E Tech Group’s Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) study enabled a previously idle clean energy manufacturing facility to return to full production in just five months. By rapidly defining I/O and architecture, fabricating 20 control panels in five weeks, and pre-ordering long-lead hardware, the project moved seamlessly from planning through execution. The facility now operates with a scalable Rockwell PlantPAx 5.2 automation platform that meets current demands while allowing for future line expansions.

Author Contribution: Chris Schleich, Director of Engineering

E Tech Group’s Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) studies provide a structured way to plan complex controls and automation projects. By defining stakeholder needs at the outset, the methodology produces an automation solution that is technically sound, implementation-ready, and meets the facility’s specific needs.

This case study shows how E Tech Group’s FEED study process enabled the rapid recommissioning of a complex clean-energy manufacturing facility with a five-month restart deadline.

Project Highlights

• Restart achieved: Idle clean energy facility recommissioned in five months
• FEED-to-execution continuity: I/O lists, architecture, BOM, and scope defined early, allowing immediate move into implementation
• Panel delivery speed: 20 control panels fabricated, FAT-tested, and onsite in five weeks
• Automation platform: Rockwell PlantPAx 5.2 on L8 ControlLogix controllers with Flex 5000 distributed I/O (≈ 700 hard-wired points)
• Selected integration: Full CDS, GDS, and FMS connectivity; leak-detection alarms and essential process-tool status only
• Schedule protection: Long-lead hardware pre-ordered prior to main contract finalization
• Scalable design: Architecture and spare panel capacity prepared for additional lines and future MES integration

Project Description

In late 2023, a clean-energy manufacturer announced plans to recommission a U.S. production facility that had been idle since 2017. The company set a five-month deadline to restore production in order to fulfill a new customer contract and qualify for recently expanded federal incentives. Additionally, plans were set to double the number of production lines the following year.

The manufacturer’s process involved more than a dozen sequential steps performed by standalone OEM tools, many sourced from international vendors. Several stages of production depended on precise chemical and gas dosing, supported by a network of chemical and gas delivery systems (CDS and GDS), a facility monitoring system (FMS), a leak detection platform, and hazardous material storage systems. Continuous monitoring of process controls, operator interfaces, and safety conditions was required to ensure reliable and secure operation.

Four critical systems required some amount of integration with the automation platform:

• OEM process equipment
• Chemical and gas delivery systems (CDS and GDS)
• Facility monitoring systems (FMS)
• Third-party leak detection platform
• Third-party environmental monitoring platform

In collaboration with the general contractor, the manufacturer chose E Tech Group’s FEED study to establish integration requirements and provide an initial cost and schedule for implementing a new centralized automation platform..

Employing E Tech Group’s FEED Study 

To effectively plan the project, including development of the I/O lists, panel lists, system architecture, bill of materials, and scope of work documentation, E Tech Group’s FEED study needed to resolve the following challenging project considerations:

• The fastest way of restoring production to meet the project’s aggressive timeline
• The level of integration required for the process equipment, utilities, chemical and gas delivery systems, and the leak detection system
• The automation requirements for the process and the level of visibility needed by operators
• The most suitable automation platform to meet technical and scheduling needs
• Whether any existing infrastructure could be reused
• The project’s estimated scope and cost of implementation
• Any project risks that could impact schedule, integration, or system performance
• Planning for future expansion, including the new lines and potential MES connectivity

FEED Study Activity List

E Tech Group employed several approaches to obtain the required information to define and design the facility’s controls and automation solution.

Conducted site walkdowns: Assessed existing infrastructure and legacy equipment for reuse. All process tools were determined to be obsolete; however some utility systems were reusable.

Reviewed facility layout: This was done to determine control panel placement and system wiring strategy.

Facilitated stakeholder workshops: While the CMS, GDS, and FMS would be fully integrated, the stakeholder workshops clarified that the leak detection system and process equipment only required selective integration to meet stakeholder needs.  The leak detection alarm visibility was integrated. For the process equipment, only essential signals including machine readiness, fault status, and machine running indicators were required.

Some of the stakeholders involved in the workshops included the former plant manager (rehired to oversee the facility’s restart), project leads coordinating tool installation and process design, and safety consultants. 

Analyzed advanced OEM process tools: The process tools came from a variety of international vendors, each with different connection methods and signal formats. Each specialized tool was approximately the size of a city bus, with some even larger, adding to the complexity of integration. Furthermore, many of the OEM manuals were incomplete or inconsistent, requiring E Tech Group’s engineers to communicate directly with the vendors to determine signal accessibility and interfacing specifications.

Developed preliminary I/O lists and panel designs: Using the findings from site walkdowns, tool documentation analysis and vendor discussions, E Tech Group created preliminary I/O lists reflecting the quantity and type of signals needed from each system. These lists included digital and analog points required for the chemical and gas delivery systems, utility and environmental monitoring, and selectively integrated process equipment. The I/O lists then informed panel design, system architecture, overall project scope, and hardware requirements.

Facility Design Decisions

Because rapid restoration of production was the primary objective, design decisions focused on implementation efficiency. The system was intentionally designed with flexibility and scalability to accommodate outstanding design decisions without delaying the project schedule.

Rockwell Automation Technology is Selected

After a thorough review of available technology options, E Tech Group led the decision to select Rockwell Automation technology for the controls system that distributes and monitors the chemicals, gases, and utilities required for the entire facility’s production process.

The FEED study resulted in the following specific design decisions:

• Automation platform – Rockwell Automation’s PlantPAx 5.2

PlantPAx 5.2 was selected due to its availability, technical compatibility with project needs, flexibility to accommodate future expansion, and proven use in similar environments.

At the time of the FEED study, a process hazard analysis was still underway. While the need for a safety-rated control system had not yet been finalized by the manufacturer, PlantPAx 5.2 offered the flexibility to support either direction. The platform also supports potential future integration with a manufacturing execution system (MES).

• Control panel strategy: To meet the project’s schedule, E Tech Group began in-house panel builds before all design variables (including final I/O counts and the potential need for a safety system) were finalized. This was accomplished by utilizing standard layouts and an oversized design to build in spare capacity. All 20 panels were fabricated, tested and onsite in five weeks.

Figure 1: Interior of E Tech Group’s standardized PLC panel. Includes a Rockwell Automation 1756 ControlLogix chassis and Stratix switch.

• Scope of integration: The integration requirements for the system were determined as follows:
  • • • Chemical delivery (CDS), gas delivery (GDS), facility monitoring (FMS): full integration for status, alarms, and control interlocks
    • • Leak-detection system: alarm visibility only.
    • • Process equipment: limited to readiness, running, and fault indicators.

• System architecture: The Rockwell Automation control system was designed to integrate the proprietary process tools, plant utilities, and monitoring systems as determined by the FEED study. The architecture supported current production needs while reserving space for the planned future expansion of additional lines.

The system included:

• L8 ControlLogix controllers for process automation, incorporating approximately 700 I/O points
  • Flex I/O 5000 modules for distributed wiring, high-speed response and robust connectivity
  • • SCADA: FactoryTalk View SE, used to provide process status, alarm management, and system performance visibility
    • FactoryTalk Historian Site Edition, selected to log process data for reporting, traceability, and potential compliance requirements
      
• Procurement Strategy: Early Pre-order for Long-Lead Hardware To avoid delays from long-lead hardware, E Tech Group arranged early procurement prior to finalizing the project’s full implementation contract.

Planning for Execution

The FEED study’s design decisions were compiled into a preliminary scope of work, estimated cost, and project schedule. Incremental purchase orders ensured long-lead hardware including the PLCs and Flex 5000 modules did not increase the project’s timeline. Because E Tech had already built trust and technical alignment during the FEED phase, the client moved directly into execution without seeking competitive bids.

Results

E Tech Group’s FEED study methodology served not only as a tool for defining the clean energy manufacturer’s automation scope requirements, but also for mitigating risk in this fast-paced, highly technical project. By the time project execution began, the control system design was complete, 20 fully tested panels had been delivered on-site, and critical hardware was already ordered. E Tech Group implemented the system, achieving the five-month facility restart goal with a scalable architecture.

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