Apotex Increases Processing Capacity with the DeltaV system
 The
Need
The Apotex company, a manufacturer of pharmaceutical products,
had a need to increase capacity on its plant's effluent processing,
as well as to manage a wide variety of effluent treatment
requirements.
The Process being Controlled
The application at APOTEX operates to provide effluent pH
control from the manufacturing process. The feed flows to
the effluent plant vary in timing, and in composition, requiring
flexibility in the sequences run, and the timing of actually
operating the facility from a few to several times per week.
As each "grade" of effluent hits the effluent facility,
the operator is notified by production of the required sequence
to ensure proper treatment.
The Solution
 Apotex
worked with Controltech, an Emerson Process Management sales representative,
to specify, engineer, and install this solution.
Key elements of the application are two master sequential
function charts (SFCs) which control the sequencing of the
two effluent tanks, and a pH control strategy used to clean
the effluent to the appropriate level. The process consists
of two effluent "reaction" vessels, a 3rd overflow
tank, the necessary acid/base feeds, and flush water. For
acid/base addition, the system is connected to variable speed
drives.
From Apotex' standpoint, the most significant discovery using
the DeltaV system was how easy it is to learn and use by the
plant operators. Typical operator comments include: "I
learned DeltaV 20 times faster than some other systems we’re
using on site." and "It's very easy to see what’s
going on particularly for someone who’s not a systems expert."
Apotex found DeltaV a very easy to engineer system. Michael
Rocke, an Automation/ Engineering manager with Apotex noted,
"there is hands down no comparison between DeltaV and
PLCs in the implementation of the pH control loop. You can
do it with a PLC, but its complex to achieve the same level
of robustness, and no one does it the same."
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