Chemical & Process Industries Automation
Safety-focused control, instrumentation, and integration for demanding process environments.
Chemical and process facilities demand automation that respects hazardous-area classifications, process safety, reliability, and maintainability. Britton Electronics & Automation, Inc. designs and installs control systems and instrumentation for process facilities throughout Illinois.
We consider process safety in every design decision, from control panel layout and isolation methods to instrumentation selection, programming, alarming, commissioning, and long-term support.
Process Control, PLC & Operator Systems
BEA develops PLC, HMI, and SCADA systems for batch, continuous, blending, transfer, and material-handling processes. Control strategies are developed around the actual equipment, process sequence, and operator workflow.
Systems can include recipe management, automated sequencing, permissives, interlocks, equipment coordination, data collection, alarm history, and production reporting.
Process sequencing, permissives, interlocks, diagnostics, operator controls, and equipment status.
Recipe selection, material addition, mixing, transfer, timing, verification, and batch records.
Process graphics, historical trends, alarm records, production totals, and system diagnostics.
Highlights: Batch control • Continuous processes • Recipe management • Material transfer • Process sequencing • Historical data
Process Instrumentation & Classified Areas
Process measurements must remain accurate and dependable in demanding environments. BEA integrates flow, level, pressure, temperature, weight, and analytical instrumentation into plant control systems.
Where classified areas are present, we incorporate appropriate intrinsic-safety barriers, signal isolators, enclosure methods, wiring practices, and equipment interfaces into the overall system design.
Flow, level, pressure, temperature, weight, analytical measurement, calibration, and diagnostics.
Intrinsically safe barriers, galvanic isolation, signal conditioning, and classified-area interfaces.
Panel layouts developed around isolation, segregation, maintainability, expansion, and field installation.
Highlights: Instrumentation • Intrinsic safety • Signal isolation • Classified areas • Control panels • Field calibration
Safety, Alarm Management & Operator Response
Critical process conditions must be detected, communicated, and presented clearly to operators. BEA develops alarm systems that identify abnormal conditions without overwhelming operators with unnecessary or repetitive notifications.
Alarm priorities, event history, acknowledgment, escalation, remote notification, and operator guidance can be incorporated into the HMI or SCADA system.
Critical Alarm Monitoring
Process limits, equipment faults, permissive failures, shutdown conditions, and utility-system alarms.
Notification & Escalation
Priority-based alarms, callout systems, acknowledgment, escalation, and after-hours notification.
Event History
Time-stamped alarm records, operator actions, process trends, and information for troubleshooting.
Highlights: Alarm prioritization • Event history • Remote notification • Operator guidance • Equipment faults • Process limits
Integration, Modernization & Long-Term Support
Chemical and process facilities often contain a combination of new equipment, legacy controls, packaged systems, and specialized instrumentation. BEA can integrate these systems without requiring unnecessary replacement of functioning process equipment.
Modernization can be completed in phases to address obsolete controls, improve operator visibility, replace unsupported equipment, and reduce production disruption.
Legacy-System Integration
Interface new controls with existing PLCs, packaged equipment, instrumentation, and plant networks.
Phased Modernization
Replace obsolete systems in manageable phases while preserving production and critical operations.
Field Commissioning
Loop checks, equipment testing, control verification, startup, documentation, and operator training.
Service & Troubleshooting
Emergency response, diagnostics, program support, upgrades, and long-term system maintenance.
Highlights: Legacy integration • Obsolete PLC replacement • Packaged equipment • Commissioning • Operator training • Emergency support
Common Chemical & Process Applications
Batching & Blending
Ingredient addition, weighing, mixing, recipe control, verification, transfer, and batch records.
Tank Storage & Transfer
Tank level, pump control, valve routing, overfill protection, transfer permissives, and inventory monitoring.
Continuous Processing
Flow, pressure, temperature, ratio, dosing, equipment coordination, and continuous process monitoring.
Applications: Chemical feed • Liquid transfer • Blending • Tank farms • Material handling • Continuous production
Ready to discuss your chemical or process automation project?
Whether you need emergency troubleshooting, instrumentation upgrades, control-system integration, or a phased modernization plan, BEA can help.