A Key Ingredient for a Sustainable Plant
By Robert Lowe, CSIA Executive Director
http://www.controlsys.org
Control System Integrators (CSI) provide many of the technology solutions for automation that make a plant sustainable. The solutions range from realizing cost savings and getting the most production from operating assets, to extending the life of those assets. End users and owners understand the requirements of production and plant operations, but may not know the most efficient way to make it happen.CSIs do, and therefore are a key ingredient to a sustainable plant.
Using assets wisely, reducing operating costs, increasing throughput, using less energy, using alternativeenergy sources,and having low impact on the environment, are just some of the many component of a sustainable plant. Certified members of the Control System Integrators Association (CSIA) have a unique skill set to help end-users improve plant assets and accomplish their sustainability goals. From gathering intelligent data from the plant floor to installing equipment to reduce energy consumption, CSIA certified members enable successful sustainability initiatives in all industries.CSIA certified members can help customers:
- Utilize energy efficient products such as motors and motor controllers.Using variable frequency drive (VDF) is a common method to accomplish this.
- Implement control methodologies to reduce energy consumption and resultant costs.An example is to automatically stop or reduce the speed of conveyors, blowers, pumps and so forth when they are no products in the system.
- Minimize events that undermine capacity and reduce equipment effectiveness.Properly implemented equipment and software will identify bottlenecks and provide reasons for short-term stops and productions slowdowns.
- Enable flexibility in plant assets to increase the number of products that can produce from the same asset, with a quick change-over between products.
- Track and trace products as they are produced. Time and energy will be saved when locating items produced and will also enable an efficient response if a recall occurs.
- Measure process parameters to create baseline data, and then identify issues that lead to poor product quality.
- Monitor and document asset performance to identify when equipment effectiveness is eroding. Remote monitoring is easily implemented so equipment and machines located at a distance can be intelligently interconnected.
- Monitors and analyze asset components (i.e. motors, bearings, pumps, blowers) to enable intelligent preventive maintenance and predict machine or process failures so action can be taken to preempt a failure that leads to downtime.
- Determine when, where, and how energy is being consumed.Indentify continuous and peak energy consumption in buildings, departments, processes and so forth that impact energy bills. This knowledge can enable adjustments in production practices to save on energy costs.
- Management is capable of making informed decisions on asset improvements. The decisions may be to either upgrade existing assets or purchasing new ones.
In 2010 there are new considerations for end users. The “Clean Energy Economy” is one of the drivers of the economic recovery in the U.S. and around the world.The primary components are using less energy, tapping into renewable sources, and above all reinventing today’s power grid to handle a revolutionary new two-way conversation between supply and demand. As the largest consumer of power, the role of the industry is vital. Control system integrators can provide value to industries by providing assessments, process re-design, and business cases analysis for industrial customers taking their first steps to joining the smart grid.
Consider the CSIA certified member programs when selecting a Control Systems Integrator. CSIA Certified members have passed regular audits of all aspects of their business practices.The audit is based on documented CSIA Best Practices, so there is assurance that they are a stable, well structured integrator.
