TORONTO, March 20, 2017 /CNW/ -- Recently, Rogers Centre,
home of the MLB Toronto Blue Jays and a sports and entertainment
landmark since 1989, completed a massive retrofit to the many
systems that open and close its expansive retractable roof.
The Rogers Centre's roof and its systems had been meticulously
maintained from the outset; however certain parts and components
had been discontinued over the years, making the original
technology outdated and difficult to maintain. As time went on,
opening and closing the roof became more challenging. "I always
equate it to this: Not many people are still driving a car they had
20 years ago," said Dave McCormick,
Engineering Manager, Rogers Centre.
The roof, which consists of three moving panels and one fixed
piece, is 282 feet high at its center and covers 8 acres. Two of
the panels slide under the fixed panel, then the final panel
rotates around the stadium and into place until the four panels
resemble a stack of plates. When opening or closing the roof, it
has to be capable of quickly, reliably, and precisely moving 11,000
tons of steel in winds up to 40 miles per hour blowing
from varying directions.
"As much as fans love seeing the sky, in this stats-heavy game,
baseball fans also believe the Blue Jays do better when the roof is
open which has made the roof an integral part of the game and the
fan experience," said Mark Niesner,
Director of Operations and Organizational Development, New
Electric, the general contractor for the Rogers Centre's
roof-related renovations.
To continue meeting the expectations of fans and promoters, the
roof's infrastructure required significant upgrades, including a
new OT (Operations Technology) network and control
system, which help management determine when to close the roof
and provide them the ability to once again do so reliably.
"Basically, what this project was about was getting this structure
and the operating system back to a state where it can sustain for
the next 15 to 20 years," explained McCormick.
Successful replacement of the aging stadium roof OT network and
controls system was completed through a number of organizations
working in partnership. New Electric, acting as prime and
electrical contractor, provided project management, electrical
solutions and mechanical support. Rockwell Automation and Cisco
provided product and technical expertise. Gerrie Electric provided
product and assisted in testing and design. JMP Engineering
provided the knowledge, experience and execution of the design
installation and commissioned the entire control system.
Rogers Centre selected the team due to their combined proven
expertise in successfully delivering critical projects. It was also
important to Rogers that the partners had the ability to locally
service and support the system during and over the life of the
roof. For over 10 years, New Electric has managed Rogers Centre's
requirements, for everything from the roof and its power and
control systems to its concession stands and ATMs, lights and the
Blue Jays' locker rooms. As a result, New Electric really
understands Rogers Centre, its culture and unique requirements.
"Looking ahead, Rogers Centre committed to leading edge, proven
technology to meet today's standards," said Steve Szamocki, Executive Vice President of
Sales and Marketing, JMP Engineering. "Twenty-five years ago, this
technology was leading edge but increasingly, these legacy systems
had become a challenge to support effectively and efficiently."
"Rockwell Automation is excited to have our PowerFlex® variable
frequency drive solutions and ControlLogix® PLC's be a cornerstone
of this highly visible and critical roof modernization project,"
said Mike Laszkiewicz, Vice
President & General Manager, Power Control Business, Rockwell
Automation. "Rogers Centre will now be able to achieve greater
efficiency and reliability by integrating the roof system with
the network and our control system, a vision that Rockwell
Automation calls the Connected Enterprise."
Completion of this retrofit required approximately two years,
$10 million and close to 30 people
simultaneously working full-time on the renovation. Thanks to the
upgrades, the roof once again performs optimally, easily and with
absolute reliability. To help Rogers Centre keep fans dry, New
Electric also installed a rooftop weather station that tracks
weather systems to predict when the rain or cold front will
arrive.
While the opening and closing still requires a full crew to
operate safety, the control system now only needs one person to
monitor the process. The entire process can be completed with a 46%
speed improvement as compared to the legacy control system. Also,
of significant value to Rogers Centre, the enhanced functionality
of the modern control system and its supporting OT network
provides fault tolerance, self-diagnostics, and reporting
previously not available, allowing the operator an easy and quick
way to trouble-shoot and rectify any issues, should they arise.
"As general contractors, we can take on far more than the
electrical and had the resources to accommodate Rogers Centre's
incredibly full event schedule," said Niesner. "We don't come in to
just hook up wires – we're here to help Rogers Centre give the fans
a fantastic experience."
"JMP Engineering was proud to work with the teams at Rogers
Centre, New Electric, Gerrie Electric, Cisco and Rockwell
Automation on such a large, mission-critical controls project for
such an esteemed Canadian landmark," noted Szamocki.
About JMP Engineering:
www.jmpeng.com
JMP is an engineering services company with 14 locations in the
U.S. and Canada, focusing on
Fortune 500 manufacturers and producers. The company provides
engineering services and turnkey solutions in the areas of process
automation, control system integration, smart robotic applications,
and information and analytic solutions. JMP has delivered over
15,000 solutions to more than 1,000 clients worldwide since 1987,
and has been recognized with awards, including the Control
Engineering System Integrator Hall of Fame, the Packaging Digest
Integrator Hall of Fame, the Microsoft Impact Award for Data
Management Solutions, and has been nominated by our employees four
years in a row for the "Top 50 Great Places to Work in Canada" for medium-sized companies.
About New
Electric:
www.newelectric.com
New Electric, founded in 1970, is a full-service, industrial
electrical contractor that offers electrical system installation
and support, certified custom panel building, programming services
and electronic repairs across North
America. New Electric recognizes the value of rapid response
times, comprehensive project management, superior quality
workmanship and a deep commitment to safety on every job site. As
importantly, the company leverages the latest technology as well as
its expertise and professionalism to ensure its clients' facilities
are fully operational and able to consistently and reliably deliver
on performance and quality expectations in today's ever-evolving
business climate.
About Rogers Communications
Inc.:
www.rogers.com
Rogers is a leading diversified Canadian communications and media
company that's working to
deliver a great experience to our customers every day. We are
Canada's largest provider of
wireless communications services and one of Canada's leading providers of cable
television, high-speed Internet, information technology, and
telephone services to consumers and businesses. Through Rogers
Media, we are engaged in radio and television broadcasting, sports,
televised and online shopping, magazines, and digital media. Our
shares are publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX:
RCI.A and RCI.B) and on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:
RCI).
About Rockwell
Automation:
www.rockwellautomation.com
Rockwell
Automation Inc. (NYSE: ROK), the world's largest company dedicated
to industrial automation and information, makes its customers more
productive and the world more sustainable. Headquartered in
Milwaukee, Wis., Rockwell
Automation employs about 22,000 people serving customers in more
than 80 countries.
About Gerrie Electric:
www.gerrie.com
Gerrie Electric is a leading electrical, automation, lighting and
IP Network product and solution provider with 24 locations and over
350 employees in Ontario. As one
of the largest independently and family owned distributors in
Canada, they are a certified WBE
and proud to be recognized as one of "Canada's Best Managed Companies". Their record
of successful implementation and expertise in lighting allows them
to passionately help customers meet their goals of energy
reduction, while improving lighting levels and productivity and
increasing their clients' cash flow and bottom line. Their
technical experts are pleased to assist with lighting layouts and
recommendations with the latest and most optimal and appropriate
lighting solution including rebate assistance.
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SOURCE JMP Engineering