Instant Connectivity:
Retrofitting existing water treatment plants.
Page 18
17 Stop the Steam: Flow Control System Reduces Energy Costs at Aerospace Plant.
INSTRUMENTATION
19 MEASUREMENT
Long-Term Stable Pressure Transmitter
19
High-Accuracy Turbine Flow Meter
At a specialist aerospace equipment manufacturer in Portsmouth, an initiative to reduce energy costs identified steam energy usage that could be optimised. Dart Aerospace involved Bürkert’s engineering team to develop a system that could automatically close steam flow during non-operational periods. This custom-developed flow control system was set live in January 2025 and achieved return on investment in a matter of months.
Dart Aerospace designs and manufacturers mission-critical equipment, primarily for helicopters, as well as fixed-wing aircraft. The global organisation’s UK operation is based in Portsmouth, and the plant manufactures systems including flotation devices that achieve buoyancy for emergency landings on water, as well as auxiliary fuel cells.
Machinery crucial to its manufacturing process includes presses that form rubber and polymers into the required shape, as well as spreaders that apply a sealant and bond over an additional layer of material such as Kevlar®. Various machine types and sizes are required according to the part in production, including 21 presses and spreaders. All the machines are steam-driven from a central boiler that powers the large press room via a series of ¾” and 1” steam lines.
Manufacture of Dart Aerospace’s products is specialised, rather than mass produced, and normally involves day-time operation rather than round-the-clock production. Each press produces between 8 and 20 moulds per day, and the machines aren’t all in simultaneous use. In fact, some of the most specialised machines can be on stand-by for more than a day at a time. However, steam flow to the machines was, in many cases, continual, even when the machines weren’t in operation. Although each press and spreader had its own valve to regulate flow, the steam to each machine wasn’t regularly shut off at the end of each day. Operating the hand wheels that closed the valves could be physically demanding, and some of the valves were in difficult to reach positions, requiring working at height ac-
The centralised control panel includes an HMI touchscreen to enable individual machine management.
cess, which meant a time-consuming process. To remove these barriers, Dart Aerospace’s Maintenance & Engineering Team wanted an automated system to control steam shut off that would reduce unnecessary usage and minimise costs.
To develop the control system, the on-site engineering team engaged with flow specialist Bürkert. The remit was to design a system that could automatically turn off the steam supply at the close of each day, while still allowing individual machines to be turned back on as required during the following work shift.
This would allow the operation of any press or spreader as required, while ensuring the steam supply remained closed to any machine not in operation.
Flow system design
With all but one of the machines fed by a single ¾” or 1” steam line, Bürkert’s engineers specified a Type 2000 angle seat valve for installation on each machine to provide on/ off steam control. While high flow rates are achieved with a virtually straight flow path, the angle seat design ensures a compact footprint.
When closed, the self-adjusting packing gland provides high sealing integrity, and the stainless steel, maintenance-free design provides long life.
Each of the on/off angle seat valves would be controlled by a Bürkert Type 6524 pneumatic valve to allow reliable, high-pressure switching. The pneumatic valves would be centrally located on a Bürkert Type 8652 valve island and switched with a 24V supply. This centralised system using pneumatic hoses was selected to provide a significant cost reduction and simplifying future maintenance compared to installing a control head for each angle seat
valve. Meanwhile, the Type 8652 valve island enabled simple integration to the wider system’s Ethernet network.
To operate the system, the valve island integrated with an HMI control panel installed alongside, running a programme that was custom-authored by Bürkert’s UK engineering team. The HMI touch-screen display could open or close the steam supply to the individual machines, while the control system was also programmed to close all steam lines at 6pm each day. Each machine could then be manually switched on by an operator at the start of the following shift.
The Type 8652 valve island is housed in a protective cabinet and controls the Type 6524 pneumatic shut-off valves.
The initial on-site discussion at the Portsmouth plant took place in September 2024. With Dart Aerospace’s usual contractor unable to complete the installation of the angle seat valves on each machine, the company’s M&E team, led by Tony Foster, completed the project during the Christmas shut down of 2024. During this period, the custom valve island was built at Bürkert’s Germany headquarters and delivered to Bürkert UK for programming, with an interface developed to optimise ease of use. System commissioning and staff training at Dart Aerospace took place on the same day, and the system was set live in the following January.
Now in January 2026, 12 full months on from commissioning, the Bürkert system is returning an energy saving of approximately 25% on a month-by-month basis. This reduction is compared to the three previous years of operation, which had an equivalent level of operational productivity. As a result, the energy savings in the first half of 2025 alone demonstrated a rapid return on investment.
66721 at www.pcne.eu
Sometimes, digitalization is really straightforward. For example, retrofitting existing water treatment plants to enable transfer of measurement and sensor data to the cloud is now as simple as plugging in an expansion card.
Water treatment is governed by strict regulations. Which is a good thing, because clean drinking water is something we all rely on. But for treatment plant operators, this entails labour-intensive quality assurance. To prevent failures, the measuring points for liquid analysis need regular maintenance. That calls for personnel with specialist knowledge – not to mention staying power and physical agility if the measuring points are in hard-to-reach places. This is where cloud connectivity can really simplify matters, giving operators easy access to measurements and status data from any location, at any time.
Until now, digitalization of existing systems has been difficult. “Getting brownfield infra-
structure online meant operators having to expand existing fieldbus systems with edge infrastructure, or retrofit entire systems,” says Daniela Haider, a product manager at Endress+Hauser Liquid Analysis. A team here has developed a connectivity solution that does things differently. Now, instead of extensive upgrades or new infrastructure, it takes only a module – roughly the size of a desktop PC expansion card – that slots into the existing transmitter on the measuring point. This solution, the Liquiline Edge Module CYY7, allows plant operators to quickly and easily retrofit existing liquid analysis installations and connect them to the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).
More data, greater benefits
With the module plugged in, it takes just a few minutes to connect the measuring point to the Endress+Hauser Netilion Cloud. Communication runs over a secure channel, independent of the fieldbus. Haider explains: “The Edge Module picks up the data from the transmitter and sends it to the cloud either independently over the cellular network or through existing wired Ethernet infrastructure. Neither variant makes a difference to the system’s functioning or processes.” It’s not just measurement values that are sent to the cloud – other sensor data is transmitted as well. “Thanks to that cloud platform, operators can use the sensor data to optimize maintenance intervals or even plan repairs,” says Haider. With the digital system, operators can meet legal requirements more efficiently – as well as offset the shortage of skilled workers.
This user-friendly plug-in digitalization solution is the result of several years’ work at Endress+Hauser. “Great teamwork across three product centers was an important part of the effort,” Haider says. “The sophisticated security system was a particular challenge for the teams, as was the energy-saving data transfer technology. More than 100 people inside and outside the company were involved in the development.” Data transmission by the Liquiline Edge Module meets strict cybersecurity requirements. The security measures comply with the IEC 62443 series of international standards and are achieved using Secure Boot and an https connection via the mTLS security protocol.
66720 at www.pcne.eu
Forhydrostaticlevelmeasurementinhazardousareas
TheLS-1000submersible pressuresensorfromWWIKA is nowcertifiedinaccordance withtheEuropeanATEXand internationalIECExdirectives. Thesensorcontinuouslymeasuresthelevelofliquidmedia inindustrialenvironments. Thankstothenewapprovals, companiescannowalsouseitinhazardousareasofATEXzone0 and1aswellasIECExzone0,1and2.TheLS-1000measures levelshydrostaticallyfrom1...10m[3.28...32.81ft].Optimal long-termstabilityof0.2%ensuresprecisemeasureddataand minimalsignaldrift.Thankstoitsrobustdesign,thestainless-steel submersiblepressuresensorispermanentlysealedinaccordance withingressprotectionIP68.Aspeciallydevelopedcableprovides effectivestrainrelief,andpottingofthecableinletprovidesadditionalprotection.Eachindividualdeviceundergoesaheliumleak testduringthefinalinspection.Eventhesmallestleaksandhairlinecracksaredetectedhere.Thesubmersiblepressuresensoris maintenance-free,minimisingfailures,downtimesandtotalcostof ownership.Itcanbeoperatedwitha5Vbattery,astheenergysavingratiometric0.5...4.5Voutputsignalconsumeslessthan5 mA.Thisplacessuchalowloadonthebatterythatitdoesnot needtobereplacedforyears.
66725atwww.pcne.eu
LONG-TERMSTABLEPRESSURETRANSMITTER
Extendedfunctionalitiesforimprovedmaintenance
Yokogawa Electric announcesthe OpreX™PressureTransmitterEJXS Seriesasthesuccessortoitscore EJXAlineup.Buildingontheproven siliconresonantsensortechnology theEJXSSeriesoffersenhancementsinaccuracy,long-termstability,anddurabilitythatensurestable plantoperationsandimprovemaintenanceefficiency. Theaccuracyof thetransmittersisinarangeof ±0.025%,withoptionalspecification code/HAC.Theseriesoffersahigh long-termstability(±0.1%per20years)andrangeabilityofupto 400:1.HARTandPROFINETcommunicationprotocolsaresupported.WithanIP68dustproofandwaterproofrating,compliancewith SIL2requirements,andenhancednoiseimmunity,theEJXSSeries isevenmorereliableandrobust.Inaddition,anewcolorbacklit graphicdisplaysignificantlyimprovesvisibilityofprocessvariables anddevicestatusinformation. Compliancewithavarietyofexplosion-proofstandards,supportfordualpowerconnections,and advanceddiagnosticfunctionsareallprovidedasstandardfeatures withtheEJXSSeries,allowingthesedevicestocoverawider rangeofapplicationsandreducingtheneedfortheorderingof productswithspecificmodelandsuffixcodes.
HIGH-ACCURACYTURBINEFLOWMETER
Stainless-steelbodyforhighpressures
AW-Lake announcesthelaunchof itsTHSeriesHighAccuracyTurbine FlowMeter.Itisaprecisionliquid flowmeasurementsolutionfor demandingindustrialapplications whereeveryfractionofapercentin accuracymatters.Precisionmachining,tightinternaltolerances,andstainless-steelconstruction providestable,long-termperformanceincontinuousoperation. Designedforlow-viscosityliquidssuchasoils,water,andmany processchemicals,theTHTurbinemeterdeliverslaboratory-grade performanceinarugged,field-readypackage. Themeasuring accuracyisspecifiedto±0.5%undercontrolledconditionswith linearization.Therepeatabilityoffers±0.1%forhigh-confidence flowcontrol.Thissupportscriticaloperationssuchasbatching, dosing,blending,andteststandswhereevensmalldeviationscan createscraporoff-specproduct. Theseriesoffersaall-welded stainless-steelconstruction,hardenedrotorsupport,andprecision bearingsdeliverdurabilityinharsh,high-duty-cyclesystems.The designsupportshighoperatingpressuresandbroadfluidtemperaturerangesforoilfield,process,andindustrialservice.Withmultiplelinesizesandflowrangestheflowmeterscoverapplications fromlow-flowtestloopstohigh-flowtransferlines.Theturbine canbepairedwithelectronicdisplays,transmitters,orwireless totalizersforintegrationwithPLCs,DCS,andplanthistorians.
66595atwww.pcne.eu
SIL2certifiedforlimitswitchesand4...20mAoutput
TheKKrohne H250M40variable areaflowmeterreceivesnewSIL 2certifications,settinganew benchmarkforfunctionalsafety ofvariableareaflowmeters:certificationbodyexidahasawardedSIL2certificationtothedevice'slimitswitchesand,forthe firsttime,tothedevice's4...20mAanalogueoutput. Thecertificationdoesnotonlyincludetherandomfailureratesofthehardware,whichweredeterminedbyanFMEDAandconfirmedwith fielddata,butalsoproofofthesystematiccapabilityofthesoftwareandhardwareduetosuitabledevelopmentandmanufacturingprocessesinaccordancewithIEC61508:2010Part1-3.The H250M40isthestandardvariableareaflowmeterforapplications intheprocessindustriesandOEMsector.Itcombinesreliable measure-mentofliquidsandgaseswithmoderncommunication anddiagnosticfunctions.Additionalelectronicmodulescanbe addedorreplacedatanytimewithoutinterruptingtheprocess, allowingthedevice'sfunctionalitytobeadaptedtonewrequirements-fromanalogueflowmeasurementwithoutauxiliarypower tofulldigitalintegrationintofieldbussystems. Therobustallmetalflowmeterisavailableinawiderangeofmaterialsandconfigurationsandissuitablefordemandingconditions,includinghigh pressures,extremetemperaturesandaggressivemedia.