Limestone calciner transforms operations with new integrated control room

05May

There are few qualities so desirable for a business to have than an ability to adapt to change. Industries evolve, circumstances shift, but what remains over time are those businesses with the foresight and flexibility to move with the tides.

Such adaptability is perfectly exemplified by limestone calciner, Singleton Birch. Formed in 1815, the company has endured through multiple industrial eras and continues to thrive to this day. In part, this is due to the company’s unique structure.

Governed by a board of trustees, composed of several charities along with descendants of the original owners, the company focuses on reinvesting capital back into the organisation, to fuel continual improvement and modernisation initiatives. It’s this approach that has given the Lincolnshire-based company the flexibility to deliver an expansive set of products and services to more than 300 customers, across the energy, utilities, water treatment and steel sectors.

Command and control

A central component for managing this complex supply chain is its control operations. This function is responsible for monitoring everything from the extraction of calcium carbonate (limestone), to the delivery of products and removal of wastes at remote customer sites. Historically, command operations were managed via eight separate control rooms, situated in proximity to production locations, each with its own operational and engineering staff. These locations incorporated around 40 legacy PLCs and 25 SCADA applications, each supported by separate servers at the remote locations.

Read the full article in the May issue of PBSI