58 | Sector Focus: Preservatives & Fire Retardants
KEEPING UNDER CONTROL
Paul Cave, UK sales director at Koppers, explains the motivation behind the company’s PROtreat system
In today’s fast-paced manufacturing industry, efficiency is a critical factor for success. Facing a multitude of complex and interwoven challenges – from increasing costs to skills gaps – manufacturers are striving to maximise productivity and minimise waste more today than ever before.
Fortunately, crucial advances in control systems are offering new opportunities for improving efficiency and streamlining production processes. PROtreat, a cutting- edge solution from Koppers, is the latest innovation in helping plant managers achieve the most from their operations. We understand the need for plant managers to get the most out of their operations. But it’s not just efficiency that’s important here, the technology we create has to be user-friendly and easy to set up. With our next generation control system, we didn’t want to re-invent the wheel, rather we wanted to create a piece of technology that would enhance the performance of our customer’s products and reduce the workloads of their plant managers. Therefore, usability was a key concern during the product’s development. We focused on creating an interface which mirrors how a plant operates and connects easily with what people already have up and running, sort of like a digital twin, that enables them to get everything working seamlessly, and we believe with PROtreat, we’ve achieved that.
A ONE-STOP MONITORING SOLUTION Wood treatment is a complex process and requires diligent round-the-clock monitoring, but it doesn’t need to be so time-consuming. With our new solution, we wanted to equip managers with a tool that allows them to supervise the whole plant from one desktop, providing a detailed overview of their project at any time of the day.
With real-time monitoring, PROtreat can quickly identify issues before they cause major problems. It informs users specifically when and in what capacity they need to intervene to boost efficiency at their plant. Its sensors keep an eye on different stages of the production process and share performance
TTJ | May/June 2023 |
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data to a pre-authorised desktop anywhere in the world.
This means users can choose the desired parameters they wish to monitor and are then able to set custom alarms that sound when something’s not right. It’s a feature that gives plant managers more freedom and more control over their work at the same time.
INCREASED EFFICIENCY, NO DOWNTIME
But it’s not just about damage control. Our system also lets users run simulations on inefficient processes to tighten things up. This helps to avoid costly trial and error situations, which can cause major issues for our customers.
The system works particularly well for following the progress of a specific process or checking up on the health of a tricky valve, preventing any unnecessary shutdowns, delays and down-time.
FAST AND EASY INSTALLATION We were very aware that introducing a new control system can be a big undertaking, so we’ve designed PROtreat to get up and running in a seamless manner, without the need of a technology overhaul.
With that in mind, the system is easy to install, easy to use and can be integrated with existing equipment. It works in perfect harmony with all Koppers’ high- and low- pressure preservative systems, so it’s our hope that this is a user-friendly solution for all of our customers to get on board with. Some people ask me, what sets PROtreat apart? I think the main factor that differentiates the system is the ease with which you can view products and operations and compile detailed management reports from any location. We also offer additional support, such as on-site training, which can be provided by a Koppers territory manager to equip customers with the skills to integrate this system into their everyday work. Furthermore, the Koppers automations team can be granted access to control, diagnose and run the plant remotely. This enables the team to act quickly to make necessary changes to install or repair the system, without the need to visit the site 90% of the time. Like any good operating system we are already developing multiple upgrades and bolt-ons to further improve and expand the capabilities of PROtreat to ensure it integrates well with our customer’s other operational and business systems. ■
Above: The system is easy to install and use
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