Mercedes Benz Plant Management
Mercedes-Benz Uses Power
Management System
To Assure Plant Uptime
Training helps chief electrical engineer optimize benefits
When Mercedes-Benz USA International (MBUSI) began building a sophisticated plant to manufacture its M-Class sport utility vehicle, the company was determined to find an equally sophisticated system for monitoring and troubleshooting power quality problems, minimizing downtime, and reducing energy costs. The system they got from Square D paid for itself in two years – one year ahead of schedule.
“In the automotive industry, loads are very sensitive to power quality due to the high quantity of PLCs (programmable logic controllers), drives, and computer equipment,” said Randall Sagan, facilities electrical engineer for the MBUSI manufacturing plant in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. Tasked with choosing a power monitoring and control system for the new facility,
Sagan insisted on a system that emphasized power quality and disturbance monitoring, yet included an exceptional meter.
Sagan had two primary goals for the system: prevent power outages based on the data gathered, and have the necessary information to quickly diagnose power problems. “I specifically wanted a system that was primarily a power monitoring system,” he said. “By emphasizing power monitoring
I knew we would get a good metering system as well. The Square D
PowerLogic system was superior in its ability to perform power quality and disturbance monitoring functions.”
Based on previous experience, Sagan installed PowerLogic CM-2350 circuit monitors on the mains of the plant’s 13.8 kV switchgear and on every 480 volt feeder serving the 1.2 million square foot facility. A Sy/Net communications network connects the 75 circuit monitors to a central PC in the plant’s control room. Sagan uses Square D’s System Manager software to check system status, enunciate alarms, view real-time and historical data collected from circuit monitors, and analyze waveforms.
Management System
To Assure Plant Uptime
Training helps chief electrical engineer optimize benefits
When Mercedes-Benz USA International (MBUSI) began building a sophisticated plant to manufacture its M-Class sport utility vehicle, the company was determined to find an equally sophisticated system for monitoring and troubleshooting power quality problems, minimizing downtime, and reducing energy costs. The system they got from Square D paid for itself in two years – one year ahead of schedule.
“In the automotive industry, loads are very sensitive to power quality due to the high quantity of PLCs (programmable logic controllers), drives, and computer equipment,” said Randall Sagan, facilities electrical engineer for the MBUSI manufacturing plant in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. Tasked with choosing a power monitoring and control system for the new facility,
Sagan insisted on a system that emphasized power quality and disturbance monitoring, yet included an exceptional meter.
Sagan had two primary goals for the system: prevent power outages based on the data gathered, and have the necessary information to quickly diagnose power problems. “I specifically wanted a system that was primarily a power monitoring system,” he said. “By emphasizing power monitoring
I knew we would get a good metering system as well. The Square D
PowerLogic system was superior in its ability to perform power quality and disturbance monitoring functions.”
Based on previous experience, Sagan installed PowerLogic CM-2350 circuit monitors on the mains of the plant’s 13.8 kV switchgear and on every 480 volt feeder serving the 1.2 million square foot facility. A Sy/Net communications network connects the 75 circuit monitors to a central PC in the plant’s control room. Sagan uses Square D’s System Manager software to check system status, enunciate alarms, view real-time and historical data collected from circuit monitors, and analyze waveforms.