Challenge
CRISPR Therapeutics, transitioning from contract manufacturing to its first manufacturing facility in Framingham, MA, required a robust Process Controls and Monitoring System (PCMS). This new installation needed to ensure operational reliability and security, utilizing Rockwell ControlLogix 1756-L85EP PLCs and the PlantPAx 5.0 platform as the primary process automation system. The system, comprising several hundred I/O points both networked and hardwired to multiple Remote I/O (RIO) panels, demanded hardware redundancy at the PLC level and a fault-tolerant network architecture to support this critical shift.
Solution
Hallam-ICS implemented a comprehensive PCMS for CRISPR Therapeutics, featuring a fully virtualized IT infrastructure with a secure connection between corporate and manufacturing networks to ensure manufacturing security. The system incorporated the Rockwell PlantPAx 5.0 Platform with Object Library, Rockwell FactoryTalk Historian for data collection and archiving, and Rockwell FactoryTalk View SE as the HMI SCADA. It included ThinManager and ThinManager-enabled thin clients, four ControlLogix 1756-L85EP PLC controllers (two redundant pairs), Flex5000 Remote IO with several hundred hardwired I/O points, and a Parallel Redundance Protocol (PRP) network topology for redundant IO communications. Networked instrumentation was integrated via Ethernet IP and ModbusTCP protocols, ensuring a seamless and secure operation.
