Daily: June 15, 2019

According to Rockwell Automation, lack of standardisation in cement operations can limit productivity and put a strain on project budgets. To improve productivity, operator consistency, and maintenance efficiency, the company has enhanced its process functions for cement plants. The new functionality includes pre-engineered and tested process instructions and operator face plates developed with leading cement companies to standardize equipment and system configuration, and optimize operations across cement plants.

The customised functions have been added to the Rockwell Automation PlanPAx DCS, allowing them to be integrated and utilised across various plant operations. The modern DCS uses a common automation platform for integration between critical areas of a cement plant, including process, power, information, and safety control.

The enhanced and new functions include processes, such as motor and drives control, valve operations, and sequencing group controls, among others. These functions can help cement producers get one step further on their journey to achieve a fully connected cement plant – offering opportunities to improve plantwide efficiencies, reduce safety risks, and drive better decision making to be more competitive.

Included as part of this launch are additional features, including support for larger systems, improved library instructions, Windows Server 2016 support, and an Asset Centre 9.0 backup agent. These enhancements, as well as the additional functionality, can improve control in all industries.

“Merger and acquisition activity has intensified standardisation challenges across cement operations,” said Fabio Mielli, Market Development Manager, Mining, Minerals, and Cement, at Rockwell Automation. “These new functions allow cement producers to follow a standard approach for all control areas of their plant and among different plants. This helps reduce engineering and deployment risks and helps simplify operation and maintenance activity. Consistency can offer a critical performance advantage, making it easier for plants to expand and add new functions as operations evolve or grow.”