great products.\n\n\n\nServing so many industries requires JM to have many types of equipment that operate within 45 manufacturing facilities across North America, Europe and China. This equipment needs hundreds, and sometimes thousands of parts, which need to be efficiently stored in accessible locations.\n\n\n\nWhen David McGeachy took on the role of plant maintenance manager at JM's Etowah, Tenn. facility in the fall of 2011, he did not realize the enormity of that task.\n\n\n\nChallenge\n\n\u201cWhen I started at JM, it wasn't very long before I realized one of my first challenges was to organize and create a more user-friendly storeroom, which would give us the ability to better understand what we had on the shelves and make it easier to fi nd what we were looking for,\u201d McGeachy said. The storeroom had worked well in earlier days, but was past due for a change that would bring its functionality in line with the storerooms of today.\n\n\n\nOnly 17 percent of the storage keeping units (SKUs) were moved in the year and a half before he took over. \u201cWe really didn't know what we didn't know,\u201d McGeachy said. \u201cWe only had a rough idea of what was actually in the storeroom, and we suffered a lot of setbacks in our\n\nproductivity because of it.\u201d\n\n\n\nWhen machines shut down for maintenance or emergent repairs, it was often difficult to search the storeroom of open bins to find the correct parts. The team would spend several hours searching for the needed parts, which led to longer downtime while trying to locate those parts.\n\n\n\n\u201cEventually we would order the parts we needed,\u201d McGeachy said. \u201cAnd, on some occasions, a few weeks later we would come across that part we had been looking for on the previous job. We had it all along.\u201d\n\n\n\nInstead of spending time and resources performing actual maintenance tasks, McGeachy and his crew spent their time searching the storeroom. That time should have been spent repairing machines and limiting downtime instead of prolonging it.\n\n\n\nAfter months of frustration and little progress organizing the storeroom, McGeachy realized he did not have the time, resources or manpower to complete the project in-house. So, he turned to Rockwell Automation.\n\n\n\nSolution\n\nIn the spring of 2012, the Rockwell Automation reliability and storeroom services team approached McGeachy with a proposal that would completely overhaul the plant's storeroom \u2013 a stark contrast from the approaches of other firms.\n\n\n\n\u201cOther resources seemed to off er a Band-Aid solution. I was looking for a solution that would drive us to continual improvement,\u201d McGeachy said. \u201cRockwell Automation was the only team that actually wanted to solve our problem \u2013 to touch every part while partnering with us to completely revamp the storeroom.\u201d\n\n\n\nBefore that could happen, the Rockwell Automation team needed to analyze the storeroom and the parts it housed. Through lead-time analysis, usage analysis, ABC analysis and a theoretical optimum-inventory analysis, the team determined the ideal amount of on-hand inventory, order frequency and quantity. This information allowed them to better assess the requirements of the new storeroom and to design the layout according to those requirements before making any physical changes to the storeroom.\n\n\n\nOne of the bigger adjustments in layout came in the form of switching from an open-bin to a closed-bin system. Instead of all parts sitting disorganized on open shelves, smaller parts were placed neatly into 55 high-capacity Vidmar\u00ae cabinets while larger, easily-located parts were left on the shelves.\n\n\n\nThese cabinets would more adequately protect the parts from the harsh manufacturing environment, but their greater benefit was that they allowed the company to better utilize its new ERP system (SAP). Though SAP was implemented 18 months before the project began, the system had yet to be used successfully to locate and track parts.\n\n\n\n\u201cEven though we technically had access to SAP, we relied a lot on our memories and visually searching for what we needed with our open-bin layout,\u201d said McGeachy. The switch to a closed-bin system changed all that. These new cabinets allowed them to better organize and categorize their parts, and made finding parts in the system much easier.\n\n\n\nBut to do this, the Rockwell Automation team needed to remove parts from their current shelf locations scattered throughout the storeroom and arrange them neatly in the high-capacity Vidmar cabinets organized by commodity type. To prevent their work from hindering the JM maintenance staff, two rows of parts were relocated and shelves were torn down to make room for a temporary staging area that did not interfere with the work of the JM team. The Rockwell Automation team then went through every part in the storeroom and placed it in the appropriate cabinet or shelf, making sure each location change was documented so any storeroom parts required by the maintenance team could be easily found during the project.\n\n\n\n\u201cIt was like peeling back the layers of an onion,\u201d McGeachy said. \u201cThe deeper they dove into the parts, the more parts they found.\u201d\n\n\n\nAfter about 17 weeks of work, the team had managed to locate, tag and organize all of the storeroom's parts. Small parts were placed in cabinets and large parts on shelves, even larger ones were moved to racks in the back, and a new system to store belts by hanging them on the walls was created \u2013 all organized by commodity group.\n\n\n\nUpon completion, about 8,000 parts were moved to their new homes in two adjoining storerooms \u2013 one to house the high-use parts that employees throughout the plant could access, and the other for higher-value parts accessible only by maintenance personnel.\n\n\n\n\u201cWe like to call the first of these the general store, and our employees know that all their basic needs can be met there,\u201d McGeachy said. \u201cThis saves a lot of time as they no longer have to search through many things \u2013 and risk accidentally breaking something expensive \u2013 to find what they want.\u201d\n\n\n\nBoth storerooms feature an open, single-level design that makes for a cleaner, more accessible and navigable storeroom, instead of the former, cluttered, multilevel one.\n\n\n\nResults\n\nThe new storeroom design \u2013 especially its organization, use of cabinets, and the removal of parts no longer needed \u2013 cut its part-storage footprint by 40 percent and drastically simplified maintenance tasks throughout the facility. But more importantly, it significantly cut the time employees spent looking for parts, reduced the cost associated with duplicate purchase orders, and dramatically lessened the downtime associated with both.\n\n\n\nIn total, the design allowed for the removal of 3,000 excess and obsolete SKUs, and $1.3 million in inventory from the storeroom for future disposition.\n\n\n\nThe savings caught the eye of the plant manager, the corporate maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) manager, and even the CEO. They toured the storeroom and were impressed enough by what they saw to consider implementing similar solutions in other JM plants across the country.\n\n\n\n\u201cSo many people helped make this a successful project,\u201d McGeachy said. \u201cI would like to thank everyone on my team for their dedication and patience during the 17 weeks it took to reorganize the storeroom. They're a great team, and I'm proud to work with them.\u201d\n\n\n\nMcGeachy continued by saying it really was a smooth and successful project for JM. \u201cLike any project, there were some challenges that we didn't foresee \u2013 like the shelves full of parts that weren't organized or tracked on our inventory list \u2013 but the Rockwell Automation team guided us every step of the way.\u201d\n\n\n\nAnd they still are. The team embedded an asset management professional (AMP) in the Etowah, Tenn. plant for the following year. The AMP assists Johns Manville in properly disposing of the excess and obsolete inventory. He is also creating a repair program, processing all MRO repairs, implementing an MRO warranty-tracking program and, perhaps most importantly, bringing employees up to speed on the new storeroom processes.\n\n\n\n\u201cRockwell Automation delivered and continues to deliver everything they promised. They did it in a way that made working with them extremely easy. If I ever had another storeroom like this, I'd turn to them in a heartbeat,\u201d McGeachy said.\n\n\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Johns Manville's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\n",
    "solutions-in-action--afa-systems": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/solutions-in-action--afa-systems\n\nTITLE: Solutions in Action: AFA Systems\n\nWhen a leading manufacturer of powdered baby formula required secondary packaging equipment for their Jakarta, Indonesia facility, they turned to an innovative supplier half a world away. Ontario-based AFA Systems provides custom engineered and fully integrated end-of-line packaging solutions to meet exacting \u2013 and oftentimes unique \u2013 specifications. AFA Systems' portfolio extends from horizontal and vertical cartoning and case packing machines to palletizing and specialty solutions. The machine builder has been serving the food and beverage, pharmaceutical and consumer packaged goods industries for more than 60 years.\n\nThe company's Jakarta customer required a two-fold packaging system for its powdered milk application: an integrated cartoner and case packer. AFA Systems delivered a solution based on its new MK-BIB autoload cartoner and TR-QCP Transrector\u2122 robotic case packer. As bags of milk powder come off two vertical form fi ll seal (VFFS) machines, it enters the MK-BIB cartoner's dual servo starwheel infeed system. At a rate of 150 cartons a minute, the bags are accurately placed in continuous motion buckets, which then load the point-of-purchase cartons. After sealing, the cartons travel downstream via a 10-foot conveyor to the case packer. At the TR-QCP case packer, cartons are choke-fed to a servo-driven starwheel upender. The upender correctly positions the cartons for loading, and a robotic end-loading tool places the cartons in the case. Unlike typical end-of-arm tools (EOAT) that use vacuum generators and compressed air to pick and place cartons, this device utilizes a clamp mechanism. Since the tool does not use compressed air, it saves a signifi cant amount of energy.\n\n\n\n\u201cMachine fl exibility was the most challenging aspect of the project,\u201d explained Eric Langen, sales and marketing representative, AFA Systems. \u201cWe had to build a solution that could handle multiple packaging parameters and materials.\u201d On the cartoning equipment, the system accommodates two sizes \u2013 one for 400 grams of product delivered in one bag and the other for 1800 grams of product delivered in two 900-gram bags. In addition, the machine can run chipboard cartons for the smaller packages and corrugate for the larger ones. The case packing equipment is equally flexible and can deliver either six or 24 cartons per case. \u201cTo optimize throughput, our customer required a very short changeover time between confi gurations,\u201d Langen said. \u201cThey also needed to conserve space on their plant floor.\u201d A Rockwell Automation control and information solution enabled AFA Systems to achieve application fl exibility \u2013 in a small footprint. An Allen-Bradley\u00ae ControlLogix\u00ae programmable automation controller manages all machine and motion functions. For motion synchronization, the controller is tightly integrated with Allen-Bradley Kinetix\u00ae 6000 and Kinetix 2000 multi-axis servo drives.\n\nAllen-Bradley Guardmaster\u00ae safety relays help providemachine and personnel protection. The system is integrated on EtherNet/IP\u2122 and monitored on PanelView\u2122 Plus 700 graphic terminals. \u201cThe compact servo technology helped us signifi cantly reduce size,\u201d said Langen. \u201cOur system's minimal footprint was a key diff erentiator for us.\u201d Impressive changeover times also set AFA Systems apart. While typical machines require 40 to 50 minutes for changeover, this custom solution can complete the process in less than half that time. \u201cOperators can make most of the adjustments right through the control system's human machine interface (HMI),\u201d Langen explained. \u201cAs a result, our machines achieve some of the fastest changeovers in the industry. We can build systems that are ready to run new product in two minutes.\u201d\n\nWith the initial installation in place, AFA Systems plans to expand the customizable solution to its home market in North America and other regions around the world. \u201cGlobally, Rockwell Automation is a recognized and respected brand,\u201d said Langen. \u201cAs a Rockwell AutomationMachine Builder Partner, we've standardized on Rockwell Automation systems. That gives our large, multinational customers added confi dence \u2013 wherever their plants are located.\u201d Allen-Bradley, ControlLogix, Guardmaster, Kinetix, and PanelView are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc. EtherNet/IP is a trademark of ODVA. Transrector is a trademark of AFA Systems Ltd.\n\nFor more information: Eric Langen, Sales and Marketing Representative AFA Systems, Inc. Phone: 905.456.870, Ext. 244 Email: eric.langen@afasystemsinc.com\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: household-and-personal-care\n\n",
    "amatrol-oem-warehouse": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/amatrol-oem-warehouse\n\nTITLE: Amatrol Helps Close Supply Chain Skills Gap\n\n***** Extraordinary Skills Gap *****\n\nIn today's marketplace, the demand for skilled workers well exceeds supply. And the need for competent technicians to maintain warehouse, distribution and other operations that support the supply chain is particularly acute.\n\n\"Even before the pandemic, there was a huge spike in the number of job openings for distribution center technicians,\" said Kent Powell, vice president of sales, Amatrol. \"The pandemic took that up another notch as online purchases soared.\"\n\nTo meet consumers' increasing expectations for expedient - often next day - delivery, companies ramped up warehouse and fulfillment center construction. But technicians who could operate and maintain the automated material handling equipment at the heart of the operation were difficult to find.\n\nThis industry challenge provided a unique opportunity for Amatrol, a leading provider of skills-based interactive technical training. Located in Jeffersonville, Indiana, Amatrol delivers engaging learning solutions to technical schools and industrial customers worldwide.\n\n***** Collaboration Builds Industry-Aligned Solution *****\n\nBehind every Amatrol training solution is a collaborative effort with industrial companies, standards organizations and educational institutions.\n\n\"We really take what industry tells us their skills deficits are - and we try to address those with an all-inclusive training product,\" Powell explained.\n\nTo meet the skills gap in the warehouse and distribution space, Amatrol worked closely with the Manufacturing Skills Standards Council (MSSC). The MSSC is an industry-led, training, assessment and certification system. The Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association (MHEDA), Material Handling Institute (MHI) and National Center for Supply Chain Automation (NCSCA) were also engaged in the process.\n\nLeading e-commerce and transportation companies were consulted throughout equipment design and testing to ensure critical technologies were embodied in the training solution.\n\n\"We discovered that a supply chain automation technician requires a unique skill set that includes the traditional equipment disciplines - plus thorough knowledge of IT networks,\" said Karl Prinz, marketing operations team leader, Amatrol.\n\nThe Amatrol solution, Skill Boss Logistics, encompasses all relevant disciplines to prepare workers to support automated material handling equipment. It aligns with three separate MSSC Certified Technician in Supply Chain Automation (CT-SCA) certifications focused on:\n\n    * Equipment/system maintenance: CT-SCA-EM\n\n    * Equipment/system troubleshooting and repair: CT-SCA-ER\n\n    * Basic controller and network troubleshooting and repair: CT-SCA-NR\n\n***** How It Works *****\n\nSkill Boss Logistics training includes both an online e-learning component - and a hands-on training and assessment workstation. Amatrol also provides written materials and instructor training. Each of the three training programs consists of 150-200 hours of training.\n\n\"We introduce and teach each topic through interactive e-learning and simulation,\" said Powell. \"Then, students practice those skills on the equipment to prepare them for the certification test.\"\n\nThe Skill Boss Logistics workstation draws upon 100 skills from MSSC's list of industry-defined and nationally validated CT-SCA standards. A compact, table-top device, the workstation performs supply chain functions ranging from barcode package tracking and various sorting methods to gap optimization and package recirculation.\n\nMost important, the workstation features industrial equipment that supply chain automation technicians will encounter on the job, including multiple conveyor types, discharge chutes and sensors. And a control system based on a Rockwell Automation(R) platform featuring an\u00a0Allen-Bradley(R) CompactLogixTM 5370 controller and PowerFlex(R) 525 AC drive - integrated on an EtherNet/IPTM network.\n\n\"The system runs FactoryTalk(R) View software on an all-in-one touchscreen PC for the HMI,\" said Powell. \"The HMI also includes an alarm section and is consistent with what workers would see in a plant environment.\"\n\nIndependent of the HMI, Skill Boss Logistics also runs Amatrol FaultPro fault insertion software. FaultPro allows instructors to insert more than 45 real-world faults to enable learners to practice troubleshooting and maintenance skills.\n\n***** Proven Results. Impressive ROI. *****\n\nLess than three years after the initial launch of Skill Boss Logistics, hundreds of systems are in use by technical schools and industrial companies.\n\n\"Our industrial customers measure success based on return on investment (ROI),\" said Powell. \"With Skill Boss Logistics, customers have reduced average technician training time from about two years to six months or less.\"\n\nOn the plant floor, the trained technicians significantly decrease downtime - leading to an estimated two-year payback period for the system.\n\n\"I believe our success is based on the all-inclusive nature of the training,\" said Powell. \"I can't think of another company that provides written material, supported with interactive e-learning - plus a hands-on workstation to practice and assess skills.\"\n\n***** The Next Steps *****\n\nTo keep pace with the latest developments in automation technology, Amatrol teams closely with Rockwell Automation.\n\n\"We are starting conversations to determine how advanced analytics and augmented reality (AR) could fit into the teaching cycle,\" said Powell.\n\nIn addition, Amatrol is working to develop equipment to support the Academy of Advanced Manufacturing (AAM), a joint initiative of Rockwell Automation and Manpower Group to provide U.S. military veterans with the upskilling they need to succeed in advanced manufacturing roles.\u00a0\n\n\"Our relationship with Rockwell Automation is unlike any other supplier relationship we have,\" said Powell. \"It's working with world-class manufacturers like Rockwell Automation that allows us to meet the needs of clients as they prepare the next generation of workers.\"\n\nLearn more about our OEM solutions.\n\nTAG: integrated-architecture\n\nTAG: warehouse-fulfillment\n\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: drives-ac-low-voltage\nTAG: networks-security-and-infrastructure\nTAG: ethernet-or-ip-network\nTAG: factorytalk-designsuite\nTAG: factorytalk-view-studio\n\n",
    "vip-packaging-leads-the-pack-with-robotic-palletising-solution-": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/vip-packaging-leads-the-pack-with-robotic-palletising-solution-\n\nTITLE: VIP Packaging Leads the Pack with Robotic Palletising Solution\n\nPalletising in any manufacturing plant presents many operational challenges from production efficiencies to safety considerations. This is particularly applicable to a company like VIP Packaging, a leading plastic and steel packaging company in Australia and New Zealand.\n\nVIP Packaging manufactures extrusion blow-moulded and injection stretch blow-moulded high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) bottles.\n\nThe production facility manufactures packaging solutions for the food and beverage, personal care, household consumer and industrial chemical industries.\n\nWith clients that include many of the most well known household names in Australia and New Zealand, VIP Packaging is committed to innovation, quality and sustainability.\n\nThe production line at the plant predominantly palletises bottles used for shampoos and laundry detergents. To minimise manual handling and gain production efficiencies, VIP Packaging called on Machinery Automation & Robotics (MAR) to deliver a solution to automate their palletising production line.\n\n*** Hands-free Palletising ***\n\nThe VIP Packaging plant transfers packaging bottles that are arranged in pallets in a predesigned format that is suitable for transport directly to clients. These bottles can range in size from 500 millilitres to two litres and are delivered wrapped with clear plastic stretch wrap to ensure the bottles stay in position when transported.\n\nAdhering to occupational health and safety standards, improving productivity and generating labour cost savings were all important priorities for VIP Packaging. According to Geoff Biscaya, rigid containers general manager at VIP Packaging, \"To remain competitive it was clear we needed to reduce labour costs by automating our downstream inspection, packing and palletising of our high volume blow moulding machines.\"\n\nThroughout this process there were three main palletising lines that would benefit from automation.\n\nThese include the packaging handling, the pallet handling and the stretch wrapping. The challenge ahead was to design a system that could automate the entire palletising line and deliver not only the cost savings, but also improve quality control and safety. After studying the operation of the VIP system, MAR presented a fully automated system including three robots, pallet dispenser, twin shuttle, three vision system, fully automated HMI, automated pallet strapping system and pallet stretching machine which were all controlled by one central motor control centre from Rockwell Automation.\n\nIn the VIP Packaging plant, plastic bottles are continuously transported on the conveyor to the palletising line where they are picked up by the robot and stacked in the pallet. Sensors are used to count the required quantity of bottles for each layer of packaging. Once a layer is complete, the robot picks up a plastic slip sheet and places it on top of the layer of bottles.\n\nThis process is repeated until the pallet is full; the robot then places a timber sheet on top of the pallet to keep the bottles in place. According to Merv Shirazi, project manager at Machinery Automation and Robotics, \"The design of the grippers or claws on the robot arm was critical to the efficiency of the palletising process.\"\n\n\"When the plastic bottles stand up, we needed to make sure that they were in correct position because if one bottle slipped or fell out of place, a domino effect could occur and hundreds of bottles could then fall which would not only create a safety hazard that would need attention, but it would also mean that the whole pallet would have to be rejected,\" he explained.\n\nTo stop the bottles that are packed in the pallet from breaking or slipping, the pallet is then automatically wrapped in clear plastic. Each pallet is then transported by shuttle to the loading dock and the empty pallet is returned.\n\n*** It's All Under Control ***\n\nIn any automated system, integration between the control and safety system is important but in a palletising line that is controlled by a single operator, complete integration is essential. PowerFlex(R) 4M drives were used to provide effective motor control for the conveyors and the entire robotic palletising system and was controlled by CompactLogixTM.\n\nAccording to Harish Ahuja, OEM account manager at Rockwell Automation, \"The Rockwell Automation compact machine control platform provides cost-effective integration of a machine or safety application into a plant-wide control system because it integrates safety, motion, discrete and drive capabilities in a single controller, making it the most appropriate choice for this application.\"\n\nThe operator workstation features a user-friendly PanelViewTM Plus 1000 touch screen Human Machine Interface (HMI) which is easy to navigate and incorporates a number of selection options. In addition to the primary control for the system start and stop function, the HMI also includes programming for the manual control of conveyors, manual control of the robot gripper, shift production data, error reporting, robot control and access control for maintenance and cleaning.\n\n\"The programming of the system is simple and straightforward and it caters for a wide range of bottle design shapes and sizes. The control platform also includes integrated safety systems which deliver improved operator safety,\" said Biscaya.\n\nWhen moving to an automated system, operator safety was a key priority so with this in mind the system was designed with six separate safety zones that require no supervision. Parts of the plant were required to operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, which is why reliability and minimising downtime was very important to VIP Packaging. This was addressed by designing and building the line to allow access to specific components that wear over time in a particular machine, without having to shut down the whole plant during routine maintenance.\n\nInstalling a new solution generally requires a period of shutdown of the existing system while the new one is installed so the goal with this project was to keep this to a minimum and also to reduce the risk of any teething problems with the new solution. To achieve this, the new system was thoroughly tested off-site prior to installation.\n\n\"The complete system including cycle times and other parameters were factory tested off-site prior to installation so we could minimise the risk of downtime. This ensured that the installation progressed smoothly which was very important to our business,\" said Biscaya.\n\n*** Consistent Quality Control ***\n\nMaintaining superior quality control is essential to VIP Packaging, who is known for packaging solutions that not only offer outstanding performance but also differentiate and enhance their customers' brand. Biscaya knew that automating their quality control systems would help them to maintain their reputation for superior quality packaging solutions and also introduce labour cost savings.\n\n\"With the help of MAR we were able to integrate vision systems that could identify a number of bottle faults and reject those bottles. This automated quality control system was more consistent than the human element which allowed us to lower the cost of each pallet through the associated labour savings and reduced packaging waste,\" he said.\n\nTo confirm that the automated system was working effectively, the HMI system was programmed to monitor and sound an alarm to alert the operator if too many bottles were rejected consecutively.\n\n*** Counting the Savings ***\n\n\"We are continuing to realise the many benefits that the new automated system is providing. It has met all of our key requirements by allowing us to reduce labour costs, while also improving quality control and safety. In addition, the solution has established a low base cost to run the plant over time which helps to improve our productivity and competitiveness,\" said Biscaya.\n\nThe automation of the palletising line has resulted in significant labour savings, quality control and reduced running costs. The return on investment is approximately only two years, which will allow VIP Packaging to reap the rewards from the solution for many years to come.\n\n\nTAG: chemical\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: household-and-personal-care\n\n",
    "safety-food-packaging": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/safety-food-packaging\n\nTITLE: Food Manufacturer Improves Safety and Productivity\n\nKirby Risk Corporation is a multi-faceted organization dedicated to meeting customer needs with innovation and effective solutions. Kirby Risk provides a wide range of services including quality electrical supplies, electrical apparatus sales and repair services, wiring harness/cable manufacturing and quality industrial component manufacturing.\n\nThe food manufacturer featured in this story is a Fortune 500 company. They have more than 40 manufacturing facilities in the U.S. and a diverse portfolio of iconic food brands.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nKnown for its quintessentially American brands, a packaged foods leader was running two case packing lines for its refrigerated whipping topping product when a costly downtime event occurred.\n\nThe maintenance team had to examine long wiring runs in order to locate and repair the issue, which was traced to the tongue interlock door switches. Wiring of multiple safety tongue interlock switches and e-stops in series to a safety relay made troubleshooting difficult and caused delays. Ultimately, one of the packing lines was down for more than 70 hours.\n\nThe manufacturer needed a solution that would alert for safety issues with the packing machines and minimize downtime by enabling the maintenance team to identify the problem faster. The company turned to its trusted supplier, Rockwell Automation distributor Kirby Risk, for a solution.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\nKirby Risk has been providing customers with Rockwell Automation products and solutions since 1940. When this customer reached out to the Kirby Risk automation team to discuss downtime issues, the customer's project engineer was interested in Allen-Bradley(R) SensaGuardTM non-contact safety switches as a replacement. Status LEDs on these switches provide visual indication when a door is open. However, after collaborating further with the Kirby Risk Rockwell Automation Safety Consultant, the customer chose to upgrade the safety system with GuardLinkTM device-level safety linking technology.\n\nKirby Risk also suggested a risk assessment by the Rockwell Automation Safety Services team, which provided safety improvement recommendations. The distributor worked with the project engineer to utilize Rockwell Automation Safety Automation Builder(R) to streamline the safety system design and import the data to SISTEMA for performance level verification.\n\n\n\n* Diagnostic Data Speeds Issue Resolution\n\nA primary advantage Kirby Risk brought to the customer was visibility into its machines for faster issue diagnosis and resolution. The SensaGuard non-contact safety interlock switches and e-stops were wired to Dual GuardLink safety relays using GuardLink Smart Tags, which communicate door status and other diagnostic information to the case packer's ControlLogix PLC via the Guardmaster(R) EtherNet/IPTM Network Interface. The operator interface indicates not only when a door is open or an e-stop is actuated, but also which device is tripped, saving critical time and avoiding the need to check every door and e-stop before the machine can be restarted.\n\nThe upgrade to advanced diagnostics represented one of this customer's steps toward smart manufacturing. The GuardLink solution also helped the company achieve the highest safety level and increase worker safety.\n\n\"It's always rewarding to be able to provide a solution that helps operators do their jobs efficiently and safely,\" said Amber Gray, Automation Consultant at Kirby Risk. \"Having that relationship where you are a trusted advisor - the person customers call for guidance - is key for our business.\"\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\n* Smart, integrated safety system reduces downtime and total cost of ownership\n\nGuardLink's simple, quick-disconnect wiring saved the packaged foods manufacturer 61% in installation time per case packer, which minimized downtime with the upgrade. Ongoing preventive maintenance time has been reduced by 50%, and average unplanned downtime has been reduced by 75%. The reduction in maintenance and overall downtime delivers ongoing savings to the company of more than $70,000 per year.\n\n\"Our customers depend on us to support them in achieving real, measurable savings,\" said Gray. \"With Rockwell Automation products, I can help them drive the highest levels of safety performance - one of their top priorities - and reduce downtime and cost.\"\n\n\u00a0\n\nTAG: build-resilience\n\nTAG: safety-solutions\nTAG: the-connected-enterprise\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\nTAG: circuit-and-load-protection\nTAG: safety-products\nTAG: sensors-and-switches\n\n",
    "integrated-robotics-increases-productivity-for-laserbond": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/integrated-robotics-increases-productivity-for-laserbond\n\nTITLE: Integrated Robotics Increases Productivity for LaserBond\n\nCapital-intensive industries rely on plant and equipment performing at peak efficiency, which is often reduced by wear and corrosion of essential components. Laser cladding can be effective in improving the performance and longevity of equipment that is prone to wear and corrosion in industrial environments.\n\nLaser cladding is an additive manufacturing process.\u00a0 It allows the addition of high performance metal or composite layers with a metallurgical bond to new or remanufactured components to provide enhanced protection against wear and corrosion.\n\nThe wear of components can have a profound effect on the productivity and total cost of ownership of capital equipment.\n\nEquipment and components are subject to material removal through a number of mechanisms including abrasion, erosion, corrosion, cavitation, heat and impact, and any combinations of these wear mechanisms - therefore a tailored surface metallurgy will extend a component's life and enhance its performance.\n\nLaserBond is an Australian specialist surface engineering company that has developed innovative laser cladding solutions and systems for use in a range of industries.\n\nThe company recognised the value of investing in new technology to improve the productivity of the robotic laser cells used in the laser cladding process. \u00a0\n\n*** Simplifying set-up ***\n\nThe drivers for automation vary depending on the application but are commonly focused on improving manufacturing efficiency and productivity. In the case of laser cladding, automation is essential as the process is only possible with the precise control of robotic motion and therefore cannot be conducted manually.\n\nWayne Hooper CEO LaserBond, explains that, \"Every laser cladding job is different, so we really need to have automation systems that are user friendly for operators. They need to be an easy set-up, with clear instructions to safely drive the robot, drive external axes, control the laser and control associated equipment.\"\n\nTo improve the speed and accuracy of the set-up process for different jobs, LaserBond tasked Rockwell Automation to provide the hardware and systems to assist in the development of user-friendly controls that reduce set-up time, therefore increasing productivity.\n\nThe challenge was to make each robotic laser cladding cell easier to operate so the operator can set up each job without having to edit robot code.\n\n*** Integrated robotics ***\n\nThe new solution involved the Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture(R) control and information portfolio using Allen-Bradley(R) Compact GuardLogix(R) controllers and Allen-Bradley Kinetix(R) Servo Drives with integrated safety and motion on EtherNet/IP. This helps deliver the capability to create intelligent equipment that reduces set-up time and provides access to information.\n\nLaser cladding produces very high performing surfaces\n\nWith all coding developed in the PLCs for robot control, this simplified integration and assisted with increased operational efficiency for robot design and development. Furthermore, commissioning time was reduced by using the Studio 5000(R) environment, which also provided remote access to the system through FactoryTalk(R) View Site Edition and also FactoryTalk TransactionManager.\n\nAutomation is essential in the laser cladding process as it is only possible with the precise control of robotic motion\n\nThere are significant safety issues when working with lasers and robots. A very high power laser is used for laser cladding making it critical that people are not in the vicinity of the process and helping to mitigate safety risks. By having inbuilt safety in the PLC, the safety of the system was streamlined and the need to wire safety components separately was avoided.\u00a0\u00a0\n\nRockwell Automation EncompassTM Product Partner, Burkert Fluid Control Systems, provided flow controllers on EtherNet/IP. Mass flow control allows for repeatability and consistency throughout the process so it is measured and managed appropriately.\n\n\"The completely integrated solution works well with the entire robotic laser cell, and operator usability was enhanced with FactoryTalk(R) View Site Edition (SE).\u00a0 By integrating safety and control the system was greatly simplified and set-up time for each application was reduced,\" said Wayne Hooper.\n\n*** Improved usability, speed and accuracy ***\n\nLaser cladding is an effective way to improve the performance of equipment that is prone to wear and corrosion in industrial environments. \"Our customers typically get greater extended life out of their components because we are able to produce very high performing surfaces,\" explained Hooper.\n\n\"The main saving for most of customers is not so much the cost of the part itself but the cost of the downtime associated with changing that part,\" he added.\n\nLaser cladding improves the performance of equipment that is prone to wear and corrosion in industrial environments\n\nThe key objective of this project was to improve the productivity of the laser cladding process by reducing the set-up time required for each particular application.\n\nThanks to the new control system, the control program set-up time has been reduced from typically 30 minutes to less than 5 minutes for most jobs. In addition, LaserBond can now save more data, building a library so that if there is a similar job, there is no need to start the programming process from scratch, introducing further time savings.\n\n\"Given the inherent variability in application requirements we needed a system that was quick to set up with enhanced usability. The new systems are very much in line with Industry 4.0, providing access to operational and diagnostic information from the machine. They have improved the connectivity of our robotic systems and enabled us to improve productivity significantly,\" concludes Wayne Hooper.\n\nAbout Rockwell Automation\n\nRockwell Automation Australia and Rockwell Automation New Zealand are subsidiaries of Rockwell Automation, Inc.-a leading global provider of industrial automation and information solutions that helps manufacturers achieve a competitive advantage in their businesses. The company brings together leading global brands in industrial automation which include Allen-Bradley(R) controls and services and Rockwell Software(R) factory management software. Its broad product mix includes control logic systems, sensors, human-machine interfaces, drive controllers, power devices, and software.\n\nRockwell Automation Inc. (NYSE: ROK), is a global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation. We connect the imaginations of people with the potential of technology to expand what is humanly possible, making the world more productive and more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rockwell Automation employs approximately 23,000 problem solvers dedicated to our customers in more than 100 countries. To learn more about how we are bringing The Connected Enterprise(R) to life across industrial enterprises, visit www.rockwellautomation.com\n\nAllen-Bradley, Compact GuardLogix, FactoryTalk, Kinetix, Rockwell Automation, Rockwell Software, Stratix, Studio 5000 are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\nMedia contact:\n\nChristine Filippis\n\nTeraze Communications\n\n61 3 8391 0701\n\nchristine@teraze.com.au\n\n\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: factorytalk-studio-5000\nTAG: factorytalk-view-se\nTAG: factorytalk-view-me\n\n",
    "manufacturing-intelligence-unlocks-efficiencies-for-food-manufac": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/manufacturing-intelligence-unlocks-efficiencies-for-food-manufac\n\nTITLE: Manufacturing Intelligence Unlocks Efficiencies for Food Manufacturer\n\nBackground\n\nWhen a multinational food manufacturer recently acquired a new manufacturing plant, the company quickly realized the custom-made batch software and human-machine interface (HMI) system were becoming obsolete and resulting in increased maintenance costs, wasted batches and limited production flexibility.\n\n\n\nBecause the legacy systems were aging and did not comply with corporate standards, they were no longer supported by the manufacturer or by company resources. The custom batch system had no scheduling or historical batch record keeping capabilities, making it difficult for plant managers to manage production. Often, the only way managers were made aware of wasted batches was when there was a shortage of raw materials for a given recipe because those ingredients were used when they shouldn't have been \u2013 quite problematic in a facility that produces more than a dozen product varieties. In addition, the inflexible nature of the system was keeping the plant from making software programming changes for routine enhancements, which meant that if an issue were to arise, the company was at risk of incurring significant plant downtime.\n\n\n\nChallenge\n\nThe food manufacturer determined it needed a new off-the-shelf batch software and HMI system to deliver increased control and visibility. To do so, the system need to produce detailed records of batch and process data as well as integrated enterprise resource planning (ERP) system data. The system also needed to be flexible enough for repeat uses in other corporate facilities.\n\n\n\nThe company contracted the services of Cybertrol Engineering, a control and information systems integrator, and member of the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork\u2122 program. As an approved provider of Rockwell Automation offerings, Cybertrol Engineering implemented a manufacturing intelligence solution utilizing the FactoryTalk\u00ae software suite from Rockwell Automation.\n\n\n\nSolutions\n\nThe solution included FactoryTalk Batch software, which provides operators with electronic batch reports and access to real-time data through tighter integration with the ERP system. The enhanced integration allows the company to drive the batch schedule from, and store all recipes in, the ERP system. All procedures remain in the FactoryTalk Batch software, allowing for enhanced reliability for recipe execution and flexible product changeover, and less operator actions and probability for operator error.\n\n\n\nCybertrol also implemented FactoryTalk VantagePoint EMI software to provide data analysis to business network users, as well as to plant operators who can use it to gain access to historical production data throughout the facility. The software taps into information from systems across operations that have been automatically identified, gathered and stored by FactoryTalk Historian software. FactoryTalk VantagePoint EMI provides management reports to track and compare batch cycle times, so users can identify and correct maintenance and procedural problems that impact productivity. For example, if a transfer pump begins to wear, operators will see transfer times increase and have the ability to schedule a rebuild with minimal interruptions to production.\n\n\n\nCybertrol also implemented FactoryTalk View Site Edition software to provide production personnel the ability to set up unique parameters, like agitator and transfer pump speeds. Utilizing FactoryTalk Security not only helps protect critical machine settings, but also requires supervisor overrides for certain functions reducing losses previously caused by incorrect operator actions.\n\n\n\n\u201cThe plant needed visibility of historical batch records,\u201d stated Ben Durbin, Cybertrol president, \u201cwith plant floor and ERP system integration, plus access to real-time data, our client was able to immediately identify and correct production issues that had been causing lost batches all along.\u201d\n\n\n\nResults\n\nThanks to Cybertrol and Rockwell Automation, the plant estimates it now saves at least one batch per month. And with the success of this plant, the corporate business has already rolled out similar manufacturing intelligence solutions to other facilities.\n\n\n\n\u201cThe production superintendent told us that the best compliment he could give was that the plant staff never discusses the system, because they are not having issues with it,\u201d Durbin said. \u201cAnd that is our ultimate goal; to integrate a solution seamlessly so that our clients can focus on what they do best \u2013 manufacturing their product.\u201d\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to this customer's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "system-conserves-space--improves-load-stability-": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/system-conserves-space--improves-load-stability-\n\nTITLE: System Conserves Space, Improves Load Stability\n\nIn 2016, Columbia Machine\u00a0introduced the FL6200 high-speed palletizer, a floor-level design that combines robotic-like precision with the familiar simplicity of a conventional system. Now this solution is available with an integrated high-speed turntable stretch wrapper (FL6200SW).\n\nThe new FL6200SW can simultaneously palletize and stretch wrap up to 100 cases per minute, depending on layer pattern - and can manage standard and challenging products including shallow unwrapped trays, shrink pads, film-only bundles and more.\n\nThe integrated system has a significantly smaller footprint than two separate machines. And a concurrent stretch wrapping feature helps stabilize even difficult to manage column-stacked loads.\n\n\"The addition of an integrated stretch wrapper helps when load stability or space constraints are a challenge,\" said Ted Yeigh, sales director, Columbia Machine Palletizer Division.\n\nAcross the packaging industry, speed and flexibility are the watchwords that guide every investment. At the end of the line, palletizers must quickly respond to new marketing trends and retail demands that alter product packaging and pallet configurations.\n\n\"New packaging equipment and methods can dramatically impact downstream processes,\" Yeigh said. \"Our goal is to build solutions that can meet the demands of the products our customers are familiar with today - as well as tomorrow's unknown products.\"\n\nA leading supplier of palletizers in North America, Columbia Machine manufactures equipment built to meet the diverse needs of the food and beverage, personal care, tissue towel, chemical and other industries. The company boasts more than 4,000 installations worldwide, and the most complete line of conventional and robotic palletizers available.\n\nPackages are typically stacked using either an interlocked or column pattern. Interlocked patterns are intrinsically more stable. However, column stacked patterns can have more structural integrity since weight is concentrated vertically at the strongest part of the case - the corners.\n\n\"Column stacked patterns are often the choice for heavier loads as well as loads containing small cases, but these loads can become unstable,\" Yeigh explained. \"To optimize load stability, the FL6200SW can wrap each layer on the pallet concurrently - as the load is being built - without impacting palletizer throughput.\"\n\n\"With variable speed drives controlling the film carriage rolls, pre-stretch can be precisely controlled throughout pallet wrapping cycle,\" Yeigh continued. \"So you can pre-stretch at 250 percent or more for most of the wrap - and decrease the pre-stretch at the beginning and end of the pallet when more film adhesion may be desired.\"\n\nOne of the keys to the palletizer's impressive performance and flexibility is the incorporation of servo technology.\n\n\"The servo technology delivers the accurate, smooth movement you would expect with a robotic system,\" Yeigh said. \"The palletizer can handle a vast array of package types because it never picks up the product - and it isn't constrained by traditional robotic arm and end effector limitations.\"\n\nIn addition, the smart machine features \"zero-time\" changeover. The FL6200SW can transition from one package type, layer pattern or wrapping pattern to another automatically, based on information received from barcode scanners or other input methods.\n\nSafety is a key priority for Columbia Machine and the FL6200SW system features an industry-leading safety and guarding package that includes Category 3, Performance Level D safety components.\n\nTo minimize complexity, the FL6200SW is built on a single control architecture featuring an Allen-Bradley(R) CompactLogixTM controller. For integrated motion, the palletizer includes\u00a0Allen-Bradley Kinetix(R) 5700 servo drives and VPL servo motors. And for variable speed control of the hoist, turntable and film pre-stretch, the wrapper relies on Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) 525 AC drives.\n\n\"There is no separate robotic controller or subsystem,\" Yeigh said. \"Our customers have a comfort level with Rockwell Automation technology and this equipment offers that familiar control environment for the entire machine.\"\n\nOperators will also appreciate the intuitive HMI screens, designed to speed diagnostics and improve overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). The company's Product Manager HMI software is built on the Rockwell Automation platform.\n\n\"The analytics and data the Product Manager HMI can deliver are significant,\" Yeigh said. \"Over the years, we incorporated input from customers and collaborated with Rockwell Automation as we developed and perfected that platform. We look forward to our continued partnership.\"\n\nAllen-Bradley, CompactLogix, Kinetix, PowerFlex, Rockwell Automation and Rockwell Software are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc. EtherNet/IP is a trademark of ODVA, Inc. Trademarks not belonging to Rockwell Automation are the property of their respective companies.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: household-and-personal-care\n\n",
    "traceability-beverage": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/traceability-beverage\n\nTITLE: Building Trust with Grass-to-Glass Traceability\n\nKezzler is a software company and technology leader specialized in providing digital ID solutions for connected products.\n\nChristine C. Akselsen is CEO of Kezzler, a global leader in serialization technologies that provide digital ID solutions for connected products. Kezzler helps clients digitize products to collect, structure and share real-time value chain data at scale. This enables traceability throughout a product's lifetime to achieve regulatory compliance, gain supply chain visibility, enable circular solutions and create dynamic end-user experiences.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\n* Reinforce Transparency and Consumer Confidence\n\nOne of the world's largest dairy companies, FrieslandCampina, engaged Kezzler to provide global traceability services for their top infant formula brand, FRISO. FrieslandCampina wanted to build consumer trust and reinforce transparency following a tragic scandal in China where six babies died and thousands more were hospitalized after drinking contaminated formula that was domestically produced.\n\nFollowing the scandal, demand for imported infant formula increased among Chinese consumers. But FRISO-commissioned research found 93% of mothers in China and Hong Kong felt the information on product packaging was insufficient to give them peace of mind.\n\n\"What FrieslandCampina wanted and needed was to communicate to consumers that the milk in their infant formula was genuine and it was from the farms in the Netherlands,\" Akselsen said. \"They wanted to trace the infant formula from the point of milk collection all the way to the consumer and share that traceability journey with consumers.\"\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\n* Unique Digital Identifier Provides Consumer Access to Full Product Journey\n\nAs a Rockwell Automation Digital Partner, Kezzler is uniquely positioned to bring end-to-end-supply chain traceability across IT/OT systems. Together, Kezzler and FrieslandCampina developed and launched FRISO TrackEasy, the infant nutrition industry's first smart packaging solution. First introduced in Hong Kong and mainland China in 2019, the solution is now available globally.\n\n\"With TrackEasy, consumers can pick up a can of infant formula and use their phone to scan a QR code printed on the bottom to see the full traceability journey of that can,\" Akselsen explained. \"This is achieved with digitizing the can with the QR code as a unique digital identifier.\"\n\nThat digital ID takes in upstream information about the milk associated with the cans to give consumers full traceability from grass-to-glass. The solution also registers product and production data including Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) and manufacturing and expiration dates.\n\nThe FactoryTalk(R)PharmaSuite(R) serialization application from Rockwell Automation is embedded in the platform. The serialization application builds unit to box to pallet packaging hierarchies and aggregates and shares the data with other systems, such as enterprise and warehouse management. All of which allows Kezzler to track and trace every product throughout the supply chain.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\n* Increased Sales and Global Expansion\n\n\"The best testament that this is working well for FrieslandCampina is that they've rolled it out in 18 markets so far,\" Akselsen said. \"They're seeing a sales uplift as a result of the increased brand trust and loyalty.\"\n\nThe dairy company has been able to collect valuable marketing data, such as where, when and how the product was scanned and consumed. They've also used the digital identifier concept to place a second QR code under FRISO product lids to engage consumers in promotions and loyalty programs.\n\n\"Additionally, they're avoiding diversion where products end up in wrong markets,\" Akselsen explained. \"They can take appropriate actions if they have too many consumer scans in an area where they shouldn't have.\"\n\nAkselsen added that because TrackEasy is only available with authentic products, the dairy company is also able to void counterfeit products.\n\nLastly, with the ability to collect data from the grass-to-glass journey, FrieslandCampina is compliance ready for current and emerging government regulations for traceability and reporting. \u00a0\n\nTAG: build-resilience\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\nTAG: factorytalk-productioncentre\n\n",
    "precise-control-space": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/precise-control-space\n\nTITLE: University in Korea Demystifies the Universe\n\nFor 40 years, Systems Interface has been an industrial control systems integrator that provides leaders in many industries with advanced, practical automation solutions.\n\nHow often do you think about black holes? Stars? The mysteries of deep space? If you're a researcher at a major research University\u00a0in South Korea, it's a lot. Researching celestial bodies requires high-performing instruments. That's why, when the University needed to construct a deep space antenna, they turned to Systems Interface.\n\nSystems Interface, a Gold-level System Integrator member of the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM, embarked on the pioneering project with the University.\u00a0\n\nThe project involved the construction of a fourth deep space antenna, following the success of three previous installations between 2007 and 2009. The University wanted another antenna that could help researchers further explore space.\u00a0\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nThis project was unique from the start. The University wanted a fourth antenna that could perform just as well as the first three. Given that the previous antennas were commissioned years ago, building a new one required updated equipment with high levels of customization.\n\n\"I don't think there's any corporation that could do what the University wanted-to replicate the existing antennas,\" said Curits Plett, Vice President of Engineering at Systems Interface.\n\n\"The customer wanted a system that matched the previous systems, but they wanted it updated with current servo drive offerings while keeping the overriding motion control interface the same. An OEM might refuse to deviate from their standard offering. System Integrators like Systems Interface, however, can bring tremendous value by being able to develop custom solutions for their customers.\"\n\n\n\n\n\n* Obsolete Equipment\n\nThe existing deep space antennas utilized outdated Kinetix 7000 drives and legacy servo motion technology, both of which were becoming obsolete. Systems Interface needed to use modern hardware on the new antenna while ensuring that its performance of the new antenna matched that of the previous antennas.\n\n\n\n\n\n* Precise Control\n\nOperating at very slow velocities, the antenna required precise tracking of celestial targets such as stars and black holes. Systems Interface had to develop a motion control system capable of tracking these targets accurately while maintaining responsiveness to slow signals from outer space.\n\n\"It wasn't just simple motion control,\" said Plett. \"It was motion control to a highly calculated and precise position. A higher-level motion control system takes 29-bit encoders off the structure. It's closing position loops based on those encoders, doing celestial calculations of where it thinks an object in the sky should be, pointing the antenna at the object, using the frequency of the antenna to fine tune the position, and then track it across the sky overnight.\"\n\n\n\n* Supply Chain Delays\n\nCommencing in 2021, the project encountered COVID 19-related supply chain disruptions, posing significant challenges in procuring essential hardware components. Planning and scheduling became critical to mitigate the risk of delays and financial setbacks associated with incorrect or unavailable parts.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\nTo address these challenges, Systems Interface leveraged a combination of cutting-edge hardware, their own domain expertise, and the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork.\n\n\n\n* Designing for Precise Control\n\nThe solution included state-of-the-art technology, featuring the ControlLogix(R) 5580 Controller and Kinetix(R) 5700 Servo Drive control system, which orchestrated precise movements with its four Kinetix MPL low-inertia motors. The solution also used the Allen Bradley(R) PanelViewTM operator interface to enable visualization and control, as well as various Rockwell Automation components. In total, the antenna was built with a single manufacturer solution that enables optimal performance and support rather than a control system cobbled together from many manufacturers.\n\n\n\n* Combining Expertise Across the Ecosystem\n\nThe successful completion of the deep space antenna would not have been possible without the rich ecosystem of the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork. Strategic partnerships with distributors like North Coast and Rockwell Automation technology consultants expedited the selection and procurement of essential components.\n\nFor example, a Rockwell Automation technology consultant helped Systems Interface get the bill of materials (BOM) right. The consultant \"helped us go through the BOMs and come up with new ones to accomplish all of this...and helped us accelerate getting tech support in the event of technical issues on site,\" said Plett.\n\nAdditionally, the profound domain expertise of the Systems Interface team enabled them to devise innovative solutions, such as working with technology partner Profibus to transition from ControlNet to Profibus communication for enhanced reliability and supportability.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\n* On-Time Completion and Exceeding Expectations\n\nIn late 2023, the construction of the 21-meter antenna was successfully concluded, bolstered by Rockwell Automation technology, including four servo motors capable of reaching an impressive maximum speed of 3 degrees per second. This milestone allowed the antenna to capture its inaugural astrological images, commonly referred to as \"First Light.\"\n\nWith the completion of this project, the University achieved its critical objective of deploying a fully operational antenna within their specified timeline. The antenna's performance not only met but exceeded expectations, showcasing seamless functionality without requiring any additional support during startup, thanks to the rigorous validation conducted by Systems Interface prior to its deployment in South Korea.\n\n\n\n* Transformative Impact for Aerospace Research and University\n\nThe expertise of Systems Interface and collaboration with Rockwell Automation ensured the seamless operation of the antenna, with minimal issues reported post-installation. This project is momentous in many ways. The completion of the fourth antenna has contributed to a deeper understanding of the galaxy for students and professionals, led to many astronomy publications for the University, and signifies a giant leap forward in technological innovation.\n\nTAG: empower-people\n\nTAG: aerospace\n\nTAG: motion-control\nTAG: human-machine-interface\nTAG: programmable-controllers\n\n",
    "simulation-software-optimizes-food-manufacturing": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/simulation-software-optimizes-food-manufacturing\n\nTITLE: Simulation Software Optimizes Food Manufacturing\n\nBackground\n\nThe food and beverage industry is one of the most volatile markets for manufacturers. Complicated packaging requirements, increasingly stringent production regulations, and thin profit margins mean food and beverage manufacturers must be innovative and efficient to compete. For more than a century, one of America's most beloved food manufacturers has been doing just that. The company helps to make family meals memorable with its tasty range of packaged food products.\n\n\n\nBut as business boomed and consumer demand skyrocketed, the food maker reached the limits of its legacy packaging equipment. Reliability issues curbed its ability to increase speed and production. To continue growing, the manufacturer decided to make a significant investment in its packaging lines.\n\n\n\nChallenge\n\nThe food manufacturer contacted Burns & McDonnell \u2013 an engineering and construction firm focused on helping customers identify innovative solutions to production challenges \u2013 to develop a recommendation for improving packaging-line performance. Burns & McDonnell noted that the food producer operated three main packaging lines in its primary production facility, each of which contained up to nine key pieces\n\nof equipment.\n\n\n\nUnreliable performance and low production numbers signified that an upgrade was necessary; however, not every piece of equipment on each packaging line was under performing. Burns & McDonnell realized it would need to determine how many pieces of equipment were functioning normally and which ones were in need of an upgrade or replacement.\n\n\n\nEach piece of equipment needed to be analyzed to determine pieces that could be salvaged and those which were no longer performing up to plant standards. Additionally, whatever investment the food manufacturer made to upgrade packaging lines needed to enable the plant to achieve a 10 percent increase in production capacity with minimal interruption to ongoing operations.\n\n\n\nSolutions\n\nBased on prior experience, Burns & McDonnell opted to employ simulation software because of its ability to model realistic plant environments and test the impacts of various factory-floor modifications. Specifically, simulation software could test the impact that different combinations of packaging-line upgrades would have on the plant's overall output before an investment was made in new packaging-line equipment. The team selected Rockwell Software\u00ae Arena\u00ae simulation software from Rockwell Automation for its exclusive features, successful experiences with the system, and the reputation of Rockwell Automation for providing ongoing project support.\n\n\n\nArena software works by analyzing the impact of new, what-if business ideas, rules and strategies before the implementation of a solution, without requiring any plant downtime. The software also features a packaging add-on that allowed Burns & McDonnell to specify conditions unique to a packaging line. In addition, the software's input analyzer optimizes user experience by providing guidance on how to improve simulation input and scenarios.\n\n\n\nThe Burns & McDonnell team began by building a realistic plant environment within the Arena software by collecting a range of plant data. This was done to help the team understand the dynamic nature of how the plant functioned on both an enterprise wide and plant-floor level. Data collected and analyzed included overall plant capacity, production schedules, equipment reliability data, and equipment rates and capacities.\n\n\n\nOnce this data was collected, the team built a range for each piece of packaging equipment that provided an accurate picture of the machinery's performance. To ensure that the model built in the Arena software accurately modeled the food manufacturer's plant-floor environment, 150 days of simulation output were compared against six months of historical plant-floor data. The key results measured from both equipment reliability and line reliability were within 0.25 percent of each other, confirming that the team had created a realistic plant environment in which to test its simulations.\n\n\n\nArmed with this information, Burns & McDonnell and the food manufacturer identified 42 different scenarios to test and evaluate. Four pieces of equipment on each line \u2013 the bundler, capper, tray former and palletizer \u2013 were individually analyzed to understand the improvement in production that was possible from each unit. The team also analyzed the outcome of a total system replacement where all four key pieces of machinery on each line were removed and replaced. For each scenario, a low, mid and high simulation were run to capture each piece of equipment's range and establish a performance average over the course of 120 days of production. This enabled the team to capture the variability and dynamics that occur on a natural packaging line.\n\n\n\nResults\n\nOnce Burns & McDonnell had collected, analyzed and compared the data from 42 simulations, the team recommended that the food manufacturer replace specific pieces of machinery on each of the three primary lines to optimize production.\n\n\n\nOver the next few months, Burns & McDonnell worked with the food manufacturer to implement an $18 million packaging upgrade that resulted in 80 percent less downtime than competitor projections. This investment exceeded the manufacturer's original goal of a 10 percent increase in production capacity.\n\n\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Burns & McDonnell's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "post-consumer-brands-takes-a-bite-out-of-hmi-costs-with-virtuali": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/post-consumer-brands-takes-a-bite-out-of-hmi-costs-with-virtuali\n\nTITLE: Post Consumer Brands Takes a Bite Out of HMI Costs With Virtualization\n\n***** A Cereal Giant *****\n\nWhat began in 1895 in a barn in Battle Creek, Michigan, is now America's third-largest cereal company: Post Consumer Brands (PCB).\n\nToday, the company's diverse portfolio generated more than $1.2 billion in sales in fiscal year 2015 and accounted for 21 percent of volume market share in the ready-to-eat cereal category.\n\nThe Battle Creek barn where Charles Post made his first cereal product still stands but is now dwarfed by a 64-acre production campus - one of eight PCB production locations in the U.S. and Canada.\n\nIt's here that PCB makes some of America's most recognizable cereals, including Grape-Nuts(R), Post Raisin Bran(R), Fruity PebblesTM and Cocoa PebblesTM, and Honey Bunches of Oats(R).\n\nRecently, PCB began a multiyear migration at its Battle Creek campus to replace all of its human machine interface (HMI) platforms, which had aged to the point that their operating systems were obsolete and they were experiencing regular failures.\n\nRather than simply replacing the HMI platforms, PCB decided to adopt an entirely new approach for its HMI system by leveraging the power of virtualization.\n\n***** Stale HMI Architecture *****\n\nThe Battle Creek production campus includes four manufacturing facilities, a warehouse and dry-ingredient storage silos.\n\nProduction differs by cereal product, but common processes include milling grains into flour, cooking or toasting the grains, shredding or pressing the grains into their familiar shapes, and mixing in ingredients such as raisins, nuts or seeds.\n\nFinished cereal products are then packaged into bags, boxes and cases before they are sent via conveyors to the warehouse for storage and shipping.\n\nOperators at the Battle Creek campus use 175 computer-based HMIs to monitor and manage all of these activities - from unloading ingredients off railcars to executing production processes to conducting warehouse activities.\n\nHowever, in recent years, the HMI platforms increasingly presented a number of problems.\n\nFirst, because the HMI platforms were desktop computers and not built for harsh manufacturing environments, they were beginning to fail at an almost weekly rate.\n\nAlso, most of the HMI computers were running on Windows(R) XP, which Microsoft ended its support for in 2014.\n\n\"Windows XP obsolescence was a big driver for us,\" said Bill Menser, electrical engineering lead for PCB at its Battle Creek campus.\n\n\"It got to the point where I could not buy new computers that had drivers for Windows XP. So I started collecting old desktop computers. Or I would buy new computers and make trades with the IT group for their old computers - all because I needed spares that could run XP.\"\n\nBeyond the operating system, there was the separate matter of needing to be sure spare computers had the right HMI software.\n\nThis could be a challenge because the legacy HMI computers scattered throughout the campus used a mix of Rockwell Automation software, including FactoryTalk(R) View Site Edition, and standalone and RSView(R)32 Active Display System\u00a0versions.\n\n\"An HMI platform failure takes us about six hours to rebuild,\" Menser said. \"That's certainly a pain point for us. It's time where we might not have immediate access to production because operators needed to use another HMI, which might be 50 feet away or on a different floor.\n\nBut a bigger risk is running out of replacement hardware.\n\nEven if we have a computer with the right operating system, we have to make sure it has the right generation of software to match all the different versions running in our buildings.\"\n\nPCB's Battle Creek site also was using about 20 HMI servers across its site, with two pairs of servers in most buildings.\n\nLike the HMI computers, the servers were aging and experiencing hard-drive failures within the production site's harsh manufacturing conditions.\n\n\"I've seen about eight hard-drive failures in the three years I've been here,\" Menser said. \"None of them took us down because we have redundant servers in place.\n\nBut again, replacements are challenging for these systems, and the possibility that we would one day run out of spares is a threat that could eventually bring us down.\"\u00a0\n\n***** Virtual Transformation *****\n\nAmid obsolescence and hardware-failure challenges, Menser knew it was time to replace the HMI computers and servers throughout the PCB campus.\n\nRather than replace them on a one-for-one basis, he opted for a multiyear migration that would completely overhaul the site's HMI system with modern virtualization technology.\n\nThis includes replacing and consolidating the approximately 20 HMI servers down to fewer than eight servers when the project is complete. The servers will support a total of about 50 virtual machines.\n\nThose virtual machines will run on thin-client HMIs, which are replacing the 175 desktop-computer HMIs.\n\nThe thin clients require no operating system, and they all will be standardized on the current version of the FactoryTalk View Site Edition software in place of the mix of HMI software currently used on the legacy HMI computers.\n\nThe new HMI architecture will use the VMware virtualization software, which enables the thin clients to run as virtual machines.\n\nIt also will use the ThinManager software from ACP, now a Rockwell Automation company, to centralize management and delivery of the HMI software from the servers to the thin clients.\n\n***** Immediate Benefits *****\n\nWhile the HMI virtualization migration is only about one-third complete at the Battle Creek production campus, the site is already reaping benefits.\n\nReplacing aging and failing HMI computers with virtualized thin clients is helping avoid obsolescence risk with every platform that is changed over.\n\nAnd because the thin clients are designed for harsh industrial environments, unlike the desktop computers, they have a vastly improved life expectancy.\n\nShould any of the thin clients someday fail or be upgraded to a new technology, Menser and his team will be able to replace them without needing to find a spare computer with Windows XP.\n\n\"Instead of rebuilding the HMI from scratch, all we need to do is replace the thin client,\" Menser said. \"That drastically improves replacement time, from about six hours to a matter of minutes.\n\nIt's literally just a matter of the time it takes someone to walk to the HMI and swap out the device.\"\n\nFor operators, the new HMI thin clients are replicating the look and feel of the legacy HMI computers to reduce potential production disruption or the need for training on the new system.\n\nThe system also is connected to newly installed IP cameras, giving operators unprecedented visibility into production within the massive campus.\n\n\"The video connectivity from any HMI can help operators monitor key processes, such as checking on the distribution of cereal during the drying process,\" Menser said.\n\n\"It also can help in large areas where operators aren't stationed but where issues may still occur. For example, with a virtualized, video-enabled FactoryTalk View SE HMI system, we can instantly check to see if a conveyor line is jammed.\n\nIn the legacy system, someone had to take several minutes to physically walk there and check the conveyor in-person. Saving those minutes during production directly equates to improved yield and profitability.\"\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Post Consumer Brands' use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nEncompass, FactoryTalk, PartnerNetwork, RSView, and ThinManager are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\nWindows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.\n\nAll other trademarks are the property of their respective companies.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "warehouse-design-digital": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/warehouse-design-digital\n\nTITLE: Emulation Technology Speeds Up Warehouse Automation\n\nAs a systems integrator, Bastian Solutions seeks out leading technologies in both material handling equipment and information systems coupled with proven operational strategies. Our experts combine the powers of scalable material handling systems, innovative software and custom automation engineering for complete, unique solutions. Our goal is to use these tools to help companies, across a broad spectrum of industry segments, become leaders in their industries.\n\nWhile the recent boom in new warehouse construction has slowed somewhat, the use of warehouse automation is expected to continue to grow over the next five years. Today, only about 20% of warehouses and distribution centers have implemented automation equipment and technologies.\u00a0Many industry experts consider warehousing and distribution to be the next great opportunity for companies to use digital transformation to gain a competitive edge.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\n* Manual processes lead to errors and inefficiencies\n\n\"Many of the warehouses where we're working don't have much automation. Typically, these companies use manual processes prone to human error and inefficiencies,\" said Cameron McGugan, a controls engineer with Bastian Solutions. \"Automation enables warehouses to operate more efficiently and effectively by streamlining processes, optimizing inventory management, and enhancing accuracy and speed.\"\n\nBastian Solutions designs and delivers world-class material handling systems that help improve warehousing, distribution, and manufacturing operations. They serve various industries, including retail and apparel.\n\nIn 2023, they were engaged by a high-end global fashion brand to implement a new warehouse system for a 300,000 square-foot distribution center in the southern United States. The facility was built in the early 2000s and expanded several years later.\n\n\"Previously they had traditional racking with individuals picking products and placing them in carts. This setup meant a lot of traveling with people going through each rack for every pick,\" McGugan explained. \"Our client wanted to reduce inefficiencies in the system and add a conveyor that reduced the need for operator movement.\"\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\n* Test system model with emulation\n\nThe client envisioned a system with a series of pick modules, which are versatile rack structures used to store inventory and pick items for order fulfillment.\n\n\"We designed it so that the pick modules come off the conveyor,\" McGugan said. \"Boxes move down the line and then get transferred into a side lane where an operator takes the box, goes through the racking, places the needed items into the box and then puts the box back on the line to ship out.\"\n\nThe system includes Allen-Bradley(R) programmable logic controllers, I/O modules, photoelectric and proximity sensors, and variable frequency drives.\n\nBastian also used Rockwell Automation Emulate3DTM digital twin software to test the system before it was installed and went live. A digital twin is more than a visual model. It's a dynamic representation of a machine or system that behaves and responds to conditions as it would in a real-world operation.\n\n\n\n* Resolve issues before on-site installation\n\n\"We've been using Emulate3DTM digital twin software for about three years. It allows us to fully vet our code before we arrive on site,\" McGugan said. \"Many times, projects can be delayed due to supplier challenges or mechanical or electrical installation problems. With emulation, we can fine tune system programming and resolve issues pre-installation, which reduces risk and speeds up commissioning.\"\n\nAs a long-time member of the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM, Bastian is a leader in using innovative technologies to solve customer needs.\n\n\"We emulated the entire project by mapping everything directly to the raw I/O within the model,\" McGugan explained. \"With emulation, we can check our full program - input mapping, output mapping and all logic within it. We were able to test our code and troubleshoot issues in depth before the go live date.\"\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\n* Reduce commissioning time, installation costs, and time to market\n\nOne of the issues Bastian was able to uncover and resolve was a mechanical tolerance problem.\n\n\"There was an area where if slightly bigger boxes were used, it could have caused a mechanical jam,\" McGugan said. \"With Emulate3D's physics engine, we were able to find the place where that could happen and correct the issue by moving that one section over a couple of feet.\"\n\nOverall, by using emulation technology, Bastian reduced its total project time by 18%, including reducing onsite commissioning by about five weeks. For their client, that time saved meant less project and installation costs and reduced time to market. As such, Bastian is in discussions with the client about assisting with automation needs at additional warehouse locations.\u00a0\n\n\n\n* Emulation as a standard practice\n\n\"It was nice to see some real-world benefits of being able to pull off site early and providing a higher-quality product with fewer issues because we tested the model upfront with Emulate3D,\" McGugan said. \"After the success of this project, we want to emulate future projects. We've ramped up our emulation teams so we can get models out the door quicker and provide more time for model testing.\"\n\nTo make it easier for those teams to use Emulate3D, Rockwell Automation is working with Bastian to create a catalog of standard and reusable building blocks within the software.\n\nTAG: accelerate-digital-transformation\n\nTAG: warehouse-fulfillment\n\nTAG: factorytalk-emulate-3d\nTAG: factorytalk-logix-echo\nTAG: drives\nTAG: input-or-output-i-or-o-modules\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: sensors-and-switches\n\n",
    "process-control-cement-solutions": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/process-control-cement-solutions\n\nTITLE: Taking Process Control to The Next Level\n\n***** Challenge: Maximize Efficiency and Production *****\n\nA subsidiary of an international cement company, is one of the premier cement and building materials producers in the Eastern United States.\n\nThe subsidiary's operations include cement plants, ready-mix concrete plants, concrete block plants, quarries, import and rail terminals, and fly ash production facilities. In 2020, the company's revenues totaled over $500 million.\n\nLike many leading manufacturers, the company constantly strives to maximize efficiency and production by enhancing quality, minimizing process upsets, and decreasing operations and energy costs. The company sought an advanced process control (APC) system that would meet these objectives while leveraging its existing technology infrastructure.\n\nAfter thoroughly reviewing APC systems and services offerings, the company turned to Rockwell Automation to help enhance production performance while reducing energy costs. Through its ValueFirst(R)\u00a0program, Rockwell Automation provided the leading cement manufacturer with a phased project approach designed to evaluate and assure the company's return on investment (ROI) before project deployment. The company launched the program on two cement mills at the cement facility at its\u00a0headquarters.\n\n***** Solution: Increasing Quality, Decreasing Energy Use with Rockwell Automation Closed-loop Control *****\n\nRockwell Automation and the leading cement manufacturer worked closely together \u00a0to deploy Rockwell Automation FactoryTalk(R) AnalyticsTM with closed-loop, multivariable predictive control optimization capabilities, on the two finish mills (#10 and #11). Specific goals for the project included decreasing energy usage, increasing production, and improving product quality by decreasing deviation in cement. Finish mill #11 was a standard ball mill, capable of producing approximately 90 tons per hour of type I/II cement. Finish mill #10 was a ball mill configured with a roller press for pre-grinding, capable of producing approximately 130 tons per hour of type I/II cement. Leveraging the industrial analytics expertise of Rockwell Automation engineering, Rockwell Automation cement solution delivered a faster time to value and a more\u00a0sustained value with lower maintenance costs than incumbent technologies like expert system-based toolkits. It combined steady-state optimization with model predictive control to deliver an advanced process control solution capable of managing process setpoints and transitions. The software solution is based on a\u00a0dynamic\u00a0model of complex processes (such as those in a cement mill), allowing\u00a0for more robust real-time control and optimization than with traditional static, expert\n\nsystem solutions.\n\n\"Rockwell Automation's ValueFirst program underscores the company's dedication to the success of our business. The program allows us to better understand the technology and the potential benefits with little financial risk. We entered into this relationship confident that the technology would deliver results, and they have delivered on that guarantee.\"\n\n- Process Engineer\n\nFactoryTalk Analytics closed-loop control solutions define key process parameters in three categories: manipulated, controlled, and disturbance variables. The controlled variables are typically key product metrics. Manipulated variables are those process parameters that can be independently adjusted and that impact the controlled variables, like production rate and separator speed. Lastly, disturbance variables are those process parameters that impact the controlled variables, but generally cannot be independently adjusted. The solution's predictive capabilities enable plant personnel to anticipate how the mill will perform considering significant external process upsets and\u00a0through normal product transitions. The cement mill application continuously updates its predictions based on the internal models of future behavior, process interdependencies, and actual performance.\n\n***** Results: Higher production and quality, while using\n\nless power *****\n\nAt the company headquarter mills, the FactoryTalk Analytics solution reduced energy use, increased throughput, and improved product quality. The project met and exceeded projections of 3.5 decrease in KW/ton energy use and a production increase of\u00a03-4 tons per hour. The company also reported a decrease in standard deviation in cement from 130\u00a0to 80 (38% reduction). In addition to these quantifiable benefits, the solution helped mill operators focus more attention on mission-critical process issues, improving production efficiency and impacting the bottom line.\n\n\nTAG: industrial-analytics\nTAG: sustainability\nTAG: energy\n\nTAG: cement\n\nTAG: factorytalk-analytics\nTAG: factorytalk-innovationsuite\n\n",
    "major-research-laboratory-more-than-doubles-capacity-with-new-ch": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/major-research-laboratory-more-than-doubles-capacity-with-new-ch\n\nTITLE: Major Research Laboratory More Than Doubles Capacity With New Chillers\n\n*** Improved Tools, Improved Infrastructure ***\n\nChilled water is a critical element on the frontier of scientific exploration. At a major research laboratory, chilled water is used to create the precise environmental conditions for leading-edge experiments on the smallest particles in the universe.\n\nThe laboratory is home to some of the most advanced research and development facilities in the world. Scientists on the grounds study the molecular structure of substances ranging from brain cells to lithium ions. The results have been advances in the fight against cancer, the search for more efficient energy sources, and the development of nanomaterials.\n\nIn all, the research laboratory spans over 5,000 acres. And all of the large research and administration buildings are connected via pipes to a centralized chilled-water plant. The facility has expanded several times since the laboratory centralized its chilled water generation in 1990.\n\nBefore the laboratory centralized the plant, each building housed its own cooling system. The setup was inefficient, because each cooling system needed to be maintained and controlled separately.\n\n*** Chilling Developments ***\n\nIn 2008, the laboratory got approval to build a new state-of-the-art facility to replace one nearing end of life. Widely used by scientists across the globe, the first facility had been around for more than 30 years. The next-generation would be more powerful than the first \u2013 and require at least 12 percent additional chilled water capacity per year.\n\nTo meet increased demand, the centralized plant would need to expand. At the time, it housed four water chillers controlled by Allen-Bradley PLC-5 controllers fed by 10 racks of I/O. Between 2011 and 2016, five new water chillers would be added.\n\nIn addition, the control platform was nearing the end of its life cycle, providing an opportunity to modernize. Maintaining a modern, standardized system was important to the laboratory, because a seamless system would provide consistent performance and make it easier to find replacement parts.\n\nWhen considering the migration and expansion of the control platform, there was one caveat: downtime must be minimal. Chilled water needed to be available 24/7 for experiments to continue unhindered and for data storage.\n\nHome to one of the largest computing centers in the country, the laboratory requires very specific humidity and temperature for data storage. If there was an outage, information from ongoing experiments wouldn't be stored.\n\nThe initial migration of the control platform was also a major concern. Federal law requires national institutions to get bids from multiple vendors. And the first quote said the entire system would need to be changed over. That was not an option. Not only would a completely new system be cost prohibitive, but the research equipment requires constant cooling.\n\n*** A Thesis on Migration ***\n\nAfter meeting with Applied Control Engineering, Inc. (ACE), a Solution Partner in the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork program, it was determined that a complete overhaul could be avoided by migrating the laboratory's PLC-5 controllers to the Allen-Bradley ControlLogix\u00a0platform. The plant could migrate from its old hardware in phases, keeping it operational during the expansion.\n\nACE defined three phases that would keep the plant up and running.\n\nAs part of the first phase, ACE would migrate from the legacy controllers to the ControlLogix platform while adding space for the new water chillers. A remainder of the legacy system \u2013 10 racks of I/O \u2013 would be replaced during the third phase.\n\nTo ensure a smooth migration during the first phase, ACE took advantage of a system conversion tool from Rockwell Automation to prefabricate as much of the ControlLogix platform as possible. In a few instances, custom solutions that the laboratory had in place required ACE to tailor the design to the plant.\n\n\"The plant is larger than many in the private industry, which resulted in their control system including some features that aren't normally in place, like specialty I/O cards,\" said Gary Hida, vice president of ACE. \"We worked with Rockwell Automation to determine the best setup for those instances, keeping the project running smoothly.\"\n\nThe second phase progressed efficiently, and ACE expanded the system to include two additional chillers. The new chillers operated on the ControlLogix platform and eight additional racks of I/O that were connected to the partially migrated system.\n\nA third phase added three additional chillers and migrated all but two of the remaining racks of legacy I/O. Following upon the completion of the third phase, the remainder of the legacy system was also replaced.\n\n*** Shining Light on Control ***\n\nThe capacity of the centralized water plant has successfully increased capacity from the original 4,850 tons to 11,100 tons. The ControlLogix platform provided scalability to the plant, which enhanced the ability to add chillers.\n\nThe eight hours provided to transition the control platform was more than enough. The chilled water plant ran in bypass mode for only four hours using stored chilled water during this period to satisfy the users' needs.\n\nThe migration of the legacy I/O racks to ControlLogix I/O averaged one week per rack, well within the allotted timeline. While the migration was performed, the research laboratory was able to continue experimental research as normal.\n\n\"The collaboration between our team, the laboratory, and Rockwell Automation helped to meet the timelines of each phase,\" Hida said. \"The compatibility of Rockwell Automation solutions helped the migration and expansions succeed.\"\n\nThe ControlLogix platform also continues the laboratory's sustainability best practices. With an efficient control system, the projected savings in energy are nearly $400,000 per year.\n\nFollowing the water plant expansion and I/O migration, the laboratory is replacing the old cooling towers on the grounds. Along with this latest project, ACE is helping to deploy new I/O that integrates seamlessly with the current system.\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to the use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nAllen-Bradley, ControlLogix, PartnerNetwork and PLC-5 are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\n\nTAG: life-sciences\n\n",
    "shelf-ready-packing-with-speed-and-precision": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/shelf-ready-packing-with-speed-and-precision\n\nTITLE: Shelf Ready Packing With Speed and Precision\n\n*** Background ***\n\nWhen next walking down the supermarket aisle, spare a thought for the process behind how all the bottles, neatly packed with labels facing forward, arrived on the supermarket shelf.\n\nIn the past this was a labour intensive task, performed manually usually after hours, but now thanks to advances in technology, bottles can be positioned into cartons, forward facing as a fully automated process.\n\nHMPS is an Australian company that specializes in the design, development and manufacturing of high quality machinery for packaging processes.\n\nThe company takes pride on being Australian designed and engineered and places great importance on ensuring the innovation of robotics and engineering continues to develop and remain in Australia.\n\nWhen a global food manufacturer asked HMPS to provide an end of line solution for their high speed, condiment production line, HMPS did what they do best- designed an innovative, reliable packing machine using the latest technologies from Rockwell Automation.\n\n*** The Production Line ***\n\nTo meet growing demand, the manufacturer had previously upgraded their main condiment production line to produce twice as much product in half the time. Bottles are sterilized, filled, capped and labels applied.\n\nThe production line produces different sized and shaped bottles ranging from 500ml to 4 litre. To accommodate this, there is a multiple range of case sizes, pack configurations and bottle shapes.\n\nAccording to Warren Booker NSW State manager at HMPS, \"In Australia, manufacturers are challenged by having to produce so many different products in the one machine. In countries with larger populations, like the US and Europe, one machine can be dedicated to a specific product which makes the machine design more simplistic.\n\nThe Australian market has a unique requirement where they need a machine to be flexible to grow with the business and pack a range of different products in different packing arrangements\"\n\nHMPS worked closely with the customer to design a fully automated system that meets all the requirements for this application today but also has the flexibility to meet future demands.\n\n*** Precise Motion Control ***\n\nThe challenge ahead was to pack bottles that are coming off the production line at 100 bottles per minute into a six by three pack configuration with labels forward facing.\n\n\"There were fundamental considerations that required attention in the design phase to achieve this with a key focus on detailed simulation to make sure the advanced level of motion control required could be achieved,\" explained Warren.\n\nGiven the large range of products which was being produced and the need for shelf ready cartons meant this production line had clear and precise requirements which HMPS had to comply with.\n\nUsing the latest technology and working closely with the customer specified needs has allowed this project to be a smooth transition into full production speed maintaining high efficiency and reliability.\n\nHMPS works with a variety of component suppliers and integrators.\n\nAs a local manufacturer, HMPS not only supplies machinery to Australia, but also exports to countries such as South Africa, Asia, the USA, Europe and New Zealand.\n\nHence, they select suppliers who are able to provide service globally and offer high availability on critical spare parts.\n\n\u00a0\n\nHaving worked on previous projects with Rockwell Automation, HMPS knew that the Integrated Architecture(R) system would provide the best solution for this application.\n\nCompactLogixTM uses a common control engine and integrates safety, motion, discrete and drive capabilities in the case packer system.\n\n\u00a0\n\nAdvanced motion control is provided by Allen-Bradley(R) Kinetix(R) 5500 Servo Drives and PowerFlex(R) variable speed drives. Given the high speed packing requirements of the system, safety door switches and guarding was provided by Allen-Bradley industrial components.\n\n\u00a0\n\nIn addition, the case packer system has integrated control, drives and safety capabilities via Ethernet using Stratix(R) 5700 Ethernet switches. PanelViewTM Plus 7 provides high quality HMI for the system.\n\n\"The Rockwell Automation solution provides a completely integrated and reliable system for the case packer and also provides the framework for a smart machine for HMPS to leverage the Connected Enterprise,\" said Michael Vlahos OEM sales manager at Rockwell Automation.\n\n*** Quick Changes, Easily Accommodated ***\n\n\u00a0\n\n\"To future proof the machine, a degree of adjustment in the machine had to be considered. Due to the need for relative quick changes we have supplied a fully automated system,\" comments Warren.\n\n\u00a0\n\nAll the SKU'S or product range are listed on the main screen so the operator can go to see the core product and the machine will automatically resize at a touch of a button.\n\nIn this way, the machine can apply the resize down to just using the one operator. In addition, the machine won't run until everything is in exactly the right position and all guards and doors are in the safe (closed) position.\n\n\u00a0\n\n*** Remote Trouble Shooting ***\n\n\"We have a modem in the machine that looks at running time and reliability factor. In this way we have a track record of parameters as part of the control system, how its been running, how long etc. We have the software which allows us to log in remotely\" adds Booker.\n\n*** Fully Automated Shelf Ready Packing ***\n\nAccording to Warren, \"Rockwell Automation has been a longstanding collaborator of HMPS and they offer products which are perfectly suited to the efficient and fully automated requirements of our customers. Their product and service availability plays a big role in enabling on time delivery to customers and after sales service.\n\nMachines are often pushing the limit as to how fast they want to go, we're designing machines that are under a lot of pressure to perform quickly so we're using a lot more servo drives and pneumatics, we're fast in the collection but a little bit slow the way we pack the box so it's a controlled environment.\n\nThis is their main line so if the machine breaks down there's not a lot of diversion in place. The pressure is on us to provide a machine that is working well. When it is offline they are losing money. We need to make sure its working properly and reliably.\"\n\nAllen-Bradley, CompactLogix, Kinetix, Listen. Think. Solve., PanelView, PowerFlex, Rockwell Software and Stratix are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\nTrademarks not belonging to Rockwell Automation are property of their respective companies.\n\n\n",
    "simpler-robot-deployment-thanks-to-unified-control-solution": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/simpler-robot-deployment-thanks-to-unified-control-solution\n\nTITLE: Simpler robot deployment thanks to unified control solution\n\nFind out how we have worked together with industry specialist Comau to create a new unified robot control architecture that removes complexity, simplifies design & deployment, and lowers costs.\n\nItalian SI, Capitanio, explains why it works and why its customers are now ready to embrace a wider roll out of robotic technology.\n\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: metals\n\nTAG: human-machine-interface\nTAG: programmable-controllers\n\n",
    "taking-intelligence-underground": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/taking-intelligence-underground\n\nTITLE: Taking Intelligence Underground\n\nMining companies are digging deeper than ever. And to maximize output, what starts as a pit mine often extends underground.\n\n\"As mines get deeper, extraction of valuable ore becomes more costly,\" said Derek Meloche, manager of business development, Variant Mining Technologies. \"In addition, safeguarding personnel from underground hazards is a critical concern.\"\n\nLocated in the Sudbury basin in Ontario, Canada, Variant Mining Technologies specializes in solutions for underground hard rock mining. The company works to solve one of the industry's biggest challenges - moving material underground safely and efficiently.\n\n*** Opportunity at Massive Mongolian Mine ***\n\nRecently, a leading global mining company engaged Variant Mining to solve an ore transport challenge for a copper and gold mine in Mongolia. The mining company began open pit mining at the site in 2011 and recognized the value that lay deep underground.\n\n\"In fact, this site boasts one of the largest known copper and gold deposits in the world,\" Meloche said. \"Specifically, the company approached us to design an ore-pass loading system for underground operations slated to begin in a few years.\"\u00a0\n\nUpon completion, the underground mine is expected to produce 95,000 tonnes of ore per day, tripling the current production at the site.\n\n*** Block Caving Challenges ***\n\nTransporting ore underground presents significant challenges, depending on the excavation method used. Underground operations at the Mongolian mine will use the \"block caving\" method. In block caving, a large section of rock is undercut. The ore then collapses - or \"caves\" - gradually under its own weight.\n\nThe resulting rubble funnels through a series of vertical ore passes at various levels in the mine. A chute system is located at the bottom of each ore pass. \u00a0\n\n\"The chute is a device that allows ore to be transferred safely to the haulage vehicles,\" Meloche explained. \"It controls the flow so haulage equipment can be loaded quickly and safely.\"\n\nTrucks collect the material from a chute at the haulage level and transport it to conveyance systems, which bring the ore to the surface.\u00a0 \u00a0\n\nIf ore is not sufficiently controlled, loading material at the haulage level poses a significant safety risk to personnel. Potential hazards include chute failures, falling debris, uncontrolled run of muck and unexpected vehicle traffic.\n\n*** Safety First ***\n\n\"Safety is the number one priority for this customer,\" said Meloche. \"They are focused on creating a productive mining environment that mitigates safety risk - and is an attractive place to work.\"\u00a0 \u00a0\n\nThe project is well aligned with Variant's niche in the marketplace. Traditionally, underground ore chute systems have been viewed as steel fabrications, with very limited control. However, Variant brings control technology to the forefront to help make equipment safer, more efficient and more reliable.\n\n*** A Two-Fold Control Solution ***\n\nSuccessful operation of the ore loading system depends on the coordinated control of the ore chutes and haulage vehicles. Variant is charged with supplying the ore chutes - and a safety control system that meets functional safety requirements. To achieve a functionally safe system, in this case a system that meets SIL 3 ratings, the design considered the process that encompasses the bin, chutes and trucks.\n\nThe control system is built on a Rockwell Automation(R) platform featuring Allen-Bradley(R)\u00a0Compact GuardLogix(R) safety controllers, Allen-Bradley\u00a0POINT Guard I/OTM modules, and HMI based on Allen-Bradley\u00a0PanelViewTM graphic terminals.\n\nThe system is designed with a GuardLogix controller and HMI in each chute and aboard each truck. For fail-safe communication, the integrated system uses the\u00a0CIP SafetyTM\u00a0protocol running on an\u00a0EtherNet/IPTM\u00a0wireless network.\n\n\"We have a history of working with Rockwell Automation during our design process,\" Meloche said. \"We're a relatively small company developing state-of-the-art solutions, so we rely on the core competence of our larger group of companies and supply chain to support the development our solutions.\"\n\n*** Enabling Smart Technology ***\n\nTo optimize the system, Variant incorporated several technologies that are not new in other industries but new to underground mining. For example, the vehicle detection system in the chute loading area detects a truck's presence and position - while RFID technology determines the vehicle model and type.\n\n\"This technology - and CIP Safety over wireless - allow operators in the truck cabs to control the chutes in a safer manner,\" Meloche said. \"The chute will not operate unless a haulage truck is present and in the correct position. Jeeps or other vehicle types cannot trigger operation.\"\n\nThe system also includes fallen object protection. A gate at the end of the chute contains any loose rocks from the previous load to help safeguard approaching vehicles and personnel.\n\n\"And our system monitors the ore bins associated with each chute to make sure they don't run empty,\" Meloche said. \"We keep material in the bins at all times to serve as a buffer - so ore falling 150 feet doesn't come out of the chute like a rocket.\"\n\nOn the mechanical side, Variant designed the chute with a large, 5' X 10' (1525 mm X 3050 mm) opening to improve throughput and minimize the risk for hang-ups.\n\n*** Exceeding Expectations ***\n\nVariant's initial contract includes five systems. The final mine plan will have as many as 30 chutes distributed underground - and up to 40 surface and underground haulage trucks for loading.\u00a0\n\n\"We tested the first system onsite here in Canada,\" Meloche said. \"We fully assembled the system and ran it for a month. The customer was very pleased with the results they saw at our facility.\"\n\nThe initial system has shipped to Mongolia and is awaiting underground installation.\u00a0\n\nIn addition to enhancing operator safety, the ore handling system is designed to optimize mine throughput. When installed, each chute is expected to achieve a maximum instantaneous flow rate of 10,000 tonnes per hour (tph). Variant anticipates the system will enable significantly better traffic control and equipment utilization than other systems on the market. \u00a0\n\n\"Overall, mining companies are most concerned about safety - and productivity,\" said Meloche. \"Our safety-rated SIL 3 system is designed to improve both.\"\n\nThis truck loading control system is currently patent pending.\n\n\nTAG: safety-solutions\n\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\n\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: safety-products\n\n",
    "hawaiian-host-group-overcomes-packaging-challenges": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/hawaiian-host-group-overcomes-packaging-challenges\n\nTITLE: Hawaiian Host Group Overcomes Multiple Packaging Challenges\n\nConsumers have never had it so good. Every conceivable product and convenience in package sizes and formats for every occasion - singles, pairs, multiple flavors, snack size, family size, jumbo size... you name it, you can find it. Added to this variety is marketing and brand awareness, with seasonal ranges, gift packs, and volume-based promotions to name but a few.\n\nFrom a production perspective this variety dictates batch runs and throughput, but it's in secondary and tertiary packaging that the real challenges start, with product types, product volumes and box/packet/promo styles all demanding a wide range of packaging recipes. Added to that, many leading end users demand these multi-role capabilities from a single machine. Packaging OEMs really do have their work cut out.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nA case in point would be the challenge set by Honolulu-based Hawaiian Host - a leading North American confectionary company and the world's largest manufacturer of chocolate-covered macadamias.\u00a0\n\nHawaiian Host Group tasked an Italian company, Cama Group to develop an automation solution for the primary packaging of its macadamia-based products.\u00a0\n\nHawaiian Host Group was interested in automation, but in a phased approach that would help set its team up for success, while managing the challenges unique to producing chocolate products in Hawaii.\u00a0\u00a0\n\nWhile automation can help with efficiency and drive higher production rates, it can be inflexible with accommodating future product innovation. The Cama team rose to the challenge, working with Hawaiian Host Group to design a solution that maximizes its operation while providing a modular approach that will help it navigate future product innovation.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\nThe line that Cama Group created for Hawaiian Host Group was tailored specifically to this unique array of packaging challenges and had a digitalized control architecture from Rockwell Automation at its core.\n\nIn operation, following quality, shape, and positional information fed to them from an advanced laser scanner, delta robots use specially designed grippers to pick the chocolates from the in-feed conveyor and then gently place them into polyethylene terephthalate (PET) trays that arrive in parallel from a de-nester.\n\nOnce filled, single trays - or pairs of trays with a cushion sheet between them - are loaded into carton trays before lids are formed and tucked in. The end results being completed boxes containing anything from four to 32 chocolates.\n\nThe line is also capable of undertaking bulk packaging, where the robots load chocolates directly into cartons. This bulk packaging recipe is also used as a fall back in case of any line issues and can prevent significant downtime. Completing the process, the boxes are x-rayed and then conveyed to a case packer at the end of the line.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\nHawaiian Host Group is not unique in having a real desire to automate, but with a healthy dose of caution behind it. \"We had a number of reasons to take this journey,\" explains Chris Rabago, director of manufacturing at Hawaiian Host Group, in a recent ROKStudios session. \"Our isolated island location carries unique challenges. As we considered our transition into automation, those challenges were important to address to ensure we set ourselves up for success.\n\n\"Some of our staff were naturally cautious,\" he continues, \"with the understandable but stereotypical belief that automation was here to replace them. But that was not our focus at all. We wanted to optimize our operations by investing in technology that would complement and empower them. We put a big focus on how our employees would interact with robots. We wanted to leverage an intuitive user interface that's approachable and aligns with a growing workforce that prefers a more digitalized working environment.\"\n\nBilly Goodman, managing director at Cama North America, explains the process: \"We always adopt a consultative team-based approach. In fact, Cama's work on this project was recognized by the 2023 World Confectionery Conference, where we won the Team of the Year award.\n\n\"The first step is to analyze and audit the precise needs of the customer,\" he continues. \"Then, using our 'sand box' of machines and modules, which include top- and side-load technologies, in conjunction with third-party solutions - vision, grippers, and, of course, automation in this case - we create customized solutions that match the precise needs of the application. Every project really is unique, even if the machines' operating principles are relatively standard. In this instance, we had to balance multiple considerations, including personnel, factory space, real estate, and the operational demands.\n\n\"In these sorts of projects, partnerships are key,\" Goodman explains, \"not only to develop the initial concepts, but to then carry the package all the way through to fruition; and not just to day one, but to day 365 and far beyond. Some of our Industry 4.0 tools certainly suit the younger generation, who grew up working on phones and tablets.\"\n\nEric Chalengeas, regional vice president for South Europe at Rockwell Automation, concludes: \"It's impressive that most of the technological challenges for this project were completed during the pandemic and post-pandemic periods. We were fortunate to already have a very close relationship with Cama Group. Not only is it a member of our PartnerNetworkTM as a gold-level OEM, but we also partner on research and development and product testing, and the success of this project and the resulting technology are testament to this.\n\n\"We know it can be nerve wracking to take such a huge leap into what may be the unknown,\" Chalengeas continues, \"so we are sympathetic to the needs of the end user. In this case, Hawaiian Host Group now has the basis of an eminently scalable digital transformation, which will allow it to slowly grow its capabilities without it becoming too overwhelming. A feature that Chris perfectly described in his ROKStudios interview as 'training wheels'.\"\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: human-machine-interface\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: food-packaging\n\nTAG: servo-drives\nTAG: sensors-and-switches\nTAG: controllogix\nTAG: i-or-o-modules\n\n",
    "oil-producer-uses-virtualization-to-shore-up-controls-in-offshor": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/oil-producer-uses-virtualization-to-shore-up-controls-in-offshor\n\nTITLE: Oil Producer Uses Virtualization to Shore Up Controls in Offshore Production Systems\n\nAmerica's oil industry was born with the discovery of crude on a Pennsylvania farm in 1859. But nearly a century would pass before any prospector risked drilling far offshore, beyond the view of land.\n\nThe first \"out-of-sight\" oil platform was planted 10 miles off the coast of Louisiana in 1947. Since then, thousands of wells have been bored into the Gulf of Mexico's petroleum-rich reserves, which today supply nearly one-fifth of the nation's oil.\n\nOne of the world's largest natural-resources companies operates two oil platforms in the Gulf, both of which stand in deep waters about 120 miles south of Louisiana. Like other oil giants, the company applies increasingly sophisticated technologies to combat the challenges inherent with operating an isolated platform in open waters. Harsh conditions \u2013 including the occasional hurricane \u2013 are just the start.\n\nThe 24/7 extraction of volatile substances, often under extreme pressure, requires precise control to help protect production, people and the environment. Automated operations and monitoring systems are critical to minimize costly downtime and detect irregularities before they can pose a threat.\n\n*** Aging Servers Pose Risks ***\n\nThe natural-resources company launched its two offshore production systems within a year of each other with the same control systems. The first platform began operating in 2007, and the second \u2013 one of the deepest oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico \u2013 came online in 2008.\n\nBy 2012, the automated controls equipment was showing its age.\n\n\"The servers were acting up, and it became a real big challenge to keep the system going,\" said an instruments and automation engineer for the company. \"It got to the point that I had to get on a helicopter and fly out to a platform almost every week because of failures in different servers.\"\u00a0\n\nOn occasions when a platform lost power and the servers shut down, restoring operations required a time-consuming process \u2013 restarting each server one by one, in a prescribed sequence. The platform built in 2007 had 10 servers, while the slightly newer platform had 25.\n\nThe computers onboard were also outdated and unable to run new software. The reliability of the human machine interface (HMI) system was a special concern.\n\n\"The HMI system must be available at all times,\" the engineer said. \"If it goes down, you would have 50 to 60 people on the platform with no way to figure out what's going on.\"\n\nThe company's engineering team began looking at upgrade options. Their goals: increase uptime, speed disaster recovery, and ease maintenance and management of the automated system. They also wanted a solution that would speed deployment and application development.\n\nThey quickly recognized that virtualization \u2013 using software to break the link between the operating system and the physical hardware \u2013 offered the best path forward.\n\n\"We conducted a cost-benefit analysis,\" the engineer said. \"Long term, replacing the physical servers with a virtualized environment would allow us to achieve the high availability our operations demand.\"\n\nThat decision raised another question: How best to design and implement a virtualized solution to suit their offshore production systems?\n\nThey considered a do-it-yourself approach of designing and custom building the virtualization hardware from the ground up. But that would require the company's IT department to specify the right equipment and possibly procure it from multiple vendors, then fabricate and test the system before commissioning it. \"We decided against the old-fashioned approach purely because of the high cost of coordination requirements,\" the engineer said.\n\n*** Designed Onshore, Deployed Offshore ***\n\nInstead, the company turned to Rockwell Automation for a turnkey virtualization solution.\n\n\"From our experience with Rockwell Automation, we knew they had the expertise needed,\" the engineer said. Rockwell Automation programmable logic controllers and HMIs had been used for the original offshore production systems on both platforms. \"Working with Rockwell Automation also gave us a single point of contact for the system design, all the hardware and support to stand up the servers, plus long-term technical assistance, if and when we need it.\"\n\nTo minimize potential production downtime on the two platforms, the new system had to be configured and tested onshore.\n\n\"Before we made the switch-over offshore, we needed to run the new system through its paces to make sure all pieces were talking to each other properly,\" the engineer explained. \"We couldn't afford any hiccups.\"\n\nThe company targeted the smaller, older rig first. Rockwell Automation engineers designed the virtualization solution, including an Industrial Data Center (IDC) incorporating the necessary hardware and software components. The Rockwell Automation team configured the virtualized system onshore and provided training to the company's technical team, which then did the testing.\n\nTwo months later, the platform's virtualized system was ready to go. With the new hardware installed and virtual machines (VMs) created to replace all the running machines on the rig, it was time for the live changeover, in parallel with the old controls. The switch happened without a hitch \u2013 and no downtime.\n\nSix months later, the second platform's new system was deployed using the same switch-over process. Again, no downtime.\n\n*** Virtues of Virtualization ***\n\nToday, the offshore production systems on both rigs operate with just three upgraded physical servers. High-availability, virtualized servers have replaced the rest, freeing precious onboard space. But a smaller footprint is just the start of the virtualization benefits.\n\nEngineering and platform workers no longer have to worry about servers crashing. If a failure occurs, the virtualized-server cluster will automatically respond and restart the affected VM on other hosting resources. VMware vSphere\u00ae Fault Tolerance allows a VM to run simultaneously on two physical servers to help protect it from critical failures.\n\nThis quick recovery capability was the main selling point for virtualization among the natural-resource company's management.\n\n\"If you kill a server, it will resurrect with another server,\" said the engineer, who demonstrated the system to his bosses before it was deployed offshore. \"We couldn't make it fail.\"\n\nUpgrading the software or applying operating system patches is simple. The new system allows operators to take a \"snapshot\" of the current software configuration, then implement changes and revert to previous configurations if needed. This feature also reduces the risk of system changes.\n\nAfter the virtualized systems were installed, platform workers were initially dubious that restoring power to the rig would be easier after an outage. Until they saw the new system in action.\n\n\"Instead of restarting each server one by one, a worker just pushes three buttons,\" the engineer said. \"Then the whole system starts up by itself, self-sequencing everything automatically.\"\n\nSince the switch to a virtualized offshore production system, the engineer spends far less time on the two platforms.\n\n\"A couple of years ago, I was spending half a day each week working to keep those servers alive,\" he said. \"Since we put the new system in, I haven't had to touch it.\"\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to this company's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nvSphere is a trademark of VMware.\n\n\nTAG: oil-and-gas\n\n",
    "itrak-addresses-throughput-and-maintenance-challenges": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/itrak-addresses-throughput-and-maintenance-challenges\n\nTITLE: iTRAK Addresses Throughput and Maintenance Challenges\n\n** Background **\n\nFounded in 1985 and based in Flonheim, Rheinland Pfalz, Germany, ECONO-PAK GmbH is as a leading manufacturer of packaging machines. Its long experience and the constant development of its product range means it can provide its customers with packaging machines and complete lines, including conceptual design, project planning and installation on site.\n\nThe company designs, develops and manufactures comprehensive and customised packaging machines and lines for the food and non-food sector, where it carries out the entire project management. It prides itself on simple machines with good accessibility that offer the best price/performance ratio, while delivering good efficiency and smooth handling of delicate products.\n\nWith exports to Europe, USA, Australia, South America, The Near East, Asia and Russia, food industry applications include the packaging of ice cream, pizza, fish, vegetables, fruit and meat; while primary non-food applications comprise dishwasher tablets, health products, automobile and electronic components.\n\nIn a recent project ECONO-PAK was approached by Lotte Wedel, a leading Polish confectionary company - and the oldest chocolate brand in Poland. The customer wanted ECONO-PAK to develop a packaging/cartoner machine that would more easily cater for varieties in packaging formats and product counts. The resulting machine developed by ECONO-PAK completely solved the intermittent speed, staggered transfer and chain wear issues faced by the customer in its existing machine, thanks to the deployment of an iTRAK(R) intelligent track system from Rockwell Automation.\n\n** Challenge **\n\nThe problem with the traditional multi-servo-driven cartoner technology and Lotte Wedel's specific project requirements was that when product counts - in this instance chocolate pralines in tray-type blister packages - were doubled or trebled prior to cartoning, its existing machine had to work intermittently to cater for additional product drops. Due to its common-chain drive and the fact that it was tuned to cater for single trays, the existing machine's speed was governed by the slowest step in the packaging procedure. Packing a constant production flow of trays in single, double or triple packs requires a system capable of running high-speed continuous motion, combined with up to 90 intermittent steps per minute.\n\nIn addition to greater packaging flexibility in terms of counts, package sizes and shapes, Lotte Wedel was also looking for an increase in throughput - to keep pace with growing customer demand. ECONO-PAK was therefore challenged with increasing the line speed by at least 50%, from 120 to 180 products per minute, with an actual target speed of 170. Elevated packaging quality levels were also a major part of the brief.\n\n** Solution **\n\nECONO-PAK was able to solve all of the issues faced by Lotte Wedel with a new machine concept based around the innovative iTRAK intelligent track system from Rockwell Automation.\n\niTRAK is revolutionising the design and build of track-based solutions for packaging and materials handling. By combining linear and rotary motion, it delivers a flexible, fully integrated solution that helps machine designers achieve a new paradigm in packaging and handling efficiency and throughput.\n\nAccording to Rainer Bersch, Area Manager - Design & Order Processing: \"We have been working with Rockwell Automation for decades and the customer also had an installed base of Allen-Bradley(R) products, so Rockwell Automation was high on the list of potential automation suppliers for this new solution. What we were looking for was a system that could collect the products independently and then deliver them to the cartons. Importantly, the longer dwell times to pick up more than one product should not affect the overall speed of the rest of the system. It was for this reason that iTRAK became an obvious contender.\"\n\n\"We started with a kick-off meeting with engineers at Rockwell Automation,\" he continues, \"and we visited a sample iTRAK system at the Rockwell Automation OEM Competency Centre in Bologna in Italy. This marked the beginning of a common development programme between the two companies as we both worked towards an iTRAK-based solution that would address the needs of Lotte Wedel. iTRAK is also closely tied into the Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture(R) concept, so we knew we could develop a completely integrated automation infrastructure.\"\n\nIn operation, the iTRAK solution with movers and linear drive sections positions an independent shuttle (attached to a pair of movers) under the product infeed, where it collects between one and three blister packs/trays. It then moves rapidly and smoothly to the packaging station where the products are side loaded into open cartons that run on another line parallel to the iTRAK circuit. By using independently controlled shuttles, the longer dwell time at the product in-feed station (when more than one tray is deposited) has no effect on the overall speed of the machine, which would be the case with a system driven by a common chain or conveyor. Once empty, the shuttles then traverse rapidly back around the track to sit momentarily in a 'holding area' prior to being moved back into position to be loaded with the next batch.\n\nPrimary control is delivered by an\u00a0Allen-Bradley CompactLogixTM programmable automation controller, with additional motion axes being manipulated by\u00a0Allen-Bradley Kinetix 5500 servo drives. Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) variable-speed drives control some of the other machine movements and an\u00a0Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM Plus 1000 HMI delivers operator interactions. The entire solution - a graphic demonstration of the Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture - is programmed on one single development environment - Studio 5000(R).\n\n\"The infeed and the carton pusher are now completely separated,\" Bersch explains. \"This simply wasn't possible in the past with the older common-chain machine. Lotte Wedel can now use a wider variety of product counts on the same machine, without having to worry about extended infeed processes slowing the machine down.\"\n\n** Results **\n\nECONO-PAK and Lotte Wedel benefited from significant programme support, delivered by Rockwell Automation Global OEM Technical Consultants (GOTC) and engineers from Germany and the USA. As part of the development collaboration, this included design and programming support for calculations regarding shuttle counts, motion profiles and target speeds.\n\nThe unit was then tested in the USA and delivered, complete with the guidance system, before being assembled and pre-tested prior to start up. \"During the installation,\" Bersch continues, \"we undertook commissioning with a Rockwell Automation programmer on site; and for the site-acceptance testing there was only one eight hours trial run necessary, which delivered 100% efficiency.\n\n\"Lotte Wedel now has a machine which is infinitely more flexible in terms of packaging counts and can be easily adapted to cater for other product formats and shapes,\" Bersch expands. The customer is also seeing less downtime, increased performance and improved asset utilisation.\n\nECONO-PAK was able to deliver this machine through a combination of its existing expertise and the technical help from Rockwell Automation. \"We definitely learnt something from each other during the collaborative development process,\" Bersch concludes. \"We learnt about how we can develop innovative machines using iTRAK and the Rockwell Automation engineers now have another example of iTRAK in action, based on our experiences of machine design and the packaging industry. The programming and after-sales support has been highly effective and we are already discussing additional similar projects for the US market.\"\n\nAllen-Bradley, CompactLogix, iTRAK, Kinetix, LISTEN. THINK. SOLVE., PowerFlex, PanelView Plus, Rockwell Automation, Studio 5000 are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\nTrademarks not belonging to Rockwell Automation are property of their respective companies.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "at-equipment-develops-large-scale-integrated-pm-motor-control-an": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/at-equipment-develops-large-scale-integrated-pm-motor-control-an\n\nTITLE: AT Equipment Develops Large-scale Integrated PM Motor Control and Safety Solution\n\n***** Background *****\n\nHeavy duty and high precision don't normally go hand in hand, but sometimes even the most brutal industrial process can require a level of precision that demands the use of advanced automation solutions.\n\nIn a recent project, Austrian specialist automation company, AT Equipment and Services GmbH, was tasked by its customer, A TEC Group, an Austrian engineering and technologies company with a focus on the optimization and efficiency improvement of cement plants, with the development of a precision control solution for two large permanent-magnet (PM) motors.\n\nDeployed in a dual-chamber shredding unit, used to create alternative fuel from recycled waste for a treatment plant, the PM motors used were not a common product for this type of application due to their size. But what they do offer is more accurate speed control versus traditional induction motors - especially when a gearbox is not part of the equation.\n\nAT Equipment and Services, based in upper Austria, has been developing industrial control solutions for over thirty years. For this project it had a choice of suppliers, but ultimately turned to Rockwell Automation because of its impressive Integrated Architecture(R) automation and safety solutions; and because of the easier integration of the drive solution within its engineering environment software, Studio 5000(R).\n\n***** Challenge *****\n\nThe primary challenge in this application was the delivery of accurate speed control from such large PM motors without the use of gearboxes. This involved the deployment of numerous feedback loops and in-depth commission routines.\n\nThe shredder application uses chains rotating within a chamber to not only crush and batter the waste/recycled material into pieces, but also to score and roughen its surface in order to increase its surface area. This increased surface area not only helps with drying, but also improves combustion when the output material is ultimately burnt to generate heat.\n\nHerwig Reischl, CEO of AT Equipment and Services, explains the challenge: \"Similar shredders use rotating knives to cut the waste material, but they do not modify the surface area, hence the use of chains in this instance. But chain-based systems present their own issues due to friction - frictional heat gains can actually cause the material to melt and clump together. It is for this reason that precise speed control is required, especially here with the lack of gearboxes, not only to make the shredding process as effective as possible, but also to prevent too much heat being generated by the constant abrasion. If the chain runs too slowly, we can also see issues with clumping and hooking.\"\n\nHannes Uttinger, from A TEC Group's Process Department Alternative Fuel, explains the process: \"In operation, the process starts with treated household or industrial waste, comprising mechanically sorted plastics, paper and organic materials. After sorting, cranes or loaders will load the input conveyors with material that is typically 200 to 300 mm in size. This material is then fed into the mill, which comprises two independent grinding chambers, where the material is crushed and abraded. After milling, the material is stored, before eventually being conveyed to a weighing system, prior to being fed into the kilns. In this application, the material is used as an alternative fuel for heat sources in cement plants, one of our core businesses, instead of using coal or oil, but it can also be used in power plants to generate steam. By using recycled materials, the process is more environmentally friendly and it outputs less CO2 and NOx versus coal or oil.\"\n\n***** Solution *****\n\nAt the heart of the new control and safety infrastructure is an Allen-Bradley(R) Compact GuardLogix(R) Safety Controller in combination with\u00a0Allen-Bradley POINT I/OTM modules and an Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM Plus 7 HMI.\n\nThe primary power control equipment comprises two Frame 8 (650 A) Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) 755 AC drives, which are used to drive the two PM motors. Secondary to these are PowerFlex 527 AC drives, which are used to control the screws and conveyors. Both sets of drives leverage the Rockwell Automation Premier Integration approach, which consolidates controller programming, device configuration and machine operation and maintenance activities into a single software environment. This helps simplify systems, and shorten design and configuration times. It also can give end users greater access to critical machine data to make better decisions and stay ahead of downtime issues.\n\n\"We were involved from the beginning of the project,\" Reischl explains, \"including the safety and risk analyses. Rockwell Automation offers very capable solutions from an automation and control perspective, but due to its integrated safety solution it really stands out. Other automation companies offer safety as part of a package, but the Rockwell Automation(R) components all work together especially effectively.\n\n\"We were also able to create safety reports based on SISTEMA,\" he adds, \"which is particularly easy to achieve with Rockwell Automation components, as data for its machinery safety products is available in the form of a library file to be used with the SISTEMA calculation tool.\"\n\nSISTEMA automates the calculation of the attained Performance Level from the safety-related parts of a machine's control system to (EN) ISO 13849-1. By deploying the Rockwell Automation library data, machinery and system designers benefit from comprehensive time-saving support in the evaluation of safety to (EN) ISO 13849-1.\n\nAs well as the PowerFlex AC drives, which include integrated safety within the drives - both models now being available with Safety over\u00a0EtherNet/IPTM - each chamber has an access point, which incorporates a Guardmaster(R) 442G Multifunctional Access Box. This integrated safeguarding solution is ideal for full-body applications where guard doors require a higher holding force, a greater tolerance to guard door misalignment and a means for exiting the safeguarded area in an emergency. A choice of operator controls and other options offer flexibility to meet a variety of applications.\n\n***** Results *****\n\nAT Equipment and Services and its customer, A TEC, were able to reap multiple benefits by adopting a Rockwell Automation solution, with ease of integration being a key facet. As well as gaining a highly capable motor-control solution, the integrated safety hardware adds to the capabilities and with SISTEMA support, safety integration and calculations were made significantly simpler. Premier Integration of the drives into the engineering environment also streamlines the design, development and installation times.\n\n\"The Rockwell Automation team from Austria really helped us to work through the proposal to get the right components in place,\" Reischl elaborates, \"so we could commence with the detailed engineering element of the project. PM motors are a challenge and are not usual at this size. We needed precise rotational speed, which was achieved using the drives and encoder feedback. It was a challenge to commission, but we had a lot of help from the Rockwell Automation technical team.\"\n\nUttinger concludes: \"The shredder is working within its design parameters, thanks to the accurate speed control delivered by the Rockwell Automation drives, which is very impressive seeing as there are no gearboxes. The engineering teams worked very well together too. There were multiple parameters to consider and tying the drives and motors together to achieve the correct set points was vital. It took a while, but the ultimate success in this venture was down a proven range of controller products, coupled to good teamwork and effective technical interactions. We've had a great experience with Rockwell Automation and would certainly look to it favourably for future projects.\"\n\nAllen-Bradley, GuardLogix, Guardmaster, Integrated Architecture, PowerFlex, PanelView, POINT I/O, Rockwell Automation and Studio 5000 are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\nEtherNet/IP is a trademark of ODVA, Inc.\n\nTrademarks not belonging to Rockwell Automation are property of their respective companies.\n\n\n",
    "aagard-oem-packaging": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/aagard-oem-packaging\n\nTITLE: Packaging Possibilities Are Limitless at Aagard\n\nFor Minnesota-based equipment supplier Aagard, success relies on close partnerships with their customers - and a relentless pursuit of technologies that deliver innovative, impactful packaging solutions.\n\n\"One of our key value propositions is our collaborative approach,\" said Jason Norlien, vice president of technical sales, Aagard. \"Our applications engineers work directly with our end users to offer ideas - and develop customized solutions that meet their needs and often exceed their expectations.\"\n\nIncreasingly, the company is faced with customer demands for more flexible end-of-line packaging options.\n\n\"E-commerce is certainly becoming a larger segment,\" said Norlien. \"Factories need the flexibility to produce smaller case SKUs - and potentially even ship directly to consumers. They are also looking for better ways to automate variety case packing.\"\n\nAagard is keenly focused on the inventive use of Rockwell Automation control technology and digital tools to solve these and other emerging industry challenges.\n\n***** Redefining Flexibility with ICT & Robotics *****\n\nTo achieve the agile, efficient equipment customers demand, Aagard often turns to robotics - and iTRAK(R) independent cart technology (ICT) from Rockwell Automation. The company's most recent designs combine both technologies in one application to meet the demands of variety packing.\n\n\"Using technologies that were available ten years ago, the most practical approach to variety packing was manual repackaging,\" said Norlien. \"Typically, packed cases of uniform product were shipped to co-packers, opened and repacked by hand.\"\u00a0\u00a0\n\nThe company's automated variety pack solutions aim to change that equation - and minimize waste and labor requirements.\u00a0\n\nUnlike conventional conveyors based on fixed speed and pitch, iTRAK ICT enables the independent control of multiple magnetically propelled movers to transport product. In an iTRAK system, accelerations, decelerations, velocities and positions are programmable - and once the system starts running, it automatically adjusts speeds and distance as needed in the process.\n\nIn one Aagard case packing system, iTRAK combines with gantry robots to pack different flavors of the same product in thousands of configurations. In a recent design, iTRAK presents diverse products to a six-axis articulated arm robot that picks and creates personalized multi-packs. The options are virtually limitless.\n\n\"Using robotics along with ICT allows operators to change the case configuration on the fly simply by selecting the correct recipe on the operator interface,\" said Jonas Capistrant, applications engineering manager, Aagard.\n\n***** Multiple Technologies. One Design Platform.\u00a0\u00a0 *****\n\nHistorically, integrating robotics, ICT and other mechatronics technologies into a system's control platform has been an arduous, time-consuming process. In a conventional application, each of these technologies run on a separate controller.\n\n\"The challenge with that approach is you need a workforce who understands the third-party controllers - and knows how to integrate them into the control platform,\" said Capistrant.\u00a0\n\nUsing the built-in kinematics robot control available in Rockwell Automation Logix controllers, Aagard can now take a unified approach to system design. The kinematics capabilities allow the controller to execute multi-axis robot control - thereby eliminating the additional controllers, software and special function blocks typically needed when incorporating a robot into a packaging application.\n\n\"If you know how to program a system in a Rockwell Automation controller with 'XYZ' coordinates, you can program the robots,\" Capistrant explained. \"This is hugely beneficial to us because we don't have to manage a controls engineering force that can support multiple control platforms - and neither do our customers.\"\n\n***** Ramping Up Design Productivity with Simulation *****\n\nTo further support design productivity and concurrent engineering, Aagard is turning to Emulate3DTM technology. This simulation/emulation software delivers dynamic models - or \"digital twins\" - that can be used to solve technical challenges in the virtual world early in the equipment development cycle.\n\n\"We are able to get the robots running before we physically have the robots,\" Capistrant explained. \"That's a big advantage when you're rolling out new, complex technology - and also eases collaboration with remote workers who can work on the system wherever they are.\"\n\n***** Better Ways to Support Workers: Rapid LaunchTM & AR *****\n\nAagard recognizes that flexible machine performance is also dependent on skilled workers. As a result, and to support its customers, the company continually seeks ways to ease machine operation, changeover and maintenance.\n\n\"Over the last few years, Aagard has put an enormous focus on improving the changeover experience,\" said Capistrant. \"We know experienced operators are difficult to find, so we are making our equipment more forgiving from a changeover standpoint.\"\n\nSpecifically, the company has developed Rapid Launch capabilities to enable any operator - even with minimal training - to easily set up any product size within a given range. In the future, Rapid Launch will be standard on all new Aagard equipment.\n\nThe company is also investigating ways to add Vuforia(R) augmented reality (AR) experiences to its training portfolio.\n\n\"AR is certainly appealing, especially seeing the challenges our customers face in workforce training,\" said Norlien. \"We see where the technology is going and are beginning to determine ways to use it.\"\n\nLearn more about our OEM solutions.\n\nTAG: empower-people\n\nTAG: integrated-architecture\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: food-packaging\nTAG: household-and-personal-care\n\nTAG: factorytalk-innovationsuite\nTAG: factorytalk-designsuite\nTAG: vuforia\nTAG: factorytalk-emulate-3d\nTAG: independent-cart-technology\nTAG: programmable-controllers\n\n",
    "green-hydrogen-automation": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/green-hydrogen-automation\n\nTITLE: Avid Solutions Advances Green Hydrogen Industry\n\nTAG: network-architectures\n\nTAG: oil-and-gas\nTAG: chemical\nTAG: power-generation\n\nTAG: factorytalk-historian\nTAG: plantpax\nTAG: distributed-control-systems\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: programmable-controllers\n\n",
    "biopharmax-saves-time-and-effort-by-deploying-a-dcs-in-china": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/biopharmax-saves-time-and-effort-by-deploying-a-dcs-in-china\n\nTITLE: Biopharmax Saves Time And Effort By Deploying a DCS in China\n\n*** Background ***\n\nEstablished 40 years ago, Biopharmax designs and builds manufacturing facilities around the world, specialising in the pharmaceutical industry. Actively present in Europe, China, India and the Middle East, it undertakes turnkey projects, from user requirement specifications and conceptual design through implementation to successful validation, and has designed and constructed over 100 facilities in 14 countries around the globe.\n\nBiopharmax was challenged to design a new Life Science and Technology park in China, spanning a total area of 120,000 square meters. The first facility built in the park was a 7,000 square meter insulin production facility, which had to meet all relevant regulatory requirements established by the U.S., Europe, and China. The company not only had the expertise and experience in the engineering arena, but was also familiar with a variety of technologies in the pharmaceutical field. In this instance, they used an insulin technology, based on recombinant e-coli fermentation that was procured from a third party.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nInsulin production involves a very complicated automated production process, which includes process systems and equipment, clean utilities, industrial utilities, clean rooms, laboratories, warehousing and control systems to run production, in addition to all the associated commissioning and validation. In this instance, production complexity and recipe variety compounded the challenge, requiring the development of tailor-made process applications capable of supporting more than 300 phases and 70 recipes.\n\nBiopharmax also faced a very short commissioning time, and numerous sub-contractors and suppliers from a wide range of disciplines and countries, which required a special approach to bridge the cultural and language barriers.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nThe application, based on the Rockwell Automation process control system, comprises over 10,000 I/O and a range of process controllers - from large to micro-sized. System flexibility allows the implementation of a PlantPAx(R) system for the fermentation process and a tailor-made implementation for the other process areas, providing a complete integration of both application techniques using the same engineering and operation tools. Controllers collect and process the field information from distributed I/O and redundant I/O in critical areas.\n\nField information and process data is accessible from a central control room. Allen-Bradley(R) PowerFlex(R) variable frequency drives are also deployed at key points within the facility to provide more efficient and monitored motor control.\n\nFrom a visualisation perspective, Biopharmax has leveraged high-end operator workstations (OWS), which provide an operator interface with advanced diagnostics and access to all relevant process components such as pumps, valves, etc. Biopharmax used its own special pharmaceutical library based on Rockwell Automation process objects and its associated faceplates for ease in design and engineering. A virtual system was deployed to deliver redundancy and increased system availability. Two physical servers - one for production and a second to provide redundancy - utilising VMware virtualisation technology, enable quick disaster recovery.\n\nThe plant process batch and recipe formulation is fully automatic, is implemented according to the S88 standards and incorporates modular software blocks and fixed FDS Syntax, offering quick and efficient troubleshooting. Batch reports were also implemented, which describe the batch process activity, including critical parameters, alarms and events, batch listing, batch summary, batch execution, material usage, forward tracking, and backward tracing.\n\nThe process control system also offers validation management, so whenever a new operator station is added, validation is done only for that specific stand. Historical data is also stored to a SQL database, which includes all system alarms and events and field device data (trends).\n\nFinally, the EtherNet/IP communication link between the controllers on the diverse process areas and the different system components like: variable-speed drives, remote I/O and weighing scales, coupled to the serial link communication with the fan filter units (FFU), allows the system to analyse the highly detailed data received and execute the control and corrective measures where required. This significantly increases the system reliability and performance in response to changing conditions, as well as helping to optimise energy consumption.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nAccording to Sarel Chen Tov, CEO of Biopharmax: \"Biopharmax is committed to putting the customer's needs and long-term goals at the centre of its concerns. This project demonstrated how we delivered an end-to-end solution, implementing third-party process technology in a turnkey project. As the customer had a strong business orientation, with limited operational experience with insulin production, Biopharmax took the responsibility of selecting the proper equipment and implementing the most suitable recombinant E.coli cell line.\"\n\nThe deployment of the Rockwell Automation process control system reduced development and installation time, as all systems have similar protocols and all communication was based on EtherNet/IP. Indeed, as Lior Meir, Lead-Control Systems, at Biopharmax explains: \"We saw a start-up time of just six months from end of mechanical completion to execution; this is very short in comparison to other similar processes, which usually take around 18 months to complete.\"\n\nAccording to engineers on the project, the system is very easy to program and configure and the integration between software, controllers and the I/O helped improve reliability and was user-friendly. The engineers also appreciated the speed at which the system could be installed as a result of the EtherNet/IP architecture with its immediate 'plug and play' capability. Other benefits of the fully integrated system include: common programming standards, easier trouble shooting and correction, efficient validation without any redundant work.\n\nBiopharmax created a facility which is completely automated; with the control of the entire facility taking place in one control room. For the customer this means that the system controls all aspects of the process, providing complete visualisation and operator interface; there is no need to go between rooms for inspection - all inspections can be done from one spot. The use of automatic recipes in this facility has also resulted in minimum human intervention in the production process, reducing the possibility of human error and contamination risks. This, in turn, has led to increased efficiency and higher yield.\n\n\nTAG: life-sciences\n\n",
    "digital-twin-simulation": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/digital-twin-simulation\n\nTITLE: CRB Reduces Risk with Simulation and Digital Twins\n\nCRB is a global firm providing engineering, architecture, construction and consulting services for the life sciences and food and beverage industries.\n\nJerry Steenhoek is senior director, Control Systems Technology for CRB. The global design, construction and consulting firm is a member of Rockwell Automation's new\u00a0EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) Partner Program.\n\nCollectively, these select companies are dedicated to delivering cutting-edge solutions and pioneering digital technologies that revolutionize the way industrial projects are designed, built and maintained. For CRB, which specializes in the food and beverage and life sciences industries, that includes using simulation and digital twin technologies to solve client needs.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nProduction Underperforms\n\n\"Our clients approach us with a similar set of challenges,\" Steenhoek said. \"They are looking for ways to increase utilization of equipment and increase OEE. They often don't know where they have an opportunity to improve a process, and they're looking for guidance and help creating a plan.\"\n\nHelping clients achieve these goals while minimizing trial and error and costly downtime is tricky.\n\n\"Whenever you shut down a line and make changes, you're having downtime that costs time and money,\" Steenhoek explained. \"And if those changes don't turn out as expected, now that's just sunk cost and you have to rinse and repeat and try over again.\"\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\nSimulate and Digital Twin Modeling to Test Solutions\n\nThat's why CRB used Rockwell Automation's Arena(R) simulation and Emulate3DTM digital twin technologies to model various processes and solutions before implementation.\u00a0\n\n\"Tools such as Emulate3D or Arena allow you to test things before you spend money trying this and that,\" Steenhoek explained. \"By having someone come in to take a look at your process parameters and set up a simulation environment, you can look at the cost of implementing what if scenarios and determine which is the best return on investment for the dollars you spend.\"\n\nOnce it completes its operations study and simulation, CRB makes recommendations to adjust system design, tweak system engineering and modify production schedules.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\nIncreases in OEE and Utilization\n\nWith CRB's recommendations in hand, customers can implement targeted changes to increase OEE and equipment utilization.\n\n\"For many customers, the return on investment for the dollars spent on the study, test and actual construction is very quick,\" Steenhoek explained.\n\nSimulation Expertise Differentiates Firm\n\nSteenhoek believes CRB's consulting services, including its expertise in process simulation technologies, differentiates the firm from other EPC companies.\n\n\"It's important to us that we get in ahead of the design phase and ask, 'what are the options?'\" he said. \"That brings a lot of value to our clients because once you've built the simulation model, the digital twin becomes part of your assets. You've got it with you always.\"\n\nWhich allows clients to use the digital twin for more than simulation testing.\n\n\"You can also use it as a performance template to measure against how my line was really producing? Am I up to where I'm expected to be?\" Steenhoek said. \"This has made a big difference for our clients.\" \u00a0\n\nTAG: build-resilience\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\nTAG: life-sciences\n\nTAG: arena-simulation-software\nTAG: factorytalk-emulate-3d\n\n",
    "pet-food-production-takes-on-a-new-level-of-automated-technology": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/pet-food-production-takes-on-a-new-level-of-automated-technology\n\nTITLE: Pet Food Production Takes on a New Level of Automated Technology\n\nThe new automated plate freezing system improved throughput and reduced manual handling requirements.\n\nPet owners are constantly assessing the many food choices available to feed their furry friends. Prepared pet foods are becoming an increasingly popular choice, offering a wide variety of food types and flavours while meeting nutritional requirements.\n\nWith a growing reputation for providing safe, consistent and nutritious pet food, the Australian pet food industry is valued at approximately 1.6 billion dollars with opportunities growing within both Australian and export markets.\n\nCool Off\u00a0is the pet food raw material manufacturing division of Staughton Group, which is an Australian, family owned company with manufacturing facilities in Walget, New South Wales, St George in Queensland and with the head office and main manufacturing plant located in Howlong in southern NSW.\n\nStaughton Group oversees the manufacture of bulk raw materials for the pet food industry as well as retail pet foods and supplements for domestic and export sales.\u00a0 Staughton Group also sources and processes wild game proteins through its recently acquired Wild Game Resources Australia.\u00a0\u00a0\n\nOffering unique access to Australian raw materials for pet food manufacture, Cool Off delivers high quality products including: Lamb Mechanically De-boned Meat (MDM), plate frozen offals, boutique meat meals and natural dried treats - sourcing its red meat offal raw material from over 30 abattoirs across Australia, processing over 150 tonnes of raw material per day.\n\nAs market opportunities continued to grow, Cool Off designed innovative new technology to help meet this increasing consumer demand.\n\n*** Automated plate freezing ***\n\nCool Off is a company at the forefront of technology and innovation. To help maintain a high quality product, the company developed a unique offal collection process that involves installation of a customised collection and chilling unit onsite at the abattoir. This enables Cool Off to control all aspects of quality from the onset, providing a dedicated focus on quality of the pet food products, with minimal abattoir labour input. This system is currently installed at over 30 Australian abattoirs.\n\nOnce the offal is processed, it is pumped into large plate freezers, with the capacity to hold 2000 kg of product, and frozen at -20 degrees Celsius. The product is then unloaded and palletised for delivery to pet food manufacturers. In the past, this was a labour intensive process that required manual handling by operators. To increase throughput and limit manual handling requirements, Cool Off together with VK Logic designed a new automated plate freezing system. VK Logic has a longstanding relationship with Cool Off, resulting in a detailed understanding of the plate freezing process. Justin Van Klaveren, managing director at VK Logic explained that in order to meet increasing customer supply contracts, Cool Off undertook some expansion work at the plant that included building works and new freezer panel rooms.\n\n\"There wasn't a simple, automated unload process for the large plate freezers so together with Cool Off, we placed an arrangement of pneumatically actuated panels and built plate freezer apparatus to utilise the existing infrastructure to release each block one by one down the plate onto a common conveyor belt, eliminating the requirement for manual handling,\" said Justin.\n\n\"Given that margins for pet food are not near margins for human consumption, the opportunity for automation becomes more and more important,\" Justin added.\n\nCool Off's patented plate freezing technology was the product of intelligent engineering and problem solving.\n\n*** High performance architecture ***\n\nCombining integrated control and safety, the\u00a0Allen-Bradley(R) GuardLogix(R) was selected as the most appropriate choice for this application. The Rockwell Automation\u00a0Integrated Architecture(R) system, including\u00a0PowerFlex(R) 527 drives with safety over Ethernet, offers an innovative, modular design to support fast and easy installation and configuration. These compact drives also offer embedded EtherNet/IPTM communications and standard safety features.\n\nThe\u00a0Allen-Bradley Kinetix(R) Servo drives provided advanced motion control for the system and the capability to standardise on a single communications network for easier commissioning, configuration and start up.\u00a0FactoryTalk(R) View SE human machine interface (HMI) was used to monitor and control the plant. To help with remote assistance and maintenance,\u00a0VK Logic has VPN access to the site.\n\n\"We saw an opportunity in terms of that single platform with safety over Ethernet. The PowerFlex drives provided an integrated solution with motion, drives and safety all on the one common platform. This helped reduce engineering time and ongoing maintenance requirements,\" explained Justin.\n\nRockwell Automation Authorised Distributor,\u00a0NHP Electrical Engineering (NHP), supported this project by identifying the most appropriate equipment to meet the application requirements. According to Jason Campbell, business development - Automation at NHP, \"There's no technology that rivals this new patented system. The solution allowed Cool Off to increase throughput, reduce downtime and redeploy operators that were doing manual labour.\"\n\nThe Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture system offers an innovative, modular design to support fast and easy installation and configuration.\n\n*** Patented Innovation to meet consumer demand ***\n\nCool Off's patented plate freezing technology was the product of intelligent engineering and problem solving - resulting in an increase in plate freezing capacity by 120 percent. The technology and innovation around the plate freezer design was developed together with VK Logic, a business with a growing reputation for 'out of box' thinking for large and small projects alike.\n\nThe plant is in operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week as there is significant demand for the product. With consumer demand continually increasing, Cool Off was recently awarded a government grant to double capacity of the plant.\n\nEdward Staughton, managing director of Cool Off and Staughton Group, highlights the significant advantages the company enjoys over international and domestic competitors via its technology: \"The quality and freshness of red meat offal products collected from supplying abattoirs and delivered daily to Cool Off at Howlong is guaranteed via the unique chilling system installed at supplying abattoirs.\u00a0 This patented system was developed by Cool Off and VK Logic, using experience gained over 20 years of collecting offals from abattoirs located throughout Eastern Australia.\u00a0 The system ensures all product from abattoirs in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia can be delivered in any season over long distances and maintain its freshness.\"\n\nEdward has inspected many plate freezing systems throughout Europe and America and comments, \"The development of our patented automated plate freezing system, in combination with the abattoir chilling system, has given the Cool Off production team a massive international competitive advantage in quality and processing efficiency.\u00a0 Three staff are able to fill, freeze, palletise and warehouse 50 tonnes (pallets) of product in an eight hour shift which, combined with freeze time of two and a half hours, ensures maximum freshness of all products.\u00a0 With the plate freezers being fully CIP (Cleaning in Place), cleaning time is minimal.\u00a0 I have seen nothing internationally that compares with this system.\"\n\n\"Cool Off is highly appreciative of the combined efforts of VK Logic and Rockwell Automation in enabling the development, and now the \"bedded down\" operation, of technologies which are unmatched by international competitors.\u00a0 Cool Off looks forward to working with both these innovative and progressive companies to roll out further R&D projects that currently sit in the company's pipe-line,\" concludes Staughton.\n\n\u00a0\n\nAllen-Bradley, FactoryTalk, GuardLogix, Kinetix, PowerFlex and Rockwell Software are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: factorytalk-view-se\nTAG: factorytalk-view-me\n\n",
    "accelerating-smart-manufacturing-through-iiot-education": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/accelerating-smart-manufacturing-through-iiot-education\n\nTITLE: Accelerating Smart Manufacturing Through IIoT Education\n\nTraining for smart manufacturing talent starts from education. The comprehensive execution of industry-academic partnerships can help foster the next generation of smart manufacturing talent\n\nTaiwan has established a powerful status in the manufacturing industry, resulting from an experienced workforce with skills and talents in traditional manufacturing technology. This strong foundation has consolidated Taiwan's reputation in the industry to date.\n\nHowever, traditional manufacturing technology has reached a pinnacle and it is now important to ask the question, how can we help it reach the next level?\u00a0 Globally, Industry 4.0 and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is evolving rapidly and as the world's core supply chain hub, Taiwan needs to be more innovative in smart manufacturing.\n\nCollaborations between companies and universities are critical drivers of the innovation economy. As such, Rockwell Automation Taiwan and Feng Chia University are co-developing smart manufacturing education to facilitate the next generation of students learn about digital transformation.\n\nFeng Chia University (FCU) is a private research university in Taiwan, located in Taichung. FCU has had great success in industry-academia collaborations and has completed research and development on a number of commercial products, as well as actively encouraging faculty and students to set up their own businesses.\n\n***** Next generation smart manufacturing *****\n\nSmart manufacturing and industrial operations embrace a new way forward. This new direction is - IIoT enabled, highly connected devices and processes that can be continually monitored and optimized. This requires the use of new and disruptive technologies, from analytics and mobile to collaborative machines.\n\nThese technologies communicate with each other and adapt to internal and external conditions. Smart operations also require new strategies that make the most of these technologies to create flexible, efficient, responsive, and secure operations. Education is a key enabler to help manufacturers embrace these new technologies.\n\nCharles Tam, general manager, Rockwell Automation, Taiwan, explained that there are many external challenges still facing the Taiwanese manufacturing industry. \"In particular, there are still many companies limited by traditional manufacturing technologies. In addition, they tend to focus on cost efficiency or the concept of price competition.\"\n\nThe challenge ahead is to help the next generation of Taiwanese manufacturing talent resolve these issues by embracing the latest smart technologies.\n\n***** Bringing\u00a0smart machines to the classroom *****\n\nFCU's innovative environment, together with the large number of OEMs in Taichung, makes it the best choice to facilitate the next generation of students to learn about digital transformation.\n\n\"The world is rapidly changing, and industry is seeking transition to new technologies. To address these needs, FCU cultivates its students so they can participate in the next stage of industrial upgrading and transition. We have co-developed smart manufacturing education with Rockwell Automation to enable innovative talent to be trained so they can participate in the upgrading and transition of society and industry,\" explained Lee Bing-Jean, president, Feng Chia University.\n\n***** Turning theory to practice *****\n\nThis innovative model provides the opportunity for students to combine lectures with 'hands-on' practice with the latest industrial automation equipment. FCU was previously lacking the latest knowledge of Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing but now it can take advantage of the resources provided by Rockwell Automation. This allows students to learn on campus and directly enter the workplace in the future through a seamless transition into the industry.\n\nFCU hires teachers from industry with more real-world experience allowing students to learn from their knowledge. There are benefits in various areas from PLC or robotic programming and operations or Industry 4.0, students can learn in so many areas.\n\n\"In fact, Feng Chia University is our first step. We would like to expand this technology to all of Taiwan because our vision is to become a leader in smart manufacturing technology - to 'expand human possibility'. We are looking for students to join and work with us,\" said Tam.\u00a0\n\nFurthermore, Rockwell Automation and FCU are also hoping to co-create an Applications Development Center within the university. This will focus on how to apply the digital transformation knowledge learned in school to various applications and industries. The ultimate goal will be to tackle industry challenges and help customers implement smart manufacturing.\n\n\nTAG: smart-manufacturing\n\n",
    "compac-sorting-equipment-stays-ahead-with-rockwell-automation": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/compac-sorting-equipment-stays-ahead-with-rockwell-automation\n\nTITLE: Compac Sorting Equipment Stays Ahead with Rockwell Automation\n\nFruit and vegetable equipment manufacturer Compac Sorting Equipment has established a renowned, international reputation since it was established in 1984. The company has a track record in the development of leading edge technology and software.\n\nAs a market leader in the development, manufacture and supply of smart produce handling solutions and equipment to packing operations around the world, Compac's software and technology is continually under development and improvement to meet and exceed customer requirements.\n\nHowever, the global market for fruit and vegetable manufacturing has become increasingly competitive. To hold its position in the market, Compac needed to improve productivity by reducing time and costs associated with engineering disparate machine components. The company engaged Rockwell Automation and NHP Electrical Engineering Products (NZ) Ltd to help streamline their machine engineering and design capabilities.\n\n*** Established Working Relationship ***\n\nCompac Sorting Equipment was already using some programmable logic controllers (PLCs) from Rockwell Automation and was familiar with the company and their technology. To improve productivity and maintain their competitive edge, Compac Sorting decided to call on the expertise of Rockwell Automation together with NHP to design a solution that would help to reduce time and costs associated with engineering disparate machine components.\n\n\"Together, we worked with Compac Sorting to understand their challenges, which included implementing new technology and the need for local service and support,\" said Prasad Nory, industry manager at Rockwell Automation. \"We then worked together with NHP to design a solution for Compac Sorting centred on how we could streamline their machine engineering and design capabilities for equipment destined for New Zealand, Canada and the US.\"\n\nThe solution comprised Micro850(R)PLCs, PowerFlex(R) 4M and 40 drives and industrial control gear. According to Nory, the team demonstrated the value of the solution using Rockwell Automation and NHP technical resources, including Connected Components Accelerator Toolkit and One-stop Sample Shop. They have also started using Micro820TM PLC's for other smaller equipment applications.\n\nOne-stop Sample Shop is a Rockwell Automation commercial program; through it, customers receive free product samples to try in their application. The Connected Components Accelerator Toolkit helps OEMs reduce design overheads so they can instead concentrate on making their machine the best in the market. \"This is a low risk and easy option for customers to try our component products like small PLCs, industrial control and safety products,\" said Nory. \"Through these programs, detailed discussions and a successful field trial, Compac realised the value of our Connected Components solution.\"\n\nAccording to Baden Crabb, senior electrical engineer at Compac Sorting Equipment, \"It's been really good working with Rockwell Automation, they support their product by providing plenty of training and support. In addition, being able to 'try before we buy' was very beneficial, allowing us to see firsthand how the products work and could add value to our solutions,\" said Crabb.\n\n*** Simpler and Faster Machine Building ***\n\nOEMs and machine manufacturers are facing a wide variety of technological trends in what is a revolutionary era for industrial automation based in motion control, communications and intelligent vision systems - all of which can significantly help improve machine performance and processes.\n\nIn particular, the packing sector has gone through a strong technological revolution as new technology provides the ability to offer higher performance and increased productivity. To maintain their position as a global leader in post-harvest solutions, Compac Sorting invests in cutting edge technology to deliver high performance sorting and packing solutions for the fruit and vegetable industry.\n\nThe Connected Components Accelerator Toolkit helps companies reduce machine design time by providing guidance for the entire machine control application development. It allows OEMs to concentrate on the intellectual property that produces compelling and differentiating machine features.\n\n\"The Connected Components Workbench Software is one of the reasons we decided to use the Micro800 series of PLCs; it's powerful, and code can be written in ladder, function block diagram or structured text,\" said Crabb. \"The Micro 820s are great for applications with low I/O requirements and one of the very few PLCs on the market that provide great value, delivering Ethernet capabilities and serial modbus control of variable speed drives. The scan time is about three milliseconds in our application which is very fast,\" he said.\n\nThe Connected Components Workbench software offers controller programming, device configuration and integration. In addition to the many existing function blocks that are available, the software also has advanced encapsulation abilities with function blocks that are simple to create and then use in the graphical function block diagram programming environment.\n\n\"Micro 820 is gaining popularity among small machine builders, providing a cost effective automation solution. It delivers sufficient control for small applications with Ethernet capability,\" said Nory.\"The Connected Components Workbench Software being a free download enables the operation and commissioning team to carry a copy with them to site. This increases the flexibility and enables quick response to issues onsite for the machine builders and provides a better service to their end users,\" he said.\n\n*** Wide-Spread Benefits ***\n\nReduced engineering times together with the flexibility to handle different requirements are the key benefits of the solution. In addition, Compac has also seen the benefits of having a single software package for configuring the drives, PLCs and safety components.\n\nThe new solution is module and scalable to meet varying plant requirements. According to Crabb, \"The training and support provided by Rockwell Automation and NHP for the Connected Components Workbench Software helped us to convert the code in-house with the help of their support divisions.\"\n\nNow entirely commissioned and installed at various Compac Sorting sites, the equipment manufacturer is winning more business as a result of the cost-effective solution.\n\n\"We've used this gear on about 50 projects so far and it has allowed us to reduce our engineering time by as much as 80 percent. Having non-licensed software is a real advantage for us, allowing us to distribute it to all our service technicians around the world. We're now able to produce control systems much more quickly with the same amount of staff,\" said Crabb.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "cylinder-higher-throughput": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/cylinder-higher-throughput\n\nTITLE: HT Process Achieves Higher Cylinder Throughput with Minimum Safety Risks\n\nHT Process is a leader in the manufacturing of special purpose machines for the Oil & Gas industry. They offer high capacity and efficiency at lowest total cost of ownership by consistently working under principle of TQM (Total Quality Management) and incorporate zero defect culture in their products. HT Process products include fully automatic LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) filling machines, robotic loading and unloading of cylinders, cylinder inspection systems, Bitumen Drum filling plants and Bitumen Polybag filling plants.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nDesigning a safe and an efficient loading/unloading system\n\nHT Process had a traditional system in cylinder handling, running with throughput of 300-500 cylinders per hour, and truck loading was done manually. It innovated the filling system to increase the throughput of cylinders per hour. However, with increased upstream throughput, more workers had to be employed in the hazardous area for the purpose of loading cylinders into trucks. Loading and unloading gas cylinders in trucks at a factory is a critical and potentially hazardous process that requires careful planning, strict adherence to safety protocols, and effective coordination.\n\nHuman safety being of utmost importance, HT Process required loaders and unloaders which could minimize the manpower required for the loading process in the hazardous area as well as address challenges such as:\n\n    * Heavy Lifting: Gas cylinders are quite heavy, posing the risk of back injuries or strains to workers who handle them. The process of manually lifting and maneuvering these cylinders is physically demanding and requires proper training in ergonomic practices.\n\n    * Cylinder Integrity: Handling the cylinders carefully to ensure they are in good condition, free from damage or corrosion, and do not leak.\n\n    * Time Constraints: There may be time constraints for loading and unloading gas cylinders, increasing the pressure on workers, and necessitating efficient processes without compromising safety.\n\n    * Manpower Availability: Limited number of assigned manpower on jobs for maximum trucks in a day leads to posing the risk of back injuries or strains to workers who handles it.\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\nAdopting an advanced robotic loading system over traditional mechanism\n\nHT Process turned to Rockwell Automation to jointly develop a robotic loader which could meet the increased loading speed requirements while minimizing the manpower requirement, thus reducing risk to manpower in the hazardous areas.\n\nHT Process envisioned a robotic system capable of handling high speed loading operation. A custom gantry system was designed specifically for pick and place operation. It was made flexible to adapt to different truck sizes and misaligned truck frames.\n\nThe solution is powered by Rockwell Automation's CompactLogixTM controller along with integrated motion Kinetix(R) 5700 Servo Drive. This system ensures reliable cycle times and works with minimal operator intervention continuously.\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\nMinimum safety risk, higher output\n\nHT Process has achieved a throughput of 2,000 cylinders per hour without any risk of injury to the workforce in the hazardous areas. Higher throughput loading ensures that the end user can reap full benefits of the advanced high speed filling system.\n\nThe system ensures that no manual handling is required, which also led to less damage to the cylinders.\u00a0\n\n\u00a0\n\n\n\n* Looking to the Future\n\n",
    "award-winning-wastewater-treatment-facility-standardizes-system": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/award-winning-wastewater-treatment-facility-standardizes-system\n\nTITLE: Award-Winning Wastewater Treatment Facility Standardizes System\n\n*** Background ***\n\nHome to the main campus of Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas has a population of nearly 100,000.\n\n\n\nThe city runs a groundwater production transmission system and wastewater treatment facility that services more than 100,000 people and produces up to 27 million gallons of water at peak demand during the summer.\n\n\n\nPumping groundwater from wells around the county, the College Station Water Services (CSWS) cools the water and transports it through water lines to a second pump station for further treatment. From there, water is transported into the distribution system and two elevated storage tanks.\n\n\n\nRaw wastewater travels through a network of over 275 miles of wastewater collection lines to one of two award-winning wastewater treatment plants owned and operated by the city of College Station.\n\n\n\nThe complex process requires a sophisticated control system to help ensure efficiency and regulatory compliance.\n\n\u00a0\n\nOver the past two decades, CSWS has worked to increase city water production and delivery capacity, as well as improve the water quality and treatment process.\n\n\n\nTo help accomplish these goals, CSWS planned to replace outdated equipment with one integrated process control/SCADA system.\n\n\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nIn 2009, CSWS recognized the existing control hardware at their facility was reaching the end of its life cycle. With risk of obsolescence, the system needed to be upgraded before it started to fail.\n\n\n\nThe facility ran 24 hours per day, and keeping equipment operational on a failing system was putting a strain on the technical support staff. CSWS ran on disparate systems, and issues were difficult to resolve due to multiple vendors, lack of local support, and absence of troubleshooting tools.\n\n\n\nIn addition to an antiquated control system, CSWS had been using the same human-machine interface (HMI) system for 15 years. \"We had little to no access to real-time information with our outdated equipment,\" said Mike Kellogg, SCADA systems analyst, CSWS.\n\n\n\n\"The industry was beginning to move toward integrated systems, and with our existing systems we were in jeopardy of being left behind.\" Ultimately, CSWS needed a way to better visualize and understand its optimum operating conditions.\n\n\n\nAn information-enabled system would help the city see how changes over time \u2013 such as environmental and population fluctuations \u2013 were impacting water production, and would help the city proactively respond to those changes.\n\n\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nCity-owned utilities are required by law to take three competitive bids to ensure the best value for taxpayer dollars.\n\n\n\n\"We researched several vendors before making our selection,\" said Kellogg. \"Ultimately, we chose to work with Rockwell Automation on our process control system upgrade, and leverage its PartnerNetwork\u2122 program and technical support team.\"\n\n\n\nCSWS worked with Rockwell Automation to implement a single, plantwide SCADA solution phased-in over four years. The PlantPAx solution integrates all operations - process, discrete and motor control \u2013 into one system to help increase efficiencies and productivity across CSWS's entire operation.\n\n\n\nThe PlantPAx system is based on open communication standards leveraging EtherNet/IP\u2122 as its backbone. Designed and established to connect across applications, from the instrumentation level up to CSWS's IT infrastructure, EtherNet/IP streamlines control and information flow, and offers the best pathway to single network architecture.\n\n\n\nIt also provides site operators with remote access, real-time diagnostics and electronic documentation to help minimize downtime and improve equipment performance.\n\n\n\nCSWS replaced its two-speed pumps with variable frequency drives on cooling fans, water service pumps, lift pumps, biofeed pumps, centrifuges and wasting pumps.\n\n\n\nThe drives gradually ramp the speed of the motor up and down to help save energy, and help extend the life of the motor and related equipment. They are configured to provide additional production data by gathering information at the drive level and automatically dispersing it to any part of the plant through the PlantPAx system.\n\n\u00a0\n\nAs part of the upgrade, CSWS re-evaluated its existing SCADA system alarm definitions to help ensure alarms were used where needed and nuisance alarms were reduced.\n\n\n\n\"We assessed all of our definitions for critical alarms and re-configured our alarming to make sure all were defined correctly,\" said Kellogg.\n\n\n\n\"The alarm count on the original system was about 600, and we now have close to 1,000 alarms in place.\" Using the WIN-911 tool from Rockwell Automation Encompass\u2122 Partner, Spector Instruments, CSWS streamlined alarm management with remote access and control capabilities.\n\n\n\nThe tool is used to notify city operators of alarms via their mobile phone or email. If the operator does not respond within the allotted response rate, an escalation function notifies the next person in line until someone is reached and addresses the alarm.\n\n\n\nThe new system also includes a process historian that collects and analyzes 12 months of process data (versus the 30 days of data in its old system).\n\n\n\nThe city now has access to real-time and historical water trends, such as system demands, levels and storage.\n\n\n\n\"We work in a cyclical industry, so insight to trends can help us more easily prepare for a major event, such as a water-main break or a major rainfall,\" said Kellogg.\n\n\n\n\"The data can also help estimate population growth trends, so we're prepared to meet demand.\" Utilizing change-management hierarchy, the new system incorporates role-based security for operators and plant personnel.\n\n\n\nIt's also equipped for easy enterprise resource planning (ERP) integration to accommodate future plans to tie production dashboards to the city's ERP and work order system, and eventually replace manual data spreadsheets.\n\n\n\nFor long-term support, CSWS procured a Rockwell Automation service agreement that provides field service professionals to assist with scheduled maintenance and help troubleshoot the system when\n\nissues arise.\n\n\n\nIn addition, CSWS has a TechConnect\u2122 support agreement for its online and phone support needs.\n\n\n\n*** Results ***\n\nProject start-up and commissioning began in May 2009, with the final phase of the four-phase project completed in 2013.\n\n\n\nWith the new system in place, the city has increased its average daily water flow from 8.1 million gallons to 11.8 million gallons. The newly automated plant has eased troubleshooting and maintenance.\n\n\n\nBy removing disparate systems and utilizing one standardized solution, CSWS can easily manage spare parts inventory and replace outdated equipment. And, the service agreement from Rockwell Automation provides a large annual cost savings in inventory and parts handling.\n\n\n\nCollege Station's previous control system stocked spare parts inventory of about $250,000. The city's spare part investment is now less than $20,000 \u2013 and on-site inventory uses far less storage space.\n\n\n\n\"Customer service was an important deciding factor for the city,\" said Kellogg. \"We were impressed by the products, solutions, services and multilayers of support available by investing in Rockwell Automation, and knew it offered the best total cost of ownership.\"\n\n\n\nWith the real-time phone support and software updates provided with TechConnect, CSWS is just one phone call away from repairs. Additionally, remote-monitoring capabilities via WIN-911, new virtualized servers, and networked communications help plant managers and operators access operations and troubleshoot from remote locations.\n\n\n\nBefore the upgrade, the plant operated 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Now it runs one shift, from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday and requires only five operators instead of 11.\n\n\n\nAs a result, CSWS can reallocate its human resources to other critical areas and provide staff with new opportunities for career growth.\n\n\n\nOverall, CSWS has managed to save valuable time and money through the increased productivity and decreased downtime at their wastewater treatment plant.\n\n\n\nRemote access to equipment allows operators to respond to issues before downtime occurs \u2013 the city has decreased downtime by 10 percent and increased response time by 25 percent.\n\n\n\nAnd, since implementing the PlantPAx system, VFDs and motor control has helped the city record approximately $65,000 in annual energy savings.\n\n\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to College Station Water Services' use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\nTAG: water-wastewater\n\n",
    "rssi-vehicle-barrier": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/rssi-vehicle-barrier\n\nTITLE: RSSI Barriers Gives Facility Security a Lift\n\nAs the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention. For Joey Blair, who happened to be working on a military base as the events of September 11, 2001 unfolded, the need for enhanced facility security gave birth to RSSI Barriers, the only all-electric vehicle barrier company in the industry.\u00a0\n\nTwenty years later, the company Blair founded is the global leader in all-electric vehicle barrier solutions. Headquartered in Panama City, Florida, RSSI Barriers serves customers in over 70 countries at locations including military bases, government agencies, petroleum companies, data centers and other commercial entities.\n\nRSSI Barriers has developed the most advanced electric barrier systems in the industry. The company's most deployed system, the RSS-2000 Electric Finger Wedge Barrier, is crash-tested and proven to stop a 15,000 pound vehicle going 50 miles per hour. The RSS-2000 wedge barrier consists of a series of posts (\"fingers\") that raise from the pavement when activated. When the barrier is in the \"up\" position, it forms a wedge to block traffic.\n\n***** Hydraulic and Pneumatic Systems *****\n\n\"When RSSI entered the market, there were mostly hydraulic barriers and a few pneumatic systems,\" said John Kreutzer, president, RSSI Barriers. \"End users became concerned about the reliability and lifecycle costs of those systems.\"\n\nSpecifically, the hydraulic systems include multiple components - such as oil, hoses, fittings and accumulators - that are prone to recurring and high maintenance costs.\n\n\"Particularly with a hydraulic system, if a hose or valve fails, the barrier will either go up or down - without any command,\" Kreutzer explained. \"Obviously, that's problematic in a security system.\"\n\nMaintenance of hydraulic systems tends to be very expensive. For instance, one government location recorded $60,000 in annual maintenance costs for its hydraulic wedge system.\n\n\"In fact, our customer who spent $60,000 each year to maintain their hydraulic system now has a budget of $8,000 annually to maintain the RSS-2000, and they are not exceeding that number,\" said Kreutzer.\n\n\"Annual maintenance costs at this location are 87% less than they were for hydraulic systems,\" Kreutzer added \"The RSSI all-electric system delivers value throughout our barrier's lifecycle.\"\n\nIn addition to reducing maintenance costs, the all-electric system eliminates environmental concerns regarding potential hydraulic fluid spills or leaks.\n\n***** All-Electric Design Improves Reliability and Performance\u00a0\u00a0 *****\n\nTo improve overall performance, RSSI Barriers took an all-electric approach to system design, based on a Rockwell Automation control solution. The system features Allen-Bradley(R) CompactLogixTM controllers, Kinetix(R) servo drives, MP-SeriesTM heavy-duty electric cylinders, PanelViewTM graphic terminals - and runs on an EtherNet/IPTM network.\n\n\"At the outset, we decided we didn't need something structurally as heavy as the giant steel plates used in hydraulic systems to get the job done,\" said Chris Brehm, vice president of sales, RSSI Barriers.\"\n\nInstead, the company applied a \"finger wedge\" design that proved tough enough to meet or exceed every category of the DOS K12 and ASTM M50 crash standards - but light enough to take advantage of the enhanced speed and higher duty cycles provided by an electric servo motor.\n\n\"This design allowed us to reduce maintenance and improve reliability for our customers with electric servo motors and drives,\" said Brehm. \"It also opened up the door for more speed.\"\n\n\"For example, typical hydraulic wedge systems require about 5 seconds to lift or lower the barriers,\" Brehm continued. \"The RSS-2000 system completes these operations in 3 seconds under normal circumstances or in 1.5 seconds during emergency fast operation (EFO).\"\n\n***** The Beauty of Integrated Controls *****\n\nAt any location, a vehicle barrier system is just one component of facility access control. Most \"access control points\" involve traffic calming techniques to slow approaching vehicles, such as speed tables and serpentine roads - plus warning signs, signals, traffic arms, gates, and \"wrong way\" or \"overspeed\" detection.\n\n\"RSSI has a lot of experience working with customers on the sequence of operations or exactly how they will control the barrier,\" Kreutzer said.\n\nTo manage the sequence, RSSI Barriers can provide complete solutions, fully integrated with Rockwell Automation control systems.\u00a0\n\n\"The PLCs and touchscreens really give us the flexibility to integrate with almost anything - card readers, RFID readers, intercom systems or sensors,\" said Kreutzer. \"I don't think we've ever encountered a type of electronic equipment we couldn't integrate with our control system.\"\n\nUsing the integrated control system, RSSI technicians can make modifications remotely and on the fly - with a simple programming change.\n\n***** Partnering for Success *****\n\nRSSI Barriers participates in the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM program and the two companies work together to help solve technical challenges. For example, Rockwell Automation customized the system's MP-Series electric actuator to meet specific application and environmental requirements - and keeps the equipment in stock at the local distributor.\n\n\"We also work closely with Rockwell Automation engineers and consultants as we transition to new control technology,\" Kreutzer said.\n\nBy standardizing on a Rockwell Automation platform, RSSI Barriers can provide existing customers with a cost-effective way to update their equipment.\u00a0\u00a0\n\n\"Our galvanized steel barriers are built for a long life,\" said Kreutzer. \"We've had people say they need a quote for a new barrier - and we say we can just retrofit the control system for you.\"\n\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: integrated-architecture\nTAG: industrial-energy-management\n\nTAG: infrastructure\n\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: programmable-controllers\n\n",
    "chemical-plant-ramps-up-to-full-production-much-quicker": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/chemical-plant-ramps-up-to-full-production-much-quicker\n\nTITLE: Chemical Plant Ramps Up To Full Production Much Quicker\n\n*** Background ***\n\nWilmar International Limited, founded in 1991 and headquartered in Singapore, is one of the world's leading agribusiness groups and is ranked among the largest listed companies by market capitalisation on the Singapore Exchange.\n\nThe company's business activities include oil palm cultivation, oilseed crushing, edible oil refining, sugar milling and refining, specialty fat, oleo chemical, biodiesel and fertiliser manufacturing and grain processing. It has over 500 manufacturing plants and an extensive distribution network and is backed by a multinational workforce of more than 90,000 people.\n\nWilmar's oleo chemicals manufacturing operations has production facilities in China, Malaysia, Indonesia, The Netherlands, France and Belgium. With new facilities operating successfully in China and Indonesia, Wilmar recently introduced a new plant in The Netherlands - based on the successful format deployed in Asia - but it hit an issue when it was unable to use the primary compressor at full load on plant start-up due to limited power supply available. After reviewing various options without success, Wilmar turned to Rockwell Automation and its industry leading PowerFlex(R) 7000 Active Front End Direct-to-DriveTM drive.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nAccording to Arief Santosa, Technical Engineer at the Rotterdam plant: \"At the plant we use methyl ester from palm oil to create fatty alcohols for subsequent use in the food and chemicals industry. This intermediate chemical is then sold to other parties for additional processing - such as ethoxylation - where the resulting products are eventually used in cleaning gels as a surfactant and for cosmetics.\n\n\"The methyl ester raw material goes through a high temperature, high-pressure hydrogenation process,\" he continues, \"which relies heavily on the performance of the compressor. After hydrogenation the product then passes through a refining/distilling process to produce the fatty alcohol end product.\"\n\nThe facility in the Netherlands relies on the compressor to dictate the speed of flow and circulation of the product through the hydrogenation processes. The inability to start the compressor at full load and limitation requirements to ramp it up slowly to the required pressure had a huge impact on overall factory down-time and resulted in an inefficient production.\n\nWhen the plant was being commissioned, Wilmar and the compressor manufacturer found that they were unable to start the compressor at the required 38 bar (g). \"We were being forced to reduce the hydrogenation loop pressure to 15 bar (g) due to the available starting current,\" Santosa explains. \"At this pressure the gas compression and weight is lower, which makes it easier for the compressor to turn, but it did not suit our processing demands. We maintained this configuration for a while, but eventually we had discussions with the installer, the power company and the compressor supplier only to be told that the power from the grid there was not sufficient to start the compressor at full load. Mechanical solutions and injections systems would have consumed too much power, so at this stage, we talked with Rockwell Automation who had supplied other elements of the plant, to see if a more suitable solution was available.\"\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nRockwell Automation provided a class-leading Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) 7000 Active Front End Direct-to-DriveTM medium-voltage drive. Made in the company's Katowice plant in Poland - which is currently celebrating 10 years of drive manufacturing in Europe - the flagship drive is based on the Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 7000, which has seen numerous successful installations around the world. The only current-source inverter on the market in the desired power/voltage range (3,3 kV / 50 Hz / 1,8 MW), the PowerFlex 7000 was ideal for the task at hand as it was also able to offer synchronous bypass with the compressor running at full speed.\n\nAs well as providing the necessary soft-starting capabilities to bring the compressor to full pressure much more rapidly, the drive, when fully commissioned, will also offer bypass functionality. This will allow it to be maintained even when the motor is in operation - a critical requirement for plants such as this. In operation, with the output contactor closed and the bypass contactor open, the drive operates the motor as normal. When bypass is required, the output contactor can be opened and the bypass switch closed, switching the load from a variable-frequency bus to a fixed-frequency bus. This will result in the drive input and output being isolated from the line and load voltage.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nFor Wilmar this was a high-visibility project internally, as there was a real desire to start the whole plant under the designed conditions, mirroring the operations at the Asian plants. Therefore the commissioning and start-up was monitored as a critical performance metric.\n\nThanks to the PowerFlex 7000 drive, the company is now able to (soft) start the compressor at the required 38 bar (g), satisfying the needs of its process and productivity objectives. And, with the imminent implementation of the bypass functionality, the drive can literally be bypassed after it has started the compressor \u2013 with an in-rush current limited to 1 x the nominal current. As a result, practically no energy will be consumed when the drive is bypassed, so there will be minimal need for significant heat dissipation.\n\n\"The combination of the drive and the synchronous bypass has the potential to be a very robust solution for us,\" explains Santosa. \"We are confident that the bypass will eventually offer us additional energy savings and maintenance freedoms, but safety precautions, the high value of the equipment being driven and the demands of the production process, mean that small steps are being taken.\n\n\"The Rockwell Automation guys demonstrated impressive engineering skills and the right level of communication to give us peace of mind,\" he concludes. \"They were very professional and I have no issues with regards to what Rockwell Automation is doing for us. I would certainly consider Rockwell Automation for other projects in the future \u2013 due to the total support we have had to resolve any engineering issues.\"\n\n\nTAG: chemical\n\n",
    "glaxosmithkline-dcs-upgrade-strengthens-infrastructure": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/glaxosmithkline-dcs-upgrade-strengthens-infrastructure\n\nTITLE: GlaxoSmithKline DCS Upgrade Strengthens Infrastructure\n\n***** Background\n\n *****\n\nAlong with managing basic material and formulation issues, pharmaceutical manufacturers must maintain precise temperature and humidity levels. These levels are required by their validation rules and documented and inspected by the United States and other national governments from countries that sell their products.\n\nEnvironmental management systems (EMS) and building management systems (BMS) typically manage these temperature, humidity and associated parameters, but these stalwart systems can wear out over time.\n\n***** Aging, Obsolete Systems *****\n\nFor instance, the GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) plant in Zebulon, North Carolina, was built in 1984 and makes 30 brands and 500 products in temperature- and humidity-controlled environments to ensure product integrity.\n\nHowever, the 30-year-old plant had a 20-year-old EMS and an aging BMS, so GSK engineers sought an upgrade solution they also could bring online without affecting required production or regulatory compliance negatively.\n\n\"The old EMS was basically obsolete, and we couldn't even find people to work on it anymore,\" said Jeffrey Leverton, automation engineering manager, GSK. \"We were also risking big downtime to our production and potentially having to restart multiple power systems. Our infrastructure is critical to our manufacturing, but we also had multiple disparate systems, so we wanted to integrate them into one system.\"\n\nLeverton, Omar Bahader, senior application engineer at GSK, and Daniel Homan, engineering manager for industrial HVAC and central utility plants systems at Rockwell Automation, presented \"Converting a Legacy BMS to a PlantPAx System\" on the opening day of the Rockwell Automation Process Solutions User Group (PSUG) on November 16 before the opening of the 2015 Automation Fair(R) event.\n\nIn addition to upgrading its EMS and BMS without hindering production, GSK wanted to enhance its operational data, optimize production for leaner manufacturing, merge the formerly separate EMS and BMS sides, increase its energy savings, increase data visibility and access for operators and automate its restart process.\n\n***** Facility Upgrade Uses Modern DCS *****\n\nTo those ends, the Zebulon plant implemented a validated version of the PlantPAx(R) modern distributed control system (DCS) from Rockwell Automation, as well as the Library for Life Sciences as its industrial building automation system.\n\nMany of these systems are running on virtualized machines and are connected via EtherNet/IP networking to thin-client interfaces using ThinManager software.\n\nThe solutions of 105 different equipment systems at the plant were installed, including air handlers, chillers, boilers and other components. This equipment was controlled by 15 different process control units (PCUs) and includes 1,756 I/O points.\n\n\"These solutions increase operators' visibility into their processes and provide more thorough information from the BMS and EMS for better decision-making,\" said Leverton. \"We've also achieved automated restarts, as well as better interfacing with third-party controllers.\"\n\nHoman added that the Zebulon plant cut over its first system - its main energy management system with air handlers and chillers - in about seven days, even though it had to examine and revise wiring for several devices that were showing normally open when they were supposed to be normally closed.\n\n\"We had dry runs and powered down to make sure everything could run on the PCUs without difficulties,\" said Homan.\n\n\"The second cutover wasn't as smooth because we couldn't put some devices under one loop controller, and we lost hours until we established control with a mA signal. Also, a soft starter on a condenser water pump became defective, so we had to get a variable-frequency drive from our distributor, Electric Supply & Equipment, in Greensboro, North Carolina, on the Sunday before Labor Day, and they met us at their warehouse,\" Homan noted.\n\n***** Successful, with More to Come *****\n\nDespite these hurdles, the Zebulon plant has completed two cutovers and upgrades to PlantPAx modern DCSs successfully and already is working on several more that it will perform this year. Along with supplying PlantPAx modern DCSs and hardware, Rockwell Automation has been running three teams of support personnel at the plant, where they and GSK have built temporary test stands and conducted software factory acceptance tests (SFATs) for all the new systems and solutions before installation.\n\n\"We were able to cut the IFM cables to proper lengths to the terminal blocks installed on our back panels to the old Bailey boards and then pre-number them with the same numbers used by the existing wires, so they all matched,\" Leverton added. \"This gave us about 35% worth of spare I/O and allows us to keep the old Bailey devices running for now, until we cut them over later as well.\"\n\nLearn about the PlantPAx modern distributed control system (DCS) from Rockwell Automation.\n\n\nTAG: main-automation-contractor\n\nTAG: life-sciences\n\n",
    "pfizer--changing-lives-with-digital-transformation": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/pfizer--changing-lives-with-digital-transformation\n\nTITLE: Pfizer: Changing Lives with Digital Transformation\n\nPfizer Global Supply (PGS) produces more than 23 billion doses of medicine every year across its network of 42 global manufacturing sites.\n\nThose global operations set out on a new journey in 2016 when the president of PGS sought to make a great organization even better. The goal? To support the Pfizer purpose of \"breakthroughs that change patients' lives\" by transforming operations into a seamless, data-driven insight engine that drives world-class performance.\n\nBut this would be no simple task. PGS manufacturing facilities, representing a heritage of more than 30 legacy pharmaceutical companies, had a diverse ecosystem of systems and datasets, as well as differing process and equipment standards. Insights were difficult to ascertain. And changing the range of solutions used at the operational technologies (OT) layer would be a complex, multi-year effort.\n\n***** A blank-slate approach *****\n\nWhen developing its digital transformation strategy, PGS took the time to understand its business challenges and the technology landscape across the industry.\n\n\"We said, OK, if we could take a blank slate and start over, what would this look like if we started today and we didn't constrain ourselves to what we've been doing?\" said Mike Tomasco, vice president, digital manufacturing, Pfizer.\n\nThis approach, combined with strong executive sponsorship, helped the organization craft a vision that was all-encompassing and a strategy that was focused on delivering value.\n\nMeanwhile, as this work was happening, a PGS operational excellence group was in the midst of an initiative focused on migrating PGS operations to a lean manufacturing mindset.\n\n***** Successes to date *****\n\nWhile its digital transformation journey continues, PGS has documented major improvements to-date in areas like cycle time, manufacturing throughput and yield, and right-first-time quality. At just one manufacturing site, the digital transformation program has been credited with enabling the manufacture of 3 million additional doses of one product above what was planned for in 2019.\n\nSomething that's helped drive the success of the program has been a willingness to explore new ideas and possibilities.\n\n\"Every time someone comes to me with a wild idea, it's typically a, 'Yes, go try that,'\" Tomasco said. \"And oftentimes they don't understand why we didn't have a committee to try to decide that.\"\n\nAnd while the team moved quickly in instances like deploying remote-collaboration tools, it also proved that \"digital\" doesn't always need to mean \"fast.\"\n\n\"You've got to methodically plan this out and think, in three years, how am I going to benefit from this?\" Tomasco said. \"And that's where we're at now. We've been plotting out those foundational layers. And the ability and the rate and pace of what we can do now is now going up exponentially, because we've taken the time to build that foundation.\"\n\nLearn more about our Life Science Manufacturing Solutions\n\n\nTAG: accelerate-digital-transformation\n\nTAG: digital-transformation\n\nTAG: life-sciences\n\nTAG: factorytalk-innovationsuite\n\n",
    "magnemotion-boosts-throughput---quality--helping-to-save-lives": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/magnemotion-boosts-throughput---quality--helping-to-save-lives\n\nTITLE: MagneMotion boosts throughput & quality, helping to save lives\n\nAccurate and timely test results can be the difference between life and death when dealing with infectious diseases.\n\nIndeed, one of the most important advances in modern medicine is swift diagnosis, often via diagnostics.\n\nAlthough you might panic at the sight of a medical professional with a tray full of syringes, those tests will guide your diagnosis and treatment - and with advances in technology, potentially save your life.\n\nThanks to modern reagents and automated analysis technology, diagnostics and syndromic infectious testing (SIDT) have made significant advances over the last few decades, allowing rapid disease identification and life-saving treatments to begin earlier based on laboratory results.\n\n\u00a0\n\nQuality-driven design\n\nLike any scientific procedure, the process chain is only as strong as its weakest link, which is why the medical industry is so heavily legislated and quality driven. With infectious diseases, quick and accurate results matter. The optimal delivery of a patient's samples is the most important step to confirm that the sample is not tainted, spoiled or wasted. Ensuring that everything the patient's sample comes into contact with is free of contamination is crucial to sample delivery.\n\nA market leader in diagnostics and SIDT, relied heavily on manual processes to manufacture its single-use testing cartridges - closed-system disposable modules that contains all the chemistry required to isolate, amplify and detect nucleic acid from a patient's sample for IVD testing.\n\nWith any manual fabrication process - especially one like this, relying heavily on workers - there is the possibility for contaminants to be introduced. Manual processes can also influence fabrication quality, repeatability and yield.\n\nIt was this drive to boost quality, throughput and reduce losses that prompted the company to approach Switzerland-based Rychiger AG, a specialist in the design, development and fabrication of customer-specific solutions for packaging machines in the healthcare, food and beverage industries.\n\n\"We help healthcare providers improve patient care and satisfaction by providing faster and better results,\" explains a representative from the end customer. \"Our test cartridge solution is the standard for syndromic infectious disease diagnostics. Patients and doctors depend on us to deliver accurate results, quickly, and we value partnerships that allow us to constantly improve our processes and the care we can provide for people who need answers.\"\n\n\u00a0\n\nReduce variability and boost quality\n\n\"Our customer's goal was to fully automate the cartridge fabrication process, while reducing contamination to an absolute minimum,\" explains Bruno Lauener, key account manager, Healthcare Sales at Rychiger. \"The solution would need to fully automate the handling of the cartridges to create consistency in the process, reduce potential contamination, and increase production capacity.\"\n\nThe end user already had experience of automation solutions from Rockwell Automation, as did Rychiger AG. The end user had experience of the MagneMotion(R) independent cart technology (ICT), too, since it had previously developed a system, in-house, using this technology. As a result, the two companies agreed that the new machine should be designed around the MagneMotion ICT due to the flexibility, accuracy and repeatability it offers for a demanding multi-stage assembly process such as this.\n\nRychiger's customer needed a solution to make it easier to move light loads, like its cartridge components, while maintaining full track-and-trace capabilities and faster cycle times. More precise control and intelligent motion could optimize assembly efficiency and speed while helping to eliminate disruption. With fewer moving parts than conventional systems, MagneMotion could result in less maintenance and downtime, simplify the handling of the cartridges to increase overall productivity, and make processes more repeatable at higher quality levels.\n\n\u00a0\n\nAccuracy, flexibility, repeatability\n\nThe MagneMotion system, using precision rails, delivers outstanding accuracy and flexibility in automation environments that require increased speed and decreased downtime. Its multiple independent movers effectively create a 'pitchless' conveyor system, the overall speed of which is not governed by the slowest process.\n\n\"This solution smooths the entire traffic flow by doubling up - or in this case tripling up - on the slowest process, which means the system is no longer held back by the slowest stage of the cartridge assembly process,\" explains Lauener, \"With MagneMotion, all these factors can significantly increase speed, getting life-saving products to laboratories quickly and accurately.\"\n\n\u00a0\n\nScalability and adaptability\n\nAccording to Christian Sigrist, senior automation engineer at Rychiger: \"At the forefront of our mind when we design and build machines is the ability to both scale and adapt/upgrade the technology. Our wide deployment of an integrated servo-based system - including the MagneMotion ICT solution - makes this significantly easier. It helps for maintenance too, as we can take a station offline and keep the machine running with little impact on production.\"\n\nIn addition to the MagneMotion system, the MC 1400 machine Rychiger developed has multiple servo axes, all driven by Allen-Bradley(R) Kinetix(R) servo drives, two Allen-Bradley VersaView(R) 5200 thin clients and FactoryTalk(R) View SE SCADA software. All station-specific HMIs are managed by the Rockwell Automation ThinManager(R) software, which centralises information and data, as well as offers remote/mobile access.\n\nSigrist adds: \"ThinManager helps the customer maintain the machine, delivering an overview and access to all parameters from a centralised location. It is especially useful where multiple HMIs are involved. Using a centralised HMI server also aided us in the design and development of the interactivity and control systems.\"\n\nOverall control of the machine, including the integration of third party Staubli robots, is handled by an Allen-Bradley ControlLogix(R) L8 programmable automation controller (PAC), with an Allen-Bradley GuardLogix(R) L7S PAC delivering the necessary safety functionality. All primary communication is via EtherNet/IPTM, using Stratix(R) 5400 and 5700 switches.\n\nSigrist explains: \"The main reason for our deployment of the Stratix managed Ethernet switches was so the machine could be tightly integrated into our customer's network for security, safety and compliance reasons. It also fitted the customer's requirements for CPwE (Converged Plantwide Ethernet).\"\n\n\u00a0\n\nClean lines avoid contamination\n\nTo counter the contamination challenge, the machine is enclosed - which keeps operators away from the cartridges - the enclosure is also 'shadowless', thanks to an advanced lighting solution, which delivers well-lit visibility to all aspects of the internal elements for cleaning, and all internal surfaces have been designed to be easy to wipe, with minimal trap points and voids.\n\nLauener explains: \"From the very beginning of the project, our work with this customer quickly evolved into a real conjoint development of the two engineering teams. We visited them to see the existing manual production line as well as a MagneMotion-equipped machine and then started the new machine's development with lab trials before improving, enhancing and enlarging the concept until the final design iteration was brought together. The development work was certainly aided by the deployment of the MagneMotion solution, as it can switch into simulator mode, enabling us to estimate cycle times before we actually built the physical model, in order to test the various functions and machine speed.\"\n\n\u00a0\n\nModern solution to modern needs\n\nThis integrated automation and control solution helps to reduce manual interactions an incredibly flexible, agile and accurate solution that delivers significantly higher throughput, while boosting quality levels. The machine can also be heavily modified with far less engineering effort than other solutions on the market. Indeed, engineers can now be a lot more imaginative in their designs, knowing that automation solutions exist that can bring their ideas to life.\n\n\"Our goal now is to take the lessons learned in this project,\" Lauener concludes, \"and apply the answers and technologies to the processes, machines and solutions we develop for this and the other markets we serve.\"\n\n\"We appreciate the support of Rockwell Automation and Rychiger,\" the customer representative concludes, \"providing the quick, comprehensive, and accurate results our customers have come to expect from our testing solution.\"\n\n\nTAG: process-automation-control\n\nTAG: life-sciences\n\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: drives-and-motors\nTAG: factorytalk-thinmanager\n\n",
    "food-container-producer-gains-transparency-to-reduce-downtime": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/food-container-producer-gains-transparency-to-reduce-downtime\n\nTITLE: Food Container Producer Gains Transparency to Reduce Downtime\n\nBackground\n\nMore than fifty years ago, a Midwestern food company started producing TV-dinner trays. The plant evolved into a dedicated food container producer and continues to push the envelope of food packaging innovation by producing the aluminum and plastic thermoform food containers used by delis, bakeries, catering companies and small food producers globally.\n\nThe plant produces 420 different items in plastic and an additional 200 items in foil. It produces three types of plastic containers: corn-based, compostable polylactic acid (PLA); biaxially oriented polystyrene; and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) \u2013 each with its own production needs. Coordinating such a degree of variance requires tightly controlled production processes.\n\nMoreover, to stay competitive, keep prices low and meet sustainability goals, plant operators are continuously looking to reduce waste. To do so, they must repeatedly reduce scrap and materials consumed, and create lighter-weight, higher-strength products. Improving manufacturing processes to meet these goals requires timely knowledge of the production process. Only with a transparent, real-time view of what is happening at each step in the process can operators make the best decisions for the business.\n\nChallenge\n\nResin pellets serve as the base for all of the company's plastic containers. At the company's primary plant, 10 large silos, each 18 feet in diameter, hold up to 40,000 pounds of pellets. Resin pellets are constantly drained from silos and pulled into a blender where they are mixed with additives. The mixture is then sent through an extruder and unwound into thermoforming machines where plastic sheets are pressed, stretched, shaped and cut into containers like those used to hold cookies at your local bakery. Once the plastic containers are cut out of sheets, the remaining web of unused plastic is sent back into the system. This plastic is reheated and reused in a continuous cycle.\n\nFor the system to function, the extruders need a constant feed of plastic. While the rate of production can be slowed or sped-up, it cannot stop. If the extruders stopped feeding plastic, the metal rollers would make direct contact with each other. This contact can damage the machine, resulting in several days of downtime. \u201cThe Rockwell Automation integrated control and monitoring solution gives us scalability, reliability and serviceability,\u201d said the plant manager.\n\nTo supply the continuous feed, the silos must not run out of resin pellets. However, because the silos are made of metal, the resin levels are not physically visible. To keep track of the amount of resin in each silo, plant staff employed a manual process utilizing a plumb-bob. A plumb-bob is a weight suspended from a string used as a vertical reference line, or plumb line. This basic technology has been in use since ancient Egyptian times.\n\nAn operator would travel to each silo and press a button that initiated an automatic, yo-yo-type plumb-bob. The plumb-bob would be lowered down from the top of the silo, and once it made contact with the surface of the resin pellets, after anywhere from 10 seconds to two minutes, it would be pulled back up. An operator records the time of plumb-bob travel, goes back to the work station and plugs that metric into an algorithm. The algorithm translates time into the number of feet the plumb-bob dropped to determine how much resin is in the silo. Operators can then determine if more pellets need to be added to keep up with current and upcoming production demands.\n\nUnfortunately, this process is error prone. When pellets are first added to the silo from the top, the material forms a cone in the center. Pellets are drained from the bottom of the silo and form a downward shaped cone. Pellets are almost never at a uniform or \u201cplumb\u201d level across the silo. Additionally, the plumb-bob doesn't always strike material in the same spot each time it's lowered. All these deviances taken together can throw off the operator's estimation of the amount of resin in each silo by several thousand pounds.\n\nMiscalculations of resin levels using this system caused major outages for the plant on its PET and PLA extruders on more than one occasion. Downtime on just one extruder can cost more than $450 per hour and make hundreds of pounds of plastic unusable. In a best case scenario, cleaning out a stalled extruder requires at least two hours, after which seven workers must devote four to six hours to get the line back up and running. In a worst case scenario, a broken extruder can mean days of downtime. Additionally, the company runs a lean facility, always running \u201cjust-in-time\u201d to meet customer orders. Any downtime can delay order deliveries and strain customer relationships.\n\nSolutions\n\nWith a day of downtime in the plant costing in excess of $10,000, breakdowns are simply unacceptable. When a new plant manager arrived in 2009, one of his first tasks was to find a way to prevent such breakdowns. After attending the annual Automation Fair\u00ae event hosted by Rockwell Automation, the plant manager saw potential solutions in action and realized he could get all the software, hardware and support he was looking for from one company.\n\nThe plant manager and his team worked with Rockwell Automation Global Solutions to develop a silo monitoring system that provides continuous, real-time information on resin pellet levels in each silo. At the heart of the system is an Allen-Bradley\u00ae ControlLogix\u2122 programmable automation controller (PAC), which provides a flexible, scalable and industry-proven control platform.\n\nLaser-array sensors installed within the silos stream real-time information on resin pellet levels to the PAC. Allen-Bradley PanelView\u2122 human-machine interfaces (HMIs) utilize FactoryTalk\u00ae View Site Edition (SE) visualization software to take data and turn it into an easy-to-read, resin-level indicator displayed on the operator screens. The software issues alarms when resin levels drop below predetermined production requirements. FactoryTalk ViewPoint software allows operators to access the system from an Internet browser to monitor operations remotely from any location where Internet access is available.\n\n\u201cThe Rockwell Automation integrated control and monitoring solution gives us scalability, reliability and serviceability,\u201d said the plant manager. \u201cI swap out old components and controls, updating with Rockwell Automation products as upgrades are necessary. From a technician standpoint, standardizing expands serviceability. If all systems and machines are running on ladder logic, we gain significant advantages in ease-of-use and maintenance.\u201d\n\nThe system tracks the status and sequence of all silo events and allows operators to monitor parameters and status information in real-time to easily identify and diagnose problems. The old plumb-bob system now functions as a backup system to verify data from the new system.\n\nResults\n\nA Rockwell Automation engineer worked closely with the plant team to develop different operator screen displays and was on site at the plant for commissioning and deployment of the new system. This on-site expertise helped the company save time and costs in the system rollout. Since installing the system, the plant hasn't seen any extruder breakdowns, translating into more uptime and more profits.\n\nThe next step for the plant is to expand the integrated control and visualization system further down the line, and potentially into additional facilities. \u201cOur operators like one-touch control on their screens,\u201d said the plant manager. \u201cFor plastics production, extruder operators need to see exactly what's happening at their machines this moment, but they also need to understand chill water temperatures, material loads, air compressor pump pressure and more from across the facility. They need all this live, in real-time to react quickly to any issues. The whole process of increasing output, reducing waste and improving quality comes down to giving our operators the information they need to react more quickly.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe are going to spend the balance of this year collecting data from our new system and develop an ROI database where we can equate the time and downtime savings from the new system into a dollar value,\u201d said the plant manager. \u201cFrom there, we can relatively easily scale this system to our other manufacturing facilities. We've already got the screens and code developed. The control system, computer server and IT network are all in place. I can't wait to have the purchasing manager for all facilities watch in real-time as each resin silo is filled at plants across the country. Then his buying could truly be just-in-time.\u201d\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to this customer's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "kraft-heinz-increases-capacity-with-model-predictive-control": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/kraft-heinz-increases-capacity-with-model-predictive-control\n\nTITLE: Kraft Heinz Increases Capacity With Model Predictive Control\n\n*** No Small Potato ***\n\nWhether they're diced, curly or straight cut, potatoes are America's favorite vegetable. We devour an average of 47 pounds each year. And since 1952,\u00a0Ore-Ida has appealed to our appetites with dozens of frozen-potato varieties - including that crispy crown jewel of casseroles: their trademarked Tater Tot(R). Today, Ore-Ida is a part of the Kraft Heinz Company brand. Its production operations are based in Ontario, Oregon, where Ore-Ida was founded. The facility produces all of Ore-Ida's frozen potato products, about 800 million pounds every year. The Ore-Ida facility's high output - driven by demand for its nearly 200 SKUs - requires continuous production up to 310 days per year. But in recent years, a lack of available support for the facility's aging control system infrastructure has limited the organization's future growth. Rather than merely replace its obsolete control systems, Kraft Heinz decided to modernize the architecture and incorporate new technologies to help optimize production capacity and reduce quality variability in the facility.\n\n*** Legacy Controls Present Challenges ***\n\nProduction at the Ore-Ida facility begins at the loading docks, where trucks unload farm-fresh potatoes. The potatoes go through several process stages, including separating, cutting, peeling and sorting to remove defects. From there, the still-raw potatoes are blanched, dried, fried, cooled and frozen. The finished products are distributed across scales where they are weighed before being packaged. Finally, the packaged products are stuffed into cases, which are delivered via a track system to a third-party logistics provider for palletizing and shipping. Until recently, these processes were all individually controlled on the facility's largest line, with minimal coordination or integration between them. As a result, process disruptions at one point would reverberate across the line. Issues in the peeling process, for example, would starve downstream processes. And issues in packaging would back up production and result in excess product being diverted into a holding crib. \"When fries sit in the crib for too long, they can break up - resulting in low-quality fries that we'd remove from our production line,\" said Danny Branson, process engineer for the Ore-Ida facility.\n\n\"We always want to maximize production, but our main priority is providing high-quality fries and Tater Tots to our customers. Keeping production moving and fries out of the crib helps us do that.\" Concerns about diverting products into the crib, combined with a lack of insights into overall line capacity, often made workers hesitant to increase production. \"Increasing the production rate came with a lot of fear because there was a chance it would result in over-produced product that was sent to the crib,\" Branson said.\n\n\"As a result, any potential changes involved a lot of back-and-forth chatter. It could take hours just to decide to raise the production rate by 1,000 pounds an hour.\" Yet for all the difficulties the facility faced in optimizing production capacity, a bigger challenge loomed. The aging control systems were no longer supported by their original manufacturer, which put production at risk for downtime while also nearly eliminating opportunities for production improvements. \"We were in a state of obsolescence,\" Branson said. \"We had an old control architecture that could no longer be supported. Many of the I/O boards on the controllers had to be repaired by third-party vendors. In some cases, we were down to our last temperature sensor card or analog input cards. There were simply no replacements available. So we were at a point where we had to do something.\"\n\n*** The Golden Batch ***\n\nKraft Heinz needed to replace the aging control architecture at the Ore-Ida production facility. However, the facility's team was challenged by management to justify the investment. The team was already in discussions with Rockwell Automation on the controls upgrade, and the latter company suggested there may be a way to increase throughput enough for the ROI to cover the cost. The Rockwell Automation team proposed doing a deeper production analysis to identify the greatest opportunities for optimization. The team began with an engagement study where they gathered quality and production data to set a baseline, and identified opportunities to improve productivity by 5 percent using model predictive control (MPC). \"We have a continuous goal in production that we call 'the golden batch,'\" said Robert Pedracini, factory manager at the Ore-Ida facility. \"We wanted to optimize control of every process, from the unloading of potatoes to packaging. And we saw the Rockwell Software(R) Pavilion8(R) MPC as something that could help us achieve the golden batch.\"\n\n\"This wasn't an immediate decision for our team,\" added Branson. \"With any significant business investment, we had to set specific goals for ROI, and the close engagement with the Rockwell Automation team helped us justify this first step.\" The Rockwell Automation team configured the Pavilion8 software to capture operating parameters for all processes beginning with peeling and ending with packaging. The solution works as an intelligence layer on top of the existing automation system. Once it collects this data, the software then predicts conditions of the process areas and line, and then makes ongoing adjustments to continuously optimize the process. For example, the MPC software can detect a spike in defects and set more aggressive downstream control settings to achieve the desired quality targets for those defects. It also can detect constraints in the packaging process and make corresponding adjustments to upstream processes to avoid products being diverted to the holding bin. It even can track environmental conditions to reduce the variability that often happens in the freezing process during warmer months.\n\n*** Goals Exceeded, Costs Covered ***\n\nToday, the MPC solution is helping the Ore-Ida facility ride through the small line disruptions that had previously been a struggle. While the company lacked quality benchmark data to use as a comparison, the reduction in variability was evident. \"We could see just by looking at the model trend graphs during non-MPC control compared to MPC control that variability had gone down after we implemented the Pavilion8 solution,\" Branson said. \"And with the reduced variability, we saw the texture tests in our food products level off as well.\" The facility also has seen its production capacity increase. After an initial three-month evaluation period, the actual improvement was much better than the 5 percent goal - topping over 10 percent. This will help the company realize a return on its investment in both the MPC software and the full control-architecture upgrade in 12 to 16 months.\n\n\"The Pavilion8 solution is continuously making micro adjustments to optimize production,\" Branson said.\n\n\"Operators don't have to fiddle around with the adjusting parameters on the equipment or figure out when to change temperature settings anymore. With the Rockwell Automation solution, our operators can now focus on value-added work, like performing quality checks and keeping equipment clean.\" One area where MPC has been especially beneficial has been in the peeling process. Previously, disruptions in the unloading dock would not be compensated for in the peeling process, resulting in a production lag that works its way down the line. Now, the MPC can ramp up production at the peeling step to make up for those lags and maximize throughput. In addition, Rockwell Automation provides the facility with application support services, to remotely monitor and proactively support the Ore-Ida team as they make production changes.\n\n\"Our existing production lines were not sustainable in their original state for more than a few more years,\" Branson said. \"With Rockwell Automation, we were able to achieve the ROI needed to justify control system investments and better prepare for future production.\"\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Kraft Heinz Company's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nPavilion8 and Rockwell Software are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\nTater Tot is a trademark of H.J. Heinz Company L.P.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "water-plant-unlocks-greater-efficiencies-with-plantpax-dcs": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/water-plant-unlocks-greater-efficiencies-with-plantpax-dcs\n\nTITLE: Water plant unlocks greater access & efficiencies with PlantPAx DCS\n\nGEMA designs automation systems for leading industries in T\"urkiye and around the world. It contributes to its customers' efficiency and productivity gains by creating optimized industrial software solutions that cover all production stages.\n\nThe constant evolution of the world's population - in terms of growth, density, and societal migration - means that governments and private utility companies face an uphill battle to ensure widespread access to essential services, such as water, gas, and electricity.\n\nThe optimal supply of potable water is of particular concern, as the effects of this societal evolution are compounded not just by the world's finite natural freshwater supply, but also the growing effects of climate change.\n\nThe challenge utility providers face is twofold. First, investment is required for greenfield sites, to help ensure new population centers are well served; and second, established water infrastructure requires modernization to help ensure the highest possible levels of efficiency for existing population centers.\n\nGreenfield facilities may appear to have an advantage regarding the deployment of newer digital solutions, in that they can start from a blank slate. But, as Gema End\"ustriyel Kontrol, a silver-level system integrator in the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM showed in a recent application in T\"urkiye, existing sites can just as easily be modernized - quickly, effectively and with zero downtime.\n\n\n\n-- Challenge --\n\nThis water treatment plant is in Kocaeli, one of the biggest industrial cities in T\"urkiye, 100 kilometers southeast of Istanbul. Operated by Izmit Su A.S. (ISAS), an autonomous organization that works with the city, the modernization project entailed the replacement of a 25-year-old control system. Although it was still working within its operational parameters, the plant's operators faced issues relating to obsolescence, spares availability, and potential downtime.\n\nMehmet K\"uc\"uksari, group information technology manager at ISAS, explains: \"We still had a reasonable level of spares available, but these were diminishing, and we knew an upgrade was inevitable. The existing system was showing its age in other aspects too. It was not as user friendly as newer solutions, with even simple I/O problems being hard to remedy. As a result, we started the search for a contemporary distributed control system (DCS), which led us to Gema End\"ustriyel Kontrol.\"\n\n\n\n-- Solution --\n\n\"We had an existing relationship with ISAS,\" G\"okhan Yildiz, Technical Manager at Gema End\"ustriyel Kontrol tells us, \"having undertaken several important pumping-station projects with them. So, there was already a good level of trust.\"\n\nThe resulting project entailed the deployment of a modern, fully redundant process control solution, comprising the Rockwell Automation PlantPAx DCS, process controllers, 2,500 I/O, and multiple remote telemetry units (RTU).\n\nYildiz continues: \"Downtime was not an option on this project. The plant serves 1.6 million customers in the province. An interruption to the water supply was unthinkable. So, to address this need, we undertook significant pre-engineering followed by parallel commissioning.\n\n\"Software for all the process controllers was created using Studio 5000 Application Code Manager (ACM) then all the necessary logic was defined. Once this had been tested and verified offline, we undertook factory acceptance testing (FAT) and site acceptance testing (SAT) simultaneously during commissioning. As expected, the switchover from the old system to the new system went without a hitch and, more importantly, without any downtime.\"\n\n\n\n-- Result --\n\nAlthough digital transformation was not the primary goal for this modernization program, the deployment of the PlantPAx DCS gives ISAS a perfect springboard from which to enjoy greater connectivity and leverage operational data more readily.\n\nK\"uc\"uksari elaborates: \"There was no defined specification for wider connectivity to other systems across the plant, but the PlantPAx DCS gives us much better access to auxiliary water-treatment systems. One such system is the chlorine-dosing plant, which uses a packaged control solution running on a third-party PLC.\"\n\n\"We had also created a separate SCADA solution to collect system data, but the new PlantPAx DCS does this for us, so we can combine all essential data into one single viewpoint, rather than using multiple HMIs.\"\n\nISAS is also enjoying much greater flexibility as the new reporting system empowers its operations team with far more in-depth access to real-time data, which can be analyzed and actioned far quicker. Plant efficiency has also benefited, with tighter control of consumables and reduced energy consumption through better control of the pumps.\n\nK\"uc\"uksari concludes: \"The operator interface really sets it apart, too. It's so much easier to operate. We completely redesigned the operator screens using guidelines from the ISA 101 whitepaper published by Rockwell Automation. Our previous HMI screens had multiple colors and were simply too busy. The new screens, based on the best-practice guidelines, are greyscale, with bold colors only being used for alarms or areas of concerns. These deliver critical data in real time and allow the operators to fine tune parameters without having to go in at a programming level.\n\n\"The more technical and detailed diagnostic tools will also help us to maintain the system more efficiently. In this way, we can ensure clean, fresh drinking water for the 1.6 million customers in the region without risk of an interrupted supply.\"\n\nTAG: water\nTAG: sustainability\n\nTAG: wastewater\nTAG: water-wastewater\n\n",
    "wvu-pollutant-product": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/wvu-pollutant-product\n\nTITLE: West Virginia University From Pollutant to Product\n\nMeet Paul Ziemkiewicz, PhD. Paul grew up in western Pennsylvania. As a child, he dreamed of cleaning up his local rivers and streams, which were devoid of life due to acid mine drainage. Today, as the Director of Water Research at West Virginia University (WVU), Paul is living out that dream.\n\n***** What is acid mine drainage? *****\n\nAbandoned coal mines cause various types of water pollution. Acid mine drainage is the most prevalent. Abandoned coal mines leave pits of highly acidic water that contain large amounts of heavy minerals. Over time, infiltrated groundwater and surface water from precipitation fill these pits to the brim. When the water spills over, harmful chemicals are carried into the surrounding water and soil. These chemicals can hurt humans, plants, and animals.\n\nPaul Ziemkiewicz, PhD,\u00a0Director of Water Research at West Virginia University (WVU).\n\n***** How do we clean up acid mine drainage? *****\n\nScientists at WVU, with direction from Paul, developed a process for removing the heavy metals from acid mine drainage. This process is used at hundreds of plants across West Virginia and is cleaning up water at the watershed level. With the water cleaned, aquatic life can be restored.\n\n***** But it gets better... *****\n\nAs scientists were learning more and more about how to turn acid mine drainage into clean water, they discovered that the remaining acid mine drainage sludge was a source of rare earth elements.\n\n17 metallic elements are classified as rare earth elements, and these elements are key materials needed to produce many of today's high-tech devices - including smart phones. Interestingly, rare earth elements are not actually rare, it is just rare to find them in high concentrations and it is difficult to extract them. This is where the beauty of extracting rare earth elements from acid mine drainage comes in - Paul explains:\n\n\"Acid mine drainage happens when coal waste rock weathers and forms sulfuric acid,\" Ziemkiewicz says. \"The acid leaches all manner of metal pollutants out of rock, so why wouldn't it leach rare earths? Mother Nature does that heavy lifting for free. Fortunately, AMD is, in fact, enriched in rare earth elements and critical materials in an easily recovered form. Best of all, you can't recover them without treating AMD to environmental standards. Our byproduct is clean water.\"\n\nWVU's Rare Earth Extraction Facility is able to produce very highly-concentrated rare earth products. The image above shows a sample that is 87% rare earth oxide.\n\nWith this discovery, WVU was able to approach the US Department of Energy and secure $5M in funding to scale up the Rare Earth Recovery Project. Rockwell Automation also agreed to provide sensor and control technology, and develop a pilot plant for REE extraction, to help push this sustainability initiative forward.\n\n***** What's next? *****\n\nThe ribbon cutting for the first rare earth element production facility is just around the corner. Following this, WVU has plans to launch rare earth element production from acid mine drainage across the United States. The work Dr. Paul Ziemkiewicz is doing is changing the face of the energy industry, creating jobs, and cleaning up the environment. At Rockwell Automation, we are so excited to be able to help.\n\n\u00a0\n\nImages are owned and sourced by West Virginia University.\n\nTAG: drive-sustainability\n\nTAG: water\nTAG: sustainability\n\nTAG: mining\nTAG: metals\nTAG: cement\nTAG: mining-metals-and-cement\nTAG: water-wastewater\n\n",
    "commerce-township-wwtp-reduces-downtime-and-compliance-risk-with": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/commerce-township-wwtp-reduces-downtime-and-compliance-risk-with\n\nTITLE: Commerce Township WWTP Reduces Downtime and Compliance Risk with Power Quality Monitoring System\n\n*** An Antiquated Need ***\n\nThe treatment of water for residential and industrial use dates back thousands of years. From the Egyptians purifying drinking water through coagulation techniques to the Romans constructing aqueducts \u2013 water treatment has been a cornerstone to our civilization.\n\nSome of those same antiquated techniques, such as coagulation and filtration, still exist today. But unlike ancient aqueduct bridges and sand, modern methods require technology to instantly serve thousands of residents and businesses \u2013 anytime, anywhere.\n\nThe Commerce Township Wastewater Treatment Plant, located in Commerce Township, Michigan, is one of many treatment facilities taking advantage of automation equipment to treat more than 2 million gallons of wastewater per day from its community.\n\n*** A Bump in the Road ***\n\nIn 2010, the Commerce Township WWTP underwent a significant expansion project to meet the anticipated growth of the surrounding communities by nearly tripling its capacity from 2.4 million to 8.5 million gallons per day. After the installation of variable frequency drives (VFD'S), the Commerce Township WWTP hit a few bumps in the road.\n\n\"We were having numerous power interruptions that required our staff to reset process equipment,\" said Brian Bennett, operations engineer at Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner's Office (WRC) in Commerce Township. \"Over time, the interruptions were causing damage to our equipment. This equipment doesn't fail immediately \u2013 it's similar to hitting speed bumps in your car. You can go down the road and hit potholes only so long, but eventually it's going to take its toll.\"\n\nAfter several months, the power interruptions resulted in multiple hours of unplanned downtime that required Commerce Township WWTP staff to manually reset equipment with limited insight as to the cause. After the interruptions resulted in two damaged variable frequency drives (VFDs), Commerce Township WWTP knew it needed to get to the bottom of the problem.\n\n*** A Treatment to the Interruption ***\n\nTo help identify the root cause, the Rockwell Automation Global Solutions team, who earlier installed the VFDs, ran multiple equipment tests to the installed VFDs. The goal was to see if the problem was being caused by faulty equipment or by the quality of the incoming power. According to Steve Liebrecht, water and wastewater industry team lead for Rockwell Automation, since power utilities typically measure availability \u2013 not quality \u2013 it is common for these small occurrences to go undetected.\n\nThe team decided to implement the Allen-Bradley\u00ae Bulletin 1608\u2122 i-Sense\u00ae voltage monitor to collect, analyze and notify subscribers of incoming power quality. The monitor can interface with the Internet of Things in several ways with an analog phone line, or connect to the existing IT infrastructor with a IP address. Yet, in some highly secure environments, choosing to not connect to the local IT environment may be a preferred approach. Once the data is collected, it is hosted in a web portal for customer use and is also integrated with other i-Sense monitors in the area to better understand regional power disturbances.\n\n\"The installation of the i-Sense voltage monitor allowed us to focus on specific periods of internal data and identify where the main problems were occurring,\" Bennett said. \"As a result, we were able to pinpoint the issues as they related to our incoming power.\"\n\nOnce the voltage monitoring solution was installed, the WRC also moved forward with a power quality study to better identify and document issues throughout the plant. The results allowed the Rockwell Automation team to confirm that voltage disturbances took place the same time the VFDs were tripped on overvoltage when running.\n\nThe monitor also alerted the facility about their generator power events. Fast generator shutdown and restart practices can impact the long-term durability of the drives. Controlled power cycling of VFDs should be managed in a methodical manner. For that reason, the Commerce Township WWTP was advised of practices that were shortening the life cycles of its VFDs.\n\n*** It Made Sense ***\n\nWithin months of monitoring incoming power, Commerce Township was finally able to determine the root cause of its failed VFDs.\n\n\"There were two reasons why we installed the i-Sense voltage monitor,\" said Greg Knauf, superintendent of the Commerce Township WWTP. \"One reason was due to our consistent power interruptions and the other was a result of the two damaged VFDs. The data provided us documentation to go back to our power provider with results and work with them on addressing the power quality issues.\"\n\nWhile the Commerce Township WWTP now has data to work with its power provider on quality interruptions, the plant has also gained a sense of reliability since its implementation. Just a month after the product was installed, Knauf received an email from the monitor that indicated the WWTP experienced a power event. The WWTP's SCADA system did not send out notification to Safety Dispatch due to the SCADA system being down.\n\n\"The moment I arrived home, I checked my laptop due to my concern of the WWTP's equipment. Sure enough, 95 percent of the WWTP's equipment was tripped,\" Knauf said\n\nAs a result, Knauf was able to call an operator to restart equipment and get the plant up and running. If the power event would have gone unnoticed, this could have greatly impacted the operation of the WWTP and compliance could have been effected.\n\nSince the voltage monitoring system and power quality study, the Commerce Township WWTP has been able to detect solutions to help buffer incoming power events. During the evaluation phase for instance, Rockwell Automation determined that while one transient surge suppressor was installed, multiple suppressors should be installed. This helps safeguard operations because interruptions are based on a variety of factors, including where and when the event takes place.\u00a0\n\n\"One of the things that was enlightening to me was having clean power is not always the case,\" Bennett said. \"In fact, it might be to the point where it can damage electrical equipment. It doesn't mean that fluctuations will damage everything, but it was eye-opening that fluctuations happen on a regular basis.\"\n\nNow, Commerce Township uses its voltage monitoring system to troubleshoot power events with its provider, while also mitigating its operation against future occurrences.\n\n\"The i-Sense voltage monitor has empowered management with data beyond what's provided with the existing SCADA system,\" said AJ Lee, sales engineer at McNaughton McKay \"We're hoping to continue the installation throughout other locations in the county so they are able to receive usable, actionable information.\n\nAllen-Bradley, Bulletin 1608 and i-Sense are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\n\nTAG: water-wastewater\n\n",
    "pages-labeling-technology": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/pages-labeling-technology\n\nTITLE: The Pages Group Innovates to Meet Customer Demand\n\nYann Palanchon is vice president, North America and Global Services, for the Pag`es Group. The global OEM is a gold-level member of Rockwell Automation's PartnerNetworkTM and provides automaton solutions for the packaging industry, including the food, medical, and industrial markets.\u00a0\n\nPackaging Innovator\n\nThe Pag`es Group offers automation solutions for the packaging industry including labeling, high-speed sorting, assembly, boxing and palletizing. The industry innovator is known for pioneering In-Mold Labeling technology, an injection-mold process used for plastic packaging.\n\n\n\n*\n\n***** \"We listened to our customers to see how we could help them transition from plastic to something more sustainable,\" Yann says. \"It would make no sense for our customers to work on the quality of their product without working on the packaging itself.\" *****\n\n***** \u00a0 *****\n\n***** \u00a0 *****\n\nYann PalanchonVP North America & Global Services, The Pag`es Group\n\n***** \u00a0 *****\n\n***** Accelerating the Shift to Sustainable Materials *****\n\nLike most advances, new packaging materials mean new engineering challenges. These include quick transitions from old to new systems, high-volume line speeds, flexibility to accommodate varying package sizes, modularity to expand production, and label adhesion regardless of fiber type and surface.\n\n\"We had to change our processes, how our machines are working, and adapt to the new packaging that our customers now want,\" Yann explains.\n\nThe result is Molded Fiber LabelingTM\u00a0(MFL) technology, Pag`es\u00a0latest innovation. The new system places high-quality, pre-printed labels directly on molded fiber packaging. The 100% paper labels are glue-free and can be affixed to complex shapes or rough surfaces on various package sizes.\n\nRockwell Automation technologies and products are embedded throughout the MFL system including drives, integrated robotic control, and Independent Cart Technology.\"\n\n\"We are using pretty much the entire Rockwell Automation catalog. It's a long-term partnership,\" Yann says.\n\nOne that goes back decades, while moving the packaging industry forward.\u00a0Together, Rockwell Automation and Pag`es are accelerating the shift from plastic packaging to more sustainable materials.\u00a0\n\nTAG: drive-sustainability\n\nTAG: integrated-architecture\nTAG: sustainability\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\nTAG: programmable-controllers\nTAG: motion-control\nTAG: independent-cart-technology\nTAG: motor-control\n\n",
    "mining-asset-management": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/mining-asset-management\n\nTITLE: Rambler Metals & Mining Ups Productivity with CMMS\n\nFor Scott Britton, General Manager of Operations at Rambler Metals & Mining, the decision to adopt Fiix was a major turning point. His team was supporting two sites and 160 employees using a paper-based system. Before looking into a CMMS, Scott knew his team was facing some specific, yet preventable problems. \"We have a 24 hours a day, 7 days a week operation, and the way that it worked before was, whoever was finishing up their 12-hour shift would have to write pages of notes for the person starting the next shift. Writing those notes could take up to an hour, and of course, the next person would have to spend the first part of their shift going over the notes to make sure they didn't miss anything\".\n\nWhen it came to work orders, it was clear that their system needed an overhaul. \"If something needed to be fixed, it would get written down on a post-it or scrap of paper and delivered in person. This often meant that our maintenance team would have to spend time shuffling through multiple post-its or notes, trying to decide which problem could be fixed the most quickly.\" In short, there was time being wasted and efficiencies being overlooked.\n\nIn search of a cloud-based CMMS solution\n\nWhen Scott started looking at CMMS solutions, his needs were clear. He knew that a cloud-based solution that could offer the connectivity his team required was a must. He considered on-premise solutions that were specific to the mining industry, but they proved costly and a poor fit for the relatively remote location his team was working from.\n\nScott and his team developed an 8-touchpoint scoring system, where each option could score 1-5 for each measure, resulting in a possible total score of 40. Of the 5 vendors that were considered, Fiix scored a 36, with the next best competitor for their needs coming in at 26.\n\nAfter purchasing Fiix, Scott's team got to work learning the system. They made extensive use of the training videos to onboard quickly. \"Even the technology-averse guys who have trouble, say, using an ATM, could understand how to work the system now,\" notes Scott.\n\nWrench time increases immediately after implementation of Fiix CMMS\n\nScott's immediate hopes for Fiix came to fruition quickly. \"The biggest and swiftest benefit we saw after implementing the system was that our technicians were able to go back to turning wrenches much faster\". Before adopting Fiix, there were only 8.5-9 hours of possible wrench time per shift, with the remaining time being set aside to document, sort, and prioritize asset notes and work orders by hand. Now, there are closer to 10 hours of wrench time per shift.\n\nThe difference to Scott is clear. \"There's no guesswork anymore. We can now prioritize everything before we start work, and we're able to document where everyone's spending their time. In just a few months, there's been an 8% increase in productivity, and we project that will increase to 15% over the next three months\".\n\nThere have been additional benefits to using a CMMS that Scott wasn't expecting. \"We now have additional data for all our assets, which means I have answers I didn't have in the past. And we're using the software in ways we didn't think we would. For example, we now have data that's used by payroll since everyone's hours are being tracked accurately now.\" Using the software has also proved to be a huge cornerstone of Rambler's lean strategy, which Scott is looking forward to continuing to improve.\n\nLooking ahead, Scott knows that Fiix will continue to help his team gain productivity and asset knowledge and is quick to recommend the solution to other teams. \"It's a responsive, comprehensive, and cost-effective solution that's very intuitive to use.\"\n\nTAG: mining\nTAG: metals\n\nTAG: fiix\n\n",
    "auto-tier-asset-control": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/auto-tier-asset-control\n\nTITLE: Automotive Tier Supplier Takes Control of Assets\n\nMinimizing downtime is critical in any industrial application. But in dynamic, just-in-time (JIT) automotive manufacturing, any disruptions across the supply chain can quickly cascade and impact real-time vehicle production at the carmaker's site.\n\nFor automotive Tier supplier CpK Interior Products, maintaining a responsive production environment means minimizing reliance on other Tier suppliers. CpK operates three vertically integrated plants in Ontario that produce the key interior automotive components of their offering.\n\nThe Belleville facility compounds thermoplastics, which are shipped to the Port Hope plant, home of tooling, production for cast skin and foam, and subassembly. The Guelph plant handles final assembly and sequencing - and ships the product to the carmaker on time.\n\n\"Because we have these capabilities within our own facilities, we are able to launch new products and processes much faster than if we had to outsource some of the work,\" explained Chris Murray, Belleville Production Manager, CpK Interior Products.\n\n***** Identifying Improvement Opportunities *****\n\nThe Belleville facility is smaller than the company's other two plants - and also houses research and development capabilities. As a result, it has become an incubator for manufacturing innovations and production solutions.\n\n\"Due to our relatively small size, it's more cost-effective and faster to prove-out concepts here at Belleville and then deploy them to our other facilities,\" said Murray.\u00a0\u00a0\n\nSince 2010, JAE Automation, an automation design firm and part of the Rockwell Automation(R) System Integrator PartnerNetworkTM, has worked with CpK to identify opportunities for operational improvements. The first project at the Belleville plant was deploying a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) solution, featuring FactoryTalk(R) View Site Edition (SE) software, to complement the plant's extensive installed base of Rockwell Automation control products.\u00a0\u00a0\n\n\"We started with the SCADA and over the years, handled upgrades and safety systems,\" said Eric Martin, president, JAE Automation. \"Questions started to come up about where the system programs were stored.\"\n\nAs is the case with many manufacturers, CpK was utilizing a completely manual process to track control system assets.\n\n\"Quite frankly, we were using spreadsheets to track equipment and hardware,\" Murray said. \"For software, individual licenses were deployed on PCs and laptops.\"\n\nSkilled trades people would use the laptops point-to-point - laptop to PLC - to maintain the control systems. Any resulting configuration changes were manually saved on that laptop - and in theory - to a consistent location.\n\n***** The Challenges of Manual Asset Management *****\n\nManaging automation assets manually introduced significant challenges - especially from a software maintenance standpoint. While the Belleville facility used the SCADA server to store and update software, not all laptops were networked into the system.\n\n\"Revision control was dependent on someone updating the software and saving it in the correct location,\" Murray said. \"It's not very hard to have different versions saved in different areas.\"\u00a0\n\n\"Because the operation at Belleville is smaller than at other CpK facilities, fewer people touch the system,\" Martin added. \"We felt the server delivered a good set-up for backup. But the lack of centralized revision control introduced risk.\"\n\nAt the larger CpK facilities where servers were not deployed and more people were interacting with the equipment - the risk was higher. Programs were typically stored on USB drives and could be difficult to locate when equipment maintenance was required.\n\n\"Maybe you have a machine jam or a sensor is malfunctioning and you need the maintenance software to take corrective action,\" Murray said. \"In a busy facility, you cannot afford the downtime to search file drawers for the USB drive that - hopefully - has the latest software.\"\n\n***** A Better Way *****\n\nWorking together, the CpK and JAE teams initially proposed a pilot program to automate and streamline asset management at the Belleville facility using FactoryTalk(R) AssetCentre software.\n\n\"However, the team at Belleville quickly realized this should be a corporate project,\" said Martin. \"So in the end, our deployment involved all three facilities.\"\n\nAt the Belleville facility, the JAE team once again used the power of the SCADA system server to deploy the solution. At other facilities, servers were added to the network.\n\n\"In deploying the solution, we used Microsoft(R) Remote Desktop Services to enable access to the software programs through thin clients,\" Martin explained.\u00a0\u00a0\n\nFactoryTalk AssetCentre provides a centralized tool for securing, managing, versioning, tracking and reporting automation-related asset information across an entire facility. The software is designed to provide secure access to the system, automatically track user actions and firmware revisions - and manage historical versioning of any electronic file. In addition, the solution delivers automatic backup.\n\n\"The solution streamlines how workers connect to PLCs and other devices,\" said Murray. \"Workers can only use the current version of software - and since maintenance workers must check programs in and out, any changes are automatically captured.\"\n\nMurray added: \"When a problem does arise, I can confidently say that FactoryTalk AssetCentre significantly reduces our Mean Time to Repair (MTTR).\"\n\n***** Success Built on Relationships *****\n\nBoth JAE and CpK credit the success of the FactoryTalk AssetCentre deployment to the relationship the two companies have developed over the years.\u00a0\u00a0\n\n\"For us, a successful relationship is based on first listening to your customer - and then understanding what the facility needs,\" Martin said. \"CpK shares their business challenges with us, and we work together to develop solutions.\"\n\nMurray added: \"Strong working relationships with our partners like JAE and our customers is critical to our success. Relationships are the key to complete customer satisfaction - and that's our goal.\"\u00a0 \u00a0\n\nLearn more about solutions deployed by our System Integrator Partners.\n\nTAG: optimize-production\n\nTAG: intelligent-asset-optimization\nTAG: industrial-asset-management\n\nTAG: automotive-and-tire\n\nTAG: factorytalk-assetcentre\nTAG: factorytalk-maintenancesuite\nTAG: factorytalk-view-se\n\n",
    "faribault-foods-upgrades-automation-infrastructure": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/faribault-foods-upgrades-automation-infrastructure\n\nTITLE: Faribault Foods Upgrades Automation Infrastructure\n\n*** Background ***\n\nFor all manufacturers, regardless of industry, sustainable production practices are no longer nice-to-have \u2013 they are a business imperative. And for food and beverage companies in particular \u2013 which the U.S. Energy Information Administration ranks as one of the top five most energy-intensive types of manufacturing \u2013 implementing efficient manufacturing practices can mean both improving the quality of life for customers and driving savings to their own bottom line.\n\nIndeed, Minnesota-based Faribault Foods is no stranger to the importance of sustainability in food production. As a producer of many foods including a wide variety of beans, chili, organic soup, juices and canned pasta, Faribault Foods is a member of the Sustainability Initiative Team (SIT), a part of the Foundation for Strategic Sourcing. The group is comprised of executives from major consumer packaged goods, contract manufacturing and packaging supplier companies that work together to create industry standards to promote sustainability.\n\n\"Our customers are definitely paying more attention to sustainability,\" explained Scott King, executive vice president of operations, Faribault Foods. \"Our participation in groups like SIT helps us understand the importance \u2013 both financially and in terms of responsible corporate citizenship \u2013 of greening the entire food supply chain.\"\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nWhile business drivers may have progressed in recent years, the bean production process hasn't changed much in the company's 115-year history. Beans are brought into the primary production facility from all over the Midwest. They are placed into a soaking and rehydration system, then blanched and transferred to a canning line, where a broth, sauce or brine is added to the beans for flavor. The cans are then sealed and sent to the cooking system, where they are brought up to a required temperature and held there to create a commercially sterile product. Finally, the cans are cooled, packed on pallets and shipped out to thousands of retail locations across the country.\n\n*** A Need for Modernization ***\n\n\"The Faribault bean plant was designed as a seasonal vegetable canning facility,\" explained Phil Hines, director of engineering, Faribault Foods. \"When I joined the company in 2005, it was being operated year-round as a rehydrated bean canning facility. We needed to modernize our production infrastructure to meet long-term business goals and deliver the high-quality, sustainable products our customers expect.\"\n\nIndeed, with several hundred varieties of product being produced each year, the facility simply wasn't designed to keep pace with company's growing business. In addition to producing several of its own product brands, such as Butter Kernel, Kuner's, S&W Beans and Chilliman, the company also produces private-label brands for many large grocery retailers, and provides copacking, or contract manufacturing services as well.\n\n\"We needed to demonstrate and document reliable, repeatable production practices to our customers - particularly to those working with us on copack products,\" explained Hines. \"Our existing production infrastructure didn't allow the necessary level of data collection and insight; plus, it was simply less efficient to run in terms of water, air, gas, electric and steam (WAGES) resource consumption.\"\n\n*** Partnering for Success ***\n\nOnce the company decided to invest in a complete facility overhaul, Hines and his team designed a comprehensive plan to identify opportunities for improvement, documentation requirements, and an ongoing timeline for implementation. \"We knew this wasn't going to be a one-time effort,\" explained Hines. \"We wanted to work with an automation vendor who understood our goals and would commit to our long-term success. That's why we chose Rockwell Automation.\"\n\nHines and his team selected a process solution based on the Rockwell Automation\u00a0Integrated Architecture(R) system, featuring eight Allen-Bradley(R) ControlLogix(R) programmable automation controllers (PAC). Each PAC communicates via a ControlNetTM network to intelligent field devices and twelve human-machine interface stations comprised of Allen-Bradley PanelViewTM Plus terminals and industrial computers running Factory Talk(R) View SE software. The control system monitors the entire production infrastructure in real-time, including WAGES consumption information, so Hines and his team can quickly identify opportunities for improvement and document each critical step of the process.\n\nFaribault Foods implemented instrumentation from Rockwell Automation PartnerNetworkTM member Endress+Hauser for seamless integration with the Rockwell Automation equipment used in the application. \"The benefit of working with a Rockwell Automation partner company is that the two companies have already discussed maintenance, communications and technology issues prior to solution implementation,\" said Hines. \"Rockwell Automation and Endress+Hauser had those details and resources worked out, which helped us simplify implementation.\"\n\nThe solution also includes more than 60 Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) variable frequency drives for more intelligent motor control throughout the plant. The drives improve equipment efficiency by adjusting cycle speeds, as needed, rather than running at full capacity at all times. In addition, the drives feed critical motor data back to the central control system for improved maintenance capabilities.\n\n*** Creating Best Practices ***\n\nDuring implementation, the Faribault Foods team participated in an\u00a0Installed Base EvaluationTM from Rockwell Automation to determine a baseline of current parts in use on the plant floor, as well as critical spares necessary to protect uptime and production goals. After completing the evaluation, the company decided to leverage\u00a0Rockwell Automation Asset Management Services for parts management and 24/7 remote support. With a Parts Management Agreement, Rockwell\u00a0Automation regularly audits and manages Faribault Foods' spare-parts needs to help lower maintenance costs. The TechConnectSM remote support contract gives Hines and his team nonstop access to trained Rockwell Automation specialists who are available to help troubleshoot plant-floor issues and identify best practices for ongoing improvements to the control infrastructure.\n\nTo ensure a smooth transition, Hines wanted to train his staff on the new technology as soon as the system was online. \"Previously, one or two staff members possessed 90 percent of the control system knowledge,\" he said. \"With the new system, we wanted to make sure everyone understood how it worked.\" By partnering with Rockwell Automation, Werner Electric (a local authorized Allen-Bradley distributor) and Alexandria Technical College, plant-floor staff receive training on everything from basic maintenance and troubleshooting, to servo control, to the company's latest software implementation.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nFaribault Foods has been very pleased with how the new control system and support have helped it meet wider business goals. \"Whether it's our sustainability goals or our documentation goals, the Rockwell Automation solution helps us reach both,\" said Hines.\n\n*** State-of-the-Art System ***\n\nFor example, the Allen-Bradley controls are running the company's state-of-the-art heat and energy-recovery system, which reuses 100 percent of the can cooling-process heat to warm city water for the soaking, blanching and cooking procedures. The result: a 38.2 percent decrease in natural gas usage, which won the company Xcel Energy's 2009 award for the largest natural gas reduction among all industrial customers in the state of Minnesota. In addition, the system reuses cooled water to reduce the temperature of the cans in the cooking process, which cuts down on the company's overall water usage by over 100 million gallons each year.\n\n*** Reduced Waste ***\n\nTighter control of the process also allows for reduced waste in the manufacturing process. To accommodate the cooking process, the company leaves \"head space\" in each can \u2013 essentially an air pocket between the lid of the can and the beans. Previously, at the end of the manufacturing line, the head space would be pushed out along with a few ounces of canning fluid, which would be flushed down the drain. Now, thanks to the increased accuracy and reliability of the process, the plantfloor team can fill to exact levels, ensuring that no fluid is wasted when the head space is forced out of the can.\n\n*** Improved Documentation ***\n\nThe new system also provides the company with an unprecedented level of process documentation, which has helped the company achieve Safe Quality Food (SQF) accreditation at all three of its plants. According to the SQF website, SQF accreditation is a voluntary program designed to address heightened consumer demand for increased food safety. To comply with SQF standards, companies like Faribault Foods must provide verifiable proof that robust food-safety control systems have been effectively implemented, properly validated and leverage continuous monitoring procedures. \"Without the Rockwell Automation control system, we simply wouldn't have possessed the documentation necessary to achieve SQF validation, which many of our customers today require,\" explained Hines.\n\nAs Faribault Foods moves to a more strategic, predictive maintenance strategy, the asset management and training support also are proving useful. \"With the parts management program we can maintain the proper amount of spare parts, which helps keep our maintenance costs down,\" said Hines. \"By bringing in Rockwell Automation to help with remote support and training, our team can focus on optimizing existing production processes and improving productivity.\"\n\n*** Increased Throughput and Product Quality ***\n\nIn fact, Faribault Foods is now producing the same amount of product in five days that previously used to take seven. When Hines first started the upgrade process, the plant was typically running at 75 percent of its maximum throughput, or max-T. Now, the facility runs at 90 percent max-T, with a better product quality, as well.\n\n\"We are constantly improving our production processes, not only at our Faribault location but also at our Elk River and Cokato plants,\" said Hines. \"We've selected Rockwell Automation as our control partner on each project because its technology, support and solution designs help support our business goals.\"\n\nEchoed Faribault Foods President Reid MacDonald, \"We are consistently innovating our products and manufacturing practices to be as efficient as possible, in every sense of the word. Faribault Foods is committed to being a sustainable partner for all of our customers, both now and for years to come.\"\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Faribault Foods' use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nAllen-Bradley, ControlLogix, FactoryTalk, Installed Base Evaluation, Integrated Architecture, PanelView, PartnerNetwork, PowerFlex and TechConnect are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\nControlNet is a trademark of ControlNet International, Ltd. Trademarks not belonging to Rockwell Automation are property of their respective companies.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "maximum-transparency-across-all-levels-at-samsung-sdi-battery-sy": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/maximum-transparency-across-all-levels-at-samsung-sdi-battery-sy\n\nTITLE: Maximum Transparency Across All Levels at Samsung SDI Battery Systems\n\nThe vision of\u00a0Samsung SDI is to facilitate the proliferation of electric cars. And the signs bode well: On the one hand, there are numerous European countries such as the Netherlands, Great Britain or France, which have decided to pull fuel and diesel-powered vehicles from the street in the foreseeable future. On the other hand, India and China are fully backing the topic of electric mobility.\n\nA combustion engine-free world is therefore being envisaged and supported from numerous sides. Based on a current study, the research and consulting company Wood Mackenzie, also known as WoodMac, estimates that the number of electrically driven vehicles will rise from today's five million to 300 million by the year 2040. Faster charging times and greater range should provide this development with the necessary boost.\n\nAnd this is where Samsung SDI Battery Systems comes into play: Because at the end of the day, it is the battery that decides the acceptance or non-acceptance of an electric vehicle.\n\n\"The size of the battery is the most important criterion. Other important factors, for example, are the volumic energy, longevity and naturally the quality of the utilized product. This is because a battery is not exactly hazard-free in the event of a malfunction,\" states Christian Neubauer, Head of Production IT at Samsung SDI Battery Systems GmbH in Premst\"atten (Styria, Austria), summarizing what really counts for automotive companies that order such rechargeable batteries for cars, and for final customers, who ultimately drive them.\n\nThe automotive sector is full of \"names\" that rely on the know-how of SDI. No wonder: Executive Manager Stefan R\"opke and his 530 member strong team know exactly what they are doing. \"What makes Samsung especially stand out, is that the battery cells are developed in-house. This is a major advantage, as they form the main component of a battery,\" explains Christian Neubauer.\n\n***** Challenge *****\n\nSamsung SDI Battery Systems is rapidly growing. Sales have quadrupled over the past three years and are closing in on the 300 million euro mark. The annual production currently amounts to around 70,000 batteries. According to Neubauer, this also means that the capacity of the plant in Premst\"atten has been reached. \"We manufacture on four lines. The production of lithium-ion batteries for electric cars, however, cannot be compared with a typical serial production, where a finished product leaves the conveyor belt every few seconds. This is a very demanding process, which correspondingly takes longer. Our cycle time is around five minutes,\" he said.\n\nSDI battery packs comprise individual prismatic cells, which are finished into modules. Depending on the battery type and the desired road performance, multiple such modules, including electronics and control units, are fitted into a robust case. The process is completed by an \"end-of-line check\", in the course of which the manufactured packs are examined right up to the smallest detail. \"The requirements of the automotive industry are increasing: The time to market, i.e., the timespan between the tendering of a project and the start of serial production, is constantly growing shorter. Next to developing a tailored high-tech product, this implies that we also have to simultaneously design the corresponding production line in order to offer a suitable solution. The mechanical safety of the battery must be warranted, which is why we even execute crash tests, in which a truck collides with the rear end of an electric car at 120 kph. Last but not least, everything that happens in manufacturing must be documented,\" Neubauer said.\n\nThe topic of traceability, i.e., the seamless tracking of the entire creation process of a car battery made by Samsung SDI in Premst\"atten, is supported by the scalable\u00a0FactoryTalk(R) Production Centre(R) manufacturing execution system from Rockwell Automation. \"Numerous manufacturing companies still work with different systems as well as with processes involving paper - e.g., Excel lists. This makes it difficult to consolidate data from a wide range of sources, to bring it into context and to assess it in real-time. This is why we recommend that our customers digitalize all the relevant processes and the corresponding information,\" says Johannes Landschauer, Account Manager End User at Rockwell Automation.\n\n***** Solution *****\n\nSamsung SDI Battery Systems can in the meantime answer questions like \"Why are our fully automated facilities, of all things, the most productive between midnight and two in the morning? What are the reasons for that? What is different afterwards?\", at the touch of a button. The\u00a0FactoryTalk(R) Performance application and\u00a0FactoryTalk(R) AnalyticsTM platform make transparent in real-time what goes wrong behind the scenes or is not running optimally.\n\n\"Samsung SDI clearly adheres to the target of being the global number 1 in the rechargeable car battery segment. We require innovative, top-quality products to achieve this. With its FactoryTalk offering, Rockwell Automation helps us to become even better. Its software tools immediately highlight whatever goes wrong,\" Neubauer said.\n\nEverything is analyzed at Samsung SDI Battery Systems. Every single production step is documented by the MES. For example, FactoryTalk Analytics can potentially point out that the increasing error rates at a station where the batteries are bonded directly correlates to the adhesives drum recently integrated into the manufacturing process.\n\nIt could identify what influence the temperature in the factory hall has on certain processes. It could also make the peak times, in which the IT department is most at risk of being fully \"bogged down\" by queries, transparent.\n\n\"We have opted for FactoryTalk Analytics, because this tool functions both in a system-independent manner and universally, i.e., it is not limited to the illustration of production-relevant aspects. No matter whether production, controlling, IT or quality management - every department can profit from this user-friendly analysis software,\" Neubauer summed up.\n\nUsing it makes cost center accounting calculations just as visible for the management as target and actual statistics for production heads.\n\n\"In the past it was always the job of the IT departments to provide the necessary data sets,\" Neubauer said. \"Today, our employees can themselves easily filter out whatever they require for their assessments and reports and one can quickly identify interdependencies, of which one was not previously aware.\"\n\n***** Results *****\n\nUtilizing FactoryTalk Analytics has very quickly paid off for Samsung SDI Battery Systems. \"This analysis tool contributes to significant increases in efficiency in the most diverse areas. It not only addresses the obvious, it also links the correct dependencies for a continuous improvement process, and, furthermore, is easy to use. Simply the fact that finding out what used to take at least an hour per user, can now be achieved within five minutes, shows how quickly this solution has amortized itself,\" Neubauer said.\n\nAnd he can also report on other benefits: \"No matter whether our presence towards customers needs to be standardized, quality-relevant aspects kept continuously monitored or the entire production process documented in real-time - Rockwell Automation's FactoryTalk software fully supports us in achieving our company goal to be and remain the best in class.\"\n\nQuality is critical for the company from Premst\"atten. This is why numerous test points continuously check what happens behind the scenes. \"And if FactoryTalk Analytics helps us to respond more quickly to an error in a fully automated robot station with a cycle time of 400 seconds, because we can at a glance see that we are closing in on the defined threshold, then this is of course a significant benefit, in the truest sense of the meaning,\" the Head of Production IT said.\n\nAn analysis system based on demand most importantly achieves one requirement: Maximum transparency.\n\nFor example, machine performance is easily monitored and analyzed by regularly examining the logging history of certain data sets.\n\n\"In the context of analysis, one first thinks of taking a closer look at past events or ones currently taking place,\" Christian Neubauer knows. \"We want to also increasingly use FactoryTalk Analytics and the underlying, intelligent algorithms for pattern recognition and the compilation of spot-on forecasts. Our final goal, which we want to reach together with Rockwell Automation, is to be able to respond in a timely manner and to proactively initiate counters before a problem actually arises.\"\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to Samsung SDI Battery Systems' use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nAllen-Bradley, FactoryTalk ProductionCentre and Rockwell Automation are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc. EtherNet/IP is a trademark of ODVA Inc. Trademarks not belonging to Rockwell Automation are property of their respective companies.\n\n\nTAG: automotive-and-tire\n\n",
    "gas-fired-cogeneration-plant-replaces-aging-dcs": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/gas-fired-cogeneration-plant-replaces-aging-dcs\n\nTITLE: Gas-Fired Cogeneration Plant Replaces Aging DCS\n\nBackground\n\nRipon Cogeneration, a subsidiary of Veresen holding company, sells power to one of the nation's largest utilities, helping supply energy to homes and businesses throughout most of Northern and Central California. The turbine at the 50-megawatt-capacity plant, located in the San Joaquin Valley, also generates steam that is utilized for the production of Distilled Water that is then used at the adjacent process manufacturer.\n\n\n\nIn 2012, owners of the 25-year-old plant decided to retire their obsolete distributed control system (DCS).\n\n\n\n\"Our aging system could no longer maintain performance and it was too costly to repair,\" said Brett Weber, operations and maintenance manager, Ripon Cogeneration. \"Also, very few people even understood the legacy system anymore, and we had limited vendor support. We had to do something.\"\n\n\n\nChallenge\n\nThe major problem: Multiple fail-safes were hard-coded into the DCS, so even small deviations in process variables \u2013 for example, temperature \u2013 would trip the entire system offline and force the plant to shut down. Operators and technicians could only react to the safety trips, which occurred much too often.\n\n\n\nRe-starting the gas turbine and the critical subsystems that supported it \u2013 including the chiller, reverse osmosis and distilled water plant \u2013 required about an hour each time the plant shut down, cutting into the plant's production.\n\n\n\nThe multiple startups also put the plant in danger of exceeding its emission limits. Just as a car expels more exhaust when a driver cranks the engine, power plants emit more combustibles during startups. Power-plant emissions and other potential environmental impacts are closely regulated in California. In all, Ripon operates under permits from 12 different regulatory bodies that monitor everything from groundwater quality to ammonia levels around the plant.\n\n\n\nOperating with a nearly antiquated DCS was complicated by the lack of local support for repairs or expert maintenance.\n\n\n\n\"Every time there was a major issue with the system, we had to wait for support, sometimes up to three weeks,\" Weber said. The maintenance and repair issues inevitably became more frequent, more costly and more time-consuming.\n\n\n\nTo top things off, in 2012, Ripon completely lost its process historian when the plant server died. In addition to a failing DCS system, Ripon lost all of its data. Just fixing the server and historian would have been a $20,000 project with no guarantee that the data would be recovered.\n\n\n\nIn addition, daily production reports were being developed manually \u2013 plant operators would record data from the control-system meters and manually transcribe data from Web pages, insert the data into a production report, and send the report to the vice president in a remote location. The manual report was taking one to two hours every day to produce.\n\n\n\n\"When the new COO of our company visited our plant and saw what we were working with, that was the deciding factor,\" Weber said. \"It only took him 30 minutes until his decision was made \u2013 to approve the plant's recommendation to put in a new control system with an integrated information solution.\"\n\n\n\nSolution\n\nThe new system includes an information-enabled, scalable, multidiscipline control platform that combines process and safety control with communication and state-of-the-art I/O. The system is equipped with 750 I/O points and is able to collect up to 1,000 points of process data. The plant's old proprietary network was replaced with EtherNet/IP\u2122, allowing easy installation of the new system and smooth integration with the existing plant subsystems.\n\n\n\nTo eliminate the plant's error-prone, manual data-collection process, the PlantPAx\u2122 system includes data historian software, as well as a visualization, analysis and reporting portal that provides role-based dashboards with real-time insight into production. The supervisory-level visualization capabilities included within the PlantPAx system provide operators with optimal insight into production information and diagnostics perfectly incorporated into Ripon's re-designed and upgraded operator control room. The PlantPAx system will leverage all historical data from the process system and automate daily production reports, allowing plant operators to focus more closely on system operations than manual reporting each day.\n\n\n\nIn the past, Ripon was unable to fully understand what was causing system aberrations. Case in point: the plant's gas-turbine scenario. There is a specific control point in the gas turbine, referred to as T2 \u2013 turbine inlet air temperature.. The PlantPAx system allows operators better insight into T2 temperature and what affects it, so they can proactively respond to changes, improving productivity.\n\n\n\nResults\n\nThe PlantPAx system provides a single, cohesive, open communication protocol and has enhanced overall plant performance at Ripon. Project benefits include:\n\n    * Significant reduction in shutdowns \u2013 Nuisance fail-safes are down nearly 90 percent with the new system.\n\n    * Regulatory compliance \u2013 Because unplanned shutdowns are few, the plant starts up just once per day, keeping its emissions well within check. \"Implementing the PlantPAx system has indirectly helped us comply with all other regulatory issues because the controls are automated and operators can monitor conditions in real time,\" Weber said.\n\n    * Reduced startup time \u2013 Instead of needing an hour to re-start the plant, the new system takes approximately 45 minutes.\n\n    * Controllable process variables \u2013 Personnel now can easily monitor system variables through the PlantPAx dashboards and decide whether to operate around small aberrations or shut down the system if necessary.\n\n    * A single, open network \u2013 Ripon can more easilyexpand the plant and take advantage of new Ethernet- based equipment and devices. Furthermore, the nonproprietary network simplifies the hiring and training process because new engineers do not need specialized expertise to operate and troubleshootthe system.\n\n    * Production intelligence \u2013 Plant operators will be able to see and leverage real-time system data in order to address issues as they arise and to make sure the plant is rarely running at full steam. Local vendor support \u2013 Both Maverick Technologies and Rockwell Automation specialists can respond quickly if the need arises.\n\n\"From an aesthetic standpoint, Ripon's fully integrated automation control system offers a whole new operator experience,\" Weber said.\n\n\n\n\"Now when you're in the operator seat, it feels like you are driving one complete car \u2013 rather than one with a Chevrolet body, Ford engine and Toyota dashboard,\" Weber said. \"This project has set the standard for all future projects at our plant and is a model for Veresen plant design.\"\n\n\nTAG: power-generation\n\n",
    "a-heavy-industry-in-korea-relies-on-integrated-power-package-": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/a-heavy-industry-in-korea-relies-on-integrated-power-package-\n\nTITLE: A Heavy Industry in Korea Relies On Integrated Power Package\n\n*** Background ***\n\nOne heavy industry company in Korea has successfully completed many of the world's first and largest shipbuilding and offshore engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) projects. Now the goal is to establish global leadership in each of their participating market segments.\n\nMost notably, it has achieved leadership in the high-tech, high-value shipbuilding sector by maintaining the world's No. 1 share in the drill ship, liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier and floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit markets.\n\nThe company developed and built the first Arctic shuttle tanker and LNG-FPSO units in the world, and has pioneered new markets by developing innovative products such as LNG floating storage and regasification units (FSRU), and ships for polar applications, including Arctic ice breaker container ships.\n\nIn the offshore facilities sector, the company has fortified its reputation through excellent technology and rich experience, by successfully delivering the world's largest semi-submerged offshore drilling platform.\n\nIn addition, this company has operated the electricity and electronics business by converging its shipbuilding and offshore business with digital technology. It provides ship network systems, fuel gas supply and storage systems (FuGas), and ballast water management systems (PURIMAR). Its technological excellence often has been recognized in the global markets.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nThe Mexican Gulf region in the Caribbean Sea is home to billions of barrels of recoverable natural resources. When one large multinational oil company began work on a major project in the region, it was important that all systems function as planned. Any delay in the building or startup of this project could result in losing several million dollars per day.\n\nBecause this project was so large and complex, many stakeholders were involved in the race to build and commission the production facilities. When this happens, often producers overlook the critical role of collaboration and product specification.\n\nIn this case, its end user had requested a detailed design of the floating processing unit (FPU) with more intelligent components and options than ever before. This tailored solution would use a common platform to meet power, control and information needs.\n\nThe traditional approach requires separate electrical and process control systems - meaning more vendors to manage; duplicate visualization and reporting platforms; and limited access to mobile and remote device data.\n\nTo reduce complexity and improve performance, it tasked the EPC with identifying a single provider for the project's Integrated Power Package (IPP), including medium voltage motor control centers (MCCs).\u00a0\n\nThe E300TM electronic overload relay provides a flexible design with real-time motor diagnostic information to proactively indicate when a motor is having a problem so operators can efficiently troubleshoot.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nUnifying systems with one IPP simplifies the supply chain and overall operations, reducing the potential for integration challenges that can come with using different technologies from multiple suppliers. Most importantly, a unified system that's built on a digital foundation can help operators make smarter, faster decisions.\n\nThis company selected Rockwell Automation Korea to provide the IPP. The\u00a0Allen-Bradley(R) CENTERLINE(R) 2100 MCC combines rugged durability and premium quality, integrating control and power in one centralized package, with a wide variety of motor control options, delivering the maximum in safety, performance and reliability.\n\nWith IntelliCENTER(R) technology, the CENTERLINE 2100 MCC uses\u00a0intelligent motor control in combination with built-in\u00a0Ethernet/IPTM networking and pre-configured software to enhance performance by providing real-time access to information. This allows the end user to control, monitor and maintain operations from any location.\n\nAdditional safety and networking features, including\u00a0ArcShieldTM and SecureConnectTM options, allow the EPC to create a design that best satisfies the needs for individual safety and communication programs.\n\nThe\u00a0Allen-Bradley PowerFlex(R) 755 AC drive is ideal for applications that require positioning, speed or torque control. In this application, the AC drive easily integrates with the embedded Ethernet port, with five option slots to support additional options for feedback, I/O, safety and communications for the onshore application.\n\nThe\u00a0E300TM electronic overload relay provides a flexible design with real-time motor diagnostic information to proactively indicate when a motor is having a problem so operators can efficiently troubleshoot.\n\nIn addition, to support virtualization, the\u00a0Industrial Data Center (IDC) (PDF) - the first-ever sold in Korea - helped the end user realize cost savings through a pre-engineered, scalable infrastructure. All of the hardware needed to run multiple operating systems and multiple applications from virtualized servers was included in the initial design and estimate.\n\nBy adopting virtualization, the end user reduced the server footprint, extended application longevity, and improved infrastructure reliability with management and recovery features, remote monitoring and administration.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nSimply using industrial-rated controllers in hazardous locations saved almost 30 percent in costs that would have been allocated to more expensive NEMA 7/9 enclosures on the air purge panels required when using traditional power controllers. From the end user's perspective, the flexibility of the industrial control solution allows them to easily and cost-effectively add I/O points to expand the system's capabilities in the future.\n\nLong-term relationships and collaboration figured prominently in this project.\n\n\"Our relationship with Rockwell Automation has opened our eyes to what's possible in terms of cutting-edge technology and transferring to new systems without any trouble,\" said Joonho Kang, assistant manager. \"We've formed a strong relationship with Rockwell Automation, and see a lot of future business opportunities to combine our expertise and deliver innovative IPP solutions to the market.\"\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to this company's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\n\u00a0\n\nTrademark Information:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\n\n\u00a0\n\nAllen-Bradley, ArcShield, CENTERLINE, E300, IntelliCENTER, PowerFlex, Rockwell Automation and SecureConnect are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\n\u00a0\n\n\nTAG: oil-and-gas\n\n",
    "colorado-springs-utilities-improves-hydro-fleet-system-availabil": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/colorado-springs-utilities-improves-hydro-fleet-system-availabil\n\nTITLE: Colorado Springs Utilities Improves Hydro Fleet System Availability\n\n*** Background ***\n\nColorado Springs Utilities (CSU) provides electricity, natural gas, water and wastewater services to nearly 600,000 people in central Colorado. To help deliver these services, CSU operates and maintains four hydroelectric plants \u2013 one of which is in Manitou, Colo., a remote town nestled in the foothills of Pikes Peak. Surrounded by sweet-smelling pine trees, the plant is housed in a small brick building that is more than 100 years old. Despite its aging walls, the plant is essential to CSU and its customers. As water glides down the mountain, the plant's prime function is to break the head pressure of water from 1,100 pounds per square inch (psi) to 35 psi so it can be accommodated by the utility's water treatment plant.\n\nAs a byproduct of reducing water pressure, the Manitou plant's position at the base of the mountain is a premium location for producing electricity. This electricity is created when water from mountain reservoirs drops hundreds of feet through a pipe to the hydro plant. The high-pressure movement of the water through a turbine then turns a generator to make electricity. CSU currently generates up to 102,000 MW of renewable energy each year through its four hydro plants, fulfilling six percent of the city's need. CSU is gradually increasing this percentage to comply with a mandate on the state's large utilities that 10 percent of power be derived from renewable sources by 2015.\n\n\n\nThe shift towards renewable energy will help meet the state mandate, but also helps CSU address the rising cost of fuel. It currently costs $4 to generate one MW of electricity at its Manitou hydro plant. Generating the same amount of energy costs $12 at the city's two coal-fired plants and $90 at its natural gas-fired plant.\n\n\n\nTo take full advantage of hydroelectric power, CSU needed to address key issues with its hydro plants: system availability and maintainability.\n\n*** Challenge ***\n\nIn addition to Manitou, CSU's unit in Ruxton also relied on old equipment that was failing at an alarming rate. CSU's maintenance engineers would journey up Pikes Peak using the Cog Railway an average of three times each month to address malfunctioning equipment. Although these treks were scenic, they were far from profitable. It took 20 minutes to reach Manitou and two and a half hours to reach Ruxton, its most remote hydro plant. After arriving at the facilities, engineers then needed to diagnose and secure parts to repair the problem. As this sometimes required multiple trips up and down the mountainside, downtime could extend for days.\n\n\n\n\u201cAt our remote hydro plants, we maintained legacy DCS systems from two different vendors, both of which were aging and increasingly in need of hard-to-find replacement parts,\u201d said Brent Richardson, plant manager, Colorado Springs Utilities. \u201cThe disparate control systems each required their own inventory of spare parts, along with engineers who were familiar with the ins and outs of maintaining them.\u201d\n\n\n\nFor CSU to increase renewable energy production, it needed to increase system availability of its Manitou and Ruxton hydro units, which hovered at 50 percent. Making matters worse, 20 percent of the outages were unplanned, which were more costly for the utility. CSU's operators couldn't remotely access the hydro units from a central location, so it was always necessary to physically travel to the sites to assess the cause of each forced outage. At minimum, this resulted in several hours of downtime \u2013 but usually resulted in several days of lost production.\n\n\n\nIf for any reason CSU couldn't meet the power needs of residents, it had to purchase power on the open market. Because power is priced according to demand, and emergencies often occur at peak times, buying power is often very expensive. Even though its hydro plants only generated a small portion of the city's electricity, CSU wanted to secure every kW it could to avoid the open market.\n\n*** Solution ***\n\nWith over 25 years in the power industry, Richardson was familiar with the legacy DCS systems used at CSU's hydro plants. But rather than simply replacing them with newer models, he saw the advantage of standardizing on a single control architecture for all of CSU's operations. CSU had recently upgraded its contingency-power generation facility in Birdsall to the Rockwell Automation\u00ae PlantPAx\u2122 process automation system, and Richardson believed this platform would be ideal for the hydro plants as well.\n\n\n\n\u201cRockwell Automation provided us with complete system specifications for Birdsall, mapping out every aspect of the architecture that would automate all key functions of the plant,\u201d said Richardson. \u201cIt was one of the fastest and cleanest installations I've ever seen. Their knowledge of the issues facing our industry was impressive and helped us countless times over.\u201d\n\n\n\nBuilding off of the success of its Birdsall renovation, CSU decided to migrate its hydro units to the PlantPAx system. The company began this process with Ruxton \u2013 its most remote unit \u2013 and then migrated the control system at Manitou, its oldest unit.\n\n\n\nTo help understand the new PlantPAx system front to back \u2013 including how to operate, maintain and repair it \u2013 Richardson's staff performed the installation. \u201cTraditional DCS suppliers don't provide us the option to install the control system \u2013 the custom code and configurations are just too complex,\u201d said Richardson. \u201cThe modularity of the PlantPAx system enabled us to install it ourselves, which was critical to our decision to standardize on the platform.\u201d\n\nAs part of the PlantPAx system, CSU installed an Allen-Bradley\u00ae ControlLogix\u00ae programmable automation controller on each of the plant's generators. The ControlLogix controller sends valuable diagnostics via EtherNet/IP to a microwave station and \u2013 at the base of the mountain \u2013 back to a ControlLogix controller at the Birdsall facility. FactoryTalk\u00ae AssetCentre software from Rockwell Automation consolidates human-machine interface data from the hydro units, allowing CSU's operators to centrally monitor and manage system parameters, such as water pressure, and adjust controller set points from the convenience of the Birdsall plant. By evaluating valuable diagnostics, such as I/O modules and field devices, operators can also remotely troubleshoot the system if necessary.\n\n*** Results ***\n\nPrior to the upgrade, it could take three or more days to recover the Manitou and Ruxton systems from a forced outage. After migrating to the PlantPAx system, CSU has experienced nearly 100 percent availability. CSU's operators remotely monitor each plant and diagnose issues as they arise, often well before the issues cause downtime.\n\n\n\n\u201cWhen maintenance is necessary, we can analyze the situation from the Birdsall location, gather all the necessary parts, and route water to one of CSU's other hydro stations during the repair to maintain power production,\u201d said Richardson. \u201cWith a Rockwell Automation Parts Management Agreement and by standardizing on a single control architecture, we've further streamlined maintenance procedures. We have quick access to the spare parts we need and can share inventory across the organization.\u201d\n\n\n\nWith downtime costing $100 dollars per hour, CSU estimates that the increase in availability is saving the company $50,000 annually from the operations and maintenance budget.\n\n\n\nIn addition, the company can now optimize renewable energy production by identifying the highest efficiency hydro units. As water pressure fluctuates based on where the hydro units are located on the mountain, the utility can select the best water route at any given time. Prior to the upgrade, CSU could produce three percent renewable energy \u2013 when the hydro units were functioning properly. Today, CSU can reliably produce six percent, and is well ahead of schedule for meeting the 2015 state mandate of 10 percent.\n\n\n\nWith a Rockwell Automation PlantPAx system, CSU now has the freedom to shift its focus from \u201cmaintenance mode\u201d to generating more renewable energy. The increased availability and maintainability of the Manitou and Ruxton hydro plants will help CSU produce more renewable energy, benefiting the company's bottom-line and helping ensure safe, secure power for the residents of Colorado Springs, Colo. Next on CSU's agenda is upgrading its legacy DCS at its hydro plant in Tesla \u2013 an endeavor the utility anticipates will further improve its bottom line and the city's reliance on clean energy.\n\n\nTAG: power-generation\n\n",
    "asset-management-plastics": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/asset-management-plastics\n\nTITLE: Cloeren Incorporated Improves Asset Management\n\nHolly Tullos, Maintenance Coordinator at Cloeren Incorporated, is responsible for creating, managing, and updating the company's maintenance strategy. As the only maintenance administrator for the company, Holly is busy and only getting busier by the day. In the last year, the number of machines she helps manage at Cloeren's four American facilities has grown by 22%. The increase brings Cloeren's machine count to over 100 machines across North America.\n\n\"More machines means more schedules to create, more manuals, and more assets to track,\" says Holly.\n\nCloeren's maintenance team set a goal to improve machine tooling uptime and implement proactive maintenance strategies. Unfortunately, they couldn't move beyond a 'run until it breaks' mentality. This mindset was risky because it meant replacing an entire assembly line when something inevitably broke-costing Cloeren both time and money.\n\nWith repair costs on the rise, Cloeren knew they couldn't keep operating this way.\n\nDiscovering the need for a CMMS\n\nTo help combat these problems, Cloeren purchased a maintenance module for their enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to manage assets across plants and hired Holly to implement and maintain it. But this new system lacked the functionality needed.\n\n\"Our machines' information must be organized, easy to read and understand, so our technicians know how to plan for these events,\" says Holly.\n\nShe felt defeated after putting in the effort to look through manuals and creating all schedules for the system. Because there was no mobile integration, work orders had to be printed and physically distributed across the plant. And they had to refer to the same old manuals and help centers for troubleshooting.\n\n\"These resources hardly ever give you relevant ideas or solutions, they seem out of touch with their users,\" says Holly.\n\nHolly needed a solution that would work for her, not against her. A solution that would make it easier for the technicians to have access to manuals if they needed them and less paperwork to fill out every day. With that in mind, the maintenance team began their search for a CMMS.\n\nSearching for an easy-to-use system\n\nThe decision to choose Fiix(R) wasn't difficult. With a relatively low start-up cost, the ability to interact with their ERP system, and its 'user-friendly' functionality, the team didn't have to receive multiple approvals or make different business cases for the purchase to be approved.\n\nThe system offered an easy-to-use mobile app that the technicians could use to update and receive work orders and repair requests. It allowed technicians to access the information they needed to create and complete work orders from anywhere in the plant.\n\nHolly was also invited to join a beta testing group for Fiix's new features. This was something the other systems lacked. Cloeren believed that by taking advantage of it, Holly would have the best chance of finding a solution that satisfied all their requirements.\n\nFinding support in a community of like-minded individuals\n\nHolly was introduced to The Fiixers community, a forum for users to connect, bounce ideas off each other, and share best practices for using Fiix to get the best results. This, combined with the Fiix team's near-constant efforts to get and implement feedback, made Holly realize that Fiix was a true collaborator in her team's success.\n\n\"I would receive calls from Fiix's representatives, and they would ask me questions about what features I liked and what I didn't like,\" says Holly.\n\nThey seemed to listen to feedback and were able to offer solutions for the problems in the meantime.\n\nHolly began to use The Fiixers community as a sounding board for questions about her CMMS.\n\n\"It's fantastic to go into the community and send a message asking for guidance and have a solution right there,\" Holly says.\n\nEven if my problem wasn't related to the Fiix platform, the community makes me feel like I'm not alone in this.\n\nCloeren is conducting an audit of its maintenance strategy to confirm that everything is in working order and limit future breakdowns. Having access to past Fiix webinars on conducting these audits has been a major help.\n\n\"I have returned to some of those webinar recordings and watched them three or four times,\" says Holly, \"and if I don't understand something in them, I can be sure to count on the rest of the community for support.\"\n\nAccess to data improves asset management\n\nToday, Holly appreciates being able to pull reports about the maintenance program with real-time data from Fiix.\n\n\"Pulling a pre-made report is extremely useful because it provides me with all information I need to make maintenance decisions,\" she says.\n\nThe data from these reports aids Holly's ongoing efforts to shift the company to a proactive maintenance strategy. It shows her any potential roadblocks or areas of concern that she should report to the managers.\n\n\"I don't have to think about anything except turning the data into an action plan,\" Holly says.\n\nLooking ahead to a bright future\n\nUsing Fiix allowed Holly to concentrate on developing a proactive maintenance strategy, but it also provided her with the invaluable opportunity to join a community of like-minded people.\n\nLooking ahead, Holly is confident that Fiix will continue to assist her and her colleagues in making informed maintenance and asset knowledge decisions.\n\n\"I would recommend Fiix to anyone in maintenance,\" she says, \"simply because the community provides administrators with so much knowledge-sharing.\"\n\nTAG: chemical\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\nTAG: fiix\n\n",
    "food-and-beverage-plant-gains-insights-and-cuts-waste-by--500-00": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/food-and-beverage-plant-gains-insights-and-cuts-waste-by--500-00\n\nTITLE: Food and Beverage Plant Gains Insights and Cuts Waste by $500,000 With DCS Upgrade\n\nWhen you sip a perfectly sweetened soft drink or sprinkle a no-calorie sweetener in your tea, you may have just enjoyed the fruit \u2013 or the kernel \u2013 of one British company's labors. The company provides sweeteners, starches and other ingredients to food, beverage and other industries worldwide.\n\nThe company's corn wet-milling process uses every part of the corn kernel to create byproducts, from animal feed to high-fructose corn syrups. But extracting sugar from corn kernels \u2013 the sweet spot for one of the company's plants in the U.S. Midwest \u2013 requires a complex series of steps. And that multiplies the need for efficiency and flexible controls.\n\n*** Outdated DCS, Lacks Efficiency ***\n\nThe ingredient producer acquired the Midwestern plant during a business acquisition more than 20 years ago. While the plant's end products evolved to reflect changing consumer tastes and trends, its original process control system did not change and was showing its age.\n\n\"Runtime failures were steadily increasing,\" said a principal process control engineer for the company. \"At the rate we were going, we could not guarantee acceptable plant uptime in five or six years.\"\u00a0\n\n\n\nWhen control components failed, it was increasingly difficult and expensive to locate replacement parts, putting plant productivity in jeopardy. The risk came to light a few years ago when a membrane filter on a skid line failed, forcing the entire production line to shut down.\n\nOperators also had to rely on single-screen stations that lacked visualization capabilities, making timely troubleshooting nearly impossible. Without visibility into system devices, programmers needed to identify the programmable logic controller (PLC) code in order to identify a failed device.\n\n\"Anytime an I/O point failed, we had to shut down the entire production line because we had no easy way of identifying the problem, and it wasn't worth the risk of running blindly,\" the engineer said.\n\nThe plant's reliance on obsolete parts \u2013 and the system's inability to easily pinpoint problems \u2013 made it clear that the site urgently needed a new process control system.\n\n*** Modern DCS 'Sweetens' Control, Visualization ***\n\nThe plant's project team presented a recommendation to management for the PlantPAx\u00ae modern DCS from Rockwell Automation. The scalable, plantwide control system offered the reliability, flexibility and production insights that the plant needed to maintain peak productivity.\n\nThe team was familiar with Rockwell Automation\u00ae equipment and had evaluated the PlantPAx system at the company's annual Automation Fair\u00ae event.\n\n\"I knew it had the features and architecture we wanted for the entire company,\" the engineer said.\n\nBefore implementing the new system, the team wanted to confirm that the system's common EtherNet/IP\u2122 backbone would mesh with the company's IT systems. The company's legacy system hardware did not communicate well with other plants, creating business challenges.\n\n\"We used the PlantPAx system estimator to research networking scenarios for connecting servers to PLCs,\" the engineer said.\n\nThe review confirmed that the Ethernet network was the right choice and helped the team develop project timelines.\n\nWhile all the plant's controls are local, the PlantPAx system can transmit production data through a gateway to the business network. This would allow managers to see production and trending across the company's different plants.\n\n\"The PlantPAx system had the flexibility we were looking for,\" the engineer said. \"All the pieces tied together with our established legacy controls, and we really liked the robustness and reliability of the Logix control platform.\"\n\nTo minimize production disruption during migration, the team kept the legacy system running and built the PlantPAx system on top of it. They temporarily created a CLX chassis in place, moved I/O, and used 3-D fittings and prototypes to accomplish the replacement.\n\nAt system transition time, the team took the legacy DCS offline, secured the chassis and brought the new PlantPAx modern DCS online. The replace-in-place method minimized space requirements and achieved a virtually seamless transition.\n\nDuring implementation, the project team found great advantage in the PlantPAx library of process objects. Its modular programming tools, including virtual image templates, simplified system setup. The system library also helped the project team embed best practices into the system, including rules for system access, alarm management and more. The templates deliver core system elements such as pre-configured, drop-in templates, providing systemwide consistency.\n\nThe system's access guides made it easy for the project team to create and assign different access levels, achieving the right balance of security and accessibility.\n\n\"Now we can assign each job function \u2013 operators, main technicians, controls engineers \u2013 with the needed access levels across the plant,\" the engineer said.\n\nThe company can also easily limit system access to operations personnel with system expertise, and grant maintenance access and delegate responsibility across teams and shifts. Machine operators will always have the ability to override maintenance controls and authorize continued operations when it would be counterproductive to halt a production line.\n\nThe PlantPAx system incorporates the visualization capabilities of FactoryTalk\u00ae View Site Edition HMI software from Rockwell Automation, which monitors and controls distributed-server/multi-user applications. It provides critical visibility when and where operators and other employees need it.\n\n\"We were confident that employees of many skill levels would find it easy to use, and that it would ease their concerns over a new system,\" the engineer said.\n\nThe company also uses the system's process historian, allowing operators to view production trends.\n\n*** Unsavory Waste and Downtime Minimized ***\n\nToday, plant workers worry less about production downtime and obsolete hardware. The plant can produce its own hardware spares and even prevented an extensive production outage at a sister plant by providing spares when 15 of its modules failed.\n\n\"The PlantPAx solution gives us fast access to more data, so I can tell what's happening throughout the system almost instantly,\" the engineer said.\n\nThe system rapidly processes the plant's control strategies and loops, giving operators ongoing insight into ingredient flow, pressure, temperature and other elements critical to quality, capacity and production line flow.\n\nWith precise loop control, the plant is significantly reducing waste. \"We've easily saved $500,000 a year because we have tighter controls on the ingredients and chemicals we use,\" the engineer said.\n\nWorkers are also appreciating the time-saving benefits of improved visualization.\n\n\"You can see modes of operation right from the HMI, as well as visualization of design functions,\" the engineer said. \"When it comes to troubleshooting a device problem, it probably saves 15 minutes per device because operators don't have to find the device's PLC codes.\"\n\nWith about 3,000 devices and 4,800 I/O points, the potential time-savings are vast.\n\nThe scalability of the PlantPAx system also complements the company's vision for the future.\n\n\"I have to plan on the future growth of our company,\" the engineer said. \"With the PlantPAx platform, we can add new functionality and scale the system as needed. It will be our control system for the next 20 years.\"\n\nThe results mentioned above are specific to this company's use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers.\n\nRockwell Automation, Automation Fair, FactoryTalk and PlantPAx are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.\n\nEtherNet/IP is a trademark of ODVA Inc.\n\n\nTAG: food-and-beverage\n\n",
    "intelligent-motor-control-delivers-information-and-safety-for-ex": "PATH: /company/news/case-studies/intelligent-motor-control-delivers-information-and-safety-for-ex\n\nTITLE: Intelligent Motor Control Delivers Information and Safety for Explosives Manufacturing Plant\n\nThe Australian explosives manufacturing industry has earned an enviable reputation as a global leader in the manufacture of explosives as well as providing the required infrastructure and equipment for the explosives industry both within Australia and around the world.\n\nInternational Explosives Equipment (IEE) is one of the world's leading mining explosives equipment manufacturer and supplier. The company manufactures in their custom built facility in Western Australia.\n\nWhen tasked with building a new explosives manufacturing plant in a remote part of Eastern Europe, IEE knew that there were a number of regulatory and environmental considerations to be addressed.\n\nIEE called on Auto Control Systems (ACS), a recognised Rockwell Automation System Integrator and provider of industrial automation, control systems and services based in Perth, Australia. Within the scope of the project, ACS was responsible for delivering the automation and electrical components of the plant.\n\nThe key to the success of the project was to design and build the explosives equipment to meet the production requirements of plant while taking into account the unique environmental factors and transportation logistics.\n\n*** Intelligent Motor Control ***\n\nMotor control technologies\u00a0have advanced rapidly, delivering tighter integration between devices and access to data. These advances provide actionable information to help optimise operations.\n\nAccording to Andrew Taylor, engineering & operations manager, ACS, \"Customers around the world are growing more aware of international regulations, including IEC regulations around the Motor Control Centre (MCC) and safety so they are really looking for solutions to meet these criteria.\"\n\nIEE, ACS and the end user collaborated on the programming requirements for operating the production facility incorporating a high level of safety, automation and control.\n\nThe Allen-Bradley(R) CENTERLINE(R) 2500 MCC\u00a0from Rockwell Automation was selected as the most appropriate choice for this application. The MCC features the complete Rockwell Automation Connected Components range, including\u00a0E300TM Electronic Overloads\u00a0and\u00a0PowerFlex(R)\u00a0525 and 753 drives all on an Ethernet backbone.\n\n\"One of the key considerations for international customers is that they are able to find support for their equipment locally. Rockwell Automation has a large install base and support all over the world so this provided some reassurance should a problem arise,\" explained Andrew.\n\nPowerFlex 525 drives with built in safe torque off helped achieve a Category 3 machine safety with no additional hardware for the drives.\n\nTo minimise any potential downtime the MCC was assembled as two completely independent systems; with two separate\u00a0CompactLogixTM controllers\u00a0and two\u00a0PanelViewTM terminals.\n\nEach system was responsible for running two different processes, so if one system needs maintenance, the other part of the plant can continue to run with no interruption.\n\nAll motor control equipment has an external hardware interface module to display performance information at the front of the MCC.\n\n\"The CENTERLINE MCC also provides the functionality to remove a component for maintenance, close the door and continue to run without any danger to the operators. If you compare this to the older MCCs, you would need to shut down the whole system while the component in question was being worked on,\" said Andrew.\n\n\"The solution was developed using\u00a0Studio 5000(R)\u00a0and we also incorporated aspects of the\u00a0PlantPAx(R)\u00a0libraries. The temperature, pressure and flow equipment is all supplied by Endress+Hauser which integrates well with the Rockwell Automation system,\" explained Andrew.\n\nThe plant used Ethernet communications to provide the capability for premier integration of the Rockwell Automation Connected Components as well as mass flow meters from Endress+Hauser, a Rockwell Automation Strategic Alliance Partner.\n\nThe complete system was built as a containerised solution and assembled and tested prior to being packed and shipped to Europe. Upon arrival the system will be installed and commissioned by engineers from the enduser plant and ACS.\n\nThe MCC features the complete Rockwell Automation Connected Components range, including CompactLogix, E300 Electronic Overloads and PowerFlex drives all on an Ethernet backbone.\n\n*** Safety First\n\n ***\n\nAs the MCC is operating in close proximity to the operators,\u00a0ArcShieldTM protection was included in addition to the Rockwell Automation Connected Components. ArcShield helps to reduce arc flash hazards and provides increased protection against electrical arcing faults.\n\nThe MCC also features\u00a0IntelliCENTER(R) technology, which enhances the intelligence of the MCC by using built-in networking to capture information that can be used for predictive maintenance, process monitoring, and advanced diagnostics.\n\nConnecting motor control devices over Ethernet allows operators to realise the benefits of The Connected Enterprise(R) by monitoring and analysing operations from anywhere at anytime.\n\n\"The international certification via IEC61439 combined with ArcShield protection helped the customer to feel relaxed in the knowledge that they are purchasing a superior product, which provides the highest levels of protection for their operations staff,\" explained Andrew.\n\nTThe solution incorporates a high level of safety, automation and control.\n\n\"In addition the equipment that is included as part of the MCC allowed us to achieve a high category of machine safety, for example we can use PowerFlex 525 drives with built in safe torque off and achieve a Category 3 machine safety with no additional hardware for the drives,\" he said.\n\nACS leveraged their engineering expertise to incorporate several custom selections, including a light and power distribution chassis, PLC tier including dual CompactLogix controllers and Stratix(R) switches, and custom heat trace control cubicle.\u00a0\n\nAll motor control equipment has an external hardware interface module to display performance information at the front of the MCC.\n\n*** \u00a0 ***\n\n*** Success Through Collaboration ***\n\nACS is the first Recognised System Integrator (RcSI) in the Power Discipline for the South Pacific region. The company is also the first recognised Low Voltage (LV) MCC SI in the world to implement an Allen-Bradley CENTERLINE 2500 MCC.\n\nThe System Integrator program, part of the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork(R) program, is designed to educate and produce qualified partners who are able to help solve production challenges by advising on and delivering the best solution.\n\nThe CENTERLINE MCC provides the functionality to remove a component for maintenance, while keeping the system running.\n\nWithin this discipline, ACS is focused on delivering Low Voltage MCC solutions leveraging the Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture(R) Platform.\n\nAccording to Michael Massey, state manager, Western Australia, Rockwell Automation, \"This project marks an important milestone in our relationship with ACS and gives us the flexibility to address market requirements in providing comprehensive type tested, intelligent MCC solutions that can be locally customised and supported by a competent LV MCC Recognised System Integrator with backing from our factory.\"\n\nThe LV MCC Power System Integrator Program provides a mutually beneficial relationship, whereby together with ACS and Rockwell Automation customers can configure and utilise the technology to leverage the Connected Enterprise and meet their operational and productivity requirements.\n\n\u00a0\n\nAllen-Bradley, ArcShield, CENTERLINE, CompactLogix, E300, IntelliCENTER, PanelView, PartnerNetwork, PlantPAx, PowerFlex, Rockwell Automation, Rockwell Software, Stratix and Studio 5000 are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.\n\nTrademarks not belonging to Rockwell Automation are the properties of their respective companies.\n\n\nTAG: chemical\n\n"
}