Since 2003, all hazardous location products to be sold in the European market must be certified to the ATEX directive (ATEX 94/9/EC). The objective of ATEX is to allow goods to be traded throughout the European Union under one harmonized set of standards. ATEX product certification (or EC Type Examination) involves a detailed process of examination, testing and assessment of equipment intended for use in potentially hazardous areas. Once this process has been completed, an ATEX certificate and report is issued by a Notified Body.

In collaboration with certified bodies, we can engineer and build certified enclosures for UL, ATEX, IECEx, and CE. These certified enclosures may be populated with terminals, pushbuttons, selector switches, indicator lamps, cable glands, conduit hubs, and breather drains.

All our schematics are designed using a CAD program. We can export drawings to various formats and versions, or provide them in a standard PDF format. Depending on the application, our drawing packages will often include symbol legends, a fuse replacement chart, terminal specifications, torque chart, or wire specifications all on the main page. Within the drawing package, we often include such items as panel layouts, cable drawings, and labeling drawings.

We provide drawing packages on RASP templates, or if desired, we will provide the drawings using your templates and name. Typical drawings packages may be for fresh new designs, updating an existing drawing package, or drawing a new set from a hard copy to provide you with a modifiable electronic copy.

With intelligent I/O modules that perform real-time processing of critical parameters within your automation, we can assess current health and predict the future health of industrial machinery with vibration analysis. This allows for scheduled downtime to replace bearings, gearboxes and motors BEFORE a catastrophic failure, which would require replacement instead of a lower cost, scheduled downtime repair.

Implementation can be performed on a standalone or plant-wide basis.

When designing a communications network or a control network, we focus on existing hardware technology, new hardware technology, interfacing, network volume, and speeds. Oftentimes, new hardware technology needs to interface with existing hardware and the existing communication or network protocols… The two do not always easily interface, or may not interface at all. We will evaluate the most cost-efficient options for migrating two different protocols so they will work together. In doing so, we will review the amount of traffic and data that needs to be transmitted, as well as the speeds and frequency at which the data needs to be sent and received.

If the network is to be all new and does not need to interface with older technology, the same rules for evaluating still apply – we will review the traffic volume, speeds, and frequency. Additionally, we will review what best fits your current situation by analyzing your software, hardware and abilities.

We design many different types of network systems, including Ethernet, Ethernet/IP, RS232, Control-Net, Device-Net, DH+, DH485, Modbus, and Modbus/TCP.

Condition monitoring systems watch your production machinery and mitigate downtime and repair cost by detecting potential equipment failures before they occur and allowing scheduled down time for correction. With intelligent I/O modules that perform real-time processing of critical parameters within your automation, we can assess current health and predict the future health of industrial machinery with vibration analysis.

This allows for scheduled downtime to replace bearings, gearboxes and motors before a catastrophic failure, which requires replacement instead of a lower cost, scheduled downtime repair.

Implementation can be performed on a standalone or plant-wide basis.

Collection of data may be PLC-based, PC-based, or a standalone system. With experience in all these areas, we have many data acquisition options. Data collection, reporting, retrieval and storage all have many hardware and software options available depending on your needs; factors of which include the amount of information to be collected, and the frequency of the collection. These will greatly affect the amount of information to be processed.

From there, we can evaluate how you want to access the data. Access can be over a network, on an HMI, directly to a PC or stored to a removable memory card. Once it determined how to access the data, we can evaluate how you want it presented, whether it be an Excel document or another form of report…. Lastly, we need to determine how long the data is to be stored, if it can be overwritten, and how often.

Depending on your requirements, we can provide many levels of documentation including schematics, cut sheets, program printouts, operating sequences, etc.

For PLC programs, we can provide a digital copy of the program on a CD, or flash drive. If a hard copy of the program is desired, we can print a copy and provide it in a binder.

For HMI programs, we can also provide the digital copy or a hard copy printout in a binder. Electrical schematics options include various file formats such as DWG, DXF, PDF and others in addition to hard copy options.

Oftentimes, customers request the cut sheets for each component installed. We will first try to obtain the manufacturer’s original digital version, and if that is not available, we will scan the hard copy provided with the device.

Other documentation services include a recommended spare parts list, bill of materials, operating instructions, theory of operation, and configuration documentation.

We can create Web-enabled, energy management software packages that give you access to critical energy information from virtually any location, with tracked trending of usage to allow accurate cost accounting based on consumption to the department level if required.

We can also generate customized reports to suit your information needs and understand the impact of power quality events on your equipment or facility.

By utilizing our experience for hazardous area panel design and purge systems, we can properly design and UL list systems for hazardous locations.

UL listed control panels and assemblies for use in hazardous locations including the following types:

Increased Safety (Ex e):

• Type X Purge. For use in Class I, Division 1, Groups A, B, C and D Hazardous locations.
• Explosion-Proof. For use in Class I, Division 1, Groups B, C and D Hazardous locations.
• Type Z Purge. For use in Class I, Division 2, Groups A, B, C and D Hazardous locations.
• Nonincendive. For use in Class I, Division 2, Groups A, B, C and D Hazardous locations.

Additionally, we work with third party agencies for your ATEX and IECEx certified enclosures needs for the following:

• Increased Safety (Ex e)
• Intrinsic Safety (Ex ia)
• Flameproof (Ex d)

When we think of HMIs, we are usually concerned with the programming aspects and often overlook the graphic design portion. If you desire more graphic detail than a standard push button display, we can help make that happen.

If you have a plan in mind, just tell us what you want on your HMI and we will create it; or we can use our experience to recommend and customize an HMI for you.

Typical graphics improvements include graphics of the plant process equipment or machines, and animated representation of their current state. Other popular graphical improvements include customer logos, animated tank levels, trending, graphs, and pop up screens. We can even provide video and live camera display if desired.

The objective of the IECEx System is to facilitate international trade in equipment and services for use in explosive atmospheres, while maintaining the required level of safety:

• Reduced testing and certification costs to manufacturer
• Reduced time to market
• International confidence in the product assessment process
• One international database listing
  maintaining International Confidence in equipment and services covered by IECEx Certification

In collaboration with certified bodies, we can engineer and build certified enclosures for UL, ATEX, IECEx, CE. These certified enclosures may be populated with terminals, pushbuttons, selector switches, indicator lamps, cable glands, conduit hubs, and breather drains.

When designing industrial control circuits, inputs and outputs may seem pretty obvious… But beyond the standard digital I/O, we have experience with many other types of I/O that often come with challenges. We design projects with all types of I/O configurations available, including digital, analog, encoder, thermocouple, and others.

Many aspects of designing I/O are often overlooked. For example, when designing analog I/O, the challenges of wiring the circuits is not often considered. Not only do we take into account the electrical characteristics, but also the physical characteristics for real world applications. We look at how far back the insulation has to be removed in order for the shield to reach the tie point, how many shields go to a point, how they need to run in the panel for isolation from high power, and the bundle size.

When designing an encoder circuit, we review the encoder location, connectors, interface points, and how all that gets physically wired. For designing circuits that require thermocouples and RTD’s we will review the accuracy requirements to determine if specialty terminal blocks are necessary. For example, a type J thermocouple requires a different terminal block than a type K thermocouple in order to maintain the proper metallic properties of the termination required for accurate readings. These and many other experiences are put into our I/O designs.

An Installed Base Evaluation can help you reduce costs by identifying and eliminating excess inventory, which can help improve Return on Net Assets (RONA), increase uptime by ensuring critical spares are on site to support production and maintenance, identify and mitigate risks associated with supporting legacy equipment, gain broader visibility into your plant assets. In collaboration with Rockwell Automation there are three steps to the process:

Step 1 – Field Collection:
On-site data is collected by a Field Service Professional. During a site visit, we work with you to
develop a systematic model for data collection, which can include a review of your complete electrical and mechanical installed base. We focus on the process and machines in place, providing analysis in the context of your most critical facility performance.

Step 2 – Processing:
Using customized software for analysis we determine plant lifecycle risks and overall Maintenance, Repair & Operations inventory status. To determine recommended inventory levels, we review your products installed, plant operating hours and product Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) data.

Step 3 – Delivery:
Using a consultative approach, we deliver the analysis to you, along with recommendations and work with you to develop an action plan. The reports detail what’s installed, what’s missing and what equipment is nearing the end of its critical life. Our presentation to you discusses solutions that are going to be most effective in helping you improve plant performance.

Your final analysis includes:

• Easy-to-read reports, with red, yellow and green coding indicating the lifecycle status of all parts
• Identification of critical spares, including excess, insufficient and inactive spares
• Enterprise, software and custom reporting available upon request
• Lifecycle analysis
• Inventory analysis
• Plant analysis

We have many success stories of migration to new hardware from older or even obsolete systems. This includes engineering, programming translating, removal of old hardware, and installation of new hardware! We have successfully upgraded systems which have included PLC’s, HMI’s, drives, and servos, along with auxiliary hardware such as pushbuttons.

Upgrades do not necessarily mean direct replacements of hardware. In some cases, it may mean upgrading an application to new standards, to improve on efficiency or for safety… Or it may be to upgrade from an old style to a new style of control, such as replacing a pushbutton station that has pilot lights, pushbuttons and selector switches with a single HMI.

Our upgrades have included systems for aggregate, chemical, medical, food/beverage, packaging and automation machinery.

From standalone systems to PLC integrated motion control we design and program systems for simple motion to complex and coordinated motion applications. When dealing with motion control applications, there are times when they are easily done with simple AC or DC drives, or pneumatics. There are other times that a servo system or linear actuator may be a better fit. We can help identify the best solution for the application. This often eliminates the need for additional software and programming, and can simplify communications and control.

When motion control requires a servo system for the application, we have experience with stand alone servos indexing, fixed positioning, random positioning and force applications. In addition to standalone systems, we also have experience with PLC integrated system where the motion profiles are done in the PLC.

Whether it be the addition of variable speed control, modernization from DC to AC, or linking multiple drives via Ethernet and a PLC to provide precise tension control, RASP has you covered. Our experts can design, install, program and startup a custom solution to meet your needs. Motor control upgrades can be as simple as replacing a contactor with a variable speed drive, or replacing an older DC solution with an AC solution. Other times, an upgrade may be to replace an obsolete or failed controller with a newer one.

Motor controls upgrades are usually associated with what directly controls the motor but often times they are much more. An upgrade can be adding PLC control to a motor circuit for increased functionality , monitoring or diagnostics. Additionally, an upgrade may be to add control to an HMI again for increased functionality, monitoring or diagnostics. Oftentimes a motor control system upgrade eliminates a complete station of pushbuttons and pilot lights.

Once a control system enters the manufacturing stage, one of the first procedures is the panel layout. Most commonly the panel layout design is done at the engineering stage, however there are times when there is no designed layout provided. Even if an engineered layout was done, prior to doing any cutouts or drilling the components are laid out to verify everything fits as desired.

Other things that are evaluated are the weight, depth, thermal dissipation, swing radius of components, voltage separation and how to wire.

If no pre-engineered layout is provided, we use our experience to do an on the spot panel layout based on the products, schematic and various code guidelines. An as-built panel layout can be provided by our engineering team after the fact if desired.

As an area often overlooked, we take panel layouts seriously to help ensure the best quality, functionality, distribution and look possible.

Remote access of plant information and logic via modem, cellular or cloud connections, with the utmost concern of security. Remote Access Dial-In Kits let you connect remotely to your site’s network and/or programmable controller. Once connected, you can monitor the process, collect data, and make program changes remotely.

From across the street to across the globe, we can set up your system for remote log-in.

By designing a system with the proper Purge & Pressurization System it allows for the safe use of systems in hazardous areas. We have designed and built numerous purge system enclosures for various types of hazard areas. In addition, we can provide a UL certification for hazardous location beyond the standard 508A based on the following classifications:

• Type X Purge. For use in Class I, Division 1, Groups A, B, C and D Hazardous locations.
• Explosion-Proof. For use in Class I, Division 1, Groups B, C and D Hazardous locations.
• Type Z Purge. For use in Class I, Division 2, Groups A, B, C and D Hazardous locations.
• Nonincendive. For use in Class I, Division 2, Groups A, B, C and D Hazardous locations.

All our schematics are designed using a CAD program. We can export drawings to various formats, versions or provide them in PDF format. Depending on the application our drawing packages will often include symbol legends, a fuse replacement chart, terminal specifications, torque chart or wire specifications all on the main page. Within the drawing package, we often include such items as panel layouts, cable drawings, labeling drawings.

We provide drawing packages on RASP templates, or if desired, we will provide the drawings using your templates and name. Typical drawings packages may be for fresh new designs, updating an existing drawing package, or drawing a new set from a hard copy so you’ll have a modifiable electronic copy.

We can design, build and mark UL-listed control panels and assemblies for use in hazardous locations including the following types:

• Type X Purge. For use in Class I, Division 1, Groups A, B, C and D Hazardous locations.
• Explosion-Proof. For use in Class I, Division 1, Groups B, C and D Hazardous locations.
• Type Z Purge. For use in Class I, Division 2, Groups A, B, C and D Hazardous locations.
• Nonincendive. For use in Class I, Division 2, Groups A, B, C and D Hazardous locations.

By combining our long term experience with UL 508A and utilizing our experience with ATEX and IECEx, we can provide an ideal solution for a UL-rated hazardous area panel design and purge system.

If you need wireless I/O for collecting data from and controlling moving systems, or fixed hard to reach systems, we can design and implement a wireless solution to meet your needs. This also includes wireless access to PLC’s, located throughout the plant for program updates and monitoring. This can be accomplished through the use of wireless hotspots, wireless to Ethernet and serial adaptors, and in-chassis wireless adaptors.