Broad based gains in production efficiencies for Canadian coal company

February 2001 Fieldbus & Industrial Networking

Fording Coal is Canada's largest export-coal producer, shipping metallurigcal and thermal coal products to Asia, the Pacific Rim, North and South America, Europe and Mediterranean region. Fording Coal's three British Columbia mines - Coal Mounting, Fording River and Greenhills - collectively have more than one billion tons of reserves and output a combined total of 16 million tons per year of chiefly high-quality metallurgical coal used to make coke for the international steel industry. Thermal coal is also exported to power utilities worldwide.

Modicon PLCs and Modbus Plus network perform process documentation

Schneider Electric's Modicon 984 PLCs control the mines' electrical switchgear, conveyor systems, coal washing sprayers, coal-fired dryers, silos and loadout of coal onto railcars. These PLCs are linked across the entire plant with a high-speed Modbus Plus communications network.

Raw coal is mined from open pits. After the coal is processed and dried, it is fed through a series of conveyors and silos to railcars for the 1200 km journey to Vancouver's West Shore Terminals, where ocean-going vessels ship the coal to Fording's customers on five continents.

Modicon PLCs also control shovel dragline positioning. Modicon TSX 37 micro PLCs are used on large open pit trucks for lube monitoring.

Schneider Electric's Modicon PLCs and Modbus Plus communications network have facilitated process documentation and tracking. Improved process control has lowered operating costs and increased product quality, allowing Fording Coal to market their product as a premium, high-efficiency burning coal.

Ground fault system upgrade improves circuit breaker system reliability

To date, Schneider Canada Services' superior workmanship, product knowledge and fast turnaround time on smaller, previous retrofit projects, they were awarded a major upgrade/re-engineering of Fording Coal's ground fault system. Upgrades include the installation of electronic DSP Mark 2 ground fault systems. In addition to significantly increase the coal mine's circuit breaker system reliability, the ability of Schneider Electric's ground fault system to trip circuit breakers eliminated circuit breaker system damage and ensured employee safety.

[email protected]

www.schneider.co.za

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