Process Technology, Inc. Delivers Automated Perlite Silo Level Measurement Solution

Objective

To increase measurement accuracy and reduce the risk of injury by eliminating the twice daily need to climb to the top of 60’ silos to measure the level of perlite. 

Safely and accurately measuring the level of raw and processed perlite, a very dusty low dielectric mineral, is a daily requirement for our customer. With the assistance of our engineering team, the technology from (2) leading instrument and technology manufacturers were combined for a solution that can be applied at several perlite plants to address silo level monitoring challenges.

Challenge

Old and non-functioning cable fed level devices require an operator to take manual measurements twice a day from the top of (4) 60’ silos. This is a potentially dangerous measurement as the weather conditions could present a slip and fall, as well as the hazard and exposure to harsh elements. 

The measurement data needs to be logged twice a day for inventory purposes and a local display for filling or drawing material is necessary for the drivers and operators.

Approach

Siemens SITRANS LR560 Radar Level Transmitter is a “Rockstar” in dusty tough solids level applications. The LR560 2-wire, 78 GHz FMCW radar level transmitter continuously monitors solids in the silos to a range of 100 m (328 ft). With plug and play performance, it is ideal for perlite applications, including those with extreme dust and high temperatures to +200 ºC  (+392 ºF).

Red Lion 10” Graphite HMI with analog I/O card and terminal strip for incoming power has preprogrammed HMI scaled to match radar scaling for dependable data logging and communication capabilities.

A Red Lion module is preprogrammed to (4) Siemens transmitters to provide level measurement for each silo, along with accurate data logged and displayed for operators and drivers. 

Process Automation ROI

The largest gain in automating outdoor top of silo level measurements with reliable products is eliminating the need to climb to the top of the silos twice a day to retrieve a level measurement. This process allows for constant and accurate silo monitoring with a significant reduction in risk of injury and optimizes work time. 

Siemens and Red Lion devices are compatible to provide a cost-effective and accurate automated silo level measurement solution,  mitigating the risk involved with a twice daily task.

DOWNLOAD A HARD COPY OF THIS CASE STUDY HERE

Contact Process Technology, Inc. for more information. Call them at 801-264-1114 or visit their website at https://process-tech.com.

Happy Holidays from Process Technology

 

Siemens Level Measurement Selection Guide

Complete level solutions from Siemens and Process Technology, your trusted partners.

Simply put, level measurement tells you how much material is at a given location. Because no single technology measures level in all applications, Siemens and PTI offer selection. Monitoring water levels in open channels, tracking the amount of grain in a silo, measuring oil in a tank. Siemens level measurement instruments let you get on with your day. Easy 4-button programming and graphical Quick Start Wizards deliver headache-free installation and setup. Advanced processing means that operators aren't spending valuable time troubleshooting devices. Instead, they can be confident that these instruments are providing reliable, accurate results. Complementing Siemens level technology is Siemens' complete suite of process instruments.

Download the Siemens Level Measurement Selection Guide Here

Contact Process Technology, Inc. for more information. Call them at 801-264-1114 or visit their website at https://process-tech.com.

Happy Thanksgiving from Process Technology

COVID-19 Testing in School and University Wastewater Systems

Community spread of COVID-19 is challenging to control because symptoms can take up to two weeks to appear after contracting the virus. Making this even more challenging is the fact that many cases remain asymptomatic. As a complement to existing testing processes, communities, including universities, are searching for a more proactive approach to identifying early infection trends.

One of the most exciting advances in Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is the recently demonstrated ability to identify and measure COVID-19 genetic material in untreated wastewater reliably. SARS-CoV-2, which is the virus that causes Covid-19 and is known to invade the gastrointestinal tract and is extracted in human sold waste.

The broad descriptions for various testing methodologies used to measure municipal water quality are "wastewater testing" or "wastewater quality indicators." These testing methods analyze wastewater's physical, chemical, and biological characteristics and now include testing for SARS-CoV-2. By sampling and testing wastewater samples, COVID-19 outbreaks are predictable well in advance.

To arrest Coronavirus's spread on campuses, schools and universities are turning to wastewater testing as a possible method for identifying and predicting outbreaks of Covid-19 in their facilities. Evidence is still preliminary, but it appears promising that this approach can allow schools to detect potential flareups weeks earlier than conventional population monitoring. Schools using wastewater-based epidemiology detection methods find COVID-19 more efficiently and less invasively compared to blanket individual student testing. The knowledge of increasing COVID-19 genetic material in untreated wastewater by schools and universities allows more precise deployment of mitigation initiatives and response plans, such as testing individuals, contact tracing, and quarantine.

HACH, a world-leader in water quality instrumentation and analysis, provides portable samplers that help researchers identify hot spots. The portable analyzer takes daily samples to determine the presence of SARS-CoV-2, assisting researchers in predicting COVID-19 outbreaks.

To learn more about testing wastewater for COVID-19, contact Process Technologies, Inc. Call them at 801-264-1114 or visit their website at https://process-tech.com.

Industrial IoT Panel Solution - Safely and Accurately Monitor Your Analytical, Flow, Level or Pressure Sensors

Process Technology, Inc. is pleased to introduce their Industrial IoT Panel Solution, a control panel series designed to improve operational efficiency and lower costs by monitoring compressors, generators, tank levels, pressure, temperature, and vibration on a wireless or wired panel.

The IoT Panel Solution provides Plug n Play control options customized for your application. PTI sales engineers discuss your requirements on-site, evaluate, design, and implement a complete cost-efficient solution kit to automate your process and factory automation application.

Wired Panel Components 

• Red Lion HMI 
• 10-amp power supply 
• Ethernet Switch 
  
• Universal input card 
• Programming 

Wireless Panel Components 

• Red Lion HMI
• 10-amp power supply
• Ethernet Switch
• Wireless Gateway plus two nodes 
• Programming 

Standard panel sizes: 

• 24" x24" x10" 
• 20" x20" x10"
• 13" x14" x9"

Options included: 

• I/O link
• Data tracking
• PLC
• Wireless communications
• Additional options available 

DOWNLOAD PDF HERE

Contact Process Technology, Inc. for more information. Call them at 801-264-1114 or visit their website at https://process-tech.com.

Calibrating a Mettler Toledo InPro 3250 pH Sensor Connected to an M400

The Mettler Toledo Process Analytics InPro 3250 is a pre-pressurized liquid-electrolyte pH probe with temperature sensor. The InPro 3250 are designed for an extensive range of applications in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and chemical process industries.

The Mettler Toledo M400 is a 4-wire transmitter with multi-parameter and ISM capabilities.

This video demonstrates the process of calibrating an analog InPro 3250 pH sensor connected to an M400 transmitter. 

Contact Process Technology for all your Mettler Toledo Process Analytics products. Call them at 801-264-1114 or visit them at https://process-tech.com.