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System solution for explosion-proof environments

No wasted space: SIL and Ex in a single cabinet – The cooperation with TESIUM

How you benefit from Bürkert solutions for your pneumatic automation requirements:

  • Everything from a single source: From the development phase to certification of the control cabinets, just one partner supplies all that is required.
  • Hot-swap functionality: The integrated P channel shutoff closes the pressure channel below the valve and opens it again as soon as the new valve is screwed on. The remaining valves can continue working as normal.
  • 100% availability even when the heat is on: Clever arrangement of components means that ambient temperatures of up to 45 °C are not a problem.
  • Better process reliability: The use of fixed piping for the intake air in the control cabinet all the way to the pilot valves prevents leaks.
  • Simple monitoring: For electrically monitoring the valve island intake-air supply, pressure switches are integrated and connected to the ET 200iSP.
  • No additional pneumatic structure: Safety-related and non-safety-related valves can be combined in the same valve block.

Engineering service provider TESIUM in Holzminden plans, constructs and optimizes process plants and associated plant infrastructure. As an independent subsidiary of Symrise AG, TESIUM combines expertise and an extensive track record in processing plants in the chemicals, food and cosmetics industries.

The engineering service provider commissioned the fluid control experts at Bürkert to design a standardised control cabinet platform for automating all the processing plants of the international fragrance and flavouring specialist, Symrise. TESIUM and Bürkert have a decades-long history of collaboration.

“Our excellent experience of working with Bürkert over many decades was a decisive factor in our choice of a ready-to-connect system solution featuring Bürkert valves.”

Armin Thies, Head of EMC planning at TESIUM GmbH

Explosion protection is mandatory

The Type 8616 control cabinet was designed for use in explosion-proof areas. Working closely with TESIUM, the Bürkert engineers created a custom solution on this basis for Symrise to be installed at all company locations. Based on their experience of working with TESIUM, they developed a type of “factory standard” to ensure that all control cabinets delivered by Bürkert to the global Symrise locations have a standard size and component placement.

The design and the maximum possible number of valves are always identical. The only difference relates to component placement for the distributed I/O system ET 200iSP by Siemens and, where applicable, to the number of valves.

The Type 8616 control cabinet has a separate system license for use in potentially explosive Zone-1 environments. The system license PTB 13 ATEX 1010 X for the control cabinet equates to “Ex e” protection level (housing with “increased safety” protection level). All necessary certifications and type examination certificates are supplied.

Failsafe and intrinsically safe under one roof

The control cabinet uses the distributed I/O system ET 200iSP by Siemens. In addition to being approved for use in Zone 1, it has an important feature: Failsafe and intrinsically safe signals can be integrated within a single control cabinet installation. This means that assemblies can be combined in a single station, which not only saves a great deal of space, but makes them much easier to install.

All signal inputs and outputs of the ET 200iSP and all valves in the control cabinet are intrinsically safe, which allows work and maintenance to be carried out while the system is running, and under ATEX conditions. This high level of availability is optimized by the integrated pneumatic P shutoff in the base valve block. So in addition to the electrical hot swap, it is also possible to carry out a pneumatic hot swap. On the two ET 200iSP rows in the cabinet, all intrinsically safe and failsafe signals from the production processes are monitored, processed and fed back to the higher-level Siemens PCS7 process control system. Intrinsically safe signals from the field are processed in the electronic modules of the ET 200iSP.

Previous solution:
The previous conventionally wired solution requires more space, is not hot-swap-capable and is more difficult to pre-wire.

TESIUM Schaltschrank vor dem Umbau

Standardised solution from Bürkert in close cooperation with TESIUM:
The new standardised solution combines safety-related and non-safety-related valves on a single block.

TESIUM Schaltschrank nach dem Umbau

Enhanced flexibility in the control cabinet

In order to control the pneumatic functions, the Type 8640 valve block is combined with intrinsically safe Type 6525 5/2-way valves. With an installation width of just 10 mm, they achieve an air flow rate of approximately 300 l/min.

Type 8640

Modular valve island for pneumatics

Type 8640
  • Compact design
  • Modular configuration
  • Higher flexibility in control cabinet due to AirLINE Quick
  • Simple exchange of valves (with option “P-shut-off” – also possible during operation)

Type 6525

5/2-way solenoid valve for pneumatic applications

Type 6525
  • Compact design
  • Second connection for shut-off function
  • Low power consumption
  • Fast switching times

The arrangement of pneumatic modules alongside one other makes it possible to realise 2 to 64 valve functions on one valve island. The valves in the control cabinets are prewired for the intrinsically safe/failsafe digital outputs of the ET 200iSP.

“Bürkert is quite simply the benchmark when it comes to explosion-proof valves for process technology applications.”

Norbert Böhmer, TESIUM GmbH

Additional built-in process reliability

Optional check valves in the valve islands guarantee enhanced process reliability. In the event of a plant malfunction, all actuators shut down simultaneously which means that their exhaust air must be vented via the common R channel on the valve island. In the worst-case scenario, back pressure that builds up in the valve block can result in unwanted switching of valves.