At "SPS – Smart Production Solutions" 2019, Siemens will present sector-specific applications and future technologies for the digital transformation of the discrete and process industries. At the heart of the 4000 square meter booth will be new products, solutions and services from the Digital Enterprise portfolio, which can be used to merge the real and virtual world. On November 26, the first day of SPS, Klaus Helmrich spoke at the Siemens press conference, which took place in the trade show Convention Center. Mr Helmrich discussed the latest trends in digitalization and the next stage of digital transformation in the discrete and process industries.
- Modernization increases drive system reliability and boosts mill throughput
- System installation time of 45 days minimizes mill standstill period
- Extremely short time of commissioning within 8 days
- New drive system ensures significantly lower downtimes
As one of the world's biggest copper ore operations, the Chilean mining company Compañía Minera Doña Inés de Collahuasi SCM based in Las Condes/Chile commissioned Siemens to modernize the drive system of four of its ore mills. The mine is located in the North of Chile, around 180 kilometers southeast of the port of Iquique. The contract required Siemens to supply complete state-of-the-art drive systems comprising new motors and Flender couplings with torque limiting shear pin as well as new Sinamics SL150 cycloconverters with thyristor stacks from its extensive portfolio. The new drive systems will give a huge boost to the reliability and consequently also the throughput of the mills. The contract is valued in the double-digit million range.
- New Version V16 of the TIA Portal engineering framework with focus on standardization and continuous integration
- Enhanced engineering efficiency with distributed working in the developer team
- Increased software quality thanks to integrated Test Suite
- Transparent operation with cross-vendor OPC UA communication
With the new TIA Portal V16 (Totally Integrated Automation Portal), Siemens has expanded its engineering framework with practical new functions for various phases from planning, to engineering, to commissioning. The innovations concentrate on the continuous integration of the development process. These include standardization, integrated engineering spread across teams and an integrated function test. This enables users to increase the quality of their software, shorten commissioning times and reduce engineering costs.
- Efficient power transmission in the range from 30 to 150 megawatts
- Functions as direct-current transmission line (DC) to control, optimize, and regulate load flows in medium-voltage alternating current grids (AC)
- Based on Siemens high-voltage direct-current transmission (HVDC) technology
With MVDC PLUS (Medium Voltage Direct Current Power Link Universal System), Siemens is introducing a new direct-current transmission system to the market that will be serve as an efficient transmission route in medium-voltage AC grids from 30 to 150 kilovolts (kV). Siemens has developed the transmission system for grid operators who need to enlarge their infrastructure to handle the increasing volumes of power fed into the distribution system from distributed and renewable energy sources and also keep their network stable. Distances of up to 200 kilometers can be bridged with MVDC PLUS. Siemens offers the medium-voltage DC transmission system as a compact system in three variants: for a transmission capacity of approximately 50, 100, and 150 megawatts (MW) at DC transmission voltages of 20 to 50 kV.
- Approximately 25 percent power/torque increase compared to previous series
- Good vibration and shock resistance
- Robust, torsion-resistant enclosure copes with harsh ambient conditions
The new Simotics DP roller table motors achieve outstanding power density coupled with a significant power/torque increase of around 25 percent compared to the previous series. The torsionally resistant ring rib enclosure and bearing plates are made of spheroidal graphite cast iron (GGG) and are designed for use under the harshest of mechanical ambient conditions. Together with their higher vibration and shock resistance of up to 3M6 in compliance with EN 60721-3-3, Simotics DP roller table motors are ideal for use in steel mills, in particular for rolling, reversing and transporting red-hot metal blanks under the highest levels of mechanical stress and extreme environmental influences such as scale, dust and water.
Siemens exhibited at the automatica 2018 with an array of integrated and user-oriented Digital Enterprise solutions designed to sharpen the competitive edge of both end users and machine builders. Exhibiting under the banner "Digital Enterprise – Implement now!", Siemens focused on ways in which industrial enterprises of all sizes can benefit from the digital transformation – along the entire value chain from product design and production planning through the engineering process to new services.
- Siemens will supply the technology for direct-current transmission
- Dragados partner is responsible for building and installing the offshore platform
- Six DC grid connections of the German North Sea were equipped by Siemens
Siemens has received another order from the German-Dutch grid operator, TenneT TSO, for a grid connection for offshore wind power plants in the German waters of the North Sea. The company will supply the entire technology for efficient direct-current transmission for the "DolWin6" grid connection. The Spanish partner, Dragados Offshore S.A., is a leading general contractor in the energy sector and is responsible for construction and offshore installation of the associated platform. The French supplier Nexans will supply the direct-current cables. TenneT tendered the supply and laying of the cables separately, and these services are therefore not part of Siemens' scope of supply. The order placed with Siemens is valued in high three-digit millions euros range. After it is completed, DolWin6 will be able to transmit enough electricity to supply just under one million German homes. Commercial commissioning is scheduled for 2023.
- Siemens will supply four 400 kV HVDC transformers for cross-channel link
- Efficient 2,000 MW power transmission link between France and the UK will supply up to 3 million homes with electricity
Siemens will deliver four transformers, each with a capacity of 400 kilovolts (kV) and 315 megavolt amperes (MVA), on behalf of the British grid operator National Grid. The grid operator will replace the old transformers in the high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) cross-channel link. The new transformers are quieter, have lower transmission losses and will significantly improve the system's reliability. The HVDC link connects France and England and makes it possible to efficiently exchange energy in both directions. The order includes the supply, installation and commissioning of the transformers for the Sellindge converter station in England. Siemens will complete the work by mid-2019.
S-Bahn Berlin GmbH has signed a framework contract with the consortium of Stadler Pankow GmbH and Siemens for the delivery of up to 1,380 vehicles. A firm order was placed for the first 106 trains. The 85 four-section and 21 two-section trains have a high triple-digit million-euro order volume. S-Bahn Berlin, a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn, plans to use the new trains on the Ringbahn lines (S 41 and S 42) as well as on the system's southeastern feeder lines S 47, S 46 and S 8. These lines comprise roughly one-third of the entire S-Bahn network in Berlin. The first ten vehicles will be ready to enter service as of 2020. Subsequently, all remaining vehicles will be delivered continuously to the Berlin system up to 2023. The vehicles will be manufactured and assembled at the Berlin plant operated by Stadler Pankow GmbH.
- Size AH100 to AH450 low-voltage motors can be retrofitted in future with the Simotics Connect 400 connectivity module
- Simotics Connect 400 enables motor operating data to be sent to cloud-based Sidrive IQ Fleet App without any structural modification
- Regular evaluation improves efficiency, optimizes serviceability and makes for an extended service life
In future, it will be possible for existing motors operating in the field to be retrofitted with the Simotics Connect 400 connectivity module from Siemens. This will allow size AH100 to AH450 low-voltage motors operated directly from the mains to transmit operating data straight to the cloud-based Sidrive IQ Fleet App without the need for any structural modifications. Regular data analysis allows plant operators to quickly and efficiently oversee the operational status of their drive systems and plan a servicing schedule based on actual requirement. This not only improves efficiency, but also optimizes serviceability and extends service life. Typical applications requiring monitored low-voltage motors include pumps, fans and compressors.