Norske Skog control system upgraded

MIPAC has successfully completed an upgrade of Norske Skog's Albury Paper Machine control system. MIPAC completed the upgrade and returned the machine to production 15 hours ahead of schedule.

Norske Skog, reportedly Australia's largest newsprint producer, originally selected MIPAC in 2002 to upgrade all measurement and automation systems. This latest phase of the project in Albury involved replacing a number of disparate legacy systems with one consistent system that automates the entire operation.

The six-day planned shutdown was used to change over the control system on the paper machine. The risks involved with such an important changeover were mitigated by meticulous planning and faultless implementation.

Attention to detail, thorough planning and process knowledge reduced the risks on a very complex project.

These legacy systems, each with a proprietary user interface, made it difficult for plant operators to visualise an end-to-end process. This resulted in increased down time costs and increased maintenance costs due to unsupported equipment. As a result of the MIPAC control system upgrade, plant operators now have a single user interface, with improved control strategies and alarm management.