Schneider Electric Case Studies A sweet success: Maximizing sugar mill efficiency with EcoStruxureTM Plant

	A sweet success: Maximizing sugar mill efficiency with EcoStruxureTM Plant Schneider Electric

A sweet success: Maximizing sugar mill efficiency with EcoStruxureTM Plant

Schneider Electric

Technology Category	Analytics & Modeling - Real Time Analytics Application Infrastructure & Middleware - API Integration & Management Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Exchange & Integration Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Middleware, SDKs & Libraries Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Connectivity Platforms
Applicable Industries	Food & Beverage
Applicable Functions	Discrete Manufacturing Maintenance
Use Cases	Predictive Maintenance Process Control & Optimization Real-Time Location System (RTLS) Remote Asset Management
Services	Software Design & Engineering Services System Integration
Challenge	The Pongola sugar mill, operated by South African food manufacturer RCL Foods, was in dire need of modernization. The proprietary system was almost 30 years old and the plant used to experience between 33 and 40 blackouts per 39-week season. The production delays became unacceptable and a drop in product quality was noticeable. RCL Foods was looking for an off-the-shelf solution that could be expanded over time and that would optimize production efficiency – a scalable system (both hardware and software) that was easy to operate and allowed for remote access. The company wanted to reuse the existing infrastructure where possible, so the new solution had to be both future-proof and backward compatible. Read More
About Customer	RCL Foods is a South African food manufacturer that operates three sugar mills, including the Pongola sugar mill. The company acquired the Pongola mill in 2009, but the facility was in dire need of modernization as its proprietary system was almost 30 years old. With outdated software and hardware, the plant used to experience between 33 and 40 blackouts per 39-week season. The production delays became unacceptable and a drop in product quality was noticeable. In 2014, the company decided to initiate an ambitious 5-year DCS migration project to modernize the mill and improve its efficiency. Read More
Solution	RCL Foods picked a full, systemic, IoT-ready solution based on EcoStruxure Plant. The scope of work was broad, from the implementation of connected products (Modicon X80 I/O modules, ConneXium network switches, Magelis HMIs, Telefast ABE wiring interfaces), through edge control (Modicon M580 Ethernet programmable automation controllers), to software and analytics (AVEVA’s System Platform, Historian tand Historian Client, and Intouch HMI). This comprehensive project was designed and implemented by system integrator Control Software Solutions (Pty) Ltd, a Master Alliance Partner and Certified Wonderware Partner based in South Africa, with a proven track record for successfully delivering Schneider Electric solutions. At the heart of the project is System Platform, a scalable solution that integrates the process with the enterprise, unifies all applications in a central hub, and integrates all remote, local, and historian clients into one system platform. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Analytics & Modeling - Real Time Analytics

Application Infrastructure & Middleware - API Integration & Management

Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Exchange & Integration

Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Middleware, SDKs & Libraries

Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Connectivity Platforms

Applicable Industries

Food & Beverage

Applicable Functions

Discrete Manufacturing

Maintenance

Use Cases

Predictive Maintenance

Process Control & Optimization

Real-Time Location System (RTLS)

Remote Asset Management

Services

Software Design & Engineering Services

System Integration

Challenge

The Pongola sugar mill, operated by South African food manufacturer RCL Foods, was in dire need of modernization. The proprietary system was almost 30 years old and the plant used to experience between 33 and 40 blackouts per 39-week season. The production delays became unacceptable and a drop in product quality was noticeable. RCL Foods was looking for an off-the-shelf solution that could be expanded over time and that would optimize production efficiency – a scalable system (both hardware and software) that was easy to operate and allowed for remote access. The company wanted to reuse the existing infrastructure where possible, so the new solution had to be both future-proof and backward compatible.

About Customer

RCL Foods is a South African food manufacturer that operates three sugar mills, including the Pongola sugar mill. The company acquired the Pongola mill in 2009, but the facility was in dire need of modernization as its proprietary system was almost 30 years old. With outdated software and hardware, the plant used to experience between 33 and 40 blackouts per 39-week season. The production delays became unacceptable and a drop in product quality was noticeable. In 2014, the company decided to initiate an ambitious 5-year DCS migration project to modernize the mill and improve its efficiency.

Solution

RCL Foods picked a full, systemic, IoT-ready solution based on EcoStruxure Plant. The scope of work was broad, from the implementation of connected products (Modicon X80 I/O modules, ConneXium network switches, Magelis HMIs, Telefast ABE wiring interfaces), through edge control (Modicon M580 Ethernet programmable automation controllers), to software and analytics (AVEVA’s System Platform, Historian tand Historian Client, and Intouch HMI). This comprehensive project was designed and implemented by system integrator Control Software Solutions (Pty) Ltd, a Master Alliance Partner and Certified Wonderware Partner based in South Africa, with a proven track record for successfully delivering Schneider Electric solutions. At the heart of the project is System Platform, a scalable solution that integrates the process with the enterprise, unifies all applications in a central hub, and integrates all remote, local, and historian clients into one system platform.

Impact #1	Greater visibility into the plant’s operations
Impact #2	Reduced downtime
Impact #3	Empowered personnel with remote access capabilities

Impact #1

Greater visibility into the plant’s operations

Impact #2

Reduced downtime

Impact #3

Empowered personnel with remote access capabilities

Benefit #1	20% increase in output
Benefit #2	Significant reduction in downtime
Benefit #3	Elimination of frequent blackouts

Benefit #1

20% increase in output

Benefit #2

Significant reduction in downtime

Benefit #3

Elimination of frequent blackouts

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Overview

A sweet success: Maximizing sugar mill efficiency with EcoStruxureTM Plant

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit