Reviewer details
Name: Martin Volkwyn
Position/designation: divisional engineering manager
Company: SCAW Metals
Telephone: 011 842 9653
E-mail: [email protected]
Product details
Vendor: Futuristix Advanced Control Systems/ Wonderware / MDT Software
Product name and version: ArchestrA, InTouch, InSQL, ActiveFactory and SuiteVoyager from Wonderware as well as AutoSave software change management solution from MDT Software
Vendor telephone number: 011 729 9900
E-mail: [email protected]
URL: www.futuristix.co.za
General
Q: What industry (eg, mining, food and beverage, automotive etc) is the scada being applied in?
A: Steel product fabrication (eg, rolled steel, Haggie wire rope and strand, McKinnon Chain, Moly-Cop forged grinding media and cast steel and alloy iron products.)
Q: Describe the application briefly giving a description of any existing control systems, any previous scada system that was in place etc. If relevant describe the switchover from the previous system?
A: The evolution of a scada system project that began as a conventional automation and control system and evolved over a period of six months into a plant-wide MES solution integrating scada systems across various plants within SCAW Metals.
Q: Who did the system integration?
A: Ram-Tec Systems.
Q: Approximately how many man-hours did the integration take?
A: Difficult to say but the project took approx six months.
Q: How is the after-sales support handled (eg, remote-dial-up, email, Internet access etc)?
A: Direct support call. Remote dial-up has also been established and will be utilised in future.
Q: What sort of licensing agreement is used on this particular system? Does one licence cover all modules, or can the user only buy those modules that he wishes to use?
A: Licences are available per application.
System architecture
Q: How many tag points/I/O does the installation have? Analog? Digital? Maximum possible?
A: The system controls 34 PLCs of multiple types. A 50 000 I/O Archestra system solution was utilised.
Q: What operating system is the scada running on (eg, Windows NT, Unix etc)
A: Windows 2000.
Q: What impressed you most about the architecture? Open standards, wide range of drivers, the ability to upgrade, etc? Please elaborate.
A: The most impressive things about the architecture were its scalability, development and deployment of standards, security features and the ability to integrate various systems and solutions so that they all worked in harmony.
Q: Is the system integrated onto an intranet or the Internet? If so, does the configuration allow simple remote monitoring, or is it configured to allow full remote control? If not, what level of intranet/Internet control does the scada allow for future use?
A: The system uses Wonderware's SuiteVoyager web portal to provide management and operational information to qualified personnel throughout the three plants. Data is collated and presented by ActiveFactory. Remote control has not been implemented at present.
Q: What sort of redundancy is built into the system?
A: The initial specification did not request redundancy. However, the Wonderware ArchestrA system offers exceptional redundancy, which we shall install in the future. In any case, for the project, network redundancy was allowed for by the use of intelligent Hirschman switches on a ring network topology.
Graphics
Q: Describe the graphics development process - eg, did you use standard library images, or did you have to draw images from scratch?
A: In addition to the Wonderware standards, Ram-Tec had a strong set of standard graphic templates as well as PLC standards. In addition, the new ArchestrA platform strongly encouraged the use of standards throughout the plant. In fact this is one of the key benefits of the application.
Q: How would you describe the library of graphic images?
A: The combined standards from Wonderware and Ram-Tec were excellent. Where necessary, in order to keep the same specific look and feel on the application, Ram-Tec did its own graphic images.
Q: Did you use any 'special' images (eg, embedded video clips, photographs, 3D images etc)?
A: While the system allows for 'special images', we did not make extensive use of this. Some 3D shading was used as well as animation using standard InTouch tools.
Compatibility
Q: Did you run the scada in conjunction with any third-party application software? Describe.
A: The scada system and its historian database is run in parallel with a third party application called AutoSave from MDT Software. This is a control software change management solution that justified its existence through the disciplined re-deployment of working PLC software after an unfortunate accident.
Q: Does the scada allow for the user to create scripts to perform specific tasks? Describe any specific scripts that were written for this project.
A: The ArchestrA system offered us a platform whereby we could centralise information throughout the plant. It also provides a powerful scripting platform (including .net scripting) for us to develop specific plant wide performance calculations and also furnace laboratory data interface.
Management reporting
Q: Is a trending and historical data reporting system included? Please elaborate.
A: Wonderware's ActiveFactory provides the analysis information we use from the data stored in the IndustrialSQL Server realtime historian. The application provides trend and other statistical analyses. All of this is available in both 'fat' client and Internet client.
Q: Is a management reporting system included in the package?
A: Management reports are generated by Wonderware's ActiveFactory and viewed through the SuiteVoyager web portal. This is used in the daily management meetings.
Q: Is the system integrated into a manufacturing execution system?
A: The system IS an MES. Starting with a scada application, the system has evolved into an MES system for one virtual plant consisting of a number of physical plants.
Q: Is the scada system integrated into a management reporting or control system (eg, SAP, Baan)?
A: Not yet but plans are under way to link it to our SAP system.
Conclusion
Q: What impressed you the most about the system?
A: ArchestrA has been designed to be a new paradigm that would cater to the needs of manufacturers operating in the 21st century. We were looking for not 'more of the same' but for a new approach that would give us the flexibility to apply a uniform and integrated approach to the integration of our various plants and that could solve problems that have not yet surfaced. ArchestrA gave us the framework to integrate a variety of solutions from various software and hardware vendors without imposing a proprietary stamp on everything we do. Its flexibility, scalability and robustness impressed us greatly.
Q: What was the predominant feature (or features) that made you decide to employ this scada, rather than another (ie, ease of use, support from the vendor, upgrade path, redundancy features etc)?
A: * Single automation department throughout SCAW Metals (large inter-plant cable distances 0,5 to 5 km).
* Standardise scada engineering development across all plants and catering for integration to various PLC types.
* Templates, automation objects (eg, motor control, valve control), standards, alarming, tag naming conventions and structures.
* Reduce engineering effort. Many scadas and many PLCs.
* Centralised software change management security.
* Scaleable and flexible automation infrastructure to accommodate plant design changes and additional plants.
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