Chemical Plant
PROBLEM:
• Outmoded paper strip charts were a hassle and did not give instant real-time trending.
SOLUTION:
• Replaced strip charts with thin clients.
• Collected I/O in SQL server and backed up and archived.
• Archive gave operators the ability to see trending patterns in a more efficient manner.
Emission monitoring charts are critical to pollution control. Before their thin client installation this company captured this data on paper strip charts printed on machines that require oiling, inking, and paper refills.
At the end of the month the company had roughly 30 charts that were bundled and placed in a large clear sack. This sack was then stored in one of 12 bins along with the past 5 years of charts. Retrieving data required a manual search through bins, bags, charts and pages to find the correct chart.
ThinManager allows data to be written to a SQL server for storage and displayed on chart-sized monitors attached to thin clients. The thin manager screen shows an HMI that mimics the strip chart display so operators don’t require any additional training. Because the system is no longer tied to paper charts operators now have a Back button to allow engineers a look at past performance.
The database is backed up monthly and burned to a CD with 5 years of history fitting on one CD spindle. Searches are now conducted with a simple SQL search.
For more information on how ThinManager can help you, please visit www.thinmanager.com.