ABB has launched its latest release of ABB Ability ™ Sugar Library enhanced with new functionalities to serve as a control engineering inventory for sugar manufacturers. It will help to reduce engineering costs and development timelines, simplify expansions and eliminate errors in engineering and improve quality and reliability in operational use.

The release features a range of specifically designed templates for sugar process applications in beet and cane sugar industries. It fulfils all process area requirements including raw material handling, purification, crystallization and sugar handling, and now evaporation and filtration. Customizable templates will result in engineering efficiencies. For operators, efficient monitoring of process helps to optimize resources and energy usage.

A high-performance human-machine interface (HMI) has been designed for fast detection and resolution of process disturbances, with alarm messages. In maintenance, teams will gain the right information at the right time, with tracking and trends visually available. The auto-reconfigurable dynamic, high-performance HMI visualizations provided in the library for selected operations will greatly reduce the commissioning time and will also help plant engineers and operators to focus on continuous improvement.

Among sustainability advantages, ABB Ability™ Sugar Library features a steam economy mode that ensures no more steam than required is generated during the evaporation phase. It is also collected and reused for the crystallization phase, saving any fuel used to make the steam and therefore reducing production costs. The solution is built from knowledge attained through collaboration with major process and equipment suppliers and sugar manufacturers. This ensures that the latest process control philosophies are incorporated within the library. It comprises components for control and supervision, with each a complete functional unit ready for use and able to be adapted to specific user needs.

ABB Ability ™ Sugar Library will benefit ABB’s installed base customers, channel partners and system integrators for plant optimization and expansion requirements as well as new greenfield installations, ensuring a reduced total cost of ownership. It integrates with the latest versions of ABB’s distributed control system (DCS) ABB Ability™ System 800xA and provisions support for ABB Ability™ Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM). It can support end-customers’ digitalization strategies, sustainability, quality improvement and waste reduction initiatives.

“ABB Ability™ Sugar Library enables reliability, quality, engineering and operational benefits for our customers, channel partners and system integrators and aligns with our overall digitalization strategy in the food and beverage industry,” said Marcello Gulinelli, Global Head of Food & Beverage, Process Industries, ABB. “We are encouraging efficient monitoring of the production process to help optimize resource and energy usage. This gives operators the information they need at the right time and allows flexible controls. We look forward to wider adoption across our installed base and potentially with new customers globally.”

Sugar manufacturers can take advantage of ready-to-use templates with control schemes for not only vacuum pans and associated Brix control, but also for all other critical process areas including purification, evaporation and raw material handling along with associated process equipment. Library provisions include efficient boil up curves with customizable algorithms. Operators will experience improved control for steam economy, better shape and homogeneity for crystals, with alerts and data logging capabilities throughout.

ABB offers worldwide support, with local experts on hand, for the large installed base, its control systems and associated applications, with clear product development roadmaps in place.

ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a leading global technology company that energizes the transformation of society and industry to achieve a more productive, sustainable future. By connecting software to its electrification, robotics, automation and motion portfolio, ABB pushes the boundaries of technology to drive performance to new levels. With a history of excellence stretching back more than 130 years, ABB’s success is driven by about 105,000 talented employees in over 100 countries. www.abb.com

ABB’s Process Automation business is a leader in automation, electrification and digitalization for the process and hybrid industries. We serve our customers with a broad portfolio of products, systems, and end-to-end solutions, including our # 1 distributed control system, software, and lifecycle services, industry-specific products as well as measurement and analytics, marine and turbocharging offerings. As the global #2 in the market, we build on our deep domain expertise, diverse team and global footprint, and are dedicated to helping our customers increase competitiveness, improve their return on investment and run safe, smart, and sustainable operations. go.abb/processautomation