Expansion by measurement technology manufacturer in South America.

A new plant has been opened by WIKA at its Boituva site in Brazil. This strengthens its subsidiary in the state of São Paulo as a strategic hub for the region. It is a state-of-the-art manufacturing and logistics facilities covering an area of around 12,500 square metres, approximately 8,000 of which are dedicated to production. These facilities are replacing the previous site in neighbouring Iperó, which no longer had sufficient space.

“The new plant in Boituva is a milestone for WIKA in many respects,” says Alexander Wiegand, Chairman and CEO of the WIKA Group. “On the one hand, it provides us with a modern facility in the region’s most economically important country, offering our staff an excellent working environment and providing scope for growth and production expansion. On the other hand, the plant symbolises the enormous progress that WIKA Brazil has made in recent years.”

This new facility enables the company to respond to the growing demand for high-quality measurement solutions in Brazil and neighbouring markets. The plant will boost the region’s production and logistics capacity and strengthen the links between the Latin American subsidiaries.

South America has been an important growth market for WIKA for many years. The Mercosur trade agreement between the EU and several Latin American countries has recently opened up new market opportunities. Since the foundation of WIKA Brazil in 1981, WIKA has firmly established itself in the region thanks to its strong teams and clear strategic focus. Today, the measurement technology manufacturer also has its own subsidiaries in Argentina, Mexico, Chile and Colombia.

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@WIKANews #PAuto #Manufacturing #Brazil

Digital twin technology setting a new standard.

Accelerates project delivery and cuts costs for Brazil-based company.Rockwell Automation has achieved significant time savings, improved project accuracy and reduced operational costs for Falcare Industrial Equipment in Sao Caetano do Sup in Brazil. With more than 50 years serving retail, wholesale, food and beverage, logistics operations and automotive and machinery sectors, Falcare sought to strengthen project reliability and reduce time-consuming physical testing. The company faced increasing pressure to shorten sales cycles, eliminate field implementation rework and enhance the precision of complex automation systems.

To address these challenges, Falcare turned to Rockwell Automation’s digital twin technology, utilizing Emulate3D™ to simulate mechanical behavior, including robot and conveyor speeds, before machines were ever built. This approach significantly improved sustainability, energy efficiency and operational predictability.

By integrating Rockwell Automation’s suite of digital simulation and virtual commissioning tools, Falcare achieved:

• 60% faster project execution, enabling quicker customer previews and accelerated delivery timelines.
• Greater precision and quality, thanks to early validation that mitigates failures, errors and costly rework.
• Improved decision-making, driven by accurate digital modeling of equipment behavior.
• Reduced waste and energy use, resulting in more sustainable operations. 

This project represents a truly innovative leap forward as few Brazilian companies currently use virtual commissioning with control logic emulation to enhance post-sales support and cut implementation costs. Before adopting Rockwell’s technologies. Falcare attempted alternative tools but encountered limitations, including restricted modeling capacity, inadequate mechanicalautomation integration and dataprocessing bottlenecks. Emulate3D™ solved these issues by providing seamless integration between mechanics and controls, delivering a dynamic, highly accurate digital representation of the entire system. This enabled Falcare to preview system behavior, validate control logic and identify physical discrepancies well before deployment, reducing uncertainty and streamlining commissioning.

Falcare and Rockwell Automation (PT) have set a new standard for intralogistics engineering. By replacing traditional prototype testing with immersive digital simulation, Falcare can now:

• Confidently demonstrate system performance to customers early in the sales cycle.
• Enhance postsales support with greater visibility into system behavior.

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@ROKAutomation @ROKAutoEMEA #Falcare #PAuto

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Manufacturing execution system as a first.

Eurofarma Laboratórios has successfully transitioned all of its manufacturing operations at the main production facility in Itapevi, São Paulo to Körber’s PAS-X Manufacturing Execution System – becoming the first national company in Brazil to do so. The implementation paves the way to operational excellence, enabling real-time data access, full traceability, and enhanced regulatory compliance.

Eurofarma’s main production facility
 Itapevi, São Paulo, BZ

At the Itapevi site, Eurofarma manufactures a wide range of products, including generics, oncology medicines, OTC drugs, and veterinary products – all of which were previously produced through manual processes. These numerous manual tasks, supported by thousands of paper documents, needed to be replaced with digital workflows.

“To achieve a digital Factory of Excellence, Eurofarma chose PAS-X MES from Körber,” says Daniel Bosso Gonçalves, Vice President Latin America Software, Körber Business Area Pharma. “The company once again takes the lead in the region, by overcoming the challenging transformation of its manufacturing processes, shifting from manual, paper-based operations to a fully digital environment, enhancing quality, efficiency, and visibility, and setting the stage for sustained innovation.”

Today, over 200 workstations are using Electronic Batch Recording (EBR), covering the entire process from warehouse distribution to final packaging. This spans five buildings and multiple production types. The implementation also includes digital equipment setup, cleaning processes, and electronic logbooks.

“We’re celebrating a major milestone in our digital transformation journey with the successful implementation of PAS-X MES at our facility,” says Allan Santiago, Director of Global Quality at Eurofarma. “This achievement marks a new era of operational excellence, enabling real-time data access, full traceability, and enhanced regulatory compliance. By replacing manual processes with digital workflows, we’ve significantly reduced errors and improved efficiency. For the Quality team, this means faster, data-driven decisions and stronger audit readiness.”

Eurofarma partnered effectively with Körber, leveraging their project management expertise and coordination of a multidisciplinary team. Key users from various departments – including Quality, Production, Automation, IT, and Manufacturing Excellence – were strategically involved throughout the project.

The digitalization project was rolled out in different phases. The initial phase focused on deploying PAS-X MES in weighing and dispensing areas including connectivity with digital scales, and the manipulation steps through to final filling and packaging for a small family of products/, all these also integrated with SAP. This phase was completed in just eight months from project kickoff to go-live. Subsequent phases extended coverage to all other processes, products, and recipes, ultimately achieving full digital integration.

As part of the MES project, more than 20,000 Master Batch Records (MBRs) were designed, providing comprehensive control over operations, equipment usage, and material tracking. All operator interactions are now conducted digitally, ensuring full compliance with FDA 21 CFR Part 11.

“We now operate a fully digitalized factory capable of producing thousands of batches per month, across various forms and presentations, in a harmonized and transparent way,” adds Marilene Narciso, Digital Project Manager at Eurofarma. “With PAS-X MES, we have a robust tool that enables Eurofarma to reach new levels of maturity, integrating elements of Industry 4.0 and Artificial Intelligence as we move forward.”

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@WerumKarrierec @eurofarma #Koerber #PAuto #MES #Brazil 

Strategic acquisition in Latin America.

The Brazilian connectivity specialist Eurocabos Materiais Elétricos Ltda., based in São Paulo has been taken over by the German owned Lapp Group. On July 1, 2025, LAPP acquired 100 percent of the company shares. With this merger, the company grows its footprint in the strategically important Latin American markets.

With its second strategic acquisition in just a few weeks*, the Lapp Group continues to grow its global presence. Beginning of June, the company had announced the integration of Chinese connectors specialist Cableforce Electronics. Now, the globally leading supplier of integrated solutions and branded products in the field of cable and connection technology expands in Latin America’s largest economy. Lapp also has locations in Britail and in Wexford in Ireland.

Matthias Lapp

Matthias Lapp, CEO LAPP Group, says: “LAPP is committed to global growth: We want to supply our high-quality connectivity solutions to customers all over the world. Latin America in general and Brazil specifically are connectivity markets of the future. The economic potential is significant. Among several strong industries such as machine building and Food&Beverage, renewable energies promise to be a big lever in Brazil’s economic development going forward. I see great chances for LAPP.”

Through the acquisition, LAPP further strengthens its ability to serve these markets: “Complementary products, reliable customer relationships, and a strong sales team: EUROCABOS brings a lot to the table and is a great fit for LAPP. Going forward, the two companies will be merged under the LAPP Brazil umbrella. I am very happy that the acquisition is now complete, and we will be able to serve our Brazilian customers with an even broader portfolio”, says Matthias Lapp.

EUROCABOS currently employs over 30 people. Both companies have agreed not to disclose the financial details of the transaction.

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* See Strategic Acquisition strengthens connections in the east. -  

@lapp_group_ @eurocabos @mepaxIntPR #PAuto #Electrics #Brazil  

Brazil's ecological transformation plan.

The Government of Brazil launched its Ecological Transformation Plan at COP28 in a presentation by the Finance Minister, Fernando Haddad with The Minister for Environment and Climate, Marina Silva; the President of the BRICS Bank and former President of Brazil, Dilma Rousseff; the President of the Brazilian Development Bank, Aloizio Mercadante; the President of the of the Inter-American Development Bank, Ilan Goldfajn; and the Secretary for Climate, Energy and Environment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, André Aranha Corrêa do Lago.

The plan challenges development paradigms by envisioning a new role for the Global South in the contemporary world. It is a proposal that presents the region as the center of the green economy by advocating for environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive globalization.

" ...interrupt five centuries of extractivism and environmental destruction to position Brazil at the forefront of sustainable development!"

In his presentation, Minister Haddad stated that initial studies from the private sector indicate that ecological transformation could generate 7.5 to 10 million jobs across all sectors, with a focus on the bioeconomy, agriculture, and infrastructure segments, as well as income-generating opportunities.

However, to realize this scenario, the same studies estimate that Brazil needs additional investments in the range of $130 to $160 billion per year over the next decade. The investments should occur mainly in infrastructure to promote adaptations, produce energy, enhance industrialization, and improve mobility.

Minister Haddad praised Brazil's ability to mobilize investment and create sustainable infrastructure through public investments. He cited national examples that make the country "a giant in renewable energy," highlighting the network of hydroelectric plants, the unified electrical system, ethanol production, and the role of Petrobras and other leading national companies in the research and development of biofuels.

Citing examples of implementation measures, the minister referred to the creation of a regulated carbon market, the issuance of sustainable sovereign bonds, the definition of a national taxonomy focused on sustainability, and the revision of the Climate Fund. The initiatives aim to create conditions for a new wave of investments with the goal of concentrating industrial technologies, modernizing science, and qualifying the workforce nationally.

Advancements.
"The Ecological Transformation Plan that I have the honor to present to you today aims to unite forces around a historic goal: to interrupt five centuries of extractivism and environmental destruction to position Brazil at the forefront of sustainable development," declared Minister Haddad.

Haddad announced advancements in key areas for the ecological transformation of the Brazilian economy, achieved by the current administration since the minister attended the COP in Egypt last year. One of them was the nearly 50% reduction in deforestation in the Amazon due to the reactivation of prevention and control actions in the biome.

The minister listed the recently approved Bills on green hydrogen and offshore wind energy generation by the National Congress as crucial sectors for the energy transition that hold enormous potential for the country. Brazil also revised the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to achieve a 53% reduction in emission levels compared to the year 2005, a climate goal more ambitious than that of many developed countries.

"The Ecological Transformation Plan is an evolutionary process, just like the challenge of climate change. It will seek to adapt to new paradigms and develop public policies to address not only past problems but also those of the future," added Haddad, who classified the plan as a realistic yet ambitious model for the reinvention of Brazil.

Joint Statement by Brazil and UAE on COP28 to COP30 Nature-Climate Partnership.

At the COP28 World Climate Action Summit, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil and President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates announced a bilateral partnership to strengthen dual nature and climate action between COP28 and COP30.

They underscored their shared commitment to address the interlinked challenges of climate change and biodiversity and ecosystem loss, emphasizing the urgency and complementarity of implementing the UN Convention on Climate Change, its Paris Agreement, the Convention on Biological Diversity and its Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

The Presidents also highlighted that the partnership will focus on enhancing local livelihoods and supporting the development goals of indigenous and traditional peoples.

The cooperation builds on the UAE and Brazil’s Memorandum of Understanding signed in April 2023 and will include several priorities, such as:

• Tropical and mangrove forest protection, conservation, and restoration;
• Scaling innovative financial mechanisms for nature, including the new Tropical Forest Forever mechanism to finance standing forest;
• Finance and policy for local and indigenous communities, women, and youth related to climate and nature action;
• Global synergies between national strategies under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

Both countries also welcomed the opportunity to work closely in support of Brazil’s G20 Presidency in 2024, as well the incoming presidencies of UNFCCC COP29 and CBD COP16.

Brazil seeks to advance Mission 1.5 at COP28.

The Brazilian delegation to COP28 held a press briefing on Day 6 of the conference to provide an update on progress in the negotiations. At the same time, the speakers took the opportunity to emphasize Brazil’s overarching priority at COP28, which is to ensure that the average global temperature does not exceed 1.5oC.

The speakers included the head of delegation and Minister for the Indigenous Peoples, Sonia Guajajara; the Deputy Minister of Environment and Climate Change, João Paulo Capobianco; the Secretary for Climate, Energy and Environment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, André Corrêa do Lago; and the National Secretary for Climate Change at the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Ana Toni.

Minister Guajajara said that she was proud to head Brazil’s delegation during COP28 thematic day of the indigenous peoples. COP28 is being attended by more indigenous people than ever before. She said that indigenous peoples are a part of the solution of the climate crisis, adding that “we are 5% of the world’s population but are stewards of 82% of the biodiversity of the planet”.

João Paulo Capobianco referred to Brazil’s success in reducing deforestation by 49% between January and October 2023, avoiding 250m tonnes of emissions – a major achievement that was labelled by the Prime-Minister of Norway as “the most important climate news of the year” – and recalled that Brazil had presented the initiative “Tropical Forests Forever Facility”.

The chief negotiator of the Delegation, Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago, stressed the sense of urgency that needs to inspire the fight against climate change, which is why Brazil proposed “Mission 1.5”. At the time of the Paris Agreement, science had not yet fully explained the consequences of a 1.5oC warming – but now that they are clear, it is clear that we should forge a sense of purpose to cap warming at that level.

“The most consequential outcome of COP28 will be the Global Stocktake, which must be based on science and on equity”, Corrêa do Lago explained. “It will inform countries as they discuss climate finance in COP29 and develop the second round of NDCs, to be submitted by 2025, at COP30. The path from Dubai to Belém will be decisive for humanity’s success in fighting climate change,” he added.

The questions from the media covered a variety of issues, including fossil fuels. The delegation explained that Brazil benefits from a variety of transition options, including biofuels and green hydrogen. Recalling the statement delivered by the BASIC group (Brazil, South Africa, India and China) at the opening session, the delegation stressed that developed countries should take the lead in phasing-out fossil fuel production and consumption, in an accelerated manner.

Regarding the relationship between trade and environment, the speakers explained that trends towards unilateralism, protectionism and fragmentation of international cooperation jeopardize trust and, consequently, ambitious climate action. Both the Rio 1992 Declaration and UNFCCC state that trade policy measures for environmental purposes should not constitute a means of arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination or a disguised restriction on international trade, which is why Brazil is raising these issues both here at COP28 and at the World Trade Organization.

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@COP28_UAE @_Enviro_News #PAuto #Environment #Brazil

A tear at COP28.

Not strictly speaking an automation story but the environment is important to all of us and this story highlights part of the struggle in the defence of our world.

Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was listed as the keynote speaker at a COP28 session entitled: ‘Protecting Nature for Climate, Lives and Livelihood’. However, amid cheers and rapturous applause from the audience, Lula took the stage accompanied by his Minister for Environment and Climate, Marina Silva… and handed her the microphone.

Marina Silva and President Lula da Silva

“I could not speak about forests without Marina,” Lula explained. “She was born in a forest, and was not literate until sixteen years of age, and yet, here she is - responsible for the dramatic environmental success that Brazil has achieved since my election! So, yes this is my speech, but Marina is the best person to deliver it from the heart!”

At this point, the President was clearly moved and there was a tear in his eye as a wave of emotion washed over the people in the audience, many of whom were also brought to tears. Those of us that regularly witness political speeches are not accustomed to such genuine, heartfelt shows of emotion, but for many of us it was very refreshing!

Highlighting the significance of Brazil’s recent achievements, a few minutes before Lula and Silva took the stage, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said: “Brazil’s success in reducing deforestation is the most important climate news this year.”

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More on Brazil's Ecological Transformation Plan.

@COP28_UAE @_Enviro_News #PAuto #Environment #Brazil

Topside and hullside electrical system automation.

ABB has won a large order from Sembcorp Marine Ltd, a global provider of innovative engineering solutions to the offshore, marine and energy industries with headquarters in Singapore, to deliver the complete electrical system automation for a floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) facility for Brazilian oil and gas producer Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. (Petrobras). 

The P-82 FPSO will be one of the largest vessels to be deployed in the Búzios field, an ultra-deepwater oil and gas field covering an area of 853 square kilometers in the Santos Basin, around 180 kilometers off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Petrobras plans to deploy 18 FPSO vessels offshore Brazil in the next four years[1] – making up nearly half of all global FPSOs. These new-generation vessels, of which P-82 is one of the first, will be characterized by high production capability and emission-reduction solutions, such as carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS). Collectively, these vessels are expected to have the production capacity of approximately 2.8 million barrels per day.

ABB is supplying both the topside and hullside electrical systems for P-82, providing seamless project integration. The topside systems will be installed in an ABB eHouse solution – a prefabricated, modular substation that reduces costs, risk exposure and on-site work because all components are wired, tested and commissioned before shipment to the yard.

Once operational, the facility – which receives fluids from a subsea reservoir before separating them into crude oil, natural gas and water within topside facilities onboard – will have the capacity to produce 225,000 barrels of oil per day and process 12 million cubic meters of gas per day.

“We are delighted to be collaborating with Sembcorp Marine to deliver this integrated solutions order,” said Brandon Spencer, President of ABB Energy Industries. “We have a proven record in electrical and automation solutions for FPSOs both in Brazil and worldwide. This project aligns with our own commitment to reduce the emissions footprint of existing hydrocarbon infrastructures as we balance the needs of the energy transition with rising consumption demands, especially in developing economies.”

@ABBgroupnews @ABBMeasurement @abb_automation @petrobras #PAuto #Marine #Oil_Gas

DOL damper-fan system replaced by variable frequency drives.

Energy use was reduced from 19,423kWh to 7,789kWh as a result of the VFDs being installed.

Replacing an inefficient damper-based fan system with Invertek variable frequency drives has helped a Brazilian ceramics producer reduce energy use in part of its process by 60%, while increasing the quality of its products at the same time.

Ceramica Tomazia, located in Canelinha in Brazil, produces a range of ceramic brick and tile products used mainly in the construction industry. The production process involves mixing raw materials, before they are pressed, dried, glazed, and then undergo firing in a kiln.

Before the ceramics are glazed and fired, moisture has to be removed from the product in a drying room. An industrial exhaust fan was used to pull the heat source from the kiln into the drying room where it was then spread through seven industrial damper-based fans.

“To control the heat in the room dampers were used on the fans. This meant the fans were operating constantly at full speed unnecessarily, wasting energy and making it difficult to maintain the correct temperature accurately,” said Gabriel Robert of G2R Engenharia e Automacao,  "the company brought in to create a cost-effective solution. The damper-fans are simply inefficient and ineffective. We introduced Invertek Drives's Optidrive E3 and Eco drives to accurately control the fans, varying their speed depending on the products being dried and the temperature required.”

An Optidrive E3 IP66 / NEMA 4X rated VFD was used on the 15HP motor exhaust fan pulling the heat from the firing room. The outdoor rated enclosure was required due to the dust and heat in the industrial environment.

The seven 3HP (total 21HP) fans used in the drying room are now controlled by a single Optidrive Eco drive. The 22kW (30HP), 46A, 380-480V, IP20 rated drive is housed in a control panel, while all motors used on the fans have individual thermal protection.

Energy use was reduced from 19,423kWh to 7,789kWh as a result of the VFDs being installed.

“The introduction of VFD controlled fans has created significant savings in energy costs. Additionally, the quality and standardization of the products has been improved thanks to the improved control of the circulation of heat inside the drying room. The customer is very happy with the outcome,” added Gabriel.

Marcus Silva, Head of Sales in Latin America for Invertek Drives, said the result was another demonstration of how Optidrive VFDs are benefiting businesses and the environment by lowering emissions created through efficient energy use. “This can be just as important in areas such as agricultural buildings where the health and welfare of animals can be improved through such accurate ventilation and temperature control, or in environments where ventilation is important.”\

@Invertek_Drives #PAuto #Ceramics #VSD

VFD technology for waste disposal.

The amount of waste produced in the meat processing industry can be considerable and costly in terms of production and disposal of the material.

A meat processing company has worked with Engefi Engenharia Eficiente Ltd to create greater speed control over its compactor, allowing for changes in the incoming quantity and type of waste. Engefi developed a solution that could be integrated into compactors using Optidrive E3 variable frequency drives (VFD).

Waste compactors are one way of continuing production without the need to stop to remove waste at intervals from containers or skips within the production process. By compacting the waste it can also be removed and handled more easily and safely for disposal.

“The existing compactors worked well but having greater control of the operating speed meant it could mirror production levels and the type of meats and waste being used,” said Marcus Silva, Head of Sales, Latin America.

“By matching the compactor’s speed to production levels and the type of product, created a faster process with less downtime. The compacted meat also takes up less room, making it easier to handle and dispose of. This provided added safety for staff involved in the production and disposal processes.”

An Optidrive E3, Frame Size 3 with an IP20 enclosure is being used in the application. Its compact size meant it could be easily installed into the panel, as well as being able to handle the environmental conditions.

The 380V, 3PH, 24A, drive was more than capable for the application. It will now be used on other compactors operated by the company.

Denner Ferreira of Engefi, said: “There were several factors in choosing the Optidrive E3 for the application. The first was reliability and ease of use. We needed a VFD that could operate in the production environment and could be easily set up. The Optidrive ticked all these boxes.

“Additionally, its compact size and robustness made it ideal for such an operating environment. It could also be easily installed into a smaller panel, taking up less space.”

The Optidrive E3 provides simplicity of installation, connection, and commissioning, allowing the user to benefit from precise motor control and energy savings within minutes.

@Invertek_Drives #PAuto #Waste #Brazil

Valve company to develop DTMs meeting industrial application demand.

Valtek Sulamericana (VALTEKSUL), a developer of mainland control valves, is the newest member of the FDT Group™. The company will be developing Device Type Managers™ (DTMs™) for its valve positioners to meet customer application demands.

Founded in 1979 in São Paulo, Brazil, VALTEKSUL serves the oil & gas, mining, pulp & paper, power, chemical and petrochemical industries and has received market recognition for the design, geometry, and shape that differentiates its control valve line in the commercial market. VALTEKSUL’s control valves for industrial processes and co-generation power plants are used worldwide.

End user requests for FDT device DTMs is a common trend in the industrial automation marketplace, and especially for critical actuator device types, where a single device can bring a process to a halt due to malfunction.

“Uptime is key in today’s industrial environment where demand is high and downtime leads to major losses,” Glenn Schulz, FDT managing director said. “FDT DTMs provide the smarts for any process or discrete device, providing operators with a comprehensive diagnostic view of the health of the device, network, and process. We are pleased to welcome VALTEKSUL to the FDT family of leading manufacturers flourishing in the market with FDT-enabled devices.”

“Application requirements for DTM support for our control valve family used both domestically in Brazil and internationally was a driving factor in our decision to become an FDT member,” commented Daniel Andrade, technical coordinator for VALTEKSUL. “We look forward to offering the standardized and enhanced technical benefits of FDT DTMs along with customized parameter functions that match our differentiation philosophies. The result will be a superior solution for our customer applications across the diversified automation markets.”

From planning, configuration, and commissioning to diagnostics and maintenance, the FDT DTM is the sole intelligent device software-based driver that empowers plant and factory operators with seamless access to industrial lifecycle functions and device data. This includes online and offline configuration capabilities from any FDT-enabled hosting environment (e.g., desktop, PLC, asset management application) and holds true for both on-premises and remote access depending on the setup and needs of the application. Millions of DTMs are currently in use around the globe.

@FDTGroup #VALTEKSUL #PAuto #Brazil

Digitilising mining.

One of the key players in mining in Latin America has selected ABB to provide state-of-the-art industrial automation systems for existing and new operations

An ambitious digital transformation program in Latin America by Nexa Resources partnered with ABB. The first step will be the modernization of existing mining and smelting process installations in Brazil and Peru, which will form the foundation of digitalised and cost-effective operations.

Aligned with Nexa’s Directive Automation and Information Master Plan, ABB will install ABB Ability ™ System 800xA as part of a five-year agreement. It is the most powerful Distributed Control System (DCS) automation platform in the market and is ranked by ARC advisory group as the world’s #1 over the last 20 years. This technology is the basis for the digital transformation and will serve as a common operations platform to support all technology upgrades as the plants evolve into digital mines of the future.

“One of the main immediate gains will be employee safety as the modern automation platform allows remote monitoring and control. The platform also increases productivity by applying modern control techniques and creating value for the company and local community,” said Marcos Hillal, Global Product Line Manager Automation & Digital for Mining, Aluminium and Cement at ABB.

“As part of the journey, we are providing Nexa with a thorough training and communications plan to support them through the transition.”

In addition to automating existing sites, ABB will be responsible for the delivery of automation platforms at the Aripuanã site, the new Nexa expansion investment in Brazil.

The Aripuanã project is a polymetallic extraction of zinc, lead and copper, located near the city of Aripuanã in the State of Mato Grosso in Brazil. The plant is a greenfield site in which Nexa is investing in operations infrastructure, engaging ABB from the start. There, ABB will deliver automation solutions that result in high levels of productivity, safety and cost savings.

The scope includes a comprehensive automation platform, based on ABB Ability™ System 800xA, and equipped with ABB Ability™ MineOptimize solutions such as the Minerals Process Control Library, Power Control Library and camera connection. Together, these will make Aripuanã one of the most modern operations in Brazil.

@ABBgroupnews @ABBMeasurement #PAuto #NEXAResources #Brazil

Leadership in Automation Body.

We noted the start of the elections for officers for the International Society of Automation (ISA) in early June. These are usually conducted on-line so the COVID-19 pandemic had little or no effect. The results have now been posted on the society website.

Carlos Mandolesi

Carlos Mandolesi is the newly elected President-Elect/Secretary for 2021 and President for 2022. He is originally from Brazil though he is now based in Dublin (IRL). He is very passionate about ISA and its vision of Creating a Better World Through Automation. He feels that there is a need to reduce the gap between strategy definition and strategy execution, to enable the achievement of this vision. He has been an ISA member for more than ten years holding various leadership positions within the society: Section Delegate, District 4 DVP, Division Director, co-founder of the new Smart Manufacturing and IIoT Division - and currently a member of the ISA Executive Board.

His professional journey includes jobs in Project Management, Six Sigma, Engineering, Sales & Marketing, and Information Technology and various leadership positions at General Electric (GE) and as an entrepreneur at Sigma Automation.

Carlos is currently a Portfolio Manager at Trinity College Dublin Programme Management Office (PMO). He has established a formidable reputation in a very short time - he moved to Dublin from his native land in late 2018. He has been instrumental in driving the implementation and adoption of the new PPM (Project Portfolio Management) system across college. “The PPM is a system to manage most projects and programmes in the college,” he said recently. It gives Executives, Sponsors, Programme and Project Managers near real-time information about their projects, and it gives PMO a bird’s-eye view of all ongoing projects with the necessary data to provide transparency and good governance. In 2019 he was nominated for the College Provost Award for his leadership in the project.

In this new position leading the International Society of Automation he crystallises his objectives using the three initial letters of the society - I.S.A.

- "I" International focus: we need to become a truly international society defining strategies to grow in our traditional markets (like the US and Canada) and high potential markets like India, Asia, Europe, Brazil and Latin America.

- "S" Society focus: We need to improve how our Society works, creating a growth, collaborative and agile mindset, offering more help to our Sections and Divisions to engage our membership and provide a better value proposition to them. I strongly believe that we need to give more attention to our members, including students and young professionals, as they are the reason we exist.

- "A" Automation focus: We need to become the leading automation association providing the best technical content (standards, publications, training and new services) to the automation market, expanding to new industries, markets and niches and making the bridge between traditional and emerging technologies.

It looks like the ISA, now celebrating its 75th birthday has an exciting and challenging future under his leadership.

The complete slate of officers elected this summer are listed here on the ISA website.

We wish them well in their labours for the discipline – Instrumentation, Systems and Automation.

@ISA_Interchange @ISA_EU @IrelandISA @isaseccolombia #PAuto #TandM #Brazil #Ireland

Comprehensive expansion.

In the five years since Michell Instruments established its Brazilian office in Rio de Janeiro it has seen exceptional global growth, adding many new products and technologies to the portfolio.

In 2016, they became the first member of the Process Sensing Technologies Group (PST). Together with the other PST companies, Michell is now able to offer a most comprehensive suite of complementary products for industrial process control from a single supplier. Covering industries as diverse as food and pharmaceutical manufacturing to petrochemical refineries and natural gas production, the extended product range includes:

The Rotronic Continuous Monitoring System (RMS) is a modular system of hardware elements and web-based software. It provides maximum flexibility in installation and ensures readily available data. The data loggers record measurements from Rotronic and third-party sensors and transmit them to the secure database. It stores information and makes it available to users, regardless of whether they access the database via a PC, Mac, tablet or smartphone. Analytical Industries Inc is world-renowned for its reliable and easy to use oxygen analyzers and electrochemical sensors. The long sensor lifespan and simple maintenance, coupled with a robust design, make them a cost-effective option for trace oxygen measurement or oxygen purity applications. LDetek offers a range of analyzers and gas chromatographs for high-purity gases based around their New Enhanced Plasma Emission Detector. The product range includes the MuliDetek2, a robust and compact plug-and-play gas analyzer that monitors trace impurities using gas chromatography techniques developed for industrial environments.

• Michell Instruments products are marketed in Ireland through Instrument Technology @Michell_Inst #PAuto @ProcessSensing #Brazil @Instrum_Tech 

Control for biomass plant in Brazil!

Yokogawa America do Sul, has received an order from AREVA Renewables Brazil, a subsidiary of the French firm AREVA SA, to supply a control system for a biomass power plant that will be the largest facility of its type in Brazil. The plant is being constructed by Bolt Energias in São Desidério, Bahia, in the northeastern part of the country.

This biomass plant will have three power units with a total capacity of 150 MW, and will burn eucalyptus as its fuel. For this facility, Yokogawa will supply a CENTUM(R) VP integrated production control system, ProSafe(R)-RS safety instrumentation system, and other products. Yokogawa will also be responsible for engineering, and providing installation support and commissioning for these products. The plant will be connected to the power grid in mid-2017.

Although Brazil and many other countries in South America have relied largely on hydroelectric power, this power source has been less reliable in recent years because of severe water shortages. There is thus an urgent need in such countries for the construction of power plants that utilise alternative energy sources. As Brazil is the world’s largest producer of eucalyptus pulp and sugar cane, biomass power plants that can utilise this energy source are a promising solution.

Yasuharu Shoda, President & CEO of Yokogawa America do Sul, commented, “Yokogawa has a solid track record in Brazil, having installed more than 500 of its control systems at a wide variety of industrial facilities. Yokogawa’s solutions help our customers operate their facilities safely and with a high degree of efficiency. Encouraged by this order, Yokogawa will continue to focus on the electric power and renewable energy fields in Brazil and other countries in South America, and will help to provide a stable energy supply”.

Yokogawa will continue to expand its business in the promising electric power market.

Technical partner in South America!

Mantracourt Electronics has announced the appointment of Brazil based Metrolog as its new technical partner covering South America. Metrolog will provide sales and technical support for Mantracourt's extensive range of wired and wireless, digital and analogue instrumentation products.

Metrolog's Gabriel Calin

Metrolog is a designer and manufacturer of instrumentation for high precision dimensional quality control and also offers solutions for special measurement systems such as pressure, tilt and vibration. Formed in 1987, Metrolog has recently expanded its portfolio of measurement technologies through the distribution of complimentary products.

"We are very pleased to have Metrolog on board," said Louise Stubbs, Marketing Coordinator at Mantracourt. "The team at Metrolog has a lot of experience and a deep understanding of instrumentation and measurement. This is important to us, as it helps us ensure that end users in this region get the best from our product range, with the right products
and a responsive and knowledgeable technical support."

UK based Mantracourt is a world leader in the design and manufacture of electronics for measurement technologies, including strain gauge, temperature, resistance, pressure, voltage, current, potentiometer, rate, flow, LVDT and displacement in either analogue, digital or wireless form. Mantracourt has also recently been a pioneer in the field of remote data logging software.

“Mantracourt’s expertise and product portfolio were an important addition to our measurement solutions,” said Gabriel Calin, CEO at Metrolog. “Our companies share the same dedication for innovation and we believe this partnership will complement Metrolog’s capabilities and enhance its competitive position in South America.”

Hygrometer approved for explosive atmospheres in Brazil!

Michell Instruments’ MDM300 I.S. high-speed portable dew-point hygrometer has gained certification from INMETRO, the Brazilian National Institute of Metrology, Standardization and Industrial Quality for use in hazardous or explosive atmospheres. The MDM300 I.S. already carries certification from ATEX, IECEx, CSA, FM and GOST. The Brazilian certification extends the instruments’ global coverage. With its custom-designed sampling kit, the MDM300 I.S. is able to make reliable measurements in natural gas streams at up to 350 bar, giving readings that are representative of actual process conditions. Because it is a portable instrument, the MDM300 I.S. enables measurements to be made at multiple points in the process – which means that points of moisture ingress are identified quickly and easily before damage is caused. Michell’s thermo-paramagnetic oxygen analyzer, the XTP601 and explosion-proof dew-point transmitter, the Easidew PRO XP, also have INMETRO Certification. • Michell products are marketed in Ireland by Instrument Technology.

PITC Brazil Accreditation!

A visit was undertaken to Brazil by Hassan Kaghazchi, chairman of PROFIBUS Ireland to audit PITC Sao Carlos, as PITC PROFINET . The audit was successful and PITC Brazil will now become an official training centre for PROFINET. The centre is well equipped to run Certified PROFINET Engineers training courses, and has good classrooms and certified instructors at University of Sao Paulo campus at Sao Carlos.

Hassan Kaghazchi (Chair PI- Ireland), & 

Marco Padovan (President PI- Brazil), 

sign the PITC Accreditation document.

Additionally a presentation was made during the visit to RPA Brazil board. The tile of the presentation was “Onwards & Upwards”, in which the Irish experience was shared with Brazilian counterparts, as well as updates on global automation market, research and development.

PICC Ireland has a long standing record of co-operation with PICC Brazil through long term placement of Brazilian researchers at the Irish PICC.

Control system order for large 2nd generation bioethanol plant

Yokogawa América do Sul has received an order to supply the control system and field instruments for the São Miguel dos Campos second-generation bioethanol plant.

This plant will have a production capacity of 82 million litres per year and is being constructed by GranBio in São Miguel dos Campos, Alagoas state (BR). As opposed to first-generation facilities that produce bioethanol from food products such as corn and sugarcane, this plant will rely on second-generation non-food sources such as woodchips and straw. São Miguel dos Campos is the first plant of its type to be constructed in the southern hemisphere, and it will be one of the world’s largest such facilities, in terms of production capacity. It is scheduled to start commercial operation in early 2014.

As the main automation contractor Yokogawa has been involved in this project from the FEED stage, performing the basic design for a control system and field instrumentation solution that will reduce costs and improve production efficiency throughout the lifecycle of the plant. Yokogawa will supply the CENTUM® VP integrated production control system to control plant facilities such as reaction tanks and distillation units, and a variety of field instrumentation and equipment including FOUNDATION™ fieldbus enabled ADMAG AXF magnetic flowmeters, DPharp EJA series pressure/differential pressure transmitters, and control valves. Yokogawa América do Sul will be responsible for delivery, engineering, and operator training.

Satoshi Yoshida, the President of Yokogawa America do Sul, comments as follows: “Brazil is a dominant player in the bioethanol market, second only to the United States. The biofuel market is steadily growing, and second-generation biofuel is attracting attention as an environmentally friendly energy source. Utilizing its accumulated control and instrumentation experience and know-how, Yokogawa will capitalize on the vast opportunities for growth in the renewable energy sector, a key target industry. In its role as a main automation contractor, Yokogawa will provide the latest plant control solutions and project execution services to the renewable energy sector in Brazil and other markets, and thereby work for a more sustainable future.”

A fieldbus first in Brazil

The Fieldbus Foundation conducted the first live demonstration of its FOUNDATION™ for Remote Operations Management (ROM) technology at the Petrobras research and development facility (Cenpes) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Held in April 2013, the demonstration was attended by Petrobras company executives and automation industry media from around the world.

The first development of its kind integrating remote input/output (I/O), ISA 100.11a, WirelessHART®, wired HART, and FOUNDATION fieldbus H1 protocols into a single, standard data management environment, FOUNDATION for ROM extends the capabilities of FOUNDATION fieldbus to wired and wireless devices installed in some of the world’s harshest and most remote locations. This open, non-proprietary solution provides a unified digital infrastructure for asset management in applications ranging from tank farms and terminals to pipelines, offshore platforms, and even original equipment manufacturer (OEM) skids.

Petrobras is interested in specifying FOUNDATION for ROM technology for the ambitious projects it is undertaking in the upstream and downstream hydrocarbon industry. The company has a record-setting €170 billion ($224b) capital spending plan through 2015, with most of the investments targeted at the upstream sector on the highly publicized Pre-Salt area of the Santos Basin.

Reliance Industries (India) has also agreed to host FOUNDATION for ROM field demonstrations, and additional end user demonstrations in Japan, the Middle East and Europe are being planned.

The Petrobras Centro de Pesquisas Leopoldo Américo Miguez de Mello, also known as Cenpes, is the largest oil and gas research center in the Southern Hemisphere. During the field demonstration and press day event—the first step to show the capabilities of FOUNDATION for ROM before it is specified for commercial projects—a series of tests were performed on a distillation process pilot plant to evaluate the use of fieldbus-based ROM devices with wireless protocols for remote applications.

Miguel Borges, who is employed at the Cenpes facility, believes FOUNDATION for ROM can be an enabling technology for remote applications on Petrobras' offshore platforms. "The Fieldbus Foundation's ROM solution is attractive to us, since we want to gain access to diagnostic information from devices installed at our remote sites. Petrobras is committed to investing in this type of technology, and is seeking the most effective solutions available in the marketplace."

Borges added, "For Petrobras, the primary objective of this live demonstration was to verify that we could access and use remotely, with FOUNDATION for ROM, all the operational functionalities available locally. Another objective was to check the interoperability of ROM devices of different manufacturers over the backhaul. We found this technology provides very easy and quick integration, and is transparent to the user."

The live FOUNDATION for ROM technology demonstration took place inside the Center for Collaborative Visualization (NVC), also known as "The Egg," a spherically-shaped building that houses a center for high-fidelity 3-D training simulation. Because of the remote capabilities of FOUNDATION for ROM, participants were able to use the meeting room as a virtual control room, showing live video feed from multiple locations in the pilot plant and wireless device diagnostic information all within the FOUNDATION fieldbus infrastructure. Information from the pilot plant in another part of the Cenpes compound was communicated across the High Speed Ethernet (HSE) wireless backhaul network to the virtual control room in the meeting room over standard Ethernet hardware and wireless equipment, as well as standard cyber security appliances.

During the functional testing, Petrobras technicians accessed device diagnostics in wireless devices, including device status. Integration of video was demonstrated through observation of a control valve to determine if the valve was open or closed. A temperature sensor for a HART temperature transmitter was also pulled to show how the diagnostic alert would be visible in the same context as a FOUNDATION fieldbus H1 device.

Whether operating on a wired or wireless HSE backhaul network, the FOUNDATION for ROM solution enables automation end users to bring device data into the FOUNDATION fieldbus infrastructure, which provides a single source of data management, diagnostics, alarms and alerts, data quality control, control-in-the-field capability, and object-oriented block structure.

Fieldbus Foundation supplier members sponsoring the FOUNDATION for ROM demonstrations included: APATechnologies, AUMA, Azbil, Beka Associates Ltd., Belden, Biffi, Buerkert Werke, Emerson Process Management, Endress+Hauser, Festo Brazil, Fuji Electric, Honeywell, Invensys Operations Management, Leoni-Kerpen, Magnetrol, MTL, Pepperl+Fuchs, Phoenix Contact, R. STAHL, Rotork, Smar, Softing, StoneL, Turck, Westlock, and Yokogawa Electric Corporation.

Field wireless systems partnership

Yokogawa has announced that its subsidiary Yokogawa America do Sul Ltda. has signed a partnership agreement with Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. (Petrobras) on the evaluation of field wireless technology based on ISA100.11a: a wireless communication standard for the industrial automation industry established in September 2009 by the ISA100 Committee of the International Society of Automation (ISA)

Through this partnership, Yokogawa will provide Petrobras technical support on the use of field wireless communications and have the opportunity to demonstrate its field wireless products at this company’s test plant. Building on its strong global track record in delivering control systems, sensors, and advanced field wireless technology, Yokogawa will utilise this partnership with Petrobras, a major oil company, to expand its provision of field wireless technology solutions to production plant operators around the world.

Background information
A wireless network can be used to connect a control system with field devices that are distributed throughout a plant. Such networks have many advantages that include reducing cabling and other installation costs and allowing the installation of equipment in difficult to wire locations.

To broaden the use of ISA100.11a-compliant products and related services in plant-wide wireless communications applications, Yokogawa is aggressively promoting its “Wireless Anywhere” business concept. Petrobras, on the other hand, wishes to gather more data about the use of this technology in its production processes with the aim of assessing wireless communication robustness and performance. In so doing, it will be able to properly apply this technology and fully explore its benefits.

By being the first to introduce such wireless communications technology, Petrobras seeks to　reduce complexity at its plants and accelerate instrumentation project implementation at certain production facilities, improving productivity. To ensure the maximum effective use of this field wireless technology, the two companies have concluded a partnership agreement so that they can fully collaborate in the field testing process and engage in an exchange of experience and knowledge in order to better understand and apply it.

Partnership overview
Yokogawa will provide Petrobras technical support in the area of field wireless communications. Yokogawa’s wealth of knowledge and experience in this field will allow Petrobras to accelerate the introduction of this technology at its facilities.

Yokogawa will also support the Petrobras technology development and application group in the conduct of large scale tests of field wireless systems at a Petrobras test plant. Data on device installation conditions and system configuration as well as insights into user needs that are acquired through these tests will be used to advance Yokogawa’s development and promotion of field wireless products.

Features of the Yokogawa field wireless systems
The ISA100.11a standard ensures high reliability, application flexibility, network expandability, and compatibility with a variety of wired communication standards such as FOUNDATION™fieldbus, HART®, and PROFIBUS. “ISA100.11a full functional” field wireless network systems and devices make use of state-of-the-art dual redundant technologies that enable a much higher level of reliability, and allow massive scalability and long-range communications. Such systems ensure responses in real time by making use of state-of-the-art dual redundant technologies and can be quite large in scale, supporting connections to up to 500 field wireless devices. The data update time is 5 seconds when the system consists of a host system and 500 field wireless devices, and 1 second with a host system and 200 field wireless devices. As such, these systems are the fastest in their class. The field wireless devices are proven to be able to communicate over distances up to 10 km with a high-gain antenna , which is 20 times the range of conventional systems. (Local regulations may restrict the use of such antennas with field wireless devices.)