Showing posts with label Virginia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Virginia. Show all posts

Excela™ Electronic Switch Increases Efficiency in Industrial Plants

Excela™ Electronic Switch

Excela™ is the first switch of its kind. D designed to provide plant operators with an affordable way to upgrade to electronic performance, Excela™ has only two wires and retrofits quickly into existing mechanical switch infrastructure. This innovative, high-quality electronic pressure and temperature switch provide everything operators require for improved performance at an affordable price.

DOWNLOAD THE EXCELA™ BROCHURE HERE

Excela™ is particularly relevant for industrial plant upgrades because of the ease of maintenance and low costs associated with electronic switches installed in the existing two-wire mechanical switch infrastructure. Upgrades to ruggedly reliable, cutting-edge technology are simple, quick, and inexpensive. Unlike other options, which require reprogramming set points or other adjustments, making the transition difficult and costly, electronic switches provide an easy alternative.

The United Electric Excela™ provides:

  • Two wire design allows for easy integration and lower initial costs.
  • Simple programming and precision settings for better operational control and performance.
  • LED display and red/green indicator lights provide visual status of operational performance.
  • Rugged, solid state design delivers reliable performance, low maintenance, and lower cost of ownership.
For more information, contact Ives Equipment. Call 610-768-1600 or visit https://ivesequipment.com.

SensAlarm FLEX All-in-1 Universal Fixed Point Gas Detection System

Turn-Key Solution for Wide Range of Critical Safety Applications

SensAlarm FLEX is a complete gas detection system in a single enclosure. The system includes built-in LED strobes, a horn, and a highly visible 7" color LCD screen. SensAlarm FLEX is built around an advanced Intelligent Sensor platform that includes non-volatile memory for all key application variables and sensor data. A non-intrusive user interface allows for operational customization as well as access to sensor life parameters, TWA alarms, calibration data, and other data with date and time recording.

SensAlarm Plus is the ideal gas monitoring solution for labs, gas cylinder storage, industrial work areas, control room protection, or other applications where users benefit from a packaged gas detection system that works with all SensAlert Plus sensors.

All Sensidyne Plus Series sensors are supported by the SensAlarm FLEX sensor interfaces. Remote mounting the sensor up to 100 feet away simplifies monitoring in high, low, or adjacent locations. When a sensor is plugged in, the automatic uploading of variables, alarm values, and sensor information greatly simplifies installation and maintenance. Transportable calibration enables sensor calibration at the point of installation or in a workshop, followed by sensor hot-swapping in the field.

For more information contact Ives Equipment.
610-768-1600
https://ivesequipment.com

Protect Your Process Equipment and Your Production Uptime with Heat Tracing Products from Ives Equipment

Heat Tracing Products from Ives Equipment

Allow us to be your trusted and dependable source for staying operating during the severe winter months, based on our decades of experience in industrial and commercial freeze protection

As winter weather begins to set in, it is critical to take precautionary measures to preserve essential equipment. Because of the lower temperatures and strong winds, outdoor gear is at risk of freezing, which can cause the production process to prolong or halt. It is now necessary to evaluate your heat trace requirements. Keep the water flowing at low ambient temperatures with industrial pipe tracing. Use Nelson snow melting systems to prevent snow and ice accumulation on driveways, sidewalks, loading ramps, and other paved surfaces. Finally, don't forget about the roof and gutter de-icing products, which prevent the formation of ice dams on roofs, gutters, and downspouts anywhere.

Emerson's Nelson Heat Trace solutions combine conventional heat trace design ideas with cutting-edge installation, control, and monitoring technology to create a more efficient and reliable system. Our solutions are ideal for ensuring that metal pipes or other exposed equipment operate at the appropriate temperature. It is vital to maintain your equipment operational in the face of unpredictable weather circumstances; we provide complete environmental covering, no matter what the weather throws at you.

Ives Equipment
610-768-1600
https://ivesequipment.com

SITRANS LR560 Long-Range FMCW Radar Level Transmitter Improves Production, Inventory Control, and Costs at PET Container Plant

LR560

In the southeastern United States, a corporation manufactures and provides beverage containers for many bottling facilities. The company manufactures a wide range of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles in various sizes for both carbonated soft drinks and water. PET bottles are manufactured in two steps using injection molding and blow-molding equipment. 

The Level Application Challenge 

The customer requires monitoring crystalline PET plastic pellets used to produce plastic soft drink bottles in storage tanks. The density of the crystalline pellets ranges from 30 pounds per cubic foot to 56 pounds per cubic foot, and the tanks can be up to 60 feet tall. 

Level measurement for inventory control and maintaining material availability during production periods is critical. If the inventory is running low, production needs to know if they will need to swap tanks. 

The customer had previously used a plumb-bob for level measurements and had tested ultrasonic level measurement tools from a different vendor. The plumb bob cord had become a mechanical annoyance, and the customer had encountered frequent echo loss using the ultrasonic level devices due to high dust levels. 

The Level Transmitter Solution 

The customer installed a trial unit of the Siemens SITRANS LR560 radar level transmitter, as the local Siemens salesperson suggested. The LR560 transmitter offers a continuous, consistent, and low-maintenance solution for level measuring. The SITRANS LR560 unit's plug-and-play functionality is suited for most solids level monitoring applications, including those involving severe dust and high temperatures. 

Its one-of-a-kind design enables safe and straightforward programming with the intrinsically safe handheld programmer without opening the instrument's lid. 

The Results 

After a year-long trial, the customer ordered an additional nine instruments for their storage silos. 

Benefits of the SITRANS LR560

  • Time savings
    • No maintenance is required. Because the SITRANS LR560 radar transmitter is a non-contacting instrument, eliminating the risk of product contamination as well as extended delays when plumb-bob cables get caught or broken.
  • Improved process reliability
    • Continuous level measurement is an accurate time indicator of how much is in the silo. A plumb-bob cable getting stuck at a certain distance can lead to misinterpretation of the actual level. After the line gets attached, there is no level history before the last request on-demand from the instrument.
  • Easier to use
    • The SITRANS LR560 transmitter uses a quick start wizard, and no further tuning or maintenance is required.

SITRANS LR560 Unique Product Features: 

The local user interface allows for ease of configuration and setup. Since the customer only uses the removable, local display during setup, the customer can save money by moving the indicating component from unit to unit as needed. The narrow, 4-degree beam angle enables reliable depth penetration into the silo and ignores potential silo wall interference.

The SITRANS LR560 2-wire, 78 GHz FMCW radar level transmitter monitors solids in silos to a range of 100 meters or 328 feet. Its plug-and-play performance is ideal for most solids applications, including those with extreme dust and high temperatures to +392ºF. Its unique design provides safe and simple programming using the intrinsically safe handheld programmer without opening the instrument's lid.

The SITRANS LR560 transmitter includes an optional graphical local display interface (LDI) that improves setup and operation using an intuitive Quick Start Wizard and echo profile display for diagnostic support. The startup is easy using the QuickStart wizard with a few parameters required for essential operation. The SITRANS LR560 instrument measures virtually any solids material level up to a range of 328 feet.

To discuss this, or any process instrument application, contact Ives Equipment by calling (877) 768-1600 or visit https://www.ivesequipment.com.

Whatever You Need Weighed and Measured - Crushed Stone, Ore, Cement, Coal, Food, Chemicals - We Can Help.

What do you need weighed and measured? Crushed stone? We can do that. Ore? That too. Cement? Coal? Food? Chemicals? No problem.

With SIEMENS field-proven SIWAREX weighing electronics, SIWAREX load cells, conveyor belt scales, solids flow meters and weighfeeders, SIEMENS weighs your world - with first-class solutions that help you accomplish almost any weighing task.

SIEMENS delivers over 50 years of experience in the weighing technology for continuous or static weighing and batching applications to optimize your process costs and quality.

  • Process weighing and gravimetric level measurement
  • Dosing/Filling/Bagging scale
  • Continuous Weighing
  • Force/Torque measurement

SIWAREX weighing electronics for SIMATIC

  • Seamless integrated weighing electronics for SIMATIC automation systems.

Stand-alone Weighing Electronics

  • SIWAREX weighing terminals and Siemens Milltronics integrators for stand-alone applications.

SIWAREX Load Cells

  • A wide selection of different designs, rounded off by mounting units to protect the against overloads or transverse loads.

Belt Scales

  • Systems for belt weighing featuring simple mounting and low maintenance, complemented by our high-resolution speed sensors.

Weighfeeders

  • Intelligent systems that continuously measure the load on the belt and the belt's velocity, from which they calculate the current delivery rate. 

Solids flow Meters

  • Low-maintenance solids flow meters for every application requiring continuous measurement of free-flowing bulk materials, powders, or granulates.


For more information about SIEMENS process instrumentation products, contact Ives Equipment. Call them at (877) 768-1600 or visit them at https://ivesequipment.com.

The MIcroMod 353 RetroPAK - An Alternative for Siemens 353 and Moore 352 Users

 

353 RetroPAK

The 353 RetroPAK is the best choice on the market to update your controllers with the least disruption to your plant operation.

The Siemens 353 and Moore 352 controllers have been extremely popular, but they are no longer manufactured or supported. MicroMod has a cost-effective migration solution offering up-to-date technology that will be available for years to come. We understand the dilemmas faced by companies that need to ahead and be able to support their control systems without abandoning their control philosophy or incurring large up-front installation costs.

The 353 RetroPAK provides the same process control functions as the Moore 352 and Siemens 353 controllers. Factory templates (in the Siemens 353 FCO style) that can be loaded from the front keypad along with a function block library in Windows configuration software mean less time spent learning new programs and re-engineering your system. The RetroPAK suits the same panel cutout, has the same simple I / O add-on, and offers dual communication networks.

DOWNLOAD THE 353 RETROPAK BROCHURE HERE

For more information about the MicroMod 353 RetroPAK, contact Ives Equipment. Call them at (877) 768-1600 or visit their website at https://ivesequipment.com.

SIEMENS Process Analytics Products from Ives Equipment

SIEMENS Analytical Products

SIEMENS Process Analytics Products from Ives Equipment


SIEMENS Analytical Products and Solutions is a leading provider of process analyzers and process analysis systems. They offer innovative analysis technologies, customized system engineering, sound knowledge of their applications, and professional support. Ives Equipment and SIEMENS Analytical Products and Solutions is your fully qualified and preferred partner for efficient solutions that integrate process analyzers in automation systems in the process industry.


SIEMENS Analytical Products Include:
SIEMENS Analytical Products
  • Process Gas Chromatograph - MAXUM
  • Process Gas Analyzers - Series 6
  • Multicomponent Gas Analyzer - ULTRAMAT 23
  • UV Absorption NO, NO2, SO2 and H2S Measurement - SIPROCESS UV600
  • Chemiluminescence (CLD) Measurement of NO or NOx in Gas Measurement - NOXMAT 700
  • Laser Spectroscopy - LDS 6
  • Laser Spectroscopy - SITRANS SL
  • Continuous Emissions Monitoring System - (CEMS)
For more information, contact Ives Equipment.
877-768-1600

Hydrostatic Level Measurement Settings for SITRANS P320/420


SIEMENS SITRANS P320/P420 pressure transmitters are digital pressure transmitters featuring extensive user-friendliness and high accuracy. SITRANS P hydrostatic level technology can handle extreme conditions and is widely used in the environmental, chemical and petrochemical industries.  SITRANS P pressure/differential pressure transmitters are extremely resistant to chemical and mechanical loads as well as commonly occurring electromagnetic interference.

SITRANS P320/420 is the first pressure transmitter on the market to feature remote safety handling. The instruments’ remote safety handling via SIMATIC PDM saves time during SIL commissioning: rather than manually programming each individual device across a facility, operators can access transmitters from the control room. This reduces the commissioning time in applications requiring functional safety. Both pressure transmitters have an increased proof test interval over other devices on the market with testing periods of up to fifteen years rather than every two. This lowers maintenance costs significantly.


For more information, contact Ives Equipment. Call them at (877) 768-1600 or visit their website at https://ivesequipment.com.

Lead-Free Valves from ASCO and Ives Equipment



Lead is extremely toxic. Tight US safety regulations affect manufacturers of products such as drinking water fountains, reverse osmosis systems, coffee machines. and commercial kitchen equipment. A lead-free system cannot contain soldering flux with greater than 0.2% lead content, or more than a weighted average of 0.25% lead in the wetted surfaces of pipes, pipe fittings, plumbing fittings, and fixtures. Under the law, lead free is a cumulative concept.  In response, Ives Equipment and ASCO have coordinated to provide a range of valve choices that meet the new regulations, are NSF certified, and come in the industry’s broadest range of characteristics in terms of pipe size, pressure or temperature ratings, and flow coefficients.

For more information visit https://ivesequipment.com/leadfree.

Industrial Control Systems (ICS) Face New Ransomware Concern

Industrial Control System Ransomware

Dragos is a company that provides industrial asset identification, threat detection, and response to help organizations stay ahead of adversaries. According to Dragos intelligence and threat reports, it appears that a segment of code called Snake or EKANS, first recognized in December, 2019, has been designed as ransomware to target Windows systems used in industrial control systems (ICS). 

Ransomware is malicious software that will lock up data on a computer’s drive, then travel across the network and encrypt other data. The saboteurs will then demand payment in exchange for releasing the data. Whereas industrial control system machines are high-value targets (healthcare is the other high-value target) EKANS is unusual in that the malicious code uses targeted intelligence for control systems to first encrypt the root data (files are encrypted and renamed with random 5-character extension) and then ruin the software processes and hold the data hostage.

EKANS targeted companies and are sent a ransom note with the instruction to pay the ransom in cryptocurrency. There is an email address provided for contact/replies.

Manufacturing plants, power grids, and industrial concerns (such as oil refineries) are all targets of this malicious malware.

Another feature of the EKANS ransomware is it is programed to terminate sixty-four (64) various processes on computers – most of which are ICS specific.  This suggests the possibility that the EKANS may also share features similar to the Megacortex ransomware, which first appeared in early 2019.  Megacortex relies on a manual method of deployment rather than self propagation ransomware deployment.

It is still unknown whether the EKANS ransomware originated from state-sponsored hackers or via real cybercriminals trying to profit from industrial control system owners. It appears that it may be the latter, based on the most recent analysis of the nature of the ransomware – analysis by Dragos researchers.

It is wise to raise awareness with among everyone who touches your systems and it would be prudent to have someone within your organization (or a consultant) tasked with keeping data security protections current.  In addition, it is crucial to have ICS organizations rethink their cybersecurity leadership philosophy. In many organizations, the evangelists for cybersecurity are not equipped to exert influence in the company.  Cybersecurity is still treated as a back-office job, but it needs to be treated as priority by the organizational leaders.

Dragos adversary hunters recommend keeping ICS systems segmented from the rest of the network. In this way, if just one Window machine is infected, the virus can’t mobilize to the systems that control the infrastructure. In addition, standard practices such as backups, stored offline, and including the last known good configuration data will somewhat reduce the liability of slow recovery. Guardrails such as improved access and mechanisms for authentication will also help to reduce the risk of these increasingly troubling attacks on ICS systems.

More detailed information can be accessed here:
https://dragos.com/blog/industry-news/ekans-ransomware-and-ics-operations.

Article courtesy of:
Ives Equipment
www.ivesequipment.com
(877) 768-1600

Don't Risk Equipment or Safety: Freeze Protect Your Plant Now

industrial heat tracing and freeze protection
Don't let this happen at your plant.
Winter is here in its full glory. Plant engineers and plant maintenance have to pay special care in preventing freezing in pipelines, tanks, Vessels, conveyors, and impulse lines.  The cold temperatures in the Mid-Atlantic can often damage or destroy process equipment and it's valuable contents. Most commonly, pipes, instrumentation, and valves are the vulnerable items affected by the sudden drop in temperatures, causing devastating consequences, including costly downtime and unplanned outages. But there's also safety issues to be considered with snow and ice build up, so attention must be paid to snow and ice melting.

Main Categories for Industrial Heat Tracing


  • Industrial Pipe Tracing Cable
  • Industrial Tank and Vessel Heating
  • Industrial Snow Melting
  • Industrial Roof Gutter Deicing

Responsible facility management includes protecting buildings and equipment against freeze damage. There are many items in any given manufacturing plant to protect, including piping systems, process instrumentation, holding tanks, transfer vessels, and valves. For each of these items, there's a good freeze protection solution to be applied. Here are some of the more common heat tracing products used in these applications.
Self-regulating Heat Tracing Cable

Self-regulating Heat Tracing Cable

Constant Wattage Heat Tracing CableThese self-regulating, cut-to-length cables are normally installed in commercial and light industrial applications, to maintain pipe temperature and/or prevent freezing. These heating cables are available in 120 and 240 voltages and are designed for use in ordinary or hazardous locations (with proper selections and application). Typical applications for this product are freeze protection and low watt density process temperature systems such as product pipelines, fire protection, process water and dust suppression systems.

MI (Mineral Insulated) CableConstant Wattage Heat Tracing Cable

Constant wattage heater cable is ideal for use in maintaining fluid flow under low ambient conditions. The product is used for freeze protection and process temperature maintenance systems such as product pipelines, process water, dust suppression systems, lube oil and condensate return.

MI (Mineral Insulated) Cable

MI Cable is a metal sheathed cable that uses a metallic conductor as the heating element. It is custom designed and fabricated for specific applications. MI Cable is a high performance, industrial grade heat tracing cable used for applications requiring high temperature exposure, immunity to stress corrosion, high maintain temperature, under tank heating (cryogenic tanks), high power output, constant power output over entire, rugged cable construction heater length, and extended heater life.

It is critical to consider the specific application requirements for any heat tracing application. The following checklist always needs to be clearly understood:

  • The mass and material of the item being traced
  • Insulation availability - type and thickness
  • Temperature to be maintained
  • Minimum ambient temperature
  • Minimum start-up temperature
  • Available supply voltage
  • The chemical environment - expose
  • Maximum intermittent exposure temperature
  • Electrical area classification

Always share your heat tracing requirements and challenges with a process heating specialist. There are many options and product variants from which to choose. A consultation with an expert can help direct you to the safest, most efficient, and most cost effective solution.

The Sensidyne SensAir CMB Poison Resistant Catalytic Bead Gas Detector


SensAir CMB, by leading gas detection equipment manufacturer Sensidyne, is an industrial grade, cost effective, fixed point gas detector with a highly poison resistant catalytic bead sensor.

The SensAir Gas Detector is a single-point device capable of detecting the presence of various gases. The detector detects gas in either ppm, %Volume or %LEL concentrations. The standard detector consists of a display board and a power supply board, housed in a heavy-duty enclosure, a sensor specifically designed to detect Oxygen, Toxic or Combustible gases, and optionally, a relay/communication board. A complete monitoring system consists of the detector and a separate read-out device & power supply capable of monitoring a 4-20 mA output and supplying 24 VDC power. There are versions of the detector for hazardous and non-hazardous areas.

SenseAir CMB Features

  • Combustible, Toxic, and Oxygen Versions Available
  • U.S./Canada/IECEx/ATEX Hazardous Area Approved
  • Rugged, Industrial, Cost Effective Design Meets a Wide Range of Application and Project Requirements
  • Robust, Fast Responding Sensors
  • Bright LED Display Model or Lower Cost Blind Model
  • Non-Intrusive Zero & Span Adjustments
  • Easy Installation and Maintenance, Ideal for Retrofit or New Applications
  • 3-wire Design with 4-20mA Output, Options for Modbus or BACnet—Both include 3 Additional Relays
  • Horizontal or Vertical Installation
  • Remote Combustible Sensor Option
  • Field Replaceable Sensor
For more information, contact Ives Equipment. Call Ives at (877) 768-1600 or visit their web site at https://ivesequipment.com.

White Paper: Predicting Cavitation Damage in Control Valves

Cavitation can occur in control valves handling fluids, causing loud noise as well as damaging valve components and ultimately leading to additional costs in process plants. A standardized procedure to evaluate the destructiveness of cavitation-induced still does not exist whereas noise emission can reliably be predicted with the international EN 60534-8-4 standard. This white paper, courtesy of Samson Controls, describes a method to solve this problem by evaluating structure-borne noise in the ultrasonic range.

DOWNLOAD THE WHITE PAPER HERE


For more information on the application of control valves, contact Ives Equipment. Call (877) 768-1600 or visit https://ivesequipment.com.

A One-Stop-Shop for All Your Process Control Requirements

Siemens Process Products Overview

Siemens Process Instrumentation provides you with innovative one-source measurement solutions to improve plant efficiency and product quality. Their smart instruments are also intended to interact seamlessly with the wider globe of industrial automation and control systems – allowing you to have process transparency and to make your company more intelligent. Profit from Siemens ' expertise: a complete process automation vendor with worldwide, 24-hour service, available 365 days a year.

Ives Equipment is a proud Siemens Process Instrumentation partner providing the Mid-Atlantic with sales, engineering, and application expertise and a foundation of quality people, highly trained and experienced, who take a keen interest in finding the optimum solutions to customers' control problems.


Ives Equipment
https://ivesequipment.com
(877) 768-1600

The Siemens Milltronics MSI Belt Scale


The Siemens Milltronics MSI is a high accuracy, full frame,  heavy-duty single idler belt scale used for process and load-out control suitable for monitoring products as diverse as sand, flour, coal, or even sugar. The Siemens Milltronics MSI belt scale provides continuous in-line weighing on a variety of products in primary and secondary industries and is proven in a wide range of extremely tough applications in mines, quarries, pits, power generating stations, iron and steel foundries, food processing plants, and chemical production facilities.

The Siemens Milltronics MSI patented use of parallelogram-style load cells results in fast reaction to vertical forces, ensuring instant response to product loading. This enables it to provide outstanding accuracy and repeatability even with uneven loading and fast belt speeds.

For more information, contact Ives Equipment by calling (877) 768-1600 or visit https://ivesequipment.com.

The Alfa Laval Unique Mixproof CP-3 Valve


Offering all dairy, food and beverage processors optimum hygiene, reliable effectiveness and decreased ownership expenses. Not just a dairy valve, the Alfa Laval Unique CP-3 is a reduced vent mix-proof valve – designed to be configurable and to protect your product.

Food and beverage plants across the United States are now using this proven mix-proof technology to eliminate cross-contamination – while improving overall production safety, hygiene, and production.

Beverage:


The Unique mix-proof CP-3 can be configured to handle carbonated drinks or energy drinks based on sugar and syrup – perfect for syrup or recipe room manifolds. Cleaning plugs and seats during seat-lifting eliminates sugar or syrup build-up.

Cleaning time and eventually modifications in the recipe are quicker as only two seals are situated in the valve chamber – enabling quicker valve cleaning during seat lift with fewer seal spare parts needed, improving valve longevity.

Food:


The Unique mix-proof CP-3 also has a setup to handle the most viscous condiments such as ketchup and mayonnaise and can assist address complicated problems in food processing – such as keeping the texture and taste of soups or vegetable sauces.

While it can be hard for any viscous food application to clean mix-proof valves with narrow plug tolerances, the starches left behind pose the greatest cleaning challenge. The valve seat is built on the upper and lower seat plugs with throttling corners – which speeds up cleaning fluid to enhance CIP effectiveness and clean the most stubborn food residue with the absolute minimum quantity of CIP fluid resources being used.

For more information, contact:
Ives Equipment
https://ivesequipment.com
(877) 768-1600

Explosion-Proof Meters, Annunciators and Batch Controllers Built to Work in a Wide Range of Applications and Environments

PD8-6000
Front, back and in between, the PD8-6000 explosion-proof process meter boasts specifications, features and functionality that make it the only hazardous area process meter you will ever need.

The PD8-6000 is approved as a complete product by FM and CSA and also carriers IECEx approvals. Besides being suitable for hazardous areas, the number one feature that makes the PD8-6000 such a useful device is its built-in 24 VDC power supply to drive the transmitter as illustrated by the above diagram. This feature not only saves the cost of an external power supply, but also greatly simplifies wiring. In addition, there is a second 25 mA power supply provided with the 4-20 mA output option

Its superluminous LED digits make it easily readable in smoke, dust, fog, and, with the optional SunBright® display, even direct sunlight. It accepts a process current (4-20 mA) or process voltage (0-5V, 1-5V, etc.) signal and displays it on a dual-line, 6-digit SunBright® sunlight readable display.

The meter includes a 24 VDC power supply to drive the transmitter and can be equipped with up to four internal relays and a 4-20 mA output. The PD8-6000 can be programmed and operated without opening the housing by using the built-in SafeTouch® through-glass buttons or the RS485 serial communication port with free Modbus® protocol.

A fully loaded PD8-6000 meter has the following: four SPDT relays, 4-20 mA output, and two 24 VDC power supplies. The four relays can be used for alarm indication or process control applications such as pump alternation control. The 4-20 mA isolated output, Modbus RTU serial communications, and digital I/O options make the PD8-6000 an excellent addition to any hazardous area application.

For more information, contact Ives Equipment by calling 877-768-1600 or by visiting https://ivesequipment.com.

Reducing Material Waste in Flexible Pet (Polyethylene Terephthalate) Production

Reducing Material Waste in Flexible Pet

Polyester is very popular because it is a light, soft, flexible, low-maintenance material that keeps you warm. Making it this way poses diverse challenges to PET producers.


A chemical plant specializing in producing PET was looking for a solution to reduce the waste resulting from product variance. The factory produces 25,000 tons of polyester annually, which is then provided to other manufacturers to produce a vast range of end products.

SITRANS FC430
The SITRANS FC430
monitors the glycol flow.
This vast range requires different PET grades, which are achieved by slight variations in the synthesis procedures. In order to investigate possible options to upgrade their primary processing, understanding the complete process is vital. In the case of PET production, this process starts with mixing three key ingredients – PTA and IPA powder along with glycol liquid – in specific ratios to make a paste.

These source materials are stored in stainless steel bins with a volume of 2649 ft3. Rotary feeders move the mate- rial from these bins to a batching vessel along with glycol to make the polyester paste. The batching vessel is agitated to ensure that the mixture is always consistent. Monitoring tank levels, precisely controlling the dosing, the efficient use of raw materials and ensuring a consistent mix are the key parameters
SIWAREX WP251
SIWAREX WP251
when it comes to improving the primary processing. When Siemens designed a new system for the chemical plant from the bottom up, the Siemens S7-1200 PLC controller was the first product that was installed to set up a compact and flexible automation solution, which keeps track of the key parameters and the process efficiency.

Don’t get mixed up during mixing

Each raw material bin is mounted on Siwarex WL280 ring torsion load cells to achieve optimum weighing accuracy. These load cells are connected to two Siwarex WP251 weighing modules, which are specifically designed for batching applications. The advantages of this solution are that the WL280 load cells feature a C3 class rating for accuracy as well as an IP68 rating for protection against dust and direct high-pressure cleaning – ideal for handling powder materials such as PTA. In connection with the Siwarex WP251, a customer-specific application was engineered with a resolution of up to +/- 4 million parts.

SITRANS TS500
SITRANS TS500
The glycol as the liquid component in this process is monitored by a Sitrans FC430 coriolis mass flowmeter providing a 4-20 mA output, which varies based on the flow rate of the material. This signal is fed into an analog S7-1200 input module. A Sipart PS2 positioner controls the valves to regulate the flow rate. In such flexible processes as this one, the operator individually sets the setpoint for total production. At the field level, this flexibility is achieved using Sinamics variable frequency drives, which independently adjust the flow rate of each material. To close the loop, the discharge rates from the raw material bins are monitored by the WP251. The output is then processed by the S7-1200 controller, sent through an analog module to control the Sipart PS2 positioner – which in turn allows more or less glycol to flow into the batching vessel. The downstream Sitrans FC430 flow meter additionally verifies the flow rate to ensure a high-quality mix.

How powder and liquid become PET

Pointek CLS200
Pointek CLS200
The temperature of the paste is another crucial factor when it comes to producing high-quality PET. If the agitation causes too much heat, the whole mixture could be lost, causing unwanted waste. In this configuration, a TS500 controls the temperature to the optimum level. To further cut down on product loss, a Pointek CLS200 capacitance- based switch acts as a backup device to ensure that the material discharges completely, and does not build up or overflow. Its high frequency oscillation makes it insensitive to product buildup, therefore guaranteeing reliable level monitoring in the PET paste vessel. For integrated control and alarm management, the level switch is connected to the S7-1200 controller. With 13 sensors, 2 VFDs, 3 geared motors, 4 modules and 1 HMI installed and connected to the control system, the plant managers reap the benefits of a comprehensive portfolio from one supplier. The new equipment is reliable and efficient and – together with the DCS solution – offers excellent process and data control.

Less material waste and reduced downtimes

SIPART PS2
SIPART PS2
Where did this leave the chemical company? After the equipment had been running for 3 months, the first estimates were made as to whether the initial goals of reduced waste and increased efficiency had been met. The result: plant efficiency had increased by 27 % due to the reduced material waste and product loss. Further, the more reliable process measurements and diagnostics help the company to service their equipment on a preventive basis instead of a reactive one, resulting in reduced downtimes and in- creased reliability.

Simplified diagram
Simplified diagram showing the customer’s process.
So the next time, you put on your running gear, take a sip out of a plastic bottle or attach your safety belt, maybe you will remember the effort that goes into producing the PET that is needed to manufacture these types of products. By the way – they have another important characteristic in common as they can be completely recycled.






Ives Equipment
877-768-1600
https://ivesequipment.com

NH3 Slip Measurement in the Fluidized-Bed Catalytic Cracking Process


AN APPLICATION NOTE FROM SIEMENS PROCESS ANALYTICS

Fluidized-Bed Catalytic Cracking (FCC) is the most important and widely used refinery process for converting low value heavy oils into more valuable gasoline and lighter products.

The typical FCC process will convert 75% or more of the heavy oils to gasoline and lighter products. Originally, chemical cracking was accomplished by heating the oil to super high temperatures but the catalytic process has almost completely replaced thermal cracking.

The cracking process produces carbon (coke) which remains on the catalyst particle and rapidly lowers its activity. To maintain the catalyst activity at a usable level, it is necessary to regenerate the catalyst by burning off the coke with air. As a result, the catalyst is continuously moved from reactor to regenerator and back to reactor.


Contact Ives Equipment for more information. Call (877) 768-1600 or visit https://ivesequipment.com.

Calibration Services for Process Instrumentation


Measuring, positioning, recording, and controlling are important parameters in all industries processes. That’s why process instruments need to deliver the highest levels of precision and reliability.

Today calibration measuring devices is an important production and competitive activity due to steadily increasing demands on reliability, availability and performance.

Off-site Calibration Services

Siemens offers factory calibration services for Pressure, Temperature and Flowmeters from both our own and other manufacturers.

On-site Calibration Services

Siemens offers on-site calibrations for Pressure, Temperature and Belt scale of our own products as well as those of other manufacturers.

This video presents the viewer with explanations and concepts for the following:

  • The Siemens Process Instrument Services overview.
  • A description of field instrument technologies.
  • What calibration means.
  • Reasons for calibrating field devices.
  • The importance of calibration and verification.
  • What traceability means.
  • Why accreditation is needed.
  • The Siemens Factory Calibration process.
  • The Siemens On-site Calibration process.
  • What verification means.
  • Reasons for verification.
  • The Siemens On-site Verification process.

For more information, contact Ives Equipment:
(877) 768-1600
https://ivesequipment.com