Automation system suits fast track construction.

Novo Nordisk Engineering has adopted a fast track construction approach for pharmaceutical plants and has chosen Emerson Process Management as a main supplier to support the initiative.

Emerson will project manage the control system design across multiple skid vendors in three countries as they build modular "skids" that employ PlantWeb digital plant architecture, using Foundation fieldbus and the DeltaV digital automation system.

Business drivers like market shifts, delayed investment decisions, regulatory requirements and patent expiry deadlines produce significant project and time pressure - especially in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry.

To avoid long lead-times on new plant builds, the approach adopted by Novo Nordisk Engineering has been to create standard plant modules, complete with documents and drawings, based on known pre-tested process cells.

These are produced in parallel by separate skid vendors, while the site itself is fitted out with utilities and buildings, and then all skids are integrated at the site.

The development of this modular approach has been a considerable investment for NNE, but its use on the first such project, a blood products plant, is now nearing completion.

Project timescale is expected to be 18 months, but NNE believe this can be brought down further, to 12 months.

The experience was related by Ole Abildgaard of NNE at a recent conference, who explained, "The project has been a learning process, but has confirmed the value of the emphasis placed on alliances built up with the skid and system vendors, plus the need for strong project management".

Abildgaard continued, "By using Foundation fieldbus segments within each skid, installation and operational qualification can be commenced much earlier than in a conventional approach, which is where time savings are realised.

Each skid is supplied with an Emerson DeltaV workstation, allowing the qualification tests to occur in parallel at multiple sites.

The standard DeltaV software tools such as Audit Trail allow the configuration to be strictly controlled even though the skids are being implemented in different countries.

These tools are vital in order to maintain the system integrity and to meet the FDA requirements".

Travis Hesketh, Systems Sales Director for Emerson, considers the DeltaV and Foundation fieldbus approach ideal for such fast-track projects: "By using fieldbus segments within each skid, interconnections are simplified.

Skids can be duplicated to increase capacity, with "plug and play" simplicity.

The DeltaV equipment on each individual skid integrates into the total plant control upon arrival at the final location, and is simple to reposition physically into the new control area.

Each skid moulds transparently into the overall plant structure, while following the validation requirements for FDA compliance such as conforming to 21 CFR Part 11".

Emerson UK Managing Director Steve Brown paid tribute to the NNE vision and expertise in establishing this plant modular construction technique.

"We are impressed by the way the Novo Nordisk modular concept has fitted so well with the distributed intelligence and fieldbus principles used within PlantWeb architecture, and see this as a very flexible approach to advanced pharmaceutical plant design.

With the need for rapid production changes to meet new market demands, this will be a valuable capability, and we look forward to working with NNE again to create new skid modules".

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