Wireless network helps plant visibility at Total

An Extronics wireless network has provided a cost-effective and scalable solution to improve plant visibility for Invensys Process Systems at the Total Milford Haven refinery

Extronics, a leading supplier and manufacturer of intrinsically safe and explosion-proof electrical and electronic equipment, has been chosen to supply a wireless network for hazardous environments by Invensys Process Systems (IPS), a global technology, software and consulting firm.

The intrinsically safe and explosion proof wireless network will form an integral part of the IPS project to improve plant visibility at this UK-based refinery.

IPS was awarded a turnkey contract to supply a complete "offsite" solution to the Milford Haven refinery.

Offsite operations are crucial in the production process, providing the handling and storage facilities for high quantities of gas or liquid in the form of tank farms and terminals.

Extronics worked with IPS to provide significant improvements in the efficient operation of these offsite facilities at Milford Haven in zone 1 and zone 2 rated hazardous areas.

IPS required Extronics to provide a robust and cost-effective measure to deliver work scheduling and position status feedback to operators, in real time, on more than 1,500 manual valves involved in the offsite operations: all were to be displayed on a process mimic.

On Extronics recommendation, an intrinsically safe and explosion-proof WLAN was installed.

This enabled Windows Mobile rugged PDAs and RFID tags to be used together by operators to enter the status of the valves and feed the information back to the process mimic.

By utilising the Extronics wireless network, IPS was able to offer an economic and secure solution for Total extreme environments and zone 1 and 2 hazardous areas throughout the Milford Haven plant.

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