The purpose of a terminal automation system is to integrate field devices into a single system via process control so operators can easily move and track product. The more devices that are integrated, the greater level of automation can be achieved.
Device integration also helps terminal companies to utilize data for reporting as well as practical business functions such as automatically billing their customers according to contracts.
At Dearman, we strive to make our terminal automation systems as flexible and open to integration as possible. Here are 30 popular terminal field devices that we integrate with.
Please note that this is not an order of preference or ranking.
Table of Contents:
1 - Smith Meter® AccuLoad® III (All Models)
According to the Smith Meter product listing, the predecessor to the Smith Meter® AccuLoad® IV, the “Smith Meter® AccuLoad® III is a multiple microprocessor based instrument that can be configured to fit the application. It is capable of controlling one to six loading arms either as a blending or straight product instrument.”
2 - Smith Meter® AccuLoad® IV (All Models)
According to the product listing, “The Smith Meter® AccuLoad® provides reliable and accurate control and measurement of liquid petroleum blending and transfer operations. While primarily intended for use in refined petroleum distribution terminals, it’s easily configured for a wide variety of liquid transfer applications.”
AccuLoad IV is available in multiple hardware configurations.
3 - Smith Meter® microLoad.net®
According to the product listing, “The Smith Meter® microLoad.net® is a microprocessor based instrument with Ethernet capability. It is designed to monitor and control single product, straight loading. The unit can operate either as a stand-alone instrument or be part of a system where it communicates with an automation or SCADA system.”
4 - Smith Meter® microFlow.net®
According to the product listing, “The Smith Meter microFlow.net Liquid is a microprocessor-based instrument with Ethernet capability. It is designed to monitor and control single product, single meter flow.”
5 - Daniels DanLoad 6000
According to the product listing, the predecessor to the DL8000 Preset Controller, the “DanLoad 6000 Preset Controller is designed for the task of controlling the loading and unloading of hydrocarbon liquids in or out of transporting vessels such as tanker trucks, rail cars, ships, storage tanks, and pipelines.”
This product is obsolete but still supported by Dearman.
6 - Emerson DL8000 Preset Controller
According to the product listing, “Designed for the task of controlling the loading and unloading of hydrocarbon liquids in or out of transporting vessels such as tanker trucks, rail cars, ships, storage tanks, and pipelines. The DL8000 is capable of performing all blending, measurement, control, and monitoring needed to provide highly productive and rapid operations for most common loading configurations used in the industry.”
7 - Toptech MultiLoad II
According to the product listing, “Multiload II works in standalone mode or connected to wi-fi to send transaction information straight to TMS or most other terminal automation systems. Multiload II delivers straight product or multi-product recipes using ratio, sequential, and various hybrid blending methods.”
8 - Toptech MultiLoad II Slate
According to the product listing, “This scalable solution is ideal for LACT, bulk plants, and other fluid distribution markets, allowing owners to determine what data should be collected and how that information will be reported back.”
9 - Micro Motion Mass Flow Meter (MODBUS® RTU)
According to the product listing, “Emerson's Micro Motion Coriolis, density and viscosity technologies deliver superior flow measurement expertise while providing customers with the confidence and insight they need to continuously improve safety and efficiency in the most critical process applications.”
10 - Avery Scale
According to the Avery Weigh-Tronix website, “Our truck scales are available in a wide range of standard and customized configurations to suit your application needs. We offer truck scales in standard sizes between 8’ to 14’ wide that suit most customers. Where standard doesn't suit, we can produce almost any length combination thanks to our modular design, with either steel or concrete driving surfaces, and can be either above ground or pit mounted.”
11 - Fairbanks Scale
Fairbanks offers a variety of truck scales including the “Talon Steel Deck” and the “Talon Field Pour”.
According to the product listing, “Fairbanks’ Talon steel deck scales offer a choice in capacity and deck plate thickness. For normal duty-cycles, the HV with ¼” deck plate is a solid performing scale. In “extreme” duty-cycles, the HVX offers 3/8” deck plate for a more robust solution.”
According to the product listing, “Concrete provides extraordinary life even in the most aggressive applications. The Talon HV offers a 10” thick concrete deck while the HVX offers a 12” thick concrete deck. Depending on your application and duty-cycle, Fairbanks has a Talon field poured concrete scale design that will maximize the lifespan of your scale.”
Dearman is mostly agnostic to the model of the scale. To integrate with our terminal automation system, we need the constant stream of data coming from the weight indicator. The weight indicator needs to have an Ethernet and/or serial communications option.
12 - Mettler Toledo Scale
Mettler Toledo offers a variety of truck scales with steel decks or concrete decks. These scales use “POWERCELL load cell technology to provide proven performance and exceptional durability” and “use the proven design of orthotropic ribs”.
Again similar to the Fairbanks scales, Dearman can interface with a wide variety of models. Dearman needs a constant stream of data coming from the weight indicator/electronic scale head.
13 - Blend-Pak and Mini-Pak (Honeywell)
According to the product listing, “Fusion4 MiniPak is designed for load rack and pipeline additive applications where accuracy, audit trail, customer and regulatory compliance requirements are mission critical. It is the most technologically advanced single stream additive injection system available in the market, helping customers ‘Zero in on Accuracy’.”
14 - Scully Groundhog
According to the product listing, “The Groundhog is a self-proving grounding system for maximum safety in loading operations. It can operate in conjunction with your existing Scully Overfill Prevention System or as an independent unit.”
15 - Scully Intellitrol®
According to the product listing, “offers overfill prevention, static grounding, and vehicle identification all-in-one unit”.
16 - Scully Intellitrol® V.I.P.® (Vehicle Identification Prover®)
According to the product listing, “the Intellitrol is capable of monitoring Scully Truck Identification Modules. The TIM is a small truck-mounted device which gives every vehicle a unique identifier that can be read by the Vehicle Identification Prover (VIP) feature of the Intellitrol.
17 - TransCore® Encompass® 4 RFID Reader
According to the product listing, “TransCore's Encompass® 4 is a family of fully integrated, self-contained 915 MHz wireless radio frequency identification (RFID) readers that are specifically targeted at high performance applications in parking, security access, electronic vehicle registration (EVR) and traffic management.”
--> Automated Tank Gauging (GSI ASCII or any with MODBUS® RTU)
Dearman supports interfacing with a wide variety of automated tank gauging devices. In order to do so, these devices need to support the GSI ASCII protocol or MODBUS® RTU (serial or TCP/IP).
Below are a few well-known vendors, but there are many available in the market. Terminal operators will choose tank gauging equipment that is designed for their tank(s) and product type(s) to be measured.
18 - GSI (Gauging Systems Inc) MTG “Multi-function Tank Gauge”
“This product is available in a variety of configurations, dependent upon required data, required accuracy, application (functionality), product stored, and physical tank type (i.e., the MTG Family of Products). MTG configurations include multiple sensor types, various probe forms, partial redundancy, full redundancy, tri-dundancy, and virtual gauges.”
19 - Emerson Tank Gauging
According to the product page, “Rosemount™ Tank Gauging System ensures accurate level, temperature, and pressure measurements for inventory control, oil movement and overfill prevention, securing efficient operations.”
Products include the Rosemount 5900S Radar Level Gauge, Rosemount 5900C Radar Level Gauge, and other related devices. Link to products.
20 - Veeder-Root
Veeder-Root offers multiple automatic tank gauge products including the TLS-450PLUS and the TLS4i / TLS4c.
21 - Honeywell
According to the product listing, “Honeywell's portfolio of high-end radar & servo tank gauges help in accurate level gauging for refineries, tank terminals and petrochemical industries. Honeywell tank gauges are suitable for custody transfer as well as inventory control and are designed to be used in SIL-2/SIL-3 loops to prevent spillage.”
22 - PLCs – Any That Supports MODBUS® RTU (Serial or TCP/IP)
Dearman integrates with various PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers) that are available from Siemens, Allen-Bradley (Rockwell Automation), Automation Direct, and other vendors.
What is a PLC? And what is the difference between serial protocol and TCP/IP protocol?
A PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) is a ruggedized, solid state industrial computer "adapted for the control of manufacturing processes such as assembly lines, robotic devices, automation processes, or any activity that requires high reliability, ease of programming, and process fault diagnosis". PLCs can range from micro/small devices (like the ones in Dearman’s DEU) with only a handful of inputs and outputs (I/O), to large rack-mounted modular devices with thousands of I/O.
PLC's may be programmed to perform hundreds or even thousands of of tasks at any given terminal. Dearman integrates with PLCs that support MODBUS RTU (serial or TCP/IP).
--> Serial to Ethernet Converters
Dearman supports interfacing with a wide variety of serial/Ethernet converters.
Below are a few well-known vendors, but there are many available in the market.
23 - Moxa Serial Media Converters
According to the product listing, “Moxa's serial media converters allow devices with different serial interfaces to communicate effortlessly. Serial-to-serial converters help convert between RS-232 and RS-422/485, and serial-to-fiber converters convert all three of these interfaces to optical fiber.”
24 - Digi PortServer® TS MEI Series Converters
According to the product listing, “PortServer TS MEI (Multi-Electrical Interface) serial servers offer RS-232/422/485 serial port expansion, making it easy to connect any serial device to your network. Available in one-, two-, four-, eight- or 16-port models, these serial servers combine the inherent benefits of data networking with proven asynchronous connectivity.”
25-Opto-22 Optomux (E1)
The E1 is a “16-channel Digital Optomux Brain Board for Serial and Ethernet Networks”
“The E1 is designed for customers needing to upgrade existing Optomux systems to use Ethernet networking while preserving existing I/O racks, modules, and field wiring.”
26 - Allen-Bradley (Rockwell Automation) Industrial Computers and Monitors
According to the website, “Our industrial computers offer various form factor solutions for the physical limitations and requirements of your environment. Non-display computers provide a variety of options in mounting, RAM, mass storage (SSDs), processor performance and operating temperatures. Integrated display computers are available in multiple screen sizes, bezel types, resolutions, storage options and processor performance.”
27 - Dearman Systems Data Entry Unit (DEU) - Secure Access Control
According to the product listing, “The Dearman DEU (Data Entry Unit) is ideally suited for entry/exit gate control and provides secure access/identification functionality in non-hazardous terminal environments. It is completely non-proprietary and compatible with most host systems. This rugged and durable unit sports a sleek 3.1" backlit display and withstands extended temperature ranges.”
28 - HID Proximity badge reader
According to the website, “Proximity card readers from HID Global have long served as a popular entry-level option for physical access control. Featuring contactless 125 kHz RFID technology, HID Prox readers come in a variety of sizes and mounting options to fit your needs.”
29 - Smith Meter® Proximity Card Reader
According to product description, “The Smith Meter® Proximity Card Reader is an RFbased proximity reader interfaced to a microprocessor-based device capable of interpreting multiple card formats and transmitting card data to the AccuLoad or directly to an automation system-reader.”
30 - Innometriks Inc. Rhino Biometric Reader
According to the product description, “Innometriks Rhino High Assurance Smart Card Reader is an easy to deploy and highly secure multi-modal reader that fuses smart card technology, embedded biometrics, public key infrastructure (PKI) and digital signature technologies for high security applications requiring multi-factor authentication. The Rhino Reader includes a card and biometric authentication, and is PIN-enabled.”
Flexible terminal automation systems
A core tenant of Dearman’s terminal automation product philosophy is not imposing hardware requirements on our customers. A core competency of our company is the ability to work with a wide variety of instrumentation and implement the level of automation desired.
If you have questions about any of these instruments and our experience with them, please don’t hesitate to reach out: info@dearmansystems.com.
You can also contact us here.