The view through the fence of the company premises is reminiscent of science fiction: the man in the blue overall looks at a flat display on his arm and wears a helmet camera on his helmet. As he moves his head, a red dot of light moves across the complex system of pipes and valves to a specific point in the plant. The mobile worker talks to a colleague via his Bluetooth headset. He presses a button on the helmet camera, looks at the display on his arm and moves on. To the next checkpoint.

What still seems futuristic today could soon be standard equipment in the process industry, says Dr. Soenke Moehr, Director Global Sales, Marketing & Communication at Puralube Germany - at least in specialty chemicals or the mineral oil industry with its high-tech products, such as the high-quality and sustainable base oil specialties that are produced here in the Zeitz Industrial Park using the highly innovative and exclusive UOP-Hylube process from used oil. Soenke Moehr uses an example to explain why market requirements are becoming ever more stringent and specifications ever tighter: "Low-viscosity oils for cars are becoming ever thinner, but under no circumstances should they lose the lubricating function that is vital for the engine. In order to keep promises like these to the end customer, the production processes must not only be fully documented, but also monitored even more closely."

The testing and inspection intervals are also becoming shorter as a result of this development - at the end of which a CpK value (process capability index) of almost 100 % is achieved. However, this is only realistic if the employees on site are connected to the processes online at all times and can detect deviations immediately. Based on an extremely high level of automation, the company would soon like to close the last gap in the direction of real-time access to process data with the help of modern mobility solutions.

In future, an operator in the refinery who wants to check the current situation of a bell bottom - a stage within a distillation tower for separating a liquid mixture - will not have to make a phone call first. He can do this directly from the relevant column (process engineering apparatus in the form of tall, slender columns). A glance at the display is enough. If the traffic light is green, everything is in order.

Mobile Enterprise

In order to make process information available on mobile devices and thus further increase the company's profitability in the long term, Puralube is embarking on a modernization process to become a 'mobile enterprise' - a company that maps business processes either in addition to or exclusively via mobile devices. The company opted for Bartec to implement the project due to its experience in enterprise mobility and explosion protection. Its explosion-protected solution portfolio ranges from tablet PC systems, smartphones and WLAN helmet cameras to cross-device mobile device management (MDM) with suitable cloud services.

Intrinsically safe smartphones

All partial solutions of the 'Bartec goes mobile' strategy were developed directly from practical experience. For example, the ATEX and IECEx (Zones 1 and 2) certified smartphone 'Impact X' was the result of a close collaboration with Shell. For use in the mineral oil industry, the device has a touch display protected by 2 mm thick Gorilla Glass, which can be operated in heavy rain as well as in direct sunlight and even with thick safety gloves. The smartphone also has three cameras for taking pictures from different angles and twice the battery capacity (2800 mAh) of consumer devices. Both hands are often required for work in potentially explosive atmospheres. The developers have therefore developed accessories that allow the smartphone to be attached to the wrist.

In contrast to traditional mobile computers, Android-based smartphones open up an extended range of applications with additional services ranging from mobility, inspection and maintenance apps to ERP solutions, safety systems and communication tools.

Mobile office in the Ex area

Special tablet PCs such as the Agile X from Bartec bring the office into the hazardous area. An integrated barcode scanner and optional sensors, such as RFID readers, are available for mobile data collection.

© Bartec

If technicians and engineers want to bring their office safely into the hazardous area, they can do so with the 'Agile X' tablet PC system, which is certified for ATEX Zone 2 and UL Class 1 Div 2 - either via WLAN or mobile data radio. The 10.1-inch LED is also suitable for visualizing system plans. The Agile X is equipped with an integrated barcode scanner for mobile data collection, for example to identify a system and thus find out exactly where an employee is currently located. Additional sensors are available as an option, such as an RFID reader that can be connected via a rear interface.

As part of its enterprise mobility strategy, Puralube intends to use this method to digitally map the last paper-based process in the refinery - namely the incoming and outgoing goods inspection. The company hopes that the end-to-end consistency without media disruptions will result in additional productivity gains while eliminating sources of error.

The third eye in the field

Finally, the 'Orbit X' WLAN helmet camera, certified for Zone 1 in accordance with CSA, IECEx and ATEX, is aimed at more flexible and efficient work, better workflows and accurate on-site decisions. With two integrated LED lights, a built-in laser pointer and optional accessories such as headsets, wall mounts and telescopic poles, Pura-lube can use the solution, which was also developed in collaboration with Shell, even in dark and hard-to-reach areas. The 8 megapixel images and 1080p videos can either be stored locally on the device or streamed wirelessly in high quality.

The 'Sipido Mobile Telepresence' Android app included in the scope of delivery not only supports all SIP-capable video conferencing systems and applications (Session Initiation Protocol), but also browser-based real-time communication via webRTC (Web Real-Time Communication). The broad protocol support opens up a wide range of possibilities in practice - on the one hand for video recordings in the field for later analysis or documentation, and on the other hand for video conferences for urgent decisions. The recipients of the conference request can also accept it on any end device. This can be a PC in the control center with a web browser, for example, but also a smartphone or tablet with a corresponding app.

Mobile Device Management

Bartec offers the scalable mobile device management solution 'Collaboration X' for implementation and administration. It allows users to roll out all mobile devices uniformly and manage them remotely - including video conferencing and camera settings. Photo and video data can also be stored and managed online using a supplementary cloud storage service. The portfolio also includes the right wireless equipment for the mobile enterprise strategy, in particular explosion-protected access points and antennas for comprehensive wireless connection of mobile devices in the field.

Implementation in three stages

As the desired seamless process monitoring cannot be achieved overnight, Bartec recommends the following step-by-step introduction in its advisory function: In a first optimization step, the helmet cameras in the hazardous area provide image and video recordings in HD quality - either online via the network or offline via the local device memory. Typical work in hazardous areas, such as routine and ad hoc inspections, maintenance and repair work or training, will thus become safer and more efficient. In the second stage, explosion-protected smartphones or tablet PCs bring ERP, office or visualization applications into the hazardous area to improve mobile workflows and communication. Finally, the third expansion stage enables real-time collaboration. For example, the control center or external experts can be called in via video conference to make quick and precise decisions and intervene.

Long-term goal: ISO/TS 16949 certification

Puralube will not take much time with the implementation, as the refinery is to be certified according to the current ISO/TS 16949 standard in three years' time. This standard combines the general requirements for quality management systems in the automotive industry and was published as a 'Technical Specification' (TS for short) based on EN ISO 9001. "In order to meet the strictest quality requirements in the automotive industry, it is essential that our production processes are fully monitored," says Soenke Moehr. "The mobile enterprise solution from Bartec should already be in operation in preparation for the relevant audits."

Author:
Nader Halmuschi is Head of Automation & Communication Systems at Bartec.