Upgrade of a PLC with Freelance DCS helps AlzChem to optimize process control

The control solution also provides clear advantages when it comes to maintenance and faultfinding.

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For AlzChem, the use of one single engineering tool to configure the entire system simplifies engineering and saves a significant amount of time during commissioning.

With the old PLC solution, the program was not transparent

AlzChem in Trostberg, a subsidiary of Evonik Industries AG, produces specialty chemicals products with a wide range of uses. These chemicals are used, for example, in the production of crop protection products, pigments, dyes, pharmaceuticals and polymers.

In the past, an inverted filter centrifuge in a system for extracting natural substances was PLC-controlled at AlzChem. The program code for the PLC, a standard program from the manufacturer, was not transparent and needed specialists to make changes. The program was not intuitive and diagnostic analyses were only available to a very limited extent. In order to simplify programming and to optimize the process control, AlzChem thus decided to use the AC 700F controller. This replaced the PLC and was integrated into the existing Freelance DCS.

Now, the system is easy to understand and maintenance is simple

Main facts

Industry	Specialty chemicals
Customer	AlzChem AG
Country	Germany
Solutions	Freelance DCS with: AC 700F controller Freelance Operations Freelance Engineering
System integrator	AlzChem AG

This offers several advantages for AlzChem: The use of one single engineering tool to configure the entire system simplifies engineering and saves a significant amount of time during commissioning. After transferring the program the system is easy to understand and maintenance is simpler.

During the operating and maintenance phase, the wide range of diagnostic options (sequence control-, hardware -, interlock diagnostics), the intuitive graphical user interface and mature alarm and report management allow costs to be cut.

This reduces downtime of the application and cuts maintenance expenditures. All this improves the efficiency of the entire system and the slightly higher acquisition costs compared to a PLC amortize within a very short time.

Maximum automation with minimum engineering

Hartmut Rohner, Head of Electrical Systems, Instrumentation and Control at AlzChem

“Now it is easy for anyone to learn how to operate the hard- and software. In contrast, it was practically impossible to understand the standard program supplied by the manufacturer together with the centrifuge."

AlzChem is impressed by the simple and clear handling of the AC 700F controller and the Freelance DCS. There are also clear advantages over other systems when it comes to maintenance and faultfinding. Whereas with other manufacturers faultfinding is only possible using a handheld device in the field, Freelance provides extensive analysis options right in the control room.

With Freelance, fault finding and maintenance is substantially easier.

Hartmut Rohner, AlzChem

"Now I look at the status and can see straight away where the error is. That is not possible that easy in other systems.”

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