ABB automation systems selected by GE Healthcare

ABB has been awarded an order from the GE Healthcare Life Science division in Uppsala, Sweden, for automation systems worth USD4M, to be used in the production of protein separation media

The automation systems are part of the development of a new production plant to meet the increasing demand for separation media based on agarose and dextran.

The automation, using the ABB IndustrialIT 800xA (extended Automation) system, provides control and monitoring of tanks and reactors, batch control plus control functions for automatic valves, stirrers and analogue measurement signals for the process.

The systems also include functions for the assembling and handling process, operational data management with functions for reporting and archiving.

This project will also take advantage of the ABB PCEquipment Library, a generic, re-usable software suite for batch applications that breaks new ground by distributing the control intelligence throughout the control hierarchy, thus enabling truly generic, pre-tested and re-usable library objects to be provided for units, equipment modules and phases.

This makes specification, implementation and configuration of control systems less complex and less time consuming.

It enables, in many cases, process engineers to change recipes rather than require configuration engineer specialists for the task.

The systems comprise about 4000I/O signals, of which 75% will be handled by the ABB distributed I/O-channels S900 which will be mounted in Ex-classified areas along with local operator workplaces.

The order is the third from GE Healthcare in Uppsala to ABB for automation equipment, including a System 800xA for different production purposes.

Previous experience with 800xA and the ABB capability in project handling determined the selection of these systems.

This also gives GE the flexibility of making it easier for the operators to work with the same operator interface for different plant areas.

The system is scheduled to be in operation later this year.

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