Indofil Industries Ltd, a global player in agrochemicals, specialty chemicals, and industrial chemicals, has implemented ABB’s advanced control systems, enabling modular automation, faster commissioning, and safer batch operations at its key manufacturing sites in Dahej, Gujarat.

With over five decades of operation in India and exports to more than 120 countries, Indofil Industries Ltd is a leading manufacturer of agrochemicals, offering a diverse range of products, including fungicides, insecticides, herbicides, plant growth regulators, and specialty chemical solutions.

The company operates in a hazardous manufacturing environment where maintaining stringent safety and quality standards is crucial.

To meet these demands, Indofil required a modern and flexible automation system to ensure consistent product quality, operational safety, and modular scalability for future growth and expansion. ABB’s control system, implemented at Indofil’s manufacturing plants, meticulously monitors and controls critical and complex processes, ensuring safe and efficient operations while adhering to industry standards and regulations.

The primary goal was to implement a process control system that offered both functionality and flexibility, while adhering to ISA S88 standards and Indofil's policies. Indofil achieved this by deploying ABB’s System 800xA Extended Automation platform, along with Hazardous Zone 1 Remote I/Os, an AC800M controller with conventional I/Os, integrated Intelligent Motor Control Centers, Variable Frequency Drives, and Batch Management solutions.

A key feature of the project was the implementation of ABB’s hazardous area remote I/O systems (S900), which significantly reduced field cabling, helped in faster commissioning, and enabled modular automation, a critical factor for plants that produce small or customized batches on demand. ABB’s smart batch management capabilities improved production efficiency at the plants by reducing rejected batches, decreasing batch-to-batch quality variation, and maximizing asset utilization. The ease of engineering in the batch control system enabled continuous improvement and helped in quick introduction of new products.

“The project was challenging and highly crucial for us. ABB handled the planning, design, and execution exceptionally well, resulting in a smooth start-up of the plant without any hurdles. We received excellent support from the ABB team throughout the project,” said Vipin Rai, Manager, Instrumentation, Indofil Industries Limited (Unit 1).

The adoption of ABB solutions has led to tangible operational improvements across Indofil’s Dahej manufacturing facilities, with Unit 2 (SEZ Dahej) operational since 2017, Unit 3 (GIDC Dahej) since 2018, and Unit 1 (SEZ Dahej) currently under execution, replacing older automation systems.