Value-Added Applications in the PI environment

St-Laurent Paperboard, La Tuque

By Yves Racette, Walsh Automation Inc., PI Systems Integrator

Agenda• Facts: La Tuque Mill

• Project and Systems History

• Systems Architecture

• Overview of Value-Added Applications

• Projected work

• Benefits

La Tuque Mill: Facts• ~ 1,200 Metric Tons/day - rolled board• ~ 50 different grades• 3 Kamyr Digesters, 19 Batch Digesters• 2 Bleach Lines• 2 Paper Machines• 2 Power Boilers, 3 Recovery Boilers• 3-line Recaust (slakers, lime kilns)• Coordination is a constant challenge

Systems History• Plant Information systems have been in

operation at the plant since 1967– IBM 1800– PDP-11– VAX (First version of WalshCIM)– PI

• Supervisory controls were progressively moved to the DCS

1967

IBM 1800

Systems History

1982 1986 1998

PDP-11

VAX

PI

Supervisory Controls DCS

Project History• Preliminary and detailed Engineering

– Needs analysis– Implementation Plan– Costs Estimation

• Main Objectives: – Replace VAX systems– Long Term Archiving with full resolution– Better diagnostic tools– Migration of VAX applications

Architecture (Phase I)

PI Server

Foxboro I/A Interfaces

VAXBleach.

VAXKamyrs

Functions:•Data Acquisition•Manual Entries

PDP-11I/O Subs.

Foxboro Machine 4

Foxboro Effluent

Foxboro Machine 3

Foxboro Steam

Foxboro Batch Cook

Existing VAXPINet

Control Network(Ethernet)

Plant Ethernet

MCS Max 1000 DCS

MCS Max 1 DCS

PI-APISpecificInterface

Functions:•Data Acquisition•Graphics•On-line calculations•Reports•Process Diagnostics

Architecture (Current)

PI Server

Foxboro Machine 4

Foxboro Effluent

Foxboro Machine 3

Foxboro Steam

Foxboro Batch Cook

Control Network(Ethernet)

Plant Ethernet

MCS Max 1000 DCS

MCS Max 1 DCS

Functions:•Data Acquisition•Graphics•On-line calculations•Reports•Process Diagnostics•Manual Entries

Foxboro Caustic

Max 1000 + Plus Gateway

Max 1000 + Plus Interface

Foxboro I/A Interfaces

MillWide Use• 80 Process Book

• 20 Datalink

• 15 Manual Entry Applications (API)

• 20 SQC

• 20 Batch View

• Increasing demand ...

Applications Design• Standards were defined at the beginning of the

project– tags and files naming conventions– display standards (color, font, frames, VB code)– reports presentation and automation– development methodology

• Implementation was done by Walsh Automation and St-Laurent Paperboard

Applications• Process Book Displays

• Process Diagnostics (advisors)

• PI Batch and PI SQC applications

• Operation Reports

• Manual Entries

• On-Line Calculations

• Specialized applications

Process Book Displays• Mill and Area Overviews + some details

• One single .piw file with links to .pdi files

• NT security implementation (read-only access to .piw and .pdi files)

• Process Book security: View only mode ProcessBook=Primary (procbook.ini)

• Navigation toolbar and Detail … menu

Process Book Displays• Secured PCs: Process Book is the only visible

application. All other programs executed from within Process Book

• VBA code in many display pages (e.g.: on-line calculation of pulp inventory, yesterday’s averages, double-clic assigned to Revert)

• French version of Process Book

Live Process Equipment Statuses

Navigation Toolbar

View Only Mode

Process Advisors• Specialized displays with visual indications

of abnormal process conditions

• Example: Mill water balance

Sewer with abnormal conditions

Get details ...

Tank Overflowing causing the problem

Suggested Steps and Actions

PI Batch Application• Coating kitchen monitoring

• Batch View OCX and VBA code– After selection of a specific batch, the display time is

set to start of batch– VB controls allow for batch “replay”

• VBA code validates presence of Batch View license before page is displayed

• Batch Query/Datalink batch report

Batch Selection with Batch View OCX

Replay Batch with (+/- delta seconds)

Go to Beginning/End of Batch

Batch Data (from selection)

PI-SQC Application• Monitoring of ISO related performance

indices

• VBA code validates presence of PI-SQC license before page is displayed

Operation Reports• Excel and Datalink combination • Created a library of reports automation functions -

saved as an Excel add-in (.xla)• Daily / Monthly Reports in same spreadsheet• ActiveX control for date/month selection• Data filtering based on process unit status - blank

if process is shutdown or if no manual entry values are available

Manual Entries• PI-Manual Logger data entry could not be used

- too complicated for required mill usage and available in english only

• Data entry application developed by Walsh using Visual Basic– Uses database as configured by PIML– Ease of use / French language– Supports all PIML functions (except HHT)

Tours Tour Runs

Validation bar for selected tag

On-line calculations• VAX legacy system included a long series of

Fortran calculation programs that had to be migrated - some were quite complex !

• Performance Equation was not appropriate

• On-line calculation server (NT service in PI server) was developed by Walsh

• Synchronized execution at various frequencies

• Applications are developed in Visual Basic (structured programming - not event)

• Programs can be easily developed by system engineers

• Allows for complete documentation with detailed comments

On-line calculations

• Uses VB enumerated tag list to allow use of tags by names instead of by ID with PI-API

• ActiveX applications are modified and replaced without restarting the schedule service

On-line calculations

Area Specific Applications• Area specific applications were developed

and integrated within the Process Book environment– Liquor tests– Lime kilns production rate calculations– Operation Log Book– Document Browser (access to reports, ISO and

reference documents, …)

Training• ~ 5 weeks of training by Walsh and

Cogexel:– La Tuque trainers (operation)– Users (PB, DL, Manual Entries) - use of

applications only– PI System Administrators

Projected Work for This Year• New PI Server for Profiles

• Communication link with MAJIQ Replix server (quality and finished product data)

• Expansion of PI-Batch for complete grades monitoring

Benefits• Mill users empowerment was immediate

• Improved personnel productivity

• Process Diagnostics: improved reaction, reduced duration of problems

• Improved tracking of equipment downtime

• Although not essential for production PI has become a critical tool for all users

Questions ?