molycorp: plantpax system streamlines production across 14 process buildings
DESCRIPTION
Molycorp, a leading manufacturer of rare earth metals, required a standardized automation platform for 14 disparate process buildings at its Mountain Pass, CA facility. Rockwell Automation solution partner Thermo Systems LLC fully implemented a single, plantwide PlantPAx process automation system in just 18 months to seamlessly integrate with the facility's BOP equipment. Easily scalable for future expansions, the PlantPAx system has eased maintenance and support activities, and streamlined production across all process buildings at the facility.TRANSCRIPT
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PlantPAx Solution Streamlines Production Across 14 Process Buildings
David J. Musto, Managing Partner
Thermo Systems LLC, Rockwell Automation Solution Partner
November 2014
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The EPC Challenges Faced
The Challenge:
Engineer, Procure, and Construct a homogenous site wide process control system across 14 disparate process building being designed by 8 separate process engineering firms
The Solution:
Develop a plan, or in this case, an Automation Master Plan (AMP)
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Agenda
Benefits
Project Details
Solution Selection
EPC Project Challenges
Background
Conclusions
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Thermo Systems LLC
We are an Automation EPC firm
Specialize in PLC Based Process Control Solutions for: Utilities, Boilers, Cogeneration, and Chilled Water Plants
Life Sciences Manufacturing
Critical HVAC/BAS for Life Sciences and Data Centers
Chemical and Process Industries
We are a Rockwell Solution Partner
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Thermo Systems LLC
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Molycorp Inc.
Leading Global Manufacturer of rare earth and rare metal products
26 Locations across 11 countries
Flagship mining and processing facility is in Mountain Pass, CA
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Molycorp Inc.
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Molycorp Inc. Project Phoenix
Restart mining operations and build new state of the art processing facility
to include:
Crushing Milling Leaching/Cracking Various Separations Facilities (3) Precipitation Chlor-Alkali Electrical and Steam Cogeneration Water Treatment Chemical Storage and Truck Unloading Tailings and Utility Water Distribution
Add a single homogenous End to End Site Wide Automation System
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Project Phoenix, Mountain Pass, CA
Birds-Eye Tour of Molycorp’s New Rare Earth Processing Facility
At Mountain Pass, California
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Project Challenges
Schedule
18 Months from detail design to commissioning Concurrent design and commissioning phases Processes and process automation needed to migrate from Island to
Integrated
Integration of process and electrical designs from 8 different process
engineering firms
Islands of Automation not acceptable All teams needed to design (dance) to the same beat Operations and Maintenance Staff deeply involved in design
Staffing and Delivery
Establish a partnership, build a team, and GO
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Solution Selection
Molycorp partnered with Thermo
Systems to develop the Automation
Master Plan (AMP)
Engaged Thermo as the
Automation Engineer of Record
The AMP defined all things automation site wide including:
Naming conventions
Instrument standards
Cabling standards
PAC and RIO panel standards
IT infrastructure standards
Software specifications
PAC programming standards
Inter PAC communication
standards
SCADA and OIT standards
Security plan
Risk analysis
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Solution Selection
Both proprietary and non proprietary solutions were considered
Traditional DCS approach did not meet the owner’s requirements for a non-proprietary solution
Owner struggled with servicing an existing legacy DCS system in old plant
Owner wanted to build a scalable team
Operations and Maintenance was integral in solution selection
Three non proprietary vendors were considered
Utilizing a scalable homogenous platform was given priority Needed to integrate multi levels of control under one manufacturer
High performance redundant systems
Non redundant systems
Vendor skid level systems
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Solution Selection
Desire for a Unified Architecture integrating motors drives
Project has 100s of motors Identified significant cost savings (installation, programming,
commissioning) utilizing integrated PAC/MCC design
Desire for integration of smart instrumentation
Selection was made to utilize HART where possible
Made in America carried weight
Solution Selection was largely based on People
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Solution Selection
Selected Thermo Systems as the Site Wide Automation Team
Selected and integrated Rockwell Logix and Intellicenter solution
Redundant ControlLogix PACs for core process applications ControlLogix and CompactLogix for skid vendor applications Standardized on PanelView Plus for all local OIT Integrated Allen Bradley Intellicenters for all motors and drives Independent redundant ControlNet networks for RIO, OIT, and MCC Redundant Cisco core level switches in strategic locations on a
redundant fiber ring Separation of PAC level ring from SCADA level ring
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Project Details
16 redundant ControlLogix pairs
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Project Details
33 non redundant PAC systems
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Project Details
129 Logix Remote IO cabinets
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Project Details
74 PanelView Plus OIT terminals
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Project Details
69 Allen Bradley Intellicenters
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Project Details
550 PowerFlex VFDs
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Project Details
506 constant speed motors
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Project Details
22,500 hardwired IO
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Project Details
182,000 database tags
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Project Details
24 stacked layer 3 switches
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Project Details
5 pairs of redundant data servers
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Project Details
35 Control Room Workstations
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Project Details
23 Plant Floor Workstations
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AREA CELLS – CORE NETWORK
CONTROL CELL – BRANCH NETWORK
IntelliCenter
PanelView Plus 6
ControlLogix
Remote I/O
Redundant PACs
Redundant PAC
Network Switches
Redundant SCADA
Network Switches
Redundant SCADA
Data Servers
CONTROL CELL – BRANCH NETWORK
IntelliCenter
PanelView Plus 6
ControlLogix
Remote I/O
Redundant PACs
Workstation Workstation
Workstation Workstation
Fiber to
SCADA Ring
Fiber to
PAC Ring
Typical Control Cell Integration to Site Wide Networks
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VENDOR SKID PACKAGES
AREA CELLS– CORE NETWORK
Redundant PLC
Network Switches
Redundant SCADA
Network Switches
Redundant SCADA
Data Servers
CONTROL CELL – BRANCH NETWORK
IntelliCenter
PanelView Plus 6
ControlLogix
Remote I/O
Redundant PACs
Fiber to
SCADA Ring
Fiber to
PAC Ring
Standalone PAC Standalone PAC Standalone PAC
End to End Integration from Vendor Packages to Site Wide Networks
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Site Wide Networks Integration
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Project Details
Site Wide Network Architecture Deliverable
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Project Details
Leaching Area Filter Press
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Project Details
Mill Flotation Circuit
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Project Details
SXH Overview
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Project Details
Tank Farm NaOH Distribution
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Team Details
Molycorp leveraged the power of the Rockwell Partnership Program
Needed a scalable team to work multiple projects in parallel
Considered contracting multiple firms independently for different pieces or
a single Main Automation Contractor (MAC)
Leverage the design details in the AMP
Selected Thermo Systems as the MAC and empowered Thermo to build
the Site Wide Automation Team (SWAT)
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Team Details
Ramped up to a 25 person engineering team on site for final development,
testing, and commissioning
5 teams of 5 engineers each capable of commissioning 5 individual process areas in parallel on a 24/7 schedule
Leveraged our Rockwell partnership to engage several Rockwell field
services team members to supplement staff
Leveraged relationships with two additional SI partners to supplement staff
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Team Details
Thermo Systems built the Site Wide Automation Team by leveraging the Rockwell Partnership
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Team Details
Testing and Training Facility was instrumental in ramping up new team members
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Benefits
Selecting the Rockwell integrated Logix solution yielded multiple benefits
Achieved aggressive schedule milestones by leveraging the Rockwell Partnership
The end to end integration from vendor packages, to BOP, to electrical systems provides the plant ops tem with the information needed to optimize a complex process
The single homogenous platform reduced training time and expense The homogenous Rockwell platform is fully maintainable by
Molycorp’s limited staff thus reducing maintenance costs The non-proprietary solution puts the owner in control when selecting
service providers for future expansion
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Next Steps
Ongoing process enhancement to optimize throughout
Rollout of Rockwell Asset Center for automated backups of the systems
on site
Enhanced systems and IT training for local staff
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Final Conclusions
Molycorp’s decision in 2009 to develop the Automation Master Plan set
the foundation for project success
Empowering Thermo to deliver the homogenous design message to the
multiple process designers involved further enabled success
Building a team around the Rockwell partnership delivered a successful
project on schedule
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Questions
David J. Musto, Managing Partner
Thermo Systems LLC, Rockwell Automation Solution Partner
November 2014