Displaying items by tag: abb

Port Townsend Paper Company (PTPC) moves forward with ABB Ability™ Advanced Digital Services

PTPC, a North American producer of pulp and paper products, began an evolution path in April 2018 for its mill in Port Townsend, Washington, USA. The mill’s distributed control system (DCS), which was nearing the end of its lifecycle, started a phased evolution upgrade. As a result, the mill will be able to continue operations and avoid a weeks-long shutdown while ABB performs services and upgrades during planned downtime.

As part of the agreement, ABB migrated the mill’s existing Human Machine Interface (HMI) to ABB Ability™ System 800xA.  As the industry’s leading control system, System 800xA also serves as an integrated electrical control system, a safety system and a collaboration enabler with the capacity to improve engineering efficiency, asset utilization and operator performance.

The mill also added OPT800 Cook/B, which is part of the ABB Ability^TM Advanced Process Control offering for pulp mills.  OPT800 Cook/B is the latest version of the Advanced Batch Digester Management System that sequences and schedules PTPC’s batch digesters to process wood chips into pulp more efficiently, helping to increase production. PTPC will also benefit from minimized kappa variation and steam leveling, which will result in reduced chemical and steam usage.

The mill also receives ABB Pulp and Paper Care as part of the agreement. This is a modular service agreement framework designed to cut complexity, control cost, and maximize capital for ABB customers. ABB Pulp and Paper Care can address customer needs such as:

• Rapid Response guarantees fast and flexible service response to maximize equipment availability. Services include spare parts management programs, 24/7 technical support, and remote support services.
• Lifecycle Management provides powerful tools and ABB knowledge base to optimize and extend equipment life through use of ABB Automation Sentinel subscription.
• Performance Improvement increases productivity through usability and efficiency optimization of equipment and processes. Services provided can include Site Services, Resident Service Engineering, and System 800xA Performance Services.

Port Townsend Paper Corporation (PTPC) produces kraft pulp, paper, containerboard, and specialty products by blending virgin and recycled fibers at its mill headquarters in Port Townsend, Washington, USA. Along with its sister corrugated packaging facility, Crown Packaging in British Columbia, PTPC offers a variety of sustainable solutions to its customers. PTPC is recognized as a market-driven, entrepreneurial specialty kraft paper and containerboard producer that consistently provides high quality products. Its mission is to maximize EBITDA while continuously upgrading manufacturing assets and improving employee capabilities.

ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a pioneering technology leader with a comprehensive offering for digital industries. With a history of innovation spanning more than 130 years, ABB is today a leader in digital industries with four customer-focused, globally leading businesses: Electrification, Industrial Automation, Motion, and Robotics & Discrete Automation, supported by its common ABB Ability™ digital platform. ABB’s market leading Power Grids business will be divested to Hitachi in 2020. ABB operates in more than 100 countries with about 147,000 employees.

Advanced digital services help increase overall mill productivity through expert insights and analysis of mill data that improve business decisions

ABB recently added ABB Ability^TM Collaborative Operations to its service deliverables at a major paper mill in East Java, Indonesia. The site produces a variety of printing and writing paper, other paper-related products, and packaging products including cardboard boxes. With an annual capacity of 320,000 metric tons, the mill is one of the world’s largest single-site producers of writing stationery.

Automating production requires processing large amounts of data. As complexity increases, so does the volume of data.  Collaborative Operations helps paper producers to make productive use of this data to identify and address production, quality and cost issues that can inhibit peak performance. This improves return on capital. Collaborative Operations helps to maximize business value by turning data insights into direct action.

At the mill, Collaborative Operations is reducing cycle times on product grade changes, resulting in higher production. It is also stabilizing moisture and other additive levels using multivariable predictive controls. Specific improvements include increased production due to higher equipment availability, fewer sheet breaks, lower chemical costs and reduced paper quality variation. These improvements all lead to better product quality and consistency, fewer rejects and more sales.

This project builds upon ABB’s 15-year history of delivering traditional and advanced services to the mill. Collaborative Operations enhances ABB’s ability to positively impact daily mill operations to ensure that results achieved over the years will continue and improve.

ABB has three Collaborative Operations Centers dedicated to pulp and paper industry customers in Finland, the United States, and now Singapore, as well as many more that serve other industry segments.  All three pulp and paper centers may be involved with delivering advanced services to this mill in order to leverage various skill sets in each region.

ABB Ability^TM Collaborative Operations is a true Internet-of-Things application and is part of the company's portfolio of ABB Ability^TM digital solutions. Collaborative Operations provides performance management, remote monitoring and preventive analysis technologies to improve security, efficiency and productivity in various industries. ABB Ability^TM Collaborative Operations Centers connect people in enterprise-wide production facilities and headquarters to ABB’s technology and expertise. 

Learn more:

https://new.abb.com/pulp-paper/abb-in-pulp-and-paper/collaborative-operations

ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a pioneering technology leader in power grids, electrification products, industrial automation and robotics and motion, serving customers in utilities, industry and transport & infrastructure globally. Continuing a history of innovation spanning more than 130 years, ABB today is writing the future of industrial digitalization with two clear value propositions: bringing electricity from any power plant to any plug and automating industries from natural resources to finished products. As title partner in ABB Formula E, the fully electric international FIA motorsport class, ABB is pushing the boundaries of e-mobility to contribute to a sustainable future. ABB operates in more than 100 countries with about 147,000 employees. www.abb.com

Prominent ABB scientist Dr. Shih-Chin Chen and cross-generational team are recognized for Best Papermaking Technology Paper presented at PaperCon Conference

ABB announced that global pulp & paper trade organization TAPPI recently honored a team of ABB experts, Dr. Shih-Chin Chen, Ake Hellstrom and ChangYuan Liu, with the Jasper Mardon Memorial Prize for the Best Papermaking Technology Paper presented at PaperCon.  The annual award is the highest honor for a technical paper at the event. The ABB team collaborated on the winning paper, entitled “Best Practices for Maintaining QCS Scanning Systems at Pristine Conditions.”

TAPPI CEO, Mr. Larry Montague presented the award at PaperCon 2018 in Charlotte, NC in April.  It recognizes the paper from the previous year’s conference that “best advances the science of papermaking.”

Left to right: ChangYuan Liu (ABB), Larry Montague (TAPPI), Dr. Shih-Chin Chen (ABB)

 “We are very proud of our team and their dedication to improving the process of papermaking for the industry, “said Jim Fisher, Local Business Manager, Process Industries in US for ABB. “They have devoted their careers to discovering and developing methods and technologies to improve the papermaking process. This paper is a great example of sharing best practices for the greater good of the industry. We are honored that their work has been recognized by TAPPI.”

The paper was authored by Dr. Chen, Ake Hellstrom and ChangYuan Liu, a multi-generational team of experts in the process of papermaking.  Dr. Chen is Corporate Executive Engineer with ABB’s Pulp & Paper business, and has been with the company for 34 years. Ake Hellstrom, Principal Engineer for scanners and sensors, retired from ABB in 2009 after 40 years of services for ABB, and still collaborates with colleagues at ABB on ideas and practical solutions. ChangYuan Liu joined ABB in 2013; since then he has worked with Dr. Chen and other technology development and service teams as Regional Technology Advisor (RTA). The authors drew upon their collective experience to write the winning paper.

The paper discussed how online quality measurement and control systems (QCS) are critical equipment that papermakers need to achieve intended sheet qualities and to optimize production throughput for most sheet-making processes. The most crucial mechanical systems within the QCS are the scanners that carry various sheet quality measurement sensors; these traverse across running sheets continuously during production. Long lifespan, high reliability, and consistent accuracy in harsh environments are all critical for these scanners. The paper examined the potential issues faced with QCS scanners and introduces new measurement and analysis methods to evaluate the conditions of scanning systems, and the best practices to keep QCS scanners operating in the most pristine condition possible.

Awarded each year by TAPPI, The Jasper Mardon Prize honors the memory of legendary industry scientist and author Dr. Jasper Mardon. During his 50-year career, Mardon made many significant contributions to paper making technology in areas including machine design, operation optimization, training and education and research management.

Formed in 1915, TAPPI (Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry) has around 14,000 member engineers, managers, scientists, academics, suppliers and others from around the world. The trade organization serves professionals working in the global pulp and paper industry and related fields.

Innovative high resolution web monitoring system designed for the fastest paper, board or tissue machines.

ABB, the pioneer in Web Imaging Systems, introduces their new ABB Ability^TM Web Monitoring System, for the paper industry. Part of ABB’s suite of Quality Management Systems (QMS), the Web Monitoring system incorporates a new generation of imaging hardware and software to provide real-time web monitoring and analytics, for the quick identification of product deviations that can result in sheet breaks and lost production. With this technology, the paper production can run efficiently at its highest speed while maintaining the highest quality.

Accurate web defect detection, imaging and identification all play crucial roles in process improvement. Through the QMS Web Monitoring System’s unique level of integration with the QMS Web Imaging System, critical insight is provided for the diagnosis and prevention of web breaks and improved sheet stability.

ABB Ability^TM Web Monitoring System includes a new generation of high-speed cameras that deliver the required high resolution and sharp images. This is complimented by high speed video processing and synchronization, unique analytics, and operator interface features to reduce disruptive events and analyze process behavior.

ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a pioneering technology leader in electrification products, robotics and motion, industrial automation and power grids, serving customers in utilities, industry and transport & infrastructure globally. Continuing a history of innovation spanning more than 130 years, ABB today is writing the future of industrial digitalization with two clear value propositions: bringing electricity from any power plant to any plug and automating industries from natural resources to finished products. As title partner of Formula E, the fully electric international FIA motorsport class, ABB is pushing the boundaries of e-mobility to contribute to a sustainable future. ABB operates in more than 100 countries with about 135,000 employees. www.abb.com

Leading producer of bioproducts and bioenergy Metsä Fibre, part of Metsä Group, and ABB have signed an agreement to connect ABB electrical systems installed at the Äänekoski bioproduct mill to the ABB Ability Collaborative Operations solution portfolio. The solutions include the remote monitoring of electrical systems using cloud services, and remote access to ABB experts 24/7 aimed at raising the performance and reliability of electrical systems to a new level.

ABB supplied the Metsä Group’s bioproduct mill in Äänekoski in Central Finland in 2016 with a comprehensive electrification solution including the mill’s entire electrical power distribution system and process electrification. Metsä Fibre and ABB have now signed an agreement to connect a considerable number of the supplied devices to ABB Ability Collaborative Operations. This will enable remote monitoring of functionality and availability of the electrical devices and electrical systems through Metsä Fibre as well as ABB experts and allow real-time collaborating to achieve the highest possible availability and performance.

“This gives us an at-a-glance overview of the status of all of ABB electrical devices connected to the system. We can see what level of stress the frequency converters are under, and can monitor their condition and react to deviations proactively,” says Botnia Mill Service’s Ossi Puromäki, who is in charge of the bioproduct mill’s lifecycle contracts.

Photo: Metsä Group

ABB Collaborative Operations is a true Internet-of-Things application and is part of the company's portfolio of ABB Ability with industry-leading digital solutions. Collaborative Operations provides performance management, remote monitoring and preventive analysis technologies to ensure security, and improve efficiency and productivity in various industries. ABB Collaborative Operations Centers connects people in enterprise-wide production facilities and headquarters to ABB’s technology and expertise.

The electrical power distribution system at the mill includes 650 frequency converters alone. Condition monitoring is also facilitated by extensive device-specific alarms and, as ABB Ability presents its data in the cloud, ABB experts can provide instant support in tackling problems. Furthermore, analyzing the data collected from electrical systems and devices for its predictive value also enhances reliability over the long-term.

“Monitoring helps us to do maintenance on the right device at the right time, instead of simply servicing all devices at predefined intervals. This will optimize both costs and quality of upkeep,” says Puromäki.

“Our mill’s most important performance indicator is its availability rate, which we target to maintain at 98 percent and above on an annual rate. Maintenance plays a critical role in ensuring this high level of performance,” said Timo Merikallio, Project Director of bioproduct mill project. ”At the same time, we simply don’t have all expertise at the mill. Therefore, maintenance based on cooperation with trusted partners is key for us.” Merikallio continued.

“ABB has been remotely monitoring paper mill drives and electrical distribution systems for many years. Applying this knowledge in the context of ABB Ability Collaborative Operations takes it to a whole new level and demonstrates our leadership in delivering real benefits to our customers through big data. It allows us to turn data into insights and immediate actions that significantly improve our customers’ operations in terms of availability, performance and quality,” says Jim Fisher, Global Product Group Manager for Pulp and Paper.

The Metsä Fibre site will primarily be monitored from the Helsinki ABB Ability Collaborative Operations Center, which ABB has opened in October this year. Along with the existing centers in Westerville, Ohio, USA and a planned center in Singapore, scheduled to be opened beginning of next year, this center will focus on the pulp and paper industry, giving access to ABB industry experts on the “follow the sun” principle and supporting customers anywhere in the world.

ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a pioneering technology leader in electrification products, robotics and motion, industrial automation and power grids, serving customers in utilities, industry, and transport and infrastructure globally. Continuing history of innovation more than 125 years long, ABB today is writing the future of industrial digitalization and driving the Energy and Fourth Industrial Revolutions. ABB operates in more than 100 countries and has about 136,000 employees. www.abb.com

The center will function as the central focal point for expert resources and for systems that are equipped with ABB technology. It will leverage ABB’s extensive pulp and paper expertise to provide true data-driven solutions for its customers by providing remote connectivity, secure access to process performance information, and technical support. The new center will be part of ABB ’ s Global Collaborative Operations Center network.

• ABB Ability ^TM Collaborative Operations Center opens in Helsinki, Finland
• Expands the global network of ABB industry experts, digital technologies and knowledge base to improve customers profitability and efficiency
• Delivers the true benefits of today’s digital technologies, by the latest analytics and cloud technologies from ABB's partners, such as Microsoft and IBM
• Real-time remote monitoring and technical support with the objectives of optimizing production, improving quality and minimizing costs

Countless sensors and operation-critical systems transmit data on the health and performance of paper machines to the centers, where sophisticated software performs advanced data analytics on a 24/7 basis. The insights gained will allow engineers to quickly diagnose potential issues, advise on preventive maintenance or suggest measures to improve performance. ABB experts and customers work in close collaboration, taking data-driven decisions in real time that increase operational performance and business profitability.

ABB Collaborative Operations Center expands the global network of ABB industry experts, digital technologies and knowledge base to improve customer’s profitability and efficiency.

"The new center demonstrates our leadership in delivering the real benefits of big data to our customers, changing insights into actions to improve their processes," says Jim Fisher, Global Product Group Manager for Pulp and Paper. "ABB remotely monitors and provides real-time support to close to 150 mills worldwide today, and we are expecting that number to rise with this new offering.”

Earlier this year ABB opened a Collaborative Operations Center in Westerville (Ohio) focusing on the pulp and paper industry. Later this year one more center will be opened in Singapore, leveraging the “follow the sun” principle to support customers anywhere in the world.

"The Collaborative Operations Center raises our functions to a whole new digital level. There has never been a software, system and hardware spectrum as broad as this in the Nordic countries, and the cooperation with the centers in other parts of the world is intense," says ABB’s business director, Jukka Auranen.

ABB Collaborative Operations is a true Internet-of-Things application and is part of the company's portfolio of ABB Ability with industry-leading digital solutions. Collaborative Operations provides performance management, remote monitoring and preventive analysis technologies to ensure security, and improve efficiency and productivity in various industries. ABB Collaborative Operations Centers connects people in enterprise-wide production facilities and headquarters to ABB’s technology and expertise.

ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a pioneering technology leader in electrification products, robotics and motion, industrial automation and power grids, serving customers in utilities, industry, and transport and infrastructure globally. Continuing history of innovation more than 125 years long, ABB today is writing the future of industrial digitalization and driving the Energy and Fourth Industrial Revolutions. ABB operates in more than 100 countries and has about 136,000 employees. www.abb.com

ABB recently won an order to supply comprehensive ABB Ability ^TM digital systems and solutions for SCA’s Östrand pulp mill expansion. The mill expansion is one of the largest investments in Swedish industrial history.

SCA is a leading forest products group, with headquarters in Sundsvall, Sweden. SCA started reconstructing the pulp mill in 2015, and the goal is for construction to be finished by June 2018. Upon completion, production capacity will double, and the production line for bleached softwood kraft pulp will be the largest in the world.

In 2016, ABB Ability System 800xA was selected as the digital automation platform for the mill. This includes a fully integrated control and monitoring center that provides a complete process overview and the possibility to personalize ergonomics and work environments for each operator.

One automation system for the entire process

In 2016, ABB Ability System 800x was selected as the digital automation platform for the mill. This includes a fully integrated control and monitoring center that provides a complete process overview and the possibility to personalize ergonomics and work environments for each operator. In addition to integrated process control and power monitoring, ABB’s delivery to the Östrand project consists of transformers, motors, frequency converters and drive systems for large areas of the mill.

Further fine-tuning with Advanced Process Control

ABB will now also install ABB OPT800, Advanced Process Controls for pulp mills, which enables control of production against key ratios such as reduced raw material and energy costs, emission restrictions and others.

ABB's Advanced Process Control will enable maximum productivity and maximize flow throughout the entire mill to ensure the right quality and minimal energy consumption. The functionalities are integrated into the single operator environment to provide operators with real-time decision support to help them run the mill in the most optimal way.

Getting more value from existing data

The system will monitor and optimize the processes for pulp washing management, oxygen delignification, bleach control, causticizing and evaporation. By utilizing the information already available in ABB Ability System 800xA, the system can customize multi-function control with a variety of variables based on advanced analytics to help manage these process areas optimally.

In order to minimize conversion times and ensure the correct quality when changing parameters for a new product run, the system also includes recipe management and pulp follow-up functions to monitor the pulp status throughout the process.

The overall process control will provide operators with increased security and insights, as they can foresee how the system will control the mill. The operator thus gets a full overview of what is happening and can run the facility in a controlled and safe manner.

The future of productivity is digital

By using ABB Ability System 800xA as a digital platform for the entire application and integrating it into one system, SCA Östrand will get a highly advanced solution that will drive efficient production. This leading-edge technology will help make SCA Östrand one of the most integrated digital pulp mills in the world, with the ability to continuously leverage latest technology to ensure ongoing competitiveness.

ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a pioneering technology leader in electrification products, robotics and motion, industrial automation and power grids, serving customers in utilities, industry and transport & infrastructure globally. Continuing more than a 125-year history of innovation, ABB today is writing the future of industrial digitalization and driving the Energy and Fourth Industrial Revolutions. ABB operates in more than 100 countries with about 136,000 employees. www.abb.com

L&W Fiber Online for advanced analysis of fiber quality and fiber dimensions – measures fiber properties such as ‎ width, length, shape factor, two classes of fines (P and S) and macro fibrillation.ABB has launched L&W Fiber Online – a reliable, repeatable and cost-effective online system for measuring, monitoring and controlling significant fiber quality variables in paper stock preparation and pulp production. This helps pulp and paper customers to save production costs by optimizing fiber usage, as well as reducing energy consumption through elimination of over-refining, and to improve quality by generating uniform pulp furnish for the paper, board or tissue machine.

• L&W Fiber Online expands ABB’s offering for pulp measurements to help improve quality and reduce costs for paper producers
• Compared with other traditional indirect measurements, L&W Fiber Online provides paper makers with complete information on fiber properties, refining effect and fiber mix, to help them monitor and control pulp quality

Compared with traditional indirect measurements such as Canadian Standard Freeness (CSF) and Schopper-Riegler (SR), the measurements based on fiber images provided by L&W Fiber Online provide a more detailed and accurate information on the status of pulp quality. Fiber properties are categorized and presented as mean values and statistical distributions of width, length, shape factor, two classes of fines (P and S) and macro fibrillation.

L&W Fiber Online mitigates the problem of detecting late in the production process quality issues caused by fiber variations. By discovering variations earlier in the process, and as early as in stock preparation, it becomes feasible to take corrective actions in time to produce paper, board or tissue that meets the specifications. This system is based on ABB’s well-known L&W Fiber Tester Plus, a laboratory instrument which is used by hundreds of papermakers to track their pulp quality, and is a preferred tool by research centers and universities around the world. The system also allows for multiple sampling points with a single instrument, reducing initial investment and ongoing maintenance costs. For mixed furnishes,  the optional Blend software analyzes the ratio of reference fiber species in a fiber mix, making  it possible to save raw materials when switching grades or during start-up.

“We can now offer a robust unit that tells the complete story of the fibers in real time, which gives our customers an easy way to pinpoint and follow trends on furnish quality, and at the same time help them to reduce variations in stock preparation or pulp production, as well as saving energy” says Anna Schärman, Global Product Manager, ABB Pulp & Paper products.

About ABB

ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a pioneering technology leader in electrification products, robotics and motion, industrial automation and power grids, serving customers in utilities, industry and transport & infrastructure globally. Continuing more than a 125-year history of innovation, ABB today is writing the future of industrial digitalization and driving the Energy and Fourth Industrial Revolutions. ABB operates in more than 100 countries with about 132,000 employees. www.abb.com

ABB’s recently introduced Network Platform 800 scanner has been recognized with the prestigious Red Dot award in the groundbreaking design category. This completely new scanner’s structure provides customers with a stable, solid foundation for precision measurements of product quality and consistency during the process of making pulp or paper. The scanner detects the slightest imperfections in the paper web to ensure that on-spec product is made for and delivered to end customers. ABB worked with Irish product design firm Dolmen to design the scanner to be durable, accurate, and perform flawlessly in rough mill environments.

“We are delighted to be honored with this prestigious design award,” said Jim Fisher, Global Product Group Manager for Pulp and Paper, “This underscores ABB’s ongoing commitment to continuously improving our customers’ experience and delivering products that help to be more successful.”

• Red Dot design award recognizes the most innovative product designs from around the world
• Network Platform 800 scanner awarded with Red Dot for high design quality
• Completely new scanner design provides pulp and paper customers with solid, stable foundation for precision measurements of product quality and consistency

Manufacturers and designers from around the globe are invited each year to enter their products in the competition. The jury of around 40 independent designers, design professors and specialist journalists test, discuss and assess each individual product. The year’s competition included more than 5,500 entries from 54 countries. The Network Platform 800 received the “Red Dot for high design quality”.

Network Platform 800 is a right-sized scanner for today’s small-to-mid size paper machines.

The Network Platform 800 is a high-performance scanner correctly-sized for today’s small-to-mid size paper machines of up to 6.2 meters (244 inches) sheet width. When combined with ABB’s leading-edge paper sensors and controls, Network Platform 800 is a critical component of the ABB quality control (QCS) system for improving paper quality, optimizing paper machine stability and improving process efficiency. Its combination of powerful processing and real-time data acquisition provides precise sensor and frame coordination, fast signal processing and world-class measurement accuracy.

Professor Dr. Peter Zec, founder and CEO of the Red Dot Award, stated “The Red Dot winners are pursuing the right design strategy. They have recognized that good design and economic success go hand in hand. The award by the critical Red Dot jury documents their high design quality and is indicative of their successful design policy.”

About the Red Dot Design Award:

In order to appraise the diversity in the field of design in a professional manner, the Red Dot Design Award breaks down into the three disciplines of Red Dot Award: Product Design, Red Dot Award: Communication Design and Red Dot Award: Design Concept. The Red Dot Award is organized by Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen and is one of the world’s largest design competitions. In 1955, a jury convened for the first time to assess the best designs of the day. In the 1990s, Red Dot CEO Professor Dr. Peter Zec developed the name and brand of the award. Ever since, the sought-after Red Dot award has been the revered international seal of outstanding design quality. More information is available at www.red-dot.org

About ABB

ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a pioneering technology leader in electrification products, robotics and motion, industrial automation and power grids, serving customers in utilities, industry and transport & infrastructure globally. Continuing more than a 125-year history of innovation, ABB today is writing the future of industrial digitalization and driving the Energy and Fourth Industrial Revolutions. ABB operates in more than 100 countries with about 132,000 employees. www.abb.com

Using ABB’s safety PLC, standard HMIs such as control panels and mobile devices can be used to alter functional safety control functions in industrial applications.

ABB has developed a method of using standard human machine interface (HMI) products such as control panels, industrial PCs and mobile devices to reconfigure safety control functions.

Using ABB’s AC500-S safety programmable logic controller (PLC), operators of equipment such as harbor and factory cranes, hoists, elevators, airport passenger bridges, automatic guided vehicles (AGVs), robots, mining and pulp & paper machinery can select, modify and amend their safety control functions. This allows them to achieve high functional safety standard requirements while benefiting from the convenience and low costs of using standard HMIs.

Operators of these industrial applications need to reconfigure their safety control functions to adapt to changed application conditions and to optimize machine productivity. These reconfigurations, known as safety actions, are often performed using mechanical or electro-mechanical mode selector switches connected to the digital safety inputs of a safety PLC.

This method suffers from limited user-friendliness, inability to make modifications to switch layout and function, limited number of selection options and relatively high costs for the mode selector switches and digital safety input channels.

ABB solves these challenges by allowing standard HMIs, such as control panels, industrial PCs and mobile devices to interface with an ABB AC500-S safety PLC to carry out these safety actions.

Standard HMIs that support at least two different Ethernet based communication protocols can be used. ABB recommends Modbus©/TCP and ABB ETH. A mean time between failures (MTBF) greater than 22.5 years is required for standard HMIs to satisfy PL d (ISO 13849-1) requirements. HMIs with lower MTBFs may only satisfy PL c (ISO 13849-1) requirements.

Benefits of using standard HMIs include cost savings on safety I/O channels and mode selector switches. The ability to select from a wide range of HMI products offers the user independence from any one vendor, a larger range of input options and greater flexibility to adapt the connections and layout of the HMIs.

The method allows connecting to high and low level safety systems remotely. One example is in the selection of a crane, allowing it to be controlled remotely using the emergency stop located on the operator desk. A network links the AC500-S safety PLC in the control room with the safety PLCs at the cranes. The user in the control room can select, using standard HMI equipment, which of the cranes will stop if the emergency stop button is activated on the remote operator control station. Pressing the remote emergency stop button on the operator’s desk will therefore stop the selected crane only. Independent of the remote emergency stop function, all cranes still have their own local emergency stop controls.

ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a pioneering technology leader in electrification products, robotics and motion, industrial automation and power grids, serving customers in utilities, industry and transport & infrastructure globally. Continuing more than a 125-year history of innovation, ABB today is writing the future of industrial digitalization and driving the Energy and Fourth Industrial Revolutions. ABB operates in more than 100 countries with about 132,000 employees. www.abb.com