Global Controls Solutions, LLC

TIA Portal Application Awards - 2012

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Challenge

Existing controls for the refrigeration plant were manual on / off switches.

Four operators were required to operate the plant on a rotating shift basis. The only feedback for the manual controls were individual thermostats and thermometers. There was no scheduling or optimization of the system, resulting in inefficiencies and high cost of operation.

Application:

Refrigeration Plant Control System

 

Description:

Control the sequence of operations in a collection of refrigeration compressors, evaporative

condensers and evaporators to maintain the temperature requirements in the refrigerated spaces.

 

Key Business Activities:

 

Automate and Retrofit Chiller Plants and Refrigeration Plants to Save Time and Money

Solution

For this opportunity we decided to try the TIA Portal Basic software with S7-1200 1214C, Analog Input signal module SM 1231 AI4 and KTP600 Basic Panel HMI.

We chose the TIA Portal after attending a seminar hosted by AWC, our local distributor. The S7-1200 and Basic Panel fit the I/O and visualization requirements of the application and were cost effective enough to keep us in line with competition. Our competitors sell a simple front end screen that has pretty pictures of what is going on, but offers no central control or optimization capability. We brought in all of the inputs and outputs of the existing hardware into the S7-1200, developed the code and PID loops to optimize coordination, and created informative screens to view and control the entire system from one HMI.

It was much faster to program in the TIA Portal (vs. STEP 7 v5.5 and WinCC Flexible).

Before, whenever you configured the HMI, you had to import the tags from the PLC as an additional step. Now with the TIA Portal, once the tag is created, it is automatically

available for use in the HMI. This saves time and prevents engineering errors. It was simple to tune the PID loops with the included loop tuner. We quickly determined the target limits to

maintain temperatures, programmed the set-points into the PLC and easily integrated the HMI to display critical values and control functions.

Customer benefits

We completed the program engineering in 40% less time than previous projects.

The system we installed in December 2011 hasn‘t had a failure or call back and has allowed the customer to reduce the number of operators from 4 to 1. Now, with the TIA Portal, S7-1200 and Basic Panel, we are at a price point where we can sell the value of our solution and win against the low end competition.
Portfolio

Products in use

TIA Portal
TIA Portal

Maximum engineering efficiency with the TIA Portal, the groundbreaking engineering framework, which optimizes all machine and process sequences and provides standardized and integrated operating concepts.

SIMATIC S7-1200
SIMATIC S7-1200

The intelligent choice for automation solutions in the low and middle performance range

SIMATIC HMI
SIMATIC HMI

The perfect combination of Operator Devices and Engineering Software

Further references

Hurst Boiler

Hurst Boiler

  • In the past it was not unheard of for them to spend two or three days on a project. With the TIA Portal, they can do it in four or five hours. They can do so much more with their existing staff, and in terms of engineering time ther're saving 30% to 40%.

More about Hurst Boiler
IMT Solar

IMT Solar

  • By meeting and exceeding the original scope of the project and getting it done on-time, they have gained much exposure to additional projects of a similar nature. Because of the effectiveness of TIA Portal, they believe they are saving 25% or more on their engineering time.

More about IMT Solar
JRH Brewing

JRH Brewing

  • With the Siemens SIMATIC automation and control system in place, JRH Brewing has increased the productivity and efficiency of its operations manyfold.

More about JRH Brewing