Molycorp: PlantPAx System Streamlines Production Across 14 Process Buildings

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PlantPAx Solution Streamlines Production Across 14 Process Buildings

David J. Musto, Managing Partner

Thermo Systems LLC, Rockwell Automation Solution Partner

November 2014


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The EPC Challenges Faced

The Challenge:

Engineer, Procure, and Construct a homogenous site wide process control system across 14 disparate process building being designed by 8 separate process engineering firms

The Solution:

Develop a plan, or in this case, an Automation Master Plan (AMP)


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Agenda

Benefits

Project Details

Solution Selection

EPC Project Challenges

Background

Conclusions


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Thermo Systems LLC

We are an Automation EPC firm

Specialize in PLC Based Process Control Solutions for: Utilities, Boilers, Cogeneration, and Chilled Water Plants

Life Sciences Manufacturing

Critical HVAC/BAS for Life Sciences and Data Centers

Chemical and Process Industries

We are a Rockwell Solution Partner


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Thermo Systems LLC


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Molycorp Inc.

Leading Global Manufacturer of rare earth and rare metal products

26 Locations across 11 countries

Flagship mining and processing facility is in Mountain Pass, CA


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Molycorp Inc.


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Molycorp Inc. Project Phoenix

Restart mining operations and build new state of the art processing facility

to include:

Crushing Milling Leaching/Cracking Various Separations Facilities (3) Precipitation Chlor-Alkali Electrical and Steam Cogeneration Water Treatment Chemical Storage and Truck Unloading Tailings and Utility Water Distribution

Add a single homogenous End to End Site Wide Automation System


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Project Phoenix, Mountain Pass, CA

Birds-Eye Tour of Molycorp’s New Rare Earth Processing Facility

At Mountain Pass, California

http://vimeo.com/77311699









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Project Challenges

Schedule

18 Months from detail design to commissioning Concurrent design and commissioning phases Processes and process automation needed to migrate from Island to

Integrated

Integration of process and electrical designs from 8 different process

engineering firms

Islands of Automation not acceptable All teams needed to design (dance) to the same beat Operations and Maintenance Staff deeply involved in design

Staffing and Delivery

Establish a partnership, build a team, and GO


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Solution Selection

Molycorp partnered with Thermo

Systems to develop the Automation

Master Plan (AMP)

Engaged Thermo as the

Automation Engineer of Record

The AMP defined all things automation site wide including:

Naming conventions

Instrument standards

Cabling standards

PAC and RIO panel standards

IT infrastructure standards

Software specifications

PAC programming standards

Inter PAC communication

standards

SCADA and OIT standards

Security plan

Risk analysis


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Solution Selection

Both proprietary and non proprietary solutions were considered

Traditional DCS approach did not meet the owner’s requirements for a non-proprietary solution

Owner struggled with servicing an existing legacy DCS system in old plant

Owner wanted to build a scalable team

Operations and Maintenance was integral in solution selection

Three non proprietary vendors were considered

Utilizing a scalable homogenous platform was given priority Needed to integrate multi levels of control under one manufacturer

High performance redundant systems

Non redundant systems

Vendor skid level systems


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Solution Selection

Desire for a Unified Architecture integrating motors drives

Project has 100s of motors Identified significant cost savings (installation, programming,

commissioning) utilizing integrated PAC/MCC design

Desire for integration of smart instrumentation

Selection was made to utilize HART where possible

Made in America carried weight

Solution Selection was largely based on People


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Solution Selection

Selected Thermo Systems as the Site Wide Automation Team

Selected and integrated Rockwell Logix and Intellicenter solution

Redundant ControlLogix PACs for core process applications ControlLogix and CompactLogix for skid vendor applications Standardized on PanelView Plus for all local OIT Integrated Allen Bradley Intellicenters for all motors and drives Independent redundant ControlNet networks for RIO, OIT, and MCC Redundant Cisco core level switches in strategic locations on a

redundant fiber ring Separation of PAC level ring from SCADA level ring


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Project Details

16 redundant ControlLogix pairs


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Project Details

33 non redundant PAC systems


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Project Details

129 Logix Remote IO cabinets


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Project Details

74 PanelView Plus OIT terminals


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Project Details

69 Allen Bradley Intellicenters


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Project Details

550 PowerFlex VFDs


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Project Details

506 constant speed motors


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Project Details

22,500 hardwired IO


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Project Details

182,000 database tags


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Project Details

24 stacked layer 3 switches


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Project Details

5 pairs of redundant data servers


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Project Details

35 Control Room Workstations


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Project Details

23 Plant Floor Workstations


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AREA CELLS – CORE NETWORK

CONTROL CELL – BRANCH NETWORK

IntelliCenter

PanelView Plus 6

ControlLogix

Remote I/O

Redundant PACs

Redundant PAC

Network Switches

Redundant SCADA

Network Switches

Redundant SCADA

Data Servers


IntelliCenter

PanelView Plus 6

ControlLogix

Remote I/O

Redundant PACs

Workstation Workstation

Workstation Workstation

Fiber to

SCADA Ring

Fiber to

PAC Ring

Typical Control Cell Integration to Site Wide Networks


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VENDOR SKID PACKAGES

AREA CELLS– CORE NETWORK

Redundant PLC

Network Switches

Redundant SCADA

Network Switches

Redundant SCADA

Data Servers


IntelliCenter

PanelView Plus 6

ControlLogix

Remote I/O

Redundant PACs

Fiber to

SCADA Ring

Fiber to

PAC Ring

Standalone PAC Standalone PAC Standalone PAC

End to End Integration from Vendor Packages to Site Wide Networks


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Site Wide Networks Integration


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Project Details

Site Wide Network Architecture Deliverable


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Project Details

Leaching Area Filter Press


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Project Details

Mill Flotation Circuit


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Project Details

SXH Overview


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Project Details

Tank Farm NaOH Distribution


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Team Details

Molycorp leveraged the power of the Rockwell Partnership Program

Needed a scalable team to work multiple projects in parallel

Considered contracting multiple firms independently for different pieces or

a single Main Automation Contractor (MAC)

Leverage the design details in the AMP

Selected Thermo Systems as the MAC and empowered Thermo to build

the Site Wide Automation Team (SWAT)


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Team Details

Ramped up to a 25 person engineering team on site for final development,

testing, and commissioning

5 teams of 5 engineers each capable of commissioning 5 individual process areas in parallel on a 24/7 schedule

Leveraged our Rockwell partnership to engage several Rockwell field

services team members to supplement staff

Leveraged relationships with two additional SI partners to supplement staff


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Team Details

Thermo Systems built the Site Wide Automation Team by leveraging the Rockwell Partnership


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Team Details

Testing and Training Facility was instrumental in ramping up new team members


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Benefits

Selecting the Rockwell integrated Logix solution yielded multiple benefits

Achieved aggressive schedule milestones by leveraging the Rockwell Partnership

The end to end integration from vendor packages, to BOP, to electrical systems provides the plant ops tem with the information needed to optimize a complex process

The single homogenous platform reduced training time and expense The homogenous Rockwell platform is fully maintainable by

Molycorp’s limited staff thus reducing maintenance costs The non-proprietary solution puts the owner in control when selecting

service providers for future expansion


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Next Steps

Ongoing process enhancement to optimize throughout

Rollout of Rockwell Asset Center for automated backups of the systems

on site

Enhanced systems and IT training for local staff


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Final Conclusions

Molycorp’s decision in 2009 to develop the Automation Master Plan set

the foundation for project success

Empowering Thermo to deliver the homogenous design message to the

multiple process designers involved further enabled success

Building a team around the Rockwell partnership delivered a successful

project on schedule


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Questions

David J. Musto, Managing Partner

Thermo Systems LLC, Rockwell Automation Solution Partner

November 2014

Molycorp: PlantPAx System Streamlines Production Across 14 Process Buildings

Technology

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