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Product category: Mid-range and Large PLCs
News Release from: Siemens Automation and Drives | Subject: Simatic S7-400H PLCs
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial Team on 20 June 2003

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The Department of Regional Development in Northern Ireland (Water Services Division) has installed 41 Siemens Simocode units as part of a wastewater treatment facility for the city of Newry.

The Department of Regional Development in Northern Ireland (Water Services Division) has installed 41 Siemens Simocode units as part of a wastewater treatment facility for the city of Newry The reconstruction of the Newry plant, which serves a population of over 63,000, is being undertaken by the joint venture partnership of Earth Tech Engineering of Barnsley, West Yorkshire and Farrans (Construction), of Belfast

At Newry, Earth Tech has responsibility for the process design, and the complete mechanical and electrical content of this unique project.

At Newry, four CASS (cyclic activated sludge system) units and the ancillary process equipment on the site are managed by a Siemens Simatic S7-400H PLCs (programmable controller) through an intelligent touch-screen HMI with a duplex copper/fibre-optic Profibus DP communications network to all motors, drives, panels and sensors.

A key feature of the design has been the use of Siemens Simocode-DP units with all of the 41 fixed speed motors installed on the plant.

The Simocode units are providing Newry's engineers with an ''intelligent'' interface between the motor starters and the automation system and incorporate all the motor protection, control functions and interlocks that are essential components of such dispersed process control networks.

The Simocode-DP provides high-speed communication with extensive diagnostics and this proven capability ensures that the overall system performance meets the demanding standards that are being set by some of Europe's most experienced utility companies.

The use of Profibus, which is the standard interface on Simocode-DP, provides not only a high integrity communication link to the local PLC but a means to access all data from a remote location.

Such data can include a record of motor failures and run times as well as warnings of potential problems such as high or low motor current outside the usual expected limits.

An added feature is the ability to make programme changes as well as diagnosis and correction of faults.

The Water Services Department's experts can now play a proactive role in facilities management without the need to travel to site and, where such skills are not available in-house; the utility can use an external specialist such as Earth Tech.

As Paul Searby, Earth Tech's Senior Control Systems Engineer, commented recently, "We standardised on Siemens equipment throughout the Newry project, which has enabled us to deliver one of the most integrated, cost effective control systems possible.

We've ended up with a system that delivers exactly what is required, and has the flexibility to meet increased future demand".

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