On November 5th ADM Systems Engineering launced RtEMIS™ at the 2009 Canadian PI Seminar in Moncton, NB ADM. RtEMIS is a real time, energy management information system. Part of the RtDuetTM MES suite, the new module is designed to help industrial and manufacturing facilities manage their energy to reduce cost and increase their bottom line profit.

“Large power users are under significant pressure to start managing their energy to reduce overall costs,” says Jim Gillis, P Eng, ADM vice president and director of business development. “To do this they really need to drive good decision making right down to the plant floor. RtEMIS enables this by presenting real time performance information to people who can take action to optimize consumption.”

RtEMIS is a software system that calculates real time energy targets based on production and environmental conditions. It then compares them to actual consumption to capture the variance, or difference between what you should be consuming and what you are consuming. Monitoring the variance in each production area of your facility enables the decision making required to drive cost savings and improve profitability.

RtEMIS allows companies to manage all sources of energy used at their facilities, including electricity, oil, natural gas, bio-fuel and water. ADM can provide engineering services for each stage of the EMIS project, including design for meters, networks and data infrastructure, system implementation and ERP integration. From audit though planning to implementation ADM can provide expertise to define requirements and deliver the finished project.

The first RtEMIS implementation is currently underway at Flakeboard in St Stephen, New Brunswick. Flakeboard is an industry leader in the production of quality composite wood panels with facilites. The St Stephen facility employs continuous panel production technology on two particleboard lines, two thin MDF lines, and one single opening particleboard line providing Flakeboard with a product range second to none.

“Employee awareness is the key to success, and I foresee a necessity for training at all levels,” says Pat Burke, electrical systems coordinator, Flakeboard. “With a workforce aware of energy efficiency, the company will continue to look for opportunities to improve its energy efficiency by 1.5% annually.”