Integrated engineering - The Future of Manufacturing

Number 2 | June 2015 | siemens.com/processnews
process news
The magazine for the process industry
Integrated
engineering
Continuous quality control
The potential of digitalization: Common data
management and integrated processes ensure
higher quality and efficiency
More power, less consumption
Sipat enables the continuous production of pharmaceuticals
Integrated Drive Systems improve the performance of a waste
incineration plant
process news 2/2015 | Contents
28
Integrated
engineering
at Wacker
Process
instrumen­
tation and
automation
at Merck
Integrated engineering
04 Rich rewards
Wacker saves time and costs
thanks to integrated engineering
08Engineering tool as efficiency
lever
Ineos uses Comos as a tool for
computer-aided engineering
10Step by step toward the
standard
Integrated engineering as a
success factor for plant design
Chemical industry
12
Pilot migration
Expertise and technology
safeguard investments at
Columbian Carbon Europa
Pharmaceutical industry
14
The digital vein
Digital processes improve plant
efficiency
Cover photo:
Silos for pyrogenic silica at the Nünchritz site,
Wacker Chemie AG
2
16 A package for life
Migration in the automation of
rotary cycle autoclaves
18 Continuous quality control
Sipat enables continuous
production through research and
development
Water industry
20 Quality, drop by drop
Services ensure quality and
availability in highly purified water
plants
Siemens AG
Achim Zeller / Wacker Chemie AG
4
Drive technology
26 More power, less consumption
Integrated Drive Systems improve
the performance of a waste
incineration plant
Process instrumentation
28 Perfect down to the last detail
Integrated solution enables
resource-friendly energy
generation for Merck
News
22 Quenching the thirst
Electrical and automation
solutions for water treatment
30 Mission: added value
The Integrated Drive Systems
Roadshow tours Europe
Industrial
communication
Dialogue
24
Communication for today and
tomorrow
Industrial communication as the
foundation of digitalization
31 Online, Apps, Preview
Editorial | process news 2/2015
“ Digitalization is
the key to greater
competitiveness!”
Siemens AG / W. Geyer
Editorial
How can companies in the process industry increase their efficiency and productivity and thus
also their competitiveness? We will address this key issue this year at ACHEMA. Under the slogan
“From Integrated Engineering to Integrated Operation – Discover the Potential of Digitalization,”
we want to show our visitors how we promote digitalization in the process industry based on
our existing portfolio of products and services for electrification and automation.
Digitalization enables the integration of individual process steps over the entire plant lifecycle,
from engineering and operation to continuous optimization. We already support our customers
with solutions that advance this integration – for example, with the integration of planning for
electrical engineering, process engineering, and automation, which we provide with Comos and
Simatic PCS 7. Companies such as Wacker, DSM, and Ineos benefit from greater efficiency and
consistency in their data – as the examples in this issue of process news show.
Another important topic in the process industry is documentation. Read how the Chinese
pharmaceutical company Rongshen converted its batch documentation to a paperless process
using our manufacturing execution system – an important step toward operational efficiency.
Other topics include new approaches in industrial communication and integrated drive
solutions that ensure greater energy efficiency in the process industry. I hope these articles give
you some valuable tips.
At ACHEMA we are going one step further and demonstrating how digitalization is achievable in
the process industry: the digital plant, modularization, and optimizing production. In this way,
we are building a bridge from the technologies of today to the process industry of tomorrow –
for greater competitiveness and higher productivity. Visit us at ACHEMA 2015, June 15 to 19, in
Hall 11, Booth C3. I look forward to seeing you there! If you want to find out further information
in advance, please visit our website: siemens.com/achema
Warm regards,
Eckard Eberle
CEO Process Automation
Process Industries and Drives
Siemens AG
3
Alexander Schröter / Wacker Chemie AG
process news 2/2015 | Integrated engineering
Manufacture of polycrystalline hyperpure silicon at Wacker’s Nünchritz site: part of the plant
recycles byproducts in order to feed them back into the manufacturing process
Wacker, Germany
Rich rewards
Wacker is now one of the most intensive users of Comos, even though it was
not among the very first users. The company has taken the time and effort to
advance and evolve the Comos solution and set challenging benchmarks for
the tool – which is one reason why the company is now richly rewarded by
saving time and costs.
4
Integrated engineering | process news 2/2015
“W
e were founded in 1914, meaning that
the documentation of the plants is in
a wide variety of forms,” says Peter
Schöler, director of electrical and instrumentation
for project engineering at Wacker, which is headquartered in Burghausen, Germany. Until the early
1990s, Wacker used various tools and systems for
computer-aided engineering (CAE), resulting in the
familiar interface problems and data inconsistencies in imports and exports. “The driving force
behind the introduction of a uniform CAE system
was the desire for increased productivity in plant
engineering,” Schöler recalls. A uniform database
would minimize the number of interfaces, reducing
engineering time and costs. However, the worldwide presence of Wacker required software that
would enable the implementation of different standards in the CAE tool. “For us, it was important for
all project partners from every corner of the world
to have common access to project data,” emphasizes Schöler.
sary. “In addition, the performance must feel
right,” says Schöler. It was also important that
despite integration, users were still able to carry
out their tasks in their respective engineering
­disciplines independently from other teams. Other
important aspects were smooth version conversion
as well as rights management, which is essential
for IT security.
Worldwide use
Today, Comos is virtually the only tool used for
IT-aided plant engineering at the German plants in
Burghausen and Nünchritz, as well as in a second
installation environment in Charleston, Tennessee,
in the United States. Since the tool was launched,
some 1,400 users have been trained using two
independent redundant runtime environments,
in which up to 240 users can work simultaneously
on 24 terminal servers. Engineering partners and
suppliers access Wacker’s site data via Citrix SQL
Server. And this lays the foundations for successful
Schöler readily admits the staff experienced a
learning curve with Comos. “Design engineers are
not CAE nerds,” says Schöler succinctly. The CAE
software should support engineers and operators
in their job, and accordingly, using it needs to be
simple and intuitive. Training is essential, particularly because design and plant engineers do not
constantly work with Comos. In addition, the introduction of a CAE system affects the division of
labor and the workflow. This is now seen as something positive, because CAE ensures the workflow
is very structured. However, the data models are
based on idealized development models that do
not always correspond to real-life project requirements. Compromises between the modeled and
the actual work procedures are absolutely neces-
Achim Zeller / Wacker Chemie AG
Successful CAE implementation
In 2000 Wacker selected the Comos CAE system;
the first plant that was designed with Comos began
operation in 2003. The holistic approach for process, electrical, and instrumentation and control
engineering was a decisive factor in the choice of
the system. This approach would create a global
database and reduce the interfaces between these
disciplines. However, the opportunity to have open
and customizable interfaces to third-party systems,
such as process simulation tools, SAP, or process
control systems, also played a significant role at the
time.
Comos at Wacker
• 2 independent runtime environments with 24 terminal
servers for up to 240 concurrent users
• 1,400 trained users
• 4,700 piping and instrumentation diagrams with a total
of 13,200 pipes, 60,000 devices, 117,000 measuring
instruments, and 47,000 actuated valves
5
process news 2/2015 | Integrated engineering
and flexibility across all processes,” adds Klaus
Kraml, head of CAx systems and applications at
Wacker.
»Comos enables informed
decision making and thus
considerably greater productivity,
efficiency, and flexibility across
all processes.«
Almost all the EMR planning now takes place in
Comos. Consistent data management means that
the relevant data are also disseminated into the
process control system and SAP. The CAE system
also provides support for the automatic creation
of the Ex i certificates, for example, as well as the
function plans, and it assists with the selection of
the measuring principle. In addition, Comos helps
Wacker track planning and installation progress.
Different norms and standards, for example for
Germany and the United States, are accounted for,
so there are specific runtime environments and
data models for the different locations.
Klaus Kraml, Head of CAx Systems and
Applications, Wacker
integrated engineering as everyone works with the
same data. The master data are continuously synchronized across the sites.
Integrated workflows
Data from the process simulation are additionally
implemented in Comos. The software manages
­factors such as the different operating points and
material compositions for batch plants or different
load situations. The tool also supports intelligent
pipe specification management, providing assistance in selecting the correct components not only
to the design engineer but also to the procurement
department. From the process control device specification, Comos creates a “procurement object,”
provides the exact requirement data to SAP for
ordering, and exchanges the corresponding data
with SAP as part of the order process. The SAP
­document can be displayed later in Comos.
Wacker uses the Comos Process and Comos Automation software, which include modules for process technology, electrical, instrumentation, and
control technology as well as isometrics and standardization. All the modules use the uniform
Comos database. Open interfaces to third-party
systems and an object-oriented approach facilitate
integration with systems for process simulation as
well as connection to the enterprise resource planning and process control level, where Wacker uses
Simatic PCS 7 and other systems. “The consistent
object orientation makes the work easier. Plant
engineers and plant operators can access the data
at any time – in real time – regardless of time
zones. This enables informed decision making and
thus considerably greater productivity, efficiency,
Comos also supports maintenance, because the
data imported by SAP can be displayed directly in
the piping and instrumentation diagram (P&ID) for
maintenance planning. The objects for checking
are color coded based on the chosen time period.
Comos receives maintenance schedule information
for each object via SAP and generates an overview
of the current maintenance status by means of a
colored illustration on the P&ID, and also enables
quick and easy procurement of spare parts in conjunction with SAP.
Wacker Chemie AG
Greater efficiency: Comos assists not only the design
engineer but also the procurement department
6
A central data hub
The switch to the Comos CAE system has paid off
for Wacker: the system landscape has become simpler, the engineering quality has improved significantly, and considerable potential savings have
been identified. And a deeper commitment in the
area of maintenance is also currently being investigated. “Comos has become the central data hub
for our process design,” concludes Schöler. The
common database improves engineering quality
Achim Zeller / Wacker Chemie AG
Integrated engineering | process news 2/2015
Happy users: the departments led by Klaus Kraml, Head of CAx Systems and Applications (left), and Peter Schöler, Director of
Electrical and Instrumentation for Project Engineering, have been working with Comos for 15 years
»Comos has become the
central data hub for
our process design.«
Peter Schöler, Director of Electrical
and Instrumentation for Project
Engineering, Wacker
throughout the design phases. In addition, CAE systems help store knowledge modules for the organization so that the project editors have access to all
the relevant information in their work – because
the expertise of employees, whether they are
design or maintenance engineers, or plant operators, is a company’s greatest asset. That is something Schöler is also certain of: “The actual engineering is still done by the engineers and not by
the CAE system!”
INFO AND CONTACT
siemens.com/comos
[email protected]
7
Ineos / Siemens AG
Ineos, Germany
Engineering tool as
efficiency lever
At its Cologne site, Ineos Group AG, a group of global chemical companies, relies
on a new system for computer-aided engineering (CAE). Together with other tools,
it manages more than 100,000 documented process control points, including
safety equipment and more than 3,500 piping and instrumentation diagrams
(P&IDs).
T
he petrochemical site in Cologne, one of the
largest of the Ineos Group, produces a
variety of raw materials from the two main
source materials naphtha and butane. These serve
8
as basic building blocks for manufacturing plastics
and fibers, solvents, detergents, paints, fertilizers
and pesticides, as well as cosmetics and pharmaceutical preparations.
Integrated engineering | process news 2/2015
At the site in Cologne, the Ineos Group uses
Comos as an integrated software solution for
efficient plant design and operation
As different as the plants for the countless precursor
products are, they have one thing in common. In
the past, the essential piping and instrumentation
diagrams (P&IDs) required for their engineering and
ongoing operation were created with the Plant
Design System (PDS) 2D from Intergraph and managed in close cooperation with SAP and Documentum. But emerging performance problems and
outdated data management in relational databases
made it necessary for the plant operator to introduce a modern CAD/CAE system.
understood our philosophy on the one hand, and
that it could be implemented in Comos on the
other,” explains G
­ erdemann. “Siemens exceeded
their contractual assurances. They had promised
that importing a P&ID would take 15 minutes.
Today, depending on the size of the flow diagram, it
takes between six and eight minutes!”
Standardized, up to date, and efficient
Once the software system had proven itself in the
pilot project, the rollout was soon launched for
After comparing different solutions, the project
team selected Comos as an integrated software
solution for efficient plant engineering and operation. It is able not only to represent the various
workflows and the enterprise-specific breakdown
of technical equipment, but also to provide interfaces to the SAP tools and Documentum used at
Ineos.
To minimize the risks of introducing a new system,
the Comos solution was first implemented in a
pilot project. “With only 50 P&IDs, we decided to
perform a small-scale, manageable project as a
pilot. We wanted to quickly gain experience and
insights that we could to apply to larger plants,”
explains Ralf von der Weppen, maintenance manager and member of the steering committee at
Ineos in Cologne. To migrate the data from the 2D
plant design system, Comos provided a converter
with which existing P&IDs could be automatically
imported into Comos P&IDs.
The entire technical equipment is structured on
four levels; the plant, the apparatus or the pipeline,
the space of the apparatus, in other words, the pipe
section, and the fittings, i.e. sensors/actuators or
meters. “Siemens did a good job of implementing
this layered structure and demonstrated that they
Masterfile
Selection of Comos
“We need a very efficient workflow in the planning,
maintenance, modification and operation of our
plants,” explains Guido Gerdemann, project manager for central engineering at Ineos. “The new
engineering tool therefore had to be seamlessly
integrated in the way we work and also had to provide further improvements in efficiency.”
Secure asset management with Comos
other plants . “Timely, consistent data are an
important foundation for our system maintenance
work,” says von der Weppen. “In the past, this was
only achieved in part by our workflow. Changes
were initially carried out purely graphically in the
P&ID; this was followed by release in paper form.
Then the data were entered into PDS 2D and partially linked to data from SAP.” With the introduction of Comos, these intermediate steps can be
eliminated. One employee can now carry out the
preplanning, the graphical implementation and the
work in the database using a single software
package.
INFO AND CONTACT
siemens.com/comos
[email protected]
9
process news 2/2015 | Integrated engineering
DSM, Switzerland
Step by step toward
the standard
With approximately 800 employees and several large plants, Sisseln in Switzerland is
one of the largest production sites of the Dutch company DSM. One of the key Swiss
plants is for the production of vitamin E, which DSM manufactures exclusively in Sisseln.
This plant was the first major project in which electrical engineering and automation
technology were planned using the Comos engineering software.
Siemens AG
»Both our team and the engineering
partners concluded that we would
not have completed the Vitex project
so successfully without a databaseaided engineering tool.«
Niklaus Beck, Head of Technical Services department,
DSM Nutritional Products
F
or Niklaus Beck, who was
responsible for the automation
of the Vitex project, the tool
was an important success factor for
this large project. The Vitex plant also
was the first project to use Comos
that was to be deployed for other
engineering processes. Today Beck
heads the Technical Services department at DSM Nutritional Products in
Sisseln. “An important part of our
work is support and development of
configuration tools for our plants,”
says Thomas Müller, who heads Beck’s
10
Tools and Document Management
team. “Here we use Comos, which we
are continuously developing along
with our standards and libraries,
together with Siemens.”
Pioneer in database-aided tools
Beck is responsible in no small part for
the fact that today Comos is used for
the design of piping and instrumentation as well as the electrical systems.
He has worked for DSM in Sisseln
since 1986 and began his career as an
automation engineer – “still at the
drawing board,” he recalls with a
smile. The first computer-based tools
were quickly adopted, but at the time
there were still many different tools
for tasks ranging from plant engineering to electrical engineering. “In
the mid-1990s, I took over management of engineering, and it was
already then our goal to clean up the
landscape of multiple software solutions,” says Beck. “After a few intermediate steps, we evaluated Comos and
were soon impressed by the possibilities.” Initially, Comos was used only as
Integrated engineering | process news 2/2015
an engineering tool for automation
planning; however, later it was additionally used for electrical engineering
planning. “And then the Vitex project
arrived,” Beck says.
Key plant for a key product
DSM’s Nutritional Products division is
the largest manufacturer of vitamins A
and E – and both vitamins are produced exclusively in Sisseln. With the
Vitex project, which was completed in
2004, DSM has further consolidated
its leading position in the market for
vitamin E. The new production facility
was equipped with Simatic PCS 7 as a
process control system.
To complete the planning for the large
Vitex project on schedule, many
teams had to work in parallel. “Back
then we decided that all partners
involved in the planning of the electrical and automation technology for
this plant would work with the same
tools in Comos. Looking back, we
were taking on a certain risk, but it
has really paid off,” says Beck.
Ten years after commissioning, the
plant is a mainstay of production at
DSM. The processes are continuously
optimized, which has allowed the
plant yield to be significantly
increased in recent years. In addition,
the level of automation has increased
steadily, reducing the number of
manual interventions in the process.
These changes are, of course, constantly updated in Comos, says Müller:
“Here, too, we see the advantage of
object-oriented work in a unified database – we can easily create new components or visuals.”
Orderly and uniform data simplify
audits
Uniform document management
­f acilitates not only the engineering,­
­as Müller clarifies: “Especially in view
of applications in the pharmaceutical
and food industries, we need to
ensure that our data are maintained
and stored in accordance with good
manufacturing practice guidelines. In
some cases, we need to store the
same information and data at 20 locations – in the engineering system, in
the system for the management of
production information, and so on –
and that is simply not possible without
a uniform tool.” Beck confirms this: “At
the site, we have a weekly system or
process audit, so it is crucial that our
documents are always up to date. A
tool such as Comos is a tremendous
help with this.”
After Comos survived its baptism by
fire, so to speak, with the successful
deployment of the Vitex project, its
use has been gradually extended. In
the meantime, the planning of piping
and instrumentation is also being
carried out with Comos. Müller outlines the next steps: “Our application
engineer maintains and expands our
Comos standard continuously, so that
our engineering partners have a good
toolbox for their work. But of course
we are already thinking one step
ahead. For example, we are also
­evaluating how we can benefit from
integrated engineering with Comos
and Simatic PCS 7.”
INFO AND CONTACT
siemens.com/comos
[email protected]
Siemens AG
»W ith Comos, we provided the plant
operation staff with a solution for
accessing data and information for
configuration that offers them real
added value.«
Thomas Müller, Head of Tools and Document
Management, DSM Nutritional Products
11
process news 2/2015 | Chemical industry
Columbian Carbon Europa, Italy
Pilot migration
A leading chemical manufacturer wanted to migrate its entire control system while
keeping its APACS cards installed. This would be the first migration of its kind.
Siemens Solution Partner Automazioni e Sistemi was happy to accept the challenge.
C
olumbian Carbon Europa S.r.l. is
part of the multinational Aditya
Birla Group, which comprises
several industrial conglomerates. This
includes Birla Carbon, a leading global
manufacturer and supplier of carbon
black, found in many everyday items
such as tires, black plastics, paint,
cables, and kitchen utensils. Creating
carbon black requires automation
technology with high-precision control loops. Birla Carbon installed its
first automatic control system in one
of its factories in 1987. In 1994 the
company added the APACS series from
Moore, which eventually replaced the
first system altogether.
Siemens became responsible for the
maintenance of the Moore distributed
control system (DCS) following its
­a cquisition of Moore in early 2000.
In 2012 Columbian Carbon Europa
­decided that a revamp of the Moore
APACS system was needed to expand
its network of I/O devices and to manage the technology obsolescence
phase. Automazioni e Sistemi, a
Siemens Solution Partner and inte­
grator specialized in process control
Birla Carbon is a leading global manufacturer and supplier of carbon black
12
systems, had previously collaborated
with Columbian Carbon Europa in the
implementation of its DCS lifecycle
management system. It also made the
migration from APACS/QUADLOG to
Simatic PCS 7 on the FPSO Mystras
offshore tanker and on the Okpoho
platform in Nigeria in 2010. These
­migrations required an application to
be successfully hot swapped, switching the LAN from Modulnet to
Industrial Ethernet by introducing new
interface cards and replacing 5 pairs
of redundant servers and 10 operator
stations with new Simatic PCS 7 units.
Chemical industry | process news 2/2015
Based on the success of these previous
projects and the company’s links
with Siemens, Columbian Carbon
Europa decided to partner with
Automazioni e Sistemi for the migration of its old Moore APACS system to
the latest version of Simatic PCS 7.
The first migration of its kind
The upgrade was motivated by the
technological and economic benefits
resulting from having a state-of-theart solution and an extended system
lifecycle. This was the first time in the
world that an entire control system
was to be replaced while keeping the
APACS I/O cards installed and connected to the system using DP/IO-Link
boards. In addition to supplying the
CPU 417H and the ES/AS/OS stations,
the project included a web server
solution for monitoring the system
online.
When selecting the new control system, the main issue for Columbian
Carbon Europa was minimizing the
downtime while implementing the
new installation. So Automazioni e
Sistemi proposed not to remove the
installed I/O cards already connected
»We have an open, reliable architecture that
can communicate with third-party systems.
Our operators immediately appreciated the
user-friendly interface.«
Massimo Beccaglia, Maintenance Manager, Columbian Carbon Europe
to the system but to update the CPUs
with the latest state-of-the-art versions instead.
Migrating for success
The transition to the new configuration, system architecture, and ­Simatic
PCS 7 all took place on schedule and
as planned. Close cooperation among
Columbian Carbon Europa, A
­ utoma­zioni
e Sistemi, and Siemens ensured that
any unexpected technical communication problems were addressed and resolved promptly.
Columbian Carbon Europa’s maintenance manager, Massimo Beccaglia,
hailed the project’s success: “Since last
year we have been working with an
updated, modern control system.
Finally we have an open, reliable
­ rchitecture that can communicate
a
with third-party systems via standards.
Our operators immediately appreciated
the user-friendly interface, complete
with system information and intuitive
alarms, and the versatile operations
controlled by authorized access.”
Following the successful migration
at Columbian Carbon Europa,
Automazioni e Sistemi has been
­p roviding similar solutions to other
APACS/QUADLOG users and is currently involved in the implementation
of a migration from APACS to Simatic
PCS 7 in Settala, Italy.
INFO AND CONTACT
siemens.com/pcs7
[email protected]
Siemens AG
Colombian Carbon
The user-friendly interface, complete with system information and intuitive alarms, effectively supports daily operation
13
process news 2/2015 | Pharmaceutical industry
Experts in blood: Rongsheng employs more
than 400 people in one of the largest
plasma fractionation facilities in China,
producing plasma derivatives such as
albumin and intravenous immunoglobulin
as well as hepatitis B and tetanus
immunoglobulins
Rongsheng, China
Fotolia / psdesign1
The digital vein
A Chinese pharmaceutical company recently replaced all paper-based
processes with a manufacturing execution system. This took the plasma
processing plant in Chengdu into the digital age – with improved
efficiency and reduced risk.
C
hengdu Rongsheng Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.
wanted a manufacturing execution system
(MES) to cover the entire scope of operations
at its plasma processing factory in Chengdu. This
included production planning, equipment status
management, process monitoring, and manu­
facturing declaration of finished goods to the
­warehouse. The switch to electronic records and
signatures would enable the plant to meet good
14
manufacturing practice (GMP) guidelines for production procedure standardization and lean manufacturing management. The MES would also support
strict control requirements and more effective production procedures, in compliance with GMP specifications. Because implementing the entire MES at
once could have caused complications and risked
downtime, the project was split into two phases to
ensure a smooth implementation.
Pharmaceutical industry | process news 2/2015
Project highlights
Project phases for a smooth implementation
Phase 1 focused on the weighing and distribution
of materials as well as buffer solution preparation.
Phase 2 covered the entire production workflow,
including thawing, main trunk fractionation, paste
refining, purification, work in progress and finished
product compounding, filling, and packaging.
Implementing the MES also required complete integration of data for the process control system (PCS)
layer with the enterprise resource planning (ERP)
layer, as well as real-time communication. This
resulted in a three-layer structure of automation,
MES, and ERP – the foundation of a truly digital
factory.
Improved efficiency and reduced risk
Along with improved efficiency, switching from
paper-based workflows to the MES has improved
patient safety, pharmaceutical quality assurance,
and data integrity. The Rongsheng plant now has
a full complement of real-time electronic batch
records, electronic signatures, batch designs and
execution, reviews by exception, full audit trails,
and genealogy to support all its activities. This
meticulous digital tracking ensures, for example,
that there is no cross-contamination between
batches and that only the correct equipment,
which meets strict sterilization or cleaning and
­c alibration requirements, is used. The MES also
controls the release of production quality parame-
Rongsheng
The project comprised more than 50 client terminals, 200 different materials, and 250 pieces of
equipment. Additionally, more than 250 users
were trained on the new solution. Following its
successful implementation, the MES now performs
more than 50 work orders and 1,000 tasks daily.
The project strictly followed GMP requirements,
with both implementation and validation completed in compliance with GAMP 5 guidelines. Key
to the project’s success was close collaboration
between various Rongsheng teams (quality assurance, manufacturing, IT) and the industry software
teams from Siemens. All aspects and steps of the
implementation, from the unique requirements
specification, functional specification, and design
specification to the factory acceptance test, site
acceptance test, installation qualification, and
operational qualification, were meticulously
carried out following validation guidelines.
• Electronic workflows replace paper-based
workflows and processes.
• Enhanced quality assurance and data integrity
improve patient safety.
• Detailed digital tracking ensures no crosscontamination between batches.
• Only the correct equipment that meets strict
requirements is used.
• The system enables the controlled release of
production parameters.
• Electronic instructions and bar code
technology enable improved compliance.
The contract between Siemens and Chengdu Rongsheng
Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd, has been successfully completed
ters, production schedules, and plans, as well as
the expiration date, accuracy, and genealogy of
production materials. This significantly decreases
the risks that can arise from managing these tasks
manually and improves compliance through strict
process control with the reliable precision of electronic instructions and bar code technology.
INFO AND CONTACT
siemens.com/simatic-it
[email protected]
15
Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA
Fresenius Kabi, Germany
A package for life
Caring for life – with this philosophy, the healthcare company Fresenius Kabi
develops and distributes medicines and medical technologies for the therapy
and care of critically and chronically ill patients. A key element of the production
is the rotary cycle autoclave unit for sterilization of infusion solutions. The
system was recently upgraded with Simatic PCS 7.
T
he extensive product portfolio
of Fresenius Kabi includes medicines and technologies for infusion, transfusion, and clinical nutrition. At the Friedberg site, Fresenius
Kabi operates a highly modern production facility for infusion solutions
with some 600 employees. From
Friedberg, the company delivers
­infusion solutions in plastic bags or
bottles to pharmaceutical wholesalers,
16
pharmacists, and hospitals. Infusion
solutions include, for example, electrolyte and glucose solutions as well
as low-concentration carbohydrate
solutions, electrolyte-containing infusion solutions, and carrier solutions
for pharmaceuticals. Just as important
as the standard infusion solutions are
volume replacement solutions based
on hydroxyethyl starch. These are
used for blood loss and stabilizing the
circulating blood volume. At the fully
automated high-bay storage warehouse, the staff of the on-site logistics
center handles 2,000 orders every day,
which are delivered worldwide.
Smooth sterilization operations
An important function in the production chain is the rotary cycle autoclave.
Inside the autoclave, bags with infusion solutions are sterilized. The
Pharmaceutical industry | process news 2/2015
­content of the bag determines which
autoclave program must be run and
the corresponding temperatures and
rotation times. The rotary cycle autoclave is divided into 24 compartments,
which are loaded in sequence with
bags by a robot. The bags undergo a
cycle in the autoclave where they are
sterilized and then transported to the
packaging area. A conveyor belt with
several light barriers delivers the bags.
Loading and unloading is carried out
by a robot, and the bags are removed
on conveyor belts.
New project with proven expertise
As a result of the positive experience
with the current Siemens SCADA
system, as well as a general policy to
invest sustainably in existing equipment, Fresenius Kabi decided to fit its
rotary cycle autoclave with the latest
The greatest challenges of the project
were both the complexity and the size
of the plant, as well as working under
adverse ambient conditions caused by
high temperatures and high humidity.
The communication between the controller and the rotary cycle autoclave
needed to work over a wireless connection. The project at Fresenius Kabi
was also the first implementation of
RFID systems, Simocode motor control
units, and the PM Quality tool for the
traceability of the entire production
process. It was necessary to ensure
that the system met current good
manufacturing practice (GMP) regulations to guarantee that the final
product would fulfill the medical
product requirements demanded by
various regulators. For the Siemens
project team, it was necessary to consider a number of new features for the
Reaching a new solution together
In collaboration with Fresenius Kabi,
Siemens developed an automation
solution with an engineering station,
an operation single-user station, an
AS400 controller for controlling the
autoclave, a panel for operation, and a
panel in the packing to provide information to employees. The existing
hardware was completely replaced.
Before and after commissioning,
Siemens also supported the customer
during the factory acceptance test
(FAT) and the site acceptance test
(SAT). In the four weeks during the
plant start-up, the Siemens employees
were available through an on-call service. Fresenius Kabi and the Siemens
team of pharmaceutical and automation experts had a smooth and close
cooperation from the very beginning.
Modernization and configuration of
»W ith migration of our SCADA solution to Simatic PCS 7,
we ensure the availability and extensibility of production for
the future, and thanks to the new production documentation
for the batch log, we now benefit from seamless batch
archiving. This order and batch-oriented archiving and
logging system has been a significant factor in meeting the
FDA requirements.«
Birgit Becker, Project Engineer, Technical Services,
Fresenius Kabi Deutschland GmbH
automation technology from
Siemens. The first project has been
completed – a rotary cycle autoclave
was migrated to the process control
system Simatic PCS 7. Since the
rotary cycle autoclaves play a central
role in the production process and
additional plants will soon be modernized, this project was closely
­m onitored by those responsible in
Friedberg.
new automation solution. In order to
aid the transition for employees at the
plant, the operation and appearance
of the system were to be as close as
possible to those of the previously
used system. The existing on-site
package units, such as the rotary drive
or conveyor belts for delivery and
removal, had to be connected to the
system – and of course had to function in accordance with GMP.
automation solutions in a regulated
environment are areas in which
Siemens has developed expertise over
many years.
INFO AND CONTACT
siemens.com/pharma
[email protected]
17
process news 2/2015 | Pharmaceutical industry
Grünenthal, Germany
Continuous quality control
When an international research-based pharmaceutical company needed a
software solution that would enable it to use hot-melt extrusion to continuously
produce high-quality pain-relief medication, Siemens was ready to assist.
Sipat process analytical software now helps to reduce time to market.
Project highlights
• The new hot-melt
extrusion line was
finished on time and
on budget
• Continuous production
with real-time quality
checks increased
output and product
quality
Grünenthal
• The Sipat software
enabled data on
product quality to be
analyzed during the
process rather than
weeks afterward
A view of the state-of-the-art INTAC production line in Aachen
T
he Grünenthal Group is an international
pharmaceutical company with headquarters
in Aachen, Germany. It specializes in new
pain treatments and invests heavily in research.
The company’s commitment to innovation led to
the development of the market-leading INTAC
tamper-­resistant formulation technology.
Grünenthal‘s INTAC technology is featured in FDAapproved products that help prevent prescription
drug abuse due to the tablets’ exceptional crush
resistance and the low extractability of the active
drug.
Grünenthal’s INTAC technology is based on hotmelt extrusion (HME). First used in plastics processing, HME has rapidly grown in popularity in
18
pharmaceuticals manufacturing, particularly over
the last 10 years, for embedding active pharmaceutical ingredients into tablets. HME enables the creation of continuous production lines, with product
quality tested throughout the process rather than
at the end. This helps dramatically to reduce the
time it takes to bring new drugs onto the market.
A continuous production line with real-time
quality checks
Grünenthal had previously set up an HME line at
its production site in Origgio, Italy. This line was
focused on production, with fixed operating conditions. A second HME line at the company’s headquarters in Aachen is focused on research and
development. To support operation according to
Pharmaceutical industry | process news 2/2015
quality-by-design principles, with real-time quality
checks, Process Analytical Technology (PAT) would
be required to combine and assess data at various
stages.
Grünenthal had previously collaborated with
Siemens on the Italian HME line, and the quick
rollout encouraged the company to partner with
Siemens again. Grünenthal had been impressed
by Sipat software and knew it could rely on the
Siemens consultants’ expertise. “During the presales phase, different solutions were analyzed and
demonstrated. Siemens showed the best solution,
Based on the measurements, feedback controls for
the extruder line can be executed to divert any
defective products, ensuring that only quality medication leaves the production line. “In the past it
took us weeks to prepare the process data for
­analysis after designing experiments. Now we can
start analyzing even during the runs,” says the head
of Grünenthal’s PAT Group, Aachen headquarters,
Germany.
Ongoing high-quality collaboration
The rollout of the HME line with Sipat began in
Aachen in mid-October 2013 and was completed
The hot melt extrusion process
Feed rate
input
Screw
speed
input
Matrix
API
Barrel
temperatures
output
Feeder
Feed rate
output
Spectrum
Material
pressure
Motor
Die
Motor
Torque
Screw
speed
output
Barrel
temperatures
input
Material
temperature
The Sipat solution monitors all relevant output parameters (light blue) and controls process values (dark blue)
and the experience shown by the involved consultant gave us confidence in the Siemens offering,”
says Grünenthal’s head of production, Origgio, Italy.
Weeks of data analysis performed in real time
Siemens’ implementation of the Sipat system on
Grünenthal’s HME line included the integration of
control panels and ongoing support. The Sipat software collects data at different locations and then
combines it with univariate and multivariate data
(near-infrared spectra). Principal component analysis of the spectral data is performed to check
product composition, along with mathematical
modeling to determine the amount of active
­ingredient in the mix. Real-time data evaluations
(Western Electric Rules) of the time-trended results
then check for quality issues.
in June 2014 – on time and on budget. As during
the Italian project, the project’s success hinged not
only on the technology but also on close collaboration between the Siemens and Grünenthal project
teams. “The people from Siemens did a great job.
They showed high engagement and performed
well to finish the project as specified,” says the
head of Grünenthal’s PAT Group, Aachen headquarters, Germany.
INFO AND CONTACT
siemens.com/pharma
[email protected]
19
process news 2/2015 | Water industry
Highly purified water for the pharmaceutical industry
Quality, drop
by drop
In the planning and implementation of highly
purified water systems for pharmaceutical
applications, many factors must be considered in
detail and with foresight in order to ensure that
the high purity requirements are met. Siemens
helps companies achieve consistent product
quality and high plant availability while also
taking cost-efficiency into account.
H
ighly purified water (HPW) and water for
injection (WFI) are used in the pharmaceutical industry as basic media and cleaning
agents in many manufacturing processes. The rules
of the European Pharmacopoeia and the United
States Pharmacopoeia must be strictly adhered to
at all times. HPW meets all the important criteria of
WFI with strict limits on electrical conductivity,
total organic carbon, aerobic bacteria, and
pyrogens.
From conceptual design to commissioning
Siemens supports its customers in the design, planning, engineering, project management, and
implementation of HPW systems. Interdisciplinary
expert teams of chemists, process technicians, and
engineers, along with qualified technical staff,
work closely with the future operator. HPW is prepared at room temperature from drinking water.
For HPW production, the operator and the planning
team usually select the most mature and modularized standard systems, known as package units.
The complete processing line can be sanitized
against microorganisms from the drinking water
connection to the final process step.
20
Engineering down to the last detail
After the drinking water has been analyzed, the
Siemens experts recommend suitable systems from
established manufacturers for the required cleaning
and processing steps. These include particulate filters, ion exchangers, and membrane processes for
residual desalination, such as electrodeionization
and ultrafiltration. If the operator also wishes to
produce WFI, in Europe it is mandatory that this be
carried out by distillation. WFI is usually stored and
distributed at temperatures of 80°C to 85°C in order
to ­counteract microbiological contamination. For
the preparation of WFI, Siemens offers ­manufacturerindependent consulting to ensure that the operator
finds the best possible technical solution.
Highest quality throughout the system
In order to deliver water with impeccable quality,
the storage and distribution system is custom built
for the operator. The Siemens specialists provide all
the necessary planning services, based on the individual system requirements and all pharmaceutical
and technical regulations. For optimum results in
terms of the given plant size, the team calculates
the previously planned consumption points, their
Water industry | process news 2/2015
reference quantities, the duration and frequency
of daily withdrawals, and their impact on the plant
pressure. The team observes and implements the
general guidelines of good manufacturing practice
throughout. Suitable simulation programs take into
account the amounts consumed and the time of
consumption, and also support the hydraulic
design with individual loops for optimal pipe
routing. Software tools and internal material databases assist the Siemens experts in the detailed
design of all systems as they specify the required
parts and components in terms of function, size,
suitable materials, and manufacturer.
Quality assurance in ongoing operation
Planners are also on site at the factory acceptance
test (FAT) and site acceptance test (SAT), providing
support together with the supplier for the review
and approval of design documents up to the acceptance of the package units and the overall system.
Even in the commissioning and qualification, the
operator can rely on the Siemens planners. They
provide assistance in preparing test plans, in verifying the specifications of all components, and in
transitioning the system into continuous operation.
For continuous quality assurance, the planners and
the operator jointly determine the required measuring points in the system. The quality-relevant
measurements are then continuously performed in
the operating plant and the measured values are
critically analyzed and documented. The project is
brought to a successful conclusion with the final
preparation of the technical as-built documentation
from the suppliers and the commissioned installation companies. In this way, consistent product
quality and plant availability are ensured from the
initial planning phase to ongoing operation.
INFO AND CONTACT
siemens.com/ec
[email protected]
Manufacturing process for highly purified water from drinking water
Cation and anion exchanger
(Ultrafiltration)
Softening
Reverse osmosis
Electrodeionization
Ultrafiltration
Ultrafiltration
PW
HPW
Evaporation
Distillation
WFI
Drinking water
Reverse osmosis
Analysis
Softening
Reverse osmosis
(2-stage)
Evaporation
Pure steam
21
process news 2/2015 | Water industry
Electrical and automation solutions for water treatment
Quenching the thirst
Along with energy, water is the most used resource in industrial
processes. Treating water for the specific type of use is a substantial
cost factor, but it is often essential for process efficiency and product
quality. However, by deploying a set of aligned systems and solutions,
the process industry can quench its thirst for water both sustainably
and economically.
W
ater for industry is not just water – it is
a vital production factor that must meet
specific requirements depending on the
type of use, from process water for mining equipment to highly purified water for pharmaceutical
purposes. Furthermore, the regulations for the
­discharge of wastewater are very strict and
require special treatment of the water. All applications have two things in common: conditioning,
distributing, and treating the water often requires
substantial technical effort and consumes a great
deal of energy. Managing water supply and disposal has become a major challenge, not only in
arid regions where water is scarce – even in Europe,
companies face growing difficulties in providing
the right water quantity for production without
overexploiting natural resources.
Size matters: efficient solutions for cutting costs
The major issues in water treatment – no matter
what the application – are controlling energy consumption, improving service quality, and increasing
plant availability. Choosing the right technology
can help address all these issues. Take wastewater
treatment plants, for example: by making the process
more efficient, a plant can treat more water with
the same or even less consumption of energy, and
an existing plant can treat larger quantities of water.
Integrated tools for engineering and process control
can help optimize the operation of key components
in water treatment and distribution such as pumps.
22
Comos and Simatic PCS 7 not only help streamline
the design and engineering process but can also
support process optimization during operation.
Solutions for telecontrol systems such as Sinaut
reliably and securely monitor distributed systems.
They also assist flexible and efficient drive systems
to optimize the operation of pump stations. Lowmaintenance process instruments such as the battery-operated Sitrans FM Mag flowmeters and leak
detection systems ensure that every drop of water
will reach its destination with minimum cost.
Critical to quality:
solutions for measuring and conditioning
Because water impurities can seriously affect the
overall process performance, monitoring and
recording water quality is an important aspect of
water management. For this purpose, Siemens
­provides an aligned set of systems for monitoring
process parameters with its range of process instruments and process analyzers, and supports the
industry with broad expertise in water treatment
and disinfection along with tailored solutions for
recovering and treating process water in the oil
and gas industry.
Water expertise
In addition to a broad set of systems and solutions,
Siemens also emphasizes the role of industry
know-how. Siemens water experts have developed
Water industry | process news 2/2015
dedicated water-specific libraries and templates
for the Simatic PCS 7 process control system that
supports standardization and efficient system engineering. The company also supports the water
industry with engineering and consulting teams
that identify potential energy savings or performance improvements in plants and systems. By
using this combination of technology and expertise,
the water industry will be able to quench the
growing thirst for water while preserving resources
for the future.
INFO AND CONTACT
siemens.com/water
[email protected]
Industry-specific solution: Treating water for oil production
Siemens AG
Water is not only an important resource for the
manufacturing and processing industry – it is also
vital for the exploitation of natural deposits in the
oil and gas industry. For example, large amounts
of water are used to extract and pump crude oil.
Depending on the crude oil viscosity, as many as
nine barrels of water can be needed to pump one
barrel of oil.
In the Castilla oil field in the Acacias township in
Colombia, Siemens has partnered with Ecopetrol
to create a system that will purify approximately
40 million gallons of water daily, equal to the
average water consumption of a city of 100,000
people.
To make production water clean enough to be piped
back into the local Guayuriba River, Siemens has
installed systems that consist of three basic compo­
nents. The first is a corrugated plate separator, which
removes the thickest concentration of oils and
suspended solids. Then the water passes through
flotation cells, where injected gas or oxygen adheres
to oil drops and suspended particles, enabling them
to be skimmed off. Last, the water is pushed through
a Monosep filtration unit that uses walnut shells
to absorb oil and other remaining impurities. The
Monosep system features a simple yet compact
design, saving space and reducing costs. “Siemens
was selected after a rigorous screening process
addressing both technical and economic consider­
ations,” states Jorge Bustamante, Ecopetrol’s project
mechanical installation manager. “Their service has
been excellent. We knew that if there were a problem
with engineering or project management, Siemens
was the right partner to help us fix it. It’s important,
because we can’t do it all ourselves.”
INFO AND CONTACT
siemens.com/energy/water-solutions
[email protected]
A chemist at Ecopetrol examines a sample of heavy oil to
analyze how effective the water dehydration process has been
23
process news 2/2015 | Industrial communication
Network solutions for the process industry
Communication for
today and tomorrow
Modular plants are among the new optimization and
digitalization concepts currently being discussed in the process
industry. A key prerequisite for these modular plants is secure,
flexible, and above all easy-to-use solutions for industrial
communication.
O
ne of the most important projects involving
the modularization of production plants
was the F3 Factory, in which the European
chemical industry worked until 2013 on the modularization of chemical plants. The concept includes
container modules with microreactors as the
building blocks of small-scale production plants,
especially for fine and specialty chemicals. A
further aim is the “plug and produce” capability:
intelligent components that can be assembled into
production units individually and without significant effort or specialist knowledge. In this context,
there is much discussion of standardization and
interfaces – and observers often forget that a
strong communication network is a prerequisite for
the digitalization and modularization of plants and
processes. If processes are to be configured and initiated based on specific customer orders, information must be seamlessly exchanged between production and the enterprise resource planning
system. And in order for modular plants to operate
safely and efficiently, the individual components
must be networked horizontally.
Specific industry requirements
Although it will certainly be years before self-­
configuring process units come into large-scale use
in the process industry, the integration of information technology into the process environment and
the creation of an efficient communication infrastructure are key issues today. The availability of
large networks and secure data communication are
prerequisites for efficient automation systems. In
24
this context, data transfer between the corporate IT
system and the automation network is becoming
increasingly important. The transition of automation into the IT environment is a very sensitive area
that demands safe and reliable data transfer on the
technical level, but it also raises organizational
questions: does the responsibility for industrial
communication lie with IT or automation? As would
be expected, the criteria and solutions that are
used differ greatly.
For Ewald Kuk, head of product management at
Siemens Industrial Communication, industrial communication is not only essential to digitalization
strategies (see box) but also to process automation.
“Network components must meet the same requirements as other automation components: they need
to be robust, easy to maintain, and reliable,” says
Kuk. “We take this into account when developing
our systems for industrial communication – for
example, with simple solutions for industrial security that can be configured without specialized IT
knowledge, or with network components that a
service technician can easily replace in the plant.
At the same time, our communications products
also meet all IT requirements.”
Comprehensive and integrated
In recent years, Siemens has steadily expanded its
product and service offerings for industrial networks and now covers virtually all industries and
applications – from oil platforms to car manufacturing. This enables the implementation of
Industrial communication | process news 2/2015
Digitalization is only possible
with industry-standard
solutions for communication
Siemens AG / A. Kradisch
The approaches discussed with terms such as “digita­
lization” or “big data” also involve intelligent networking
of information. For manufacturing operations, these
approaches bring new ways to optimize processes and
systems – as well as new challenges. Availability and
­s tability must be reconciled with greater flexibility; in
addition to appropriate software solutions, these manufacturers need a strong communications network that
transfers the necessary information and data between
all areas of the company. Siemens is developing all the
necessary building blocks for digitalization, ranging from
industry software to industrial identification to industrial
communication. Our products and systems for industrial
communication provide enterprise-wide efficiency.
They enable the implementation of integrated, high-­
performance data networks that meet the needs of
today and tomorrow.
Ewald Kuk, Head of Product Management,
Siemens Industrial Communication
c­ omprehensive and innovative solutions that meet
customers’ individual requirements. The products
rely on standards complemented by industry-specific functions. For example, Siemens developed
the Rapid Roaming solution for safety-related communication via Industrial Wireless LAN. Even for
connectivity and wiring, an industrial environment
has special requirements for the ruggedness of
plugs and the simple assembly of cables.
The Scalance and Ruggedcom product lines perfectly complement each other in their areas of use:
Scalance is specially designed for use in industrial
environments that require efficient, flexible, and
reliable communication. The products enable
redundant communications solutions for very high
network availability and rapid fault diagnosis and
repair through enhanced diagnostic functions. The
Ruggedcom products are the specialists for particularly harsh environmental conditions, for example
in energy transmission or oil and gas development.
Siemens’ comprehensive portfolio of industrial communication products and services has impressed
many companies that have used them in rather
unusual applications. For example, Kuk’s project list
includes Europe’s largest container port in Alten­
werder, Germany, as well as Europa-Park in Rust,
Germany, and Disneyland Paris, which automates
its attractions with Siemens ­technology.
INFO AND CONTACT
siemens.com/industrial-communication
[email protected]
25
Siemens AG
process news 2/2015 | Drive technology
Sleco, Belgium
More power,
less consumption
A capacity increase of more than 10 percent, and then trimming the plant for maximum
energy efficiency: that was the task that Sleco, a joint venture of Indaver and Suez
Environment, carried out in collaboration with Siemens. A solution based on Integrated
Drive Systems is providing the performance necessary for these requirements.
S
leco in Belgian Doel was established in 2006 for the construction and operation of a plant
with three fluidized bed incinerators
of sludge and nonhazardous industrial
waste including energy valorization.
The plant is the largest of its kind in
Europe and currently has a capacity of
580,000 tons per year. The energy
valorization consists of the production
of steam, which it generates using a
turbine. Both the increase in capacity
and the optimization of energy efficiency were carried out by the Belgian
company Svex. After intensive study
and planning in August, the capacity
26
of the air condenser system was
­increased during the major operational
shutdown of Sleco‘s fluidized bed
plant.
Capacity expansion of air
condensers
For this purpose, the drives of six air
condenser fans were replaced. The
drive trains consist of a frequency
controller, a 60 Hz AC motor, and a
mechanical reducer. Siemens was
chosen as a supplier for the solution
because the complete drive trains
could be delivered within a single
project. A Dutch engineering office
calculated that with 20% more air
flow, the air condensers would again
generate their vacuum of 100 mbar at
temperatures up to 15°C. This calculation revealed that the expansion could
be achieved with the fans, but not
with the existing drives with a respective capacity of 80 kW. Instead, a
Sinamics drive with 132 kW was
required, which led Svex to investigate how the drive train could be converted as cost-effectively as possible.
One result: the existing electrical
cables should be reused. There are
about 250 meters of cable per motor
currently meandering through the
Drive technology | process news 2/2015
+ 20 %
+ 10 %
Increase of plant capacity
by more than 10 percent
Increase of fan capacity
by more than 20 percent
Luc Mampaey, Project
Manager E&I from Svex,
checks the settings on the
Sinamics frequency
controllers
A smaller Simotics three-phase 132-kW AC
motor delivers the required torque
Drives from a single source
Another advantage of this solution:
the pressure at the outlet of the turbine is easier to control. A speed controller to the fans guarantees a constant or slow-varying vacuum, while
the previous on/off control for switching
the air capacitor cells generated
­p ressure surges. The old cables are
powering the frequency controllers
that are installed close to the motors,
which simplified the installation of the
additionally required cables.
Siemens suggested an alternative conceptual approach that better fitted the
technical requirements of the plant. For
the desired operating area, a smaller
and more standard Simotics 132-kW
AC motor wound for 60 Hz can also
deliver the required torque.
Strict schedule met
The new drive train had to be installed
according to an exact schedule. In just
three days, all the wiring needed to be
connected and the first motors and
gearboxes installed so that the first
incinerator and the first turbine – that
is, the first two air condensers – could
be started up. During this period the
fluidized bed incinerators were shut
down for maintenance of the steam
plant that takes place every four years.
In the two weeks that followed, the
remaining work was completed to
start up the other lines afterwards.
Thanks to the cooperation of all those
involved, everything went according
to plan – and the result proves this:
the air velocity measurements showed
that the fan‘s capacity increased by
23%, exceeding the target of 20%.
INFO AND CONTACT
siemens.com/ids
[email protected]
Siemens AG
building and plant. These cables
can be used for the power supply
of 132-kW motors – but only if the
motors are started with frequency
control to limit the starting current.
27
process news 2/2015 | Process instrumentation
Merck, Germany
Perfect
down to the
last detail
A comprehensive solution for
automation and process
instrumentation enables resourcefriendly energy generation for Merck
KGaA. The company was able to
significantly reduce carbon dioxide
emissions and increase the in-house
power production rate to 70 percent.
An essential component
in the two power stations:
a Sitrans P DS III pressure
gauge
28
Siemens AG
M
erck is a global market leader in pharmaceutical, chemical, and life science
­products. The headquarters of three of
the company’s four divisions are in Darmstadt,
Germany, where 9,000 people are employed and
important production and research facilities are
also located. Merck has generated its own power
in-house for quite some time. “We decided several
years ago that, in addition to the existing combined
heat and power plant that supplies nearly 60% of
our electricity and our heat, we wanted to increase
the proportion of power produced in-house using a
modern power plant,” says Ralf Schmeisser, head of
infrastructure planning and development and
former head of energy production at Merck in
Darmstadt. The new combined heat and power
plant (CHP) generates 3.12 MW of electricity and
3.16 MW of thermal energy from natural gas as an
energy source. Through cogeneration, the plant
achieves an overall efficiency of 87%, which is significantly higher than with separate generation.
This makes the CHP very resource-efficient and
raises the climate-friendliness of the entire energy
generation, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by
approximately 2,500 t per year.
Process instrumentation | process news 2/2015
»We are very satisfied
with the Siemens devices.
The support and price/
performance ratio are
also right.«
Until recently, the company supplied the energy
to all divisions centrally. But the requirements of
chemical production and pharmaceutical production are diverging. For example, the demand for
cooling in the pharmaceutical industry has
increased significantly in recent years, and the
pressures of the compressed-air systems are different. “It therefore makes little sense to produce
the compressed air in a single plant. The new
power stations now provide electricity and steam
as well as refrigeration and compressed air directly
where they are needed,” says Schmeisser.
Load management made easy
To minimize losses in the provision of process
cooling, Merck built the power station for pharmaceutical production and research near the plants.
But energy efficiency was also the central guide in
choosing the technology. Normally, power stations
use a single method for refrigeration. Not at Merck.
The plant uses compression refrigeration, using
electricity for refrigeration, and absorption refrigeration, using a heat source for refrigeration, and
converts cooling energy into ice. “We utilized all
available methods,” says Schmeisser proudly. When
there is excess power, the plant uses compression
refrigeration to freeze water in two refrigerated
containers to store energy. If the price of electricity
is high at peak load times, Merck uses the filled ice
storage, thus reducing the load on the power grid.
For power station PH34/35 for pharmaceutical production, Siemens supplied automation components
as a package solution: a Simatic PCS 7 Version 8.0
process control system with four Simatic PCS 7
CPU 410 automation systems. As subordinate controllers, Merck uses Simatic S7-300 controllers.
The main argument for this automation strategy
was the ease of operation and the efficient engineering of Simatic PCS 7. “The plant was to go into
operation on August 1, 2014. Making this deadline
Siemens AG
Ralf Schmeisser, Head of Infrastructure
Planning and Development, Former Head
of Energy Production, Merck Darmstadt
would not have been possible without the prefabricated modules in the process control system,” says
Schmeisser.
Reliable data from the process
Process instrumentation from Siemens provides
the data for efficient and safe operation of the
plant. A total of 25 Sitrans FM magnetic inductive
flowmeters, 37 Sitrans P DS III pressure and differential pressure transmitters, and 40 PT 100 resistance thermometers with built-in Sitrans TH 300
temperature transmitters are installed in the plant.
“We have standards from Siemens that we like to
use, such as magnetic inductive flowmeters for
water measurements. We have had positive experiences and are very satisfied with the equipment.
The support and price/performance ratio are also
right,” says Schmeisser.
The Sitrans FM MAG 5100 W sensor is particularly
suitable for flow measurement of water, whether
groundwater, drinking water, cooling water,
sewage, or sludge. The complete flowmeter consists of a sensor and transmitter – Merck opted for
the combination of Sitrans FM MAG 5100 W and
Sitrans FM MAG 5000, a low-cost transmitter with
an accuracy of +0.4% of the flow rate.
More in-house production, lower emissions
With the new power station, Merck made its
in-house power generation much more efficient
and now generates 70% of its electricity itself. For
the company, this not only contributes to securing
the future but is also in a sense part of an internal
energy revolution.
INFO AND CONTACT
siemens.com/processinstrumentation
[email protected]
29
process news 2/2015 | News
Integrated Drive Systems Roadshow
Mission: added value
The Integrated Drive Systems Roadshow is touring Europe, bringing
innovative technologies and interesting applications directly to users and
allowing them to discuss relevant issues with experts in drive technology.
The focus: the added value that Integrated Drive Systems (IDS) brings to
applications.
W
ith IDS, Siemens offers
integrated drive solutions to
ensure high performance,
reliability, and efficiency of machinery
and equipment. The integration takes
place on three levels: the optimal
interplay of drive components, their
integration into the automation environment, and lifecycle integration.
rack feeders to pumps to the latest
software – that show how users can
reduce energy consumption with IDS,
utilize plants more efficiently, streamline processes, and increase availability. The truck’s displays also show
in detail how drive solutions can be
integrated into various automation
and control system environments.
Specific applications and examples
The IDS Roadshow Truck features a
wide variety of exhibits and animations for various applications – from
Services offer additional benefits
Another key aspect of IDS is tailormade services for the entire lifecycle
of a plant. These services help
­ anufacturing companies save
m
energy, achieve a level of high availability, and implement cost-effective
maintenance. Condition monitoring
services prevent unplanned outages
in a targeted manner and can extend
the life of the machinery and
­e quipment. MORE ON THE ROADSHOW
AND TOUR DATES
siemens.com/ids-roadshow
Siemens AG
From Nuremberg
throughout all of Europe:
the IDS Roadshow was at
SPS IPC Drives on
November 25, 2014
30
Dialogue | process news 2/2015
Preview
The future of resources: oil and gas
Siemens AG
Fossil fuels, especially oil and gas, will
continue to be the foundation for energy generation and chemical processing
for many years to come. The markets
for oil and gas have recently become
less solid: prices are subject to drastic
fluctuations, and developing and exploiting known and new deposits requires a steadily growing investment in
technology. All this is paired with slow
demand and overproduction.
The times are over when profitability in
the oil and gas industry was subject to
just a few factors. The industry needs
to address the challenges to remain
successful in this complex market environment. To control costs and raise
availability, efficiency, and flexibility in
its operations, the industry needs the
right technology.
You can read more about this in the
next issue of process news with a focus
on the oil and gas industry.
process news 3/2015 will appear in
October 2015.
Stay up to date
Online
Multimedia magazines
Social media
The process news online portal
offers not only quick access to all
earlier editions but also additional
news, case studies, detailed
technology articles, and videos on
key topics in process automation:
siemens.com/processnews
Other magazines about the future of
manufacturing:
siemens.com/industry-magazines
You can also download many Siemens
customer magazines on your Android
tablet or iPad with the Siemens
Publications app:
siemens.com/publications-app
Siemens for industry on Twitter:
@siemensindustry
“Competitive Industries” blog:
https://blogs.siemens.com/
competitive-industries
process news 2/2015
Publisher:
Siemens AG
Division Process Industries & Drives
Division Digital Factory
Gleiwitzer Str. 555
90475 Nuremberg, Germany
[email protected]
Editorial responsibility according to
the German press law:
Winfried Wittmann
Responsible for technical content:
Cornelia Dürrfeld
Editorial committee:
Mareike Blettner, Elisabeth Desmet,
Ute Forstner, Petra Geiss,
Birgit Gottsauner, Andrea Kerber,
Andrea Lüdecke, Alma Mirojevic,
Doina Pamfilie
© 2015 by Siemens Aktiengesellschaft,
Munich and Berlin.
All rights reserved.
Publishing house: Publicis Pixelpark Publishing,
P.O. Box 32 40, 91050 Erlangen, Germany
Editor-in-Chief: Kerstin Purucker
Print: Passavia Druckservice, Passau, Germany
Circulation: 26,000
Volume 20, process news is published quarterly
ISSN 1430-2284 (Print)
IWI: TPOG
Article number: CGMC-M10007-00-7600
Printed in Germany.
The following are registered
trademarks of Siemens AG:
COMOS, PCS 7, S7-300, SCALANCE,
SIMATIC, SIMOCODE, SINAMICS, SINAUT,
SIPAT, SITRANS
If trademarks, trade names, technical
solutions, or similar are not listed above,
this does not imply that they are not
registered.
The information provided in this magazine
contains merely general descriptions or
characteristics of performance, which in
the case of actual use do not always apply
as described or which may change as a
result of further development of the
products. An obligation to provide the
respective characteristics shall exist only
if expressly agreed in the terms of
contract.
carbon neutral
natureOffice.com | DE-217-514013
print production
31
From integrated engineering
to integrated operation
Discover the potential of digitalization
Digitalization, our central topic at ACHEMA 2015, is the
key to increase your competitiveness. The integration of
individual process steps across the lifecycle leads to higher
efficiency along the entire value chain – from engineering
and operation to continuous optimization. Experience firsthand how we can accompany you as your partner on the
path to integrated production.
ACHEMA
2015
June, 15–19
Frankfurt/
Main
Hall 11.0
Booth C3
siemens.com/achema