We´re proud of this – Safe fuelling in areas subject to explosion hazards
Reference project – Safe fuelling in areas subject to explosion hazards
“Thanks to the solution of optical process monitoring with the system integrator TTS Automation and the connected WAGO system control, nothing stood in the way of the technical implementation,” says Julian Lösch, Senior Project Manager, Pitzek GMP Consulting.
Source Image: WAGO GmbH & Co. KG
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Our project
TTS Automation, a manufacturer of explosion-proof camera solutions in process and plant monitoring, has developed a system for safe loading processes. The intelligent industrial camera allows tank loading process monitoring so that anomalies can be detected at an early stage. TTS uses WAGO’s IoT Box, the intelligent interface for image evaluation.
Detect events before they become dangerous
Back in 2009, TTS Automation developed the first camera system for areas subject to explosion hazards. The idea came about because of the special explosion protection requirements for industries involving hazardous and explosive atmospheres in the form of mixtures of air and flammable gases, vapours, or mists. In developing an explosion-proof solution for tank loading, TTS Automation, based in Neustadt an der Weinstraße, faced a major challenge: Such operations are complex because they go beyond mere process and plant monitoring. Loading irregularities must be quickly detected and corrected.”Our experience has shown that leaks at loading fittings are often preceded by events such as pipeline jerking or tanker sagging. So we wanted to develop a tank loading solution that detects hazards before they occur,” says Michelle Striegel, who is responsible for marketing and project management at TTS Automation.
It quickly became clear that the camera needed some sort of intelligence to preventively detect and evaluate potential hazards. This requires functional process control on the plant side. Searching for a suitable system, TTS Automation came across WAGO: “The WAGO IoT Box provided exactly the intelligent camera system component we needed,” recalls Wolfgang Laufmann, Global Key Account Manager Digital Plant at WAGO and contact for the TTS Automation project.
TTS Automation’s intelligent, automated industrial camera is to contribute to safe, quality-enhancing tank loading in explosive areas. It covers safety at three different levels: protecting people, the plant, and the environment. To this end, the intelligent system camera films the entire workflow at different points:
Julian Lösch, Pitzek GMP Consulting’s Senior Project Manager Automation and Computer System Validation, planned the project. He wanted to add value for hazardous areas in which loaders and unloaders no longer have to be in the danger zone: “Early event detection with an intelligent system interface between the camera and the plant ensures greater personal safety, contributes to environmental protection, and increases plant quality.”
The camera is small, so it takes up little space in the danger zone and can be mounted quickly and easily anywhere,” says Lösch. In addition to compactness, TTS Automation has focused on modular design.”The interaction of optical process monitoring and the WAGO IoT Box makes the industrial camera compatible with existing systems and retrofittable at any time,” says Lösch.
Intelligent interface between plant and camera
Das Kernstück in der Entwicklung der Schnittstelle lieferte WAGO: „Die WAGO IoT-Box machte die intelligente Industriekamera schließlich komplett und eine Verknüpfung aller Anlagenteile miteinander möglich”, erklärt Wolfgang Laufmann. Der verbaute WAGO Controller PFC200, als Komponente der IoT-Box, ist ein intelligentes Gateway, das auf Anlagenseite die Kommunikation zwischen den Systemen herstellt und auf IT-Seite die Integration durchführt. „Quasi ein intelligentes OT-/IT-System“ so Laufmann. Der Controller bietet mit seiner hohen Flexibilität zwei verschiedene Ansätze: Das skalierbare System kann entweder als Einzelkomponente bereits bestehende Schaltschränke bei WAGO erweitern oder aber als Komplettlösung für Anlagen in Form einer fertigen IoT-Box geliefert werden. „Das erspart dem Endanwender einen enormen Planungs-, Zeit- und Prüfaufwand“, Wolfgang Laufmann., Global Key Account Manager Digital Plant bei WAGO. Über potenzialfreie Kontakte aus der Anlage erfassen die Eingangsmodule an dem WAGO PFC200 die Signale und Ausgangsmodule aktivieren Signale wie Warnleuchten, Blitzer oder Hupen im Gefahrenfall bei einer Tankbeladung.
“A collaborative project has shown us that working together in partnership can be successful only if each partner is recognized on equal footing.” Wolfgang Laufmann, Global Key Account Manager Digital Plant, WAGO
Wolfgang Laufmann
Global Key Account Manager Digital Plant, WAGO