SABIC Innovative Plastics (SABIC IP) produces high-quality plastics as a raw material for parts in the automobile industry and other sectors. Prior to this project, SABIC IP was using a DCS system to control and visualise its mixing and transportation systems. However, after more than 18 years in operation, the system was technically outdated. Spare parts were either not available or subject to long lead times.
SABIC therefore chose to replace the system with a GE platform. This conversion project also presented an ideal opportunity for separating the interlinked mixer and transportation system control arrangements and reassigning them functionally to two dedicated redundant controllers.
ICT Group was commissioned to replace the existing control and visualisation system for the mixer and transport applications. The new controllers were relocated from the upper mixer floor to an auxiliary room on a lower floor. The I/O modules remained on the upper mixer floor and are connected to the controllers via an Ethernet ring network.
The result: SABIC IP now benefits from a system that is less failure-prone, possesses better visualisation and diagnostic facilities and is backed up by guaranteed spare parts availability for the foreseeable future.
