Automation IT - eNews January 2015
Welcome to the eNews format of our first Newsletter for 2015.
After producing our Quarterly Newsletter in .pdf for 15 years we have moved to our new email responsive format, allowing us to keep you posted of information and events while you're on the run.
A note from our Automation IT's General Manager - Jason Grace:
"Prior to Christmas I was fortunate to attend the Rockwell Automation annual Automation Fair, this year held in Anaheim CA, USA."

Jason adds "This marks the 3rd year in succession Automation IT have attended the Fair and the 2014 experience continued to be insightful and worthwhile. The Fair continues to provide Automation IT with an opportunity to capitalise on networking opportunities and ensure that our business maintains an awareness of current trends and the ability to apply globally competitive solutions"
Encompassing over 150 exhibits from Rockwell Automation and their partner members alongside more than 120 forums, technical sessions and workshops, the Fair provided a broad range of expertise.
Automation IT attends Hirschmann's 2014 Industrial Ethernet Design Seminar
Two of Automation IT's engineers, Trent Attewell and Jacob Holborn accompanied Automation IT's Business Development Director - Geoff Bladon to Panang, Malaysia in October to attend this practical, no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is event with Belden's experts from around the world.
Attendees received advanced training in the areas of network design, isolation, redundancy and security.
Automation IT is well placed to assist with:
  • Network design fundamental & best practices for critical infrastructure applications
  • Detailed network planning, design and specifications
  • Choosing the right networking products for your application
  • Ensuring signal Integrity with the correct Layer 1 industrial copper & fibre cabling solutions
  • Effective troubleshooting techniques for your Industrial Networks
  • Total network setup and integration
  • Implementing resilient networks with Next-Generation Redundancy Technologies (as per IEC 62439)
  • Enhancing network visualization with effective network management & supervision
  • Improving the performance & security of your network with proper traffic isolation & network segmentation
  • Understanding Multicast & the methods to manage Multicast traffic
  • Enhancing your networks with built-in switch features that are already available
  • Network security - securing your infrastructure equipment
  • Network security - protecting your industrial process with Deep Packet Inspection
  • Industrial Wireless Infrastructure Design for Mainstream Control & Information Applications
Our new partners
Automation IT has expanded its software change management offering becoming an authorised integrator for MDT Autosave.  Autosave allows for disaster recovery by management of code versions through manual check in and checkout of projects as well as online comparisons with live PLCs. This can be seen in the comprehensive list of supported software platforms including vendors such as GE, Schneider, Allen Bradley, Siemens, ABB, etc.  Automation IT has developed a ModBUS TCP driver allowing connection to intelligent devices such as drives, protection relays, power meters, etc.  Call us today for further information.
Great news for government clients!
Automation IT are pleased to announce their appointment as a Pre-Qualified Supplier (RPQS) for Local Buy’s Engineering Consultancy Services (Contract: BUS226-0212).
Local Buy is the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) procurement services company whose core business is contracts: establishing common-use procurement arrangements for Councils and Local Government authorities.
Functional Safety
Why Implement Functional Safety?
Safety in the work place is a contentious issue and everybody has an opinion on what is safe and what is not.  Although PPE requirements and administrative controls in many cases seem to have gotten to ridiculous levels, the fact remains that people are still getting hurt and killed in the work place. 

A lot of people still do not understand what functional safety is and how it differs from general workplace safety.  An organisation can have all the safety policies and procedures in the world but if their machinery is not functionally safe, people can still easily be hurt.  Imagine the situation where an operating procedure dictates that should something go wrong with a machine an operator is to press the emergency stop button.  This sounds pretty logical, but what if the button at that particular instant doesn’t work?  Safety procedures may dictate what to do (or not to do), but functional safety will ensure the button works when it has to.

Safe Work Australia recently published a report detailing some chilling statistics about work-related fatalities associated with unsafe design of machinery, plant and powered tools from 2006 to 2011.  The interesting thing to come from this report is just how many accidents were caused by unsafe design of the machine control systems and the safety features that were originally intended to protect people!  Of the 523 fatalities examined in this study, 36 per cent or 188 fatalities were found to be either definitely or possibly design-related, meaning that these fatalities would probably not have occurred if the risks of the equipment involved had been eliminated through safe design.  8 per cent of these deaths were directly related to the control system or lack of interlocks.

Automation IT can actively work with our customers to ensure that machinery control systems are correctly designed so that interlocks operate reliably when required and failed shutdown systems don’t result in more nasty statistics.  Contact one of our offices to see how we can help you today!
Health & Safety, Environment & Quality
Automation IT passed its December Third Party audit in flying colours, adding to it's 15 years ISO 9001 certification with a history of ZERO non-conformities.
Are you considering the ISO 9001:2015 DIS?
A well structured Quality Management System will facilitate ensuring your system maintains compliance once ISO 9001:2015 is released later this year.
Meeting the staff
Danial Cox reached his 10 year milestone in late 2014.
Danial joined Automation IT on 22nd November 2004 as a graduate Engineer.
During his time with Automation IT he has worked his way up through the ranks of Engineer, Project Manager, Senior Project Manager and in July 2012 was appointed Automation IT's Contracts Manager. Over this time he has seen significant growth in the company and we thank him for his loyalty and look forward to the next 10 years.
Project News
Zinfra Group – Teys Australia Rockhampton Clean Energy Project WWTP Upgrade
Automation IT have been successfully awarded the contract to design & develop the integrated control system package for the Teys Australia Rockhampton Clean Energy Project WWTP Upgrade. This project represents the leading edge in water treatment in the Australian meat processing sector. Once complete, the development will fully capture the biogas by product of waste water treatment to be used as a renewable energy source back in the meat processing facility.
 
TEW – Image Flat Water Treatment Plant
Commissioning ran late into the year but practical completion was achieved none the less and the Automation IT commissioning team were able to enjoy a well-earned Christmas break. A challenging project with a mix of both the “brown field” and “green field” variety interacting together across the plant.

BMA Blackwater MDT Change Management
Automation ITs first installation of the MDT Autosave Change Management software is ready for the commissioning stage. This expands Automation ITs ability to support customers across multiple Change Management software platforms.

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