Due to the critical nature of some areas within the building and the various businesses that were tenanted throughout, minimal disruption for any proposed upgrade works was a key criteria for the works to take place. Given that the building was in full occupation with various labs, offices and workshop environments, a solution to complete as much of the assembly works before any changeover of control systems was imperative to ensuring minimal downtime and consequently reduced disruption.
 

With the existing obsolete Satchwell system mainly being contained within separate internal enclosures inside the large mechanical control panels, we were able to identify a solution that involved producing offsite panel backplates, pre-assembled and complete with Niagara-based Phoenix Contact BMS controllers.

 

These powerful Niagara-based Phoenix Contact controllers were an ideal choice for the new control system throughout the building due to their small footprint and a wide variety of input and output modules to accommodate the extensive mechanical and electrical equipment.

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The pre-assembled backplates were manufactured bespoke and assembled offsite with the new Niagara-based Phoenix Contact BMS controllers. The existing Satchwell backplates were unbolted from within their enclosure and the new bespoke backplates were installed in phases depending upon the section of the building being upgraded in line with a programme.

 

Where areas of the building contained later variants of the Satchwell system, a traditional method of changing the existing system to the new Niagara-based Phoenix Contact BMS controllers was deployed. This involved removing the existing arrangements and rewiring the control panels to include the new Phoenix Contact BMS controllers.

 

After each Satchwell system was replaced, the new system was recommissioned, and the operation of all associated mechanical and electrical plant was checked to ensure correct operation through the Niagara-based Phoenix Contact system.

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In line with the upgrades of the control panels, a new Niagara front-end graphical supervisor was developed and commissioned to ensure full visibility of the new Building Management System.

 

The building was fully upgraded, commissioned, and successfully handed back to the University within the same financial year.