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today The customer magazineof ABB in Singapore

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Meet ABB’s service team 05Dedicated interface for ABB’s customersPilot energy audit 07For Singapore’s largest refuse incineration plantEngineers make great baby sitters 30An engineer spends 28 days with his “baby”

More than a quick fix

2 ABB today 3|11 3ABB today 3|11

Welcome to another edition of ABB Today. In this issue, we highlight the service related aspects of our business.

I am happy to share with you that over the last two years we have completed a considerable level of investment to upgrade our facilities, capabilities and processes with the singular objective of improving our service offerings and delivery to our customers.

With ABB’s portfolio spanning a wide range of products and solutions for multiple industries, besides providing the expertise to run projects, develop solutions or install and commission equipment, we have a service business on several levels which include the basic replacement of spare parts, retrofitting and upgrading, remote monitoring of equipment, product life cycle services, preventive maintenance, emergency repair and troubleshooting, energy efficiency consultancy, on-site diagnosis or repair, and service workshops equipped with the best technologies and processes. With an ABB Full Service ® agreement, ABB can also take over the responsibility for the engineering, planning, execution and management of an entire plant’s maintenance activities.

Our service business is a huge strategic focus for ABB. We want to do better and do more with you. We believe that a highly valued service preposition supported by flexible and responsive service personnel will make it easier for our customers “to buy from and to deal with” ABB. We are striving to build a better service culture in our organization. We are also working on many fronts towards improving our service portfolio and offering, our service team competence, and we are also reinforcing our service organization at all levels through strengthened roles, resources, marketing and support that are very much aligned to our customers’ specific needs. You can read about some of these initiatives in this edition of ABB Today.

On another note, 2011 is certainly rapidly coming to a close. It has been a rewarding year all round working with our customers on many fronts. For this, ABB is highly appreciative. So on behalf of ABB and our team in Singapore, I thank you very much for your continued strong support and partnership. I wish you all the very best for the rest of the year. Together, I am sure we can face the new and perhaps even tougher challenges that 2012 may bring with the same vigor, camaraderie and optimism.

Highlights04 Key events

PowerGen Asia Service workshop inauguration at Tuas05 Highlights Meet ABB’s service account managers Pilot energy audit

Getting to know ABB10 Cover story: More than a quick fix

A background of ABB’s service workshop at Tuas, Singapore and an introduction to our new facilities.

Thoughts and views16 Our thoughts

The business of good service

17 Your viewsWhat do you value in products and services?

Channel partner18 Service reliability

Our valued channel partner Lian Kok Electric shares their views

Product brief20 Service programs With increasing automation, the enhanced support of software tools becomes necessary for optimized performance.

Tech first24 ABB service in water eBop service for wastewater treatment plant26 System evolution Extending the life cycle of your distributed control system.

Second take28 Engineers make good baby sitters

28 days with a “baby”31 Flashback

Our first workshop

Content and editorial Content and editorial

James FooPresident and Country Manager

today 3 |11

ABB today 3 | 11 • Customer magazine from ABB in Singapore • copyright 2011 • MICA (P) 137/01/2011 • E-mail: [email protected] • Editors: Emely Tan, Sally Chye, Joey Chiang • Contributors: Angela Wu, Karen Liow, Julia Tedy, Joseph Quek, Thomas Tang, Xu Xiaoming, James Ee, James Wong and Gloria Eng • Production: Pixel Tech • Cover image: Conceptual illustration of ABB’s global network

05 0710

18Meet ABB’s service teamGetting to know the faces behind the names.

Pilot energy auditFor Singapore’s largest refuse incineration plant.

More than a quick fixGet a sneak preview of ABB’s newly upgraded turbocharger, motor and generator service workshop at Tuas, and find out what we can offer.

Channel partner Lian Kok Electric shares about service reliability.


HighlightsHighlights

Key events

Information on upcoming events is accurate at time of print.

Panel builder night at the beach

September 9

About 150 guests and partners were at Pasir Ris beach for food and product presentations. An entertaining game related to earth fault protection was played.

PowerGen Asia 2011

September 27 to 29

The largest in 18 years, PowerGen Asia had 170 exhibitors. The event was held at KLCC, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia.

Tuas workshop inauguration

October 20

ABB had invited customers of our service workshop to attend the inauguration of our newly upgraded facilities.

BEX Asia 2011Singapore Pavilion

September 13 to 16

ABB showcased our green mark certified products during the Singapore Green Building Week.

Home & Decor Fair 2011

September 30 to October 2

ABB smart switch lights up Home & Decor Fair 2011, where ABB displayed cutting edge intelligent home controls for lighting, temperature and multimedia functions.

Downstream Asia 2011

November 1 and 2

ABB showcased our trusted measurement solutions during the two-day exhibition held at Suntec International Convention and Exhibition Center.

Not sure who to call?Dial 6222 7778 for 24/7 serviceWhen you have an enquiry about ABB’s product or service, you can contact us via email or telephone. Our experienced call center executives will be ready to take your call and assist you in the fastest way possible.

Email: [email protected]

A focal point of contactOur service account managers

ABB has appointed service account managers to handle larger service accounts, to ensure that the company can address our customers’ needs and concerns effectively.

Our highly experienced service account managers have been working in ABB in Singapore for several years, and are familiar with ABB’s portfolio and organization structure. The service account managers will help connect our customers to the technical and industry experts within the organization, and can act as an easy point of contact for ABB’s wide service portfolio. To further improve our service capabilities, the ABB Group has also conducted a market research survey this year with selected customers, for an in-depth study of service requirements and service package development.

In photograph: (From left), Han May Kwong, Tan Sin Guan, Hemant Sharma, Tey Gee Ooi, Andy Tay, Chua Ah Seah, Desmond Chan and Lawrence Ng Wee Cheng.

PowerGen Asia 2011 Highlights

PowerGen Asia conference and exhibition in Malaysia drew some 6,700 participants from around the world, with more than 1,500 customers and delegates visiting the ABB booth during the three-day event. ABB won a leading regional award for best power plant upgrade.

One of the highlights of the ABB booth was a live demonstration of the Symphony™ Plus total plant automation system for the power generation and water industries. The demo attracted large crowds who were keen to learn how the system could help improve plant productivity and energy efficiency as well as enhance operational security and plant safety — and at a lower total cost of ownership.

ABB also highlighted its capability in providing integrated electrical, control and instrumentation solutions for power generation applications, with special emphasis on renewable energy – from solar power and hydropower to geothermal energy and biomass power plants.

In the prestigious Asian Power Awards, which are awarded annually by Asian Power Magazine in a separate event that coincides with POWER-GEN Asia, ABB won the silver prize in the “Best Power Plant Upgrade in Asia” category for its solution for the Sardar Sarovar Dam project in India.


Highlights Highlights

Back for more

It always gives us great satisfaction when customers return for more, and in this case, for training. This year, companies like ENL and Gedeon Richter have sent a total of five head of departments and senior engineers to attend ABB’s System 800xA course in July 2011.

For this particular course (course code T315), our customers from far off Hungary and Russia as well as our neighboring country Malaysia were here in Singapore to learn how to use ABB’s control system. Our customer from Malaysia, Sarawak Shell Berhad (Malaysia), has been our ardent supporter all these years.

Since our training centre was set up in July 2007, more than 3500 engineers, technicians, and vessel crew have received training with us. Our trainees come from many different parts of the world including Europe, USA, Africa and Asia. We provide actual equipment for

Words from our customers

Q : Would you recommend your colleagues to come and attend our training? Why? “Certainly, the equipment (simulator) that you have for training is very similar to the one we have in our plant and that makes learning very easy and effective” — Zsolt Peress, Automation Engineer,Gedeon Richter (Hungary) “We were given the options to train at various other countries but we chose ABB in Singapore. In fact, we are now thinking of sending two or three more engineers.” — Laszlo Pozsgai, Head of Technical Support Department.

Q : What do you like about our training? “I like the very comprehensive training materials that we receive and I have the whole simulator tool all to myself for this training. I also enjoyed the very good mix of cultures we have within this class. I don’t often get the chance to network, learn and share with course mates from Russia and Hungary.” — Christopher Ong, Instrument Engineer, Sarawak Shell Berhad (Malaysia) “Even within our own company, the (impromptu) ‘brainstorming’ session we had this morning between myself and my colleagues who are from the production support team, have made me better understand and appreciate the situation which is really beneficial to me.” — Balazs Kiss, Head of Production Department, Gedeon Richter (Hungary).

Q : What are the main reasons why your company sent you for training? “From a production point of view, I need to have a deep understanding of ABB’s DCS system capabilities and limitations. This will also ensure I do not have unreasonable demands on my production support.”— Mr Balazs Kiss, Head of production department, Gedeon Richter (Hungary).

Never a downtime for 33 robots

Since ABB’s system integrator Al-Tech Instrumentation and Engineering installed 33 robots in 14 cell production lines for solar cell company Sunpower in 2006, the robots have not needed any servicing.

In order to ensure the plant operations continue smoothly, Sunpower awarded ABB a preventive maintenance and response service agreement in May 2011, with the assurance of having an ABB engineer resolve any problems on site within 48 hours.

This challenge demands both engineering competency and availability. Wherever there is an installed base of ABB robots and systems, ABB intends to provide services needed to ensure our customers attain maximum uptime and plant availability.

Karen Liow, who has helmed the training center in Singapore since 2007, shares about customer satisfaction

hands-on training to complement class room training. Our aim is not only to provide a conducive environment for our trainees’ development but we also hope to promote networking, sharing and learning experiences amongst different cultures. We are glad that our mix of global customers has made such interaction possible. Further, we continuously improve and upgrade both our training courses and equipment. The most recent investment is the System 800xA training simulator. This best in-class simulator, which is universally complimented by our customers, makes learning much easier and more enjoyable.

We are currently in the process of adding more courses and simulators in the near future. We strongly believe that providing life cycle services, like training to our customers, will ensure sustainability in our business relationships and add value to our customers’ businesses.

ABB has been awarded a contract from the National Environmental Agency to carry out a pilot energy audit on Singapore’s largest refuse incineration plant, Tuas South Incineration Plant, located at the south west of Singapore.

The pilot energy audit involves the audit of one line system of the plant consisting of one incinerator (boiler), one steam turbine and their related equipment. ABB will conduct a detailed energy audit on one line system in the plant by using thermodynamic simulation models of the plant and comparing the current performance data with the initial plant commissioning performance. With this audit, ABB will assist the customer by identifying recoverable energy losses in the plant and suggesting solutions which will allow to improve the performance of the plant as well as individual equipment by identifying the most efficient and cost-effective energy conservation opportunities.

By having this energy audit, ABB is able to identify and quantify the energy losses for the customer and highlight the possibilities of different cost effective plant modifications that could help in the improvement of plant efficiency and individual equipment efficiency. The project is scheduled to be completed by April 2012.

Through the project, ABB will be able to reaffirm our position on our energy efficiency capabilities, where our goal is to help our customers identify and adopt best practices in energy management and optimization, so that they can do more with less.

The S$890 million Tuas South Incineration Plant was first commissioned in 1999, with an incineration capacity of 3,000 tons per day and operates through six incinerator units. It is one of the four incineration plants in Singapore which aim to meet the refuse disposal needs of the country and help to achieve a better and cleaner living environment for the nation.

Pilot energy auditFor Singapore’s largest refuse incineration plant


Highlights Highlights

UMC was founded in 1980 and is one of the world’s foundry technology leader with consistent first-to-market advanced processes and possesses the highest number of semiconductor patents in the industry.

Servicing UMCA 10-year relationship with a leading semiconductor foundry

UMC awarded ABB with a comprehensive service contract in 2001, and since then, both companies have built a decade-long strong working partnership. UMC has consistently engaged ABB for their electrical and service requirements, and most recently, has extended an order for several low-voltage switchboards and gas circuit breakers.

As a leading foundry, UMC’s success has been well documented. Joseph Hsu, manager of M&E (mechanical and electrical) together with Alex Chia, project executive of M&E, shared that the consistent growth and success of the company can be attributed to three essential values.

Firstly, the development of customer-driven foundry solutions that addresses the specific and unique needs of advanced applications. In this area, ABB plays a important role in UMC’s leading-edge processes, providing reliable

ABB in Singapore has provided UMC with service solutions for almost a decade, backed up by a global network of sales and service support.

solutions for key electrical equipment like switchboards.

Secondly, UMC is committed to the timely delivery of solutions. UMC collaborates closely with customers as well as partners throughout the entire supply chain. ABB has also supported UMC to achieve reliability of operations. A particularly memorable incident was when ABB initiated a successful quick recovery, by sending a team of medium-voltage engineers on-site, close to midnight, to ensure the rectification of a panel’s interlocking function.

ABB is continually devising and upgrading our processes and systems to ensure that the reliability and quality of products and services remain a critical component of our business strategy.

UMC’s third success factor is in their people. UMC is guided by the firm belief that ultimately, talented and committed

people are the reason for results. This commitment and demand of the best talent is also reflected in UMC’s choice of partners and suppliers. UMC recognizes ABB as one of their distinguished and long-standing partners.

While providing consistent service for the past decade, ABB continues to seek ways to further help UMC ensure power reliability.

ABB held the official inauguration of its newly upgraded service workshop at Tuas on October 20, 2011. About 190 guests from various shipping companies, shipyards and significant industry users of motors and generators joined ABB in the celebration.

The workshop was inaugurated by Rolf Schweizer, ABB’s senior general manager for service for Turbocharging business unit, Per-Ove Johansson, ABB’s global manager for motor and generator service, and James Foo, the country manager of ABB in Singapore. The inauguration ceremony was followed by a traditional lion dance, lunch reception and tour of the newly expanded facility. The facility now has a total floor area of 4500 square meters.

“For the products that ABB puts to the market, top quality after sales life cycle service is an important component. The improvements we are making in our

Official inauguration Service workshop at Tuas

facilities have a singular objective to provide better services to our customers from a technology, processes, reliability, quality and timeliness standpoint,” says James Foo, ABB’s country manager in Singapore.


Getting to know ABB Getting to know ABB

More than a quick fix

ABB’s workshop at Tuas has been in operation for close to 20 years, servicing equipment like turbochargers, motors and generators. This year, ABB has expanded the facility, increasing the total floor area to 4500 m2, and improved the workflow design to service equipment more efficiently.

The new extension at ABB’s workshop in Tuas.


S tepping into an ABB service workshop, like the one in Tuas, is very much like a tour through ABB’s history in

product development and technological innovation. You will see turbochargers manufactured in the late 1960s or early 70s looking polished, and almost brand new. Well-balanced turbochargers spin quietly even at high revolutions per minute. Motors, weighing up to 10 tons, are sent for electrical rewinding in a fully air-conditioned room. Any perspiration can compromise the quality of insulation, our engineers explain, as they manually replace the copper coil around the motor.

While automation in many cases leads to productivity increases, much of the work at the turbocharger, motor and generator service workshop in Tuas is also dependent on the trained eye and refined skills of highly qualified professionals to conduct diagnosis, repair and refurbishment, and testing.

Turbocharger serviceA global population of more than 190,000 ABB turbochargers, which can be in operation for more than 20 years, are supported by more than 100 service stations across the globe operating 24/7 to ensure our customers have proximity and quick access to well-trained service and support staff.

In the workshop, turbochargers are off loaded unto pallets or transported using

overhead cranes, and are sent to a washing bay for cleaning and dismantling. The new washing area is conveniently located indoors, and heavy equipment can now be transported to the washing area safely and quickly using overhead cranes.

After the parts are washed and dismantled, they are sent for inspection and diagnosis. This service requires our engineers to exercise skilled assessment in a room that is lit brightly, at 750 lux, to optimize visibility. The engineers will then assign the parts to designated areas in the workshop, depending on repair requirements.

With the expanded facility, improved workflow arrangement, and additional new equipment, ABB has now an estimated service capacity increase of 50 percent.

Accompanying the increased workflow efficiency is a newly revamped training facility equipped with a classroom that can accommodate almost 100 trainees, and a range of older turbocharger models that are still in operation to the latest A140 model, to ensure our engineers are fully familiar with every ABB product on the market.

ABB in Singapore is one of six turbocharger training facilities globally, and ABB regularly conducts training for both new hires and existing staff in the region to ensure that they have the necessary skills and knowledge of new technology and products.

As a senior service engineer who has been

The newly constructed area houses the motor and generator service workshop. The roof is 13 meters high with an 8.5 meter effective lifting height, and there is a sheltered drive through area for a 40 foot container truck to load or unload equipment.

In Singapore, BBC started the turbocharger service operations in 1979 at Joo Koon road, then to Pandan Avenue in 1981, and in 1992, moved to the current location at Tuas Lane.


The service center at Pandan Avenue, before Brown, Boveri & Cie and Asea merged to form ABB.



working in ABB’s turbocharging department for about 32 years, Loo Cheong Fook shared how the company’s progressive culture and continuous investment in R&D has always meant the introduction of new products, and upgraded service infrastructure throughout the years.

This 2011, ABB’s revamped turbocharger service station in Tuas is set to lead the pace of business development, and meet market demand. With the increased capacity, ABB will be able to provide faster deliveries, and minimize our customers’ downtime.

Motor and generator serviceKey improvements to the motor and generator service workshop include having one of the largest fully automated vacuum pressure impregnation (VPI) system on the market for the application of epoxy resin as insulation.

VPI treatment to rewound and repaired units is crucial especially for medium- and high- voltage machines that require high quality insulation for the winding. The VPI system makes use of pressure differences to ensure the full penetration of treated items, and prevents any void between the insulation and conductors.

In the new workshop, a 40 foot container

is able to drive through a sheltered area to off load motors that weigh up to 40 tons, and move them safely using overhead cranes that can lift equipment up to 8.5 meters in height across different areas in the workshop, including over the indoor washing bay.

ABB has also invested in an electrical rewinding area for equipment weighing up to 10 tons, for engineers to work in an enclosed, clean and air-conditioned area. The cool air prevents perspiration, which will cause salt residue deposits. The area is also fully equipped with rewinding instruments, and skilled engineers with up to 30 years of experience help ensure the best product service quality.

The workshop was recently awarded with IECex certification to govern the servicing of explosion proof equipment, and is now also suited to service a full range of motors and generators for the marine, oil and gas industry.

The brand new motor and generator service workshop will mean improved after sales support service and machine reliability for our customers, providing easy access to fully equipped facilities and spare parts.

Using high efficiency regeneration drives systemThe motor and generator service workshop is fully equipped for high voltage testing, with an ABB transformer that can step up the testing voltage to 6600 volts, for full speed testing of machines with a capacity of up to four megawatts.

Low-voltage load testing, normally done on site, can now be simulated in the workshop, using only three to five percent of the energy required to power the load — the electricity used is re-circulated from the simulated load to power the motor.

The workshop uses ABB’s highly flexible ACS 800 multidrive, which can be configured to meet the needs of different applications.

Energy efficient testing

The ABB turbocharger service station in Singapore was called in to diagnose problems with a repaired turbocharger aboard a bulk carrier. The rotor, nozzle ring, cover ring and diffuser had been replaced with non-original parts, and was subject to serious “surging”. This put the rotor bearings at serious risk of failure and prevented the engine from reaching its design output and design fuel consumption. As a result, the ship’s departure from Singapore was delayed, incurring unnecessary harbor fees.

An encounter with counterfeit spares

ABB service engineers dismantled the turbocharger and established out-of-tolerance dimensions on the replacement parts. They also discovered the rotor shaft was not machined in accordance to required specifications.

Following the replacement to ABB original service parts, the engine immediately ran normally without surging during a ten-hour sea trial and its performance was back to rated output.

A technical service engineer inspecting a non-original compressor wheel. While it looks like an original part at first sight, obvious clues include different machining patterns, poor material strength and rougher surfaces at microscopic level which will impact aerodynamic efficiency.

When spending money is saving money

01

Different sections of the new service workshop:01 A turbocharger service engineer inspecting a TPS rotor shaft.02 A turbocharger service engineer grinding turbine blades to the right profile after welding. A new safety suction system prevents the fine dust from circulating in the room.03 A technician rewinding a 10-ton rotor. The

workshop has highly experienced technicians and engineers, assuring our customers of top quality work.

04 The walls of the washing bay are covered in stainless steel, and the drainage system ensures the cleaning agent and grease is treated before discharge, protecting the environment.

02

03 04

With the improved facilities and increased capacity, ABB will be able to provide faster deliveries, service a wider range of equipment and minimize our customers’ downtime.


Our thoughts

Service provides continuous contact points for interac-tion with our customers and our responsiveness and re-

liabil ity towards our customers wil l build their trust and confidence in us. To provide good service, to be customer-focused, we need to truly understand how we can improve cus-tomer’s l ives and make it as simple as possible for them to continue working efficiently and effectively.

ABB has progressively made improve-ments over time, developed a fuller range of service capabilities, and invest-ed in market research to understand our customer’s expectations. We will adapt to the changing needs of an evolving business environment, and our recent enhancement in the capacity and scope of our Tuas Service Workshop, highlight-ed in this issue, is an example.

We have embarked several initiatives to prepare us to work closer with our cus-tomers as well as to make it easier for

Hemant SharmaHemant Sharma is ABB’s service manager in Singapore and South Asia, and has been with ABB for about 20 years.


our customers to work with us. One of the initiatives we have embarked on in the last year is the launch of our Cus-tomer Contact Center which will help to ease the way of interaction with ABB for our customers. Our Customer Contact Center also canvasses for feedback for service jobs that our service teams have performed. Such feedback helps us to remain sharp in our focus on delivering good service.

ServIS is ABB’s common global tool, for ABB employees, to track and help man-age the ABB installed base of products and systems for our customers. ServIS helps ABB support our customer’s busi-ness by providing specific system and product information including technical details at specific customer locations, and is set up to track information at a customer site including service history.

From a properly maintained ServIS site, we are able to have a clear understand-ing of our customer’s process struc-ture and tailor our maintenance and

Good service is good business. Offering better service can mean introducing more value, which can lead to higher profit margin, return customers, and new customer recommendations. What are your service preferences?

If you had to make a choice, for the same price, which would you prefer?■ Good products and average after sales service packages 60 %■ Average products and good after sales service packages 40 %

Your viewsoffering to match our customer’s specif-ic requirements. We will push ServIS in implementation and usage to take us to the fore as a customer-focused service organization.

After all, good service means sustained and new businesses. We need to con-stantly develop innovative solutions that would put us ahead in the different mar-kets we serve.

We need to make it as simple as possible for our customers to continue working efficiently and effectively.

The business of good service

In your opinion, what is the most important aspect of service?■ When it is least disruptive to my operations (low downtime) 35 %■ When it offers me more choices 8 %■ When the vendor provides knowledge to aid decision making 13 %■ Easy access to right personnel in the company 13 %■ When I get fast responses 31 %

60%Prefer good products and average after sales service packages.

60 40

35%Think the most important aspect of service is when it is least disruptive to operations.

Responses to the poll are from ABB Today’s email distribution list. If you would like to participate, please subscribe at www.abb.com.sg and select the link “publications”


Channel partnerChannel partner

In a rapidly changing world of business and the fast introduction of new tech-nologies, it is refreshing to find one of ABB’s longest service and well estab-

lished distributor, Lian Kok Electric Com-pany, maintaining its significant presence in the electrical and electronics market in Singapore for decades.

Operating out of its humble premises at 75 Maude Road, Lian Kok Electric boasts a regular and loyal following of customers since its inception more than 20 years ago.

Helming the business is the affable and easy going Managing Director of the company, Mr. Kong Sai Weng.

Mr. Kong is a veteran in the electrical and electronics industry and appreciates the long-standing relationship with ABB, as he does with his team of seven staff who help him in the day to day affairs of the business. Lian Kok distributes a whole range of ABB’s line protection devices, control products and electrical wiring accessories.

Indeed, loyalty and trust is a recurring theme of Lian Kok’s success, which Mr. Lim attributes to the company’s beliefs and core values.

“In business, we have always instilled a high degree of integrity, trust and transparency with our customers”, said Mr. Kong.

“Technology has certainly changed the way many companies do business but for us, the integral combination of good service, reliability and quality can never be compromised,” he added.

It is therefore quite evident that this philosophy of Lian Kok extends to its partnership with ABB, which Mr. Kong proudly maintains as still one of the most fruitful and mutually benefitting one.

Through the years, Lian Kok Electric and ABB have continued to build and focus on their business together. Mr. Kong is confident that ABB’s product quality and unrivalled service support will help maintain Lian Kok’s continued success in the electronics and electrical markets.

Service reliabilityABB in Singapore’s longest service channel partner, Lian Kok Electric Company, has decades of experience serving the electrical and electronics market, and stocks a full range of products from ABB. The managing director, Mr. Kong Sai Weng, shares his thoughts on service.

“Technology has certainly changed the way many companies do business, but for us, the integral combination of good service, reliability and quality can never be compromised,” says Mr. Kong

Lian Kok Electric serves many walk-in customers, as their shop has a well-stocked range of products. They are always ready to meet their customers needs and requirements.


Product brief Product brief

Service programsImproving resource optimization and productivity requires systematic analysis, performance prediction and automation.

Why software updates protect you for now and the futureKnowledge is 50 percent of winning a battle. Knowing the plausible dangers can help one to prepare and overcome them. The other 50 percent to winning the battle is strategy – having a framework for action.

A study on operations reveals that the scenarios which rank high in the list of concerns are increased failure rates, lost opportunities to grow the business, and obsolescence. One single scenario that keeps an operation manager awake at night is production loss, especially when he knows that his system is working beyond the recommended life cycle. After all, this is a reality in all things, including systems: failure rates run high as they become older.

The DCS (distributed control system) was first introduced in 1975. More than thirty years later, many of these systems are still operational , as they are designed and meant to be. They are a testament to the high pedigree that has spawned the new technologies and functionalities present today. Upon closer inspection though, one will see that many of these systems are made of sedimentary layers of old and off-the-shelf components. This may be the secret to their long life. They are made of spare parts that ensure the mechanical operation of the hardware.

One should still be prepared for production loss when working with mature systems – spare parts notwithstanding.

This is because software is the brain behind the “mindless hardware.” Components can only function based on the dictates of the software. We cannot overestimate the consequences of neglecting software updates. It leads to a contagion of events leading to system failure.

Automation SentinelAutomation service

An ABB service program that looks after the software behind your hardware

Advantages − Telephone support for upgrades − Electronic notification of update

availability − Assured system reliability − Maintain optimum productivity levels

The Automation Sentinel is an ABB service program that looks after the software on several levels.

Maintain and Maintain Plus levelsThey address a straightforward need: that the automation system continues to run optimally due to the continual updating of the software. These levels of Sentinel service are appropriate for businesses and operations looking to sustain production at status quo, the median of productivity.

Maintain & EvolveThe path of technological advances is not linear. It is a curve. There are innovations that have been termed as “disruptive technologies’ because they have, quite simply, caused shifts in the way we do business.In production, the path of technological advances is also a curve. Innovations in production are transformational or evolutionary, which means new features or functionalities.

In terms of practical application in automation, this means businesses are looking for automation solutions that will allow it to add functionalities in the future, when business conditions and other metrics require.

The Automation Sentinel program has anticipated this. It has the service level called Maintain & Evolve, which looks to building the foundation for evolutions that will give operations the capacity to step up to these new functionalities at their own discretion.

Further Info: [email protected]

Service levels and inclusions

Maintain Updates on software maintenance, device library management and technical or product release; Techni-cal phone support for troubleshoot-ing; Software security management; Online access to KnowledgeBank, among others

Maintain PlusSame as Maintain level, with the addition of Software Evolution to newer system family software and new product licences.

Maintain & Evolve Same as Maintain Plus level, with the addition of System Evolution to newer control system technology which includes System 800xA.

Contact ABB for details of full package inclusions.


Product brief

Improving profitability and reducing environmental footprintEMMA provides an advanced and comprehensive toolset for managing and optimizing energy operations throughout a vessel. It is an independent toolset allowing easy retrofit installations, with minimum amount of new equipment to be installed. EMMA includes planning tools that are used to predict energy consumption and calculate the corresponding energy supply schedule. Combined with real-time monitoring of operational and process data, these predictions enable EMMA to control and manage the energy balance onboard a vessel.

To optimize energy use and supply, prediction of future energy demand is done by analyzing the complete voyage, both vessel internal processes as well as all external forces to the hull. Based on this analysis, the ship energy manager finds the best configuration to minimize fuel consumption and usage of the diesel generators.

EMMA ship energy manager is patent pending.


EMMA ship energy managerMarine service

Predicting, monitoring and managing onboard energy usage

Advantages − Optimization of resources to meet

predicted consumption at minimum cost − Idle monitoring, monitoring equipment

states and energy consumption of idle process areas to provide information to disconnect unnecessary equipment

− Modular system with basic energy monitoring and reporting, and expanded functionality to include optimization of energy use and supply for the whole ship or the entire fleet.

Designed for motor upgrade or replacement decisionsBuilt as a unique suite of highly successful analytical tools, ABB MotorAdvantage collects and analyzes information at different levels.

The first level is an ‘opportunity identification’ level that assesses energy consumption and basic reliability aspects to determine whether a more extensive analysis of the motor is required.

Level 2 takes a closer look at the motor’s reliability and with it analyzes energy and maintenance savings based on preliminary drafts of condition-based preventive maintenance plans for the motor. This is done using estimated lifetime calculations for critical motor components, such as stator windings and bearings.

Level 3 includes an online performance assessment of the motor to verify data that was assumed earlier, such as operating efficiencies and slips.

Finally, Level 4 is normally done during a motor’s downtime, taking offline and start-up measurements for a deeper assessment of reliability and performance. Further Info: [email protected]

MotorAdvantageProduct service

Analyzing energy efficiency, reliability and performance

Advantages − Systematic analysis of operating motors − Solutions can be recommended based

on energy efficiency − Validates nameplate information and

makes accurate calculations

Product brief

Minimizing engine downtime Customers can exchange ABB turbocharger parts with a globally standardized range of high quality reconditioned parts, and benefit from faster service and proven OEM quality, along with a global standard parts warranty.

With access to original drawings and data exclusive to an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), ABB faithfully recreates original geometries and manufacturing tolerances in all CPEX reconditioned parts, ensuring optimal turbocharger performance.

The CPEX parts available include the TPS shaft , TPS bearing casing, TPS and TPL VTG module, VTR bearing, VTR pumps, and VTR and TPL blades.


Turbocharger service: CPEXProduct service

Customer Parts Exchange (CPEX) program for high quality reconditioned parts

Advantages − Outstanding worldwide service − Availability of 98 percent for CPEX parts − Six months warranty for original ABB

reconditioned parts


Tech first

Contributed by Joseph Quek

ABB servicein water Provision of eBOP service to world’s largest covered wastewater treatment plant

Tech first

The award-winning Changi Water Reclamation Plant (CWRP) in Singapore is the world’s largest covered wastewater treatment plant. This exceptional construction is equipped with a wide range of ABB products. ABB has now been awarded a complete service package at Changi and thus will continue to contribute engineering know-how to what is regarded as one of the world’s most innovative and visionary water projects.

The Changi Water Reclamation Plant is one of the largest water reclamation facilities inthe world. The CWRP and Deep Tunnel Sewerage System (DTSS) in Singapore will collect, treat and purify every drop of waste water produced by the city-state over the next 100 years, replacing all exist-ing local plants in Singapore.

Located at the eastern edge of Singapore, the plant is mainly underground and is built in a stacked arrangement, thus occupying a land area less than one third of a con-ventional layout.

The plant produces clean water to the highest international standards, suitable for deep sea discharge in the Straits of Sin-gapore. On the rooftop, CWRP incorpo-rates the fifth operational facility (NEWater)in Singapore capable of reclaiming pota-ble water which is fit for human consump-tion or for high-requirement industrial use.

The Project was crowned the Water Proj-ect of the Year at the prestigious Global Water Awards 2009 in Switzerland.

Powering Singapore’s water superhighwayAmounting to a project cost of US$3 bil-

ABB helps CWRP plan and maintain their equipment by providing the necessary services to products based on factory recommendations, and helps decrease the customer’s spare parts inventory.

lion, the CWRP uses the most advancedtechnology available to treat two-thirdsof the 1.3 million cubic meters of wastewaterSingapore generates daily. The plant is being extended to a daily maximum capac-ity of 2,400,000 cubic meters – sufficient to accommodate the entire need of Singapore.

Building the CWRP threw up many tech-nological challenges and ABB played aprominent role in its construction by pro-viding advanced power and automationexpertise and products such as high-effi-ciency motors and medium-voltage drives that enable critical parts of the process to operate at the highest levels of energy efficiency and reliability. In fact, through-out the entire Changi water treatment pro-cess ABB products and systems power, monitor, measure and speed-control cru-cial process equipment in the liquid and solids treatment modules, sludge drying systems, centrifuges and turbine genera-tors, and effluent pumping station.

Water Service to CWRPABB is no stranger to the global water industry, having supplied electrical, automa-tion and service solutions for more than five decades. It has one of the largest installed bases in this industry, as well as market

and technology leadership in power and automation technologies, unrivalled appli-cation know-how and process expertise in all application areas of the water cycle. These include water transfer systems, dis-tribution and irrigation networks, pump-ing stations, desalination plants, as well as urban and industrial wastewater treat-ment and reuse plants.

A key driver for ABB is to deliver ener-gy efficient and life cycle cost-optimized solutions. The company’s worldwide ser-vice capability and life cycle managementexpertise enables plants to keep running optimally throughout their entire opera-tional life.

After the Changi Water Reclamation Plant went into full operation in June 2009, ABB was following up with the customer when it was noticed that they had a demand for a complete service package. The customer had been contacting various ABB depart-ments regarding service requirements, so ABB coordinated a response across sev-eral of its divisions and created a single comprehensive service contract offering.

With its wide range of products, systemsand services, ABB follows the whole life

cycle of Changi Water Reclamation Plant, from engineering to construction, and now, service and maintenance. ABB supports CWRP in identifying the best solutions for their specific needs, including maintenance and asset optimization.

The service contract from the Public UtilitiesBoard, valued at just under US$2 million, is a three-year service and maintenanceagreement for the electrical Balance of Plant (eBop) which will help ensure reliable and efficient operations of CWRP. The service package includes the vital maintenance of critical equipment such as 21 units of medium-voltage, high-efficiency motors and water-cooled, medium-voltage drives that power and control the huge pumps at exceptional levels of energy efficiency.

Also covered are high-voltage distribution boards and transformers; medium-voltage switchgear, motors and drives; both low- and medium-voltage transformers; and low-voltage switchboards, switchgear, motors and drives.

Under the service contract, ABB provides,24/7, certified standby engineers and response to site within four hours for critical equipment. A key engineer is assigned to

support the customer and internally coor-dinate various service groups to establish a single contact point.

Through this contact, ABB helps CWRPto plan and execute regular maintenance.Other value-added aspects of this com-prehensive service contract include pro-viding Parts Online Access, maintaining the failure log book and supplying basic training and refresher courses for ABB equipment operation.

With the Logistic Center Asia (LCA) locatedin Singapore, local, fast response on spare parts is available, thus allowing CWRP to minimize their spare parts inventory.

Last but not least, and viewed by the cus-tomer as very important, are the local Drive Service Workshops and Motor Ser-vice Workshops led by ABB factory cer-tified personnel.

Key success factors in serviceDespite the wide range of ABB equipmentinvolved in the service contract, the cus-tomer perceives just one ABB entity. This exceptionally easy interface makes it sim-ple for CWRP to run and maintain their equipment. The CWRP maintenance team

has peace of mind as ABB personnel will always be there to support and resolve any of their issues in all the critical equip-ment. For full clarity, the customer has easy access to ABB’s sales and service engi-neers via a clear and simple contact chart.

Changi Water Reclamation Plant has recog-nized how ABB’s service can help increasethe reliability and efficiency of their operations.

“We thank ABB for the service providedso far, and also for assigning proficientand efficient engineers to support CWRP.ABB engineers have been very responsive,accommodating and helpful to ourmaintenance team. For that, we are verygrateful and appreciate their efforts anddiligence in keeping our critical equipmentin good working order,” complimentedMr. Lim Swee Sen of Public UtilitiesBoard.


Plant owners make significant capital investment in the system hardware, engineering tools and application software that together comprise their initial distributed control system (DCS) installation. Upon commissioning, plant and corporate personnel add to the investment by enhancing control system components, tuning and refining control application code and developing knowledgeable staff who operate and maintain the plant and control system.

The result of these investments are a highly trained and experienced staff of engineers, technicians and operators, as well as the creation of site-specific control strategies, procedures and graphics that enable the plant to maintain high unit availability and excellent operational performance.

ABB’s evolution strategy aims at supporting the customers who wish to protect and enhance their investments in both the control system hardware and valuable intellectual property.

Tech first

Contributed by Gloria Eng

System evolution ABB’s life cycle policy helps extend the operating life of our customer’s control systems and improve profitability through evolution.

Tech first

SymphonyTM Plus is the new generation of ABB’s hugely successful Symphony fami-ly of control systems which was originally introduced in 1980, to meet the current and future needs of the power generation and water industries. With Symphony Plus, ABB is taking the Symphony success sto-ry to the next level. Like its predecessors, Symphony Plus is designed to meet the requirements of plant owners in all geo-graphic markets and in all types of power generation and water plants and to meet the performance objectives of various users – in operations, maintenance, engineer-ing, IT and management – plant produc-tivity, energy efficiency, operation securi-ty, plant safety and cost of ownership. It is an automation system that integrates all area of the plant in a simple, scalable, seamless and secure manner.

The Symphony Harmony family is a prov-en automation control system used for demanding applications in various indus-tries. Since its introduction, the system has progressed through several evolution-ary steps: INFI 90™, INFI 90™ Open, and Symphony Harmony. Following ABB’s life cycle policy of “Evolution without obsoles-cence”, this family of systems represents one of the largest installed bases of DCS in the world. A majority of these systems today are in operation in the power gen-eration and water sectors.

Today, Harmony has expanded to include the latest products and services from the world’s largest automation supplier. ABB has continued to provide enhancements with graceful evolution to newer technol-ogy and with power and water plant-spe-cific products and applications. The main components include state-of-the-art human machine interface (HMI) offerings that suit different customer needs, depending on their requirements and preferences. Other new functions and technology updates for

Harmony DCS include rack and DIN rail-mounted I/O modules, process controllers, communication modules, and system con-figuration tools. Symphony Harmony is tak-ing the next step in its evolutionary path.

Evolution versus ‘Rip-and-replace’ABB’s life cycle policy provides plant own-ers with the ability to extend the operating life of their control systems and improve the profitability of their investments through evolution, thus avoiding the rip-and-replace approach. ABB’s evolution approach offers plant owners the flexibility to upgrade the DCS in accordance with their business and the plant operational needs.

ABB’s evolution program supports a ‘step-wise’ approach in which components or process areas are upgraded individually as required during normal maintenance activities or online, while leaving the rest of the system undisturbed. Alternatively, a more extensive upgrade can be performed where major components with shorter life cycle periods such as controllers, HMI and power supplies are replaced during a nor-mal maintenance outage.

These two options utilize the DCS assets to their full life cycle potential, and alle-viate the need for a large capital invest-ment and cash flow impact associated with a full-scale ‘rip-and-replace’ approach that requires a major outage. Perhaps the most significant benefit of ABB’s evolution concept is to mitigate the risks associat-ed with ‘rip-and-replace’, such as poor design quality, resource allocation, plant trips, lost generation, project overruns, and commercial and legal issues.

Collaborative evolution planning processA successful evolution program begins with a solid plan driven by the owner’s business goals. Good planning is critical for any incremental, stepwise evolution

and can minimize the negative production impact of the actual upgrade process. It can simplify and improve the yearly bud-geting process and facilitate better system upgrades and planned plant shutdowns.

Individual planning is essential. Different industries invariably have different strate-gies and business issues going forward. At ABB, account managers and technical experts work with system owners individ-ually to address their unique needs. The collaborative relationship results in the best strategies for each individual site.

After a comprehensive audit of the exist-ing system, and with an understanding of the business drivers, ABB will:

− Submit a 3-5 year plan to be re-viewed and revised as necessary. ABB’s incremental approach sup-ports flexibility, and allows for changes to the plan as required over time.

− Identify and target which facilities are at greatest risk for production loss and those that have the greatest potential for increased production. As each phase is identified, ABB will provide value assessments and return-on investment support for

ABB’s evolution approach offers plant owners the flexibility to upgrade the DCS in accordance with their business and the plant’s operational needs.


Tech first Tech first

Evolution advantages versus ‘Rip-and-replace’ risks

Rip-and-replace risks

Risk unnecessary plant trips and production downtime due to: − errors creating a familiar controller strategy − errors recreating a familiar HMI strategy − operational errors due to unfamiliar system or control philosophy − unfamiliar documentation and troubleshooting procedures

Risk cost escalation and schedule delays due to: − executing a large engineering development project − implementing retuning efforts − re-training for plant operations, engineering and maintenance − installation wiring efforts and missed scope − construction change requests − extended checkout and startup (IO checks, logic checks, graphic checks) − re-implementation and troubleshooting for third-party interfaces

ABB’s evolution approach Rip-and-replace alternative

Retain proven control application software for:

− calibration and control tuning

− permissive and interlocks

− startup/shutdown, automatic load runbacks

− signal scaling and failure modes

− alarm set points and alarm conditioning logic

− simulator tuning and fault scenarios

Process control remains same as before

Control code re-engineering or translation is required. New algorithms

result in different process control behaviors and require retuning.

Retain plant knowledge base, operations and maintenance philosophy.

Upgraded engineering tools afford documentation that is the same

as existing upgraded HMI and affords familiar operational philosophy

for:

− user interface to control action

− situation handling and SOPs

− graphics display and navigation

− system diagnostics

− alarm, event handling, logs, reports and SOE

Upgraded system hardware affords familiar maintenance procedures

for:

− control system maintenance

− diagnostic and troubleshooting procedures

− engineering and online change procedures

− maintenance and tag out procedures

Plant personnel need to learn a new system. New documentation and

new C&M procedures are different and unfamiliar to plant personnel

that are supporting:

− troubleshooting for process control

− troubleshooting for system hardware

− operational look and feel

− maintenance procedure

Preserved investment in control system I/O

− hardware upgrades can be easily implemented at opportune time by

plant personnel

− offers significant cost savings, less work, less demands on plant

resources

Requires massive change-out of system hardware (I/O, controllers,

communication infrastructure, HMI and, as a minimum, specialty I/O

terminations)

Minimal commissioning and startup (no retuning of loops) Long commissioning and startup periods (reconfiguration and retuning

of loops)

Results in:

− minimal loss of production

− minimal risk

− lower project costs

Results in:

− greater loss of production

− increased risk

− higher project costs

consideration in order to facilitate successful project appropriation requests.

− Review the long term plan periodical-ly and update as required to reflect changing business needs and new ABB solutions. This approach takes the guess work out of the budgeting process. As part of this planning pro-cess, specific projects are identified and implemented.

Delivery of sound system solutions based on evolution plans is another important process in the evolution value chain.

ABB’s engineers are highly trained, skilled and equipped with the tools and resources

to do the job right. These ABB resources know what is installed, what is needed to meet future goals and know how to deliver it. The project begins with a comprehen-sive review of the requirements formulated in the long term plan. ABB’s project team will work closely with the system owner to formulate a project plan and achieve the desired end results. Based on this collab-orative effort, the team will design a solu-tion that will deliver results, protect sys-tem investments and present the lowest risk possible during installation.

ABB’s evolution strategy provides a plat-form to help maintain and enhance our customers’ existing automation system. This strategy of seamlessly integrating new

Upgrading of Indonesian power plant with Symphony™ Plus

ABB was awarded a contract from PT Pembangkitan Jawa-Bali (PT PJB), a subsidiary of PT PLN, to retrofit an existing installed base at the Gresik coal fired power plant located at East Java, Surabaya, Indonesia.

ABB will supply its Symphony™ Plus control system to provide full boiler protection and burner management ensuring boiler furnace safety, especially during hazardous operating phases of start-up and low-load operation. The system is integrated with a condition monitoring system to monitor, protect and diagnose the turbo supervisory parameters in the plant. ABB will also provide

an integrated historian for a reliable total plant diagnostic and operations optimization as well as business data storing and archiving to the power plant.

By upgrading their control system to Symphony Plus, PT PJB is able to protect its intellectual capital investment by reusing existing plant operation codes. This also supports risk free implementation at site in a very tight shutdown schedule.

This project will be the first Symphony Plus project installed in Indonesia after its launch last December. The project is scheduled to be completed by March 2012.

technology with the existing system low-ers the cost of ownership, increases the value the system provides, and extends the life of the system.

Symphony Plus has more than 6,000 existing installations and represents one of the largest installed bases of DCS in the world.

31ABB today 3|1130 ABB today 1|10

Sometimes, our engineers accompany newly commissioned rigs offshore for 28 days. Like taking care of a new born, life offshore is sometimes filled with stressful troubleshooting and long hours. In return, our engineers are rewarded with gorgeous ocean views, daily buffets, whales, and most of all, a happy healthy rig.

Engineers make good babysitters

Second take Second take

ABB’s first workshop

Flashback

Our first workshop at BBC (Brown, Boveri & Cie) in Baden, 1892On the helicopter deck overlooking Istanbul, TurkeyNot many of us have the opportunity like Service Commissioning Engineer Wong Chia Long to board an offshore rig. In order to do so, one has to pass a survival training course, the Helicopter Underwater Egress Training (HUET).

Celebrating a birthday in the auditorium28 days together in the middle of the ocean, and it’s inevitable that friendships are formed. According to Chia Long, although they work 12 hour shifts, life on board after work can mean catching a movie together, or watching sports on satellite television.

Absolutely.

Do robots communicate?

What happens when a robot malfunctions? ABB’s robot sends an alarm for help wirelessly to an ABB service engineer, who can then analyze the diagnostic information on a website and respond with support in just minutes. ABB’s remote service technology has proven to reduce unexpected breakdowns by up to 50 percent, resulting in increased production uptime. With remote service, plant managers can focus on their core production, leaving the task of keeping the robots in peak performance to ABB. www.abb.com/robotics

today - abb groupfile/abbtoday(3_2011)_final(email).pdf · abb today 3| 11 abb today 3 ... valued...

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