Cleverly Stowed: Automation in Confined Space for Deep Drill Operations

Related Vendors

DÜPERTHAL Sicherheitstechnik GmbH & Co. KG

TURCK GmbH

ProMinent GmbH

BARTEC GmbH

Bauer Deep Drilling previously tested various providers for Ex–protected remote I/Os. "Ultimately, the deciding factors were that Antares offers the advantage of trouble–shooting in explosive atmospheres, can be installed without the need for a large enclosure and is compact. We have very little room, and the compact design makes it easier for us to accommodate the system in the control stand. And you don't need an additional, large flameproof control cabinet," Schirmel emphasizes.

In the new cabin set–up, the remote I/O is integrated directly into the pedestal of the rig operator's chair — a very space–saving solution. The chair can be finished and outfitted completely by the assembly team in the workshop, where it is subjected to thorough testings. Two joysticks, and in particular switches and operating elements, are connected to the Antares, thus allowing the entire rig to be comfortably controlled from a seated position. All that is required is to connect the bus line and power supply, and the system is ready to go.

Open Communication Standards Support Automation Solutions

Because it supports a large number of open communication standards ranging from fully redundant Profibus–DPs to Ethernet standards such as Profinet, Modbus TCP and Ethernet/IP, convenient integration is assured. Furthermore, standard bus systems can be coupled directly to Antares, eliminating the need for additional explosion–proof components such as isolating amplifiers.

For Bauer Deep Drilling to be able to use a standard joystick in hazardous atmospheres, Ex specialists had to overcome one more challenge: An option had to be created to read the signals from potentiometers via Antares as well. The solution: a temperature module, which originally had a response time of 5 seconds, was modified to respond significantly more quickly. The extremely ambitious specification for the new response time read 50 milliseconds. "The maximum speed for the up and down movements of the top drive is 1 meter per second. If 5 seconds pass until the stop message arrives, we penetrate at the top or the bottom," the Project Manager illustrates the problem, which Bartec solved with flying colours and a crafty approach.

(ID:42583111)