With many existing water treatment plant control systems using ageing equipment and operating beyond recommended life expectancy, new upgrades are often required to avoid costly breakdowns and loss of service. However, deciding when to upgrade, and indeed whether to upgrade at all, is an important decision that can at times be overlooked and considered too difficult, placing unnecessary risk on equipment and personnel.
One of the main factors for determining when to upgrade your plant is the motivation generated by the increased performance and reliability that operators can experience, and come to expect from a new control system.
Water industry authorities are continuing to face major challenges including reduced operating and maintenance budgets, the need for increased security, government regulations, and regulatory compliance.
By implementing an enhanced process control system with advanced networking and diagnostic capabilities, such as Rockwell Automation’s PlantPAx solution, utilities can now tackle all of these challenges whilst providing sufficient return on investment to justify the upgrade.
Plant wide access to process data and secure remote access solutions are just some of the features that will enable superior visibility and control for better preventive and predictive maintenance. Further, the reliability and efficiency of a plant can be significantly improved through the access to real-time data and intelligent motor control solutions.
These features allow users to identify operation and performance trends to ultimately make better use of assets, all while reducing energy consumption. In addition to this superior performance and efficient modernisation of control assets, system upgrades will also result in lower overall plant operating costs, minimised downtime and reduced maintenance costs.
However, the performance of any automation solution is only as strong as the weakest implemented link. Further, the means of enclosing and protecting your field equipment is just as important to ensure critical systems such as pumping stations, treatment plants and remote access services continue uninterrupted.
In a harsh corrosive environment, enclosure solutions have typically been constrained by a tradeoff between high initial investment, such as stainless steel or cheaper alternatives, but with shorter lifetimes and increased maintenance
Utilising the latest technology of a unique blend of glassreinforced polycarbonate, NHP is able to offer the ARCA enclosure range that provides comparable strength (IK08), corrosion and UV resistance (15+ years) as stainless steel, at half the weight and cost. Not only is the ARCA range corrosion free, but it is also perfect for remote access with the antenna and equipment fully sealed within the
From your complete process control system to the enclosure protecting it, NHP is a trusted local partner that can help utilities experience the full benefits of a system upgrade. For more information on implementing a complete solution providing reliability, efficiency and superior performance, contact your local sales representative or call 1300 NHP NHP.
