Honeywell improves productivity at US paper mill
May 2012
PLCs, DCSs & Controllers
Located on the Hudson River, Finch Paper is an integrated pulp and paper facility dedicated to delivering high-quality uncoated papers for commercial printing. Finch manages regional forest land, converts logs into pulp and pulp into paper. With a variety of obsolete systems at its mill, Finch wanted to migrate to Honeywell’s more advanced Experion PKS platform in order to access key plant data and increase efficiency and performance, while also ensuring the safety of its people and assets. Finch turned to Honeywell to develop a safe and effective migration solution.
Challenge
Finch faced several critical challenges, including the ability to increase safety, efficiency and productivity. At the same time, a concerted effort to glean the most pertinent mill data available had to be undertaken. The company recognised that it needed to replace its legacy control systems as they could not provide a growth path for the future. However, it also had budget constraints and an aggressive timetable to adhere to at the mill.
“Any trip in our process would cause delays and product quality issues, so it was critical to run the mill without incidents – something that our older systems could not guarantee,” said Steve Padasak, engineering and process control supervisor, Finch Paper. “We also wanted to ensure we had the safest systems in operation which supported the utmost confidence in our decision making.”
Solution
Finch Paper spent about one-and-half years on an assessment of possible solutions from various companies, factoring in overall capabilities, equipment, stability, depth of experience and trade-industry knowledge. After the review, it selected Honeywell and the Experion PKS solution. Finch was already engaged in a service contract with Honeywell and had first-hand experience with its people and their capabilities.
After selecting Honeywell, Finch did a confined test on one of its smaller systems to see how the migration would work before moving on to its larger control systems, things progressed quickly. Operators, trained with Honeywell’s UniSim operator training simulator, quickly learned the navigation of the new system and become familiar with the environment. A virtual system was utilised to give operators experience and familiarity. “We were able to incorporate our own graphics into the new system before it went live and our operators gained the confidence and comfort level they needed,” noted Padasak.
The Experion PKS solution provided Finch with access to plant data that was not available prior to the installation. The system transforms process control beyond traditional DCS functionality by unifying people with process variables, business requirements and asset management. In addition, Honeywell’s Uniformance software was used as the historian to log plant data.
Finch also maintains a solution enhancement support program (SESP) services contract with Honeywell to ensure the control system stays ready for the long haul and protects valuable technology investment. Since migrating to Experion PKS, Finch has been able to justify the project with an improved safety record, performance and overall productivity at the plant. “We have tallied a one percent efficiency improvement just based on the sodium chlorate, more than $100 000/year, all by just replacing the DCS without any logic or configuration changes,” said Padasak.
The Experion PKS migration came at a time when Finch needed to modernise its facility and look for potential impacts across the board in terms of safety, reliability and compliance. “With more information at our fingertips and the backing of a proven system, Honeywell is definitely the right company to lead us into the future,” concluded Padasak.
For more information contact Boni Magudulela, Honeywell Southern Africa, +27 (0)11 695 8000, [email protected], www.honeywell.co.za
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