1. MWV Electrical & Instrumentation Co-op
A Work Experience Report
by
Carlos Salamanca
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Texas A&M University
ENGR – 385 – 507
Spring 2014
May 6, 2014
Presented to
Dr. Aydin I. Karsilayan
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Texas A&M University
Approved by
Richard Barnett
Maintenance Planner – Electrical & Instrumentation
MeadWestvaco
104 E. Riverside Street
Covington, VA 24426
(540) 494-9058
Richard.barnett@mwv.com

2. ABSTRACT
MeadWestvaco (MWV) is a packaging company that specializes in paper, chemicals, and
plastics. Specifically, I worked at the Covington Papermill located in Virginia, where they make
paperboard. This type of material is most commonly found in cigarette boxes and frozen food
packaging. The mill is extremely large and has various areas including, a wood yard, a waste
treatment plant, several power boilers, and three paper machines. Although the company is
known for hiring chemical engineers, they still need electrical engineers in parts of the mill.
I worked in the Maintenance and Reliability Department as well as in the Electrical and
Instrumentation Department. Between these two roles, I worked on several assignments relating
or involving reliability, instrumentation, programming, analysis, and troubleshooting. As a result
from my experience with MWV, I gained skills involving:
 Distributed Control Systems
 Data Analysis
 Servers and Databases
 Network Communications
 Maintenance Infrastructure
 Instrumentation and Documentation
 AC & DC Drives and Troubleshooting
 PLC, HMI, and VBA Programming
 Project Management
Prior to this experience, I was academically comfortable in digital systems, computers, and
object-oriented programming. This experience has leaned me toward a career in robotics,
automation, and hardware programming. To follow up with my experience, I have accepted a
research opportunity in mechatronics, robotics, and automated systems design.

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I. INTRODUCTION
MeadWestvaco (MWV) is a packaging company that specializes in paper, chemicals, and
plastics. Specifically, I worked at the Covington Papermill located in Virginia, where they make
paperboard. This type of material is most commonly found in cigarette boxes and frozen food
packaging. The mill is very large and has various areas including, a wood yard, a waste treatment
plant, several power boilers, and three paper machines. Although the company is known for
hiring chemical engineers, they still need electrical engineers in parts of the mill.
Initially, I was assigned a role under the maintenance and reliability department. This department
is responsible for root-cause analysis, maintenance of the mill, such as conducting tank
inspections, and improving the reliability of any processes, such as increasing a bearing’s
lifespan. Simultaneously, I was also involved in a waste-treatment project to conduct data
analysis. Although there were a lot of new skills I was learning, I wanted to do something more
related to my interests. My initial supervisor eventually introduced me to a new set of faces in
the Electrical and Instrumentation department. This is where I spent most of my time and where
most of my work came from. The knowledge I gained varied, including: PLCs, ladder logic,
instrumentation, VBA, motors, network configurations, and power.
My experience also varied in how I conducted my daily and weekly tasks. About 75% my tasks
involved working in the “field.” As mentioned, the mill has three paper machines: C1, C2, and
C8. The group I was assigned to managed all the instrumentation on C1 and C2. Each machine is
about 20 feet tall, 15 feet wide and 1000 feet long. Each machine also has a basement associated
with it along with several control rooms. I spent about another 20% of my time in a lab. The lab
was where I was also able to debug some PLC programs as well as do other programming and
settings configuration. The remainder of my time was in a workshop where larger scale (high
voltage) tests were performed, such as testing a synchronous motor protection (SMP) unit.
II. PROJECTS
Part of my work experience involved working on projects. All the projects were individual and
involved critical thinking.
A. SHEET BREAK PROJECT
The most significant project I worked on was the sheet break detector project. On C2, there are
over a hundred rolls that move, press, dry, coat, and wind the paper. The paper has to make it
across the entire machine without any tears or blemishes. Tears can cause the paper to wrap
around the roll and damage the drive. Blemishes cause the paper to be imperfect, thus unsellable.
To prevent either of these occurrences, the machine has a sheet break detection system. The
system consists of several sensors along the paper machine that are responsible for detecting
these breaks.

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1. Background
Although the sheet breaks do catch breaks, prevent flaws in our paper, and prevent damage to the
drives, they were not as reliable as we wanted them to be. For example, if something in the
machine is causing tears on the paper, the detectors don’t fix the problem, they just mitigate the
damage. There still needs to be a system to determine the root cause of the problem.
Sheet break detectors, like most equipment, are as good as they are maintained. The detectors
tend to detect “false breaks” over time. This is due to how the detectors operate and how they are
configured. There needs to be a method to determine when a detector needs a check-up.
Because the machine is one long continuous process, sheet break detection tends to have a
domino effect. For example, if a break is detected at the wet end of the machine (the beginning
part of the process), the following detectors will also go off. On top of that, sheet breaks can also
occur during inconvenient times of the week, such as graveyard shifts and weekends. This makes
it difficult to determine which detector detected the break and at what time. These are important
factors in determining the root cause of the problem.
The ultimate result is more downtime and less production. Downtime occurs when a machine is
not producing any paper. C2 makes about $20,000 worth of paper per hour and a sheet break
could cause the machine 3 hours-worth of downtime. Therefore, a false sheet break could cause
the company a $60,000 loss.
2. Objective
To address all the problems, I organized the project into 5 deliverables.
Deliverable 1: Identify, physically locate (on a sketch), and summarize all the sheet break
detectors on C2.
Deliverable 2: Describe and document how the sheet break detectors work for someone with
limited background knowledge.
Deliverable 3: Identify the current status of the sheet break detectors as well as past statuses
during sheet break events.
Deliverable 4: Figure out a way to expedite the process of finding the causes of sheet breaks and
false breaks.
Deliverable 5: Implement and sustain a tool that can accomplish the aforementioned
deliverables.
3. Approach
Deliverable 1:
To accomplish this task, I decided to create a spreadsheet of all the physical detectors on the
machine and of those in the PI database. Because, the detectors are difficult to find I decided to
look at the detector panels. Figures 1 and 9 explain how the panels are related to the detectors.
The spreadsheet would keep track of the name, absolute location, relative location to the
machine, and the type. A separate spreadsheet would keep track of all the relevant PI tags and
based on the tag description, I would match the tag to a physical detector.

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Deliverable 2:
At MWV, the best way to share documented information is to record everything in a PowerPoint
(PPT) file. I have to make sure that everything I record should be presented in a fashion that
someone with very limited background could understand. In my documentation, I should
include: my project objectives, technical background, how to use the tool I plan to create, and
maintenance recommendations. Figures 10-15 were taken from the PPT file.
Deliverable 3:
I broke down this deliverable in to two parts. One: show the current status of the sheet break
detectors and two: show the statuses of the sheet break detectors in a given time frame. My
approach was to integrate both these parts into a single excel file. My plan would be to sketch
out the long (side) view of the paper machine and included into a spreadsheet. Afterwards, I
would have to figure out how to show which detector is in the “OK” status, or the “BREAK”
status.
The second part would be more difficult. This would require me to create a graph for every
single sheet break detector. One axis would be the time axis and the other would be the status
axis represented by “0” or “1.”
Deliverable 4:
I also broke down this deliverable into two parts. The first part would involve developing a
system to determine the root cause of a sheet break. I decided to do this in Excel to keep it in the
same platform as the other deliverables. First, I would have to create a list of all the process
variables in the PI database and input those into Excel. Secondly, I would have to compare the
relevant variables with a sheet break detector. Here are the reasons. A process variable on one
end of the machine will most likely not have an effect on the opposite of the machine. It is also
reasonable to assume that the sheet break would occur during the same time frame as an
unexpected variable change.
The second part would focus on determining false signals. False signals are signs that the
detectors are in need of maintenance. This problem has an easier approach. In deliverable 3, I am
already plotting all the statuses of detectors. All I would have to do now is compare them side by
side. Theoretically, if all the detectors are working properly, when one detector detects a break,
the rest of the detectors will eventually detect a break. So we should see a staggered pattern of
breaks along the machine. Seeing other abnormalities will also determine false signals.
Deliverable 5:
Having completed everything else would be in vain, if not implemented and sustained. The
documentation referred to in deliverable 2, will play a part in accomplishing this task. My
thoughts were to make my analysis tool, powerful and easy to use. To accommodate these
requirements, I realized that I will have to use macros. With VBA, I will be able to make my
program easy to use and easy to learn. Meanwhile, I will also document how to use the program.

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4. Results
In this section, I describe my final product. Because, parts of my deliverables overlap, I decided
to not organize this section by deliverables, but my final results. I will explain how my results
have accomplished each objective. Many of the results I describes, are actually a part of the
documentation referred to in deliverable 2.
Sheet Break Detection System:
Fig. 1. Functional Block Diagram of a single Sheet Break Detector
Figure 1 shows how the sheet break detectors operate. A photo-eye, sends and receives IR
signals to determine if a tear or blemish is present. The information is then sent back via fiber-
optic cable to a panel. The panel then translates the signal to a range of 4mA to 20mA current to
a distributed control system. The panel also converts the 4mA to 20mA range to a 0 to 100%
range. Depending on the location of the detector, if the signal falls below a threshold, a relay will
activate a cutting device to cut the paper.
List of Sheet Break Detectors:
TABLE I
Example of PI Tag List
Tag Descriptor Current Value
P2:L297NNMM.Z 2nd
Press and Sm Press OK
P2:L297NNMM.Z #NM STRENGTH xx.xx
TABLE II
Example of Physical Detector List
Detector Name Type Location Status Digital PI Tag Analog PI Tag
3K KB2 16-N 2nd
& Sm Press …NNMM.Z …NNMM.Z
14 Gray 35-P 2nd
Coater …NNMM.Z None
Tables I and II are samples of the actual spreadsheets I created. The tag column contains network
address that the PI database used to identify the data source. The “NN” would actually be
numbers and “MM” would actually be letters. The descriptor describes the data that the tag
represents. The current values column verifies how the data is quantified. The first tag’s current

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value could be “OK” or “BREAK.” The second tag’s current value could be any real number.
The “PI Tag List” actually had 63 unique tag entries, many of which had duplicate descriptors.
Table II focuses on the actual detectors found on the machine. The detector name is the arbitrary
name given to the specific detector. There were a total of 43 detector panels, many of which
were no longer in service. The detector names, increase in numerical value as you go from the
wet end to the dry end. Some detector names include a letter such as, 3K, 8X, or 8L, which have
no documented meaning. The type is just the brand or the look of the detector panel to give
maintenance personnel an idea of what it looks like. The actual detectors are in the machine,
making it difficult to locate; thus, the location column refers to the absolute location of the
detector panel. The enclosure of C2 has physical columns where their coordinates are labeled
numerically and alphabetically. The status describes the location of the actual detector in the
paper machine. The two tag columns contain the PI data tags that would correspond to a detector.
All sheet break detectors that are in service record digital data (“OK” and “BREAK”) and some
record analog data (“xx.xx”, a signal strength).
Sheet Break Program:
Figures 10-15 are screenshots of what I have created. A large portion of the program involved
using Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). Figure 16 is a part of the code I wrote to configure a
“List Box” for multiple selections. Other VBA features include:
 Break Event Estimator – helps determine time of sheet break
 Current Status of Sheet Break Detectors
 Past Statuses – Digital and Analog Data
 Control Variable Comparison
 Help Menu
 Interface – Input & Feedback
As a result of this project, three sheet break detectors were replaced and one was upgraded. The
maintenance of photo-eyes has also been placed as a priority during scheduled C2 maintenances.
Detailed maintenance procedures were documented and referred from [1].
B. PLC – HMI PROJECT
The purpose of this assignment was more for learning purposes. One of the older systems
underneath C2 uses an Allen-Bradley SLC-500 series PLC and a Maple Systems human-machine
interface (HMI) 530T. The purpose of this project was for me to familiarize myself with HMI
and PLC programming and communications configurations.
1. Objective
My main objective was to password protect some of controls on the HMI. I was also asked to
extract the preloaded PLC program and suggest modifications that may be needed.
2. Approach
Firstly, I had to learn how to communicate between my workstation, the HMI, and the PLC.
Secondly, I had to learn how extract and edit an HMI program. Finally, I had to learn how to
extract and edit a PLC program.

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3. Results
Communications:
To communicate with the HMI, the workstation (my laptop) used a USB to RS-232 connection.
To manage communications, the HMI uses EasyManager. Using this software, I would be able to
extract the HMI program. Similarly, the PLC also communicates through a USB to RS-232
connection. The Allen-Bradley PLC uses RSLinx to manage the communication drivers. Due to
outdated firmware direct communications could not be established. To troubleshoot the problem,
it would have required uninstalling the PLC and the HMI. It was something not worth doing,
because the important role played in the automated process.
Fig. 2. Communications, as shown in [2], between PLC, HMI, and Peripherals
HMI Programming:
Programming a Maple Systems HMI is very simple. The HMI is programmed with EasyBuilder,
a visual integrated development environment (IDE). Drag and drop tools make it really easy to
program HMIs. I learned that programming HMIs is not just about arranging controls and
indicators, but also about making it intuitive. Figure 17 is a good example of what an HMI
program looks like.
PLC Programming:
Fig. 3. PLC Block Diagram – Credit to plc-solutions.blogspot.com

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To program AB PLCs, specifically older models, Rockwell Automation RSLogix500 is required.
RsLogix500 is also a visual IDE, which is used to program in ladder logic. The ladder logic
interacts with the PLCs data files (see figure 3) to simulate logic. For example: an instruction
“Examine If Closed” (XIC), checks if a file contains the value “1”. The instruction then returns a
true value (1) or a false value (0). The returned value can then be stored in another data file.
Figure 18 is a code I was asked to write and shows what ladder logic looks like.
III. NORMALAND OTHER TASKS
A. BEARING FAILURE ANALYSIS
While I was part of the Reliability Department, I had a short-term assignment on bearing analysis.
I created a histogram of past bearing failures and determined when and where the most common
failures were occurring. In the process, I also learned how to read bearing failure analysis.
Fig. 4. Bearing Spectrum Analysis – The spike patterns relate to the type of failure
Fig. 5. A histogram of reasons for changing bearings on the Wet End of C2
The reason for this assignment was to determine if we needed to start buying a different brand of
bearing. My results suggested that the brand was not the problem. Failures such as, spalling,
wear, and roller damage suggest that installation is the problem. During installation the bearing
are aligned correctly and lubrication is poorly applied.

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B. AC & DC DRIVE TROUBLESHOOTING
Fig. 6. Simple diagram from [3] describing how a drive system works
Firmware Updates:
I would also help in performing hardware replacements as well as firmware updates. This means
that I would uninstall a main control board and reinstall a new one. Additionally, I would also
update the firmware via an Ethernet network connection.
Fig. 7. Main Control Board in [4] – contains feedback, communications, and power ports
Insulation Resistance Tests:
Any part of the paper machines that requires motion has a drive system associated with it. On
occasion, the DC drive systems would inexplicably stop running. An initial observation would
conclude that there are no mechanical issues, thus an electrical issue is assumed. To rule out
possible electrical failures, Megger Tests are conducted on the electronics of the drive system.
These tests are spot insulation tests that use applied voltages (1000 Vdc) to measure insulation
resistance. The measure resistance is used to identify the condition of the insulation or dielectric
between two conductive parts, where higher (infinite) resistance is the best.
A general test procedure found in [5]:
Firstly ensure that the equipment to be tested and the work area is safe, e.g. equipment is de-
energized and disconnected, all the relevant work permits have been approved and all locks and
tags in place.

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Next, discharge capacitances on the equipment (especially for HV equipment) with static
discharge sticks or an IR tester with automatic discharging capabilities.
The leads on the IR tester can then be connected to the conductive parts of the equipment. For
example, for a three-core and earth cable, the IR test would be applied between cores (Core 1 to
Core 2, Core 1 to Core 3 and Core 2 to Core 3) and between each core and earth. Similarly for
three-phase motors, circuit breakers, switch-disconnects, etc. the IR test can be applied at the
equipment terminals (and earth connection).
Note that when applying an IR test to earth, it is good practice to connect the positive pole of the
IR tester to earth in order to avoid any polarization effects on the earth.
Once connected, the IR tester is energized for typical test duration of 1 minute. The IR test
measurements are recorded after 1 minute.
When the IR test is finished, discharge capacitances again for a period of 4-5 times the test
duration.
C. INSTRUMENTATION
Many of my daily tasks can be summarized in this section. Much of my work involved installing
instrumentation and overseeing installation, or replacement projects. The general process would
go as follows.
Determine what needs to be installed and where it needs to be installed.
Find the appropriate personnel to perform the necessary installation. There are assigned
electricians and instrumentation specialists assigned to separate areas of the mill.
Coordinate a time to install the instrument. If specialized software is needed, determine if an
external contractor is needed. If so, coordinate appropriately with them as well.
Verify that hardware is installed properly and software is ready to use. Also, verify
communications are stable.
Usually, the system is recording data and the data needs to be stored in a server or database.
Contact the project initiator to determine the destination of the data. Coordinate appropriately
with network and data specialists if necessary.
I used this procedure when I was involved in installing a wireless temperature and vibration
transmitter, replacing sheet break detectors, replacing uninterruptable power supplies, and
troubleshooting server hardware.
D. DEBUGGING PROGRAMS
Along with the PLC – HMI project, I would help debug larger scale programs. These programs
were written in RSLogix5000. This software is compatible with newer, more powerful PLCs,
such as the Allen-Bradley CompactLogix Series. I also used FactoryTalk, software similar to
EasyBuilder, but compatible with Allen-Bradley HMIs. Like any other programming language,
debugging is difficult and tedious.
One program I helped debug was a filter purging sequence program. Filter purge sequences are
defined in two different settings: automatic and manual. In the manual setting, the sequence is
supposed to begin when an operator hits a control and then be uninterruptable, except with an
emergency stop button. The sequence was interruptible. I helped in finding several “bugs,” that
would cause the sequence to unintentionally stop.

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E. WASTE-TREATMENT
This is one of the first assignments I participated in. This project was a team project to determine
properties of the waste treatment facility and to abide by environmental regulations. I played a
small, yet important role. As others conducted tests and data collection, I analyzed the data. This
was an important fundamental task because it familiarized me with the PI database as well as
how to pull data from PI into Excel.
Because some data was recorded daily and some weekly, I had to automate a process in Excel
that would convert daily values to weekly values. Additionally, data given was usually in
concentrations, but results were asked in totals; therefore, I also had to automate a unit
conversion process. To add onto the already tedious task, some daily data was omitted, so I could
not use conventional cell-by-cell formulas. I had to match data by the date it was recorded; I also
had to automate this as well. Figure 21 shows what my end result looked like.
IV. CONCLUSION
To summarize my experience at MWV would be difficult because of the vast array of experience
I received. I gained experience from projects, short-term assignments, working in an automated
environment, a unique work culture, and learning and applying several technical skills.
As mentioned, I spent most of time in the field. Everything I learned was from hands-on
experience. Prior to this experience, I had worked in labs, machine shops, mechanic shops, and
computer rooms, but never in an environment that was so automated.
From an employee’s aspect, I was able to create value to the company from the sheet break
detector project, the bearing failure analysis task, and through the several instrumentation tasks.
Several of these assignments involved capital worth several tens of thousands of dollars, or in the
case of the sheet break detector project, hundreds of thousands of dollars.
From a student’s aspect, I gained skills involving:
 Distributed Control Systems
 Data Analysis
 Servers and Databases
 Network Communications
 Maintenance Infrastructure
 Instrumentation and Documentation
 AC & DC Drives and Troubleshooting
 PLC, HMI, and VBA Programming
 Project Management
Prior to this experience, I was academically comfortable with digital systems, computers, and
object-oriented programming. This experience has leaned me toward a career in robotics,
automation, and hardware programming. To follow up with my experience, I have accepted a
research opportunity in mechatronics, robotics, and automated system design.

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APPENDIX
Sheet Break Detector Panel
Fig. 8. This is where sensor and data settings can be configured
Sheet Break Detector System
Fig. 9. A better look of the system, as shown in [1]
Fig. 10. This is the introduction page of the Excel/VBA program

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Fig. 11. The image on the right guesses break times based on date entered
Fig. 12. The image on the right shows a user how to read the line graph
Fig. 13. The image on the left is an example of what detector signals look like side-by-side
Fig. 14. The image on the right shows how to analyze process variable readings
Figures 10 – 15 are included to better understand the VBA program that is explained in part II,
section A. The images are taken from a PowerPoint file I made. They were placed two by two
just for the sake of space.

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Partial VBA code used in Sheet Break Detector Program
Fig. 15. This is a part of the code I wrote to make it easier to choose among the hundreds of
process variables. I did not include the rest of the code simply for the sake of space.
A sample HMI program being simulated
Fig. 16. This is what an HMI program could look like

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PLC Program that simulates a traffic light
Fig. 17. This is a program I was asked to write as a test of my understanding.
Bearing damage due to corrosion
Fig. 18. This was one of the several bearings examined in the bearing analysis

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Server with cover off
Fig. 19. The cooling system was causing performance issues
Wireless Temperature and Vibration Receiver
Fig. 20. Helped install and configure network settings
Fig. 21. One of many data analyses I conducted

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to express my very great appreciation to the following people. I owe my experience
to them and would like to acknowledge their leadership, technical background, and exemplary
character.
Immediate Supervisors
Kenneth Latino, Reliability Manager
Richard Barnett, E/I Maintenance Planner
Co-op Managers
Gregg Brelsford, Technical Director
James Rule, New Engineer Manager
Field Engineers
Joakim Kiprotich, E/I Process Engineer
David White, E/I Principal Engineer
Reggie Hollemon, Rotational Engineering Associate
Reggie Gullette, E/I Enginner
REFERENCES
[1] KB2 Sheet Break Detector Instruction Manual V1.0, Kajaani Process Measurements Ltd., Kajaani, Finland,
October 2011
[2] (2006, December 28) MODBUS APPLICATION PROTOCOL SPECIFICATION V1.1b. [Online]. pp. 3.
Available: http://www.modbus.com/docs/Modbus_Application_Protocol_V1_1b.pdf
[3] PowerFlex 750-Series ATEX Option Module, Rockwell Automation Inc., Milwaukee, WI, June 2014
[4] PowerFlex 750-Series AC Drives, Rockwell Automation Inc., Milwaukee, WI, August 2013
[5] Megger, (2006) A Stitch In Time, The Complete Guide to Electrical Insulation Testing. [Online]. pp. 5–27
Available: http://www.biddlemegger.com/biddle/Stitch-new.pdf