Reviewer details
Reviewer: Marius Rencken
Position: Manager Electrical Systems, Development
Company: Cape Gate
Telephone: +27 (0)16 980 2552
E-mail: [email protected]
Product details
Vendor: Rockwell Automation
Product name and version: FactoryTalk View SE V2.00 (CPR7)
Telephone: +27 (0)11 654 9700
E-mail: [email protected]
URL: www.rockwellautomation.com
Application
Industry: Iron and steel
Server operating system: N/A
Client operating system: Windows XP Pro
Front end: 1 * Allen-Bradley CLX
Tag count: 220
General
Q: Briefly describe the application including information on any pre-existing system that was in place.
A: No previous scada system was in place. The scada provides an interface for production monitoring and reporting. Per shift, per machine delay reports and OEE (overall equipment effectiveness) reports are generated and the data is used for operator production bonus remuneration.
Q: Who performed the scada configuration?
A: A master technician at end-user Cape Gate.
Q: Approximately how many man-hours did the scada configuration take?
A: 20 man hours.
Q: Was a structured process followed to determine expected performance under full load and during abnormal failure conditions?
A: No.
Q: What sort of licensing agreement applies to this particular system?
A: Licensing is not tag-based, but based on the number of scada display pages. There is no limit to the number of tags per display page.
Q: What upgrade agreements are in place? Are patches and version upgrades free, covered under annual maintenance or managed in some other way?
A: Version upgrades form part of a software support agreement and are not billed separately.
Q: How is after-sales support handled?
A: Via the Internet and a technical support phone line.
System architecture
Q: What impresses you most about the architecture?
A: The fact that the distributed database resides in the connected PLC(s) and not in the scada.
Q: What are the key physical communication layers and communication protocols employed in the system?
A: The application uses Ethernet over fibre.
Q: Is the scada system integrated onto an intranet or the Internet? If so, what level of remote monitoring and control is configured?
A: No.
Q: Does the application utilise web services?
A: No.
Q: What redundancy is incorporated in this scada application?
A: None.
Graphics
Q: Could you describe the graphics development process?
A: Images were drawn from scratch to suit the application.
Q: How would you describe the library of graphic images?
A: Good.
Q: What human factors were taken into consideration in the HMI design process?
A: Simple graphics were created for ease of use.
Q: Did you use any ‘special’ images?
A: No.
Compatibility
Q: Do you run the scada in conjunction with any third-party application software?
A: No.
Q: Was any custom code or scada scripting written for this project?
A: A COM+ component was developed in C++.
Management reporting and integration
Q: Is a trending and historical data reporting system included?
A: The data is captured, processed and published on the intranet.
Q: Is a management reporting system included in the package?
A: No.
Q: Is the system integrated with an MES/ERP or other management reporting or control system?
A: The system is integrated with an ERP system running on an IBM AS/400.
Q: Who performed this integration?
A: Cape Gate IT personnel.
Q: Was any additional software development needed?
A: To provide machine downtime reasons an application was developed in C++ to integrate directly with the FactoryTalk Plant Metrics module.
Q: Are any production benchmarking tools configured as part of the scada system?
A: The Plant Metrics module was used to monitor plant-floor equipment. This offers specific information on machine performance and a detailed machine event history to provide insight into the causes of inefficiency, waste and lost capacity.
System safety, security and data protection
Q: What alarm management standards or best practices were adopted in configuring the scada system?
A: The application is only a monitoring system and there are no alarms.
Q: How were the potential consequences of abnormal process conditions taken into consideration during the HMI design process?
A: Not applicable.
Q: Does the design make provision for a DMZ and firewall segregation of process network and business networks?
A: No.
Q: What intrusion detection is incorporated on the plant network(s) on which this scada system exists?
A: None.
Q: What configuration backup and archive backup methodologies have been adopted?
A: Periodic backup is handled via the corporate network.
Conclusion
Q: What was the predominant feature(s) that made you decide to employ this scada, rather than another?
A: The open upgrade path and ease of use.
Q: What impresses you the most about the system?
A: The way information is transferred from shopfloor to management level.
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