Established in 2007, Vietnam’s Qui Long Refrigeration Electrical Engineering Technology Co., is a contractor with extensive experience. The company offers consultancy, design, supply, construction and installation of Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems plus mechanical and engineering works for the life sciences industry, hygiene environments and hospital facilities.
Assessing Industry-Specific Challenges
Qui Long required support from Rockwell Automation to develop connected solutions for its technology that would both transform their own internal processes and could also be offered to customers. The overall objectives were to increase efficiency (including faster time to market), minimise risks and offer a single overview of system status at any time - all while lowering costs.
With an understanding of the challenges of HVAC systems that use conventional Direct Digital Control (DDC) devices, such as flexibility and connectivity issues, Qui Long worked with Rockwell Automation to develop a new solution. This solution also needed to address the increasing compliance regulations of the life sciences industry – where companies required higher levels of automation control and information systems to meet these regulations.
A Connected Solution that Benefits the End User
Following discussions between Rockwell Automation and Qui Long, a solution was developed that would help Qui Long deliver optimised solutions for end users. At the heart of the solution is the Allen-Bradley Connected Components Controllers - allowing control of temperature, pressure and air flow in each air handling unit (AHU) to link up with chillers. The PowerFlex drives help to improve flexible design and implementation. With the FactoryTalk software platform, Qui Long and their end users are able to view the information dashboard and reports for each area, as well as the overall system, enhancing the capabilities of the supervisory and control system.
In the control room, operators can easily view the room’s parameters, AHU statuses, chiller working conditions and energy usage as well as any alarms, events or abnormal conditions that may arise – helping them to tackle any irregularities before they become a costly issue. In addition, the connectivity between machines and process equipment is increased, giving rise to an open platform that can easily integrate with other systems.
Meeting Standards and Measuring Outcomes
The solutions that Qui Long have in place will enable them to standardise codes and applications to reduce engineering time and management costs, as well as leveraging the advantages of the Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture and EtherNet/IP network. They are also able to meet industry requirements for technical compliance and enable data collection and produce reports for clients in line with the stringent regulatory standards governing the industry.
Most importantly, Qui Long’s end users have benefited from the new solutions. With integrated systems providing seamless data collection and real-time information, both Qui Long and their customers can experience better resource utilisation and the ability to make decisions based on rich diagnostics and both historical and real-time data.
