Case Study: Cross Helps Kemira Migrate Safety System
Cross Helps Kemira Migrate Safety System While Keeping their Facility Operational
Kemira, a specialty chemical manufacturer, located in Marietta, GA made the decision to migrate their existing Triconex safety control system to a Siemens PCS7 system. The Triconex system had been in place since 1993 and was starting to cause problems. The issue was the system was obsolete so replacement parts were no longer available. When a controller failed it had to be sent off for repair. Often once repaired, the component would fail again in a year or two. Due to the risk and downtime associated with a failure of the system, the team at Kemira began to look into replacement options. Because they had already migrated their plant control system to PCS7, it made sense for them to move the safety system to the same platform. Pete Voytek, Facilities and Project Engineering Manager at Kemira, reached out to Cross for help with this project.
Pete first worked with Cross in 2012 on a small pilot scale project which later led to Cross’ involvement on larger projects at multiple Kemira plants. According to Pete, the decision to go with Cross for this migration project was an easy one. He said, “Cross’ familiarity with our facility and control system was a plus. Also, they have a local technician in the area who is already familiar with our system. I was comfortable with the people and the quality of their work.”
The migration itself was a bit of a challenge. The room in which the cabinets were located wasn’t large enough to allow the new panels to be built alongside the old ones. This meant that migration would need to take a phased approach in which the components would be replaced in sections. To accomplish this, Cross needed to create a highly detailed design. They had to ensure each instrument was properly identified and the logic was correct and tested so that when they did shut down each section to be replaced, they knew it would work properly when it was brought back online. This process was significantly more involved that the traditional “rip and replace” method, but allowed the customer to keep their facility operational with minimal downtime.
One of the other major benefits for Kemira on this project was the training support provided by Cross. “We didn’t know anything about the PCS7 safety system going into this. Cross was able to provide support so our automation technician could get up to speed. It was important that our team had the support they needed. Cross was there looking over our shoulder and helping us work through any questions or problems that came up”, said Voytek.
By proactively replacing the existing Triconex system while keeping the plant operational, Cross was able to help Kemira significantly reduce their risk of unplanned downtime. In addition, by training the Kemira team to work on the new PCS7 system, they are better positioned to handle any issues or questions that may arise without the need to call in an integrator for support.d can handle larger and more complex projects”
Before
Before
In Process
About Kemira
Kemira is a global leader in sustainable chemical solutions for water intensive industries. They provide products and expertise to improve customers’ product quality, process and resource efficiency. Their focus is on pulp & paper, water treatment and oil & gas. To learn more about Kemira visit www.kemira.com.
