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Lean Transformation of a ULT line

One of our customers was looking for help to improve the efficiency of their Ultra-Low Temperature (ULT) freezer line. They were performing a lean transformation of the line. The demand for ULT freezers had doubled in 2020 because these freezers are used to store COVID-19 vaccines. Pfizer was recommending that their vaccine be stored at -70 Celsius, while Moderna and Johnson & Johnson recommended storage temperatures of -20 to 8 Celsius. One of the Manufacturing Engineers was leading a mission-based team to streamline the ULT line. Ultra-low temperature (ULT) freezers are essential to any lab environment, as they play a critical role in helping to ensure the safe storage of precious samples. Operating within the -50°C to -80°C range, ULTs are used to store a variety of analytes and products, from biospecimen samples to enzymes and drugs.

The engineer requested Newell Automation’s support to improve the throughput of the foaming process. One of our Senior Controls Engineer and our Account Manager reviewed the operation of the foaming jigs. They determined that we could improve the process by replacing the two-hand machine control with a momentary push button control and upgraded safety devices. We proposed installing vertical light curtains on the loading side of the three foaming jigs and reprogramming the PLCs to sequence the machine with a single momentary push button press. The proposal was accepted, and we scheduled and completed the work over two Saturdays to avoid any disruption to their production schedule.

This upgrade has improved Takt time by allowing the operator to perform other tasks while the machine is cycling. The upgrade has also improved machine safety. The light curtains act as an emergency stop and ensure that no one, including another operator, enters the hazardous area while the machine is actuating.

How to select a Control Panel builder

Within this standard, UL-508A is the UL standard for the construction of Industrial Control Panels. It provides guidelines to panel builders on various issues including proper component selection, wiring methods and calculation of short circuit current ratings. A panel that carries the UL-508A listed mark means that the panel, it’s electrical components and construction meet UL-508A standards. Electrical inspectors look for this mark as evidence of third-party certification. This is important to a local municipal inspection authority as well as the panel purchaser. It shows that the panel is compliant with acceptable safety standards. Do they have other certifications? Other than UL Certifications, most engineers and panel builders also have other industry certifications. Other organizations include CSIA – the Control System Integrators Association and ISA – the International Society of Automation. Both organizations perform independent audits on the panel builder and/or the company and provide a non-biased, objective assessment. CSIA Certified companies have demonstrated through an independent audit that they adhere to CSIA’s comprehensive Best Practices. Key areas covered include not only project management, system development and quality assurance, but also covers the company’s financial health, human resources and marketing and business development.

ISA certifies a technician’s skills. Through their Certified Control Systems Technician (CCST) program, they provide an objective assessment and confirmation of a technician’s skills. ISA’s three levels of CCST certification require differing degrees of technical experience, education, and training. CCSTs calibrate, document, troubleshoot, and repair/replace instrumentation for systems that measure and control level, temperature, pressure, flow, and other process variables. Do they keep their panel building area clean? Keeping your panel building facility clean may sound like a no-brainer, but the benefits of a clean facility go beyond simply clean floors. The most important component of any work environment is its people. By providing a clean and hygienic workplace, businesses can make a significant positive impact on the health and safety, productivity and satisfaction of employees. Studies have shown that employees in a clean facility are 12% more productive. What would this look like in a panel building shop? It means:

projects are clearly organized and in their own workplace
components are labeled and stored with the correct project
tools and other supplies are clearly labeled and easily accessible
trash and other non-used supplies are removed from the work area regularly
dust, dirt and debris are reduced that could cause a fault within the panel

Do they standardize the layout of the panel? While neatness may be the first thing that jumps out about a well-designed panel, there are other aspects that you should look for in good control panel design. These aspects include component placement, labeling, panel size and space and wire design.

Components should be arranged in a logical and functional manner. High and low voltage components should be segregated from each other. Since most panels have their main power disconnect switch in the upper right of the panel, it makes sense that the highest voltage rating components should be at the top with decreasing voltage level components below. The PLC racks and other sensitive electronics are typically located away from the hotter power components.
Labeling of components, especially wiring, is key and the labelling should be consistent within the panel. Wiring and components should also correspond to the P&ID, that way troubleshooting will be easier down the road.
Panel size and spacing should obviously be large enough to house the needed components, but also allow room for possible future expansion. Proper heat dissipation is also critical within a control panel. A well-design panel will incorporate the means for expelling heat excess vertically within the enclosure. Additional room should also be left at the bottom for coiling spare field wiring.
A good wiring plan uses both the right type and the right amount. Enough space should be given so that each wire can be neatly connected to its component and that its label can be clearly seen. Finally, wiring should be firmly connected so that wiring cannot be easily pulled out or lose connection.

Do they provide documentation with the panel? Last but not least, your automation supplier should provide all of the proper documentation along with the panel itself. At a minimum, documentation should include any layout drawings and/or P&ID’s, electrical schematics and bills of material for the components. If you requested a UL panel, the panel should also include a UL sticker and verification that all components are UL-Certified. Panels should also have a tag that includes the manufacturer and the project number.

ITM-51 Turbidity Meter

Cost-effective optical sensor for your process!

The ITM-51’s compact, modular design is a highly configurable, cost-effective solution to meet your specific application needs. With expanded capabilities in pressure, temperature and measuring range, the ITM-51 can now go beyond the typical applications given to turbidity sensors, making the ITM-51 capable of furthering your ability to meet sustainment goals. NOW available with

Applications:

Phase separation of products (whey-cream-milk)
Water flush control
Separator control
CIP-pre-rinse control
Yeast harvest in breweries
Product quality control

Features:

Compact, modular design
Extended temperature and pressure capabilities
Measurement is not influenced by color (wave length 860 nm)
High reproducibility: ≤ 1 % of full scale
Selectable output units (%TU, NTU, EBC)
Extended measurement range: 200…300.000 NTU equivalent

Product Specifications:

Open, freely flushing design cleans easily and provides fast reaction to product changes.
CIP-/SIP-cleaning up to 140 °C (284 °F) / maximum 120 minutes
3-A compliant Tri-Clamp process connection

Enclosure Materials:

Product contacting materials compliant to FDA
Sensor made of stainless steel
Optics made of high resistant sapphire
Process connection G1/2″ hygienic, Tri-Clamp or Varivent, adapters available for milk pipe (DIN 11851), DRD, APV et al.

Principle of Operation

Infrared LED emits light into the media through the sapphire lens
Receiver measures the amount of light reflected back by particles suspended in the media
A signal is generated that is proportional to the amount of particles = relative turbidity
The relative turbidity is based on the Negele calibration standard and is displayed in %TU, NTU or EBC

UL Panel Building Best Practices

Depending on your process, a control panel may be small – designed to control a simple batching process – or complex – designed to control several loops and integrate various pieces of equipment in various locations around your plant. As such, these panels can house an increasing array of devices. In addition, you may want to plan for a future expansion. When selecting a vendor to build your control panels, it is wise to do some homework and check out their work. We’ve put together a few Frequently Asked Questions to help guide you through the process of selecting an automation company to build your control panel. 1. Are they UL® Certified? Do they use UL components? UL is a global, independent safety science company with over 100 years of expertise in safety solutions. UL standards encompass their extensive range of safety research and scientific expertise. Most control panels fall under the UL-508 specification. This requirement covers industrial control panels intended for general industrial use and operating from a voltage of 1000 volts or less. Within this standard, UL-508A is the UL standard for the construction of Industrial Control Panels. It provides guidelines to panel builders on various issues including proper component selection, wiring methods and calculation of short circuit current ratings. A panel that carries the UL-508A listed mark means that the panel, it’s electrical components and construction meet UL-508A standards. Electrical inspectors look for this mark as evidence of third-party certification. This is important to a local municipal inspection authority as well as the panel purchaser. It shows that the panel is compliant with acceptable safety standards. 2. Do they have other certifications? Other than UL Certifications, most engineers and panel builders also have other industry certifications. Other organizations include CSIA – the Control System Integrators Association and ISA – the International Society of Automation. Both organizations perform independent audits on the panel builder and/or the company and provide a non-biased, objective assessment. CSIA Certified companies have demonstrated through an independent audit that they adhere to CSIA’s comprehensive Best Practices. Key areas covered include not only project management, system development and quality assurance, but also covers the company’s financial health, human resources and marketing and business development. ISA certifies a technician’s skills. Through their Certified Control Systems Technician (CCST) program, they provide an objective assessment and confirmation of a technician’s skills. ISA’s three levels of CCST certification require differing degrees of technical experience, education, and training. CCSTs calibrate, document, troubleshoot, and repair/replace instrumentation for systems that measure and control level, temperature, pressure, flow, and other process variables. 3. Do they keep their panel building area clean? Keeping your panel building facility clean may sound like a no-brainer, but the benefits of a clean facility go beyond simply clean floors. The most important component of any work environment is its people. By providing a clean and hygienic workplace, businesses can make a significant positive impact on the health and safety, productivity and satisfaction of employees. Studies have shown that employees in a clean facility are 12% more productive. What would this look like in a panel building shop? It means:

projects are clearly organized and in their own workplace
components are labeled and stored with the correct project
tools and other supplies are clearly labeled and easily accessible
trash and other non-used supplies are removed from the work area regularly
dust, dirt and debris are reduced that could cause a fault within the panel

4. Do they standardize the layout of the panel? While neatness may be the first thing that jumps out about a well-designed panel, there are other aspects that you should look for in good control panel design. These aspects include component placement, labeling, panel size and space and wire design.

Components should be arranged in a logical and functional manner. High and low voltage components should be segregated from each other. Since most panels have their main power disconnect switch in the upper right of the panel, it makes sense that the highest voltage rating components should be at the top with decreasing voltage level components below. The PLC racks and other sensitive electronics are typically located away from the hotter power components.
Labeling of components, especially wiring, is key and the labelling should be consistent within the panel. Wiring and components should also correspond to the P&ID, that way troubleshooting will be easier down the road.
Panel size and spacing should obviously be large enough to house the needed components, but also allow room for possible future expansion. Proper heat dissipation is also critical within a control panel. A well-design panel will incorporate the means for expelling heat excess vertically within the enclosure. Additional room should also be left at the bottom for coiling spare field wiring.
A good wiring plan uses both the right type and the right amount. Enough space should be given so that each wire can be neatly connected to its component and that its label can be clearly seen. Finally, wiring should be firmly connected so that wiring cannot be easily pulled out or lose connection.

5. Do they provide documentation with the panel Last but not least, your automation supplier should provide all of the proper documentation along with the panel itself. At a minimum, documentation should include any layout drawings and/or P&ID’s, electrical schematics and bills of material for the components. If you requested a UL panel, the panel should also include a UL sticker and verification that all components are UL-Certified. Panels should also have a tag that includes the manufacturer and the project number.

Purpose of a Calibration

There are three main reasons for having instruments calibrated:

To ensure readings from an instrument are consistent with other measurements.
To determine the accuracy of the instrument readings.
To establish the reliability of the instrument i.e. that it can be trusted.

Traceability: relating your measurements to others The results of measurements are most useful if they relate to similar measurements, perhaps made at a different time, a different place, by a different person with a different instrument. Such measurements allow manufacturing processes to be kept in control from one day to the next and from one factory to another. Manufacturers and exporters require such measurements to know that they will satisfy their clients’ specifications. Most countries have a system of accreditation for calibration laboratories. Accreditation is the recognition by an official accreditation body of a laboratory’s competence to calibrate, test, or measure an instrument or product. The assessment is made against criteria laid down by international standards. Accreditation ensures that the links back to the national standard are based on sound procedures. Uncertainty: how accurate are your measurements? Ultimately all measurements are used to help make decisions, and poor quality measurements result in poor quality decisions. The uncertainty in a measurement is a numerical estimate of the spread of values that could reasonably be attributed to the quantity. It is a measure of the quality of a measurement and provides the means to assess and minimize the risk and possible consequences of poor decisions. For example we may want to determine whether the diameter of a lawn mower shaft is too big, too small or just right. Our aim is to balance the cost of rejecting good shafts and of customer complaints if we were to accept faulty shafts, against the cost of an accurate but over engineered measurement system. When making these decisions the uncertainty in the measurement is as important as the measurement itself. The uncertainty reported on your certificate is information necessary for you to calculate the uncertainty in your measurements. Reliability: can I trust the instrument? Many measuring instruments read directly in terms of the SI units, and have a specified accuracy greater than needed for most tasks. With such an instrument, where corrections and uncertainties are negligible, the user simply wants to know that the instrument is reliable. Unfortunately a large number of instruments are not. Approximately one in six of all of the instruments sent to MSL for calibration are judged to be unreliable or unfit for purpose in some way. This failure rate is typical of that experienced by most calibration laboratories and is not related to the cost or complexity of the instrument. Reliability is judged primarily by the absence of any behavior that would indicate that the instrument is or may be faulty. Achieving Traceability in your measurements Many quantities of practical interest such as color, loudness and comfort are difficult to define because they relate to human attributes. Others such as viscosity, flammability, and thermal conductivity are sensitive to the conditions under which the measurement is made, and it may not be possible to trace these measurements to the SI units. For these reasons the international measurement community establishes documentary standards (procedures) that define how such quantities are to be measured so as to provide the means for comparing the quality of goods or ensuring that safety and health requirements are satisfied. To make a traceable measurement three elements are required:

An appropriate and recognized definition of how the quantity should be measured,
A calibrated measuring instrument, and
Competent staff able to interpret the standard or procedure, and use the instrument.

For those who buy their measurement services from other companies it pays to purchase from a laboratory that has been independently assessed as being technically competent to provide the measurement services. Adjustment: what a calibration is not Calibration does not usually involve the adjustment of an instrument so that it reads ‘true’. Indeed adjustments made as a part of a calibration often detract from the reliability of an instrument because they may destroy or weaken the instrument’s history of stability. The adjustment may also prevent the calibration from being used retrospectively. When MSL adjusts an instrument it normally issues a calibration report with both the ‘as received’ and ‘after adjustment’ values. What a calibration certificate contains Your calibration certificate must contain certain information if it is to fulfil its purpose of supporting traceable measurements. This information can be divided into several categories:

it establishes the identity and credibility of the calibrating laboratory;
it uniquely identifies the instrument and its owner;
it identifies the measurements made; and
it is an unambiguous statement of the results, including an uncertainty statement.

In some cases the information contained in your certificate might seem obvious but ISO Guide 25 grew out of the experience that stating the obvious is the only reliable policy. Calibration overview provided by the Measurement Standards Laboratory.

Process Control – Understanding the Basics

The difference between good control and bad control is the difference between success and failure. Process control begins with understanding your process variables. In manufacturing, a wide number of variables from temperature to flow to pressure can be measured simultaneously. All of these can be interdependent variables in a single process. Controlling each variable manually would be difficult, time-consuming, prone to mistakes and potentially hazardous. Fortunately, process control simplifies complex tasks, reduces variability and ensures the safety of your workers and equipment. All process control loops work in the same way, requiring three tasks to occur:

Measure – measure the right parameters accurately and quickly
Decide – what to adjust and by how much
Act – quickly act on the decision before the process goes further out of control.

Let’s look at a basic example. A level sensor measures the level in a tank and transmits a signal associated with the level reading to a controller. The controller compares the reading to a predetermined value. If the level is low, the controller sends a signal to the valve on the feed line. The valve opens to add product to the tank and bring the level back to the correct position. Many different instruments and devices may be used in control loops (transmitters, sensors, valves, pumps, etc.) but the three basic steps are always used. Good control decisions are made by applying your process knowledge. The control loop needs to be “tuned” for the best response. Too little correction and you have no impact. Too much correction may result in damage to the controls, the equipment or the product. Let’s define a few other terms commonly used in process control.

Set Point – the value for a process variable that is desired to be maintained. For example, if a process temperature needs to be kept within ±5°C of 100°C, then the set point is 100°C. Set points can also be maximum or minimum values.
Error – the difference between the measured variable and the set point. The error can be either positive or negative. In our example, if the measured temperature is 108°C, then the error is +8°C. Duration – the length of time that an error condition exists
Offset – a sustained deviation of the process variable from the set point. For example, if our control system held the temperature at 100.5°C consistently (even though the set point was 100.0°C), then an offset of 0.5°C exists.
Load Disturbance – an undesired change in one of the factors that can affect the process variable. For example, the addition of cold water to the tank would be a load disturbance because it lowers the temperature of the process fluid.
Closed and Open Control Loops – a closed control loop exists where a process variable is measured, compared to a set point and action taken to correct any deviation. An open control loop exists where action is taken without regard to process variable conditions. For example, a water valve may be opened to add cooling water to a process based on a pre-set time interval, regardless of the actual temperature of the process fluid.

ISA Symbols The Instrumentation, Systems and Automation Society (ISA) is one of the leading process control standards organizations. They have developed a series of symbols for use in engineered drawings and design of control loops. Drawings using these symbols are known as Piping and Instrumentation Drawings (P&ID). In P&ID drawings, these symbols represent measurement instrumentation, controls, piping, equipment and the process variable being measured. Below is a quick reference guide for commonly used symbols:

A circle represents individual measurement instruments, such as transmitters, sensors and detectors. A single horizontal line indicates that the instrument is located in a primary location (i.e. control room). A double line indicates an auxiliary location. No line indicates that it is field-mounted and a dotted line indicates that the instrument is inaccessible (i.e. behind a panel board).

A square with a circle inside represents instruments that both display readings and perform some control function.

A hexagon represents computer functions, such as those carried out by a controller.

A square with a diamond inside represents PLC’s.

A ‘bow tie’ shape represents a valve in the piping. An actuator is always drawn above the valve to indicate whether it is pneumatic, manual or electric.

Pumps are represented with this symbol. Directional arrows show the flow direction.

Piping and connections are represented with several symbols: a heavy line for piping; a thin solid line for process connections to instruments, etc. A full list of piping listings can be found on the ISA site.
Identification letters indicate the variable being measure (flow, temperature, etc) and the device function (transmitter, sensor, valve, etc). The tag number references the specific control loop.

The figure below is an example of several elements of these symbols being used in a P&ID.

For a complete listing of ISA symbols and identification letters, visit www.isa.org.

Industrial Automation: Is It Time To Upgrade Your Control System?

How old is the control system at your facility? In most processing plants, the control system consists of field instruments that are wired to I/O cards which feed to a central PLC controller. Operators communicate with the PLC through a human machine interface (HMI) computer. While the lifespan of an HMI computer is about the same as a typical desktop computer, the instruments, field wiring, I/O boards and PLC controllers last a lot longer — and the mentality of most operators is: “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Upgrading a control system is a costly investment, and, as a result, many facilities have field hardware that is decades old. So, when is it worth upgrading your control system? And what options do you have? When to Upgrade your Control System Normally, we recommend to upgrade control systems for clients when:

Their system has reached the end of its life and/or no longer functions
An upgrade would result in significant energy and/or cost savings
They’re already undergoing other major plant renovations or upgrades

There are a few red flags to keep in mind. When software versions are no longer supported or will not run on currently supported versions of your operating system, it’s time to upgrade. The risk is too high for virus and cybersecurity issues. Another indicator is when hardware is no longer being manufactured and spare parts are difficult or impossible to find. For example, Rockwell Automation announced that their SLC/PLC-5 software systems were being discontinued. When you’re buying used parts on eBay, it’s definitely time to start budgeting for an upgrade. The risk of a minor failure taking down your whole facility while you search for spare parts is too high. Partial Upgrade vs. Full Upgrade As I mentioned, a new control system can get expensive, but sometimes that cost can be minimized by upgrading in phases. In a partial upgrade, you can often replace individual components while keeping the rest of the system intact. However, there are limitations. For example, the technology in the old and new components must be able to talk to each other. But in the right situation, this allows plant owners to take advantage of features offered by more modern computers and software without the expense of fully replacing all the control hardware. Some potential partial upgrades would be:

Replace the HMI computer and software and keep the existing control hardware in place. This allows the control system to communicate on a modern Windows network for printing temperature reports, saving historical data, doing remote alarming, etc. However, the PLC program stays the same, so you won’t get the benefit of improved functionality and energy efficiency.
Replace the PLC controller and program and leave the I/O, field instruments and wiring in place. This option takes advantage of the newest energy-saving algorithms and control functions.

That being said, a full upgrade may be required if your control system is obsolete. Legacy systems — often 20+ years old — were frequently manufactured as proprietary, stand-alone systems. When the control hardware is too old to communicate with a new HMI on a modern network, it generally can’t be upgraded in phases. Replacing the entire system is inevitable. Benefits of Upgrading Control systems aren’t like the newest iPhone: You don’t replace it just because a new model becomes available. But when the time does come for an upgrade, the features can be a big advantage to your business and the quality of life for plant personnel. Here are some of the biggest benefits with newer automation systems:

Process efficiency — Modern systems have advanced controls for efficiently sequencing your process and controlling all critical parameters (temperature, pressure, etc) to their optimum point. If your system is more than 10 years old, you’re probably missing out on some efficiency benefits.
Communication — There are great labor-saving benefits to be gained from integrating all equipment and sensors from the basement to the rooftop. Operators can see the entire plant from one screen and can make better choices about how to spend their time, and managers can monitor and improve usage.
Mobile access — Today’s cloud-based software allows for remote alarming and mobile access. A refrigeration engine room is frequently staffed with only one operator and is often not staffed at night. When an alarm goes off after hours, someone — like a security guard doing their rounds — would have to notice and call the off-duty operator to come onto the plant and investigate. A control system with remote capabilities will alert the off-duty operator, who can log in and address the alarm from home. This increases efficiency, saves time and improves quality of life for operators.

Today, people increasingly expect all controls to be integrated and to be controlled from one central location. A modern control system should be expected to be fully integrated — including process equipment, tank level controls, pump controls, skid-mounted equipment, etc. — on a common control network. An operator should be able to view the same information from every control screen around the plant. Older systems simply don’t do that.

controls@mgnewell.com

336-393-0100