This is not evolution – it is a revolution
Adroit Technologies and Mitsubishi have extended the collaboration on the MA Process Suite (MAPS) integrated PLC/SCADA software tool to include DesSoft, a local software engineering company. Dave Wibberley, managing director of Adroit says, “It horrifies me to see the same mistakes being made today that were made 20 years ago. We have been preaching standards for a long time and this offering is really going to see our partners and end users benefiting from a more structured approach to projects. We are really excited that the market will now have an alternative and that we will be able to deliver higher value and more qualitative solutions that are easy to maintain and to integrate. The MAPS solution not only adds value to the integration team but extends the value of the solution for many years after the initial project is complete.”
The key to a successful and high quality automation solution lies in the use of re-usable objects, standards and structure. To this end the MAPS product will require EPCs, system integrators and customers to alter their thinking about projects. Customers need to understand that the cost of an automation solution does not stop at commissioning, but extends over the entire life cycle, which could be 10 years or more. MAPS will ensure that the plant integrity and efficiency remains at a high level long after the SI has left the site.
CBI-electric: low voltage executive manager, Steve Venter, explains, “The discontinuance between the various phases within an automation project leads to inefficiencies. We felt that our original partnership, whilst delivering great efficiency in the engineering phase would not change the game for our partners over the entire lifecycle. The inclusion of DesSoft and the 1Eng software extends the value chain and answers many of the challenges and shortfalls that exist in the current way people use our product offerings.”
Consider the life cycle of an automation project:
* Process design – P&ID drawings, instrumentation schedules, etc.
* Engineering design – including cabling, racking, panel design, I/O schedules, hardware, instrumentation selection and specification.
* Control system design – including user requirement specifications and functional design specifications, PLC coding and scada, MIS, MES configuration, factory and site acceptance testing.
* Installation and commissioning – including as-built drawings and documentation.
* Acceptance and ongoing maintenance by the customer.
In theory this should work, but the ability to build a synchronised project which allows all parties to work harmoniously is difficult in practice. Discrepancies include:
* Tag names between P&ID, PLC, scada are, more often than not, different.
* PLC programs may differ in structure when several engineers are collaborating on a project, as can scada graphics and plant operation.
* The as-built drawings and documentation are almost never correct, often due to time and cost pressures.
The situation gets worse as the plant runs over time. Maintenance personnel and engineers are in general bad at maintaining documentation as it is time constraining. So, an inevitable ‘drift’ in PLC programming, wiring and instrumentation documentation occurs.
Venter adds, “A common complaint when I talk to customers is that this drift over time leads to unacceptable situations on the plant. Interlocks being bridged in the middle of the night and not logged, or temporary instrument changes (often becomes permanent) that are not properly documented all lead to prolonged downtimes, lost productivity and compromised safety. Uninformed technicians struggle in the middle of the night to find drawings or other documentation that would enable them to identify and then rectify a fault. With the DesSoft – 1Eng and MAPS interface, all these issues can be addressed through the ability to import Excel information into a central database.”
Design
In the initial phase, the EPC (electrical and process contractor) can use DesSoft’s tools to design the process. This results in the P&ID which would then be handed to the electrical design and control team. This E&I team would then use the tools to do the instrumentation and equipment schedules along with the cabling and PLC I/O schedules. In addition the software allows for the design of loop connection, termination connection, motor schematic, power reticulation, control wiring and all supporting documentation.
Engineering
The MAPS bulk engineering tool then integrates and pulls through a common view of the process into an engineering-based environment. From this tool the control engineer builds an S88 view of the plant. This view is made up of the plant area, process area and unit area, together with the relevant equipment to be controlled.
The MAPS tool is shipped with a well constructed set of graphical and PLC function block objects designed to meet most automation requirements. The control design engineer then maps a functional block and graphical object to a control point within the 1Eng interface to complete the design, before simply clicking to ‘generate’ the project.
Initial tests and prototyping show that up to 30% can be saved on engineering time, but the real saving comes from the fact that MAPS uses quality controlled software objects so that factory testing and commissioning can be minimised.
The engineer can then use MAPS to create the entire scada system and PLC project structure using best practices. Auto-generation includes the following:
* Engineering – a single view of the process including all drawings, cabling, I/O schedules etc.
* Scada – devices (PLCs, drivers), tags, navigation structure and all mimics including PLC status and management.
* PLC – basic logical structure of program and all FBs placed in user selected order.
The various engineers collaborating on the project all work from a single structured system and simply have to do the final design work for the higher level control, interlocking and other PLC code necessary to meet the specification. Scada engineers can then add the static aspects of the mimics and any other scada work necessary.
Testing
Acceptance testing time is minimised as the project is using standard PLC function blocks and scada objects that have been proven in the field, allowing the control engineers to focus their attention on the code they have developed to complete the project prior to delivery. This is where most ‘integrated’ systems stop, but where MAPS continues to deliver value to the customer.
Commissioning
The MAPS tool allows changes made to process or engineering design to propagate through the entire project, keeping all the aspects in synchronisation. Any changes made to field cabling or panel wiring can be made and tracked using the red-lining capability of the DesSoft system, all accessed directly from the scada interface. All are then logged and can be made within a structured and well controlled environment. This means that when complete, the project documentation delivered to the customer will reflect the as-built state.
Maintenance and continued plant operation
Because the entire wiring and electrical design is driven from a database, customers can use the same tools to ensure that the system remains current with all changes. It is not necessary to employ CAD engineers and costly business processes to keep the system current. Drawings are accessed directly from the scada and where someone makes a change in the middle of the night an alert can be set and a flag raised to some level within the organisation that can then approve or at least monitor what is happening. This means that technicians are always working with the correct drawing, minimising downtime and maximising productivity.
Trying to find the ‘latest’ I/O schedule on a grubby Excel spreadsheet lying in the back of a panel is one of many frustrations site engineers have experienced in the past. With MAPS, changing and adding equipment is extremely easy as it is possible to create, delete and even synchronise the various systems from within the MAPS environment.
Delivering an intelligent user interface and other DCS functionality
MAPS delivers a lot more functionality off the shelf than most scada systems. The graphics and function blocks have all been designed by engineers with many years’ experience in building and operating process plants. The intelligent faceplates offer automatic support for maintenance and simulation as well as valuable information such as the number of starts a motor has remaining. In addition, like a DCS, standard trends are available off the faceplates with no configuration required.
Conclusion
MAPS is set to revolutionise the way automation systems are engineered and managed in the future. Designers, SIs and customers will all feel the benefit over time by ensuring quality systems and cost effectiveness wherever the MAPS suite is used.
All three companies: Adroit Technologies, CBI-electric: low voltage and DesSoft are accepted as leaders in their respective fields. The MAPS product brings these companies together in a way that revolutionises integrated automation. Dave Wibberley concludes, “We have already launched this product with some of our key clients and the feedback and enthusiasm has been overwhelming, we look forward to launching this internationally to see what our partners and customers can add to the suite.”
For more information contact Monica Mynhardt, Adroit Technologies, +27 (0)11 658 8100, [email protected], www.adroit.co.za
For more information contact CBI-electric: low voltage, (0)82 379 2670, www.cbi-electric.co.za
| Tel: | +27 11 658 8100 |
| Email: | [email protected] |
| www: | www.adroit.co.za |
| Articles: | More information and articles about Adroit Technologies |
| Tel: | +27 12 644 2974 |
| Email: | [email protected] |
| www: | www.dessoft.tech |
| Articles: | More information and articles about DesSoft |
| Tel: | +27 11 928 2000 |
| Email: | [email protected] |
| www: | www.cbi-lowvoltage.com |
| Articles: | More information and articles about CBI-electric: low voltage |
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