Pretoria Portland Cement (PPC) replaced its 30-year-old control systems with System Platform. With a centralized control environment, the cement manufacturer gained best-in-class real-time information management and optimized process control.

Goals
- Replace the legacy control system by translating the old system into PLC / SCADA control.
- Establish a centralized control room where engineers can ensure effective KPI measurement, logging and trending.
- Install a distributed PLC network.
- Add a new Historian server.
- Install new instrumentation and replace all redundant electrical equipment.

Challenges
Replace 30 years of control system evolution in five weeks, maintaining operations and mitigating potential outages.
Migrate operators, who only knew how to push a button to push for decades, to a new SCADA system.

- Solution Implemented
- AVEVA System Platform
- AVEVA Historian Server
- AVEVA InTouch HMI
- AVEVA Historian Client

Results
- Achieved PPC objectives within limited time and budget. System Platform made the best use of the company's investment.
- Achieved operator acceptance, early ownership and easier change management by cost-effectively giving operators the autonomy to change the system.
- Established standards that will facilitate future upgrades.
- Four-screen design and standard navigation allow operators to see everything at a glance.

Summary

Approximately 60% of the work was planned to begin in January, including MCC fabrication, new cabling and cable racks. The MCC and I/O panels were fabricated off-site and the company supervised FAT testing to ensure that the equipment would be ready for commissioning upon delivery. Where possible, new instruments were also installed, but were only switched on at commissioning.