Design Tools Help Water/Wastewater Equipment Manufacturer Enhance Machine Performance and Reduce Engineering Costs

CD1104_Rockwell_MeurerResearch

Design Tools Help Water/Wastewater Equipment Manufacturer Enhance Machine Performance and Reduce Engineering Costs
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Since 1978, Meurer Research Inc. in Golden, Colo., has researched, developed and manufactured water and wastewater treatment systems used by municipalities around the world. Among MRI's most successful products are plate settlers, which are used in water and wastewater treatment plants as a method of pretreatment before the water enters the membrane filtration system. By separating and removing heavy solids that can clog filters, the plate settlers help extend membrane life, minimize cleaning requirements and reduce operating costs. To help ensure these systems deliver maximum reliability, MRI sought to redesign and upgrade the control equipment on one of its 10 pilot units. The control system previously employed on the pilot unit included a mix of control products from multiple vendors, which hindered interoperability and limited connectivity between all of the automation equipment on a given machine. MRI worked with Rockwell Automation to ease the integration of components by working with a single-source supplier that could provide a control system easily integrated as a unified and more reliable system. In addition to improving reliability, performance and ease of use, MRI also wanted to equip the system with remote-monitoring capabilities. This would allow MRI to evaluate system performance and troubleshoot problems without traveling to the test site.