Case Story, CH2M Hill - Calibration process for a massive Profibus PA installation at BASF

Product catalog summary

Introduction
BASF, a German chemical company, constructed a new resins plant in Wyandotte, Michigan, in 2008 to produce the Joncryl product range. This facility became the largest PROFIBUS PA installation in North America, with over 3,300 devices across 250 segments.

Project Management
CH2M Hill was selected to engineer, procure, and manage the project. Jim Garrison, an I&C Engineer at CH2M Hill, was instrumental in developing the calibration process for the plant.

Calibration Process
The calibration and commissioning program required a device separate from the distributed control system (DCS) to monitor PA segments and verify segment accuracy before the DCS was on site. The Beamex MC5 multifunction calibrator with PROFIBUS PA communication was chosen for its robust functionality, allowing for setting or modifying an instrument’s PA address in the field without a laptop or external power supply.

Testing and Verification
The testing concept involved electricians installing and wiring segments, followed by a checkout team verifying PA addresses using the MC5. This process ensured correct device addressing and wiring integrity, significantly speeding up full loop checks and troubleshooting.

Benefits
The use of the Beamex MC5 resulted in major time savings, increased efficiency, and reduced troubleshooting time by several man-weeks. It also facilitated easy address changes when moving devices between segments, further saving costs and effort.

Conclusion
CH2M Hill's use of the Beamex MC5 in the largest PROFIBUS installation in North America exemplifies the device's capability to enhance efficiency and reduce costs in large-scale industrial projects.

Catalog excerpts

Case Story, CH2M Hill - Calibration process for a massive Profibus PA installation at BASF-1

Calibration process_ WORLD-CLASS CALIBRATION SOLUTIONS™

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Case Story, CH2M Hill - Calibration process for a massive Profibus PA installation at BASF-2

ASF, a German-based chemical maker, began construction on a new resins plant in the beginning of 2008. Located in Wyandotte, Michigan, US, the facility was created to produce the Joncryl product range. Joncryl is the trade name for several hundred different polymers that are used in the coatings industry. BASF selected CH2M Hill as their agency to engineer, procure, and manage the project. At the time of construction, it was the largest PROFIBUS PA installation in North America. Today this plant contains over 3,300 PROFIBUS PA devices on over 250 segments. Over 200,000 tons per annum of polymers,...

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Case Story, CH2M Hill - Calibration process for a massive Profibus PA installation at BASF-3

CH2M Hill, US DESCRIPTION • eamex MC5 multifunction calibrator with PROFIBUS PA B communication option MAIN BENEFITS • Robust functionality • Major time savings • Versatility • Ease of use I WOULD ESTIMATE THE SAVINGS IN TROUBLESHOOTING TIME AND GAIN IN LOOP CHECK EFFICIENCY TO BE ON THE ORDER OF SEVERAL MAN-WEEKS. CASE STORY IN BRIEF DCS being conducted to ensure all devices were addressed correctly and connected to the correct segment. While this may seem duplicative, since a full DCS to device loop check verified much of the same information, they found that it made the full loop checks much...

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