Case study: acid test for Orion

A large chemical facility in Brazil will be the first in the world to adopt the Experion Orion console.

Built on Honeywell’s flagship Experion Process Knowledge System (PKS) control platform, the architecture provides a single visual workplace designed to boost effectiveness and reduce operator fatigue.

It also offers ergonomic design and capabilities to meet the needs of increasingly mobile plant operators, says Honeywell.

ICL Brasil is a global manufacturer of products based on special minerals that meet basic human needs.

The company is deploying the Experion Orion Console as well as Honeywell’s Universal I/O technology to modernise its production facility in Cajati, near Sao Paulo.

Time to modernise

“The Cajati plant has been an important part of our company’s success for almost 30 years,” says Arnaldo Dias, industrial manager of ICL Brasil.

“For this upgrade, we needed technology that would help us boost our competitiveness and improve our leading position as the premier manufacturer of phosphoric acid. Honeywell’s technology will enable us to do that.”

The console was developed using the Honeywell User Experience, a new approach to the design and development of new products focused on making them easier to use, more intuitive, more efficient, and more productive.

It features a large, ultra-high definition display with clear status readings of operations in a single glance for faster and more-informed management.

Operators can customise displays to prioritise data that is needed for a given process or operation. The display can also be set to show operating limits and targets.

Touchscreen displays help operators quickly and accurately respond to changing conditions. Additionally, the console features adjustable sitting and standing operating positions to reduce fatigue.

For this upgrade, we needed technology that would help us boost our competitiveness and improve our leading position as the premier manufacturer of phosphoric acid

Arnaldo Dias, industrial manager of ICL Brasil

The upgrade is expected to increase production, improve efficiency and improve the effectiveness of the plant operators at ICS Brasil.

Use of Honeywell’s Universal I/O (input/ output) technology is also expected to speed project schedules, reduce production downtime, and help plant personnel more efficiently manage operations by reducing the stock of spare parts.

In parallel, the Universal I/O modules will play a critical role in helping start operations on time by allowing operators to quickly and remotely configure channels as digital or analogue.

This allows the system to become operational as soon as the points are set, eliminating the need to re-open panels to replace cards or adjust wiring even if there are changes later in the project, says Honeywell.

Savings made

Using Universal I/O modules also enables plants to reduce the number of spares that are needed, which Honeywell says is important for large projects such as the ICL Brasil upgrade, which can have more than 10,000 I/O points. This can translate to significant savings on inventory and storage costs.

While ICL Brasil is the first major facility to install the Experion Orion Console, Honeywell says it has similar projects ongoing at chemical plants, refineries, mines and other production sites around the world in countries such as Chile, Mexico, the United States, Korea, Australia, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Oman.

“This project reflects ICL Brasil’s bold and pioneering vision for its business by better helping its operators perform their jobs, reducing costs and saving time on the overall project,” says Francisco Casulli, business leader for Honeywell Process Solutions Brazil.

“Experion Orion truly changes the concept of ‘plant operations’ by transforming the process operators into profit operators. These operators not only understand how the plant works, but how to make it run more efficiently and profitably.”