Repeat orders confirm customer enthusiasm for Fisher-Rosemount's PlantWeb architecture

Citation

(2001), "Repeat orders confirm customer enthusiasm for Fisher-Rosemount's PlantWeb architecture", Assembly Automation, Vol. 21 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/aa.2001.03321aaf.007

Repeat orders confirm customer enthusiasm for Fisher-Rosemount's PlantWeb architecture

Repeat orders confirm customer enthusiasm for Fisher-Rosemount's PlantWeb architecture

Keywords: Architecture, Automation

With sales of the Fisher-Rosemount PlantWeb® field-based architecture for process automation increasing throughout the world, Fisher-Rosemount in the UK has announced repeat orders from major customers.

The world's largest pharmaceutical company Pfizer has awarded a contract for the supply and engineering of a DeltaV automation system for the solvent handling facility at their Sandwich site in Kent. The DeltaV system is a key control platform within PlantWeb that can be combined with intelligent field devices and digital communications to provide a networked architecture that gives accurate and timely process information.

The Pfizer order is valued at around £300,000 and is the second DeltaV system to be supplied to the Sandwich operation. This new installation will pave the way for the future addition of automation solutions using the FOUNDATION fieldbus standard. The DeltaV system can seamlessly integrate fieldbus solutions using simple, easy to use tools. These tools allow the DeltaV system to configure and operate fieldbus devices alongside conventional I/O.

Fisher-Rosemount was also selected to work as part of the Pfizer team in developing the user requirement specification for this project. This allowed early development of plant standards and streamlined engineering later in the project cycle.

EniChem UK has also ordered a PlantWeb process automation solution for a finishing area DCS replacement project at its Hythe site near Southampton. EniChem is a major European petrochemical company, with plants throughout Europe. The site at Hythe is the UK headquarters, and has been involved in manufacturing since 1957: current production is of styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) and latex. EniChem is one of the leading European producers of these materials.

This PlantWeb solution is hosted by the second DeltaV system to be installed at Hythe and was selected due to the new technologies integrated within the system. It will be used to control the tank farm, blending system and the three finishing plant lines. The previous DeltaV system, which controls the site water treatment and demineralisation plant, will be connected to the new system, enabling EniChem UK to establish a site-wide network with distributed operational and maintenance locations, which will take advantage of the AMS capabilities in the DeltaV system. This demonstrates the truly scaleable architecture of DeltaV. EniChem UK has also identified the benefits of using modern, open standards such as Ethernet, OPC, and Windows NT operating system and industry-standard hardware such as Windows NT PCs and Ethernet hubs, linked via fibre-optic cabling around the plant.

Also included in the project is a fieldbus foundation component consisting of H1 cards that mount alongside I/O modules on the same carrier, as well as FOUNDATION fieldbus pH and temperature sensors, plus DVC5000 valve controllers on the SBR finishing plant (see Plate 3).

Plate 3 An integral part of many PlantWeb installations is the DVC5000 (Field Vue) digital valve controller

Owing to the modular, compact design of the DeltaV system, the replacement control system occupies rack space within the existing control room cabinets, easily hooking into its field-cabling infrastructure, so minimising installed cost and disruption to other operations during installation. Control room cabinet space now made available can be used for future expansion at the plant (see Plate 4).

Plate 4 The DeltaV automation system features a modular, compact design

Another large organisation to show repeated faith in the DeltaV automation system is Acordis Fine Chemicals at Leek, Staffordshire. At this site, Acordis produce esters, which are used as intermediates in the production of pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals. They also manufacture aroma chemicals used in fragrances for household and personal care products.

The original DeltaV system was ordered in late 1997 and there are now three systems on the site. The chloroester and aroma plant systems have recently been extended and combined into a single integrated DeltaV network. Also, the acetates plant DeltaV system was extended earlier this year including HART I/O cards. The data collected from smart instruments connected to these cards will be used with Fisher-Rosemount AMS (Asset Management Solutions) software to provide valuable maintenance information about the status and health of the field devices and help reduce the maintenance overhead.

Latest developments at this plant include the addition of a FOUNDATION fieldbus segment. This will shortly be commissioned and will allow the full benefits of PlantWeb field-based architecture to be assessed.

Travis Hesketh, manager of the Project Pursuit Group at Fisher-Rosemount, Leicester, was enthusiastic about the latest orders. "Every order is welcome, of course, but we are delighted with the repeat orders for our PlantWeb process automation solution. This proves that customers are experiencing increased plant performance as a result."

Contact: Fisher-Rosemount Ltd, Freepost NWW3165, Wirral, Cheshire CH49 1TN, UK. Tel: 00800 1234 5689; Fax: 00800 4589 7652 (Please note: both numbers are 00800, i.e. International freephone); E-mail: fisher-rosemount@respond.uk.com