Helle Engineering does it all! Take our LNG project in Hopkinton, Massachusetts where we were involved from the beginning of DCS & SIS programming and all the way through commissioning. Our client not only requested us to run a successful Software Acceptance Test (FAT), but also be boots on the ground to commission a brand-new LNG plant! To this day we are still in direct contact with our client and provide support when needed.
Over the course of a year Helle Engineering was responsible for testing and verifying thousands of I/O, interfacing across different automation platforms, designing HMI graphics, creating a secure control network, setting up a local PI historian, and even creating custom software per our client!
Helle Engineering has and will always follow ISA and NEC standards with all work we do. Naturally this includes doing loop checks on any I/O we install, and it was one of the first tasks we completed during our LNG project. Our loop checks consist of verifying I/O readings from the device in the field all the way back to the DCS screen. With analog I/O we do a 5-point check verifying readings at 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20mA to make sure the DCS reads 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% of the scalable range. This is not only an industry standard but also our standard. We strive to provide our clients with an efficient and accurate product to maximize their reliability.
Our company is not limited to one automation platform. We are well versed in multiple client software packages and communication protocols. Using this knowledge, we were able to interface all sub vendor skids with our client’s DCS allowing control over every piece of equipment at the site from one central location. Some of these include but are not limited to FactoryTalk SE & ME, Allen Bradley, Siemens, GE Multilin, Modbus, Profinet and OPC.
Helle Engineering also develops HMI graphics! Following ISA standards our graphics are operator friendly and easy to understand. We can create custom graphics from scratch, however in the case of this project our client requested us to mirror graphics from an HMI panel to the operator console and make them user friendly.
When commissioning a new plant, it is understandable to run into problems. In the case of this project, it was a 3rd party network design that would not support the Device Level Ring (DLR) needed for redundancy. We quickly identified the network problem and redesigned, then implemented a layer 2 control network using fiber optic media. We also added UDLD on the switches and NIC teaming redundant protocols on the servers to ensure the operator consoles did not see a Loss of View (LOV).
Helle Engineering has and always will strive to provide the best service possible using cost-efficient methods while following industry standards.