The Bradford project involved planning for the safe offloading and storage of the raw material, acrylonitrile; creating three reactors in which acrylonitrile would be converted to acrylamide; and constructing two large tanks to store the acrylamide that was produced.
The SIMATIC PCS 7 system was integrated into the new plant alongside Siemens intelligent field instrumentation for accurate process measurement. This provided a fully integrated Siemens solution that covers both the control and measurement aspects of the process. The Profibus communication protocol was used for data communication between field devices and the DCS, creating the perfect opportunity for Kemira to gather data to provide key insights into their production process.
The selection of the technology vendor and solution, alongside the collaborative way of working, was a significant factor in the project’s success.
“We found the whole team to be extremely supportive and that was a significant factor in our decision to select PCS 7” added Scarborough.
A workstation located in the new building enables the acrylamide plant operator to view every aspect of the plant functionality. This computer is connected to the site control system network and linked with an archive software that collects and stores detailed operational data.
“Information and the ability to run the process and to look back at our historical data is very important,” says Paul Turfrey, Technical Manager. “We can use this information to track our daily activity and aim for continuous improvement.”
The new plant began producing acrylamide in June 2017 and, by capturing and analysing data from the PCS 7 system, Kemira has been able to drive significant improvements in the efficiency of the process, achieving a near 50% increase in peak production rate. Cycle time has been significantly reduced and new weekly and monthly site production records have been set.
“We are self-sufficient in acrylamide production and we have eliminated a yearly total of 1600 tanker deliveries. In addition, the process is quicker and runs at a lower temperature. With a safe and efficient plant, we can focus on improving the manufacturing process and reducing batch times further,” concludes Scarborough.
There is designated space for future expansion within the new plant, with the potential to add a fourth reactor and additional processing equipment. The chiller plant has also been designed with one eye on potential future demand and the scalable design of the control system means that any new instrumentation can quickly and easily be incorporated.
“Siemens was able to supply a complete solution, and with the strong relationship we’ve built during that time, we further look forward to helping Kemira develop the acrylamide plant in the future,” comments Ian Elsby, Head of Chemical Industry UK and Ireland at Siemens Digital Industries. “From training and implementation through to maintenance we are committed to full lifecycle support, enabling Kemira to make further improvements.”
“The combination of Kemira’s process expertise and the Siemens integrated solution has created efficiency and enabled Kemira to exceed targets” says Steve Leech, Business Manager for Process Control Systems at Siemens. “Furthermore, the capture of key manufacturing insight by the Kemira team, creates the foundation for future information led decision making and production assessments.”