Case · Industry
From Engineering Design to Production — Complete Electrical and Automation Delivery for NovaClay A/S
Proces-Automatik has been involved from the early project phases in establishing NovaClay’s production facility for calcined clay. On this project we have acted as main contractor for the electrical and automation works, with overall responsibility for the complete automation solution as well as the engineering design and sizing of the electrical installations and control panels.
Overview
The project at a glance
01
Sector
Industry, process plants
02
Role
Main contractor for the electrical and automation works
03
Platform
Siemens, for both control and visualization
04
Span
Engineering design through construction, testing and commissioning
Delivery
A complete automation delivery
Our delivery has covered the full automation discipline — from the initial engineering design and system architecture to the finished, commissioned solution. The work has included:
- engineering design and sizing of electrical and control systems
- specification of PLC and network hardware
- PLC programming
- SCADA development
- integration of instrumentation and process equipment
- documentation, testing and commissioning
Siemens
Siemens was selected as the common platform for control and visualization, providing the basis for a consistent and coherent automation solution across the production facility.
Coordination
Coordination across technical disciplines
As main contractor for the electrical and automation works, Proces-Automatik has at the same time played a central role in the coordination between the different technical disciplines. This has included the interfaces between process, mechanical, electrical, instrumentation and automation, as well as the ongoing coordination with other suppliers and partners. This coordination has been essential in ensuring that the individual parts of the plant function as one complete production line.
Solution
Developed alongside the plant
On a new and complex process plant, both the process and the installation develop naturally during the course of the project. Test runs, commissioning and experience from actual operation have therefore continuously given rise to adjustments and optimizations. The automation solution has been developed further as the plant has evolved, so that sequences, control loops, alarms and operator screens have been adapted to the real process conditions.
- 03OperatorsA single overview of the plant.The basis for stable and efficient production.
- 02PLC control and SCADAAn integrated control and monitoring system that ties the entire production together.Sequence control, process control, alarms, monitoring and operator interaction.
- 01Process equipmentIntegrated into one common solution.Instrumentation, motors, variable frequency drives and other process equipment.
Material
Calcined clay as an alternative in concrete production
At the facility, NovaClay produces calcined clay, which can be used as a supplementary cementitious material and replace part of the traditional cement in concrete. Cement is one of the largest single sources of CO₂ emissions in concrete production, and by reducing the amount of cement, calcined clay can therefore help lower the climate footprint of the finished concrete.
Production requires a controlled thermal treatment of the clay, where process parameters and the ongoing control of the plant have a significant effect on the quality of the finished material. Automation plays a central role here by ensuring a stable and reproducible process, and by giving operators the ability to monitor and optimize production continuously.
NovaClay’s product therefore contributes to a development where concrete can be produced with a lower content of traditional cement. This makes calcined clay an interesting material in the work to reduce CO₂ emissions from the cement and concrete industry.
Approach
A complete, cross-disciplinary delivery
For Proces-Automatik, the project has been an extensive cross-disciplinary delivery, where we have been able to bring our capabilities within electrical engineering design, control panel design, automation, PLC, SCADA, networks, process understanding and commissioning together in one complete solution.
- 01Engineering design
- 02Construction
- 03Installation
- 04Testing
- 05Commissioning
- 06Production
We have followed NovaClay’s plant from the first project and engineering design phases, through construction, installation and testing, and all the way to commissioning and production. This has given us a detailed knowledge of both the process and the plant, and has at the same time made it possible to translate experience from commissioning into concrete improvements to the overall solution on an ongoing basis.
The NovaClay project is therefore a good example of Proces-Automatik’s ability to take responsibility for a complete electrical and automation contract, and to follow a complex process plant all the way from the first lines of the engineering design to a finished plant in production.
FAQ
Engineering Insights
The questions we get from industrial operators and project managers — most weeks.
What was Proces-Automatik's role on the project?
Main contractor for the electrical and automation works, with overall responsibility for the complete automation solution as well as the engineering design and sizing of the electrical installations and control panels.
Which platform was used?
Siemens was selected as the common platform for control and visualization, providing the basis for a consistent automation solution across the production facility.
How did the automation develop during commissioning?
Test runs, commissioning and experience from actual operation gave rise to continuous adjustments, so that sequences, control loops, alarms and operator screens were adapted to the real process conditions.
What is calcined clay used for?
It can be used as a supplementary cementitious material and replace part of the traditional cement in concrete, which helps lower the climate footprint of the finished concrete.