Power surge protection.

 Voltage spikes are brief events that rarely last more than a few microseconds. In complex systems, however, even seemingly small events can have serious consequences. This is definitely true of industrial automation systems, in which many different devices need to work seamlessly together in order to maintain normal operations. Computers and communications equipment are essential components of many modern automation systems, and are particularly susceptible to power surges from voltage and current spikes because they typically have low dielectric strength. In these systems, serial device servers are key communications gateways that connect the broader Ethernet network with specific serial devices. A power surge that damages this vital communications link will bring the entire process to a halt.

A voltage spike is a momentary extreme burst of electricity in an electrical circuit. This energy spike may be short-lived, but could still be strong enough to seriously damage the electronics. Voltage spikes cause corresponding spikes in the current impulse.

There are many potential sources of power surges. Two of the most common are spikes from lightning and switching surges:

• Lightning: Lightning creates substantial electric discharge at the location it strikes. Lightning that directly strikes a building can clearly endanger its electrical system, but there are other ways for lightning strikes to cause a power surge. For example, when lightning strikes a power transmission line, the effects can cause an equally dangerous voltage spike miles away. Even in locations with infrequent lightning strikes, lightning poses a significant risk and its consequences must be mitigated.
• Switching Surge: There are many malfunctions in electrical equipment that can lead to power surges. Tripped circuit breakers, short circuits, or even power transitions can all create switching surges. These electrical irregularities may be man-made but can cause just as much damage as lightning. A large power substation that regularly cycles on and off generates enough switching surges to threaten sensitive electronic devices.

Gaps in Existing Power Surge Protection.
Industrial automation operators generally understand that power surges pose a serious threat to their systems and take steps to reduce this threat. Not only do power surges damage and destroy equipment, they cause costly interruptions. In the case of serial-to-Ethernet communications, irreplaceable historical data could be lost if the serial or Ethernet ports suffer a power surge.

For a serial device server, there are three major points of weakness that could be damaged by a power surge: the serial line, the Ethernet line, and the power line. Many serial device servers offer surge protection on the Ethernet and power lines to protect against this threat. However, most serial device servers leave the serial line unprotected. As a consequence, the serial line is often the vulnerable chink in a serial device server’s surge protection armor.

Surge Vulnerability in Substations.
Substation automation facilities are at particular risk for power surges because they are highly susceptible to both major sources of voltage spikes. As outdoor facilities, substations are more exposed to lightning strikes. As electric facilities that perform electric transformation and switching, switching surges are also a danger. At the same time, electric substations need reliable serial communications in order to perform essential tasks such as reading power meters. If surge damage occurs on a serial line, then any meter data on the associated line will be lost. This combination of increased risk profile and greater consequences means that robust products with industry-certified surge protection are a must for electric substations. 

 Full Spectrum Surge Protection.
Surge protection is not an option for vulnerable communications links. Effective and comprehensive surge protection reduces downtime and increases system stability by eliminating the most common cause of failure. IEC 61000-4-5 testing is imperative to verify that a device has sufficient surge protection to withstand voltage spikes. IEC 61000-4-5 Level 1 testing is intended for a device that operates in partly protected electrical environments, while IEC 61000-4-5 Level 2 and higher testing certifies that a device can operate in highly electrical environments.

Many manufacturers offer serial device servers with IEC 61000-4-5 rated surge protection on the power and Ethernet lines. However, the same level of integrated surge protection is rare for the serial line. In order to acquire serial line surge protection, device servers are often deployed with additional external surge protection devices. However, this retrofit adds complexity, increases space requirements, imposes additional maintenance costs, and complicates support cases. Industrial automation systems can be complicated enough as it is without an additional requirement to deploy, maintain, and support yet another device just to provide serial line surge protection.

Closing the Gaps in Surge Protection.

Moxa NPort A Series of serial device servers sets itself apart from other solutions with built-in IEC 61000-4-5 rated surge protection on the serial line in addition to Ethernet and power line surge protection. This provides a reliable, resilient serial device server solution in a convenient all-in-one package. With built-in serial line protection, it is no longer necessary to find, test, and deploy an external serial surge protection product. Surge immunity on the serial, Ethernet, and power lines grants the compact, IEC 61000-4-5 certified Nport A series reliability and full-spectrum protection against voltage spikes and electrical noise.

Moxa NPort A Series devices (pictured above right) are 1 to 4 port serial to Ethernet device servers for hazardous locations. They have enhanced surge protection for serial, LAN, and power, and 2 KV isolation for serial signals. They also have rugged screw-type terminal blocks for power and serial connectors, and are C1D2 and ATEX certified for harsh industrial environments.

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@Moxa_Europe @OConnellPR #PAuto #OT/IT #PowerSurge

PPE recognition for safety.

Innodisk has introduced an innovative AI-based InnoPPE recognition solution to improve safety and compliance in high-risk industrial environments. This  solution ensures real-time detection of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), including safety helmets and gloves, and seamlessly integrates with existing surveillance systems.

With rising global attention on Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS), stricter PPE standards are pushing businesses to adopt more effective monitoring systems. Regulations like ISO 45001 and Directive 89/656/EEC emphasize the need for better safety practices. In industries such as manufacturing and energy extraction, InnoPPE provides a vital solution by ensuring workers consistently wear the required protective gear.

The solution efficiently processes four or more video streams at once, identifying PPE violations and instantly notifying management with detailed information for immediate action. This real-time feedback helps reduce safety risks without affecting operational efficiency.

InnoPPE is highly customizable, supporting both AMD Xilinx FPGA and Intel x86 platforms for optimal performance, low latency, and reduced power consumption. It also integrates effortlessly with existing IP camera systems, minimizing additional equipment costs, as a single edge AI device handles multiple 1080p (Full HD) camera feeds, providing cost-effective scalability across industrial setups.

Building on Innodisk's core value of "absolute service," the InnoPPE solution sets itself apart by offering a buy-out model that combines both hardware and software into a single package. This eliminates the complexities of managing separate vendors or paying recurring subscription fees. Innodisk delivers a fully integrated solution with customizable AI models tailored to specific environments. These models are rapidly developed, ensuring high accuracy and flexibility alongside real-time support, making it a comprehensive and efficient safety solution for industrial environments.

Besides, the intuitive interface enables seamless camera management, real-time streaming, and quick access to safety violation records. Through its collaboration with renowned Network Optix, InnoPPE offers a user-friendly experience while elevating safety standards across high-risk industries.

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@Innodisk_Corp  @mepaxIntPR #PAuto #Safety #Manufacturing

Attending to process health.

Seeq Corporation announced the Seeq Process Health Solution for advanced process monitoring and diagnostics at the 2023 ARC Industry Forum*, an annual manufacturing conference focused on the acceleration of digitalization, sustainability, and energy transition initiatives. This innovative solution leverages advanced analytics and machine learning to address high value, complex process manufacturing challenges related to production, quality and optimization.

As the process industries continue to invest in digital transformation initiatives to increase profitability and sustainability, the demand for easy-to-use solutions that rapidly derive value from time series data grows in parallel. The Seeq Process Health Solution leverages advanced analytics enhanced by new machine learning technology, to fulfill these demands. The new solution, which includes Seeq ML, a no code multivariate pattern learning and diagnostic technology, empowers organizations to monitor complex manufacturing processes and optimize key performance indicators in near real time for batch and continuous processes.

For oil and natural gas provider Williams Company, the Process Health Solution accelerated the company’s transition from a reactive to a proactive process monitoring approach.

“The Seeq Process Health Solution enabled our team to switch from a rules-based approach, which was difficult to implement and maintain at scale, to an engineer-friendly and transparent, multivariate machine learning approach,” says Oscar Lewis, a senior process operations leader and Technical Specialist at Williams Company. “This identified various process upsets, generating significant savings for our large gas gathering operations.”

With the Process Health Solution, users can leverage their domain expertise and process knowledge, without any prior machine learning experience, to improve their discovery, detection and diagnosis of process performance issues. The new solution extends Seeq’s current market leading capabilities for connecting data, teams and insights across a spectrum of analytics and machine learning. Engineers and process experts benefit from accessing Seeq ML add-on capabilities and multivariate visualizations from within Seeq’s easy-to-use and collaborative advanced analytics platform. Templated solution workflows also enable teams to quickly identify issues and root causes and accelerate improvements in process performance.

“Placing advanced multivariate, machine learning capabilities directly in the hands of frontline process experts and decisions makers aligns perfectly with the Seeq machine learning strategy,” says Mark Derbecker, Chief Product Officer at Seeq. “Providing the Process Health Solution within the Seeq self-service, advanced analytics platform will enable organizations to gain insights and take transformational actions within hours.”

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* Seeq is a gold level sponsor at the 2023 ARC Industry Forum.

@SeeqCorporation @arc_advisory #IIoT #PAuto 

Avoiding catastrophic failures in industrial facilities.

Experts in the energy sector have devised a new solution to prevent cracks in plant equipment before they develop.

IMI Critical Engineering, has launched IMI Insyt, a new digital service to improve performance, reliability, and efficiency in industrial plants. This is a digitally based prescriptive engineering service that can prevent structural integrity issues such as cracks and leaks in pipes and equipment. It works to protect industrial processes by optimizing plant operations and minimizes costly and unexpected plant downtime.

The energy industry has changed dramatically since the introduction of renewable energy sources. Historically, industrial and manufacturing plants were designed for continuous, 24-hour operation. The increasing use of renewable energy means that plants are more likely to be stopped and restarted to help supplement the supply of renewable power.

These increased startups and shutdowns can create serious issues within plants. The pipes and valves can crack during the attemperation process (Referring to the control of the required temperature of superheated or reheated steam by water spray injection.), which can cause plant shutdowns, costly repairs, a loss in revenue, and unsafe working conditions.

To combat these problems, IMI Insyt employs system-wide, physics-based analysis. Carried out by highly experienced IMI engineering experts, the service identifies improvements required for de-superheating performance and system control. It can analyze steam flow, spray-water profiling, and thermal cycling.

The data-driven analytics used by IMI Insyt identifies operational problems, design faults, and inadequate maintenance. By rectifying these issues, plants can improve plant safety and performance before any catastrophic failures occur.

The system is cloud-based and can be initiated remotely as well as on-site. Several customers in North America have already tried and tested this service which has helped them to stop cracks occurring in pipes and avoid costly repairs or plant shutdowns. At a Combined Cycle Power Plant, the Insyt team captured and analyzed the data to quickly identify the major issues requiring immediate attention in the plant.

Jackie Hu, Divisional Managing Director at IMI Critical Engineering, said: “IMI Insyt has been developed by our trusted Valve Doctors® and industry experts with decades of experience. We’re excited to launch this solution that can ensure peace of mind for plant owners, keep employees safe, and optimize plant operations to increase revenue.”

@IMICritical @codacomms #PAuto #Safety

Easier monitoring and optimising plant health.

AMS Device Manager is the first software of its kind to be registered under the Field Device Integration standard, making it easier to monitor and optimize plant health

Emerson's device management software is the first host software to be fully registered by FieldComm Group® to support the Field Device Integration (FDI) standard. This is a further step in their ongoing efforts to reduce the time and effort spent installing and configuring the field devices plants rely on to achieve their digital transformation goals.

Field devices collect and transmit important data that personnel use to improve plant health, performance and reliability. FDI registration will reduce the need for plants to support two different technologies to integrate and maintain field devices. 

Full FDI registration is important to avoid having a patchwork of systems and devices that only support individual elements of FDI but still require extensive integration effort. Because manufacturers can pick and choose individual FDI features to support, some device management applications will likely not contain every feature a plant requires. Emerson worked side by side with FieldComm Group for nearly two years to enable AMS Device Manager to pass the group’s rigorous testing process for registration, which requires all features to be supported by the software.

“Today’s intelligent field devices offer a broad range of data and functionality that plant personnel can use to optimise operations, but without a common standard, collecting that data can be complex and cumbersome,” said Ted Masters, chief executive officer of FieldComm Group. “By completing the process to fully register AMS Device Manager’s FDI support, Emerson is providing its customers the tools to more easily implement a wider range of devices for holistic plant health.”

The newest release of AMS Device Manager will make it easier, more secure and more cost effective to access device data. FDI integration technology eliminates the need for plants to support the two most common technologies for installing and configuring devices: Electronic Device Description Language (EDDL) and Field Device Tool/Device Type Manager (FDT/DTM). Instead, all FDI devices support a single installation package, so organisations will no longer have to double up on time, training and effort when installing field devices.

“FDI integration technology takes the best features of EDDL and FDT/DTM and combines them into a single common standard, making it far easier to select, install, configure and support new devices,” said Erik Lindhjem, vice president of Emerson’s reliability solutions business. “By adding full FDI registration to AMS Device Manager, Emerson continues its tradition of supporting and innovating on industry standards to help organisations drive more value from digital transformation initiatives.”

@EMR_Automation @Emerson_News @FieldCommGroup #Pauto #Communications,

Centralised management of large amounts of data.

Version R3.30 of Yokogawa's Plant Resource Manager (PRM®) software tool for the centralised management of large amounts of data from plant monitoring and control devices and manufacturing equipment has been launched. PRM R3.30 is an upgrade to R3.20 and includes an improved management function for HART® and enhancements to the navigation function. With this new PRM version, Yokogawa aims to capture a larger share of the plant maintenance market.

Plant Resource Manager (PRM) PRM is a software package that centrally manages large amounts of status and maintenance information from plant monitoring and control devices and manufacturing equipment. With PRM, users can monitor the status of their devices and perform online diagnosis via a network. In addition, PRM centrally manages maintenance information, including device ledgers, in a database, and supplies maintenance information for plant field devices and equipment to maintenance personnel. Major Target Markets Industries such as oil and gas, petrochemicals, chemicals, iron and steel, pulp and paper, electric power, and wastewater treatment Applications Maintenance of field devices in plants and the operation of plants

Development Background
Manufacturers are constantly looking for ways to improve maintenance efficiency by using software tools like PRM that can centrally manage large amounts of maintenance and other types of data from plant monitoring and control devices and manufacturing equipment. Maintenance personnel use such data to reduce plant downtime and enhance safety by proactively spotting and responding to device failures.

To optimize plant operations, it is essential not only to keep devices in good working order but also to have up-to-date information on device status and maintain records on all maintenance work that is performed. Such information is most useful if operators of control and safety instrumented systems can view it on screen at their human interface stations (HIS).

With such needs in mind, Yokogawa has developed new functions for its PRM tool that facilitate the collection of information from field devices for use in optimizing device maintenance and plant operations.

Enhancements
1. Quick access to HART device status information
PRM can now obtain start-up, stop, failure, and other status information from Yokogawa HART7 compliant devices in almost real time via the N-IO (Network-IO) field input/output (IO) device that was developed for use with the latest version (R4.01) of the ProSafe®-RS safety instrumented system, which was released to the market in November 2015. For other companies' HART5, 6, and 7 compliant devices, PRM can collect information at 1 minute intervals. With PRM R3.20, data collection at intervals of 10 to 60 minutes was supported.

2. Intuitive display of device information
Icons indicating the importance of individual devices are now displayed in the device status window of the navigation screen. If a problem occurs somewhere in the plant, operators can use this information and the self-diagnostic information displayed for the devices to make a quick, priority-based response.

3. Targeted issuance of alarms
PRM has a maintenance alarm function that issues alarms for display at CENTUM® series integrated production control system HISs. Previously, alarms were issued to all HISs. With this latest version of PRM, it is now possible to specify which HIS should receive alarms from a specific device. Individual operators now only receive alarms from those devices for which they are responsible.

@YokogawaIA #Pauto 

Plant information management system.

Yokogawa Electric Corporation has released the Exaquantum R3.01 plant information management system. Compared to the previous version Exaquantum R3.01 delivers a six-fold increase in data acquisition performance and can handle five times as many data points (tags).

Development background
Plant operators seek to acquire temperature, pressure, and other types of data to better understand what is happening in their plants and obtain insights needed to improve equipment and operating procedures. In keeping with the industry "big data" trend of utilising ever growing amounts of data, there is a rising need for information management solutions that can acquire more data points and have higher acquisition speeds.

To meet these requirements, Yokogawa has created Exaquantum R3.01. This latest version of Exaquantum delivers a quantum increase in the data acquisition speed and the number of tags that can be handled by a server, giving plant operators a much more detailed understanding of their plant processes. Positioning Exaquantum R3.01 as a data historian platform for acquiring and storing the plant data needed to improve plant operations, Yokogawa will utilise this product to create value with its customers and expand its solutions business.

Enhancements
1. Increased data acquisition speed
Including closing processing time, defined as the performance of calculations using acquired process data to obtain values (average, standard deviation, sum, maximum/minimum, etc.) for a given period (on an hourly, daily, or monthly basis) and the automatic generation of this data on a server, Exaquantum R3.01 achieves an event-driven data acquisition and processing speed of 600,000 tag updates per minute, which is six times faster than the company's previous release. In less time, this software can obtain more detailed information on the changes that are taking place in a plant's processes.

2. Increased number of tags that can be handled
With Exaquantum R3.01, a server can now handle up to 500,000 tags, five times the amount possible with the company's previous release. This dramatically increases the amount of information customers have at their fingertips. By being able to analyse a wider range of process data, they can obtain a much more accurate understanding of what is happening in a process and zero in on solutions that will improve their plant operations.

3. Support for tablets
With Exaquantum R3.01, users can now access their data not only from a browser on a desktop or laptop PC, but also from any Windows or iOS tablet. This gives anytime, anywhere access to plant information and aids troubleshooting for rapid resolution of production issues.

4. Improved engineering tools
Exaquantum R3.01 comes with an improved conversion tool that allows users to convert Exaquantum R3.01 graphic windows so that they can be viewed from inside an operation and monitoring window (graphic window) of Yokogawa's flagship product, the CENTUM(R) VP integrated production control system. This conversion tool now has the capability to simultaneously convert multiple process graphics. Other engineering tools available for use with Exaquantum R3.01 have been improved to reduce engineering workload.

Main markets & Applications
Industries such as oil & gas, petrochemicals, chemicals, iron and steel, non-ferrous metals, electric power, pulp and paper, foods, pharmaceuticals, and water treatment
Applications include: real-time creation of plant process databases, processing of acquired data by means of arithmetic and other operations and display of acquired data in graphics, trend charts, spreadsheets, etc.

Improving maintenance efficiency by using device management systems!

Yokogawa has released Plant Resource Manager (PRM) R3.12, a software package that is capable of centrally managing large amounts of data from plant monitoring and control devices and manufacturing equipment, thereby allowing their status to be monitored and diagnosed online. With PRM R3.12, self-diagnostic information is now displayed in a more intuitive, easy-to-understand format based on the NAMUR NE107 recommendations, and network functions have been enhanced for upstream oil and gas applications. With this new release of its PRM package, Yokogawa aims to expand its share of the maintenance market.

Development background

Plant Resource Manager (PRM) is a software package that centrally manages field device information. With PRM, users can monitor the status of their devices and perform online diagnosis via a network. In addition, PRM centrally manages database ledgers for individual devices as well as device maintenance information that can be accessed by maintenance staff.

Manufacturers in the process industry are constantly working to improve maintenance efficiency by using device management systems such as PRM that can centrally manage large amounts of data from plant monitoring and control devices and manufacturing equipment in order to monitor their status and identify maintenance needs.

When a device management system detects multiple problems in more than one device, maintenance personnel must quickly assess the severity of each problem and prioritise their actions. Equipment failures in plants must be dealt with quickly, and so appropriate responses are required when it appears likely that a failure will soon occur. To satisfy these needs, this information is now displayed in an easier-to-understand format with PRM R3.12, allowing maintenance personnel to quickly judge which actions will receive top priority.

This new version of PRM also offers enhanced network functionality, including improved support of wireless and satellite communications for upstream oil and gas applications.

This new PRM version uses easy-to-understand NAMUR NE107-compliant symbols for the four primary device diagnostic categories: namely, failure, check function, out of specification, and maintenance required. While previous PRM versions were capable of indicating the severity of a device malfunction based on the self-diagnostic data, R3.12 makes clear at a glance what kind of response is required. NAMUR NE107 is a series of device diagnostics recommendations defined by NAMUR, a process automation user group based in Germany.

The network function has been expanded to incorporate support for narrow-band wireless and satellite communications. Consequently, both PRM and Yokogawa’s SCADA software (FAST/TOOLS) installed at a central control facility enjoy improved connectivity with the ProSafe(R)-RS safety instrumented systems that perform monitoring and control functions at widely distributed remote sites such as wellheads and pipeline pump stations. The centralised monitoring of device status at such remote locations meets customers’ need for improved maintenance efficiency. With this new functionality, Yokogawa anticipates that it will be able to expand its maintenance business in the oil and gas industries.

Looking inside your plant process!

Next April, Yokogawa will begin offering new solutions for optimising plant operations in the oil & gas, petrochemical, and other industries. These solutions will be provided as part of their VigilantPlant Services® suite to support safe, stable, and highly efficient plant operations. The technology underlying these solutions is Yokogawa’s newly developed MIRROR PLANT online simulator.

About MIRROR PLANT MIRROR PLANT was developed based on the OmegaLand integrated dynamic simulation environment and its core technology, the Visual Modeler plant simulator. OmegaLand and Visual Modeler are software packages that were developed by Yokogawa’s subsidiary, Omega Simulation Co., Ltd. OmegaLand builds virtual plants and simulates their operation under conditions that are close to the actual state. These are used for plant operator training and process design in the oil & gas and petrochemical industries.

The MIRROR PLANT simulator can visualise the internal state of a plant process and make near-term predictions on plant behaviour. An industry first, this simulator operates in synchronisation with the plant control system and features the good performance required in commercial plants.

Development background
In recent years, there has been increasing focus on improving plant safety and strengthening competitiveness by making plants more efficient. For example, in the chemical industry, plant operators need, in real time, to manage or adjust the state of catalysts and the composition of the reagents and product materials in a chemical reactor, to optimise both plant productivity and product quality. However, many of the process variables are difficult to measure or cannot be measured directly. Based on actual process information such as flow rate, temperature, and pressure, simulation technology can make predictions on items that cannot be measured in real time: for example, the amount of each component in a product, and thus simulate the state of a plant. By means of high-speed calculations, the simulator can make near-term predictions on the state of a plant. Operators can then anticipate events and take action earlier to ensure safe operation.

Yokogawa and its subsidiary, Omega Simulation Co., Ltd., jointly developed the MIRROR PLANT online plant simulator. It operates in synchronisation with the plant control system and constantly updates a process model. Based on this simulator, Yokogawa will offer support solutions that help its customers optimise their plant operations.

The MIRROR PLANT simulator operates in synchronisation with the plant control system. Based on real-time manufacturing process information and using a proprietary function for adjusting model parameters, it precisely simulates the state of a plant. By using plant models, the simulator visualises the current state of the plant, the state of the plant up to several hours in the future, and the state at plant locations where it is not possible to measure temperature or pressure. It then displays these results on screen at a CENTUM VP integrated production control system operator terminal or at a standard PC. MIRROR PLANT also has an alarm function that can alert operators to potential problems. As such, this solution can help Yokogawa’s customers operate their plants safely and efficiently while maintaining product quality.

Yokogawa offers consulting and engineering services for building the simulation models that are key to MIRROR PLANT’s effectiveness. Yokogawa’s highly experienced process control engineers provide customers with these services. The simulation models used in MIRROR PLANT are based not on statistical data from plant operations, but on physical laws. Thus, processes can be theoretically verified, and the simulator can be used for a broad range of applications such as identifying problems in a process. The optimum operating conditions can then be identified before making changes to items such as the production volume or the feed material composition. Based on MIRROR PLANT, Yokogawa offers these services to help its customers optimise their plant operations.

A field test of MIRROR PLANT was conducted from 2011 to 2013 at a plant of Mitsui Chemicals, Inc., and the results showed that it efficiently stabilised and optimised the operation of a distillation tower. As a result, MIRROR PLANT won the Technology Award from the Society of Instrument and Control Engineers (SICE), which commended this innovative technology for boosting plant productivity and safety.

Plant monitoring

Upgraded condition monitoring software for preventive maintenance

The effective maintenance of plant and machinery depend heavily on the quality and quantity of data acquisition and analysis. In version 03.05 of its monitoring software Siplus CMS X-Tools, the Siemens Industry Automation Division has provided a range of new maintenance functions.

For any modern manufacturing company, high plant availability is crucial. This makes it all the more important to ensure that efficient maintenance methods are in place. Siemens addresses this problem with its condition monitoring system Siplus CMS and monitoring software X-Tools for add-on integration into existing automation systems. They come with an extensive library of functions for analysis, diagnosis and condition monitoring. The upgraded version of Siplus CMS X-Tools V03.05 provides an array of new functions to simplify and improve scope for condition monitoring. The Fast Analysis function allows archived and real time data to now be evaluated even more quickly and simply. Using the extended report functions, users can now generate their own event-driven trend graphs. New vector diagrams permit improved evaluation, for example of network situations.

Additional measurement cursors – now numbering up to 99 – also provide greater scope for measuring data and evaluation: The cursors are updated and automatically displayed on a speeddependent basis. Damage-typical frequency markers allow users to quickly and easily identify progressive damage. Using a new process-controlled trigger marking system, archived measurement data can be simply located and assigned as required.

The main illustration (left) shows a raw signal and a velocity signal (red line).The two illustrations on the right show two different damage analyses: at the top next to a main cursor five sideband cursors (orange lines) and below seven harmonic cursors (green line)

Mobile plant management

An ever increasing number of users are enjoying the benefits of engineering software for mobile plant management. Modern web and sharepoint technologies offer users increasing flexibility in terms of global collaboration, help to improve the quality of information, enhance efficiency and save time.

Siemens has now extended its plant management software Comos by the inclusion of a solution for mobile data and document utilization in the form of an iPad app entitled Comos Mobile Document Review.

Users can now edit, review and release plant documentation and manage revision statuses anywhere, anytime with the aid of editing and redlining features – whether on business trips, in meetings or during tours of inspection. Documents from the Comos database are transmitted via a web server in pdf format to the Comos user’s iPad where they are edited offline. Available redlining functions include freehand drawing, insertion of comments and integration of photos taken on site. Once redlining has been completed, a pdf is created and the file returned to the Comos database for further processing.

The Comos App is intuitive to use and can be operated without any prior knowledge of Comos engineering software. All newly loaded documents are immediately visible and their management is simplified by the use of favorites functions.

The App is available in Chinese, German, English and French, and can be downloaded free of charge from the Apple App Store. It works best on the 2nd or 3rd generation iPad.

New concept to manufacturing service!

The problem of lack of technical skills or understanding is one familiar to many processes today.

A ‘concept to manufacturing’ service has been launched by Marl Manufacturing, for businesses who need to introduce a technology based product but have no technical skills or resources in-house. The product realisation service is a complete technical product creation and realisation package, and goes well beyond the scope of traditional sub-contract manufacturing or electronic manufacturing services (EMS), covering initial electronic design, layout, prototyping and full production.

According to Adrian Rawlinson, Managing Director of Marl International, “A great many businesses are finding that their competitive position can be greatly improved by adding an electronic control element or a display user interface to their products, but as their business is non-technical they lack the expertise to turn their idea into a design let alone create a prototype or put it into production. The new Marl Manufacturing service is for them. We can literally take a drawing on the back of an envelope, and work in partnership with business management through the steps of turning that idea into a workable design, building a prototype and taking it into production. The concept to manufacturing service is aimed at businesses in non-technical sectors such as hobbies and leisure activity, medicine, safety and security.”

The key strength of Marl Manufacturing is that the entire product realisation process from concept to design to prototype to volume manufacturing is conducted under one roof at its base in Ulverston, England. This creates a strong connection between the different stages of the product realisation process, and provides a unique flexibility to adapt and change if the customer’s needs evolve and develop during the course of a project.

Rawlinson explained, “We can offer fast turn-around and competitive pricing on small volumes, but with our sourcing and logistics expertise we can match offshore manufactured price levels on much higher volumes as well. We provide a very competitive and highly professional assembly and manufacturing service based in the UK to our wide base of customers. Our heritage is in lighting products, but a project doesn’t have to have an LED in it for us to be able to manufacture it competitively.”

Marl offers cable assembly, wiring looms and box build services as well as sub-assembly or complete system build including electronic PCB assembly. Design and manufacturing of bespoke housings to suit the application environment is a particular strength of Marl. Marl International has recently invested £120,000 (ca€154) in tools for prototype and small batch production allowing it to offer a particularly strong service in this area.

Specialist in plant management in Brazil

With its takeover of innotec do Brasil based in São Paulo (BR), the Siemens Industry Automation Division has extended its leading global position in the field of industrial process engineering software, and at the same time bolstered its presence in one of the world's key growth markets. For more than ten years, Innotec do Brasil has been an exclusive supplier of Comos software solutions for integrated plant management, focusing on Brazil's oil and gas, energy, chemical and paper industries. The newly acquired company will be assigned to the Industrial Automation Systems Business Unit. With the purchase price a closely guarded secret, the deal is set to go ahead subject to approval by the relevant authorities.

Eckard Eberle,
CEO Siemens Automation Systems 

Innotec do Brasil was founded in 2001 and employs a highly qualified approximately 50-strong team with pooled expertise in every aspect of integrated industrial plant management. The company has been a highly regarded partner and recognised supplier of Comos software solutions and services for plant engineers and planners operating in the Brazilian process industry for many years. Its customer base includes such prestigious names as Petrobras, one of the world's biggest energy corporations.
"By acquiring innotec do Brasil we are bolstering the position of Siemens in Brazil and extending our market presence as an industrial partner in the energy sector. We will be gaining a team of specialists which already enjoys an excellent reputation as a sound, dependable partner and preferred supplier of Comos software solutions among many of Latin America's key industrial players", says Eckard Eberle, CEO of the Siemens Industrial Automation Systems Business Unit.

The Brazilian firm provides an impressive performance spectrum encompassing business process analysis, solutions to specific customer needs, software implementation and a comprehensive portfolio of plant engineering services.

"We plan to pursue our successful strategy in the growth market Brazil. With a highly qualified local team in place and support from Siemens, we are perfectly positioned to offer innovative software solutions for integrated, future-proof plant engineering. By providing meticulously engineered and efficient solution concepts using Comos, we are able to make a significant contribution towards achieving higher productivity, more economical operation and a sharper competitive edge for our customers," explains Charles Craddock, CEO and former shareholder of innotec do Brasil.
Recent years have seen the Siemens Industry Automation Division significantly extend its leading position in the industrial software market with the acquisition of UGS in the United States (2007), innotec in Germany (2008), Elan Software Systems in France (2009) and in 2011 the Brazilian company Active Tecnologia em Sistemas de Automação as well as Vistagy in the US, all of them leading industrial software suppliers in their respective fields.

Efficient and economic front-end engineering and design

Design plants faster and more reliably with the Comos software solution

The Siemens Industry Automation has expanded Comos, the software solution for complete plant management throughout the entire lifecycle of an industrial plant, with functions for productive front-end engineering and design (FEED). Comos FEED supports the user in the early planning of a plant.

Comos FEED supports the user in the early
design of a plan

As reported by the market analysts ARC Advisory Group, even at the very early planning stage of an industrial plant project, some 80% of the total costs are defined in the front-end engineering and design phase. "With the new FEED functionality in Comos, plant designers can work more quickly and more flexibly and also improve the quality of their work. This allows, for example, a more precise cost calculation for a plant", said Marcus Elo, product manager Comos Process, Siemens Industry Automation Division.

New import functions in Comos FEED for data from simulation programs support the user and help to speed up planning and make it more reliable. This allows the batch import data from multiple simulations to be integrated in Comos at the same time. Other functions such as the partial import also save time allowing previously defined data from simulations to be applied. An additional interface has also been developed, that now allows the application of data from ProMax. This means that as of now, the data from seven process simulators can be imported and further processed. This underlines the open system architecture of Comos and provides users with even greater flexibility. To continue planning, the data can be taken from the simulation programs and is then available for further processing for flowcharts and block diagrams in Comos.

The Comos software solution is modular and its integrated data management allows effective, holistic development in a system over the entire lifecycle. The data is both consistent and transparent in all planning phases. This also applies to the early stages of plant design and ensures high quality in the design of the process. Here, the integrated data and document revision mechanisms provided by the Comos FEED software module allow a controlled and efficient design procedure.