1.4 MILES of Wire Saved Through Innovative PLC Architecture

,,,and over 800 electrical and 40 instrument air connections!

The field wiring for our customer became very complex because they wanted verification that each of the twenty actuated valves is in the correct position.  Also, the system is pre-programmed to allow up to four additional greensand filter units through a HMI touchscreen. If the control panel with the Allen Bradley PLC is only 10 feet from the first tank, fully outfitted, this control architecture would save over 2.8 MILES of wire, 1600 electrical terminations and 80 pneumatic connections and countless hours of wiring and troubleshooting!

Fieldbus Distributed I/O Module Blocks Installed n Each Greensand Filter Unit

One of the above fieldbus distributed I/O module blocks are installed on each of the four greensand filter systems for a local brewery.  This efficient architecture:

• Requires only two cables (Ethernet and low voltage Power) from each block to the main control panel eliminating point-to-point wiring from each system to main control panel
• Eliminates over 840 sources of potential errors by mechanical contractors during field installation (800 electrical terminations and 40 pneumatic connections)
• Eliminates enclosures with a total of over 40 penetrations
• Reduces the PLC inputs and outputs by 40, thereby reducing the size of the main panel
• Is rated IP67 (Dust tight and submersible to 1 meter)
• Operates at 24 VDC

The fieldbus system we employed is the PLC distributed I/O system (remote I/O modules) that is connected to the PLC using network called fieldbus. Typical fieldbus examples: Profibus, CAN, Modbus, ControlNet, DeviceNet, Ethernet I/P. At our customer, Res-Kem used  Ethernet I/P (I/P=Industrial Protocol) fieldbus. Each block must have communication adapter that is connected to the PLC network. At our customer, the Ethernet Adapter connected to the panel Ethernet switch. In addition to I/O blocks, the vendor Res-Kem uses, has solenoid blocks that are acting like digital outputs and are attached to the I/O system. Each block (fieldbus system) is powered from 24 VDC power supply providing power for backplane.

Greensand Filters During Factory Testing Showing Location of Each Fieldbus Block

Normal practice is to add an electrical enclosure which has solenoid valves to operate pneumatic actuators and electrical terminal blocks for the limit switches and solenoid valve.  At the customer's site, each electrical enclosure needs to have point-to-point wiring to the main panel with the PLC.

Typical Solenoid Panel WITHOUT Limit Switch Terminations

More About Fieldbus:
Fieldbus is an industrial network system for real-time distributed control. It is an efficient way to connect instruments in a manufacturing plant.

From Wikipedia, "A complex automated industrial system — such as manufacturing assembly line — usually needs a distributed control system—an organized hierarchy of controller systems—to function. In this hierarchy, there is usually a Human Machine Interface (HMI) at the top, where an operator can monitor or operate the system. This is typically linked to a middle layer of programmable logic controllers (PLC) via a non-time-critical communications system (e.g. Ethernet). At the bottom of the control chain is the fieldbus that links the PLCs to the components that actually do the work, such as sensors, actuators, electric motors, console lights, switches, valves and contactors."

For Additional Information:
For technical help

Greensand filter bulletin

Customized Greensand Filter for Brewery Prepared for Shipping

With factory testing completed, Res-Kem's greensand filter with several advanced features is ready for shipment to a local brewery.  Because the water is integral to production of their beer, this expanding brewery needed features which are not typical for a greensand filter:

• Allen Bradley CompactLogix PLC with Ethernet gateway to communicate with the central plant control system.
• Expandable, in the field, from four to eight parallel greensand filter units without requiring reprogramming of the PLC.
• Multiple, user definable,  regeneration initiation options including manually initiated, differential pressure and/or totalized flow.
• Valve position feedback to insure when a valve supposed to be open or closed, the valve is in the correct position.  If incorrect, an alarm will sound and be indicated on the Panelview 1000 HMI.

Quad 48"Diameter Greensand Filter During Factory Testing

General System Information:
Four tank, continuous regeneration non-skid mounted greensand system with manual, differential pressure and/or totalized flow initiated regeneration. The system is constructed of four, 48" diameter fiberglass, non-ASME code, rated at 100 psig working pressure tanks. The system is controlled using an Allen Bradley CompactLogix PLC with an Allen Bradley Panelview Plus 1000 touchscreen HMI.  The system has Georg Fischer pneumatically actuated air-to-spring ball valves with visual and electrical valve indication.  The face piping is Schedule 80 PVC pipe and fittings.  Each vessel contains 38 cubic feet of Greensand Plus for high iron removal.  To allow for iron removal, the incoming water will be treated continuously with a chlorine dioxide generator.

Touchscreen Panelview Plus 1000 HMI for Equipment Control

For Additional Information:

Greensand filter brochure

To determine if a greensand filter will work for your company, contact us.

10 Questions to Answer Before You Specify Water Treatment Equipment

Many times per day, we are asked to provide a quote for a specific water treatment technology like RO, demineralization, water softening, filtration, etc.  At Res-Kem,  we like to take a step back and help you determine what equipment will cost effectively handle your water treatment issue.  Since there are so many choices and combinations of water treatment technologies, we will ask:

1. What are the average, minimum, and peak flow rates you need from the water treatment system?
2. Is the flow continuous or how many shifts do you operate during the day?
3. Do you have or plan to have a tank after the water treatment system?
4. What is the source of your water and do you have an untreated water analysis?
5. What is the water used for and do you have a treated water specification?
6. What are the required temperature and pressure of the treated water?
7. What level of automation do you need, i.e. manual, semi-automatic or fully automatic?
8. Are there any special requirements for the system?
9. When do you need the quotation by?
10. When do you need the system to be installed?

With these questions answered, we can offer a properly sized, cost effective solution to your water treatment problem with minimal maintenance.  

Additional Information:
Online water treatment equipment catalog
Printable questionnaire
For technical questions

Water Softener Shipped to Luxury Hotel in Delaware

Water softener for a new luxury hotel in Wilmington, Delaware was shipped from our Res-Kem Aston facility.  This system treats all the incoming Wilmington city water for the entire hotel including bathrooms, restaurant, etc.  With the special piping configuration, dual flowmeters and special Pentair NXT controller, the system operates in alternating, parallel or demand modes with simple programming changes.
 

150 gpm Continuous Water Softener System with
Carbon Steel Face Piping and Interconnecting Headers

Enduser	Water softener for a new luxury hotel in Wilmington, Delaware to treat all the incoming water for the entire building sold to through a local engineering firm
General water treatment application	Two large 48”X60” water softeners for removal of water hardness and iron.
Operating conditions	150 gpm continuous operation
System configuration	Dual ASME-Code 48” X 60” alternating softener tanks each with a separate Seametrics flowmeter 40 cu ft of 8% crosslinked softener resin per vessel 50” X 60” polypropylene brine tank
Materials of construction	Skid mounted Internally and externally epoxy coated, carbon steel pressure vessels Schedule 40 welded /flanged face piping
Type of valves and actuators	Cast iron, Series 42 Pentair Aquamatic diaphragm valves
System Control	Each softener has an Pentair Aquamatic NXT stager/controller Special piping, dual flowmeters and special controller allows for alternating, parallel or demand operation with simple programming changes
Special Features	System was skid mounted to allow for lifting of unit to the top floor of the building during construction

Additional Information:

Industrial water softener brochure

Commercial water softener brochure

Dual Tank Commercial water softener brochure

I need help sizing a water softener

Unleashing Innovation: Manufacturing - Wall Street Journal Special Report

The Wall Street Journal had an excellent special report on manufacturing yesterday, June 11, 2013.  I would recommend anyone who is involved with manufactured products and/or manufacturing companies should read the articles.

Here are some examples of what Res-Kem has been working on with 3D printing.   

3D Printed Condensate Polisher and Dealkalizer Models
Using Two Different Additive Technologies

The article's topics are as follows:

• Advanced Manufacturing: The New Industrial Revolution
• How the Chemical Industry Can find Employees
• How 3-D Printing Works
• The New Math of Manufacturing Costs
• Tool clubs for Tinkerers
• A New Suitor for Top Students: Manufacturers
• Why U.S. Factories Have Old Technology
• Dyeing Fabric - Without All the Water
• The Experts
• Who Says Jay Leno Isn't Cutting Edge?
• What's Hot in Manufacturing Technology

For Additional Information:
Rental Condensate Polishers
Condensate Polishers for Purchase
Dealkalizers
Other Industrial Water Treatment Equipment
For Technical or Service Assistance

Calibration Services Offered for Thornton Products

Res-Kem now offers calibration of Mettler-Toledo's Thornton products including pH, ORP, and resistivity/conductivity probes.  These probes are used with Thornton M200, Thornton M300 and 770MAX monitors.  

770MAX and M300 Thornton Meters Installed in a Customer's Water Treatment Plant

Our calibration service coverage area is the mid-Atlantic and New England States.

For Additional Information:

Contact us for calibration service estimate

770MAX manual

M300 manual

Plant Expansion of Pennsylvania Facility

Due to our continuing sales growth, Res-Kem added nearly 8,000 sq ft of assembly and warehousing space to our Aston facility on May 1. 

New Assembly and Warehousing Space in the Aston Facility

This area will give Res-Kem the additional space we need to build our standard and custom equipment.

For Additional Information:
Downloadable water treatment equipment catalog for 2013
Online water treatment equipment catalog
Please contact us for a facility tour or call 800-323-1983.

Carbon and Multi-Media Filters Shipped to Eastern Pennsylvania Power Plant

Res-Kem shipped a multi-media filter and a carbon filter as pretreatment to an RO system.  Previously, this coal-fired power plant purchased a softener from Res-Kem. Also, we supply DI service vessels for post-RO polishing. 

Multi-Media Filter and Carbon Filter with Media Ready for Shipment

The general system arrangement is:

Well => Multi-Media Filter => Activated Carbon Filter => Softener => RO => Storage Tank => Service DI => To Use

What the company does	Coal fired electric generation plant
Water treatment application	Backwashable Multi-media filter Backwashable Activated carbon filter This water enters a previously provided Res-Kem softener which pretreats the water before entering the RO system
Operating conditions, e.g. flow, temp, continuous, etc.	The systems treat the plant’s well water. Inlet temperature approximately 55 F Flow rate 40 gpm
System configuration, e.g. # of tanks, standby units, etc.	Single, 48” ASME code 100 psig, tank multi-media filter Single, 48” ASME code 100 psig, activated carbon filter
Materials of construction of tanks, piping, valves, frame, media, etc.	Threaded carbon steel face piping PVC hub and laterals Res-Karb CS1240 activated carbon
Type of valves and actuators	Cast iron, Series 42, Aquamatic diaphragm valves
Control philosophy	Time clock backwashed multi-media filter using Aquamatic NXT stager/controller Time clock backwashed activated carbon filter Aquamatic NXT stager/controller

For Additional Information:
Multi-Media Filter Brochure
Activated Carbon Filter Brochure
Industrial Water Softener Brochure
For help specifying a system

Condensate Polisher Shipped to New Jersey University

Last week, Res-Kem shipped a condensate polisher to a New Jersey university.  This condensate polisher will be installed as part of a new onsite power production facility at the university operated by an independent energy development company.  They will produce power for the university under a DBOM (Design, Build, Operate, Maintain) agreement. Excess power produced gets sold to the PJM.

Dual, Skid Mounted Stainless Steel Condensate Polisher with Headers

Customer	An independent energy development company specializing in the development, engineering, construction, start up, commissioning, operation, maintenance and management, as well as, ownership of Central Energy Centers, Renewable Energy projects and Combined Heat, Chilling and Power  Production Facilities.
General water treatment application	Two large 48”X60” sodium cycle condensate polisher for removal of contaminants in the return condensate and the return condensate from the steam driven chillers on-site
Savings and/or ROI the customer wants to achieve	Fuel and chemical saving related to the removal of iron and calcium from the condensate streams and ultimately the boiler feedwater
Operating conditions	250 gpm max, 150 gpm continuous operating at 180F
System configuration	Twin parallel / Alternating system
Materials of construction	Skid mounted 304 SS pressure vessels Schedule 10 welded /flanged face piping
Type of valves and actuators	Bray valves with Bray actuators
System Control	Allen Bradley PLC operates the system as alternating or parallel
System schematic	Polisher collectively handles two condensate streams – return condensate from campus and condensate from steam driven chillers
Special Features	Sample cooler mounted on skid which can sample the inlet and outlet of each vessel Inlet and outlet headers between each system on skid

Additional Information:
Listing of Condensate Polishers Built by Res-Kem
Online Catalog of Res-Kem Condensate Polishing Equipment
Condensate Polisher Technical Bulletin
Condensate Polisher Application Checklist 
For Technical Help From a Res-Kem Sales and Application Engineer

Practical Safety Training Program

Recently, the entire Res-Kem field team went through an all day practical safety training program.  The training included, Confined Space Entry, LOTO (Lock-Out Tag-Out) and JSA (Job Safety Assessment). This training is integral to Res-Kem's desire to eliminate injuries in our facilities as well as when we are working at or visiting our customer's plants.

Confined Space Entry Training

Preparing for a Confined Space Entry

 Hands-on LOTO (Lock-Out Tag-Out) Training

This program was a follow-up to our classroom program late last year.  People who attended the training were all of our field sales people, field service technicians, drivers and plant personnel.  The training took place at the Emergency Services Training Center in Sharon Hill, PA.

Contact us if you would like more information on this program.