Automation

Automation Integration

Many plant managers know that integrating process equipment can be a big boost to productivity, but they may have trouble justifying the initial cost. So even they believe that an effective process control system is a good investment, those improvements stay just out of reach. 

We can help by developing a logical industrial automation integration solution for your plant, and helping you establish a financial case for making the investment. We can also point to many satisfied clients across many industries that have experienced greater profitability with VERUS as their control systems integrator. 

To make this happen, we begin by getting a clear idea of your purpose, and what productivity improvements you need to see. We then help you select the right components and subsystems for process control systems integration. Monitoring and maintaining your operations becomes easier and more efficient when your critical plant control systems, plant facilities systems, OEM skid controls and power monitoring systems work together to control your plant.  

Sharing information through industrial automation integration means:

  • Lower maintenance costs
  • Reduced training needs
  • Improved quality control
  • Greater flexibility
  • Reduced downtime

VERUS ensures the success of your industrial automation integration project and maximizes your business benefits. You’ll have access to expert industrial automation integration services.

Technology Recommendation and Integration

Process control hardware usually outlives communication protocols, operator interfaces and data gathering systems.

As your plant ages, you can depend on us for timely upgrades that help you maintain operational efficiency and optimal industrial automation integration. We’ll recommend the right tools to complement your existing infrastructure, I/O points, environment and applications. 

Because of our platform independence, we have gained practical experience with all major automation products and have learned how to achieve industrial automation integration for a range of different systems.

Programming and Configuration

To facilitate industrial automation integration, we provide complete programming and configuration services, including logic conversion, coding,and building I/O and control applications. We can configure and program even the most advanced control strategies within your integrated control systems,ensuring I/O optimization.

I&E Design and Engineering

VERUS delivers design, engineering and troubleshooting services to ensure proper, high-quality industrial automation integration. An integrated instrument and electrical (I&E) system may include motor control circuits, power supplies, PLCs and other system components.

Data Integration

Having a dependable flow of data about your process is key to industrial automation integration. We help you identify the most valuable data across your enterprise and integrate it into manufacturing execution systems (MES), enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and other tools so your decisions are based on real-time data.

Security Assurance

VERUS ensures the security of every industrial automation integration solution, verifying proper access controls to protect your systems and proprietary information.

Systems Simulation and Testing

With software simulation and prototyping, we maximize the effectiveness of your industrial automation integration solution before implementing it in your plant.

Systems Startup and Commissioning

VERUS provides comprehensive processes, tracking procedures and Enhanced Turnover Package (ETOP) documentation to ensure successful systems operation and industrial automation integration.

Training

No industrial automation integration project is complete until the operators have undergone thorough training, and we can provide that on-site.

Project Management

To keep work within the established scope, schedule and budget, we use the Project Complete® methodology. As part of this practice, our project managers provide definition, design, development, deployment, direction and documentation services to ensure the successful completion of every industrial automation integration project.

Process Automation

Process Automation and Control

Process automation and control is one of our core strengths. This includes experience with every major DCS and PLC available in the marketplace today, enabling I/O optimization. We leverage your existing infrastructure to implement process automation solutions designed for your manufacturing and processing needs. Our process automation expertise spans all manufacturing industries, including oil and gas (upstream and downstream),chemical and petrochemical processing, pharmaceutical, and power and utilities.

Data Management and Historian

Collecting, storing and distributing real-time production data as part of process automation allows plants to identify the causes of operational problems and quality issues. We help you implement data management systems and historians as part of continuous improvement, helping you analyze your production data and make smarter decisions for increased productivity,quality and compliance.

Process Analysis

A clear understanding of plant processes is critical to developing a sound process automation system design with improved plant operation and productivity. The key to this understanding is process analysis,which includes reviewing the P&IDs and plant operating data, and then gathering input from operations personnel through key interviews.

This analysis uncovers the key operating goals and targets,and selects the most important product quality variables, as well as the constraints, limitations and bottlenecks that challenge operators. The best process automation system designs create the tools that empower operators to overcome the challenges and meet key goals and targets. Our process control engineers apply sound process analysis on all process automation projects.

Programming and Configuration

Programming and configuration brings to life the detailed design of the instrumentation and control system that is developed during the font-end engineering design (FEED) phase of process automation.

You have the reassurance of knowing that the control engineers working on your project will have experience with every major DCS and PLC system. They apply this process automation knowledge in using the latest engineering tools to convert logic diagrams into PLC ladder logic, to write generic and custom code and to build I/O and control applications using standard system function blocks and other features. With the features available in modern control systems, even complex advanced control strategies can be configured and programmed.

Project Management

Project management is one of the most important factors in the success of a process automation project. Our Project Complete® approach to project management means that our project managers execute at every stage in the process automation project life cycle: definition, design, development,deployment, direction and documentation. This eliminates many of the problems that can keep a process automation project from meeting its scheduled requirements.

Security

We understand that in a world of enterprise-wide facility integration, you may be concerned about risks from exposing your process control system to networks that reach well beyond your plant’s boundaries. We work with you to ensure that your network is armored against intrusion.

Systems Design

During process automation, we provide top-to-bottom design of integrated control, MES and business systems. Our design expertise spans the spectrum, including electrical and instrumentation, DCS, PLC, HMI and SCADA implementations; I/O point configuration; advanced process control; and control and business networks.

Systems Development

Our Project Complete® methodology is the basis for our systems development service offering. This applied methodology ensures that our team follows good engineering practices during all phases of development. This includes system configuration and setup; control, HMI and SCADA programming and configuration; historian configuration and database programming; business interface development; and documented testing. All phases of software development are subject to revision control and documentation.

Systems Implementation

Our breadth of process automation services allows us to provide comprehensive implementation of our engineered solutions, including technical services to support the electrical and instrumentation installation and calibration, engineering to support the control system commissioning and startup and post-startup support.

Consultative Services

Our decades of experience in process automation allow us to provide expert manufacturing consulting services to resolve your growing pains and headaches with immediate, effective process automation solutions.

Our consulting team can help you identify and eliminate the specific operational constraints that impact your profitability, such as distribution inefficiencies; outdated, underutilized or inappropriate equipment;capacity bottlenecks; organizational resource leveling; manufacturing,scheduling and planning issues; and inadequate strategic vision.

With our help, you can turn your pain points into strengths for your business.

Complete Analysis ad Upgrading Services

Automation control system migrations usually only happen once in a career, so it’s no surprise if you feel overwhelmed by the need to upgrade. You may feel locked into using your current vendor, and unsure of howto get unbiased advice on other options.  

We’re a platform-independent systems integrator, where you can get neutral advice about the best, low-risk solution for your operations. One that incorporates upfront planning, technology selection, systems integration and ongoing support. We’ll help set your plant on the right course for the next several decades. 

We believe that control system migration is your chance to innovate, and that manufacturers who just replicate their existing system miss out on major opportunities for improvement. That’s why it’s important to work with VERUS because we don’t push you toward a particular hardware or software,but will provide the objective perspective you need for determining the right tools for your plant.  

Our process combines a comprehensive study of the challenge, a phased approach to execution and ongoing support — all to ensure your upgrade doesn’t just bring you up to speed but propels you ahead of your competition for years to come.

  • Develop and present plans to management to help obtain funding
  • Optimize I/O points
  • Define your process and system boundaries
  • Investigate and collect data
  • Analyze the data and plan the solution
  • Work with you right on the plant floor throughout the project
  • Keep you operating efficiently during and after the migration
  • Support you long-term with 24/7/365 U.S.-based support
  • Provide preventive maintenance and training services
  • Lock in the gains achieved through your migration

HMI Software Design

When it's time to migrate your HMI system, depend on us to handle the software design. We understand the need to implement the most current guidelines for safety and efficiency, while maintaining an interface that's comfortable for your team.

Our HMI experts stay on top of the latest trends and guidelines in the industry. Our High Performance Graphics (HPG) Roundtable meets regularly to look at new features, and our platform independence allows us to compare the best techniques that each system has to offer.

We use a full suite of internal productivity tools to ensure smooth HMI migrations. Our policy is that no code, script or functionality is left behind. We design graphics in the United States, rather than offshore, so it is easier to work with you throughout the process. We maintain a full suite of development systems for each major platform to ensure that we create graphics that match your site’s system and revision.

Here is the usual process we follow to get results for you:

  1. Decide which HMI platform and version to use
  2. Assist with development of standards and guidelines
  3. Migrate graphics in a “like-for-like”arrangement to keep costs down
  4. Redevelop layouts utilizing the latest layering concepts, optimized for multi-screen environments
  5. Adhere to standards such as HPG and abnormal situation management (ASM)
  6. Apply the latest HPG techniques based on our HPG Roundtable's review of current trends

Electrical Engineering, Control System Integration, Control System Engineering, IoT, IoTT, OT, oil and gas SCADA, detection centers, allen-bradley, rockwell, siemens, modicon, wonderware, AVEVA, industrial automation, PLC, system integrator, HMI, SCADA, MES, industry 4.0, control systems, electrical design, smart manufacturing