Author: Robin Buxton

Astec has been awarded a contract to update the legacy GE FIX32 SCADA system for three Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems gas turbines at Triton Power’s cogeneration plant in Saltend, Hull.

The power station produces up to 1200 MW of electricity and 240 tonnes per hour of steam to Saltend Chemicals Park and the UK power market, so in the event of critical system failure the financial impact of lost revenue and unscheduled engineering support can escalate quickly. To mitigate the problem of an aged and increasingly unsupportable turbine control system, Triton Power and on-site contractor Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Europe (MHPS) initiated an upgrade project. MHPS holds primary responsibility for turbine maintenance, general engineering work and supporting the control system and associated hardware. With an impressive track record of successful GE software migrations, Astec were engaged by Triton Power to carry out a preliminary feasibility study. The aim of the study was to understand the best route for an upgrade that would allow the control system to communicate with the legacy turbine controllers. This involved in-depth investigation and close collaboration with Triton to find the most effective solution and system architecture.

Astec Team Leader Stephen comments,

“One of the main challenges so far has been to identify a viable solution for communicating with the turbine controllers while maintaining the existing communications infrastructure. We wanted to ensure the longevity of the system without an extensive ‘rip and replace’ approach which would have introduced an unacceptable level of risk. As an outcome from these investigations, we have found a solution which meets all of the project objectives and will provide Triton with an up to date control system.”

The feasibility study highlighted the challenges around obsolete drivers and comprehensively investigated alternatives. It was concluded migrating the old GE FIX32 software to the latest iFIX version carried the least risk. Having already demonstrated a high level of competence, Astec was selected as preferred supplier to deliver the migration.

To date, Astec has compiled the initial Project Plan and produces weekly reports to identify and communicate the issues, risk, dependencies and successes. A customer collaboration portal has also been set up by Astec for document sharing and regular conference calls are held to review progress and provide a forum for sharing ideas and findings.

Astec Technical Director Chris Barlow says,

“This project is a great example of Astec’s ability to forge strong customer-supplier relationships, as there is shared responsibility for effective communication and project development. Being selected to deliver the control system migration phase reflects the high standard of our engineers’ work, and we look forward to providing a secure and fully supportable system that Triton Power and MHPS can rely on in the future.”

A number of key individuals from each company are involved in project delivery, in various roles to ensure success and quality. The project is currently in progress up to design approval stage, with the key milestones being met within agreed timescales. With completion of Factory Acceptance Tests (FATs), commissioning and installation planned before the end of 2018, the system has already become more consolidated, greatly improving its maintainability and extendibility.

Read more on Process Control and SCADA solutions from Astec, or contact us.

Astec have announced a new partnership with leading technology provider PTC to complement their Smart Manufacturing Solutions portfolio.

As part of a wider goal to provide additional value to Astec and PTC’s respective and mutual customers, Astec has recently completed a reseller agreement with PTC which entitles Astec to supply PTC SaaS products. This includes PTC’s flagship IoT solution ThingWorx, which delivers market-leading Augmented Reality capabilities to industrial organisations.

As part of the GE Alliance ecosystem and UK Premier Solution Partner for GE Digital, key strategic partnerships continue to be a significant driving force in Astec’s roadmap for future growth. Leading the way in physical and digital convergence, Astec implements software solutions for partners such as Microsoft, Novotek and Ideal Systems. The PTC-GE Digital partnership was formed in 2015 to pursue a ‘ThingWorx for Predix’ technology suite, designed to facilitate custom applications for the Industrial Internet. ThingWorx offers practical ease using drag-and–drop style development, allowing customers to leverage the powerful platform capabilities of Predix and run analytics at scale.

“We are delighted to be formalising our alliance with PTC for 2018. The new partnership is an integral part of our IoT strategy and supports our growth plans, bringing a new dimension to the business,” said Chris Barlow, Astec’s Technical Director. “It will allow us to expand our current IoT solution offerings into Augmented Reality (AR) and other areas, including industrial automation connectivity, remote service, machine learning and predictive/prescriptive analytics.”

Working alongside PTC, Astec plans to develop an integrated offering for ‘Smart Manufacturing’, incorporating IoT software. While adoption of IoT solutions in the UK is reported to be somewhat lagging, taking a comprehensive stance on digital transformation promises pay-off in terms of customer satisfaction and market share. Both companies expect to benefit from reciprocal opportunities arising from new and existing business, through presentation of a joint service offering.

Read more on how you can apply digital technologies and take your process from base-level connectivity and automation to optimisation.

Following the success of last year’s maiden event, Astec will be returning to Manchester’s Central Convention Complex for the 2018 Factories of the Future Expo on 28 Feb -1 March.

The free-to-attend expo is co-located with the Industry 4.0 Summit conference and showcases the latest advances in automation, robotics and software to attract manufacturing professionals from the UK and beyond. Digital manufacturing expert Astec will be speaking to Engineers, Production Managers and technology buyers on how they can take their operations to the next level by using analytics to drive operational improvements and create a fully integrated manufacturing process.

Sales Manager Craig Hill says,

“Despite all the media hype, many companies still lack a coherent plan for the implementation of Industry 4.0 technology. In my opinion, part of this issue stems from businesses being expected to run before they can walk. It all sounds attractive in principle, but when it comes to investing, companies are uncertain. This is completely understandable because IoT solutions depend on well-structured foundations of true data connectivity, visibility and transparency. Only when these are properly in place, and legacy systems are updated, can improvements from analytics and optimisation be realised. We help manufacturers address their current challenges and give them supportable systems for the future. That’s when the real magic sparks and immediate benefits are seen.”

Astec will be among a number of technology companies in this field, so Factories of the Future provides a platform for the team to differentiate through the company’s unique service offering.

Astec MD Andy Tripp comments,

“The focus of the event is factories, and although Astec has experience in other industry verticals such as utilities and mining, process manufacturing is at the heart of what we do. Our domain knowledge in this area is world-class. We are able to give our customers the edge over their competitors by improving their existing infrastructure so it can support state of the art software technologies, such as augmented reality and machine learning.”

Astec provides smart manufacturing solutions and support services, including system architecture and cybersecurity. The company are the sole Premier Solutions Partner for GE Digital in the UK and part of the global GE Alliance program, which is dedicated to building the digital industrial ecosystem. The Industry 4.0 Summit and Factories of the Future Expo is held 28- 1 March and Astec will be on Stand P60. To book an appointment on the stand please email events@astecsolutions.com.

Peace of mind – as you like it: no obligation, flexible and extendable for every budget.

Earlier this year, Astec launched their new SLA support contract service to give manufacturers and industrial organisations confidence and additional peace of mind with their control systems. Since then, Astec’s support services have experienced a month-on-month increase in demand. This has led to the expansion of Astec’s internal support teams and development of a wider range of support options. The latest formalised support offering includes an ad-hoc or ‘Pay As You Go’ facility, whereby clients are able to access the support services Astec provide without a formal contract. The service can then be used to suit individual needs or budget.

Chris Barlow, Astec Technical Director is heading up the initiative.

“Although we expect SLA contracts to suit the majority, we wanted to take flexibility a step further, empowering customers to take complete control over the service they receive. The ‘Pay As You Go’ option is designed for anyone who may be experiencing issues with their control systems and would like to access the wealth of knowledge and experience in the Astec support team. You don’t even need to be an Astec customer to benefit from the ad-hoc support service, we are more than happy to support systems we have not implemented. Although SLA contracts offer the best value for money, we recognise that not everyone is ready to enter into a contract straight away.”

Essentially, there are two decision stages in the support selection process: type and level. Support type covers SLA contracts (recommended as the best value option), PAYG and non-SLA contracts. Astec sales and support staff are able to provide advice on the most suitable choice. The support levels include Essential, Enhanced and Premier, where customers can choose self-service support and other features such as a live web agent, telephone help desk, dedicated customer portal, online case management and access to a detailed knowledge base.

“Plant is all up and running, the engineers have done a fantastic job – outstanding is all I can say.” – comments regarding Astec SLA support contract from Paul Taylor, Engineering & Maintenance, The Pirbright Group

With Astec as the sole Premier Solutions Partner for GE Digital in the UK, companies with an existing GE software footprint or implementation have much to gain from enlisting help from Astec’s support team. Read more on the Maintenance and Support page.