OGI sits down with Klippon Engineering for another installment of our interview series. Klippon Engineering is the internationally renowned partner of the Weidmueller Group in the field of process engineering. They combine over 60 years of engineering expertise with the knowledge and experience of their specialists and strategic partnerships, in the process industry. We delve into a fascinating case study involving Exolum and Weidmueller’s remote I/O technology. More below.
OGI: Could you talk about Klippon Engineering and the work they do?
Klippon: Klippon Engineering is headquartered in the UK. This is where we started producing the first fully certified terminal blocks and enclosures more than 60 years ago. Today, our offering ranges from connectivity solutions, power and signal protection products and systems, to complete solutions and technologies for communications, retrofit & migration, automation, translation, IoT and data acquisition/analysis. Klippon Engineering aims to provide you with a customised system or solution suiting your industry or application.
We identify connectivity as the key to meeting the industrial needs of the present and the future. That’s why our “Best in Market” solutions from the well-known Klippon® brand have a close connection to all areas of the process industry. Whether green energy i.e., Hydrogen, oil & gas, chemicals & pharmaceuticals, water treatment, heavy industry, glass, or paper production: we are at the side of all branches of industry as a partner with our global Klippon Engineering expert network. Let’s connect – and face the future together.
OGI: What is PROtop and could you talk a bit about it?
Klippon: PROtop is a superior, future-proof, and sustainable high-end power supply created for the highest demands of Industry 4.0.
Installations need a reliable power supply that can withstand harsh environmental conditions 24/7, condition monitoring for targeted, preventive maintenance is becoming important. PROtop combines the highest efficiency and compact housings with high durability and direct parallel connection, without diode modules; this reduces costs and creates space in the control cabinet. Due to the powerful DCL technology, even difficult loads - motors, for instance - are operated smoothly, while circuit breakers are triggered reliably.
This excellent communication capability allows permanent condition monitoring and full integration with control systems.
OGI: What are the main advantages of using Klippon Engineering’s enclosure systems?
Klippon: Klippon Engineering’s ranges of enclosures are of proven premium quality, comprehensively certified for all global regions and can be equipped with all the necessary electronic components, buttons, connection solutions, etc. for specific applications. These junction boxes can be configured and ordered directly in the Weidmüller Configurator. Our worldwide assembly locations ensure fast delivery service. Klippon Engineering’s umbrella certification process allows fast economic certification of new applications and this is coupled with Weidmuller’s accredited laboratories offering the ability to perform application-specific tests and issue accredited test lab reports to support each project.
OGI: Can you talk about the importance of protection, safety, and reliability when choosing a partner for automation?
Klippon: With ever-increasing safety demands along with the need to increase product life and reduce the cost of plant ownership within the process sector, any selected partner must have an outstanding safety record and a proven track record for quality and service.
Klippon Engineering with its many years of personal expertise in certification and product design can support a challenging market. Weidmuller’s latest products have extended MTBF increased efficiency and reliability whilst ensuring all required regulations and safety standards are achieved.
OGI: Is it possible to outfit / retrofit processing plants without extended downtime, and if so, how does that work?
Klippon: The need for ever-increasingly complex machines and systems and with many systems globally coming to the end of their useful life make the rewiring of controls, sensors, or actuators a challenge. However, it is possible - Klippon Engineering uses migration and retrofit solutions to speed up installation and avoid wiring errors. This saves time and money. We offer PLC/DCS interface boards, front connectors, interfaces and assembled cables for all commercially available control systems. And if required, we also supply you with an individual PLC/DCS migration solution including approval.
OGI: Finally, could you enlighten our readers of a case study where you helped a client with your solutions?
Klippon: A good example is the retrofit of Weidmüllers remote I/O at our customer Exolum.
Exolum manages Europe’s largest network of refined products and is ranked second in Europe in terms of storage capacity and seventh in the world. The site in Amsterdam is offering storage and logistics services for different types of fuels. In 2018 the old DCS was replaced with a new one. Due to the size of the project, it was decided to leave the existing remote I/O in place and only the CPU modules and communication modules were replaced. The selected DCS – System exists of two redundant CPU’s and communication modules for the radar level measurement, 8 block & bleed loops, remote I/O (Profibus based) and several sub systems.
After completion of the DCS replacement, Exolum started the next phase in the project being the replacement of the remote I/O.
The key features they were looking for were cost efficiency and reliability. They first had the idea to stay with their existing automation supplier, but it turned out that their remote I/O was very costly and needed space which was not available.
Exolum found u-remote on our website. At the same time, they visited the Hannover fair and used this opportunity to have a short introduction of u-remote at the Weidmüller booth.
After the fair, this visit was followed up and an appointment was made for an in-depth discussion and a demonstration of U-remote at Exolum. Klaas Wijbenga (Automation sales engineer) and John van Leeuwen Business development manager - process at Klippon Engineering) introduced the Weidmüller portfolio and demonstrated u-remote. It was advised to use the TCP/IP communication instead of the Profibus.
At the same time, Exolum had a small project on hand which was not critical and for which they needed control. In this project, they have used u-remote to test the system.
This application was the control of a heat tracing on pipes, using an electrical heating system which should be controlled by one controller per string. In total there are 13 strings. On each string, there are two Pt100 temperature sensors and the highest value is leading for the control.
After a test of half a year without any failures and excellent support from Weidmüller, the choice was made to use u-remote for their remote I/O requirements. They did realise that support is always required when you select something new and it is necessary to find out how it works but their experience with other suppliers was not always as positive as they experienced with Klippon Engineering.
A second project in the boiler room, where during normal operation a complete system was exchanged without interruption of the daily operation, was proof for them that they made the right choice.
“The personal involvement and friendly relationship that was created from the first minute has given us trust in selecting Weidmüller as a partner for our automation solutions” explains René van Oostrom of Exolum. “Besides the u-remote including the control functionality, they help us with the complete solution for the 24Vdc power solution, the Ethernet based infrastructure and the marshalling concept including signal conditioners, surge protection and junction boxes”.
The next step in our fruitful co-operation will be a pilot project for Industrial Analytics. As on most sites also at Exolum there are several “simple” rotation equipment is operational, and these are not monitored other than through visual inspection. With this pilot project, u-sense vibrations sensors will be installed on a few pumps and with the Auto ML software, we will create a predictive maintenance tool. If this industrial IoT solution is successful, this solution will be extended for all critical pumps.
OGI: Thank you for your time.
Klippon Engineering UK Ltd.
Tel: +44 1162 823470
Web: www.klippon-engineering.com