Our customer is a research based chemical company with multiple manufacturing plants. They have won several national awards for technical innovation in the chemical industry.

Requirement and Objective 

• They wanted us to upgrade their existing PLC5 system to the latest PLC system in two of their plant areas.
• The upgradation process also included the conversion of:
  1. 1771 PLC5 controller to 1756 controller
  2. 1771 I/O modules to 1794 I/O modules
  3. MODBUS Communication to their DCS

Technical terms  

1. 1756 controller: A high-performance platform that lets you integrate your production disciplines (discrete, motion, process, and safety), as well as severe environments and elevated applications, into a plant-wide infrastructure that helps you create a connected enterprise.
2. 1794 I/O module: It’s a dispersed I/O system that links to various networks, including Ethernet/IP, ControlNet, and DeviceNet. It also lets you boost your productivity and reduce downtime.
3. MODBUS Communication: MODBUS is a machine-to-machine data transfer protocol that is used in a wide range of industrial applications. It’s primarily used for monitoring and controlling things from afar.

Solution

• We recommended the ControlLogix Processor with Flex-I/O configuration to improve the industry’s operational process while also addressing many I/O points. 
• We also realized that with the previous panel design and related software, we wouldn’t be able to accommodate a current device; as a result, to overcome this issue, we redesigned the panel and redeveloped the software linked with it to ensure that the devices ran well. 
• Since we were working on changing their old setup to new fittings, we prepared extensively and updated PLC5 to the ControlLogix system with the available tool. We also replaced the old mounting plates on the panel with new ones, leaving the field I/O wires in place and avoiding any disruption to the present configuration. 
• We also completed software installation, loop testing, test runs, and commissioning in the seven days allocated, proving our commitment towards work. 

Result 

• The system was satisfactorily engineered, designed, documented and commissioned. 
• Complete upgradation carried out in seven days of routine shutdown without any additional downtime of the plant. 
• Easy maintenance and ease of use. 
• Received “Service Appreciation Award” and subsequent other orders for further upgrades.