NovaTech International, LLC has completed a major automation upgrade at the DAK Americas polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin plant in Cosoleacaque, Mexico. It produces 150,000-metric-tons-per-year of PET which is a completely recyclable plastic used for packaging foods, beverages and other consumer products.
The existing process automation system, also supplied by NovaTech, had operated reliably since 1996, but had grown obsolete. The upgrade to the latest version of D/3 hardware and software will ensure the facility continues meeting growing global demand for its resins for the next 20 years. The migration will allow DAK to optimize control system structure and use. Immediate benefits include a 25% increase in I/O capacity and HART communications with field instrumentation. Looking forward, DAK plans to leverage newer technologies such as state-based control, advanced alarming and control loop optimization.
DAK set a schedule of less than one week for the entire onsite installation, which included upgrading more than 2,700 I/O points in 33 cabinets. By designing custom panels for the new I/O and shipping them to the job site, NovaTech's engineers were able to use much of the existing field terminations and cabinet wiring, which reduced installation time. "Considering the scope of the project and the timeline involved, the NovaTech installation went very smoothly, and allowed us to bring the plant back online within a relatively short timeframe," says DAK project manager Emilio Paramo.
