Automation & Control
Automation key to process optimisation
Whether the drivers are efficiency, safety, or hygiene, automation is at the heart of efforts by companies optimise their processes. Sean Ottewell reports.
Automatisierung steht im Zentrum der Bemühungen von Unternehmen, die ihre Prozesse optimieren – sei es hinsichtlich Effizienz, Sicherheit oder Hygiene. Sean Ottewell berichtet.
Que l’impulsion ait été donnée par l’efficacité, la sécurité ou l’hygiène, l’automatisation est au cœur des efforts fournis par les entreprises pour optimiser leurs processus. Selon Sean Ottewell.
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elgium-based UCB has awarded Emerson Process Management a US$6.1 million (€4.7 million) contract to provide integrated process automation and operations
management systems for a new biopharmaceutical production centre in Bulle, Switzerland. UCB is investing US$228 million (€174 million)
to construct the first phase of a new plant, its first biopharmaceutical project in Switzerland. The 20,000m2
facility, which will be one of the largest
in Europe, will be the main production centre for Cimzia, which is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease. Emerson’s integrated solution includes its
Syncade Smart Operations Management Suite, DeltaV digital automation system, and AMS Suite predictive maintenance software. Emerson will also provide related engineering services, including design, installation, testing, and commissioning. The Syncade Suite software integrates real-
time plant floor data with business processes, decisions, and asset management - a key advantage in managing complex operations and extensive documentation required in pharmaceutical production. Syncade Suite manages workflow processes, including electronic work instructions, equipment status and material tracking, recipe- driven operations, automated weigh and dispense operations, and exception reporting. “Typical biotech manufacturing can
involve thousands of pieces of paper that can affect the ability to produce ‘right-first-time’ batches,” said Lorenzo Zampini, automation project manager. “With Emerson’s integrated operations management and control systems, we can automate the reporting process as well as gain tighter process control for increased productivity and smoother regulatory compliance.” The Syncade software integrates
Fig. 1. The flowmeters are being used to more acurately measure and optimise oxygen used in the steel making processes.
with Emerson’s DeltaV automation system to facilitate operational activities and information flow from the plant floor up to UCB’s SAP system. In the UCB plant, the DeltaV system will control 163 process units including fermentation, purification, filtration, and bottling. Emerson’s new electronic marshalling technology with CHARMs (characterisation modules) will help minimise installation time by eliminating
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up to two-thirds of the wiring and connections needed with traditional control systems. Emerson’s AMS Suite predictive maintenance
software that will be supporting HART instrumentation will make it easy for technicians to calibrate critical instruments, check their status, and even detects potential problems before they affect operations.
Reduced energy consumption In a separate development, MORE has reduced energy consumption and optimised the quality of steel produced from its electric arc furnaces by using Rosemount 8800 Vortex flowmeters from Emerson Process Management. The flowmeters are being used to more
accurately measure and optimise oxygen used in the steel making processes (Fig. 1). Optimisation of the oxygen-fuel ratio is critical to minimising conversion costs, reducing oxygen and fuel consumption, and avoiding rework. In addition, accurate control of oxygen improves furnace safety and reduces environmental impact. Based in Gemona del Friuli, Italy, MORE
supplies a wide range of technologies and auxiliary equipment for electric arc furnaces used in the steel- making industry. These include sidewall injector systems used with chemical energy packages such as oxygen, carbonaceous fuels, lime and other fines. These chemicals are injected into the furnace
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