LDM Foods Project

Oct 17, 2012

LDM Foods recently built a Canola Crushing and Oil Refining Plant in the heart of the Canola growingldm region in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, Canada. This plant is capable of processing 2,500 metric tons of canola seed per day, which is processed into food-grade oil along with producing pelletized meal for use as livestock feed.

As part of this green-field project, LDM Foods selected Matrix Technologies as their primary integrator and central authority for all networking, controls, and instrumentation within the new facility, continuing the strong relationship that was developed with Louis Dreyfus during the construction, start-up, and continuing support of their Soy Bean Processing and Biodiesel Plant in Claypool, Indiana, the world’s largest such facility.

For the LDM Foods Canola Plant, Matrix Technologies helped LDM Foods select a Rockwell ControlLogix and Wonderware Intouch 10.1 control platform solution. This solution integrated the very latest in control technology incorporating 7 plant area ControlLogix 5000 controllers, ControlNet and Ethernet communications, 18 Allen Bradley IntelliCenter MCCs and 22 Wonderware Intouch 10.1 thin client HMIs with instant failover redundant I/O servers. The HMI dual-session and dual-monitor thin client platform utilized the latest in ACP thin client hardware and thin manager software.

Above and beyond the regular functions of a system integrator, as part of Matrixs Technologies’ scope of work for the Yorkton Canola Plant, LDM Foods’ personnel specifically selected Matrix to function as the central authority for all networking, controls, instrumentation and integration within the new facility. With this, Matrix successfully performed the following services for LDM Foods:

  • Matrix developed a complete set of Design Standards/Specifications for the plant including PLC Programming standards and specifications, HMI Development standards and specifications, Network Hardware and Design specifications, Electrical Controls Hardware specifications, and Electrical Drawing specifications.
  • Matrix worked closely with Louis Dreyfus corporate IT department to design and coordinate a full gigabit, fiber backbone network consisting of 5 separate VLANs and 13 interface switches providing IP phone services, plant data services, PLC communication, HMI communication, and commodity transfer accounting communication.
  • Matrix worked with over fifteen (15) different Original Equipment Manufacturers on a variety of different levels, ranging from hardware and software integration of OEM equipment to the Plant control system to working closely with the OEMs to ensure conformity to plant standards.
  • Matrix provided Detailed Functional and Design Specifications for all areas of the plant, which included detailed descriptions of the Automated Process Sequences that were built into each system.
  • Matrix developed all electrical drawings for the plant including detailed I/O lists, I/O schematics, panel layouts, and full construction packages.
  • Matrix managed the procurement of all control equipment, including the fabrication, assembly, wiring, and checking of over twenty-five (25) PLC control panels and network panels.
  • Matrix developed six (6) ControlLogix 5000 PLC programs and one (1) Wonderware Intouch 10.1 application for the plant. The application was deployed to twenty-two (22) HMIs residing on eleven (11) dual-monitor, dual-session thin clients to form the base plant control platform.
  • Matrix utilized ControlNet, DeviceNet, ASI bus, OPC, HART, and EthernetIP communications to integrate remote I/O, Intellicenter MCCs, HMIs, servers, and a breadth of third-party devices together.
  • Matrix designed the control system with instant failover redundant Thin Manager and I/O servers. The HMIs provided for Manual, Maintenance, and Automatic Process control along with monitoring and analyses of all plant systems and processes. The control system also supported real-time and historical fault and alarm monitoring and analysis as well as real-time and historical trending/analysis, and recipe management and tracking.
  • Matrix also design a Wonderware Historian and Wonderware Information Server (Web Server) to accommodate Process Totalization and Inventory/Accounting reporting and analyses.
  • Matrix worked with the General Contractor and the Electrical Contractor to implement an effective and comprehensive system of issuing and distributing drawings, answering Request for Information from the field electricians, quickly and cost-effectively implementing client changes, and tracking and completing punch-list items during construction.
  • Matrix implemented a full set of configuration, checkout, and testing procedures used to check all field I/O. The checkout sheets included progress reporting capabilities that gave the client clear and concise reports on the ldmpercent complete of checkout and testing.

Matrix Technologies was truly a partner with LDM Foods in this endeavor. In this relationship, LDM Foods personnel could feel comfortable to focus on their most crucial tasks of constructing, training, and running their plant, knowing that they could count on Matrix to look out for their best interest and foresee the potential pitfalls. Matrix looks forward to continuing to work with Louis Dreyfus to help build, improve, and maintain the most efficient, productive, and profitable plants possible.
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