July 21, 2009 -- Wales-based United Utilities Operational Services (UUOS) has kept thousands of Welsh homes supplied with water thanks to the fast delivery of an ABB I/P converter.
UUOS operates a clean water treatment plant which supplies water to approximately 10,000 homes across Wales. UUOS uses I/P converters in its control panel to control valves on its treatment line. When a converter unexpectedly failed, it resulted in the treatment process being ground to a halt and the water pressure and supply being put at risk.
I/P "current to pressure" converters convert an analogue signal (4-20 mA) to a proportional linear pneumatic output. Their purpose is to translate the analogue output from a control system into a precise, repeatable pressure value to control pneumatic actuators/operators, pneumatic valves, dampers, vanes, etc.
The previous I/P converter had failed due to a by-pass valve which had closed on the I/P converter module. With the converter offline, the aeration plant was unable to function, which in turn meant shutting down the treatment plant.
Although the plant has a limited emergency supply, a long-term failure could have potentially resulted in homes losing their water supply. Had this situation arisen, UUOS would have faced the huge financial and time-consuming repercussions of having to bring in water tankers to supplement the restricted supply.
In a bid to resolve the problem as quickly as possible, UUOS approached a number of manufacturers to enquire whether they had a replacement converter in stock that could be supplied and fitted within the tight deadline. Only ABB was able to locate a part in stock and guarantee immediate delivery.
Paul McLaughlin, ABB Engineer says, "Having spoken with a colleague regarding UUOS's urgent predicament, I was sure there was a way to help. We were fortunate enough to be able to locate a part and then proceed in delivering and installing it in just two and a half hours."
Comments Laskey: "The rapid response from ABB surpassed that of any of their competitors and even beat our own expectations. Often parts can be very slow to get hold of, but with a few hours ABB had the converter delivered and installed. We are thrilled with the overall speed and professionalism the company displayed."
With a long history of using a variety of ABB products, UUOS has now also ordered another I/P converter from ABB, as a spare for future peace of mind.
ABB is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve performance while lowering environmental impact.
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