Process automation of explosion protected plants

Explosion protection is a challenging special field in process automation, which only a few specialists work with. The "Solution Engineering Center" of Pepperl+Fuchs in Bühl in Baden has made an international name for itself in this field within a short period of time. EPLAN Pro Panel does not only help with efficient engineering and smooth data flow in production and ERP - with EPLAN, the high documentation requirements in explosion protection are also managed competently, and the customers save hard cash. As a component manufacturer and market leader in several areas of industrial sensors and process technology, the family run business Pepperl+Fuchs with its headquarters in Mannheim/Germany is world-famous. For several years, the process automation business division has been working as a complete solution provider for explosion protection and signal transmission in automated plants, since 2008 at the Bühl site, where 80 employees attend to the whole process and support the customers both in the offering phase from the request to the range of solutions and in the processing phase from the order to the delivery. There is global demand for solutions in explosive working environments: In the production and transport plants of the industrial heavyweights in the mineral and natural gas industry, and also for the ballast water management in tankers or in coating lines of the automotive industry. The Bühl factory is the nucleus for the solutions business within the process automation business division; Solution Engineering Centers (or SEC for short) in the USA, Great Britain, Italy, China, India, Singapore and Australia cover the global market. Support in all project phases Engineering, production logistics, cabinet construction and production as well as Customer Sales Support go hand in hand here and are closely linked. For the project planning team in Bühl, effective engineering begins right from the offering and planning phase. "The customer usually already has a particular solution in mind, often based on previous experience, if a plant is controlled pneumatically instead of electrically for explosion protection reasons, for example", reports Thomas Kasten, Product Marketing Manager of Systems + Solutions at Pepperl+Fuchs. "We recommend alternatives with modern network technology - and can work out alternative solutions with EPLAN Pro Panel on the basis of the predetermined cabinet dimensions, which can be presented, exchanged and improved in the form of various 3D images." Control cabinets at Pepperl+Fuchs are developed customer-specifically and mostly in batch size 1. "The period for the whole processing is normally only six to twelve weeks, so we have to get it right first time", adds Markus Hertel, Manager of the SEC in Bühl. 3D model instead of prototype construction What was previously the elaborately produced prototype is now the 3D model created with EPLAN Pro Panel, which is sent to the customer as a pdf file and is discussed by telephone instead of in a factory meeting. Using Drag & Drop, this is "easy as pie", believes Markus Hertel, winking. And unlike before in the 2D construction, imminent mechanical collisions can be seen immediately; errors that were otherwise only detected and rectified at high cost shortly before the factory approval are hence avoided right from the start. The changeover to a scalable 3D system for the construction of control and interface cabinets has been planned for a long time. "With EPLAN Pro Panel, we have introduced a uniform documentation standard, which is clear for our machine operators and does not vary depending on the project engineer", stresses Markus Hertel. Good: Additional EPLAN modules for signs and labelling and the translation module for the English-language documentation can be ordered - a requirement for an internationally active provider. Efficiency increase in engineering The data consistency begins with the order acceptance: Each cabinet operates via the enterprise resource planning system, which requests complete bills of material with part numbers that can be generated directly via EPLAN. Many important suppliers are already integrated in the EPLAN Data Portal, the data of their components can be retrieved simply. Incidentally, this works in both directions; "Our customers also request that we incorporate our own components efficiently into the Data Portal", reports the SEC manager, in whose team a "component abstractor" is specifically responsible for maintaining the libraries. With the changeover to EPLAN Pro Panel, Markus Hertel estimates an efficiency increase in engineering of twenty percent. The document archive, which practically excludes transmission errors, is the centrepiece. Data transfers of suppliers, AutoCAD-Files or I/O lists in Excel, for example, are problem-free thanks to the varied interfaces. This also applies to data transmission into production. The newly acquired Kiesling "Perforex" machine for the mechanical processing of cabinets and mounting plates has an automated interface for direct EPLAN connection. Lean production, clean data flow Standardised processes minimise costs, increase quality and delivery reliability and hence the customer satisfaction, according to Markus Hertel's philosophy. The introduction of EPLAN Pro Panel supports the lean production processes effectively and efficiently at the Bühl site, which are aligned with the "One Piece Flow" principle: Instead of working on several projects at the same time, which is difficult to manage, a production cell is now responsible for each solution module. Kanban systems, pick-up systems and daily shop floor meetings in the assembly cells keep the workflow constant – EPLAN ensures the continuous data flow. Worry-free in certification and documentation An important service, that offers the customers of Pepperl+Fuchs critical added value, is the relief in the documentation and certification requirements, which, according to Thomas Kasten's estimation, are around 5 times greater in the explosion protection area than in other industry branches. The central data archive developed with EPLAN provides valuable services. The connection of EPLAN Pro Panel to the ERP system enables the interconnection of drawings with operating instructions, safety and explosion protection certificates, which are all stored in a common pool and can be called up for each module or device by designation. The documentation obligation of the plant operators does not only concern all parts of the plant, but also later modifications. Process plants often have long running times; due to the explosion protection, new certificates and documents are required each time a part is changed. Modifications made easy If a plant operator wishes to install new sensors or measuring equipment, for example, the control cabinet must be adapted because the interface modules are normally attuned to the end devices and must therefore be exchanged. Thomas Kasten: "With EPLAN Pro Panel, not only are the constructive modifications on existing plants solved rapidly, but we also thereby always keep the documentation up to date for our customers." This also works if different certificates are required for global use depending on country and several versions have to be managed. Conclusion: "With EPLAN, our customers save hard cash in the certification, particularly if they work with this system themselves and can incorporate our drawings directly into their own EPLAN archive." "Important pillar for further growth" Markus Hertel is convinced: "When standardised processes are carried out everywhere with the same tools and on the same data platform, engineering in Singapore and production in Bühl is just as possible as it is the other way around." This is why we have such an international environment in the expanding Bühl plant: "Training sessions for colleagues from Bangalore or Singapore are carried out here, but we are also often in action there." The competitive pressure has not gotten any lower. "We see ourselves as leaders in technology", states Thomas Kasten. "Every advancement in technology is only fleeting, we must constantly offer better to keep ahead of the competition". The course is already set for this: "EPLAN Pro Panel is an essential pillar for our continued growth."