Success in practice
Our case studies show how tailored engineering solutions and deep expertise deliver measurable results for our customers in the process industry.
Steam network monitoring with APL in a chemical park
Currenta GmbH & Co. KG
Implementation of Ethernet-APL for continuous monitoring of the steam distribution network in a chemical park. Set-up of an APL infrastructure with a SIEMENS S7-1500 controller and wireless 5G data transmission to the control system. This project is an exemplary successful rollout of Ethernet-APL in the chemical industry.
Value delivered:
- Continuous monitoring of critical steam parameters in real time.
- Wireless data transmission significantly reduces cabling effort.
Engineering of a gas-warning system
Chemical production plant
Revision and completion of the I&C documentation for an existing gas-warning system to ensure consistent planning and integration of all system components.
Value delivered:
- Consistent and complete I&C documentation for all gas-warning system components.
- Optimised integration of existing system parts into a unified planning structure.
Concept design for a gas-warning system
Tank farm
Creation of a concept for the construction and extension of a gas-warning system. The system is used in a tank farm. Sensor positions, labelling, the wiring concept from sensors to evaluation units as well as the coupling to the control system and visualisation were defined.
Value delivered:
- Optimised sensor placement for maximum detection efficiency in the tank farm.
- Clear system labelling for efficient maintenance and servicing.
Design and integration of rain sensors
Municipal water utility
Integration of rain sensors into the telecontrol network of a municipal wastewater network operator. The rain sensors are connected through the interface module of a Siemens S7 controller using serial communication. Sensor connection and commissioning were performed by IOTECH Automation GmbH. The sensor data is processed in the controller and forwarded to the superordinate telecontrol system via OPC UA. This enables the operator to capture location-specific rain data and temperature. Heavy rainfall can thus be detected quickly and appropriate measures can be taken early.
Value delivered:
- Location-specific capture of rain data and temperature for precise weather monitoring.
- Early detection of heavy rainfall to trigger timely counter-measures.
Review and re-documentation of circuit diagrams
Municipal operator
Back-documentation and creation of as-built documentation for structures of a municipal operator. The existing circuit-diagram documentation no longer matched the actual plant state and had to be completely reviewed and re-created.
Value delivered:
- Current and correct documentation matches the real plant state.
- Solid basis for future maintenance and servicing work.
Revalidation of safety functions
Chemical production plant
Revalidation of the full safety documentation for more than 60 PLT safety functions to ensure continuous effectiveness and standards compliance.
Value delivered:
- Systematic revalidation ensures continuous effectiveness of the safety functions.
- Full standards compliance through updating all documentation records.
Creation of safety-function documentation
Chemical production plant
Creation of the documentation for more than 130 PLT safety functions. IGR templates were adapted in compliance with standards to the customer's individual requirements, and the documentation was created. Classifications, SRSs, SIL calculations and test instructions were produced.
Value delivered:
- Efficient documentation creation by using proven IGR templates as a basis.
- Full standards compliance through systematic classification of all safety functions.
Safety-function design for H2 burners
Chemical production plant
Development of specific safety functions for hydrogen burners in a chemical plant for the safe use of H2 as a climate-neutral energy carrier in chemical production.
Value delivered:
- Safe integration of hydrogen technology into existing chemical production.
- Compliance with stricter safety requirements for H2 applications.
Creation of Safety Requirement Specifications
Chemical-industry company
Creation of 105 SRS documents (Safety Requirement Specifications) for a chemical-industry company. The documentation complies with the requirements of IEC 61511 and the customer's internal standards.
Value delivered:
- Standards-compliant SRS documentation according to IEC 61511.
- Full consideration of customer-specific internal standards.
SIL calculations in Vespland FS
Chemical-industry company
Creation of devices and 60 safety functions in Vespland FS and performance of the SIL calculations for a chemical-industry company.
Value delivered:
- Tool-supported, traceable SIL calculations.
- Efficient management of 60 safety functions in Vespland FS.
Hazard assessment of a waste-to-energy plant
Operator of a waste-to-energy plant
Consulting the operator of a waste-to-energy plant regarding the hazard assessment. Support of the TÜV acceptance test, compilation of the required documentation as well as performance of the tests in cooperation with a partner company.
Value delivered:
- Expert consulting on the hazard assessment.
- Complete and standards-compliant documentation.
Inspection of a district-heating boiler
Power-plant operator
Preparation and performance of the inspection of a district-heating boiler. Analysis of the existing safety functions, which were initially unknown, and preparation of the required documentation. The inspection was performed in cooperation with a partner company.
Value delivered:
- Complete capture of all safety functions despite initially missing documentation.
- Standards-compliant inspection preparation.
Preparation of explosion-protection documents
Plant operator
Systematic preparation of explosion-protection documents pursuant to §6 GefStoffV with a comprehensive hazard assessment: from on-site inspection by experts to ZÜS-supported examination.
Value delivered:
- Full legal certainty through expert on-site inspection and standards-compliant documentation.
- Systematic risk minimisation through a structured hazard assessment from analysis to examination.
Inspection concept for explosion protection
Specialty-chemicals company
Development of a systematic inspection concept for all electrical equipment and devices relevant to explosion protection to ensure the continuous effectiveness of the protective measures.
Value delivered:
- Systematic and legally robust inspection of all electrical Ex-protection equipment.
- Optimised inspection intervals reduce effort at the same level of safety.
Periodic inspections of electrical explosion protection
Plant operator
Performance of periodic inspections of electrical explosion protection by a qualified inspector in accordance with Annex 2 Para. 3 No. 3.1 BetrSichV. The inspection results of the equipment were documented in accordance with IEC 60079-17, and the existing Ex-protection documents and intrinsic-safety proofs were reviewed and, where necessary, updated.
Value delivered:
- Legally robust fulfilment of the statutory inspection obligations under BetrSichV by a qualified inspector.
- Complete documentation in accordance with IEC 60079-17 ensures seamless evidence for authorities.
Ex inspection of analyser cabinets
Industrial company
Explosion-protection inspection prior to commissioning of 10 analyser measurement cabinets (system cabinets) pursuant to §15 BetrSichV. The inspection was carried out by our qualified inspector / explosion-protection expert.
Value delivered:
- Standards-compliant inspection pursuant to §15 BetrSichV.
- Safe commissioning of the analyser measurement cabinets.
Automation of a flue-gas filter module
Environmental-technology company
Full automation of a modular flue-gas filter system for optimal pollutant reduction and compliance with emission limits.
Value delivered:
- Fully automatic operation with minimal manual intervention.
- Continuous documentation for regulatory reports and compliance.
Automation of reactor and storage tanks
Precipitant production
Automation of two batch reactors with an IBC filling system and a separate warehouse for precipitant production, including a SCADA system for central monitoring and control.
Value delivered:
- Increased production capacity through parallel operation of two reactors.
- Central monitoring and control of all processes via the SCADA system reduces staffing effort.
Set-up and maintenance of a SCADA system for distributed plants
Regional water utility
Set-up of a central SCADA system for the monitoring and control of more than 40 pumping stations. We continuously maintain this system and carry out security updates, function updates and extensions.
Value delivered:
- Central monitoring reduces staffing effort by 40%.
- Faster response times to faults thanks to central alarming.
Creation of a software library for integrating equipment into PCS 7
Pharma and chemical group
Development of a standardised software library for the uniform integration of various pieces of equipment into Siemens PCS 7 to reduce engineering effort.
Value delivered:
- Reduction of engineering effort by 60% through standardisation.
- Uniform operation and display of all plants across the group.
Deploying a VPN to increase security of telecontrol systems
Municipal wastewater utility
Implementation of a secure VPN infrastructure for the central SCADA system for monitoring and controlling more than 40 pumping stations with enhanced cybersecurity.
Value delivered:
- Central monitoring reduces staffing effort by 40%.
- Faster response times to faults thanks to central alarming.
Preparation of a data-management requirements specification
Industrial company
Preparation of a requirements specification for an AI-based data-management tool. The tool is intended to simplify document filing and automatically structure documents more effectively.
Value delivered:
- Clearly defined requirements for selecting or developing an AI tool.
- Basis for more efficient document management.
Tender documents for the public sector
Municipal client
Preparation of tender documents in the public sector. Delivery of planning services pursuant to HOAI 2013, Annex 15 across several service phases.
Value delivered:
- Complete planning services from a single source
- Conformity with HOAI 2013, Annex 15
Design of vibration-measurement technology for bearing monitoring + commissioning
Manufacturing plant
Design and commissioning of a vibration-monitoring system for critical production plants to avoid unplanned downtime and optimise plant availability.
Value delivered:
- Early detection of machine damage with several weeks of lead time.
- Significant reduction of unplanned downtime.
Development of NOA-compliant connection of drive data
Chemical production plant
Development of a NAMUR Open Architecture (NOA) compliant solution for connecting drive data for advanced condition-monitoring applications.
Value delivered:
- NOA-compliant architecture enables advanced digitalisation applications.
- Standardised data connection reduces integration effort.
Development of an IoT interface for vibration-measurement technology
AVIBIA GmbH
In this project, an IoT solution was developed that enables vibration-measurement technology to be connected to cloud infrastructure or, on-premise, to SCADA control systems or other data-acquisition systems. Several protocols are available: OPC UA, SFTP, Modbus TCP. The software is installed on a Siemens IoT gateway (IoT 2050). Wireless sensors are integrated via ZigBee; wired sensors are integrated via voltage signal.
Value delivered:
- Flexible connection to existing SCADA control systems and cloud infrastructures.
- Support for various industry-standard protocols (OPC UA, SFTP, Modbus TCP).
Concept for measurement-data acquisition on rail vehicles
Railway transport company
Development of a concept for continuous measurement-data acquisition on rail vehicles for predictive maintenance of bogies and drive components.
Value delivered:
- Continuous condition monitoring during driving operation.
- Early detection of bogie damage to avoid failures.