Due to the increased demand and high volumes processed at the production facility of one of South Africa’s leading distilleries, the need for a fully automated cellar became an urgent requirement. The design brief was to improve quality, efficiency and reduce product losses by implementing a fully automated system.
System requirements
The end user required a system integrator with experience both in the food and beverage industry as well as knowledge of the current automation systems and processes in use at the facility. Process Dynamics, a certified Siemens system integrator, was selected due to its extensive experience in the food and beverage industry, specifically with respect to the use of the Siemens Simatic PCS7. This system, together with Route Control, was deemed the ideal solution for the distillery’s complicated valve clusters and automated process plant.
The final design of the system included two reception bays, 24 storage vessels, 400 automated valves, 42 product pumps, and various instruments including flow meters, level transmitters and temperature and pressure gauges, all supplied by Process Dynamics. To simplify the installation, the valves were fitted using 10 different ASI networks. A new CIP (Cleaning in Place) station also formed part of the system to cater for the cleaning of the new equipment.
The client required a reliable and expandable control system with maximum flexibility. Ease of maintenance was another prerequisite. The biggest challenge, however, was ensuring that all products are secure at all times and that there is no risk of product contamination through the selection of an incorrect valve or route.
Implementation
To make the day-to-day operation easier and more operator friendly, seven HMI panels were installed to complement the scada system. Two HMI panels control the unloading of tankers and five HMI panels are in operation at the filling lines to allow operators to monitor and control the process.
The process requirements stipulated that a tanker may be loaded into any one of the 24 storage tanks from where raw product must be transferred for production to any one of the five filling lines. This added even more complexity to the system. Routes had to be checked and interlocked to prevent product losses or mixing of different products.
Further route management and interlocking of certain processes had to be instituted to ensure continuous operation, since specific sections of the plant have to be cleaned while the rest remains in operation.
Process Dynamics recommended installing a Siemens Simatic PCS7 for the control system. The motivation was that the PCS7 would give the maximum flexibility, alarming and historical archiving while at the same time reducing the engineering and software development required. The PCS7 standard library and simulation ability also enabled the testing of all sequences and routes before implementation and reduced the risk of possible production stoppages and losses.
Route Control simplifies the task of managing routes and interlocking valves by automatically creating all routes and interlocking all critical valves when a route is active. By making use of Route Control, the engineering was limited to setting up the different routes, while the Route Control server handles system integrity internally. Although the PCS7 library was customised to suit the client’s requirements, the use of standard PCS7 functionality reduced engineering time considerably and also ensured seamless integration of other plant areas.
The decision to use ASI bus for the valves drastically reduced installation time, installation costs and commissioning times, also the MCC and control panels were manufactured and tested prior to shipping to reduce these even further. For the future, a standard has been implemented that will ensure easy integration and expansion into the PCS7 system as production requirements change.
For more information contact Kobus van Niekerk, Process Dynamics, +27 (0)11 394 5412, [email protected], www.process-dynamics.co.za
| Tel: | +27 11 394 5412 |
| Email: | [email protected] |
| www: | www.process-dynamics.co.za |
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