Burner safety improved

BURNERS ARE used widely in industry for processes and functions that involve heating. A burner management system assures the safe startup, operation and shutdown of burners in ovens, furnaces, dryers, incinerators, boilers and more. Rockwell Automation Gold OEM Partner, Lawrence Equipment builds ovens and fryers using Rockwell Automation CompactLogix for combustion and process control. 

Previously, burner management was controlled by a third-party BMS through a hard-wired control interface and single-channel sensors tied in series to one input, which limited visibility into the system. Because different startup sequences needed a different BMS, multiple units were used, leading to increased assembly time and complexity, and more space needed in the control panel.

Given the long-standing partnership with Rockwell and the fact that many Lawrence Equipment customers already rely on Rockwell Automation in their facilities, the company approached Rockwell about developing a simpler, integrated safety solution. Third-party certification of the safety solution would enable fast, issue-free installation and commissioning of Lawrence Equipment worldwide.

Solution

Rockwell developed the Burner Management Add On Instruction Suite in Studio 5000 with input and beta testing by Lawrence Equipment. The Suite enables the same GuardLogix safety controller to perform standard control, machine and process safety on one integrated platform. The resulting increase in visibility makes burner management easier to troubleshoot and maintain, and reduces risk of errors.

The free Add On Instruction Suite provides standard code to manage all of the sequences of burner management. Without writing custom code, Studio 5000® users can quickly and easily develop their own integrated-safety BMS applications configurable for multiple pilots and fuels. Despite variation in BMS types and types of fuel, the Suite provides flexibility to match the majority of BMS applications across industries.

Securing safety certification of the Burner Management Add On Instruction Suite from exida was crucial. “We wanted a third-party safety specialist to do the certification,” said Froylan Mier, control and automation manager at Lawrence Equipment. “Certification is fundamental for us to implement this integrated safety solution all over the world. That is the only thing that will allow all of our customers to use it.”

Third-party certification of both the Burner Management Add On Instruction Suite and GuardLogix Safety Controller-based architecture streamlines compliance at the global level, making it faster and easier for OEMs to meet safety requirements and for customers to commission their systems.

For Lawrence Equipment, the Rockwell Automation Compact 5000 I/O System was the final piece of the integrated safety solution. 5069 Safety IO is TÜV Rheinland-certified and provides automatic device diagnostics with no special wiring. With 5069 I/O, each sensor is tied to its own input, providing greater visibility and diagnostics for operation.

Result

Lawrence Equipment plans to pilot the integrated safety solution in select locations worldwide. Eventually, the Rockwell solution will be rolled out on all Lawrence Equipment ovens, boilers and the fryer. The simplification provided by the integrated safety architecture will mean less programming, less panel space needed, and more efficient issue resolution for Lawrence Equipment’s service technicians. The streamlined solution will also enable the company to get its industry-leading products to market faster, and eliminate the complexity of using another BMS vendor.

“The immediate outcomes will be easier implementation and troubleshooting of our machines for our customers. We’re going to keep our place as an industry leader, and at same time, we’re going to make the industry safer, says Froylan Mier, control and automation manager, Lawrence Equipment.

www.rockwellautomation.com