CLIENT PROFILE
An investments company headquartered on the East Coast* provides investment management, investment services, and wealth management in markets all over the world. The Data Processing Center located in the Midwest is one of their existing data centers that was expanded to increase the firm’s global technology infrastructure. This project was particularly complex because of the need to integrate equipment furnished by multiple vendors using various types of communication protocols. In addition, skids of standalone prepackaged equipment were factory programmed with generic sequences that were not aligned with the overall needs of the system as a whole.
PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
Thermo Systems was selected as the Control System Integration firm to implement a turnkey industrial control system for the Data Center expansion. A detailed site survey and equipment submittal review helped us identify differences with the engineered design and what vendors were planning to supply for the project. Thermo initiated communications with all parties to verify these shortcomings and find a common protocol that satisfied the owners wants and the capabilities of the vendors. We then designed control panels utilizing redundant Allen Bradley ControlLogix processors and communications modules that would seamlessly integrate all equipment. A Wonderware IAS SCADA package was deployed that captured the operation of the mechanical equipment and the complete electrical distribution system including substations, UPS units, switchgear, and Power Distribution units.
TECHNOLOGY HIGHLIGHTS
- Allen Bradley ControlLogix PLCs
- Allen Bradley CompactLogix PLCs
- Wonderware IAS SCADA
RESULTS
Thermo Systems’ expertise with plant level equipment helped us to quickly identify the disconnect between vendor and intended design and develop a network plan to allow these individual pieces of equipment with various communication protocols to operate as a cohesive system for the owner. In the end, Thermo Systems provided the customer with a widely expanded data processing capacity.
*Due to the criticality of the site, Thermo Systems cannot disclose the client’s name.
