A global beverage manufacturer in Europe needed to build a new production facility, with nearly the entire facility classified as a hazardous area due to potentially explosive atmospheres. The project required implementing intrinsically safe instrumentation and valve controls to ensure the safety of the plant’s operations while adhering to strict European ATEX safety standards. Additionally, the project had a tight schedule, and space for control panels was limited.
The Challenge
The facility’s classification as a hazardous area posed significant challenges for ensuring safety and operational efficiency. All instrumentation and valve control devices required intrinsically safe systems, and there was minimal space available for control panels. The project also had to meet tight deadlines, which necessitated quick, reliable solutions that adhered to ATEX Zone 1 requirements.
The Solution
The project team selected Rockwell Automation’s 1718 Ex I/O system to meet the facility’s safety and operational needs. This intrinsically safe I/O system provided the necessary inputs and Ethernet/IP connectivity to natively connect with the control systems. Designed for installation in ATEX Zone 1, the system allowed for the safe removal and insertion of I/O modules under power, significantly improving the system’s flexibility and ease of maintenance. By choosing this system, the team avoided the complexity of inserting additional barriers, which would have doubled the number of terminations and increased installation time. To streamline the installation process, the team used prebuilt enclosures from Pepperl+Fuchs to house the I/O systems. Equipped with backplanes, grounding rails, and rated cable glands, these enclosures made it possible to place the I/O systems near field devices, reducing the amount of cabling required and saving valuable time during installation.
The Impact
The completed system was highly distributed, safe, and easily maintained, meeting all ATEX safety requirements while minimizing installation time and costs. By selecting Rockwell’s 1718 Ex I/O system and prebuilt enclosures, the project team successfully overcame the space limitations and met the project’s tight schedule, delivering a robust solution that could be efficiently managed in hazardous conditions.
