SECHE ENVIRONNEMENT Group chooses PcVue

The SECHE Group and its subsidiary TREDI have chosen ARC Informatique´s PcVue to set the future standard for its plants, including household and industrial waste incineration plants, and biogas power plants. Since its first deployment in 2005, it can now be found in 16 plants and workshops, representing more than 500,000 variables being processed, applied and logged by PcVue.

Séché Environnement is one of the biggest players in France and the top specialist in the processing and storage of all kinds of waste (except radioactive waste), whether originating in industry or from local authorities. The Group has more than 20 processing sites in France. Its original position, downstream from collection activities, puts it at the very heart of the most technically demanding industry. TREDI is a subsidiary specialising in hazardous industrial waste. The range of materials processed is immense, covering any waste which cannot be treated like household refuse.

A team of control engineers has been working since 2003 to develop a library of generic objects specific to each of the group´s activities, and to introduce suitable ergonomics and control elements. The Group has decided that it will oversee development of the chosen control system in order to ensure as far as possible that it can be standardised and rolled out efficiently, quickly and consistently across its other plants. So the control applications can easily be grouped together in one single physical location: for some tasks, logging and reporting are already centralised.

The PcVue solution was first installed at the industrial site in SALAISE SUR SANNE (France, Isère) in 2005. This is SECHE Group´s largest heat processing and energy recovery centre: it processes around 250,000 tonnes per year made up of hazardous waste (HW), non-hazardous industrial waste (NHIW), household waste and infectious clinical waste. This first deployment involved the water treatment unit. The priority was to define object standards and a whole special library was developed for PcVue and the logic controllers. The decision was taken to adopt OFS-based communications.

"At the time, we looked at what was available on the market, and the real advantage with PcVue is that it´s a complete solution, with no need to be constantly buying new modules. Since we were already looking to plan long-term for the product, this was a determining factor," said Mr Therrien, SECHE Group´s Industrial IT Manager.

Pictures show; Salaise plant (top), Salaise control centre with PcVue block diagrams -SECHE (middle), and PcVue block diagram for biogas power generation plant control.

PcVue was then progressively introduced into units 1, 2 and 3 at the Salaise site. We started with a complete revamp of Salaise Unit 1, with its two rotary furnaces: Here, PcVue supervises all process functions and common tasks, meaning about 30,000 variables are being monitored. Then, with the partial revamping of Salaise 2 following the installation of a new waste injection system, allowing it to operate in sealed mode; this revamp followed the signing of the waste treatment contract which resulted from the illegal dumping of the PROBO KOALA cargo in Ivory Coast. And finally Salaise 3, where the replacement of the control system is currently under way. Rockwell process logic PLCs are to be replaced by Telemecanique PLCs under Unity and PcVue (two input/output servers and 5 client stations).

Mr Therrien adds: "Among the other advantages of PcVue compared with other solutions on the market, we are particularly happy with the object-oriented database organisation. When objects are created, they can very easily find the items, the PLCs to control. In the past, to manage a monitoring variable, you had to name it and set up assignment tables; now we don't even have work with addresses or variables in the PLC. Exchange tables are created automatically via OPC. Graphical functions are also of great value and easy to implement. It is very easy to switch between »runtime» and development mode. We can then change or add functions to a working plant. Finally, I'd also say that we have experienced a high level of service from PcVue teams and the hotline."

PcVue is also widely used by the SECHE Group to monitor power plants generating power from the biogas coming from the household waste storage centres. Their drainage and pumping networks collect the biogas generated by the decomposition of the waste, which largely consists of methane. The biogas is then injected into turbines to produce electrical energy.

PcVue has been installed at the DRIMM storage centre near to Toulouse (France, Haute-Garonne) and, more recently the Changé plant just outside Laval (France, Mayenne): A boiler takes the combustion gases from the turbine to produce steam. In Changé, this steam is used to dry fodder from farming operations. PcVue is also installed at the SVO site in Vienne, and the Opale site in Nord Pas de Calais (France).

ARC INFORMATIQUE in profile
ARC Informatique is a European leader in SCADA/HMI software. Our innovative solutions allow supervision and control of industrial processes, services and facilities. Over 38,000 licensed copies of ARC Informatique products are installed worldwide.

For further information, view website: www.arcinfo.com  Refer to page 171   

ProSoft Technology revolutionise data transfer from protocol
to protocol, with its new Message Manager (ILX56-MM) module

Interfacing systems using multiple protocols has never been so easy and quick. The new Message Manager module (ILX56-MM) from ProSoft Technology bridges automation controllers from different sources as it has never been done before. Traditionally, communication between PLCs requires (small) modifications to be done in each PLC program, often in several locations on the plant floor (repeatedly, new machines come with new PLCs), and often with multiple programming packages (because each PLC vendor has his own programming environment). With the new Message Manager from ProSoft Technology, the automation engineer has no PLC programming to do and above all no special software to buy, learn and maintain. Configuring the data transfers only requires... a few clicks!

In every large industrial automation architecture, it is necessary to interface systems from different vendors, and multiple protocols have to get along with each others. As a result, PLC-to-PLC protocol interfacing for data transfers is inevitable.

Traditionally, PLC programming is required in several locations on the factory floor for these interfacing purposes. And these various programming sessions are done with multiple programming packages (at least one per PLC vendor). And very often, the machine builders do not give access to their PLC source codes.

The Message Manager pulls all data transfer processes into one single location, and it requires no special (PLC-specific) software to support and maintain. For configuration, all the interfacing job is done from one single location and the module uses a built-in graphical web-based configuration tool with easy-to-use and intuitive user prompts.

The Message Manager acts as a single aggregator of data transfers between multiple PLCs. Physically, the ILX56-MM is a modules that takes place in Rockwell Aut mation's ControlLogix chassis. Data transfers can be set up to 16 controllers from the leading PLC manufacturers: Rockwell Automation (SLCTM 500, PLC-5®, M croLogixTM, CompactLogixTM, and ControlLogix® controllers via any network supported in the Rockwell Automation 1756 ControlLogix platform), Siemens (S7 PLCs and other controllers using Industrial Ethernet protocol), and Schneider Electric (Quantum, Premium, M340 and other controllers using Modbus TCP/IP protocol).

For further information, e-mail: bforgue@prosoft-technology.com  Refer to page 324 

Datalogger calls home!

A datalogging system developed especially for precision mixing of polyurethane compounds is redefining how a small British company works with its many overseas customers.

CTM Equipment in Barnsley specialises in building machines for mixing polyurethane foam, elastomer and epoxy resins. It exports its systems all round the world and supports the machines throughout their long working lives.

Its datalogging project started when a client in the offshore industry needed help with mixing very exact recipes to ensure the mechanical properties of insulating foam. Engineer Chris Sykes, who lead the development project at CTM, explains:

"Our client makes pipe lagging, but not of your common or garden variety. It's all bespoke stuff for very demanding applications. They make insulating jackets for pipework on offshore production platforms. An exact mould of each length of pipe is taken and used to cast a made to measure jacket that covers all the bends, flanges, joints and valves."

"For the jacket to work properly it must expand and contract with temperature at exactly the same rate as its host pipework. This is achieved by individually blending each polyurethane mixture to an exact recipe."

"Our control system maintains process accuracy to within 1 per cent, and the datalogging function stores every parameter of every mix. We can also interrogate it in real-time from here in glorious Yorkshire without having to fly off to site. Of course it also has other functions such as safety and report preparation."

Originally Chris thought he would have to use a SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) system to achieve all of the required functionality. He was worried that the PC at the heart of such a system would not be robust enough for the journey to site or for use in the developing nations where many CTM machines operate. However a conversation with Mitsubishi Electric's Jeremy Shinton shifted the concept to the use of a single high performance PLC (programmable logic controller).

"We could achieve the desired functionality with a Q03 PLC," says Jeremy. "This unit has dual CPUs and twin racks onto which specialist modules fit to define a bespoke system for any application. And, of course, PLCs are totally deterministic so completely reliable in all circumstances."

The key module for CTM was the datalogger, which is connected via Profibus to several drives flowmeters, temperature gauges and pressure monitors so that it is constantly collecting and storing all process data.

The PLC also connects to an Ethernet hub and onto two Mitsubishi E-series HMIs (human-machine interfaces), one at the mixing head, the other 20m away at the casting station. Operators standing at either of the two workstations can monitor - and to some extent control - the machine's operation…./Continued on the next page
Ethernet is also used to connect the datalogger with a GPRS so that it can access the mobile phone network and communicate with CTM engineers back in Barnsley.

"A few years ago, we were spending a small fortune sending engineers around the world: one week it was Amsterdam, the next it was Nigeria," explains Chris. "Now the machines are just a phone call away, so our blokes can be working in Amsterdam one minute and Nigeria the next!"

This real-time communication is further enhanced by the fact that the Q03 PLC is internet enabled, so can be interrogated and reset from literally 1000 miles away.
Chris says that this level of communication was a pipe dream just a few short years ago and has transformed his job and driven major efficiency gains to both the company and its customers. 

"We now have the capability to produce detailed manufacturing process reports, aiding quality control, improving fault finding response time and maintenance scheduling which we believe will be of great benefit to managerial decision making"

For further information, view website: www.mitsubishi-automation.co.uk   Refer to page 188