NovaTech International, LLC has completed a major automation upgrade at the DAK Americas (DAK) polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin plant in Cosoleacaque, Mexico. 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 that the facility can continue meeting the growing global demand for its resins for the next 20 years.
The DAK plant produces 150,000-metric-tons-per-year of PET which is a completely recyclable plastic used for packaging foods, beverages and other consumer products.
DAK chose NovaTech as the Main Automation Contractor after a competitive bidding process and an evaluation of several control system vendors. DAK Project Manager, Emilio Paramo, commented, “NovaTech was the only company that could commit to completing the installation in less than a week while meeting all of our technical and operational requirements.”
DAK set a schedule of less than one week for the entire onsite installation which included upgrading over 2700 I/O points in 33 cabinets. By designing custom panels for the new I/O and shipping them to the job site, NovaTech engineers were able to utilize much of the existing field terminations and cabinet wiring, thereby reducing the installation time.
“Considering the scope of the project and the timeline involved, the NovaTech installation went very smoothly,” continued Paramo, “and allowed us to bring the plant back online within a relatively short timeframe.”
“Our work with DAK is an excellent example of our ability to respond to challenging requirements and to future-proof our customers’ investments,” said NovaTech CEO Volker Oakey. “This successful collaboration reinforces NovaTech’s commitment to support our customers’ growth both domestically and internationally.”
The migration will allow DAK to optimize the control system structure and usage. 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.
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