Columbia Automation Systems, Inc.

Columbia Automation Systems recently completed a laminator upgrade project that included the addition of a new extruder, laminating station, and unwind stand to an existing laminating line. The customer chose many different vendors for their individual areas of expertise. Columbia Automation Systems was chosen for our tremendous integration and coordinated drive systems experience. Our portion of the project was to provide new drives, programmable controllers, and HMIs, to coordinate the different vendors’ integration efforts, and to work closely with the customer while incorporating the new equipment into the existing control system.

The original system was comprised of Allen-Bradley PLC5s, ABB PAD drives, an ABB gauging system, CTC Interact HMI for drive setpoints, and a Genesis HMI for supervisory control of Eurotherm 808 single loop temperature controllers. New equipment chosen by the customer included Allen-Bradley PanelViews, a ControlLogix controller, Flex I/O, RKC SRMini temperature controllers, and an updated ABB gauging system. CAS provided new ABB DCS600 drives and enclosures, ControlLogix controllers, RSView32 HMIs with touchscreens, and associated modifications to the original equipment.

CAS designed a system that united all of the existing and new equipment with a variety of communication networks. The existing PLC5s were configured in adapter mode as Remote I/O to the ControlLogix. The new ABB gauging system and ABB DCS600 drives were connected to the ControlLogix through a Profibus interface, the SST-PFB-CLX from SST. The ControlLogix controllers and PanelViews were connected on ControlNet. Ethernet was used for the HMI connection. A DHRIO card connected the new equipment to the existing plant programming loop. Existing RS-422 serial single-loop temperature controllers were incorporated into the system using Prosoft Technology’s MVI56-GSC generic serial module. The new RKC temperature controllers were incorporated with RS-422, as well.

CAS provided on-site project management services throughout the project. By working closely with the customer, we were able to identify issues before they became problems, and helped to ensure a successful start-up. We worked with production, maintenance, and operations personnel prior to, during and after the start-up to make sure the customer received the features and functionality they wanted. Small group training sessions were provided for operators and maintenance personnel on the new system.

The new system is powerful and flexible, yet designed to incorporate as much from the original system as was possible and beneficial. The HMI is easy to use and controls are familiar to the operators. Maintenance personnel can browse the entire network from their office. Production personnel have access to all system data for production reports. The system was designed to also provide a migration path for the legacy equipment. CAS was instrumental in creating a complete system by merging the different vendors’ equipment and engineering efforts with the existing system to fulfill the needs of the customer.

Contact Columbia Automation Systems for more information.

The Situation -

The existing Extended Nip Press section was a hard wire relays/timer system. The pressure and temperature controllers were pneumatic loop controllers. The customer’s CC pressure control loop had a single valve serving dual purposes; it is used as a pressure dump valve and also as a pressure control valve. The pressure control loop was used in several modes with some of the modes having a different process gains.

The Customer’s Goals -

• Improve reliability
• Improve pressure control
• Operator window into the Hydraulic System
• Improve system troubleshooting

The CAS Solution -

Columbia Automation Systems designed a control system that included redundant power supplies, controllers, and communication networks. CAS also supplied an HMI with permissive, alarm, and process screens which incorporated the customer’s existing HMI.

The system included two UL listed enclosures built by CAS’s panel shop which is UL 508 certified. The first enclosure, installed in the customer’s rack room on the operating floor, holds the redundant controllers, redundant power supplies and a gateway communication rack. The second enclosure contains redundant fiber communication to the rack room controller and all of the systems discrete and analog I/O cards. This enclosure was installed in motor control center near the hydraulic units.

Control system enhancements included automating the start-up sequence, removing the shoe lift mode, first out alarming, expanded alarms, and permissive screens. The pressure controls were enhanced with smart transmitters, electronic valve positioners, correct filtering for process measurements, setpoint ramping, and gain selection. These were implemented to yield smooth pressure control for all of the process modes.

The control system was set-up and tested by simulating the customers press section using discrete and analog signals. A witness test was conducted at CAS Vancouver Washington’s facility with customer representatives from engineering and maintenance. The system was demonstrated using different process conditions and customer requested changes were made in addition to several enhancements. After successful completion of the witness test, the system was shipped to the customer’s site for installation.

The enclosures were mounted and preliminary wiring completed prior to a 3-day scheduled outage in which the complete system would need to be installed and verified. During the 3-day outage the old control system was removed and the new I/O and field instruments were wired. All I/O check-out was completed and the system’s six hydraulic pumps and field instruments were tested prior to start-up. The pressure control loops were tuned by simulating the process prior to start-up. All systems were validated and the press was loaded and successfully ran the first time a sheet was put across the machine. No downtime was experienced during start-up due to the press upgrade. A great team effort between the customer and CAS is credited for the smooth and flawless start-up. This accomplishment proved the value of thorough testing and simulations.

Columbia Automation Systems remained on site for another few days doing minor program and HMI programming, operation training, and completing as built drawings for the customer. This on site presence ensured a smooth implementation and contributed to exceeding the customer’s goals.

Contact Columbia Automation Systems for more information.

CAS Combustion Group Meets Challenges of Steel Making

A local steel mill found that the prices of scrap and production costs were pinching them in the sluggish economy. The steel mill’s engineering department was asked to find ways to help the company stay competitive in their market. CAS designed a state of the art solution with the steel engineer’s specifications and was awarded the project. The design is an entirely custom combustion system.

The mill had an existing cooling chamber to convert into a furnace. They wanted to maximize loads using virtually all the area in the chamber but have an exceptionally fast bring-up time. Our challenge increased exponentially when they asked that the design allow for a quick change out of independent combustion centers. They also wanted less than four of these self-contained combustion units.

Typically, a furnace is designed with many burners on each wall tied back to zones for the Burner Management through Flame Safeguards and Fuel Trains. The large amount of burners on each wall insures a consistent absorption rate reducing hot spots and cold spots of the work.

We designed and fabricated the mobile combustion units incorporating nozzle mixing Low NOx burners, 40 HP combustion air blowers, Maxon ‘Block-and-Bleed’ / Industrial Risk Insurers (I.R.I.) approved fuel trains, and control panels with first out annunciation.

Teaming up with their engineers and millwrights, necessary design and fabrication was studied and incorporated so that the furnace could be charged with optimal loads and eliminate flame impingement concerns. The burners fire from a staggered formation creating a cyclone effect with hot gases spinning around, over, through, and under the load in the furnace.

We shipped two weeks early and the start-up time was three days quicker than projected, aiding the customer in being nearly three weeks ahead of schedule. The specified furnace process time was exceeded by over an hour and the quality control has increased. The return on investment for our customer was two months. Once again, CAS got the job done above and beyond industry standards and expectations setting us apart from the rest. We are proud to have helped another local company stay competitive in today’s economy.

Contact Columbia Automation Systems for more information.