Emerson assists Ergon Refining Company to start digital transformation

[ Star Enterprise of Chemical Machinery and Equipment Network ] Many business operators are thinking hard about how to use the best technology (such as big data analysis and machine learning, 3D printing or virtual reality) for the enterprise, and how to realize the enterprise in a forward-looking way.
Operational goals, and achieve far-reaching and successful success.
They want to know what similar companies have done in the process of digital transformation, what challenges they have encountered, and how they have been solved.

Ergon Refining Company is a special lubricant production plant under the Ergon Group of the United States.
The company adopts a wise, corporate culture-driven approach to implement new automation solutions, which has achieved transformative results in a rapidly changing market and increasingly fierce industry competition.

 

Specialty lubricant production quality*.
Ergon's digital journey tells the process of how it makes new technology investment decisions.
As early as ten years ago, Ergon Group began to vigorously promote the cooperation of enterprise information technology (IT) and operation technology (OT), which also played a positive role in realizing the company's growth and diversification vision.

Ergon Group has more than 3,000 employees and 6 factories, among which Ergon Refining Company has developed into the largest producer of naphthenic processing oil, with a daily processing capacity of 26,500 barrels of crude oil.
The process is particularly unique: the plant uses a distributed control system (DCS) to produce special petroleum products.
During the product loading process, high standards of product consistency, repeatability, quality and stability must be maintained, which is important for Ergon’s business The pattern is essential, which gave birth to the need for automation.

After the production of special oil is completed, it will be stored near the refinery, and then transported directly to the end user or receiving station around the world by barge, truck or rail.
The naphthenic oils, processing oils and insulating oils produced by the factory have been used by Ergon's customers in various applications, including but not limited to transformer oils, compound mixing operations, rubber products, chemical treatments, metalworking fluids, and refrigerating oils.
, Hydraulic fracturing oil, paint and lubricating oil.  

　　Embrace the digital corporate culture.
What sets Ergon apart from most other refineries is not only the professionalism of its business, but also its closely integrated, family->The implementation of digital plans and concepts at the enterprise level leads the enterprise to continuously change.

 

　　Ergon believes that he is not only an early adopter of new technologies, but also a savvy user.
Jeremy Kyser, vice president of Ergon Refining Company, said: "For many years, our strategy has been to adopt new technologies, new systems and new processes, so that we can stand out from our competitors and expand our *customer base.
" Like many oil refineries, Ergon management pays close attention to innovative technologies in the fields of process control, wireless instrumentation and data analysis, as well as cutting-edge developments in the field of automation.
But in terms of the overall digital transformation strategy, the company's management has been vigilantly asking two key questions: Why change, and why risk investing in unproven new technologies?
 

　　"We have invested a lot of money in digital transformation and implemented digital transformation through various methods," said Steve Elwart, Director of Ergon Systems Engineering.
"One of the simple methods is to follow *practice.
Another method is to tell stories.
We can see what kind of impact the lack of technical strength has on the business, and then we can draw a targeted roadmap on how to improve performance based on this.
To help management see more clearly the value that investment automation can bring.
"
 

　　The strategic plan is gradually expanded.
Ergon has chosen a more balanced strategy: they hope to become a pioneer in trying new automation technologies, but they do not pursue one-step implementation, but instead use solutions that perform their functions while continuing to expand, and adopt other technologies for the future.
The potential solution has sufficient agility until a solution that is fully suitable for this particular application is found.  

　　Through digital transformation, companies have improved their performance in terms of reliability, quality control, safety, and compliance.
"Each product produced has different specifications and parameters," said Lance Puckett, executive vice president of Ergon's refining and marketing operations.
"In the production process of these products, having real-time data helps to maintain the consistency of today's market demand.
" The focus on quality control consolidates the company's reputation as one of the specialty lubricants manufacturers and increases its *market share.
Ergon currently exports its products to more than 90 countries, and this number continues to grow.  

　　Determine the priority of the project based on measurable results.
For Ergon, the key to digital transformation has always been how to determine the priority of digital projects, so as to achieve the best results in terms of operation and finance.

 

　　When making choices, the company will focus on three criteria: scalability, employee empowerment, and IT/OT integration.
The management found some operational challenges (some of them are obvious, others gradually emerged over time), and set out to find solutions that meet the standards, and implement this process in a planned way.
Flexibility, communication and collaboration between the various business units of the company have become critical.  

　　Over the years, with the continuous innovation of the automation industry, when deciding whether to adopt new hardware or software technologies, the first criterion that Ergon has followed is to see whether these hardware and software are truly applicable and easy to operate in a wider range of operations.
Extension.
This not only ensures that it can be recognized at the corporate level, but also means that the company can carry out project pilots with lower operational and financial risks, and then make further decisions based on the preliminary results.  

　　Secondly, the adoption of every new digital technology (whether it is an upgrade of the graphical interface of the control system or the upgrade of predictive asset management software) requires the improvement of worker efficiency, and the reason is not only due to the possible experience of retirees The gap lies in the company's firm belief that through training, employees can be competent in basic operations and continuously improve their knowledge and skills.

 

　　Collaboration is the key to continuous improvement.
In terms of IT/OT integration, Jana Branham, Executive Vice President and *Information Officer of the company, adopted a proactive and win-win working approach.
Ergon’s IT team regularly asks employees in the OT department how they can make their work more convenient, and then the two teams work together to customize suitable solutions and use new technologies to meet the needs of the operations team.

 

　　Ms.
Branham said: “The role of IT in supporting the operations team is to learn more about its goals and challenges, and to work together to help the operations team create solutions that meet their needs.
” Although this does require time and cooperation, this The way of cooperation is a key part of the success of digital transformation.  

　　Ergon believes that digital transformation is a continuous evolutionary process.
The promise of continuous improvement allows the company to maintain its position in the competition.
In other words, it is worth carefully studying how the company has implemented new technologies and transformation projects over the years, as well as the future vision of the company with new breakthroughs almost every day What is it.  

　　Start the road to transformation.
Ergon’s first major investment in digitalization is wireless networks and the use of remote sensors to provide operators with basic data.
Before WirelessHART became today's* standard protocol, they began to use an incremental approach to try, that is, first use this technology in less critical applications.
“We first install a wireless sensor on a pressure relief valve to detect potential problems with its rupture disc.
This is equivalent to an additional safety protection,” said Mr.
Elwart, Director of System Engineering.
“Once the results meet the requirements, we will Wireless sensors are also installed on 33 rupture discs, which can save us thousands of dollars in wiring costs.
"
 

　　The company then launched a project involving the installation of wireless transmitters in a remote chemical warehouse building where flammable chemicals are stored.
Warehouse buildings hundreds of yards away from the control room usually have no staff, and the existing electrical and data network connections make it impossible to achieve all-weather building safety and security monitoring.

 

　　If a wired solution is used, managers are worried about infrastructure costs, deployment time, construction logistics and safety.
Finally decided to use solar-powered wireless field network.
Workers installed wireless smoke sensors in the warehouse building to transmit the signal to a solar panel-powered wireless repeater that can be viewed directly through the refinery control system.
The wireless solution eliminates the time and cost of trenching for fiber optic cables on site, saving more than $230,000.  

　　Although the applications of rupture discs and warehouse buildings are small projects, they represent a good start.
*Ergon has established confidence in the emerging digital technology and its ease of use.
Second, it verifies how the new solution can be realized from a small scale.
After the pilot project is reached, it is a process of expanding on a larger scale in the factory.
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　　The initial test succeeded in expanding the scale.
After that, Ergon began to deploy equipment integrity sensors in the factory to realize automatic monitoring of mechanical equipment such as blowers and fans.
Wireless sensors can send equipment vibration data to equipment asset management software (AMS), enabling operators to update In-depth understanding of the health of machinery and equipment, and help staff diagnose problems, so as to prevent problems before they occur (Figure 1).
AMS can notify maintenance personnel of potential problems with sensors and transmitters before the operator in the control room finds an abnormal situation.  

　　This type of asset management application can be tied to a wider plant-wide digital ecosystem.
Ergon uses the application for the purpose of facilitating the acquisition of ready-made digital solutions from suppliers for one-stop troubleshooting.
When deciding on *digitalization strategy, the company regards the compatibility of products from different suppliers as a crucial aspect.  

　　After Ergon built its network and digital ecosystem functions by adding more sensors and meters in different process areas, it began to invest in analytical tools, such as * software for alarm management (Figure 2), which generates weekly output for each process area.
Report so that the operator can confirm that the alarm system is working properly.
Eventually, both the alarm rate and alarm urgency have been reduced, and the number of invalid alarms has also been reduced to zero.  

　　Improve production quality through modernization.
A few years ago, Ergon carried out a modernization of the weighing room control system of the factory's blending device (Figure 3).
The project adopted a variety of new technologies to improve the efficiency of the factory's operation.  

　　The reconciliation system is an essential part of the operation of the Ergon plant.
Traditional control systems used to mix specialty lubricant components and deliver them directly to trains, trucks and ships are outdated.
System downtime may result in overdue fines or cancellation of orders, and quickly cause millions of dollars in damages.  

　　Ergon uses a *batch controller to replace the traditional system, which makes it easier to manage mixed recipes and implement new recipes for new products, and enables Ergon to handle larger production volumes.
Product shipments increased by 30%.
The project also* uses a virtual system that allows workstations and control system nodes to run on a common host computer, thereby significantly reducing downtime and reducing hardware space in the weighing room.
The virtual system can also back up the data of the entire control system to a file, thereby shortening the restart time when the system needs to be restarted.  

　　The transformation covers the entire enterprise.
The recent digitalization of Ergon also covers the automation of the order entry system and integrates the system with the company's business management software.
In the past, when there is a new order, the staff of the weighing room enters the order information into the reconciliation system, and then enters the order information into the electronic form through the reconciler to generate the report of the day.
This process may cause manual input errors.
.  

　　After adopting the automated system, the order is directly entered into the SAP system of the enterprise customer service center, and the oil blending operator only needs to select the correct order number when the customer's truck arrives, and the rest of the process is performed automatically.
Then, the SAP system automatically generates invoices, which helps the front desk to track orders and checkout more quickly.
This not only shortens the invoice turnaround time, but also reduces potential human error and the need for reconciliation.
Otherwise, a single typing error could result in thousands of dollars in losses.  

　　The journey of transformation continues.
Where will Ergon go in the future? Digital transformation is a journey, not an end.
Ergon will continue to look for opportunities to better improve future operations.
Mr.
Elwart said, "We aim to provide as much information as possible to those who need it, whether in the control room or the board room.
"
 

　　The first thing the company plans to do is to use DCS's highly customized operation interface function, which allows users to design operator screens so that factory workers can view their work through tablets, mobile phones, laptops or control room workstations.
Related required content.
The use of standardized human-machine interface graphics to remotely access process data and asset health information can help speed up loop inspections, repairs, and maintenance, and can often simplify the workflow of the entire plant (Figure 4).  

　　Although augmented reality (AR) may still take several years to mature, the company is seriously considering it as another innovative application.
"Operators will soon be able to view a certain piece of equipment within the entire refinery and obtain visualized real-time asset health data.
" Mr.
Elwart said.  

　　For Ergon, they have accumulated some experience in digital transformation, and practice has prompted them to continue to use such high-tech applications or uninvented technologies in the digital transformation that enables them to flourish.
"Create a complete digital strategy and stick to it," Mr.
Elwart suggested: "Start small, step by step, and use scalable technology to keep risks at a * level.
The most important thing is to let the corporate culture drive technological change.
"
 

　　Original Title: Emerson Helps Ergon Refining Company Open the Road of Digital Transformation