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A new mixing plant at the chemical factory Brenntag Nordic in Vejle is equipped with automation from 3Tech Automation. With approximately 200 various mixtures for several customers, flexibility was certainly the feature that this Nordic corporation of the world’s largest chemical concern, Brenntag, was looking for when a new mixing plant was to be built at its factory in Vejle. A great demand for ready-mixed products from customers who were unable to mix their own products made in May 2008. Brenntag to start the installation of a new mixing plant which was ready to be put into operation immediately after the summer holiday season. 3Tech Automation provided the automation section – where safety, homogeneous products and reduction of waste time/man hours were the direct challenge. The key word is flexibility, though. With this new plant, it is easy making new mixtures, and we can quickly change a mixture, for example when a new and improved chemical is being introduced on the market. Flexibility also applies to the mixing process, processing order, quantities, etc. thanks to a batch system that is able to automatically make its own recipes”, the manager of the factory, Mr. Poul-Erik Conradsen states underlining the importance that you can operate the facility by yourself and teach new employees in how to use it. Batch server, PLC and Scada system In addition to the batch server built according to the S88 standard, it was designed with the PLC and Scada as control systems. The very plant is consisting of nine mixing tanks and approximately 25 raw material tanks. The raw materials are pumped directly from the raw material tanks into each single mixer. - The most important innovation at this site is the application of computers and computer technology in the production. Today, we enter recipes or compounds lists from the customers into the computer for us to carry on the production based upon them as they are. |
We double check the data entry of the recipes and with the new mixing plant, we have reduced the risk of human errors”, Poul-Erik Conradsen proceeds and points out that the system is fully traceable for us to always check what has been added and when. Five control stations The production is controlled by five control stations all connected to all nine mixing tanks. When for example a check should be carried out at the laboratory before production can continue, the Scada system automatically stops the mixing process until the approval has been registered. All production should be approved by the laboratory, but thanks to the new computer controlled plant, it is possible to process more than 70 mixtures as “night mixtures”. Practically, we have no problems with the night production and even though our experiences are rather limited so far, we can already say that our mixtures are 100 per cent homogeneous from time to time” Poul-Erik Conradsen says. Support ”at distance” The plant is both controllable as well as supportable “at distance” because the system is net based. 3Tech can log onto the system whenever support is needed. Brenntag has 325 locations and 13,000 employees worldwide with an annual turnover of approximately 45 bn. DKK. The concern has approximately 11,000 article numbers of which approximately 3,000 are in stock and they supply chemicals to the foodstuff, medical, cleaning, and metal industries. The chemicals are used for everything – from pizza flour to strychnine. Brenntag Nordic omsætter for ca. 1,7 mia. kr. i Norden, heraf næsten 700 mio. kr. i Danmark, hvor der er 180 medarbejdere fordelt på fire lokationer – i Hellerup, Haslev, Frederikssund og Vejle. Brenntag Nordic has a turnover of approximately 1.7 bn. DKK in the Nordic countries of which almost 700 mill. DKK in Denmark with its 180 employees working at four sites – in Hellerup, Haslev, Frederikssund and Vejle. |
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