Control system has increased operational agility.

Features support for PROFINET S2 devices, more flexible operator training functions and robust change management for human machine interfaces.

Emerson's DeltaV™ Automation Platform is being expanded with the DeltaV version 15 Feature Pack 3 update for its distributed control system. New capabilities in Feature Pack 3 help users improve the availability of Ethernet-based field device networks through PROFINET system redundancy. Feature pack enhancements improve users’ ability to track changes and produce validation reports for version control both internally and for regulating authorities. In addition, new simulation enhancements continue to improve training options to upskill workforces more easily.*

“DeltaV version 15 Feature Pack 3 delivers new functionality that helps modern process manufacturers meet current and future industry challenges,” said Claudio Fayad, vice president of technology for Emerson’s process systems and solutions business. “The regular feature pack cadence between major DeltaV releases continues to help users more quickly realize the project savings and operational efficiencies that come with new features for their control system software.”

The latest DeltaV release is a continuation of the evolution toward a software-defined automation system integrating proven technologies to deliver increased flexibility for adapting to an increasingly complex operating environment. With DeltaV version 15 Feature Pack 3, users now have access to the infrastructure for the highly anticipated IQ controller, a fault-tolerant, modular, software-defined controller deployed in a server-based environment performant for even the most demanding process control applications.

DeltaV PK Controller now supports S2 system redundancy for increased resilience during controller switchovers. Additionally, PK Controller’s support for PROFINET S2 devices can accommodate process changes more easily, empowering production personnel to deliver quality improvements and production increases.

Feature Pack 3 also adds version control for DeltaV Live, providing modern change management and audit trail solutions most relevant for DeltaV installations in highly regulated manufacturing segments such as the life sciences industry. Users can check graphics in and out for customization, intuitively analyse who made changes to graphics and other human machine interface elements and identify why changes were made. Additionally, version control reports can be customized and easily exported for audit documentation.

Enhancements to the DeltaV Simulate training and development suite in Feature Pack 3 improve virtual machine controller-based simulation capabilities for easy offline development and testing, as well as for effective operator training. With new “save and restore” snapshot functionality, instructors can enhance the training experience by showing operators how different choices impact operations.

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*DeltaV version 15 Feature Pack 3 will be on display at Emerson Exchange 2025, being held May 19-22 in San Antonio, Texas USA.

@EmersonExchange @Emerson_News @EMR_Automation @HHC_Lewis #PAuto

Agriculture through automation.

The International Society of Automation (ISA) has announced the publication of a new position paper, “Advancing Precision Agriculture Through Control System Technologies.”

Precision agriculture relies heavily on the integration of various technologies — including GPS, sensors, data analytics and automation — of which industrial control systems serve as the backbone. As an organization dedicated to the development of industrial control system (ICS) standards and education, ISA recognizes the critical role that robust ICS frameworks play in advancing precision agriculture and sustainability.

New technologies in the agriculture space enable seamless communication, real-time monitoring and precise control of operations, but rapid proliferation has led to a lack of standardisation, causing issues with interoperability, data compatibility, maintenance, increased costs for farmers and other concerns. To help realize the full potential of precision agriculture on a widespread scale, ISA’s new position paper emphasizes the need for comprehensive standards and training.

The paper outlines the current state of precision agriculture as well as the role of ICS frameworks and their components. It also defines benefits of precision agriculture, from improving efficiency to minimising environmental impact. The paper establishes the importance of standardisation in today’s market and advocates for enhanced education initiatives in curriculum development, professional development, public awareness campaigns and research and innovation.

“By working together, we can drive the advancement of precision agriculture, which promises enormous benefits for farmers and the global economy,” said Claire Fallon, CEO and executive director of ISA. “ISA’s new position paper shows that automation technologies and skilled, knowledgeable automation professionals play a major role in precision agriculture’s widespread successful adoption.”

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@ISA_Automation @automation_com #Standards #PAuto #Agriculture

How is your systems' health?

Enabling process manufacturers can benchmark a plant’s regulatory control performance and measure the impact of process improvements.

A tiered service, System Health Monitoring (SHM), offering that leverages intelligence captured by Control Station's PlantESP Loop Performance Monitoring solution has been launched by the company. The service enables proactive monitoring of PlantESP deployments, facilitating rapid response to system resource issues and guidance for achieving world-class control. Dozens of PlantESP licensees and the associated production facilities enrolled in the service offering prior to today’s official launch.

Control Station’s PlantESP Loop Performance Monitoring solution capitalizes on a facility’s existing historical process data to assess PID controller performance on a plant- or an enterprise-wide basis. The software uncovers a range of common mechanical, tuning, and process interaction issues that undermine productivity and that contribute to unplanned downtime. PlantESP’s library of metrics automates the identification of controller-related performance issues, and its portfolio of advanced forensic tools simplifies the isolation of root-causes. Historically, monitoring systems like PlantESP could falter due to natural disasters and other unexpected events, and process manufacturers lacked a common method for assessing performance. The introduction of SHM assures that deployments operate effectively while also providing a benchmark of performance and facilitating the pursuit of world-class production.

“More than verifying a system’s health and providing a prioritized list of tasks, the SHM service benchmarks a plant’s overall effectiveness from a regulatory control perspective,” shared Jonathan Stevens, Control Station’s director of services. “The insights allow customers to see how their plant stacks up against others, and they provide a simple way for licensees to measure the positive impact of each change to their plant’s operation.”

Intelligence derived by PlantESP is transmitted daily via a compact and encrypted machine-readable file. The captured information equips Control Station with timely awareness of:

1. Server health: Basic evaluations of the system, including verification of server’s status (i.e., on vs. off), calculation engine status, and access to required databases.
2. Infrastructure analysis: Assessments of system functionality and architecture, including available server and database hard drive space, identification of misconfigured and/or invalid loops and tags, and documentation of “dead loops”.
3. Control benchmarking: A singular value for assessing a plant’s regulatory control performance and indicating net changes in performance over time.

The SHM offering utilises a variety of metrics and other intelligence to calculate an Overall Controller Effectiveness™ (OCE) value. OCE is a normalized measure for control loop operations based on the methodology for calculating overall equipment effectiveness. OCE provides a simple, quantitative means for benchmarking various levels of control within a plant. Through receipt of periodic scorecards, subscribers to the SHM service offering can establish plant or even corporate performance standards. Within the tiered service offering, a list of priority recommendations can be provided that aid customers with the targeting of PID-related issues that offer the greatest impact on control and production performance.

“The impact that process engineering and operations teams have on control and plant performance can be hard to measure,” noted Dr. Bob Rice, vice president of engineering at Control Station. “Our SHM service equips those teams with a simple gauge for evaluating their performance. With OCE they gain a means for tracking progress and perspective on their plant’s positioning relative to the broader manufacturing landscape.”

PlantESP has been successfully deployed at manufacturing facilities both globally and spanning all major segments of the process industries. Information provided for analysis is restricted to a PlantESP server’s available resources and aggregated values of the software’s metric calculations. No proprietary process data is transmitted. All comparisons within SHM assessments are anonymized to ensure that data cannot be traced to any individual source. As of today’s launch, the SHM service has been proven with customers spanning dozens of production facilities and encompassing over 23,000 unique PID control loops.

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@Control_Station #Pauto #Automation

Module Type Package integrated in control systems.

Emerson has integrated the emerging MTP process automation standard into its control systems, as part of a continued effort to help manufacturers increase speed-to-market and reduce project and operations costs. Emerson is among the first automation vendors to support the User Association of Automation Technology in Process Industries’ (NAMUR) Module Type Package (MTP) standard for both distributed control systems (DCS) and programmable logic controllers (PLCs).

 Reduce risk and accelerate speed-to-market

“MTP is a significant step to help the manufacturing industries respond faster to changing markets," according to Sean Sims, vice president of marketing for the DeltaV platform, Emerson. “With our MTP implementation, Emerson is continuing a tradition of not only supporting but innovating on industry standards. Integration between our DeltaV™ and PACSystems™ automation systems as well as third-party automation systems will help create more modular, flexible manufacturing that improves speed-to-market for our customers.”

A key challenge for the process industries, particularly life sciences and chemical, is the time it takes to bring products to market or change operations to accommodate new products. With many process changes, engineers can spend weeks or longer integrating manufacturing skids and their respective automation systems. Working with industry leaders like Emerson, NAMUR has been developing MTP to create a common, open standard that requires less engineering and makes new equipment integration closer to plug-and-play. With its MTP tools, Emerson estimates manufacturers and system integrators could save weeks in project time and hundreds of thousands of dollars in engineering costs compared to traditional integration without MTP.

Emerson's MTP tools natively reduce engineering time and risk with near plug-and-play integration. PACSystems PLCs and DeltaV automation systems both support integration with third-party components or orchestration layer systems that have also implemented MTP support.

By incorporating MTP into its DeltaV and PACSystems automation systems, Emerson has eliminated the requirement for end users or system integrators to invest in additional engineering or special integration tools. Emerson’s MTP tools natively create a configuration file for its PACSystems PLCs and AMS machinery prediction devices that is automatically integrated into the DeltaV DCS. PACSystems and DeltaV systems both support integration with third-party components or orchestration layer systems that have also implemented support for MTP.

With MTP, organisations can reduce engineering time and risk for both capital and operational performance projects, making it easier to quickly deliver critical products to market. In the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, MTP helps enable ‘ballroom-style’ flexible manufacturing where skids can be interchanged with minimal re-engineering. More flexible manufacturing means production sites can switch skids faster to produce different therapies based on patient demand.

As part of the first MTP release, Emerson has also taken a significant step to make reliability data from its manufacturing units importable to the DeltaV system. Operators can use the asset health data from the AMS Asset Monitor edge analytics device to consider how the health of plant assets will impact operations and production.

@Emerson_News @EMR_Automation @HHC_Lewis #PAuto #LifeSciences

Everlasting control systems?

Learn the latest from industry leaders on everything from open automation systems for packaging machines to specifying process control systems using IEC 62603 in this Control Systems edition of Advancing Automation from Automation.com

Modern control systems are the heart of every industrial operation and it's nothing short of miraculous how they can be built to last "forever" and yet continue to adapt to user needs. With Industry 4.0 and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) pushing changes to everything from data inputs to performance measurement, it's harder than ever to choose, implement and optimize control systems — and keep them operating well. 

What you will learn:

• Sustaining Your Gain After You Upgrade
• Built-in Security Features for Control, Edge, and IIoT Syste  
• How an Open Automation System Provides Packaging Machine Flexibility
• Understanding IEC 62603 and process control systems
• How Do You Measure Control System Performance?

Click here to download ebook 

Part of Automation.com's Advancing Automation eBook Series/

#PAuto @automation_com

Complete system visibility.

Crowcon has developed an HMI solution that creates complete system visibility. The solution can run alongside existing DCS/SCADA/PLC systems or mimic panels which are used to monitor wider system views, often incorporating other sensors including security, flow, smoke and fire.

Their product manager William Allum explains, “This solution enables our customers to view data from multiple panels from one central screen. Due to the system having the ability to store alarm and event logs, users can quickly understand the symptoms of a problem as they view the information and identify the exact location.

Vortex & Gasmaster HMI employs license activated software operated from a dedicated touchscreen panel. As the system is modular, users specify the required number of input converters to link the number of controllers in their system. It monitors up to six Vortex panels or racks, or up to 10 Gasmaster controllers operating on one system, so either Vortex or Gasmaster.”

The display shows gas levels from all detectors from the chosen panel simultaneously and enables the user to easily adjust or test a system. It is now possible to see the details of each controller within a system, including alarm indications, as well as the complete configuration and location of each gas detector.

Users can also see possible trends within the alerts. For example, an alarm in a specific location may be triggered on a regular basis. This is due to the development of a one-hour ‘trend visibility by gas’ function.

Crowcon HMI can be configured in various different setups:
• Connection locally
• Connection via network
• Connected directly via HMI enclosure

The Crowcon HMI can connect with the controller via RS-485 MODBUS or ethernet cable which are capable of long distance connectivity.

The large multi-lingual display shows gas levels from all detectors simultaneously and enables you to easily adjust and test the system. It operates stand-alone or can interface with any alarm device and control system using a selection of outputs. All the information you need about your gas and fire detectors is available, at a glance on Gasmaster’s compact, versatile and powerful gas detection control pane. Simple to operate with a comprehensive selection of input and output functions.

Vortex’s flexible control package can be customised to meet site requirements without the need for extensive cabling. The rack and panel comprise the essential input, output and controller modules which are mounted on a DIN rail. An optional display module is available in panel-mounting and 19" Rack formats. This configuration can be incorporated into a variety of specialist enclosures, such as 19" format or those with high ingress protection.

@Crowcon #PAuto #HMI

Terminal management.

Integrated solution combines logistics management and distributed control systems to drive greater uptime and reduce operating costs to help Britain’s largest bitumen operation achieve Top Quartile performance

Eastham Refinery Ltd., located on the Wirral Peninsula near Liverpool in England, selected Emerson to design and implement its terminal automation system to cost-effectively enhance system reliability and availability for bitumen loading operations at the refinery’s Eastham Terminal.

The scalable, enterprise-level midstream logistics management solution based on Emerson’s TerminalManager™ software and DeltaV™ distributed control system (DCS) is helping the terminal achieve its goals of digitally transforming its operations and accelerating on a path toward Top Quartile performance, achieving operational and capital performance within the top 25 percent of peer companies.

“We have transformed how we operate with Emerson’s solution,” said Doug Watt, senior process engineer of Eastham Refinery Ltd. “Our previous system resulted in many operator interventions on a daily basis. Today, there are practically zero interventions due to the reliability of our new system, leading to a significant reduction in downtime and maintenance costs. The accuracy and performance of Emerson’s solution have also helped us maximise tanker load quantities and minimise the potential for safety incidents. As a result, loading delays that were commonplace are no longer a burden and our customer service levels have significantly improved.”

“Operational challenges are common in terminals and lead to losses in productivity and profitability,” said Pedro D’Ascola, vice president and general manager for remote automation technologies at Emerson. “Addressing critical system and asset availability issues requires modernisation, and our integrated solution is enabling optimisation at the Eastham site. Operators can now access real-time inventory levels and other operational data on demand to minimise costly errors and delays.”

Eastham Terminal is an example of how Emerson helps customers identify operational challenges to develop a highly effective automation strategy that can lead to Top Quartile performance. By performing in the top 25 percent of their peers, terminals can improve shareholder value through asset optimisation and greater operational efficiencies.

Emerson’s terminal automation solution for Eastham Terminal includes TerminalManager software for management of terminal operations and commercial activities and the DeltaV DCS for accurate blending control and movement.

@EMR_Automation  #Pauto @Emerson_News @HHC_Lewis 

Control system design & simulation.

A free version of "Spike",  control system design and simulation software for use on their website has been released by HAL software. The software is primarily used to reduce project cost, time and risk on new system introductions and the replacement of older systems by capturing user and functional requirements in a digital manner.

It may also used for knowledge management, training, and process improvements.

 The version on the website comes with sample industry processes that are fully editable; alternatively, users may use their own. Full help files are also included.

@halsoftware  #PAuto 

Comparison & Calculation of Industrial Control System Life Cycle Costs.

Bedrock Automation has announced the availability of the fifth in its series of white papers supporting implementation of Open Secure Automation (OSA®). 

The new whitepaper, Chapter Five: Industrial Control Systems Life Cycle Cost Analysis – Quantitative Evaluation, delineates 450 different factors that impact costs across the following six phases of the industrial control system (ICS) life cycle: engineering, installation, commissioning, maintenance, system, and cyber security.

“While increasing open connectivity presents many opportunities for business improvement, it also introduces new control challenges. Mainstream vendors are redefining their offerings to address these new opportunities, but each is approaching the situation differently and may not always present all cost factors in a way that they can be compared easily.  We built an evaluation guide to help users in the process of evaluating different vendor brands of PLC, SCADA, DCS or other industrial control technology,” said Bedrock founder and CEO Albert Rooyakkers.

The Product Evaluation Method is divided into six sections covering different life cycle phases of an ICS asset. Each section defines the criteria against which different vendor’s offerings can be compared. It also provides ranking scores to enable users to rate each vendor’s offerings based on their ability to meet the specific requirement. The document guides users in totalizing and normalizing the ratings to weigh the raw scores according to their overall contribution to the ICS’s life cycle valuation.  An accompanying Excel spreadsheet is available to automatically calculate valuation.

@BedrockAuto #PAuto

DIN-Rail PoE Injectors.

Two new high quality 8-port Power over Ethernet (PoE) power injectors are now available, from PULS Power, with either an integrated premium power supply or as stand-alone device.

System builders looking for high reliability and efficient solution to supply a multitude of PoE devices will be impressed by the new PULS designs. With up to 8 ports and an integrated premium power supply at just 77mm wide, the AC input injector can do what normally requires a combination of at least two devices, reducing costs and space required on the DIN Rail. For systems with an existing system power supply the PULS stand-alone DC input PoE injection device is just 39mm wide offering designers’ maximum space savings.

Using plug-and-play automatic device detection and classification, together with proven DIN rail mounting, PULS PoE Injectors are user friendly and easy to install. As layer-2 switching methodology is not required, real-time and security critical applications can be powered with the highest levels of confidence.

The new PULS PoE devices provide high performance capacity with PoE+ and Gigabit Ethernet and are of a robust and flexible design, making these injectors suitable for a variety of applications worldwide including; industrial process and factory automation, medical and health care, smart offices, VoIP and telecoms, surveillance, airports and Factory 4.0 infrastructure.

PULS DIN rail PoE Injectors are equipped with up to 8 ports and each port delivers a power of 30W (25.5W at load) and is compliant to IEEE Standard 802.3at. This enables PoE
communication with a high number of devices using just one PoE Injector.

System designers can specify a version with or without built in power supply depending on their application and variants with less than 8 ports are available on request. Standard DIN rail mounting allows an simple and fast installation of the PULS PoE Injector in customers’ application. No complicated setup or integration into network is required.

Key features include high efficiency up to 95.5%, advanced inrush current limitation, active power factor correction small size of just 117x39x128mm for PoE Injector (DC input), 117x77x131mm PoE Injector (AC input), operational temperature range between -45°C to +85°C PoE Injector (DC input) and -25°C to +70°C PoE Injector (AC input)

Next generation system design software.

National Instruments (NI) has announced LabVIEW NXG 1.0, the first release of the next generation of LabVIEW engineering system design software. LabVIEW NXG bridges the gap between configuration-based software and custom programming languages with an innovative new approach to measurement automation that empowers domain experts to focus on what matters most – the problem, not the tool.

Jeff Kodosky - Father of Labview

“Thirty years ago, we released the original version of LabVIEW, designed to help engineers automate their measurement systems without having to learn the esoterica of traditional programming languages. LabVIEW was the ‘nonprogramming’ way to automate a measurement system,” said Jeff Kodosky, NI cofounder and business and technology fellow, known as the ‘Father of LabVIEW.’ “For a long time we focused on making additional things possible with LabVIEW, rather than furthering the goal of helping engineers automate measurements quickly and easily. Now we are squarely addressing this with the introduction of LabVIEW NXG, which we designed from the ground up to embrace a streamlined workflow. Common applications can use a simple configuration-based approach, while more complex applications can use the full open-ended graphical programming capability of the LabVIEW language, G.”

The 1.0 release of LabVIEW NXG helps engineers performing benchtop measurements drastically increase their productivity with new nonprogramming workflows to acquire and iteratively analyze measurement data. These nonprogramming workflows simplify automation by building the necessary code behind the scenes. For instance, engineers can drag and drop a section of code equivalent to 50 lines of text-based code. This is just one of the many ways LabVIEW NXG helps engineers focus on innovation rather than implementation.

“As business has increased, the NI platform has allowed our software to scale up to meet the rising demand,” said Casey Lamers, senior controls engineer at Phoenix Nuclear Labs, which provides the world’s strongest commercial neutron generators for industries such as medicine, energy and material processing. “Developing custom software for a new accelerator used for the medical imaging isotope industry has gone from taking months to weeks, and software build times have gone from hours to just 30 minutes. As a participant in NI’s lead user program, we’ve been using early versions of LabVIEW NXG over the last year and are confident it will further reduce our development time and improve our ability to deliver new features faster.”

LabVIEW NXG introduces a re-engineered editor with functionality that experienced LabVIEW users often request, but it still offers a user experience similar to complementary software in the market. The refreshed editor further extends the openness of LabVIEW to integrate with a broader set of languages. The modernized editor improves programming productivity by streamlining the editor micro-interactions, user interface objects based on vector graphics and zooming capabilities.

As LabVIEW NXG 1.0 revolutionizes benchtop measurements, new capabilities in LabVIEW 2017 target the development, deployment and management of large, complex and distributed test and embedded applications. These include features that enhance interoperability with standard IP and standard communications protocols such as IEC 61131-3, OPC UA and the secure DDS messaging standard.

Network-based Control System enhanced!

Yokogawa Electric Corporation has developed and just released an enhanced version of the STARDOM™* network-based control system.

This latest version supports Windows 10, and the STARDOM high-speed CPU module comes with a new function that enables Java applications to run on a STARDOM controller. In addition, an oil flow rate calculation function has been added to meet the needs of oil and gas well operations.

With the addition of Windows 10 support and other new functionality, Yokogawa is demonstrating its ongoing commitment to enhancing the STARDOM system to meet the latest needs at its customers’ sites.

Development Background
STARDOM is a network-based control system whose principal components are the FCN autonomous controller, the VDS web-based HMI, and the FAST/TOOLSTM SCADA package. Since first releasing STARDOM to the market in 2001, Yokogawa has continued to improve the functions of this system to satisfy its customers’ changing needs. Based on the concept of “Faster, Stronger, Smarter,” Yokogawa most recently released a new CPU module in March 2016.

With this latest release, STARDOM has been enhanced as part of Yokogawa’s continuing effort to meet the evolving needs of its customers, including oil and gas well and pipeline operations. This release includes functionality for the on-site management of data that reduces the amount of communications traffic between central monitoring rooms and facilities distributed over a wide area.

Enhancements
1. Windows 10 support
Support of Windows 10, the latest version of Microsoft’s operating system, has been added with this release, ensuring that STARDOM continues to meet Yokogawa customers’ latest needs.

2. Simplified system configuration
A Duolet function that enables Java applications to run on the FCN controller is now embedded in the high-speed CPU module. Thanks to this function, the controller can be used to manage files and transmit data. This simplifies the overall system configuration by eliminating the need for a PC.

3. Function for calculating oil flow rate
In addition to an existing function for calculating the gas flow rate, a function for calculating the oil flow rate, based on American Petroleum Institute (API) guidelines, has been added. This new function makes it possible to quantify the amount of produced water from an oil or gas well, which serves as a KPI for monitoring age-related degradation in performance and assists in efforts to improve recovery efficiency.

*About STARDOM
STARDOM is an open network control system consisting of components for control, operation, and monitoring functionality, and its ideal combination of the reliability of a DCS and the versatility and economy of a PLC is highly acclaimed. The FCN autonomous controller, the core of STARDOM, is robust and can be easily implemented in a dual redundant configuration. The controller is widely used as an intelligent remote terminal unit (RTU) not only in applications that require high reliability and versatility/economy, such as small- to medium-size plants, but also in oil and gas well (upstream) and pipeline applications.
Major Target Markets
- Widely distributed facilities such as oil and gas wells, pipelines, and water and wastewater facilities
- Small- to medium-size oil, chemical, iron and steel, pulp and paper, food, and pharmaceutical process facilities
- Small- to medium-size wind turbines, steam turbines, and hydropower generation facilities
Applications
Monitoring, operation, control, data collection, and data storage for small- to medium-size manufacturing facilities

 @YokogawaIA  #PAuto 

Video wall for control rooms.

A new 4K DLP® Laser Video Wall with Xtra Slim form factor from Delta, is ideal for control room applications. Its 4K 70” cubes have a depth of 560mm, making them the thinnest DLP® laser cube in the world. Furthermore, it offers unmatched brightness of 2,400 lumens at ≥98% uniformity, creating yet another industry benchmark.

Each display is equipped with multiple laser modules that work in tandem, not only creating stunning visuals, but also achieving higher energy efficiency and longer operating life, thus ensuring they are virtually maintenance-free.

This innovation provides industry-leading 4K engine resolution (3840 x 2160), which is four times that of standard HD (1920 x 1080). This means that users get four times the data content that could be achieved in the same size of HD video wall cube for monitoring and surveillance purposes. This is hugely important given the growing market of 4K IP cameras to support surveillance and monitoring operations worldwide. As a result, DLP® display units need to match the 4K cameras and source device resolutions to achieve wider surveillance areas.

The 4K DLP® surveillance area is much bigger than HD DLP®, helping operators maintaining a round-the-clock vigil to monitor, analyse and act on any suspicious activity. These advantages also translate to public safety applications, whereby the monitoring map can be four times wider than a HD DLP® monitoring area. In fact, almost control room application will benefit, including traffic monitoring, disaster control and broadcasting.

Along with clearer and more distinct picture quality, Delta’s ground-breaking Xtra Slim 4K DLP® Laser Video wall offers many advanced functions. For instance, when the monitored area is still in HD resolution, displaying on a 4K DLP® display is not a problem. In fact, it is possible to open four original HD resolution PiP (picture-in-picture) windows within the same screen.

The Delta Xtra Slim 4k Laser Video wall can accept 4K input signals at 60Hz and pixel clock frequencies up to 594MHz, while support capability is offered for DisplayPort 1.2 and HDMI 2.0 interfaces. Further advantages include wide viewing angle and true redundancy. In addition, the system carries IP6X certification thanks to its built-in intelligent system, Intelli-Sense, a unique and intelligent auto correction system that ensures enhanced system performance and long life without external intervention.

#Delta_Electronics #PAuto 

Agreement on co-operation on automation opportunities.

Bedrock Automation has signed a memorandum of agreement with Jacobs Engineering Group, one of the world’s largest and most diverse providers of full-spectrum technical, professional and construction services. Under the agreement, the companies will pursue selected projects with automation system requirements for potential implementation of the Bedrock Open Secure Automation (OSATM) system.

“Our clients are increasingly concerned about both cyber security and advanced automation and we have been creating innovative service packages to meet these needs. Bedrock Automation has excellent experience and superior designs in this area. I am impressed with their comprehensive background and knowledge in the industrial DCS and PLC arena,” said Jacobs’ Mission Solutions Chief Technology Officer Dr. Tommy Gardner.

The BedrockTM control system is known for its patented Black FabricTM Cybershield architecture, which provides an intrinsic cyber secure automation platform to protect user hardware, software and applications. Unlike other conventional industrial control systems, Bedrock was designed from a clean sheet of paper with advanced components and architecture to be simple, scalable and secure.

“Jacobs is taking a leadership role in integrating the next generation of information and automation technologies for its clients,” added Bedrock Automation President Bob Honor. “We see this as a tremendous opportunity to bring our technology and our vision of holistic cyber security to a much larger audience. We look forward to an exciting and mutually beneficial relationship with Jacobs.”

#PAuto @BedrockAuto #JacobsEngineering

Valve remote control system for offshore crane!

Heerema Marine Contractors has chosen Emerson to provide a valve remote control (VRC) system for the world’s largest semi-submersible offshore crane vessel, SSCV Sleipnir, currently under construction at Sembcorp Marine’s shipyard in Singapore.

The 220 metre-long vessel is designed for the installation and removal of large offshore structures, such as oil and gas platforms, subsea production facilities, foundations, moorings, and deep water floating structures. Each of the ship’s two revolving cranes is capable of lifting up to 10,000 metric tons. The critical task of stabilising Sleipnir during lifting operations will be carried out by the ship’s ballast control system, which transfers water between onboard tanks to counter-balance the weight of shifting loads.

“A groundbreaking project like this called for us to partner with automation experts who could provide a VRC solution that minimised cost, weight, size, and energy use while ensuring years of safe operation in some of the toughest situations imaginable,” said Leo Stobbe, commissioning manager for Sleipnir at Heerema. “Across the board, we are confident that Emerson has delivered.”

Not only must the ballast control system operate reliably in demanding marine conditions, but it must do so on an extraordinary scale. To address these unique challenges, Emerson’s experts worked closely with the stakeholders to design a custom, fully-redundant Damcos™ VRC solution for the ship’s fluid management and ballast systems that includes a total of 847 valves, actuators, local power units (LPUs), and eight interface cabinets connected by a P-NET communication bus.

Emerson’s Damcos LPUs are rated at IP68, meaning that they are able to operate while submerged at a depth of three bar (30 metres) for at least 24 hours. The LPUs are mounted directly on the actuators and connected to the P-NET network, saving the shipyard installation man-hours by eliminating hydraulic tubing and greatly improving reliability with their short circuit-tolerant design. This configuration allows any LPU to fail entirely without affecting the other units in the loop.

@EMR_Automation  #PAuto #Marine @Emerson_News #Heerema

Automation & controls system security!

The second edition of Industrial Automation and Control System Security Principles has just been published.  This is a highly acclaimed book on industrial cybersecurity that became ISA’s best-selling publication during 2013 - the year of its initial printing.

Click here to read the Q&A feature with Dr. Krutz (above)

The title of the second edition - Industrial Automation and Control System Security Principles: Protecting the Critical Infrastructure - was expanded and updated to reflect the latest advances in industrial automation and control system (IACS) security. IACS serve as the operational underpinnings of critical infrastructure, such as power generation, water treatment, petroleum and chemical processing, and other vital operations.

“The updated edition covers the latest thinking and approaches to IACS security,” says the book’s author, Dr Ronald L. Krutz, P. E., CISSP, ISSEP, Chief Scientist at Security Risk Solutions, Inc. “I wanted to highlight the latest developments—from industrial, governmental and commercial sources—in industrial cybersecurity and critical infrastructure protection, and show how they can be practically applied to protect IACS.”

#PAut #ISAuto

#HM16 Efficient automation, sustainable service, and integrated industry highlighted.

Baumüller Group will showcase components, systems, and services connected to automation, system networking, and mobile drive technology from April 25-29, 2016 at booth K 17 in hall 14. Integrated industry from component to maintenance.

The Hannover Messe 2016 focuses again on integrated industry. Matching the trade fair focus, Baumüller presents Industry 4.0-capable components, network-capable systems, software solutions, and integrated service concepts. Innovations at the Nuremberg automation provider focus on complete solutions for the integration of production processes into cross-business networks. As company group, Baumüller covers complete system solutions with life cycle service, from project planning, engineering, and commissioning to maintenance, repair, and relocation. “Consideration of the complete life cycle is particularly important when discussing integrated industry,” says Andreas Baumüller, Managing Partner at Baumüller.

The clear visualization for handling systems renders long training times unnecessary and accelerates the operating process

Complete system live

As example of such a complete system, a handling system is presented live at the trade fair booth. Visitors can convince themselves of the intuitive operation, the new Baumüller visualization, and the advantages of web capability and open interfaces directly at the machine. The unit can be integrated into nearly any machine type. With extremely short commissioning times, it is suitable for new as well as existing machines. In the service area, Baumüller offers networking via sensor-based machine monitoring that can be coupled by machinery manufacturers or users with different service models. This solution is also presented at the trade fair booth as part of the overall package.

In the system area, the focus is on component developments as well as innovations in software and visualization. Standardized databases, a wide range of field buses and open interfaces are the basis for flexible and efficient communication and networking. In addition to a wide range of field buses and matching software modules, Baumüller therefore offers Engineering Framework ProMaster as very user-friendly tool for machine programming and monitoring as well as intelligent data storage.

Visualization and simulation make life easier

With complete function packages, e.g., for handling units, Baumüller also takes into account the increased importance of machine modularization and flexibility. Pre-configured packages are available to the machinery manufacturer from drive to visualization. These can be integrated into existing systems and operated platform-independently via all mobile terminals thanks to web-based visualization. The machinery manufacturer can use simulation techniques to simulate complete motion profiles. This saves complicated calculations, prevents surprises during commissioning, and thus saves time and costs.

News

In the component area at the control level, Baumüller presents the new industrial PCs of the b maXX PC004 series that offer in combination with the new HMI a powerful and scalable solution for all control tasks. The system is compatible with the remaining Baumüller portfolio. It can be used as master control for all machines or as slave in existing Ethernet-based systems.

In the power electronics area, the Nuremberg manufacturer presents their new multi-axis controllers. The new b maXX 5800 can control up to six axes independently from one another. For example, gantry axes can be controlled within one computer unit. This means that this solution does not require field bus communication between the axes and enables extremely fast communication and response times of 62.5 µs. The dead times of field bus communication as well as following errors are omitted and dynamics and accuracy increased.

Using the new version of three phase current synchronous motors DSC 135, Baumüller presents a particularly compact and quick-accelerating drive. The new DSC was equipped with a special mount for axial process force compensation, high overload capability, and a mechanical interface for spindle connection in particular for the plastic industry and here as ejector drive. In addition to the surface-cooled variant, the motor is available with integrated liquid cooling for maximum power density and compactness. The DSD2 56-100 servomotors and DST2 135-400 high-torque motors are newly available with oil cooling. With that, Baumüller offers an alternative to water cooling, which should be of particular interest for machines with hydraulic system, as the cooling medium is then already in the system and no additional costs are incurred.

Diversely mobile

For manufacturers of mobile machines, vehicles, and ships, Baumüller presents environmentally friendly and cost-optimized drives from 400 W to 280 kW at the Hannover Messe 2016. Among others, the DSE synchronous motor is presented, which offers a high power density thanks to specially arranged, buried magnets. This and the flexibility of the built-in motor during vehicle integration, make the DSE a suitable mobile drive for the power range up to 15 kW and a speed range up to 9000 rpm. With their solutions for hybrid ship drives, Baumüller enables fuel and emission savings and better maneuverability. The DTS2 high-torque motors are equipped with so-called wing mounts for perfect integration into the ship construction.

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Control system for huge US methanol plant!

Yokogawa Corporation of America has received an order from Orascom E&C USA to deliver control and safety systems for the Natgasoline LLC methanol plant. Currently under construction in Beaumont, (TX USA), this facility will have a capacity of approximately 1.75 million metric tons per year when it starts production in 2017, making it one of the world’s largest methanol plants. Based on nameplate capacity, it will be the largest methanol plant in the U.S.

For the process control and safety of the Lurgi MegaMethanol® process technology and auxiliary facilities throughout this plant, Yokogawa will deliver the CENTUM® VP integrated production control system, ProSafe®-RS safety instrumented system, Exaquantum™ plant information management system, and Plant Resource Manager (PRM®) software package. Yokogawa Corporation of America will be responsible for the engineering and delivery of these systems, and will provide support with installation and commissioning. The delivery of all systems will be completed by August 2016.

Yokogawa won this order because of its excellent track record in completing projects and demonstrated ability to deliver comprehensive, integrated solutions that help optimize operations.

“Yokogawa entered the U.S. market in 1957 and we have grown our business across diverse markets, but have had particular success in oil & gas refining and offshore production, LNG liquefaction and chemical manufacturing. We are proud to win the first order for a new U.S. grass roots methanol plant that exceeds a million metric tons per year. This project allows us to build on our already extensive track record in executing and maintaining methanol production in North America,” says Daniel Duncan, President and CEO of Yokogawa Corporation of America.

Though the chemical industry in the U.S. has long relied on imported methanol, the amount of methanol produced in the U.S. is steadily increasing due to the ready availability of methane produced from domestically sourced shale gas. Leveraging its project experience, Yokogawa will capitalize on this opportunity to expand its control business in North America and other key markets.

Network-based control system enhanced!

Yokogawa has announced it will release an enhanced version of the STARDOM™ network-based control system in the spring of 2016 that includes a newly developed high-speed CPU module for the FCN autonomous controller. Based on the concept of putting forward a product that is faster, stronger, smarter, STARDOM will feature the new CPU module, improved environmental resistance, and an enhanced engineering tool. With this product, Yokogawa intends to expand the open network control system business.

Development background
STARDOM is a network-based production control system that consists of the FCN autonomous controller and the VDS or FAST/TOOLS SCADA software. Since introducing this system in 2001, Yokogawa has continued to enhance it by adding new functions to satisfy customers’ needs. Combining the reliability of a distributed control system (DCS) with the versatility and economy of a programmable logic controller (PLC), STARDOM is widely used in medium-size manufacturing plants and in geographically distributed applications such as natural oil and gas wells. To date, more than 20,000 STARDOM systems have been delivered.

STARDOM’s FCN autonomous controller will be capable of reliably controlling high-speed equipment such as compressors, large wind power generators, and other types of turbines, and will be able to operate in a wider range of climatic conditions. Moreover, it will include a function that aids engineers in the performance of installation, modification, and maintenance tasks.

Product features
1. High-speed calculation and communication
The processor in the FCN autonomous controller’s CPU module will have five times the processing speed of the processor used in the current CPU module. It will also have a Gigabit Ethernet port for faster communication. This will enable the FCN to reliably control high-speed equipment such as compressors and turbines. With its improved capabilities, the FCN will also be able to stably control more advanced and complex applications. The new CPU module will have a total of four Ethernet ports, facilitating a greater number of connections and the configuration of redundant communication paths with SCADA systems.

With redundant CPUs and 120 proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control loops, the average processing speed for each loop will be about 0.2 ms (not including signal processing time). PID control is a feedback control technology that is widely used in basic materials industries such as oil, gas, and petrochemicals. For each loop, temperature, pressure, flow rate, and other process data from sensors and other types of detection devices are controlled based on a specified set-point, and instructions are output to valves and other terminals.

2. Strengthened environmental resistance
Oil and gas wells are often located in deserts, mountainous areas, and other locations with severe climatic conditions, and it is essential for controllers to be able to stably operate even in such harsh environments. In addition to a standard model that covers temperatures ranging from 0 to 55ºC, a model covering a range from -20 to 70ºC will be added to Yokogawa’s FCN offering. Moreover, the controller will have a robust file system that is not affected by sudden power failures.

3. Improved efficiency of engineering and maintenance work
With the global shortage of experienced maintenance personnel, systems today must offer functions that assist less experienced workers in the correct performance of modification and maintenance tasks. To reduce the likelihood of errors being made during modifications, a function that compares the programs on the FCN CPU module and PCs will be added to the Logic Designer engineering tool. And even if a network connection to a PC is not available, the system can be updated and system information required for maintenance can be obtained by means of an SD card.

Previously, it was necessary to obtain a software license to download each function to a CPU module. The new CPU module will include all necessary functions, so that their download will no longer be required. This is expected to improve engineering efficiency.

Major target markets include: widely distributed facilities such as oil and gas wells, pipelines, and water and wastewater facilities; small- to medium-size oil, chemical, iron and steel, pulp and paper, food, and pharmaceutical process facilities; small- to medium-size wind turbines, steam turbines, and hydropower generation facilities.

The STARDOM system will be exhibited at the Measurement and Control Show 2015 Tokyo, which will be held December 2 - 4 at the Tokyo Big Sight exhibition centre.

Performance boost for industrial heating systems.

Siemens has equipped its Siplus HCS modular heating control systems for switching and controlling heat emitter arrays and elements with considerably higher output power and power density. Siplus HCS4200 for 230/277 V power supply systems now has more than twice the number of outputs, for example. With up to 384 outputs, an HCS4200 network can now control very large heat emitter arrays in the smallest of spaces. Additionally, the output power has been more than doubled with the new POM Midrange power output module – from 1.47 to 3.68 kilowatts per 230 V heating element.

This POM is also suitable for 277 V systems. The higher power density of the Siplus HCS4300 heating control system for 400/480 V systems now facilitates even more flexible modification to suit the application. With a maximum output of 7.6 kW per output and up to 216 outputs, this compact heating system can now control four times as many heating elements as previously.

Heating control systems from Siemens can be found in a range of sectors and applications all over the world, drying paint and coatings, for example, in the molding of plastics and lightweight construction materials, in plastic welding and in film extrusion. The new heating control systems promise to help plant operators cut their energy consumption by facilitating energy-efficient heating element actuation and avoiding current spikes in the network.

There are three new I/O modules available for Siplus HCS4200 and HCS4300 with practical supplementary functions: one for temperature detection, another with 16 digital inputs or outputs and a third for voltage and current measurements, which allows for compensation of line voltage fluctuations. The heating control systems have also been equipped with a soft start function, enabling emitters with extremely high inrush current up to 20 times the rated current to be controlled.
Via the TIA Portal (Totally Integrated Automation) engineering framework and Profinet/Profibus communication, the heating control systems are easy to integrate into the automation network comprising elements such as human machine interface (HMI) devices, controllers and motion control components. In the HCS program library, individual program blocks can easily be adapted to suit the application in question. Sample projects are available for first-time users. Detailed diagnostic functions offer support in case of disturbances in the heating process and help to repair malfunctions quickly. It is possible to detect which emitter is defective, for example, whether an incoming or outgoing fuse has tripped or whether the line voltage or frequency is outside the tolerance range. The diagnostic data are reported to the central plant controller via Profinet/Profibus. For remote diagnostics, the user can access this data by means of a Web browser.