And we have to serve up a solution that can marry both of those,” he said. “Each discipline has to understand the other’s desires. And, frankly, the IT and OT sides came to the project with different goals. Complexity with the network-design process required regular, lengthy meetings. There were stumbles with maintaining synergy among project-management teams and the IT/OT crews, and with systems integrators and end users. “It can be difficult for the human mind to adapt as quickly as the technology,” admitted Matos. First, many stakeholders were hesitant to change. The project wasn’t without its challenges, of course. “We wanted to make sure they were receptive and comfortable with these decisions.” “This was all about the end-user experience,” he said. These included PlantPAx DCS with virtualization and ControlLogix ® control systems, together with FactoryTalk ® VantagePoint EMI and ThinManager ® software from Rockwell Automation, complemented by ftServer and ztC Edge fault-tolerant computers from Stratus. Matos explained how control systems and software from Rockwell Automation, together with fault-tolerant computing platforms from Stratus Technologies, proved central to the campaign. The solutions they selected and implemented matched the complexity of the project. They attended conferences to collect insights from peers, competitors and solution providers. Next, Matos and his colleagues went shopping. (“We had a lot of flavors of PCs,” joked Matos.) And they demanded systems that offered 24/7 service and support programs. They wanted a better system to roll out upgrades. They needed a way to corral the 36 different applications they manage. They looked for hardware and software solutions that would optimize disaster-recovery efforts and make OT more manageable. To accomplish these goals, the Buckeye team envisioned a pilot program at their South Texas Gateway Terminal. The system would have to be scalable for additional applications down the road, and be able to fully integrate with the larger terminal operations. Some of the IT and OT workloads would be automated, freeing up personnel to tackle more important tasks. The efficiency goals they envisioned would hinge on strategic platform monitoring/protection. They wanted fewer moving parts and more-functional industrial computers at their disposal.Ī shift to predictive maintenance was central to the project - collecting data at the edge, integrating with hybrid cloud operations, and using real-time analytics and machine-learning models. They wanted to achieve longevity of the tools and systems they implemented (always a challenge in harsh environments). The senior manager and his team wanted to quicken IT/OT convergence across their facilities. Matos, who oversees Terminal Automation project planning and execution across all of his company’s oil-and-gas distribution terminals, shared how his team was reliant on systems that, quite frankly, weren’t intended for the modern scope of automation. “We were struggling with the technology used to support terminal automation,” explained Matos during the case study presentation. And they knew it was necessary to stay competitive. With 6,000 miles of pipeline, 115 terminals and 118-million-barrel tank capacity, his firm’s leaders knew their digital transformation was going to be complicated. Matos detailed the complex system of solutions implemented as part of the pipeline operator’s digital transformation. He explains how they use Rockwell Automation PlantPAx ® distributed control system (DCS) solutions and edge computing solutions from Rockwell Automation Technology Partner Stratus Technologies. One of the largest independent liquid petroleum products pipeline operators in the United States, Buckeye Partners owns and operates a diversified global network of assets that provides logistic solutions such as transportation, storage, processing and marketing of liquid petroleum products.Īngel Matos, Buckeye Partners’ senior manager of terminal automation applications, discussed in a presentation during the 2020 Automation Fair ® At Home event, how the company digitally transformed its business by encouraging the convergence of IT and operational technology (OT).
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