Automation

The  core  elements  of  any  automation  system  are  the  controllers,  as  they  provide  real-time data collection and calculations to maintain the process in a safe state within the desired operating limits. CIMA+  has  experience  with  a  wide  range  of  control  platforms  from  individual  loop  controllers  through  to  fully  integrated  Distributed  Control  Systems.

Controllers  need  to  have  a  way  of  interacting  with  humans  for  monitoring,  archiving  and  control  through  the  changing  of  set  points  and  control  objectives. The  Human  Machine Interface (HMI) is the window into the system. Therefore collecting, displaying and reporting process information in a way that is intuitive for operators is an important element of any control system.

HMI’s  do  more  than  help  control  the  process. HMI’s  are  also  used  to  notify  operators  of  abnormal  situations  or  incidents,  usually  by  generating  alarms. However,  if  not  implemented and managed correctly, alarms can become a problem that actually lowers operator effectiveness. Alarm Management programs are used to provide guidance on prioritizing  and  monitoring  the  effectiveness  of  alarms. Integrating  intelligent  device  information with system information helps ensure that the right information gets to the right  person  at  the  right  time  –  every  time. CIMA+  can  assist  in  the  development  and  maintenance  of  alarm  management  programs  that  are  in  compliance  with  relevant  national and international standards.

Supervisory  Control  And  Data  Acquisition  (SCADA)  systems  are  used  in  almost  every  industry  and  utility. As  a  multi-discipline  EPCM,  CIMA+  is  involved  in  all  of  these  sectors  –  implementing  SCADA  systems  to  monitor  and  control  a  wide  range  of  distributed   processes   from   municipal   water   and   wastewater,   pipelines,   cathodic   protection  systems,  compressor  and  pump  stations,  oil  and  gas  well  sites / fields,  generation, transmission and distribution system, and renewable energy.Because SCADA systems enable communications with remote and widely distributed devices,  communications  and  protocol  standards,  such  as  the  DNP3  and  IEC61850  specifications  developed  by  the  power  sector,  are  an  important  element  of  any  implementation.  Consistent  with  our  “best  in  class”  culture  and  in  recognition  of  our  knowledge in this area, as well as the need for a wider range of consistency in SCADA practices,  CIMA+  is  taking  a  leadership  role  in  the  development  of  new  international  SCADA standards.Most   SCADA   systems   include   archiving   capabilities   through   integrated   process   historian  software. These  historians  not  only  provide  a  repository  for  the  collected  process data, they also allow for off-line access to this information for the preparation of various  production  and  troubleshooting  reports  to  improve  operational  effectiveness. Our knowledge of configuration and integration for a variety of OPC Servers including OPC DA, OPC A+E, OPC DH, and OPC UA help bridge the transfer of information across disparate systems. CIMA+ does more than install and configure historians; we securely integrate them into your business system, including configuration of associated reports and event capture snapshots of critical systems.

Safety  systems,  whose  requirements  are  driven  by  international  standards,  play  an  important  role  in  plant  automation  and  control  systems,  safety  systems  are  the  final  Independent Protection Layer between your process and a potential safety incident due to equipment failure.The  demand  for  Safety  Instrumented  Systems  (SIS)  continues  to  grow  and  is  one  of  the most rapidly expanding segments of the control system market. In addition to the requirements for Safety Systems being driven by the process design and HAZOP / Risk Analysis process, the adoption of CAN / CSA-B149.1-05 “Burner Management Systems” in  most  jurisdictions  in  Canada,  means  gas  fired  heaters  must  now  use  CSA  certified  controls and be installed in accordance with the code, including the logic solver.CIMA+  has  expertise  on  staff,  including  functional  safety  engineers  as  well  as  trained  HAZOP / Risk  assessment  facilitators,  to  assist  with  all  stages  of  the  safety  system  process  from  the  original  analysis  and  design  to  the  implementation  of  the  required  work  orders / maintenance  practices  needed  to  maintain  the  system  integrity.  This  applies to the implementation of relay based systems as well as full-scale logic solvers integrated into the balance of plant controllers and historians.

having them all communicate with each other seamlessly can be challenging, especially in the electrically noisy plant environment. The devices can range from individual field devices  through  remote  input / output  racks  to  distributed  controllers  and  associated  network appliances across a facility.All  these  devices  must  not  only  be  able  to  connect  to  each  other  with  the  correct  com-bination  of  media  (cables  and  access  points),  they  must  also  be  configured  to  share  that  information in the correct protocols or languages. CIMA+ has in-depth understanding of how the interactions between media and protocol can affect overall system performance. We use this knowledge to help you design new systems, troubleshoot and optimize existing systems, or migrate from legacy systems to more robust higher-capability replacement architectures.The final step in the integration of systems is the connection to, and sharing of resources with a facility’s IT networks. CIMA+ has the ability to bring expertise in from our IT team for this aspect of any system, as well as the associated server rooms to house all the required equipment.Staff  members  have  been  verified  by  independent  third  parties  as  certified  LON  integrators  and  Foundation  Fieldbus  Professionals.

The  increased  use  of  digital  networks  and  microprocessors  at  all  levels  of  the  control  enterprise, combined with the migration to open system infrastructure such as Ethernet and  IP-based  networks,  means  that  control  systems  are  now  exposed  to  the  same  vulnerabilities  as  information  technology  systems. However,  the  impact  and  methods  used to manage utility and industrial networks, though similar, are not the same as for the desktop and office environment.CIMA+ once again provides the complete range of services, from audits to determine the  integrity  of  your  existing  installation,  through  to  the  design  and  installation  of  an  industrial  hardened  system  compliant  with  the  latest  IEC  62443  and  other  industry  standards  such  as  NERC  CIP.  However,  industrial  cybersecurity  is  not  limited  to  the  equipment,  it  also  includes  the  people,  policies,  and  procedures  to  ensure  that  the  installed system is maintained to stay ahead of the continually evolving cyberspace.As a full EPCM organization, CIMA+ can also provide all of the cyberspace beyond the control system, including requirements for physical security, integration with information technologies, as well as patch management and system upgrades.Control systems and the supporting infrastructure are certainly part of an organization’s mission critical facilities. Our team gives you access to a one-stop shop for engineering services in buildings, communications systems, and IT systems such as servers, storage systems, networks (SAN, WAN, LAN), remote access and TIA TIER certification.

A  control  system  is  only  as  good  as  its  capacity  to  communicate  with  field  devices. Though  often  overlooked,  the  field  devices,  transmitters,  and  final  control  elements  (valves / actuators)  are  a  critical  part  of  any  control  system. If  they  are  not  properly  selected, sized, and specified, the information on which the process is being controlled will  be  inaccurate,  and  the  ability  to  alter  and  manage  the  process  will  also  be  compromised. Our automation team is familiar with all the major sensing technologies and  their  application,  as  well  as  the  selection  and  sizing  of  control  valves / actuator  assemblies and VFDs, as final control elements. Knowing when to use a valve versus a VFD, can result in significant lifecycle savings for our clients. This is part of the CIMA+ value-added services that differentiate us from the typical EPCM.Field installations often require compliance with different electrical area classifications and,  depending  on  plant  practices,  with  the  associated  form  of  protection. CIMA+’s  team  of  engineers  are  familiar  with  all  forms  of  protection  including  Intrinsic  Safety,  (IS),  Galvanic  Isolation,  Explosion  Proof,  XYZ  purging,  as  well  as  many  of  the  unique  protection  requirements  associated  with  fieldbus  systems  such  as  FISCO. In  many  cases, this protective equipment needs to be mounted in an enclosure or panel.Not every device is directly connected to a control system. The signals often connect to local panels, which can be as simple as a junction box or the above-mentioned area classification or environmental enclosure, to full control panels with local HMI integrated into the balance of plant control systems. Regardless of the panel complexity, it must be  suitable  for  the  area  and  location  for  which  it  is  installed,  and  meet  the  required  electrical  area  classifications,  ambient  condition  requirements  for  temperature  and  humidity, all while balancing the size of the panel with the need to perform maintenance on the elements it contains.

At  their  most  basic  level,  control  systems  and  their  signals  are  used  for  regulatory  control  –  maintaining  the  plant  at  a  set  point. However,  the  true  benefits  from  this  investment are achieved with the development of applications to optimize the process across  multiple  control  loops,  pieces  of  process  equipment,  or  unit  operations,  for  example to maximize the production of a product at minimal energy, or blend multiple streams  to  a  desired  composition. CIMA+  can  help  with  the  development  of  these  applications,  from  gathering  the  data  to  create  the  model,  to  coding  of  algorithms,  and then tuning the final application, such as the specialized controls associated with a turbine or environmental control system.Many  advanced  control  applications  require  input  from  process  analyzers  to  identify  one  or  more  individual  stream  components  or  physical  properties. As  is  the  case  with  field  sensors,  selecting  the  best-sensing  technology  for  responsive  repeatable  measurement  must  also  be  considered  in  all  applications. Furthermore,  a  process  analyzer measurement is only as good as the sample is representative of the process itself. The sample system determines where and how that sample is collected. CIMA+ has a Certified Specialist in Analytical Technology on staff, as well as a suite of tools used to verify the sample collected arrives at the analyzer in a timely and unaltered state.Environmental   monitoring   systems   are   crucial   in   terms   of   a   facility’s   licence   to   operate. Continuous Emission Monitoring Stations (CEMS) are now being required on increasingly lower emission sources, while environmental monitoring stations to track ground  level  measurements  around  and  outside  the  facility  need  to  be  connected  to  the necessary internal and external reporting systems – all of which can be integrated with  the  historian  or  Laboratory  Information  System  (LIMS)  to  automatically  generate  the necessary reports for regulators.

CIMA+  has  developed  a  vendor-independent  modular  turbine  monitoring  control  application for systems up to 40,000 HP, and performed multiple installations in reliable operation for more than 15 years.The software design and device-independent tagging system allows our sequence state engine-based standard design to be implemented on virtually any logic controller that is functionally capable of scanning at the update rates required for rotating equipment control. The system includes the integrated control of the equipment connected utilities and sequencing of the full system.Because  the  consequences  of  the  failure  of  a  piece  of  rotating  equipment  can  be  catastrophic,  system  diagnostics,  including  health  monitoring  based  on  watchdog  timers running at multiples of the I/O update rate with associated fail safe conditions, are built into the application to increase reliability and reduce down time.An  optional  feature  of  the  application  consists  of  integrated  variable  stator  vane  scheduling and control to avoid system surges.To  ensure  maximum  safety,  the  system  uses  a  minimum  second  turbine  speed  and  vibration   monitoring   system   external   to   the   main   system   controller.   Redundant   monitoring is then integrated into the hardwired protection circuitry to initiate shutdown external  to  the  controller,  which  will  also  be  monitoring  speed  and  acceleration  exceedances to also initiate engine stoppage logic.Because rotating equipment can be installed anywhere in a facility, the system is offered in both a control room mounted, 18” rack version, or on skid package certified for use in a Class 1 Division 2 (Zone 2) location. The cabinet-based controllers are then integrated into  the  balance  of  the  sites’  existing  controllers  or  SCADA  system  to  allow  remote  monitoring and operation by the same HMI tools as the remainder of the facility.Logic controllers which have been successfully tested with this application include the GE  Fanuc  Rx3i  and  Rx7i  systems  and  AllenBradley  ControlLogix,  with  some  systems  capable of sub 10 ms Stall Detection.

CIMA+ goes beyond providing engineering services. We back the solutions we design with on-site support that includes all aspects of field execution from Factory Acceptance Testing  (FAT),  Site  Acceptance  Testing  (SAT),  Site  Integration  Testing  (SIT),  through  to  verification  of  field  installation  accuracy  documented  with  a  formal  test  report  based  on testing results, and point by point commissioning, including redlines for all project drawings. Members  of  the  CIMA+  design  team  are  always  available  to  help  resolve  any  discrepancies  that  may  arise  during  project  execution,  assist  with  any  questions,  and  capture  changes  to  documentation  in  preparation  for  the  “as-left”  and  “as-built”  drawings.Our  ISO  9001  procedures  guarantee  that  all  projects  are  well-documented  and  all  revisions  are  systematically  tracked,  in  order  to  prepare  accurate  “as-built”  drawings  and  associated  documents,  including  program  code,  databases,  and  graphic  files  in  electronic format suitable to ensure they reflect actual post-project plant conditions.