Cross Helps Kemira with Sophisticated Control System Conversion for Reactors
Cross Process Solutions has a long history with the Kemira plant in Columbus, GA, having recently completed an upgrade of their legacy APACS system to Siemens PCS7 with Simatic Batch.
In the fall of 2023, Kemira decided to convert two of their six PA/PAE reactors to EPAM in order to better align with market demand.
Mark Francois, Production Supervisor and lead for the facility’s distributed control system, said choosing Cross for this conversion was an easy decision because of “the overall success of the APACS to PCS7 conversion project”. He went on to say “we wanted to stick with the people (Cross) who had been there since the beginning and always had great results.”
The conversion, from one product to another to align with market demand was complex because Kemira wanted to retain the ability to run both products in the reactor. This required a sophisticated system of interlocks as the two processes required different raw materials and have very different reaction characteristics. In order to maintain the dual use capability, the interlocks around the PA/PAE tanks had to be masked so they wouldn’t interact when processing the EPAM materials. Masking process interlocks plays a crucial role in ensuring the safe and efficient operations of the automation system by controlling the timing, sequencing, and conditions under which the various processes can occur.
Avoid the Common Pitfalls of Palletizing
Even for chemical manufacturers, there are a number of common pitfalls associated with palletizing which our customers may not be aware of.
First, the things happening upstream from your palletizer can make or break the application.
If you aren’t able to reliably pack and seal the boxes before they reach the palletizer it can cause serious issues. We have developed our own custom reject station to pair with our palletizing solutions to ensure that only properly packed and sealed boxes are palletized.
Another common issue in palletizing is finding the right end of arm tool (EOAT) for the application. The team at Cross Automation are experts in EOATs. Whether it’s finding the perfect off the shelf solution or working with our vendors to design and manufacture a custom EOAT for your unique application, we are here to help.
What's New at Cross
Discover (or rediscover) the fundamentals of laser measurement
A multinational chemical producer needed to be able to weigh their bulk rail cars without having to stop the train itself. They also needed the weight to be a verified legal-for-trade, for buying and selling. Cross Precision Measurement helped them to avoid overloading and account for every penny of the load. Read all the details here.
Maximize Compressed Air Energy Efficiency with Transair
An optimized compressed air system can mean substantial reductions in overall energy consumption, with food facilities saving 20-50% on average on their electric bill over 24 months. We recommend Parker’s Transair aluminum compressed air piping system to try and achieve these savings in your own facility. Read some of the key advantages of the Parker Transair System here.
Did You Know?
Did you know that Cross Process Solutions’ team of valve experts can come to your site and make sure your valve actuators, positioners and limit switches are working correctly?
Whether your equipment needs to be updated or you need help troubleshooting, our team has decades of field experience and knows what to look for when they’re in a chemical environment.
Need new equipment installed? No problem! We can help with field installation too!
Cross Provides Tangible Value for You
Improve Efficiency
Bodine’s new 56R1-50JW/H stainless steel hollow shaft gearmotors are perfect for pharmaceutical, food, beverage and other wet environment applications. They feature corrosion resistant stainless steel housing and are fully watertight.
Their variable-speed 230/460VAC, 1/2 HP, inverter-duty windings are compatible with a wide range of inverter (VFD) products.
Improve Efficiency
End of arm tooling is as unique as your application is. Sometimes, an off-the-shelf solution is perfect for your application and compatible with a robot arm.
But If your production process is complex or depends on irregularly-shaped product, custom EOAT may be the best way to optimize production. Our engineering team will work directly with you to learn about the exact needs of your process and can design custom end of arm tooling to meet your needs.
Improve Efficiency
Phoenix Contact’s Radioline wireless I/O is ideal for tank farm applications, due to its long range and immunity to multipath conditions. It can be configured in a star or mesh topology for low-latency, real-time I/O applications.
The Radioline products enable wireless transmission of:
Tank level
Pressures
Flow rates
High alarming
Valve positioning
Pump control
replacing aging or broken signal wiring.
