ALCOA contracted Meridian to provide a complete solution to the determination of accurate solid / liquid contents of their seed thickener tank farm at Pinjarra WA.
The Meridian solution involved the application of their bolt on axial load cell modules to the columns of all the seed thickener tanks. A Meridian PLC style industrial controller was provided at each tank. Each controller determined the total weight and percentage of solids in each tank and published the information to a ‘master controller’ at high speed. The master controller then fed all the information gathered directly into the existing process control systems.
Prior to the installation of the Meridian technology, the only way to determine percentage solid contents in the tanks was by the old fashioned ‘dip stick’ method. The new system allowed Alcoa to change their processes leading to a gain in efficiencies and cost savings.
