Automation & Control
during the manufacturing process to improve steel quality and provide additional energy from exothermic reactions, helping to reduce overall energy consumption.
Optimising energy use Yokogawa has announced the addition of Soteica Visual MESA’s best-in-class energy management and optimisation solution services to its portfolio of plantwide energy management solutions (EMS). Yokogawa has also acquired 44.3 per cent ownership of Soteica Visual MESA to accelerate the joint development of EMS. Manufacturers around the world are highly interested
in, and have a strong need for, EMS that will help them consume less energy and reduce their manufacturing costs. In addition, there is an increasing trend to optimise the mix of conventional and alternative energy sources used by plants, which can help to protect the environment by reducing the emissions of gases such as carbon dioxide and NOx. There are two components to energy management in plants. One is to make more efficient the supply and distribution of utilities, such as steam, electricity and fuel that are used by equipment in the main process, and the other is to optimise the energy consumed by the main process itself. Yokogawa says it
Fig. 2. Now featuring embedded OPC Universal Architecture communication integration, the Trident Safety System offers greater connectivity with third-party systems
has a competitive edge in control systems and advanced control solution packages for main processes, and helps its customers save energy by optimising operations at their plants. At the same time, the company has lacked EMS for utilities
that can be used to achieve the optimum mix of conventional and renewable energy sources, based on factors such as process operating conditions and energy prices. Until now, the company has had to devise solutions for such requirements on an ad hoc basis. For this reason, Yokogawa has decided to partner with
Soteica Visual MESA, a technology leader in the EMS field. The partnership will allow Yokogawa to sell Soteica Visual MESA’s well-proven Visual MESA energy management and optimisation solution package, extending the range of solution services that it is able to offer to its customers. The partnership will also allow Soteica Visual MESA to expand its sales of Visual MESA through Yokogawa’s global sales network, with a particular focus on Asia. Visual MESA is capable of reducing annual energy costs
by approximately 2-5 per cent. There are approximately 3400 plants worldwide with US$40 million (€31 million) or more in utility costs each year that could benefit from Visual MESA and obtain a return on their investment in one year or less, and Yokogawa will initially be targeting these facilities.
Embedded unified architecture The latest release from Invensys is its Triconex Trident safety instrumented system (SIS), now with OPC unified architecture (UA) communications. Triconex safety systems help customers comply with rigorous safety standards, as well as help meet or exceed production targets, all while protecting their most valuable assets - their equipment, people and environment. The Triconex Trident SIS package is a SIL3-certified fail-safe, fault-tolerant controller, delivering superior reliability and availability for distributed use in refineries, petrochemical, oil and gas plants and other highly hazardous facilities. With embedded OPC UA communication integration, the
Trident Safety System offers greater connectivity with third- party systems (Fig. 2). It complies with IEC 61508:2010 international standards
and fulfils the requirements for emergency shutdown, fire and gas, burner management, turbomachinery control, high integrity pressure protection systems (HIPPS) and oil well RTU system applications that need to be distributed in remote instrumented buildings or located remotely in the production fields. ■
Compliance with quality and hygiene regulations S
iemens provides a number of products aimed specifically at the food/beverage, fine chemicals and pharmaceutical
industries. The three are similar because compliance with quality and hygiene requirements is a key competitive factor. Likewise, automation components in production have to conform to the high safety standards and ensure high levels of productivity through reliable continuous operation. Hygiene areas in these areas all share common requirements. For example, items and equipment which come into contact with food must be such that they can be kept clean, and
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can be disinfected and maintained, and have no adverse effect on the food and beverages. They must be installed in such a way that the immediate environment can be cleaned appropriately. The relevant directives, standards and legislative requirements, such as EHEDG, FDA, DIN EN 1672-2 (Hygienic Design), GMP, LMHV and LMBG must be observed. Similarly, Siemens panels and HMI IPCs with touch screens and stainless steel fronts have been designed for use in the food, beverages and tobacco industry and for operator control and monitoring close to food processing machines.
For this reason, the devices with stainless steel front have been developed in compliance with DIN EN 1672-2 (food processing machinery – safety and hygiene requirements).
Siemens points out that such design has a number of benefits such as: simpler cleaning thanks to resistant and rugged stainless steel front with smooth surface, and minimal grooves and gaps; a high degree of protection (IP66K) on the front for increased seal and ruggedness; and food-standard sealing material and shatter protection for the display to prevent contamination of the foodstuffs. ■
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