Modular Process Skid Automation
Are you collecting quotes for a modular process skid project? If so, you’re probably starting to give thought to your process control system and the role automation will play in your process.
Some skid manufacturers wait until the end of a project to add on the process controls. At EPIC, we believe that’s a mistake. Process controls and automation design are integral parts of the modular process skid design/build process. Accounting for these considerations at the beginning ensures a cohesive, efficient process. There are several benefits to configuring your controls and process skid design in parallel. Here we’ll touch on a few.
Quicker and Cheaper Delivery
Having in house processes and controls engineering teams who are doing the physical engineering and design, instrumentation, and programming of the system saves time and money on the project. This is because engineers can walk across the hall, as opposed to flying across the country, when they need to interface with each other. By choosing EPIC, you will save man-hours during engineering because our teams will interface in-house. This also allows for quicker delivery of the system. Long lead items, such as flow meters, can be sized and ordered at the beginning of the project. Doing this, as opposed to waiting to order these components until after fabrication, could save weeks on the schedule.
Intelligent Design
By choosing a systems integrator, such as EPIC, automation isn’t an afterthought. From the second our engineering team looks at a project, we assign an experienced automation and controls engineer to it. We start thinking about how the system should operate from the beginning. Our team of engineers, both process and controls, work in tandem to design a modular process skid that is optimized for the end-user. Our team spends time thinking about flow meters, control valves, control logic, HMI’s, control platforms, and data monitoring. When automation is an afterthought, things get forgotten, components could just be thrown together, and the system isn’t designed to be controlled by the system that is controlling it.
Consolidate Your Modular Process Skid Team
Finally, by choosing a one-stop-shop, such as EPIC, that offers in-house process engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, programming, design, and fabrication, you never have to leave when executing a project for a modular process skid. You don’t have to worry about going through the process of cutting purchase orders to multiple vendors. When you have questions regarding the system, during engineering or operation, all main points of contact are under one roof. This will save you quite a headache during the execution of the project.
Conclusion
In summary, by choosing a one-stop-shop, with in-house process engineering and controls engineering, you will save money and time; your system will be designed to operate the way you want it to; and at the end of the day, you will have much less of a headache, as you will not be herding cats (vendors).
For more advice on planning your modular process skid design/build project, contact an engineer online or call 314-806-1678 to speak with an engineer.