Safety systems, wireless communications, motion control and more were technologies at the heart of superior automation solutions called out by global industrial automation giant Siemens as it wrapped up its 2012 Automation Summit in Washington, D.C. The company ended its annual event by recognizing the achievements of four customers and partners who are using Siemens technology to “generate superior business results.”
“This year, our Customer Excellence Awards illustrate the power of partnership, specifically highlighting best-practice sharing, and providing inspiration to other users in the Siemens automation user community,” said Raj Batra, president of Siemens Industry Automation Division (www.usa.siemens.com/automation). “Each of this year’s winners has clearly demonstrated their leadership in driving innovation, collaboratively overcoming barriers, and delivering success.”
ConocoPhillips Alaska formed a partnership with Siemens PCS 7 solution partner AE Solutions to develop a PCS 7 fail-safe solution that would be used for fire and gas protection at central processing facilities and drill sites in Alaska. This collaboration resulted in several safety improvements at the facilities with a PCS 7-based FGS 1400 platform,” said a spokesman. “It allows ConocoPhillips Alaska to streamline its fire and gas projects by having repeatable design and deliverables that aid in project execution and cost savings.”
Fori Automation, Inc. developed a solution for Lockheed Martin for moving a large load safely and wirelessly through a Lockheed Martin plant. “The solutions had to be compact, include safety and use wireless roaming communication,” said the spokesman. “The single PLC for safety and process technology used resulted in a 50 percent smaller footprint from the controls. The solution’s Profinet network was quicker to design and debug, yielding a 20 percent reduction in start-up time.”
GOSS International used Siemens motion control and automation to realize repeatable and scalable solutions for serial press and finishing equipment production, greatly reducing engineering requirements for project release and commissioning.
GT Advanced Technologies was honored because Siemens solutions were used in multiple projects emphasizing automation standards and enhancements to a SiC furnace, HiC2 furnace, AFS furnace and DSS furnace. These projects focus on converting HiC2 furnaces to a commercially viable furnace using WinAR RTX (F) technology.
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