Background
Sugarcane is the world’s largest volume crop at nearly 2 billion tons annually – and demand is on the rise. The market is expected to climb to $45.6 billion by 2027 with a predicted annual growth rate of 6.5% over the next seven years. This explosion of growth is putting extra pressure on producers to maximize output at plants operating with older technology and aging machinery.

In a typical sugar processing plant, electromechanical switches are used in as many as 40 different locations. Presses, shredders, boilers, cookers, washers and other equipment are all part of the rigorous and complex job of sugar processing – a job that’s done under tough conditions. Sugar cane is wet and muddy. Mills are typically located in humid, hot climates. The machines themselves produce heavy vibrations and shocks. Many of these plants are using mechanical switches with moving parts, which are already susceptible to breaking down, to monitor the various steps of the process. Not an ideal solution for an industry where plant uptime is everything.

Sugar cane needs to be processed within a very narrow window after harvesting, making it critical for plants to be operating at maximum uptime during harvest season. Switches play an important role in making that possible by controlling line flow and monitoring critical temperatures and pressures in boilers, heaters, and other equipment.

Solution
Sugar processing plants need switches that require little maintenance and are highly reliable even in tough environments. Powered electronic switches and transmitters deliver that and more – but rewiring an entire plant to upgrade to electronic switches or transmitters is cost-prohibitive. The solution? An electronic switch that can drop into existing mechanical switch infrastructure. Or put simply, the new Excela.

UE Controls innovative switch, Excela, is a two-wire drop-in that gives plant operators an affordable way to upgrade to electronic performance – with no retrofitting or rewiring needed. This high-quality electronic switch is available in pressure, differential pressure or temperature models and installs like a mechanical switch, however, delivers all the performance and additional intelligence associated with solid-state electronic technology. In fact, the Excela delivers everything sugar processing plant operators need for better performance at an affordable price:

• Two-wire design allows for easy integration to your PLC, DCS or I/O card with lower total installation costs
• Simple programming and precision settings for better operational control and performance
• LCD display and red/green LED indicator lights to provide visual status of operational performance
• Rugged, solid-state design delivers reliable performance, low maintenance, and lower cost of ownership